THE BURNING SANDS--A Mutant Future Scenario Part 1

goblinoidgames.com/mutantfuture.html

[I downloaded the free Mutant Future (nee Gamma World) game a few years ago and compulsively wrote up an adventure for it.  All of the monster stats mentioned are listed in the rules book.  The adventure is based on the area around my hometown of Las Cruces and White Sands National Monument.]

THE BURNING SANDS
A Mutant Future scenario
(c) Jerry Harris, 2013

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

Overview

The PC’s are group of wasteland rangers that are investigating a UFO that made a fly-by of their hometown, Crossroads. Rumors indicate that it may have landed in a nearby desert region. The trail leads them over a small mountain range and an encounter with a large mutant guarding the pass.

On the other side of the range lies a vast, inhospitable sea of white sand. Little can survive in this region and what does is generally very hostile. The largest intelligent community in the area is a clan of mutant biker thugs, however their settlement is nearly deserted and in ruins from a recent attack. The mutants were taken captive by the UFO.

The trail finally leads to a nondescript looking set of ruins, which in actuality cover the entrance to a sealed underground vault. Here are the UFO, it’s alien crew, and their enslaved mutants workers. The aliens have broken into the top level of the vault with their slaves and are now trying to get inside the lower level.

The bunker was guarding the entrance to a massive, self-contained underworld, now populated by carnivorous mutants and overseen by an insane computer. The computer itself could be incredibly valuable if salvaged. Of course, it doesn’t want to be taken and is willing to destroy the entire geo-front to prevent it.


The Characters and Their Setting

Crossroads is a fairly strong, thriving, diverse community.  It is mostly devoted to agriculture, but has some small manufacturing capabilities, as well as some familiarity with advanced technology. The town militia uses firearms and is able make ammunition for them. Travel is mostly by horse and wagon, but the authorities have a small fleet of hover vehicles and alcohol-fueled trucks. Crossroads is governed by an elected town council of 11. They choose a Speaker, who moderates their activities and only votes to break a tie.

Crossroads was not directly hit during the Apocalypse, but the Paso ruins due south and the Burning Sands area to the east, both were. As a result, these areas are nearly uninhabited from radioactivity. Short-term exposure to these areas (about a week) will not cause permanent damage, except in certain high rad hot spots. The Organs are a small mountain chain that divides Crossroads from the Burning Sands. The area is ruled by group of hawkman mutants, who control the pass and allow passage for a fee.

The character group is a unit of rangers that patrol, bounty hunt, and explore the surrounding wastelands. The rangers are a fraternal order, which carefully chooses its members. They are highly motivated, self-reliant individuals with a desire to protect the innocent and serve justice and order. (Not that the occasional clever, self-serving rouge doesn’t slip in.) The players should choose a name for their unit after creating their characters, along with their characters’ and unit’s backstory if they wish.

They are semi-autonomous from the local authorities. They work for them, but choose their own missions. The group is given access to firearms, ammunition, and hovercyle mounts, so long as they are operating in the public interest. Rangers have first salvage rights to artifacts found in the wasteland, but are required to report and possibly surrender said items in return for compensation. Indeed, guarding and returning these artifacts to town is one of their prime functions.

All ranger characters start with a melee weapon, a firearm and ammunition, and a hovercycle. The quality of the weapons should balance the characters who do not have a helpful mutation or some other special ability. Helpful gear may also be given out for balance purposes. Rangers also typically carry five days rations on missions, but are expected to be able to live off the land.

They have all seen the UFO fly over the mountains. The rumor of a nearby landing reached town two days later.