a29 - COMBINANT CHIMERAMEN

A pile of rags. Is this the laundry? It smells like it.

Reskinned Mongrelmen. Camouflage and pick pockets and that jazz. But These guys are tiny: perfectly matched to the midden.

If they are surprised, you caught them out and about. Otherwise they are undetectable.

One of the boys will pilfer something. Roll the 1d6 in the open - party has a feeeeeeling, but doesn't know what it is. On a 3-6 they succeed.

1       Failure: Caught red-handed.
2       Failure: Skittering halfway across the floor with whatever he took
3       Success, but the PC so pilfered notices the item is missing
4-6    Success: Nobody is any the wiser, other than that feeling something is funny

Tristam Evans

It the party squashes one, they'll come out of the woodwork, joining and joining, d10 at a time. If you roll a 1, they have had it and go back to hiding, otherwise the group is nigh unto inexhaustable. Add 1 hp for every Chimeraman.

Even worse, 1 attack for 1d6 damage for every 5 of them (round down). It's a clumsy beast, thank the lord, so it stays 1HD even as the HP go up and up. AC7, Mv 5, Att: Special, Dmg 1d6, Morale: special (see above)

They call out their names which are stylized colors as they join the collective: "Jazzberry Jam!" "Purple Mountain's Majesty!" "Laser Lemon!"

Body of Evil

Bring a paint chip catalogue or a box of crayons if the party chooses to tarry is what I'm saying.

a27 - OIL STARVATION of the LAW

The OIL

Tove Jansson

The LAW

Michael Hague

The STARVATION

We must now consider the various kinds of chaos: under which head there are eight points of inquiry:

1 - Whether there is eternal chaos?

2 - Whether there is natural chaos?

3 - Whether humans are creatures of chaos?

4 - Whether there is Primordial Chaos?

5 - Whether there is one Primordial Chaos, or several?

6 - Whether chaos can be generative?

7 - Whether chaos is a snake Apep?

8 - Whether chaos is a ladder?

TERMINAL

Wolves mill about in their leathers. They don't pay any attention, but will become thick as you try to get to the terminal, an old style telephone.

To get past them you must pass a test. These are straight ability checks blackjack style, much to the annoyance of any Grogs lurking in the wings.

1d6/1d4

1      Test of Strength

        1 - Wrestling

        2 - Tug of War

        3 - Javelin

        4 - One punch apiece

2       Test of Wits

        a - Shell game

        b - Riddles

        c - Free Arithmetic

        d - Polymorphs

3       Test of Will

        a - Holding the hand to fire

        b - Holding your breath underwater

        c - Bloody Knuckles

        d - Climb the Infinite Stair

4       Test of Speed

        a - 100 Meter Dash

        b - Snatch the Egg of a Dangerous Animal

        c - Capture the Flag

        d - Three-Legged Race

5       Test of Fortitude

        1 - Pin the Tail on the Donkey

        2 - Lodovico Technique

        3 - Beatings on the Hour

        4 - Competitive eating contest

6       Test of Oratory

        1 - Last Request

        2 - Lead the Group in a Sing-a-long

        3 - Fast Talk the Ogre

        4 - Tongue Twister

And who will be your doughty opponent in this competition? Roll 1d6 and 1d6 as many times as needed.

ONE (the brawn)

 (1)    Little old Lady (Ethelvere)

 (2)    Impossibly thin Wired steel 

 (3)    Sneaky Pete - Weak, but cheats

 (4)    Big Bruiser

 (5)    A circus bear

 (6)    An angel of the Lord

TWO (the brains)

 (1)    Trashy Nougas

 (2)    Zebra-striped Metamorphis Alpha Mutant

 (3)    Grieving Widow (she killed him tho)

 (4)    Absolutely out of his head on ergot poisoned

 (5)    Shameful acne'd genius

 (6)    Peace Frog Bullywog

THREE (the survivors)

 (1)    Six small children street gang

 (2)    Boss Betty

 (3)    Sunburned Pink

 (4)    Miner trapped in a cave-in (still trapped)

 (5)    Teflon Don - Nothin' touches him

 (6)    Full body cast

FOUR (the quick)

 (1)    Tattooed Amnesiac

 (2)    Crash

 (3)    Well-dressed knifer

 (4)    Sheila Sundress

 (5)    Wheeler

 (6)    Lazy lolling about, but lighting when roused

FIVE (the toughs)

 (1)    Loco

 (2)    Romeo Pomade

 (3)    Eggbreaker

 (4)    Ernie Eris-stotle

 (5)    Lovely Rita Mitre Sawer

 (6)    Waldo the Coyote

SIX (the wits)

 (1)    The Bleached White Baronette

 (2)    Dazzling Sparkle Ghost

 (3)    Cerano Piscisiac : Talking Fish in his bowl feeding lines to a dumb hunk

 (4)    Disgraced Territorial Governor

 (5)    Life of the Party

 (6)    Maniac Sociopath

Biker #2 - I say we kill him!

Biker Gang - YEAH!

Biker #3 - I say we hang him, then we kill him!

Biker Gang - YEAH!

Biker #4 - I say we stomp him . . .

Biker Gang - YEAH!

Biker #4 - Then we tattoo him . . .

Biker Gang - YEAH!

Biker #4 - Then we hang him . . .

Biker Gang - YEAH!

Biker #4 - Then we kill him!

Biker Gang - YEAH!

Pee-wee - I say we let him go.

Biker Gang - NO!

Biker Mama - I say ya let me have him first!         

a7 -DIVING BELLE

  ¡SWORD and SORCERY SATURDAY!

Andrew Brosnatch

A Wolf Terminal taking the form a Specter floating over a diving helmet wearing maiden. Flowers are strewn everywhere. The girl has just been chained in place and the specter invoked.

There are aproximately 15 wolves laying about in a state of stupor.

The maiden is aged 1d6 decades per feed.

A jackalw.e.r.e. can jackal in while the specter is feeding. It takes 1 turn to jackal in, 1 to jackal out, and 1 for the time spent inside. This means that if the specter only feeds 1 or 3 he will feed on the w.e.r.e. On a 2 they will get stuck inside!

a6 - ESCALERA CALAVERA

 Some sort of contraption where giant skeletal hands grab objects off a platform and transport them to Level 3.

Jose Otein

Careful examination will reveal that some hands have 4 fingers and a thumb, while other have only 3. Good thing! The missing finger on the some of the hands is a module that overrides the hands fervent desire to CRUSH.

(1d10 damage per turn - save vs Turned to Stone for 0 damage)

The machine is clockwork. There is one hand every other turn. It takes 3 turns to deposite you, after which even the crushers will drop their cargo.

Roll 1d12

1 - Middle Finger - Electrocutes you for 2d8 Damage. You can ride it down after the shock.
2 - Claw - Safe as a mother cat grabbing you by the scruff
3 - Three Fingers - CRUSH! But not very well. 1d4 Damage
4 - Four Fingers - CRUSH!
5 - Five Fingers - Safe
6 - Four Fingers - CRUSH!
7 - Five Fingers - Safe
8 - Four Fingers - CRUSH
9 - Five Fingers - Safe
10 - Four Fingers - CRUSH
11 - Five Fingers with Painted Nails - Save vs Poison or take 1d10 damage exploding 
12 - Four Fingers with a Trapped Barbarian - He will throw his axe in lash-out agitation (1d6), but otherwise keeps passing his saving throw because Stone to him is just another God yapping away. The Hand refuses to drop him though. 

Photo by Angelo Merendino

a5 - THIS CARGO IS BEYOND ANY OF YOU

A Bejeweled courier (AC 3, HD 4, HP 6 (full 12), ML11, Dmg 1d8 - ornate sword) beset by 4 Acephaliers Reavers (HD2, HP8, AC 4 (mounted) 6 (off mount), Dmg 1d6 ranged - styxstix).

He is cradling a hatching meteoroid - it pulses ominously - motes of light glitter out. 

Bill Bell

The courier was heading for 6-The Escalera Calavera to deliver the meteoroid to its appointed home below - if the party intervenes, he will make a break for it. The Reavers have 2 more rounds of pot shots at him. They are keeping their distance but furiously zapping him. 

Clinton G. Bowers

After this, despairing of his circumstances, the courier will explode the stone - causing 2d10 damage to anyone in range.

He will do this even if, especially if killed, animated by the meteoroid's alien logic play midwife. "Fly, f***ers! Fly!"

If cornered, he will act with conciliation and outline the grand tapestry of the 10 astral stones and how they will take the ship airborne, before ultimately exploding the asteroid anyway.

James Edwin McConnell 

The resultant entity (AC 0, HD 4, MLx, Dmg 1d6, Move 1!) still wants to get into place, but obviously the courier has a made a bit of a mess of it. It looks like a transparent fire and is very hard to see unless it is quite dark. Its name is Chimmel - its zone of control it is Clarity. 

Chimmel can cast the following spells once per day as a 5th level magic user: "Sheild, Continual Light, Knock, Invisibility)

It moves at a snail's pace but will get where it's going eventually.

Mark Chadwick

a4 - BAD CODE

The Ulthydra reaver captain Pseochruhadro Miorg (Level 4 Fighter, HP 18, Att 2, Dmg 1d6/1d8) - Implants: Furnace Bellow Lungs (Can breathe in vacuum), Supermassive left hand (crush attack), Pliable face mask (can change appearance)

is reacting badly to his latest acquisition: an extending skeleton arm (melee attack as ranged)

You know Pseochruahdro a little bit - a stabby guy. Not super smart.

Mark Texiera

It seems something about the new implant is shifting him in and out of dimensional space. Sometimes he's the same old sneaky Pseochruhadro. Sometimes he's more high fantasy type, flowing hair, commanding voice. Sometimes he's really degenerated - full of useless implants and a ten-yard stare. He staggers too and fro, each self with a different center of gravity and seasick.

His men are agitated at all this, and happily wheel on someone to fight, but their heart isn't really in it either (4 of them: AC 7, HD 2, At 1, Dmg 1d8, ML 6 (normally 9), special: pikes - they pick 1 person and all attack them - 2nd one that hits immobilizes afflicted character). Normally Pseochruhadro would at this point waltz in and finish said subject off, but he has problems of his own.

The Pulga and Doc (to do the implants on the spot like any good bravo would want) are sick themselves, caught in the blast from it going bad. If questioned, they can point out the NODE (6) they got it from.

a3 - PITCH and ROLL SAVE vs DEATH RAY or POISON

There has been a recent fight here between Phlotos and Acephaliers, and there is an area at the edge that not only has the crude railing broken off, but the surface is slick and glossy from burns.

If you get too close: the ship suddenly pitches and rolls (alas, a bit of a quantum crowbar here): Save vs Death Ray or be thrown right off the boat! PC who is so thrown gets another save to catch themselves in the rigging, otherwise they are in the drink, and either way are precarious. 

Why would you go here? For 1, there is a spasming Acephalier SERVITOR MOUNT left over from the fight: it is badly damaged, but salvageable, and could be ridden potentially or somehow employed.

If this space is encountered AFTER the party has gone to subsequent levels, a team of 2d4 SERVITORS will arrive to repair the railing. (HD 3, Att 1, Dmg 1d6 (headbutt), Morale 11, Special: on a 20, seize target and throw overboard).

Michael Sieben

a2 - The SKIZO

 Spikes shoot up and 4 crude scarecrows that radiate FEAR (save vs Magic) on poles. Huge coop.

Corrugated steel roof and wire: tiny dinosaurs (HP 2, AC 9, Move 0/12, ML6) clucking and rustling underneath, many nests: filthy. If you really look (letting the dinos in the way move around to give the proper vantage) there is a collection of hairy bodies surrounding a nest around the center. This is a TERMINAL, but the linked pack is dead to a man. They don't appear to have been bitten by the dinos.

SOUND: Clucking

Jim Harris

Players can scurry under the fence into the coop and investigate the nests if they are reckless, or wish to make their way to the terminal and jack in. The dinos aren't aggressive, but enough of them will give little nips that players take 1 damage aggregating per round (1/2/3 etc).

Players can reach 1 nest per turn. The terminal seems to dance just out of reach - never quite where they think. The nests have dinosaur eggs, along with strange bits of sentient meteorite.

Roll d10 per nest

1 - 3        METEOR HATCHED. All dino eggs have been consumed for sustenance

4              IN PROCESS. d4 Damage per turn as the meteorite feeds.

5              CRACKING. Arcane energies horrify. Feeling of horror from the scarecrows intensifies. Save vs magic at -2.

6-9           EGG INTACT. Might fetch a pretty price but roll d6 per Round. On a 6, see CRACKING, then IN PROCESS, then HATCHES.

10             TERMINAL. There you are you little onion!

If an egg is in process of hatching or cracking, within d6 turns a BEJEWELED caretaker will appear (see as of yet unconstructed random encounter table) to tend.

If an unhatched metoriod is carried around, test with 1d6 per turn : on a 6 it begins to crack. An intact meteroid would sell for plenty: between 2000 and 5000 gp depending on the buyer, but good luck with that!

a1 - RELEASE the HOUNDS

The moment the PCs enter this area, 2d4 FLASHDOGS attack

German Shephard-sized, with Fleshhound type lizard frills and grabby beaks instead of jaws. HD 2, AC 4 (scales), Att 1, Dmg d6, Move 10, ML (d4+6), Special: On successful hit, save vs Paralyzation or take addition 1d4 damage per round from being shaken, each successive save at -1 per round.

Vinni Kiniki

From viewing turret jutting from the floor, 6 faces peer out. Each buyer desires a different type of dog.

Hazzi H'zerru, a Phlogisktonesian. BLOODTHIRSTY. Dog must kill something.

Nina Siemdok, a Hesperocyrine. TANK. Dog must be hit twice but not die.

Abeshar Nyas, an Acephalier. ELUSIVE. Dog must be attacked but not hit 3 times.

Yaacas Amamba, a Bejeweled. MACHO. Dog must pass a moral test.

Nezou the Human, a Human. SURVIVOR. Dog must be the last dog standing.

Elshah Bilm, a Degenerate Undydra. GRAPPLER. Dog must hold and shake for 2 turns or more.

The moment one of these conditions are met, the MERCHANT (HP 8, AC 2, Spells: Expeditious Retreat, Write Contract, Mirror Image) emerges from a trapdoor with 10 soldiers (HD1, AC 5, Man-catcher and Short Sword, ML 8) to secure said dog and pay the PCs for their trouble (500 GP - minus 100 per dog killed). He whistles off the other dogs.