Nuts & Bolts #150 - Post Apocalyptic Exploration

My Mutant Crawl Classics campaign has had a couple of establishing adventures and while I still have a few of the published adventures available I want to start moving things towards a hex-crawl and seed in the adventures more organically. To do that I need some kind of table to aid with the hex-crawl exploration side of things. Something simple enough to meet the needs of my current game and any future, and I should note that my PCs have a flying car so hex-crawl travel is a little faster for my current game than I'm sure it will be for others.

The trick here is to find a way to ensure that the group using the flying car isn't having a ton of encounters just because they can cover a ton of hexes in a given unit of time. Likewise since they can pass quickly through hexes they should have an increased chance of having no encounter since it would difficult for a fast moving vehicle to be ambushed, or for the passengers to spot a hidden structure in the dense jungle.

Exploration Roll:
When a group is moving through the wilderness 2d7 is rolled and then Table 1 is consulted. If the group contains a Rover, increase the die type by +1d. If the party is moving slowly and exploring with intent increase the die type by +1d. If they are moving quickly to cover more ground, reduce the die type by -1d or more (depending on how fast they are moving).

Table 1: What the heck did we find?

1. N/A - How'd you end up here? HOW?! You can't have rolled this ... sheesh
2. Ambush! Something hungry leaps out and attacks!
3. Fresh water, and a grove of trees bearing edible fruits. 
4. Weather (refer to Random Weather Tables)
5. A friendly creature with empathic or telepathic abilities finds the party and attaches itself to the PC with the highest Personality score. Creature has 1d3 Hit Dice of 1d4.
6. Hostiles! A group of enemies, or some other hostile creature or robot spots the group. 
7. A small party (2d4) of explorers. Roll 1d10 on Table 2.
8. A ruin of the ancients. This has been picked clean but a thorough search still has a 5% chance of rewarding the searchers with a minor artifact. The structure has a 50% chance of being intact enough to provide shelter. 
9. Nothing
10. Also nothing
11. Still nothing
12. Yup. Nothing
13. A crater filled with radioactive waste, the group must make a DC 12 Fortitude save or lose 1d3 points of Stamina. This roll is made for every Turn spent near the crater; increase the DC and frequency if the group decides to explore within. 
14. A small village or outpost belonging to (roll 1d20 on Table 2)
15. A damaged ancient site. 35% chance it has not been looted. Roll 1d12 on Table 3.
16. or Higher: Lucky find! An intact structure of the ancient ones! Roll 2d8 on Table 3.

Table 2: Affiliations

1. The Clan of Cog
2. The Chosen of Zuu
3. The Children of the Glow
4. The Curators
5. The Atomic Equinox
6. The Holy Medicinal order
7. The Gene Police
8. The Blessed Brotherhood
9. The Technorabble
10. (or greater) Non-affiliated

Table 3: Locations found at random

1. A military structure
2. A fuel depot
3. A greenhouse for decorative flowers
4. A hospital
5. A research station
6. An old museum or art gallery
7. A greenhouse for food production
8. A transit station
9. (or greater) A home of the ancients

The Alphabet of Outer Beings - A is for Avatar

A is for Avatar

An avatar is a physical manifestation of a powerful outer being in the mortal plain. These representatives of gods or patrons often take the form of a mortal I the image of the outer being but this is not exclusive, it's possible for an avatar to be an animal, a column of fire, a burning bush, or even the animation of  an idol. An avatar may have all of the power of the outer being or merely be invested with a portion of it; likewise an avatar may be a direct conduit or an independent fraction of the outer being’s psyche.

Table A1: Avatar Manifestation (roll %)

• 1-50% - the avatar takes the form of a mortal intelligent creature, proceed to table A2
• 51-70% - the avatar takes the form of an animal, proceed to table A3
• 71-80% - the avatar takes the form of a plant, proceed to table A4
• 81-90% - the avatar is embodies embodied in an abstract show off power, proceed to table A5
• 91-98% - the avatar inhabits and animates an idol of the outer being
• 99-00% - roll again twice & combine, ignoring all results of 91% or greater.

Table A2: Mortal Races (roll 1d10 then proceed to Table A6)
If the outer being only has followers of a single race ignore this table, the avatar takes the form of that race.

1. Human
2. Dwarf
3. Elf
4. Halfling
5. Orc
6. Goblin
7. Ogre
8. Giant
9. Gnome
10. Half breed, roll again twice

Table A3: Animal Forms (roll 1d10 then proceed to Table A6)

1. Canine/wolf
2. Predatory bird
3. Feline
4. Fish
5. Bird, non-predatory
6. Ruminant
7. Dragon
8. Horse
9. Serpent
10. Mixed (roll again twice and combine)

Table A4: Plants Forms (roll 1d6 then proceed to Table A6)

1. Tree, Evergreen
2. Tree, Fruit bearing
3. Tree, Deciduous
4. Shrubbery
5. Flowers
6. A mass of vines, moss, and grasses

Table A5: Abstract displays of power (roll 1d6 then proceed to Table A6)

1. A storm of lightning
2. A pillar of flame
3. A whirlwind
4. A font of water
5. A pillar of stone
6. A beam of pure light

Table A6: Avatar Divine Powers (roll 1d6 then proceed to Table A7)
If the avatar is the creation of a supernatural patron replace clerical magic with wizardly magics.

1. Divine Knowledge - though the avatar lacks any divine abilities it does possess knowledge
2. Living Icon - The avatar is a living icon of their deity and may lay on hands and turn unholy as a cleric of level 1d10
3. Minor clerical magic - The avatar is a weak cleric able to perform all the same divine magics as a cleric of level 1d3. 
4. Clerical magic - The avatar is a cleric able to perform all the same divine magics as a cleric of level 2d4.
5. Divine cleric - The avatar is able to fully channel the power of the deity and may perform any all clerical magic as a cleric of the normal maximum level. 
6. Powers beyond mortal ken - The avatar is not only able to channel any and all clerical magics but also may perform divine miracles on behalf of the deity. 

Table A7: Avatar's Hit Dice (roll 1d6 then proceed to Table A8)

1. Mortal - 2d6 hit dice
2. Tough Mortal - 4d8 hit dice
3. Powerful - 6d10 hit dice
4. Incredible power - 8d12 hit dice
5. Nigh Immortal - 15d10 hit dice
6. Demigod - 20d10 hit dice

Table A8: Avatar's Purpose on the mortal plane  (roll 1d6)

1. The avatar has been sent to deliver a prophecy.
2. The avatar has been sent to protect a fated individual.
3. The avatar has been sent to lead loyal forces in a war upon the deity's enemies.
4. The avatar has been sent to fulfill a prophecy.
5. The avatar has been sent to convert a specific person to the deity's worship.
6. The avatar has been sent to kill an enemy of the deity. 

MCC Recap - The Purple Pit of the Mole Men

A couple weeks ago, with a truncated crew I ran a somewhat off the cuff funnel for MCC with the players who were available. This was a modified and adapted version of Harley Stroh's The Sinister Secret of Whiterock. 

• Craig McCullough as
• Fred - Pure Strain Human
• Ted - Pure Strain Human
• Ed - Pure Strain Human
• Jason - Pure Strain Human
• Alex Perucchini as
• Zooma - Mutant
• Theo - Pure Strain Human
• Bile - Vulture Manimal
• Ophelia - Pure Strain Human
• Andrew Lyon as
• George - Chimpanzee Manimal
• Phil - Pure Strain Human
• Roger - Mutant
• Betsy - Pure Strain Human
• William Keller as
• Tully - Mutant
• Daisy - Mutant
• 17 - Pure Strain Human
• Guh - Pure Strain Human

Prior Session Reports:

• A Branch to the Head for All
• A Door Too Far
• Things Get Blue
• Hot hot hot!

Sent out to explore the jungles to the south of the village the PC group of mixed hunters and gatherers traveled for several days before reaching the boundary of the jungle and the foothills that rose into the Great Mountains to the south. After many days of travel the group was camped for the evening when poor unlucky Ed (I think it was Ed) was standing watch. He never saw his end coming. When morning came the group found Ed missing and apart from a trail into the wild and a foot no other sign of Ed was found.

Following the trail the group came to a strange wall of ancient made stone where the trail abruptly ended. Searching around they found a large metal hatch that revealed a hole into a dark cave. Part of the group descended into the cave where they were set upon by screamers. The radioactive fungus driven skeletons attacked as mercilessly as they attacked mindlessly and a hard fought battle ensued during which George and 17 were killed.

Once the screamers were killed the group explored the room, which was no cave but some kind of structure from long ago. They found a skull with a strange mechanical eye, but none were willing to attempt the operation to replace their own with it. Searching for a way out they located a secret door and were ambushed by a pair of mole-men. Though the mole men were well armored and well armed the group outnumbered them and quickly dispatched their foes and looted a wicked metal blade, some well made javelins, and two pieces of metal cloth armor too small for any in their party to wear.

Proceeding down on exit from this chamber the group located a broken bridge across a deep chasm. Far below there was the sound of rushing water and a strange purple glow. After much discussion they found a way to lower a large chain down into the chasm and one by one they attempted the treacherous climb. Most of them by luck or skill, made it to a ledge far below, but Daisy and Fred slipped and plummeted to their doom.

Faced with the choice to enter a large chamber full of refuse or climb a rope to the underground lake and investigate the source of the glow the party chose the latter and made their way to the shallows of the lake. Assaulting the beach they were attacked by another pair of armed mole men and a female of their species wearing a strange purple crown and weilding a death ray of the ancient ones! This death ray fired heat beams so intense that Guh exploded when hit by one, the juices in his body flashing to steam!

Luck and numbers, and the aid of one of the dead (who hand landed on and killed one of the mole men when they fell from the chain) allowed the group to achieve victory. They looted the dead and what treasure remained before making a hasty escape as the very chamber seemed to be collapsing as a result of the death of the mole men's queen...

In Memoriam: 

• Daisy
• 17
• Guh
• Fred
• Ed
• George