Water Adventure on the Starship Warden
by Carl Hursh (Dragon #23)
In my experiences as a Metamorphosis Alpha referee I have always run into the same problems when trying to get some wandering monsters when characters are out on their raft or trying out their new gills, and so after much frustration I have come up with these monsters. I would also like to point out the possibilities of flooding an entire level. When this happens the door to the elevator will be under water, so that characters may drown or get wet when they try to step into the elevator when it has been to that level. I would also like to say that these creatures may be used in salt or fresh water because when the Ship went through the radiation the water could have turned from salt to fresh or from fresh to salt causing the fish to adapt. Or the creature could have mutated once, gotten lungs and then moved to a different type of water and then lost its lungs and been forced to adapt. In any case remember the effects water may have on the characters items.
| Creature | AC | # App. | Hit Dice | Move (YPM) | # Att. | Description/Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Griffon | 3 | 1-2 | 5 | 23 | 3 | 2 Claws (1-4) Bite (1-6) |
| Orcas | 1 | 1 | 18 | 20 | 2 | Tail (12-24) Bite (2-12) |
| Sea Centipede | 1 | 1-4 | 2 | 20 | 1 | Bite (1-6) |
| Sea dragon | 6 | 1 | 15 | 20 | 3 | Radiated eyes (3-18*), Gas Generation (DEATH), Bite (2-12) |
| Bed of Spikes | 6 | 1-4 | 2 | 20 | 1 | Tentacles (1-10) |
| Green Death | 3 | 1 Cluster | - | - | 1 | Dissolves flesh in 3 melee turns |
| Mine | 2 | 1 Patch | - | - | 1 | Explodes when hit (10-60) |
| Water Dagger | 4 | 1 Patch | 5 | - | - | Sharp edges do 1-4 when touched |
| Water Grabber | - | 1-6 Fronds | 3 | - | 1 | Dissolves flesh in 3 melee turns |
| Craboid | 7 | 2-20 | 1 | Fly: 36, Walk: 3, Swim: 10 | 2 | 2 Claws (1-4) |
| Kraken | 1 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 9 | 8 Tentacles (1-6), Beak (4-40) |
| Oysteroid | 6 | 1-10 | 1 | 18 | 1 | Throws Explosive Projectiles (1-12) |
| Peeper | 2 | 1-5 | 2 | 18 | 1 | Radiated Eyes (4-24*) |
| Brain Fish | 4 | 3-30 | 3 | 20 | 2 | Mental Blast Strength 13 (3-18), Molecular Disruption |
| Gupoids | - | 300-1000 | - | 15 | 1 | En Masse Attacking (1-6) |
| Siren | 6 | 1-2 | 3 | 20 | 1 | Bite (1-8) |
| Sea Flyer | 3 | 2-20 | 1 | 20 | 1 | Symbiotic Attachment |
| Sharkoid | 5 | 1 | 12 | 17 | 2 | Mental Blast Strength 15 (3-18) Bite (1-12**) |
| Troutoid | 4 | 4-24 | 3 | 23 | 1 | Electricity Generation (3-18) |
| Merman | 5 | 1-100 | 5 | Mounted: 25, Swim: 5 | 1 | By Weapon Type |
Sea Griffon: This former lion has traded his lungs for gills, and is now limited to water in much the same manner that his cousin is limited to land. He also has wings, from which he gets his speed in water. His wings are leathery and similar to a bats�. He cannot use most technological materials because he does not have manipulative claws.
Orcas: This former blue whale is very rare; it was very impractical to put many on the ship in the beginning and many died from radiation. In addition to having teeth and being carnivorous, it also has a directional spout which can stun for 1-6 turns.
Sea Centipede: This former eel now sports ten new legs, and can lift 1000 pounds with its telekinesis. It also can make sorties onto land because it also has lungs.
Sea Dragon: This one time sea turtle now is quite formidable. It is about 40 feet long, has an additional 20 feet of neck, and radiated eyes. It breathes poison gas, but has no resistance to poison (other than its own).
Bed of Spikes: Formerly an anemone mushroom coral, this mutation is now mobile (jet propulsion much like a squid�s) and has spikes on the tips of its �tentacles.� It has approximately 50 tentacles.
Green Death: This mutation still grows in large patches like its non-mutated cousin, algae. It has a sort of empathy with its fellows which enables them to attack. When attacking they first go for the feet, then legs, then body and finally arms and head. They dissolve and eat flesh in 4 melee turns. They can only be killed by a protein disrupter or by exposing them to oxygen.
Mine: Formerly leather coral, it is now free floating coral that explodes when touched causing 10 dice damage.
Water Dagger: This was originally stag horn coral but now is covered with aluminum which causes it to do damage like a dagger when it is touched. There is also a chance (20%) that it will be poisonous.
Water Grabber: Originally seaweed, this is now a dangerous plant. its fronds act independently so as to capture more food. Its fronds can eat flesh in 3 melee turns.
Craboid: This tiny relation to the crab is now incredibly intelligent. With illusion generation and telepathy they can form enough illusions to scare off most other creatures. They also have lungs and wings and will, occasionally, be found away from water.
Kraken: Like its namesake this octopus is very large (up to 100 feet). In addition to its size it also has a total carapace which enables it to better withstand attacks.
Oysteroid: These mutants differ very little from their non-mutated cousins, the oyster. The only difference is that these are able to throw explosive projectiles.
Peeper: These mutated clams are not only intelligent but also are highly mobile. They also have radiated eyes which deliver 3 dice worth of damage.
Brain Fish: This former parrot fish now has a mental attack worth noticing. First, it has a mental attack strength of 13; it has a repulsion field and a mental defense shield; it has a mental disruption which kills but it reduces the mutant to 1 pip so it is only used when the mutant is reduced to 5 or less pips. It also has teeth suitable for biting, but rarely does.
Gupoids: These fish are, like their non-mutated cousins, fast breeders so they usually travel in large packs. When they attack they all batter their victim simultaneously doing 1-6 points damage and staying for 1-6 turns. Because they are so small and there are so many of them they are impossible to hit except with a protein disrupter.
Siren: This mutant has very little in common with it�s namesake except it does have the ability to put creatures into a sort of trance, even though it does use more of a charismatic effect than a sonic power (gills negate sonics). This hypnotic effect causes creatures not making their saving throw (treat as a poison) to be unable to do anything for 1-12 melee rounds, and being very open to attacks during that time.
Sea Flyer: These mutated manta rays are much smaller than their non-mutated cousins ( usually averaging around 2 inches in wingspan) but in spite of their size they are still formidable fighters because they are able to control other creatures for short periods of time so as to make them fight their battles. There is a 20% chance that they be in control of a creature when they are encountered.
Sharkoid: This mutated shark is much larger than it was originally; it also is stronger in its mental state. It has a mental repulsion field and a mental blast. It also has poison teeth, but in spite of all this it is epileptic and can be rendered fairly harmless by showing it a flashing light.
Troutoid: These mutated trout are now a lot harder to catch for food and always on the look out for predators. In addition to having electricity generation they also have a sort of wings to enable them to move even faster through the water. Another thing that makes it harder to catch is that they have density control and can, therefore, make themselves drop like a rock or float on the surface to avoid creatures which cannot leave the bottom.
Merman: Hardly resembling a human anymore these creatures have only a head for a body and for legs and hands they have 6 crablike limbs; 2 are manipulative claws enabling it to use technological items. They also have a greater mind than normal humans and are more advanced than normal humans. Their main travel mode is a little stick with two propellers and two gyroscopes that are mentally controlled by the merman riding it. When they capture player characters they usually (50%) take their lungs and replace them with gills. They also have a partial carapace and gills but no lungs.