(Gamma World) Zephyr Stormcaller - Keeper of Traffic and the Weather #CharacterCreationChallenge

When I was writing up episode #48 of my Gamma World campaign, "This is Only a Test" and felt like chief NPC for the session, Zephyr Stormcaller, needed to be statted out, so I set up a post for the 2023 Character Creation Challenge.  If readers remember, I didn't finish that challenge, and we never returned to the character in the campaign.

Until now....

Zephyr Stormcaller - 5th Level Altered Human Scout

Attributes:

Physical Strength: 11
Dexterity: 11
Constitution: 17
Intelligence:  12

Mental Strength:  14
Charisma:  11

Senses: 12

Hit Points: 69

THAC Melee: 0   THAC Ranged: +2

Mental Defense: 11

Armor Class:  14

Health: 13

Robot Recognition 16

Perception: 17

Stealth: +5 

Remain Unseen: +5

Skills: 

Detect Ambush: 9

Hunting: 5

Navigate: 10

Tracking: 10

Wilderness Survival: 6

Mutations:
Wings (24)  Flying Movement of 36.

Duality 

Empathy (18)

Stunning Force (13)

Equipment: 

Broadcast Communicator

ForceField Generator

Sports Gear Armor 

2x Machine Pistols (50 rounds each)

Appearance: Zephyr has feathered wings sprouting from his back, allowing him to soar through the air. His feathers have an iridescent sheen, shifting colors in the light. He wears a high-collared, weather-resistant jacket and goggles that he flips down when reporting in hazardous conditions.

Background:   Zephyr went by a different name ages ago.  Their family were normal altered human residents of the KIA Academy.  They exhibited mental gifts early on, but around 10 years old, something metamorphosized within them, and they sprouted two sets of wings. This made them one of the most powerful (and fastest) flying mutants for miles around, faster than even the mutant birds.  

As an adult, they were hired by the Academy under the auspices of an "eye-in-the-sky" reporter for their internal news service. With a name change to Zephyr Stormcaller, "Weather and traffic, ten times per day" was a catchphrase learned by everyone at the Academy with access to personal communication devices, or are near nearly any public Vid-Screen in the complex.  

Recently, Zephyr has been called on to use their skills for more investigative reporting for the Academy.  Others might see this as spying, but Zephyr hasn't caught on that their reports are usually acted upon swiftly. 

(Gamma World) The Goober Sisters #CharacterCreationChallenge

Today we tackle the final three on the fated Gamma World index card my daughter Maja drew up: The Goober "Sisters."

Legoom - 3rd Level Plasmoid Enforcer (Far Right)

Attributes:

Physical Strength: 13
Dexterity: 3
Constitution:17
Intelligence: 5
Mental Strength: 13
Charisma: 6
Senses: 9

Hit Points: 56
Mental Defense 11
Armor Class: 11 (Base +Levelling Bonus + Steel Shield)
THAC Melee +4 , THAC Ranged +0

Perception -1

Skills:
Combat Leadership: 3
Makeshift Weapons/Armor: 5
Size-Up Opponent: 10

Mutations:
Chameleon Power (16)

Background:  

Legoom is the slowest and dumbest of the Goober Sisters, but they are also the toughest and most loyal.  Armed normally with a battle axe, Legoom is more likely to to hide and surprise opponents.  Legoom's greatest treasure is known as an EYE-SEE Machine.  Using a power cell, it can not only freeze water into ice, but shave the ice.  The machine also contain various containers of brightly colored flavors.  Legoom is running low on these containers, and many an adventure has been had looking for more.

=======

Peenoot- 5th Level Plasmoid Scout

Attributes:

Physical Strength: 17
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 11
Mental Strength: 15
Charisma: 18
Senses: 8

Hit Points: 53

Mental Defense  12

Armor Class: 12 

+4 Perception,+5 Stealth, and +5 Remain Unseen

THAC Melee +6, THAC Ranged +2

Skills: 

Detect Ambush (9)

Hunting (7)

Navigate (7)

Tracking (8)

Wilderness Survival (9) 

Mutations:

Heightened Physical Attribute (Strength)

Displacement 
Size Change (Smaller)

Background: Peenoot is the true adventurer of the group, collecting years of experience before being transported to this world.  Armed with an advanced needler and a knife.  

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Pindoor - 4th Level Plasmoid Examiner

Attributes:

Physical Strength: 14
Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 15
Mental Strength: 13
Charisma: 10
Senses: 13

Hit Points: 44

Mental Defense 15

Armor Class: 10

Use Artifact +4, Robot Recognition 13

Skills: 

Avoid Artifact Disaster (8)

Jury-Rig (8)

Read Schematics (5)

Repair Artifact (7)

Mutations:

Force Field Generation (15)

Size Change (Smaller)

Background:  Pindoor is the weakest sibling, but also the one with the most experience with artifacts. Pindoor uses a Taser for self-defense. 

=============================

These being are not native to Gamma World.  It is unsure how they arrive, but their culture was so far advanced that they could use great technology, but they don't know how to recreate it.  

The Plasmoids were another term for the Dralasites of Star Froniters lore.  Here's a version of the Racial information, tweaked for 4th Edition Gamma World.

Plasmoids

Size. Plasmoids average between 4 and 5 feet tall, and weigh about 140 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 20 feet. Your speed can increase with additional “legs”

Blindsight. You gain blindsight for 30 feet from your enhanced sense of smell.

Lie Detection. All Plasmoids have a natural chance to realize when someone is lying to them due to their keen olfactory senses through their skin. You have proficiency equal to a Sense check.

Elasticity. A Plasmoid’s skin is stretchable and supported by a complex muscle structure. This allows you to change the shape of your body, within limits. You can stretch and flatten your body at will. You can squeeze through a space as though you were Tiny. You also have -2 damage from any bludgeoning or piercing attacks.

Additional Limbs. A Plasmoid can “grow” arms and legs to use for walking and handling tools and weapons, and re-absorb limbs when they are not needed. You can have a total number of limbs equal to your Dexterity Ability score divided by 2. A Plasmoid needs at a minimum of 2 legs to be able to walk at base speed. A Plasmoid with 3 legs has a walking speed of 25 feet, and 4 legs or more has a walking speed of 30 feet.

You must decide whether a limb is an arm or a leg when it is grown. Growth or Adsorption of a limb takes your action and requires concentration until the start of your next turn. A limb can be up to 3 feet long, and no less than 4 inches thick. “Fingers” for handling items can be 4 inches long and no less than ½ inch thick.

Many Hands. If you have three or more arms, you gain one additional melee attack when using an Attack action. Also, you can perform one additional action per turn if not using the additional melee attack.

Lethargic. Plasmoid are typically sluggish. You let others move first, have a -5 penalty to your initiative.

Languages. You can speak, read and write in Plasmoid and speak in one local trade tongue

(Review) Fairy Garden Foutain and Tub by Dollar Tree

 I have previously written that the spring Gnome-related buildings and accessories were showing up at Dollar Tree, and a number of new items were going to be part of the rotation.  

I happened to stop by a different Dollar Tree and through the Valentines Day and Easter displays, the Fairy Garden line was on a half-filled endcap.   

A lot of items on display, were more akin to building a fairy door on your tree than building/expanding your fairy village.  Oversized (3-5" tall doors, and other accessories).  There were a smattering of "gnome homes" that are used in Gnome Wars and Wars of Ozz games. 

The new items carded to be put on racks now display a new Fairy Garden green card, and the prominent "$1.25" that many Dollar Tree items have.  For at least this batch, the gnomes vary wildly in scale.  Some still fit as an extra on a 30mm game, while a few are a gigantic 3 inches tall!  

The only items that fit my parameters was the Fountain and Tub pack.  Both pieces are solidly constructed, with satisfactory paint for a big table, and enough detail that a repaint could be productive. 

 My early season review of the new Fairy Garden items at Dollar Tree is lukewarm, a three out of five gnome rating.

(Gamma World) Gizmo Sparklegarden - Gnome Examiner #CharacterCreationChallenge

Continuing the #CharacterCreationChallenge2024 with some more characters from my daughter Maja's drawings.

Gizmo Sparklegarden - 2nd Level Gnome Examiner

Attributes:

Physical Strength: 4
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 13
Intelligence: 15

Mental Strength: 13
Charisma: 15

Senses: 10

Hit Points: 29, 

THAC Melee:  -2  THAC Ranged: +2

Mental Defense 12

Armor Class: 12

Perception: 12

Use Artifact +4

Robot Recognition 19

Skills: 

Avoid Artifact Disaster (3)

Jury-Rig (9)

Red Schematics (5)

Repair Artifact (3)

Mutations:
Size Change

Duality

Thought Imitation

Death Field Generation (18)

Mental Invisibility (12)

Total Healing (5)

Equipment:

2x Frag Grenades

2x Smoke Grenades

1x Flare Grenade

1x Gas Grenade

Background:  

Gizmo was a Gnome tinkerer, living his days in a prestigious gnome town.  That is, of course, until a catastrophe in the guild ended up with him crushed.  He regained his manual dexterity, but the accident sapped his strength.   With his military and guild service, he was relegated as a gardener.  He was strong enough to prune flowers, but even pulling weeds proved tiresome.  

One day, a magical portal appeared to open up on the manor property,  It moved through the grounds, transporting a large swath of the manor... to somewhere else.  When crossing the threshold, many gnomes and the plants died, but others seemed to transform.    When a race of blue-skinned elf-like people attacked the survivors, many more perished, but Gizmo fought them off using strange magics and clerical healing. 

Now Gizmo has learned that these powers are neither arcane nor divine, but generated internally.  Surely the gods have something to do with it.  

This world seemed to already have advanced mechanisms, plus there was an even greater level of industry, almost magical, from a long-lost race of "Ancients."   Gizmo's tinkering skills have come in handy again, even if he does need help with heavier, tougher objects.  

His current obsession is the concept of a "grenade."  He's collected a few and is desperately trying to learn how to build or adapt them, without anything exploding in his face.

(Gamma World) Pinkie, Radiant Flamingo #CharacterCreationChallenge

In finding inspiration for the 2025 #CharacterCreationChallenge, I don't have far to go.  From an early age, my girls were notorious for leaving me random pieces of artwork in my office at work.  Even as teenagers, and me with a home office in my apartment, they'll leave their designs, usually on index cards with Sharpees.  Part of this week will be dedicated to one such card: 

Let's start with Pinkie, for Gamma World 4th Edition: 

Pinkie, 4th Level Mutant Radiant Flamingo Esper

Attributes:

Physical Strength: 10

Dexterity:  13
Constitution: 11
Intelligence:  10

Mental Strength: 15 
Charisma:  19

Senses:  11

Hit Points:  59

THAC Melee: 0   THAC Ranged: +1

Mental Defense: 14

Armor Class:  10
Robot Recognition: -8

Stealth: +2 

Speed: 12

Speed (Flying): 17

Skills: 

Hypnosis (8)

Identify Mental Powers (7)

Photographic Memory (6)

Sense Mental Powers (7)

Mutations:

Mental Blast (19)

Teleportation (14)

Oversized Limbs (Wings - 10 foot wingspan)

Heightened Mental Attribute (CHAx2)

Energy Sensitivity (D)

Background: 

Back in Pinkie's homeland, they were one of the "Chosen Ones" who controlled the reptile men and their giant steeds.   Certain families of flamingos had been bred to maximize their mental "gifts"  to control the other small-brained tribes.  Pinkie, however, was blessed with wings twice as a big a fellow flamingo, and radiant plumage that everyone of every species recognized.  Preparing to be the high priest or shaman of the tribes, Pinkie was caught in a massive cyclone whose winds carried them to a land the locals only call the "Eastern Barrier"   They are unsure whether or not to search for their reptile-men-filled swamp home, and build a bigger and better team with these locals.

(Star Wars d6) Yin-Yan - Idiot Rodian Co-Pilot #CharacterCreationChallenge

For folks coming over for the #CharacterCreationChallenge, it's Friday (Painting Post Day!) for me, so we're mixing the two for efficiency's sake.  

This Rodian was one of the 146 West End Star Wars 25mm figures I picked up at the flea market at Fall-In! in November.  This one was a full repaint and a good starting point for the other Rodians in the "Scum and Villainy" zip-lock bag I first grabbed.  

In the Queue:  Gnomes, Zulus, and a whatever shiny object is distracting me at the moment.

Project 350:   This is more for my own edification, but I'm also due for an explanation to the interweb folks.  I use Blogger as a storehouse for ideas picked up from everywhere.  My blog drafts are crazy full, and I constantly need to work on things.  Likewise, I have a LOT of finished posts, and holiday filler posts schedule to go up between tomorrow and sometime in 2044.  Project 350 is my long term goal to reduce my combined blog drafts and scheduled posts down to 350 combined.   With in the holidays in the rear-view mirror, we're down to 487 (311 drafts /176 scheduled)  from 496 (311/185) prior. 

Yin-Yan, Idiot Rodian First Mate

Dexterity  4d+1

Blaster       5d+1      

Perception   3d+2

Hide        4d+2

Search            

Sneak            

  

Knowledge    1d 

Languages:  Mon Cala 1d+1

Streetwise  1d+1

          

Strength   4d

Brawling     5d

Stamina       4d+1

Mechanical    4d+2

Starship Gunnery       5d+2

Starship Shields          5d+2

Technical   2d+2

Demolitions 3d+2 

Equipment:  Blast Vest (+1d Physical, +1 energy, torso only), blaster pistol (4d) Medpac

Yin-Yan is the long-time First Mate of the YZ-725 Tremulate Vinculum, owned by one Ne'vets Aharo and piloted by Mon Cala "Nibsy" Shakille.  While the Rodian is a complete idiot, Nibsy took a liking to the Rodians physicality and tolerance to pain. 

Around 6 BBY, a Neebray penetrated the shields of the Vinculum, smashed through the cockpit, and killed the Mon Cala and Yin-Yan. The problem for the rest of the team was the alarms had been deactivated and the cockpit had self-sealed, so it was two days before anyone else realized there was a problem..

The campaign where this backstory can be found here.  Proper reading order is 0 - 24- 104 - 105 then got back to 1. 

Brutal Quest - Zorvax the Azure Seer - Blue Martian Cultist - #CharacterCreationChallenge

After getting a year-long fascination with breakfast pastry off my chest, we shift gears to the "statting out figures I've painted" category with Zorvax the Azure Seer, a Blue Martian Cultist leader statted out to Brutal Quest, a narrative based skirmish game.  

Zorvax the Azure Seer  (308 points)

Agility: 7
Melee:   6

Ranged:  8

Awareness: 4

Psyche:  4

Speed: 10cm

Hit Points:  20

Armor: None (1d4-1)

Traits: Blessed, Barbaric, Inspiring

Inventory: Short Sword (1d6+1), Short Bow (Range 20cm, 1d6)

The "Blue Martian" is a scavenger race in most settings.  Highly adaptable and adept at using technology, the race does not show proper respect and knowledge with basic care and maintenance with any equipment.  Without an adequate civilization to steal/raid/scavenge from, the race will devolve into barbarism.  

The Cult of Droflic, the big red god, believes in a constant state of barbarism, destroying any sign of pre-medieval tech or magic.  

Zoravx is one of the more senior members of the cult, having survived dozens upon dozens of raids.  While his leadership is far below that of the zealot priests, he is above reproach within the community  This has allowed him to avoid the cult's greatest downfall:  pursuing civilization into larger and tougher communities which ultimately counter-attack the tribe.   Travelling farther along the fringes of civilization has allowed Zorvax great glory for himself and in the name of Droflic. 

Pop-Tart of Doom! #CharacterCreationChallenge

We kick-off the #CharacterCreationChallenge for 2025 with one of the concepts I just didn't get around to in my abortive 2024 go at the challenge,  The Pop-Tart Mascot from the 2023 Post-Tart Bowl. 

Strawberry, Pop-Tart Mascot

Sacrificial Toaster Pastry (4)

Nourishing Fruit Scone of Champions (3)

Friendly Seasonal Edible Mascot (2)

Casual Swiftie (1)

Of course, I wrote up this simple version in Risus before the second incarnation of the Pop-Tart Bowl.  There is so much more disturbing lore to this football game, including how a necromancer resurrects breakfast pastry.

Happy New Year 2025!