Gamma Mutants

[the Jester]

So I ran a game where the party went back in time to the standard "magical apocalypse in the distant past" kind of thing. During that adventure, I decided to use the Hulk in my game. So I made this template.

GAMMA MUTANTS

Although our heroes will not be exposed to gamma radiation at any point in the adventure, they will encounter gamma mutants. The gamma mutant template follows. A gamma mutant becomes enraged when injured, and enters a “hulk state.” This state lasts until the gamma mutant’s full hit points are regained and it is not under stress for ten minutes. In its normal state, it has no unusual characteristics, but when it hulks out, it undergoes the following changes:

Size and Type: In its hulk state, a gamma mutant’s size increases one category. Do not apply the normal changes for size increase to it, except for those involving grapple and Hide checks; this template’s changes replace the normal modifiers for size increase. In its hulk state, a gamma mutant takes on the aberration type and the augmented subtype.

Any clothing or armor on the creature is partially burst, but is still partially functional. Armor bonuses are reduced by 2.

Armor Class: Increase the gamma mutant’s natural armor bonus by +6.

Attacks: A gamma mutant gains a slam attack if it did not already have one. It uses its slam as a primary attack, even if it previously had other natural attacks.

Damage: A medium sized gamma mutant’s slam attack deals 1d10 points of damage. This scales up or down with its size normally (so a large gamma mutant’s slam attack deals 2d8 points of damage).

Special Qualities: A gamma mutant gains all of the following special qualities: -Immunity to exhaustion, fatigue, pain, paralyzation, poison and radiation.
-Resistance 10 to cold, electricity and fire.
-Fast healing 10.
-Vulnerability: A calm emotions spell (or similar effect) will cause the gamma mutant to change back to its base form. It cannot ‘hulk out’ again for as long as the spell lasts.

Abilities: While in its hulk state, a gamma mutant’s abilities change as follows: Str +30, Con +30, Int -10 (to a minimum of 1, unless it is already mindless).

Feats: While in its hulk state, the gamma mutant gains Improved Sunder as a bonus feat.

Challenge Rating: Up to 4 HD: as base creature +4; 5-8 HD: as base creature +3; 9 or more HD: as base creature +2.

 

[Technik4]

I love your epic stories and monsters, but I think this might be a little too strong, even for 8th level characters... +30 Con means a 4 HD creature would gain 60 hp, and +30 Str would make that slam attack pretty powerful, especially on an already-strong monster. Still a very neat homage to our green comic Hero

 

[the Jester]

I love your epic stories and monsters, but I think this might be a little too strong, even for 8th level characters... +30 Con means a 4 HD creature would gain 60 hp, and +30 Str would make that slam attack pretty powerful, especially on an already-strong monster. Still a very neat homage to our green comic Hero

They meet the Hulk before too long in that campaign.

The idea was to make gamma mutant creatures nearly unkillable and very dangerous- the kind of encounter that you are likely to do better fleeing than fighting. That is why the CR modifier is higher for weaker base creatures (rather than the opposite holding true, as in most templates)- higher level pcs are much more capable of dealing with these kinds of things.

Also note that in the campaign in question, you die at a negative hp total equal to your con score + HD. This template vastly improves your "cling to life" zone!

 

[Knightfall]

This should have the shapechanger subtype, IMO.

 

[the Jester]

How bout a sample gamma mutant?

HULK DOG--- CR 5
Gamma mutant riding dog
N large aberrations (augmented animals)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +5, Spot +5

AC 21 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +10 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 19
Hit Dice 2d8+34 (47 hp); Fast Healing 10
Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10
Immune exhaustion, fatigue, pain, paralyzation, poison and radiation
Fort +20, Ref +5, Will +1
Vulnerability calm emotions

Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee slam +17 (2d8+17) and bite +12 (1d8+8)
Base Atk +1; Grp +22
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Atk Options Improved Sunder

Str 45, Dex 15, Con 45, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 6
Feats Alertness, Improved Sunder (B), Track (B)
Skills Jump +23, Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +18, Survival +1 (+5 when tracking by scent)

Vulnerability to Calm Emotions: A hulk dog that is targeted by a calm emotions spell reverts to its normal riding dog form, and cannot ‘hulk out’ again for the duration of the spell.

***

Here are the end notes from the encounter in the Y271 Campaign in which these guys appeared (which uses my Cling to Life variant, in which you don't die at -10, but instead at a negative hp total equal to your con score + HD):


Note that the hulk dogs do not die until they reach -47 hp; this means that they can take quite a pounding and still come back for more. This should leave them as terrifying, almost unkillable opponents. The characters can fight, seek refuge in one of the intact buildings (see L6C), or flee.


(I include this just as to underscore the way I planned on using them. Of course, the pcs managed to take them down much more quickly than I expected, but then again, they also had over a dozen npcs with them, which I had not expected either.)

As to adding the Shapechanger subtype- that seems appropriate. I guess I overlooked it; I always think of (shapechanger) things as monsters who have shapechanging as their shtick, and gamma mutants definitely do. Good suggestion! I'll update my notes...

(Actually, though, looking at the subtype description, it seems like (shapechangers) can be any creature that can change shape; I guess it doesn't have to be their main shtick.)