KOBOLDS AND
ROBOTS AND MUTANTS
WITH WINGS
These are a few of my favorite things
by Roger E. Moore
| Polyhedron | - | 1st Ed. AD&D | - | Polyhedron #18 |
| - | - | Kobalt | - | - |
In the section on "The Ongoing Campaign"
in the Dungeon Masters Guide,
AD&D game referees are encouraged
to
adapt scenarios and material from other
role-playing games into their campaigns.
The idea is to provide a wide variety of
adventures and to keep the game campaign
from going "stale" ("What, orcs
again? I'm sick of orcs.") Characters from
AD&D and D&D games can even be
completely adapted into other gaming
systems, so they may adventure through
the worlds of post-holocaust America,
outer space, the Old West, gangster-controlled
cities inth 1920s, and so forth.
This is certainly easier than adapting
the games themselves into AD&D
game statistics.
As the DMG notes, the trick is to
ensure the continuity of the characters
from one game system to another. This is
a difficult process. Anyone who attempts
to convert D&D or AD&D game characters
to the GAMMA WORLD, TOP SECRET,
BOOT HILL, STAR FRONTIERS, or GANGBUSTERS
games will quickly run into a great many roadblocks and dead ends.
In general, it isn't necessary to have
conversion systems from every role-playing
game to every other such game. Few
GANGBUSTERS games will involve
bootlegers hurled back in time ot the
1880s or far future; magic doesn't
play a part in STAR FRONTIERS
games, and spies rarely find starships.
The AD&D and D&D games are more
open to campaign crossing since they are
fantasy based; the concept of alternate
worlds and universes is an integral part of
these game systems.
The most frequently used campaign
crossover exists between the GAMMA
WORLD game system and the D&D/
AD&D game duo. Converting characters
from one system to another is fairly easy,
as outlined in the DMG. The GAMMA
WORLD game was derived from an
earlier science-fiction game produced by
TSR Inc., called Metamorphosis Alpha
which was closely modeled on the D&D
game. Statistics like strength, constitution,
dexterity, intelligence, and charisma
are rolled three 6-sided dice in each
system. Wisdom and mental strength,
from the AD&D and GAMMA
WORLD games respectively, are interchangeable
as noted in the DMG.
Other role-playing games not made by
TSR, Inc., may be used, of course. Some
of these use similar methods of creating
characters, though they will always have
some major differences. For the most
part, the game referee will be on his own
when trying to figure out ocnverions
between the different game systems (such
as Hero Games' CHAMPIONS
game to AD&D gaming and back).
It should be noted that when changing
a character from one game system to
another, the referee should be aware of
how experieince and skills are gained. For
example, in GAMMA WORLD gaming,
a character can gain charisma through
experience; this doesn't happen with
D&D game characters, and they should
not be allowed to permanently gain charisma
by this method. A game referee
could have a temporary increase in charisma
occur for an AD&D or D&D game
character adventuring in the GAMMA
WORLD game setting. When the PC
goes back ot his home universe, however,
these charisma points are lost and the
character should gain experience from the
adventure as he usually does (this could
prove tricky when deciding how many
XPs a mutant 50' lizard is worth).
Developing game hybrids and crossover
campaigns is very appealing. One of the
most humorous adventures that I remember
running involved three different role-playing
games at once. It was let slip to
the players that I was going to run an
adventure in which their characters were
hurled into the far future. Everyone was
encouraged to bring their favorite AD&D
game characters, fully prepared for the
fun to come. A mixed bag of adventurers
appeared and happily jumped into the
Well of Many Worlds that two sages
asked them to test out.
Sadly, instead of going into the future
the characters were turned into rabbits
and had their personal statistics converted
to the BUNNIES & BURROWS game
system (produced by Fantasy Games
Unlimited). The B&B game presents a
world much like that in the novel Watership
Down; characters become intelligent
rabbits that go adventuring through farmyards
and such. The look on the players'
faces when I presented them with their
new character sheets (carefully completed
beforehand) made it worth listening to all
the horrible names they called me afterwards.
To make it worse, the players were
also given tiny rabbit miniatures, each
carefully painted with the same eye and
fur (hair) colors of their AD&D game
characters.
Finally, the characters discovered that
they were being placed in a scenario
derived from Chaosium's CALL OF CTHULHU
game and had to fight rats
which could summon minor servants of
the Cthulhoid gods. It was an amusing
evening (despite the names they called
me).
If this sort of thing appeals to you as a
referee or player, you may wish to
develop a hybrid campaign and see how it
works. Be warned, however, that excessive
"contanination" from one game
system to another may ruin the campaign
as a whole. If a bunch of first-level nerds
in a D&D game campaign get their hands
on laser rifles from the GAMMA
WORLD game, campaign balance falls
apart. Game referees should limit the
power and number of items taken from
one universe to another, or may vary the
effect of such items if they feel it necesary.
Thus, a bazooka in an AD&D game
world might fire bananas, laser pistols will
only work as flashlights, and so on. Use
your best judgement.
To serve as a bridge between the
AD&D and GAMMA WORLD game
worlds, the following new monster is
presented. Kobalts can easily form the
link needed to interest AD&D game
players
in having their characters visit the
GAMMA WORLD game environment,
or vice versa. Are they really just blue-dyed
kobolds?
Kobalts
AD&D game statistics
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 20-80 males (plus
others; see below)
ARMOR CLASS: 8 (leather equivalent)
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 3 (4 hp minimum; note
Heightened Constitution bonus to hp)
% IN LAIR: 60%
TREASURE TYPE: D; see below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (2 with blows,
more with technological items)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type;
bite for 1-2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Magic and/or
technological items; some have mutational
attacks
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Magic and/or
technological items; radiation and poison
resistance
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral
SIZE: (3 1/2' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: III/110+4/hp base
value (high intelligence and poison/radiation
resistance); note that some individuals
may have missile weapons, weapons
doing great damage, or other magical/mutational
enchancements that will raise
their base x.p. value
GAMMA WORLD game statistics
NUMBER: 20d4 males (plus others; see below)
MORALE: 1d6+4
HIT DICE: 4d6 (note Heightened Constitution bonus to hp)
ARMOR: 6 (leather equivalent)
LAND SPEED: 9/900/15
MS: 1d8+10
IN: 2d4+10
DX: 2d6+6
CN: 1d12+14
CN: 1d4+14
PS: 2d6+5
ATTACKS: 1 bite
MUTATIONS: Infravision, Heightened
Constitution, Heightened Intelligence,
Modified Body Part (tougher skin)
In the most ancient archives may be
found references to a powerful arch-mage
who located an unusual alternate universe.
Creatures of strange design roamed
this world; the landscape was devastated
by fire and war. The arch-mage summoned
an army of goblins, orcs, and
allied monsters, armed them wtih the best
weapons and equipment, set off into that
forsaken land to make war upon its
inhabitants, and found an empire from
which to raid other worlds and planes.
None of that host returned; the army was
destroyed by savage beasts with incredible
powers and by a sickness that could not
be cured. Subsequent authorities now
believe that the only survivors were the
smallest creatures who were best able to
hide deep in the earth and adapt to the
new land.
The authorities were correct. The
only survivors of this raid were kobolds,
and the new land wrought its changes on
them in return for their survival. Now
calling themselves kobalts, these creatures
have picked up a number of beneficial
mutations from the radiation in their
environment. Their Infravision allows
them to see any heated body at up to 60
meters (66 yards) at night or in darkness
of any kind. They may detect the slight
warmth that plants emit and find places
on the ground where beings rested within
the last hour; this latter ability allowing
them to track parties at night with 90%
accuracy. However, their daylight vision
has worsened, and they are -2 to hit opponents
in direct sunlight. They are blinded
for 1-4 melee rounds by sudden and close
heat flashes (such as laser shots, Fireballs,
lightning, or explosions), within 60
meters of them in a dark environment.
When using heat-producing technological
weapons or anticipating the use of same
by opponets, kobalts wear protective
goggles or helmet visors that reduce their
Infravision to 30 meters, but that completely
prevents blindness.
Kobalts have a tough, leathery scaled
skin with a deep cobalt-blue color.
Heightened Constitution gives kobalts an
18 resistance vs. radiation and poison in
the GAMMA WORLD game universe,
and a save vs. poison in the AD&D
game worlds of 02. Their Heightened
Intelligence gives them average mental
strength (equivalent to wisdom) of 14,
and an average intelligence of 15; they
add 4 points to die rolls when learning ot
use an artifact. They have an average
physical strength of 12 (normal kobolds
have a 9). Prolonged experience in underground
living makes them 75% likely to
detect slopes, 60% likely to tell new construction,
and 50% likely to know the
approximate depth undergorund and the
direction of travel.
One kobalt in 20 (male or female) has
developed the Planar Travel mutation,
which links the GAMMA WORLD game
universe with one AD&D game universe
(that of the current campaign). The
kobalt casting this psionic-like power may
send up to 40 kobalts, including himself,
between the two universes once a week;
returning to the universe left behind is
equally simple. Kobalts with this power
are regarded as holy by their clan and
usually travel with the clan leader.
The leader of a kobalt clan has 21-24
hit points and a retinue of guards (3-12)
with 15-20 hit points each, protecting
both him and the planar-travelling kobalts
(PTKs). Another 4-16 guards with the
same hit point range as above will be
assigned as lair guards, crewing positions
near the entrances. These guards are in
addition to the other kobalts encountered.
The kobalt leaders, PTKs, and guards
are often equipped with heavier sorts of
technological or magical armor. If the
weapons they use permit it, they will
use small shields to improve their armor class.
The leader of a kobalt clan possesses
1-3 technological artifacts from the table
below and also uses magical weapons, if
they exist in the treasure hoard and are of
the right size. Distributed among the rest
of the guards and the PTKs will be 2-16
other technological devices with 1-4
energy cells per device if required. The
leader and PTKs always get the best
weapons. There is 15% chance that a
colony of kobalts will possess a robotic or
automotive device of some kind.
| Kobalts have been
encountered so infrequently in magic-oriented universes that they will likely be thought of as blue-dyed kobolds. |
Females will be found in a kobalt colony,
equaling 50% of the male population.
Young kobalts aer equal in number
to about 10% of the adult males. 2-20
heavily protected eggs will also be found
in the colony. Except for a few remarkable
females who work through the hierarchy
to become guards or are hatched with the
Planar Travel mutation, most females and
young are noncombative, unless the colony
is attacked. In battle, the non-guard
males and females will carry an assortment
of weapons including hand axes,
short swords, daggers, short composite
bows, javelins, and slings. Missile weapons
will not exceed 50% of an armed
force, unless it is a raiding party in which
everyone has a missile weapon and a
hand-to-hand weapon. These fighters will
usually carry a small, light shield of plastic
or wood.
Kobalts have been encountered so
infrequently in magic-oriented universes
that they will likely be thought of as blue-dyed
kobolds. They use extreme care in
planning any raids in the AD&D or
GAMMA WORLD game universes,
gathering intelligence through agents they
can implicitly trust. Colonies of kobalts
will go on raids into the AD&D game
universe as infrequently as once a year
but the careful plannign and the power of
their technological weapons has allowed
them to amass a class D treasure (see Monster
Manual) and between 1000-8000
donars. Note that if an artifact is rolled up
that none of the kobalts can use (such as a
suit of man-sized Powered Assault
Armor), it will be stored in the colony
anyway and used for trading purposes.
Kobalts enjoy bargaining as much as they
do raiding, and do it more frequently,
too. They use their finanical resources to
purchase more magical and technological
equipment for their clan and to fortify
their lairs. Kobalts have little desire to
gain territory in either the AD&D or
GAMMA WORLD game universes,
preferring to remain virtually unknown
and keep a low profile.
If confronting what appears to be a
relatively weak party, the kobalts will
demand all magical / technological items
be turned over to them and will take a
healthy cut of the party's money as well.
Stronger parties are likely to be
ambushed, but kobalts are not stupid and
will avoid encounters with very tough
adventurers, except through third parties.
Kobalts have a heroic mythos, having
completely disassociated themselves from
their old lawful evil religion, and will only
rarely surrender. Kobalts are incredibly
brave under the most trying circumstances,
a positive result of their long
battle to survive in their hostile homeworld.
They are equally able to operate as
merchants or bandist as suits them best.
If encountered in the GAMMA WORLD game,
they will have the hit points of 4 hit-dice
(6-sided) monsters. While the type of hit
dice changes from world to world, from 8-sided
to 6-sided, the hit point range is
about the same. The hit points of an
individual kobalt do not change when
passing from one universe to the next.
When using ranged weapons, kobalts use
the appropriate attack tables for weapon
type in the GAMMA WORLD game; in
an AD&D game world, ranged weapons
are treated as missile fire with appropriate
penalties to hit at 1/2 and 2/3 range distances.
See the "Mutants and Magic"
section of the Dungeon Master Guide
for further information on integrating the
AD&D and GAMMA WORLD game
systems.
Any kobalt has a 1% chance of having
an extra random mutation. If the mutation
is beneficial, the kobalt may become
a sergeant, guard, or leader.
Technological artifact
table for kobalts
| 01-40 | Pistol, random type |
| 41-65 | Energy weapon, random type |
| 66-90 | Grenade, random type |
| 91-00 | Any other artifact except robotic or automotive device. |