Monthly Archives: March 2015

RPGs

All My Dice

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Now that I have all my dice cleaned up and inked, as needed. I thought I should take a picture of all of them. I am sure I will be buying more dice as time goes on. I think I can go a bit longer until my next purchase, perhaps waiting until my next convention….

While getting things on the table to take pictures, I realized that the Game Science Dice I bought last year at Gen Con 2014 had not been inked, so after taking a picture of all the dice and putting them away, I inked them and include before and after pictures at the end.

I don’t jumble all my dice together. I keep some of them separated out so I can have a full set quickly. The only ones I jumble up are the ones in my leather dice bag. I don’t recall where I got that dice bag, if was at the Renaissance Festival in Bonner Springs, Kansas, or at a what ever that con was called in Kansas City. I’ve had it for over thirty years, since I got it in high school.

I just realized that this picture does not include all of my original chipping dice. Only the yellow d4, that I still use, since it doesn’t seem to chip like the others.

So I guess these are the dice that I will actually use in play.

It also does not include three other sets of Chessex dice for my two sons and my oldest son’s girlfriend.

Still, that’s a decent collection. It more than suits my needs and there are some specialty dice too. The only kind of dice I don’t have are Fate/Fudge dice. I don’t know that I’d ever use/need them. I did listen to the Drink Spin Run podcast (also on G+)of their play session with Fate, and with the right group of people and someone who understands the rules, it could be a blast.

I am sure there are those that easily have me beat, but this time last year, I did not have a d30 or more than a Game Science set I have had over 30 years, and a couple of Chessex sets, and a bunch of d6’s from WalMart.

Of the dice I can think of that I would get in the future (I will be getting some, the rest of my Inkwell Ideas DungeonMorphs 2Kickstarter.), will be additional DungeonMorph dice, and perhaps Fate/Fudge dice. If I could get a full set of dice from d3 to d30 in a matched set, I would buy that. So there’s my wishlist/future purchase list for dice.

All Dice & Bags
All Dice & Bags
All Dice
All Dice
All Dice Close
All Dice Close
Games Science from Gen Con 2014
Games Science from Gen Con 2014
Game Sciense - Inked
Game Science – Inked
Game Science Inked White Background
Game Science Inked White Background
RPGs

Ancient Anti-Biotics

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I saw this on my FB feed, and had to read the article and watch the YouTube video.

Very interesting!

Not only did they know about honey, but they knew to mix other materials together and get good results. Granted, not all ancient medicine is something I would want to try, but this one gives me hope that we can deal with MRSA and other “superbugs”. I can’t imagine putting that solution in my eye, but I bet it did the trick.

Washing wounds, and treating them with wine, vinegar, honey, and “garlic & onions” would be a good way to prevent infection. In game terms, it would also make it hard to be sneaky around creatures with a good sense of smell. Perhaps good to repel vampires. What other creatures would garlic & onions repel or attract? Garlic would attract the attention of a vampire, and it would send its minions or use long range things, such as spells to deal with the unpleasantness.

Silver is also known to have antibiotic properties, one reason the wealthy used silver tableware. Copper also has antibiotic properties and is why ships were given copper sheeting, to help repel barnacles and other critters that bore into wooden ships and affect either the speed of the ship, its structural integrity, or both

The Roman doctors who treated gladiators and soldiers were very skilled at treating flesh wounds and setting broken bones.

The importance of keeping clean was also known in medieval Europe. The image of the unwashed masses that seems to prevail in textbooks and entertainment media is not accurate.

While the ideas about how the body worked were not accurate, and the reliance on magic and strange concoctions with no modern scientific basis, some of the medicinal knowledge was effective. Some ancient ideas, such as bleeding, do have a very narrow application for a very narrow set of conditions. Leeches are used not for bleeding, but to help improve blood flow in wounds, and the right kind of fly larvae eat necrotic tissue and not healthy tissue. The heads of some kinds of ants after they bite can be used as stitches. There are many strange things that really can and do work, even in the present day.

What kind of weird ideas from the past can be put into play in an RPG?

 

RPGs

Gaming Paper Review

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I bought a roll of hex Gaming Paper a couple weekends ago. Here is a quick review and some ideas I have for using it.

I had heard of Gaming Paper a few years ago, and I like the idea. One can use it for instant terrain maps for use with miniatures. It is also useful to cut some out and use to generate a hex crawl area map and take notes.

It is designed to write in pencil and be able to erase it. I tested and dry erase markers will wipe off, just like an ink pen, if you do so right away. I drew an X with a purple dry erase marker and waited for it to dry. It mostly wiped off, but left a faded X. So if you want to write something that it not permanent, do it in pencil, a high quality eraser is key.

I like the idea of cutting out a piece big enough to generate a hex crawl area map, and use it to write notes. Rather than writing or typing a list that then has to be translated to a map, one can do the initial notes in pencil, and then use ink when plans are solidified.

A similar sized piece can be cut and given to the players and let them map things out as they go.

The FAQ states that it did not feed well through printes when they tried it. Most likely because of how thin and slick it is. The rubber rollers need to get a good grip on the paper for it to feed properly. The blue color of the lines is the kind of blue that probably won’t scan or photocopy well. If you are using pieces larger than a standard scanner, you would not be able to scan it easily.

The only time I really use miniatures at the table is for marching order and placement in combat. Gaming paper is a much less expensive option to a battle mat. The paper is generally spill resistant, and it is designed to be rolled up and re-used.

It is tear resistant, so there is not much worry about frayed edges. It tries to roll itself up, so a means to get it flat might be needed. I tried blue painter’s tape and it did not take away the surface when removed. I even put a piece of Scotch Tape on it and it did not pull away the surface.

I cut a piece about 18 inches wide, and was going to use it to re-do and clarify the peninsula where the players in my AD&D campaign are running around. I then realized, depending on the scale for each hex, I didn’t cut it wide enough. So remember, measure twice, but once….

From my experience, very sharp scissors are better. The paper resists tearing so you can’t just slide your scissors along to make a quick cut.

Below you can see the piece I cut and how well it covers my work space.

Gaming Paper
Gaming Paper

If your FLGS doesn’t have it, you can go to the Gaming Paper website and order direct. They have free shipping on orders over $50.00.

RPGs

FMAD Humanoid Age Table

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Last year I was reading the entry in the Monster Manual on ogres and saw what it said about their age. I realized that I had not seen a table on the ages of the various humanoids like for the player character races, so I built my own chart in June, 2014 about the same time I made my name generator. You can get my humanoid age chart here.

Some of these creatures are quite long-lived, so it is reasonable for some of them to know quite a lot about regions they have lived for a few generations. How long has that ogre been under the bridge, etc.

This is not a table to roll on, but a chart showing the age breakdown based on how ages for the player character races ages are broken down in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. It has the ages for young adults on up and a basic age spread for each category. There may be other creatures that I missed that have ages listed, they can easily be added.

RPGs

FMAD Name Generator

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I made my own name generator back in June, 2014, and thought I had posted it to my blog, but I can’t find it. So, I am posting this article and will link to the PDF here.

This table uses a couple each of d6’s, d10’s, and d20’s. If you have multiple dice of different colors, you can roll your own.

This table is based on English and treats Y a little differently, giving 20 consonants to choose from. I would mix X and Y, or Q and Y. I am a visual person, so seeing the two letter consonant and vowel combinations helps me to come up with names just by looking at this chart.

One could also make card decks of different letter/syllable combinations and deal out random names that way.

There are also a lot of good online generators. I find it easier to have a long list of names and mark when I have used a name. I then circle back through the list. However, I like certain NPCs to be more memorable and have more unique names.

One could have a town where all the men are Jim, and all the women are Sally, and it is one’s occupation or other feature that distinguishes them. Jim the barber, Jim the butcher, or they just call them Barber or Butcher. Sally the Sorceress, or Sally the Scullery maid, etc. Jim the dark is the farmer with dark hair, and Sally the fair is his wife, for example. I think of everyone named Johnson in the town in Blazing Saddles.

RPGs

Painting Hero Forge Mini – Part 1

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Here are the in-process pictures of my painting efforts for my Hero Forge Miniature of Griswald, my representation of my favorite AD&D character, from my brother Robert’s AD&D campaign.

While I was at it, I also painted my miniatures that I have had from back in the day and not yet painted.

I began with washing them with warm soapy water and gently scrubbed the non-painted ones with an old toothbrush.

After letting them air dry a few hours, I painted them with a coat of white Testors acrylic as a primer. I know there is a special primer, but my hand is not the steadiest for this detail work, and my eyes don’t see those small details so well. I finally have the patience to do a good job, but my hands aren’t as steady and my eyes aren’t as goo up close. Well, I have been nearsighted since junior high, and now have bifocals, but I have to take of my glasses to see anything closer than about 6-8 inches, like the back of my hand or when I am shaving. So I am curious to see how well this turns out. So we’ll call it an experiment. I don’t think I’ll have people seeking me out to do their miniatures, unless their eyes are in worse shape than mine.

There aren’t enough hours in the day to paint and let dry and repeat to get each part painted. I focused on the big parts, the cloaks. I let them dry overnight after each step. So instead of one article showing all the progress and the final result. I will break this up into multiple postings.

It takes up my work space to spread out my game materials. I have to use that space because I can close the door to keep my son’s cats out. The last thing I need is cats breaking or hiding these.

So here are the before and after priming pictures. Yes, those are blue shop towels under them. Much thicker than regular paper towels and I can wipe off excess paint from the rush without it soaking through.

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Hero Forge

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Hero Forge

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Oldest Minis – Example of the ones I pained decades ago vs. one unpainted.

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Oldest Minis – Example of the ones I pained decades ago vs. one unpainted.

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Oldest Minis – Example of the ones I pained decades ago vs. one unpainted.

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Oldest Minis – Example of the ones I pained decades ago vs. one unpainted.

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All my minis

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All my minis

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Hero Forge

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Dwarves with mattocks painted vs. unpainted. There were six in the original package. I’m not sure why I only ever painted one. Perhaps I was going to make each one look different.

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Dwarves with mattocks painted vs. unpainted.

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Dwarves with mattocks painted vs. unpainted.

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Dwarves with mattocks painted vs. unpainted.

 

Here are the after painting the cloaks & boots pictures. Yes, I know, that black is really dark, but it is a work in progress. It is only paint after all, and I can just start over if I goof it up or don’t like the end result. I had to take off my glasses so I could see the details when I had to hold them close. Do I get extra XP because I didn’t get paint on my glasses?

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Long shot – all primed.

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Hero Forge & Dwarven Mattockers primed.

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Hero Forge & Dwarven Mattockers primed.

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Ral Partha Three In One Pack Half-Elves Primed.

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Hero Forge & Ral Partha Three In One Pack Half-Elves cloaks painted.

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Hero Forge & Ral Partha Three In One Pack Half-Elves cloaks painted.

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Hero Forge & Ral Partha Three In One Pack Half-Elves cloaks painted.

 

 

RPGs

Clean up of New Purple Game Science Dice

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I tried using my camera for better pictures to show the burrs on my new Game Science dice, but it is a cheap camera and better suited to taking pictures of people and larger objects.

The burrs turned “white” and did not come off in big pieces, so what I ended up with were flecks that barely showed up. I did not have a dark background to place them against.

Below shows the transition in brief.

I have had this X-Acto knife for a couple of years, but only now took it out of the package.

I had to buy silver Sharpies. This was not a fine point, so ink was both in the groove of each number and on the face of the die. As soon as I filled in the number, I used a napkin to rub the face and only the ink inside the numbers was left.

I have about five reams of paper that is printed on one side, from moving to working at home. I use it for taking notes when I am on the phone or when working on a data issue for a client. I folded over about ten sheets of paper and slowly shaved off the burrs. The burr on the d24 was huge. A large piece of it broke off and I heard it bounce off something, so I don’t know where it went. NOTE: An old catalog or phone book or magazine also works well for a surface for using an X-acto knife.

I like the final results, and it makes these dice usable. Without coloring them in, I had to pick them up to attempt to read them. Certain rolls, you don’t want to pick up without others verifying. Older eyes make reading un-inked dice quite the challenge. I used to be able to do the fine work, like inking these dice with my glasses on, but now I have to take them off to see clearly such close up work. Let that inform your purchases and products going forward.

Exacto
Exacto

Exacto
Exacto

Silver Sharpie
Silver Sharpie

Burrs
Burrs

De-Burred
De-Burred

Inked Dice
Inked Dice

 

RPGs

Zombie Plague – Innnn Spaaaace!

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I’m sure that I’m not the first one to suggest zombies in a science fiction, post apocalypse, or Metamorphosis Alpha (MA) setting.

In my recent MA kick, I had an idea for one level to have some sort of zombie plague, whether by disease, radiation, or the effects of some plant or animal poison. Would it only affect humans, or mutated humans, or any animal forms. What about intelligent plants?

I don’t have any specific game mechanics in mind, but there are certain questions to be resolved.

    • What are the zombies after?
      • Do they want brains, entrails, or just to kill the living?
      • Are the zombies mindless killing machines, or do they have some level of intelligence.
    • Is this form of zombieism contagious? Does being killed by a zombie make you a zombie?
      • If it is caused by radiation, does any dead body left near the radiation become a zombie, or only those killed by the radiation?
      • If caused by a plant or animal poison, what are the limitations and possible antidotes to that poison?
      • If caused by a virus or microbe, is there a cure or inoculation?
    • Do you have to destroy the brain to kill them, or just do enough damage?
      • If the brain, then does it require a called shot, or some special mechanic?
        • I vote for just enough damage to keep combat moving.
    • Will their be warning signs on doors?
      • If so, will the characters be able to read or understand them?
      • What happens when the doors are opened?
        • Are their hoards of zombies on the other side, or a single one to give the players a chance.
          • I smell a random table!
    • How long will the zombies last?
      • If you have an ongoing campaign, will the zombies reach a point where they cease to be and there are no more new ones?
        • Who am I kidding? These suckers are going to happen whenever the players stumble upon them!
    • If the zombie’s quarantine/containment is breached, how far will it spread beyond the containment point?
      • Is the nature of the substance that makes a zombie able to spread throughout the ship?
    • Fast zombies or slow zombies?
      • I think let them move at 75% or so of their living speed, unless they are fresh.
        • Fresh zombies do surprise and initiative standard. (Can you tell I play AD&D?)
        • Really old zombies that are becoming skeletal would be the slow kind.
          • They could have tatters of colonists’ clothing, or crew uniforms.
            • Have a valued arm band on one of them in the midst of the swarm
            • Perhaps one of the captain’s rings could be here. (How bad do you want that ring, and will the player’s even know it is there?)
        • Not so fresh zombies only get initiative on an exceptional roll, and surprise is by chance when players stumble on one and are surprised.
          • Keep this mechanic simple and consistent.
    • Can the computer or medibots be of any use?
      • If the computer is cut off from this area of the ship, it may not be able to update the programs of the medibots.
      • There could be one or two medibots with helpful answers, including inoculations, or some sort of spray or foam that stops the zombies.
        • It depends on how detailed you want to be, and if you want to be this “nice” to the players.
    • If the players let it loose on the whole ship, are you ok with the rest of your campaign being about pockets of survivors who have zones where the zombies can’t or don’t enter?
      • If you are the referee, then you can control this however you like, just think it through to the logical conclusion. If you want a game like this, then you are OK with it being like that. If this is too much change to your vision for the campaign, you can make it work however you want; it is your campaign.
RPGs

Rule (-1)

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Everyone knows about Rule 0 – “The DM/GM makes the rulings.” Or some variant to that effect. Briefly, this means that the DM uses the rules that fit the spirit of the game(s) he or she run. This can include adding new rules, ignoring or changing existing rules. It especially involves borrowing ideas for rules from other DMs.

What many don’t talk about is what I call Rule (-1). It is so simple and involves the whole idea of playing games. “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.”

This concept applies to any game, boardgames, RPG’s, card games, sports, computer games, etc.

This concept also applies to life. Perhaps the best example is sex. If you don’t like it, you’re doing it wrong.

We don’t eat foods we don’t like. Why should we do anything else we don’t like?

Some might point out holes in this concept of applying to all of life. Exercise – you may not like exercise, but you have to pay the price to get the degree of health and fitness you like. If you like being overweight, good for you. If you like being fit and trim, good for you. But neither should get into a war about which is better. There is an RPG, Hero’s Journey, that mirrors ” every hero’s transformation from minion to master.” That is a way to make things fun!

We may not like going to work, but we like the things money can buy, like food, clothing, shelter, and GAMES! We like our stuff, so the things we don’t like should be seen as journeys, challenges, etc. to overcome, like adventurers in a tomb or dungeon seeking treasure. The goal is the loot and experience points, even if you risk your favorite character dying to do it. I read an article a couple of years ago, that talked about people new to the workforce only working enough to support them and the things they wanted to do.

So if edition wars and railing against X because it isn’t Y is your thing, do you really have fun with that? Does putting others down bring you joy? Well, then you’re doing it wrong. Everyone knows that having fun at the expense of others in a mean and hurtful way is wrong. So take your toys and go home.

You don’t want to game with women? Well, then good luck getting a girlfriend or wife. If you already have a girlfriend or wife, good luck keeping them.

The whole essence of RPGs is true of life, we need to get along to succeed. How many hours have you played an RPG solo, i.e. no GM? It isn’t too much fun, other than as a different type of diversion once in a while, or if you are in a strange situation that it is your only option.

RPGs are about bringing people together to PLAY. I have played with people that are of the total opposite political spectrum to me, who have different ideas about ethics, politics, religion, etc. Since I don’t post about those things here, those people may not have any clue what I believe. Such discussions don’t go at the gaming table, if the goal is for everyone at the table to truly have fun. If you can’t game with people who are vastly different from you in ideas and opinions, then find a way to do that without being an ass about it. I know people on all aspects of the political divide, and just like any other topic, some of each general leaning can be total jerks to people who disagree with their position.

The specific definitions of how that fun plays out will depend on the group. A group of teenage boys is going to have fun in ways we may not approve of. That’s why we need teenage girls involved in RPGs, so that those hormone laden fools learn how to interact with females at a young age. Fathers should step up to DM/GM to show his sons how to treat a woman with respect. Or to make sure the boys in the game treat his daughter(s) with respect. Mothers should also DM/GM to keep her boys in line and support her daughters.

The OSR is partly about perpetuating our hobby to the next generation. With all the weirdos we hear about on the news, it is unfortunately asking for trouble for a group of teenagers to come to your house to game, if there are no children of your own, or other adults present. Finding a venue at the local library, or a place at school after hours, or going to one of the kid’s homes when their parents are there would be the smart course of action. (Can you tell I’ve been to multiple mandatory work seminars about how not to get sued?)

Players that talk over everyone else, and who try to be rules lawyers need special handling. Depending on their age, they may just need to have it explained to them. If they are 18+, then you should be able to talk to them without an emotional meltdown. However, age does not equate to maturity. If the person is emotionally fragile, I would suggest that RPGs where you pretend to be someone else is not always the best way for someone to deal with severe mental or emotional issues. The group should do their best to help someone with no social skills to fit in. If you have to talk about health and hygiene so others can stand to sit next to that player, then have that talk. Such a person obviously needs social interaction, and they will enjoy it more as they build their social interaction skill set. If all the players are not having fun, then there is a problem. This requires that all players stand up for themselves in a positive way. The DM/GM has a part to play her in making sure each player has their moment to shine, their share of speaking and interacting with the game world.

DMs/GMs should not be dictators that force the players to do what they don’t want to do. They should not totally ignore players’ suggestions for interpreting situations. At least acknowledge their input and move on. A good referee clearly describes things so that players make informed decisions. The referee who is a self centered, self righteous, egotistical, control freak, will have a hard time finding a consistent group of players for more than a few sessions. The DM’s fun should be had in watching how the players go off in unexpected directions, and misinterpret things, not in making them follow some elaborate script. If you have a novel to write, write the novel; don’t force your players to act out a script, when they want a world to explore. If you can’t find a way to have fun without alienating players, perhaps you should not be a DM; or go online and clearly advertise for online players that want your style of running a game.

I wrote this post a couple weeks ago, and on March 16, I ran across this article on Beer, Pretzels, and 20-Sided Dice. It is another way of saying what I am saying. Cameron sums it up nicely, “To my mind, the key is to have fun. If you aren’t enjoying yourself, find a different group or run a campaign yourself.”

Just yesterday, Tower of the Archmage, had this article, Playing With Adults, about the challenges of interpersonal interaction at the game table, and how cooperation is key. Dealing with the threats to maintaining a regular game is like facing the boss monster. It is so worth it when it’s over.

Game play options on the internet, like G+ and Roll20, for example, make it easier for those of us that can’t seem to find a local group. Also it can help us find more opportunities to game, if we have the time to put into gaming more frequently. There are more choices than one could hope to ever experience.

Similar things have been said by others in recent years. Editions don’t matter. The point is, find the rules and the group that work for you and enjoy it!

So go out there, find the RPG of your choice, and have FUN!

RPGs

Metamorphosis Alpha – Random Plants & Animals

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I posted a few days ago about my itch to dig into Metamorphosis Alpha. While starting to write this post, I realized that the Starship Warden is a megadungeon Innnn Spaaaaace. 17 levels plus the mid levels. Except like one may normally think of a dungeon, it does not have a clear 1st level equals easier. Particular locations double as both traversing the wilderness and dungeoneering. The inhabitants see themselves as travelling in wilderness, and the inter and intra level tunnels and so forth and the buildings on the habitation levels are the dungeons.

After getting that realization out of the way, on to random plants and animals.

On page 19 there is a procedure for Creating Non-Player Creature Mutations. This table focuses on animals, but is easily modified to substitute the plant mutations on page 16.

Begin by choosing the plant or animal type, then determining the number of generations for which a new mutation might be introduced. The rules say 1 – 10 generations, so a d10 easily handles that.

Then roll percentile dice for each generation to determine if a physical, mental, physical and mental, or no mutation for that generation.

Then roll 1-50, d100/2 and look at the physical and mental mutation charts, and if the roll is off the chart, there is a sub-chart for physical mutations, and for mental it always means higher intelligence.

It is simple to do the same procedure and substitute the plant mutations for the physical mutations..

Finally, there is a note that if there are two or three early generations with a defect mutation, that that organism was not viable and start over.

One need not limit themselves to the mutations available in the rules. Make up your own, or borrow from other games. There are enough options here that one need not expand unless a busy campaign with lots of players digs into a lot of options.

I rolled up one animal and one plant using this method.

Chipmunks are small and cute, so why not randomly mutate one and see what happens?

I rolled a 5 on my d10, for 5 generations. So next I rolled percentile dice for each generation to determine what kind of mutation. I came up with physical, physical, no mutation, mental, and physical. Next I rolled d50 (d100/2) for each mutation. In the first generation, I rolled a defect of skin structure change. Then I rolled heightened strength, heightened intelligence,and ended with a defect of anti-reflection, which means that a mental attack or defense has a 25% chance to backfire.

My interpretation of all this is that these are normal looking, if slightly larger chipmunks, that are physically strong, but can’t take a hit. They are smart so they know to avoid a physical fight. They have a crude mental attack ability that sometimes backfires, so they need a few more generations for this power to strengthen and for the defect to fade. These small creatures can get into nooks and crannies and might have arm bands and other useful, but small devices; and know how to use them. They don’t have the power of speech or telepathy, so communication will be crude unless a member of the party speaks chipmunk, or has telepathy.

For a plant, I did not initially specify a plant, but let’s say it’s a dandelion. I rolled 9 on a d10 for nine generations of mutations. I rolled five generations of physical mutations, one generation of mental mutations, and ended with three generations of physical mutations.

The physical mutations are: electrical or heat generation, symbiotic attachment for both the second and third generations, contact poison sap, a defect of an attractive odor, poison thorns, manipulative vines, and texture changes. The mental mutation is telekinetic arm. Since there is no heightened intelligence, there is no communicating with this plant. It merely seeks to eat to survive and reproduce.

It can generate an electric shock to stun or perhaps kill small prey. It has two methods of symbiotic attachment that allow it to control another creature. It’s manipulative vines are a refinement of it’s ability to make symbiotic attachments. It has a contact poison sap, like poison ivy, yet it has an attractive odor that puts it at risk of being uprooted before it bears seeds. It also has poison thorns that keep away unarmored creatures. I interpret this defect to be attractive to some creature or other plant that is immune to its poisons, thus making it vulnerable to specific animals. It must be armored to resist the symbiotic attachment, and have some way to minimize the effects of the telekinetic arm. This means that another creature needs to be generated to fill this niche. Perhaps the skin of this creature will allow the party to pass through an area of these plants with minimal difficulty. Or it could get all the plants in the area to gang up on the party….

The manipulative vines and telekinetic arm server to draw in nutrition from the surrounding area, whether plant or animal. Its poison sap is a weak digestive enzyme that with prolonged contact helps speed the breakdown of plant and animal matter into the soil. It has a structure change to its leaves that are rougher in texture to normal dandelions, but its characteristic bright yellow flower and white seeds remain. One thing it will do with its symbiotic attachments is control a creature to blow its seeds to reproduce. Like dandelions, unless the root is sufficiently uprooted, it can come back. Like regular dandelions, I can see there being a thick patch of these that are slowly growing and spreading throughout their area. Their symbiotic/manipulative vines have a length of 1d3 feet. Perhaps in a few generations the manipulative vines will enable these plants to move towards food, rather than merely draw it in. They could become mindless predators only seeking food when their current soil becomes used up.

It is easy to create new creatures and plants for a variety of purposes, both helpful, neutral, and dangerous. Some dangerous things could be harnessed to be of use, like poison glands, or explosive fruit.

I like how simple this was, and in a few minutes I had two new creatures. The GM can determine how long a generation is and how many generations for negative mutations to fade and something new result. Exposure to additional radiation and other environmental toxins might speed up the possibility of new mutations.

Since some levels are sealed off from others, one could easily generate different plants and animals using the same type as a starting point. One chipmunk on one level has descendants who are intelligent creatures, another remains mostly unchanged, while another might be a deadly and vicious predator.

Of course, as with any RPG, the GM is free to ignore or tweak any random roll, or just make up a creature to suit their tastes or needs.