Sunday, May 18, 2008

A Boy and His Dog Guinea Pig

I recently picked up a copy of Gamma World's Second Edition. I've written briefly about my love for this game, but I haven't owned it since 1990. Inspired by the image below, here's the first GW character I've diced up in twenty years. Quite happily, he illustrates how plumb loco, how out of hand this game can be.

Like this, only wearing a serape, chaps, and 10 gallon hat
Big Billy Cheroot

Big Billy was born to rodent farmers in the NewLenz Fens, in a year of Bad Water. Most of the kids and livestock born that year grew at an enormous rate, too fast for their lungs and bones. They died trying to stand. Billy was one of the few to survive that dark time. He grew tall and strong, four meters high by age of nine, and kept right on growing.

By the time he was a teenager he was doing the work of many hands. He had a knack for jerry-rigged tools and an easy way with the stock. The meanest bull nutria gentled to his touch, and he never failed to holler back a stray jennypig.

Unfortunately Billy just couldn't keep out of trouble. Every few weeks some snake-hooded menarl would come itching to fight, or badder buckaroos would jump him on his way back from the levee. Gators, stink-lions, poomers and worse came marauding the farms so regular you could time your planting by 'em. To spare his folks more rough whiles, Big Billy hit the highway, taking with him an enormous jennypig name of Cavvy, his lifelong pet.

MP3: Jelly Roll Kings, I'm a Big Boy Now [Compact Disc - Digital]

Stats after the break!

Big Billy Cheroot, The Man with No Home

MS: 11 (17 vs. Mental Attack)
IN: 13
DX: 10
PS: 20 (+5 damage)
CH: 10
CN: 13
HP: 64
AC: 5

Mutations
Physical
New Body Parts:
Poison sting finger, intensity 9-18, 5 doses/day.
Sonic Blast: 3-18 damage to all within 15m radius
Taller: 8m tall, +6 ST, +8 to hit, +6 HD

Mental
Heightened Brain Talent: +2 figure out artifacts, +4 MS vs. Mental Attack
Heightened Intelligence: +4 figure out artifacts, +2 MS vs. Mental Attack
Improved Symbiotic Attachment: Control one creature touched; requires Melee & Mental Attack; dies if controlled creature dies. Maintains a permanent bond with Cavvy while within 1100m.
Summoning: Summon and command any creature of IN 4 or less within 1km, duration concentration, 1/12 hrs.
Unconscious Summoning (Defect): When at peace for two weeks or more, all natural enemies within 1km seek Billy out until he fights something.

Equipment

Fiber Armor & Shield
Two-Handed Sword (of normal size, wielded one-handed),
serape, boots, camping gear, and very large bedroll.

Cavvy (mutant guinea pig): HD 10d12, HP: 77, AC: 9, Move: 16km/900m/24m, Mutations - Gas Generation (bad-smelling and irritating, no other effects), Sound Imitation (immune to Sonic Blasts, mimicry), Taller

8 comments:

trollsmyth said...

Um, maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not seeing the pic or the character. :/

Or, maybe like I do frequently, you hit the "post" button by accident and you're still working on this one?

- Brian

Max said...

Sorry, dude, I was adding in an expandable post hack, to break the description from the statblock. All there now!

Jeff Rients said...

That dude is sweet!

Sham aka Dave said...

That dude is sweet!

I concur. A character befitting of a really great setting, Gamma World.

James Maliszewski said...

Heretic I may be, but I much prefer 2e Gamma World to 1e; it's my favorite edition of the game.

Anonymous said...

This is great. Now I know his backstory! Thanks.

Max said...

Jack: Thanks for stopping by. Glad you enjoyed it! I should have left a comment at you Flickr page thanking you for this image -- it makes me laugh every time I think of it.

Anonymous said...

I'm kind of out of it as far as role playing games, but I like the characters. Is there a website or a FAQ you can recommend for me?