Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Moonmelons are Here!!!
From: mscs057@vax1.mankato.msus.edu
Date: 14 Apr 92 13:24:11 -0600
Organization: Mankato State University

A creature who eats any of the meat or rind of a moonmelon or drinks any of
its juice seems to be completely unaffected. However, the effects of dining
on a moonmelon somehow disrupt the normal reproductive processes at a basic
level. All creatures are affected by moonmelons: birds, mammals, insects,
reptiles, and even most oozes, slimes, and molds. The offspring of any creature
affected by moonmelons are universally referred to as mooncreatures:
moonlizards, moonrats, moonbears, moonmen, etc. The effects of eating
moonmelons last but a single generation. The offspring of mooncreatures are
themselves perfectly normal. Thus, a monkey who ate a moonmelon would have
moonmonkeys for children, but the children of the moonmonkeys would be normal
monkeys.
   The effects of the moonmelons are permanent and last the lifetime of the
creature eating it unless magically cured by a HEAL spell. The effects remain
the same whether only a small portion of a melon is eaten or if 100 melons are
eaten. Not all alterations and changes caused by moonmelons are negative, but
they are all permanentwhether harmful or helpful and cannot be altered by HEAL
spells.
   As moonmelon seeds are spread in the droppings of creatures who eat them,
moonmelon patches can appear anywhere. DMs can use moonmelons to alter almost
any monster or creature they wish Consult the following tables for the types
and kinds of changes caused by moonmelons. All bonuses and penalties are
cumulative. Should any penalty or bonus result in a fraction, round up all
fractions of 1/2 or more and round down all fractions of less than 1/2.
   DMs are free to change the type of plant involved to suit the needs of their
individual campaigns. Campaigns in heavily forested environments might be
better served with moonapples, moonberries, or a generic moonfruit of some
kind, while a tropical isle campaign can contain coconutmoons, etc. DMs can use
virtually any edible plant (of at least slightly spherical shape) that is
indigenous to the campaign area as the "moonplant."

SIZE (Roll 2d6)

If the size of the offspring is increased or decreased, its appearance remains
unchanged. The creature appears to be a larger or smaller version of its
parent. However, size can cause penalties or bonuses with regard to hit point
and damage rolls (a smaller creature has fewer hit points and does less damage
per hit, while a larger creature has more hit points and does more damage).

2: Mooncreature is half normal size and uses six-sided rather than eight-sided
hit die. The creature also suffers a -2 penalty on damage rolls.

3-4: Mooncreature is 3/4 normal size. The creature uses eight-sided hit die
with a -1 penalty per hit die. The mooncreature also suffers a -1 penalty on
damage rolls.

5-9: Mooncreature is normal size, has normal hit die, and scores normal damage.

10-11: Mooncreature is 1 1/2 times normal size, uses ten-sided rather than
eight-sided hit die, and gains a +1 bonus on damage rolls.

12: Mooncreature is twice normal size and uses ten-sided rather than
eight-sided hit die. It gains a +1 bonus per hit die and a +2 bonus on all
damage rolls.

INTELLIGENCE (Roll 2d6)

Inteligence may have a profound effect on a creature's behavior, or it may have
no effect at all. A giant ant may have its intelligence raised by four points
but, being a simple cog in the complex social machine of the ant colony, its
behavior would remain unaltered. On the other hand, a baboon with this same
four-point increase may begin using weapons or take up farming. DMs should note
that offspring of any creatures that normally have an intelligence greater than
zero will not be able to surviveif their intelligence is reduced to zero. Such
mooncreatures are not equipped with the instinctive survival behaviors and
skills of normal nonintelligent beings. Therefore, without these instinctive
safeguards and without their natural intelligence, they are simply unable to
avoid obviously dangerous situations or take advantage of beneficial ones.

2: Intelligence is reduced by four-points or to zero, whichever is applicable.
If the creature normally has zero intelligence, the creature suffers a -3
penalty on to-hit rolls.

3-4: Intelligence is reduced by two points or to zero, whichever is applicable.
If the creature normally has zero intelligence, the creature suffers a -1
penalty on to-hit rolls.

5-9: intelligence is within normal range for the type of creature involved.

10-11: Intelligence is raised by two points. Maximum intelligence for any
mooncreature is 20. DMs should ignore any points beyond that total.

12: Intelligence is raised by four points. Maximum intelligence for any
mooncreature is 20. DMs should ignore any points beyond that total.

ARMOR CLASS (Roll 2d6)

Changes to armor class include any toughening or weakening of the
mooncreature's hide, skin, exoskeleton, or internal skeletal structure and
organs. The DM will have to determine exactly why any specific creature's armor
class is raised or lowered. For example, a creature's skin may become leathery
and tough, or it may become much more supple and resilient than normal. In
either case, the blow of a weapon is now absorbed without doing a great deal of
damage. Or the opposite may be true; the creature becomes much more brittle
than normal, causing any blows to do serious cracking and fracturing damage.

2: Armor class is penaltized by 3. Opponents score double damage when using
blunt weapons and gain +1 to all damage rolls.

3-4: Armor class is penaltized by 1, and oppnents gain +1 to damage rolls.

5-9: No penalties or bonuses apply.

10-11: Armor class is increased by 1, and opponents suffer -1 penalties to
damage rolls.

12: Armor class is increased by 3. Opponents suffer -1 penalties to damage
rolls. Blunt weapons do half damage.

CONSTITUTION (Roll 2d6)

Moonmelons can also profoundly affect a creature's constitution. Constitution
and size can, in combination, create extremely tough or fragile creatures. Roll
for constitution as directed below, then use the Constitution Table in the 2nd
edition PHB, page 15, to assess penalties or bonuses. All mooncreatures are
treated as warriors on the Constitution Table.

2: Roll 1d4 for the constitution.

3: Roll 1d4+4 for the constitution.

4-10: Roll 1d4+8 for the constitution.

11: Roll 1d4+12 for the constitution.

12: Roll 1d4+16 for the constitution.

DEXTERITY (Roll 2d6)

Dexterity bonuses and penalties apply only to those creatures with measurable
dexterity. Movement rate penalties and bonuses apply to any creature with a
movement rate and affect all movement rates applicable to the creature (flying,
swimming, burrowing, in web, etc.) DMs should note that the initiative bonuses
and penalties from this table are permanent, and are added to or sudtracted
from the base initiative rolls before any situational modifiers are used.

2: Dexterity is 1d4, and movement rate is reduced to 50% of normal. All
initiative rolls are made as if creature were both slowed and hindered (see
Table 55: Standard Modifiers to Initiative, on page 94 of the 2nd edition PHB.)

3: Dexterity is 1d4+4, and movement rate is only 75% of normal. All initiative
rolls are made as if creature were slowed (see Table 55 as above).

4-10: Dexterity and movement are normal for the type of creature involved.
Initiative is rolled normally.

11: Dexterity is 1d4+12, and movement rate is increased by 25%. Initiative
rolls are made as if creature were hasted (see Table 55 as above).

12: Dexterity is 1d4+16 but will not exceed 20. Movement rate is increased by
50%. All initiative rolls are made as if creature were hasted and set to
receive a charge (see Table 55 as above).

ODDITIES (Roll 1d100)

Moonmelons cause completely unpredictable changes in a creature's appearance
and structural form. When any mooncreature is encountered, the DM should roll
once on this table to determine if the mooncreature has any noticeably odd
characteristics. If the number rolled is not applicable to the creature
involved (such as extra limbs or eyes for a creature that has no limbs or
eyes), the DM can either choose an appropriate oddity from the table, roll
again, or consider the roll shows no noticeable oddities.

01-15: No noticeable oddities.
16-35: Radically different coloration of fur, hide, skin, feathers, etc. These
color changes can be either advantageous or disadvantageous to the creature,
depending on whether the new color camouflages the creature or destroys its
natural camouflage. A creature's color can be changed to any other color in the
spectrum. The DM is free to create moonyeti with bright green fur or bright red
moontrolls. Moonzebras with red and green stripes are possible, as are giant
moonrats with bright yellow fur and red underbellies. The color changes and
color combinations are left to the DM and are limited only by the imagination.

36-50: The eyes are much different than normal. Roll 1d6 to determine the type
of eyes: 1=huge and protruding; 2=small and stalked like a crab's; 3=large and
turreted, move independently like a chameleon; 4=appear normal but creature has
1d4 additional eyes; 5=multifaceted like an insect's; 6=the creature appears to
have no eyes (any eye sockets are empty, but creature moves and reacts like one
with normal vision).
51-65: The eyes appear and function normally except for their color. Roll 1d6
to determine eye color: 1=solid black; 2=blank white; 3=glowing red; 4=glowing,
venomous green; 5=putrid pink; 6=opalescent.

66-75: The skull or head is adorned with unusual outgrowths. While it is
possible for a creature to attack with these outgrowths, this mutation does not
give the mooncreature an additional attack per round. Roll 1d4 to determine the
type of adornment: 1=antlers, as a small deer, that do 1-2 hp slashing and
rending damage each; 2=horns, as a small bull, doing 1-3 hp stabbing damage
each; 3=single horn, like a small unicorn horn without magical properties,
doing 1-4 hp stabbing damage; 4=curved horns, like a ram, that can be used to
butt an opponent for 1-4 hp damage.
76-85: Mooncreature has a tail, or if the mooncreature is of a type that
normally has a tail, the tail is changed in purpose or function. While it is
possible for a creature to use its tail for attack, this does not give the
mooncreature an additional attack per round. Roll 1d4 to determine the type of
tail: 1=short, useless, and nonfunctioning; 2=long and prehensile, can be used
to hold a shield or other object but cannot be used in attck; 3=long and
segmented, ending in a nonpoisonous stinger that does 1-4 hp damage; 4=long and
whiplike, can be used to inflict 1-2 hp damage.

86-95: DM's choice or roll again.
96-00: Multiple oddities. Roll three times on this table. DM may choose or roll
again in the case of duplicate or contradictory results.


This is the end of it, if any of you have a question about it ask me. I will
try to answer any question about it that you may have. Happy reading and watch
your players scream when they run into an orc tribe that believes that only the
strongest may survive and they are all huge creatures.

Steve
"An orc can sometimes be very interesting."

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