The Vulture Men of Waukegan (excerpt)

Here's an excerpt form the forthcoming Vulture Men of Waukegan. It should serve pretty much any post-apoc system, however.

Atria Medical Center
Once a large and well-respected hospital/research facility, the Atria has been reduced to a large pile of rubble, covered with weeds, grasses, and a few small trees. A close search, however, reveals that one of the large collapsed buildings is sheltering a smaller separate internal area from the elements. This area is composed of military-grade reinforced concrete with duraplast doors. This sealed area was a secret biological research center hidden within a normal everyday hospital. Just before the cataclysm, the research center was sealed during an emergency in which several military-grade biological weapons were released. All but one strain of weapon has since died in the long wait, but the remaining one is the most virulent of them all. Called Omega Prime by the researchers, it’s designed to alter the very genetic structure of its targets. Exposure to the weapon results in mutation.

Any mutie PCs near the area when the building is opened (which will require quite creative means) roll for one more mutation. However, there is 25% chance that the mutation is a genetic defect, instead of a benefit. If a defect is indicated, have the player roll on the below table for his hapless PC.

Defects
1. Toxic Weakness: Randomly determine the type of toxin to which the PC is susceptible. The PC takes an extra 2 points of damage when exposed to that toxin and makes resistance rolls against it at -2.

2. Energy Weakness: Randomly determine the type of energy to which the PC is susceptible. The PC takes an extra 2 points of damage when exposed to that energy at damaging levels.

3. Sensory Diminishment: The PC looses sensitivity in all of his senses and suffers a -2 to all sense checks.

4. Body Odor: The PC gains a foul body odor, making him easy to scent track (+6 to succeed) by creatures capable of such tracking.

5. Narcolepsy: The PC falls asleep (25% twice per day, 75% once per day) without notice. The sleep lasts for 5 minutes. At the beginning of the day, the GM should randomly determine what hour such sleeps occur. They can occur while the PC is actually sleeping.

6. Water Imbalance: The PC requires twice as much water as normal. He pees a lot.

Worse than the chance of acquiring a defect is the danger that non-muties face when confronted by Omega Prime. If a PC does not have mutations, he has a 10% chance of mutating into a something far, far worse. Roll on the below table if a horrible mutation is indicated.

1     The PC transforms into a colossal horror. The transformation takes two horrific and painful weeks during which the PC is unconscious and incapacitated. After the third day, the PC starts putting on 100+ pounds of additional weight per day.
2-20    The PC transforms into a rotten hole. The transformation takes two horrific and painful days. After the first day, the PC begins exhibiting the trait of a rotten hole and crawls away to find a suitable nest.
21-60    The PC transforms into a groue horror. The transformation takes two horrific and painful hours. After the first hour, the PC looses consciousness.
61-90    The PC transforms into an ocular horror. The transformation takes a single horrific and painful hour. After the first hour, the PCs head separates from his body and one of his eyes begins to rapidly grow.
91-100    The PC transforms into a baleful monstrosity. The transformation takes a horrific and painful week.

Any of these mutations obviously takes the PC out of the game unless some Ultra threshold technology relating to genetics and genetic healing is available during the transformation period. Ironically enough, those that turn into the most horrible creatures have the greatest chance for a state reversal given the longer “gestation” periods.