TEXT:  
   
   
   
   
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
  Introduction. The Zone is filled with mutated dangers, animals, plants, bizarre and nightmarish 
  monsters and physics-defying phenomena that stumps the smartest scholars from Elysium. Here you 
  will find 40 creatures/dangers, heavily inspired from the Swedish-only previous editions of the game.  
   
   
   
   
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  Author 
  Bjørn Ove Asprem 
  Revision 
  Ingrid Wormdal 
   
  Photo credits 
   
  Frida Bredesen, Unsplash, Front Cover 
   
  Unsplash 
   
  Ivan Mateev (Bearded Oak) 
  Jaroslav Devia (Choker) 
  Christopher Rusev (Doom Pine) 
  Giancarlo Revolledo (Electric Choking Eel) 
  Wolfgang Hasselmann (Electric Starling) 
  David Clode (Giant Pincers) 
  Frida Bredesen (Silent Killer) 
  Hardik Joshi (Poison Thrushes) 
  Omer Salom (Pony) 
  Phillip Pilz (Zone Wolf) 
  Yoshu Ginsu (Soot Storm) 
  Dan Seddon (Stink Dog) 
  Christopher Alvarenga (Zone Mammoth) 
   
  Pixabay 
  Hans Braxmeier (Death Flies, Yellow Buzzers) 
  Open Clip Art (Killer Bird) 
  Uncredited Pixabay content (Puff Balls, Shagged Beast) 
   
   
   
   
  Additional credits 
   
  Inspiration for this Bestiary is heavily drawn from the previous edition of Mutant, the Swedish-only TTRPG Mutant: 
  Undergångens Arvtagare, and especially their Zonernas Zoologi and their authors, Andreas Marklund, Mattias Lilja, Mattias 
  Johnsson and Joakim Burman.  
   
   
   
   
   
  © 2019 Cabinet Licensing LLC. MUTANT and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses 
  thereof are trademarks of Cabinet Licensing LLC unless otherwise noted. Used with permission under the 
  Community Content Agreement for Free League Workshop. All rights reserved.
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  Contents 
  A note on naming conventions .............................................. 4 
  Encounter tables .................................................................... 4 
  Table A - Monster Threat - Land ........................................ 5 
  Table B - Monster Threat - Sea ........................................... 6 
  Table C - Phenomenon Threat – Land ................................ 6 
  Table D - Phenomenon Threat – Sea .................................. 6 
  Bearded Oak (-2) .................................................................... 8 
  Birdbeast (-1) ......................................................................... 8 
  Blackwater (+0) ...................................................................... 9 
  Bush Sniper (+1) ..................................................................... 9 
  Choker (-2) ............................................................................. 9 
  Club Head (-1) ...................................................................... 10 
  Combinator (-3) .................................................................... 10 
  Crystal Creature (-3) ............................................................. 11 
  Death Flies (-2) ..................................................................... 11 
  Doom Pine (-1) ..................................................................... 11 
  Electric Choking Eel (+0) ....................................................... 12 
  Electric Choking Eel, Emperor (-1) ........................................ 12 
  Elmer’s Fire (-2) .................................................................... 13 
  Fire Bull (-1) .......................................................................... 13 
  Flying Death Maw (-2) .......................................................... 13 
  Exploder (-1) ......................................................................... 14 
  Giant Lobster (+1) ................................................................ 14 
  Giant Pincers (+0) ................................................................. 14 
  Gear Eaters (-1) .................................................................... 14 
  Glass Storm (-1) .................................................................... 15 
  Grazers (+1) .......................................................................... 15 
  Spear bull ......................................................................... 15 
  Shagged beast .................................................................. 16 
  Pony ................................................................................. 16 
  Steel hooves ..................................................................... 16 
  Hell’s Bells (-1) ...................................................................... 16 
  Infected Tech (N/A) ..............................................................17 
  Killer Bird (+0) .......................................................................17 
  Lightning Starling (-2) ...........................................................17 
  Meat Rose (+0) .....................................................................18 
  Nanotechnology (-3) .............................................................18 
  Poison Thrushes (-1) .............................................................19 
  Puff Ball (-1) ..........................................................................19 
  Reef Cluster (+1) ...................................................................20 
  Silent Killer (+0) ....................................................................20 
  Sky King (-1) ..........................................................................21 
  Soot Storm (+0) ....................................................................21 
  Stink Dog (-1) ........................................................................21 
  Swamp Thing (+0) .................................................................22 
  Troglodyte (-2) ......................................................................22 
  Zone Wolf (-1) ......................................................................25 
   
   
   
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  A note on naming conventions 
  Few (if any) of these creatures have extremely creative 
  names. A post-apocalyptic society with a relatively low level 
  of knowledge and education would not, in my opinion, come 
  up with fancy names to describe a creature spotted in the 
  zone. That is why we have “giant pincers”, “crystal creature” 
  and “killing bird”. In time, as society progresses, Chroniclers 
  may come up with more scientific names for these creatures. 
  Maybe some will be named after the Stalker who discovered 
  them or the Chronicler who examined a monster’s body after 
  its death?  
   
  Another thing to bear in mind is that the isolationist nature of 
  a Mutant Year Zero game will, inevitably, lead to different 
  Arks calling creatures different things. So, your characters’ Ark 
  might call the lightning phenomenon on page 13 Elmer’s Fire 
  because that’s the name of the Stalker who first witnessed it. 
  Another Ark might call it “lightning ball”, “electric creature” 
  or “round zapper”. Whenever characters from your players’ 
  Ark and an NPC from another Ark witness a creature together, 
  try to have different names for this creature. This gives an 
  extra layer of flavor and realism and really emphasizes the feel 
  of the game.  
  Encounter tables 
  The following tables replace those in the Mutant Year 
  Zero CoreBook and includes encounters from all official 
  sources as well as the creatures in this product.  
   
  References 
  MYZ 
  Mutant Year Zero Core Book 
  MGA 
  Mutant Genlab Alpha 
  MM 
  Mutant Mechatron 
  GD 
  Gray Death 
  ZB 
  Zone Bestiary 
  ZC2 
  Zone Compendium 2 
   
   
   
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  Table A - Monster Threat - Land 
  When rolling a monster on the initial Threat roll, first roll 
  another d6 to find the correct sub-table, and then roll a d66.  
   
   
   
   
  Sub-table A1 (1-3) 
  Sub-table A2 (4-6) 
  D66 
  Threat 
  Source 
  D66 
  Threat 
  Source 
  11 
  Acid Grass 
  MYZ 
  11 
  Parasite Fungus 
  MYZ 
  12 
  Acid Grazers 
  MM 
  12 
  Poison Trushes 
  ZB 
  13 
  Air Jellies 
  MYZ 
  13 
  Pony 
  ZB 
  14 
  Bearded Oak 
  ZB 
  14 
  Psionic Butterfly 
  MGA 
  15 
  Birdbeast 
  ZB 
  15 
  Puff Ball 
  ZB 
  16 
  Bitterbeast 
  MYZ 
  16 
  Razorback 
  MYZ 
  21 
  Blackwater 
  ZB 
  21 
  Rot Ants 
  MYZ 
  22 
  Bush Sniper 
  ZB 
  22 
  Rotfish 
  MYZ 
  23 
  Centipede Snake 
  MGA 
  23 
  Scrap Crows 
  MYZ 
  24 
  Choker 
  ZB 
  24 
  Shagged Beast 
  ZB 
  25 
  Combinator 
  ZB 
  25 
  Shambletusk 
  MGA 
  26 
  Crystal Creature 
  ZB 
  26 
  Silent Killer 
  ZB 
  31 
  Death Flies 
  ZB 
  31 
  Sky King 
  ZB 
  32 
  Deathworm 
  MYZ 
  32 
  Smog Bloom 
  MM 
  33 
  Devourer 
  MYZ 
  33 
  Sniper Bug 
  MGA 
  34 
  Doom Pine 
  ZB 
  34 
  Spear Bull 
  ZB 
  35 
  Drone Tornado 
  MM 
  35 
  Steel Hooves 
  ZB 
  36 
  Electric Choking Eel 
  ZB 
  36 
  Stink Dog 
  ZB 
  41 
  Exploder 
  ZB 
  41 
  Swamp Thing 
  ZB 
  42 
  Fire Bull 
  ZB 
  42 
  Trash Bugs 
  MM 
  43 
  Gas Flies 
  MGA 
  43 
  Trash Hawk 
  MYZ 
  44 
  Gear Eater 
  ZB 
  44 
  Troglodyte 
  ZB 
  45 
  Giant Hornbug 
  MGA 
  45 
  Troutling 
  MGA 
  46 
  Giant Pincers 
  ZB 
  46 
  Waddler 
  MGA 
  51 
  Gnat Storm 
  MGA 
  51 
  Winged Moray 
  MGA 
  52 
  Grunter 
  MGA 
  52 
  World Worm 
  ZB 
  53 
  Hell’s Bells 
  ZB 
  53 
  Worm Swarm 
  MYZ 
  54 
  Killer Bird 
  ZB 
  54 
  Yellow Buzzers 
  ZB 
  55 
  Killer Tree 
  MYZ 
  55 
  Zone Dogs 
  MYZ 
  56 
  Landshark 
  MGA 
  56 
  Zone Leeches 
  MYZ 
  61 
  Lightning Starling 
  ZB 
  61 
  Zone Mammoth 
  ZB 
  62 
  Meat Rose 
  ZB 
  62 
  Zone Nightmare 
  ZB 
  63 
  Mind Mosquitoes 
  MYZ 
  63 
  Zone Rats 
  MYZ 
  64 
  Mud Monk 
  MGA 
  64 
  Zone Spider 
  MYZ 
  65 
  Muskhorn 
  MGA 
  65 
  Zone Wasps  
  MYZ 
  66 
  Nightmare Flowers 
  MYZ 
  66 
  Zone Wolf 
  ZB 
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  Table B - Monster Threat - Sea 
   
  Roll on the following table if you roll a Threat and then a 
  Monster at sea. If the sector contains an island or a coastline, 
  you can instead roll on the above table.  
   
  D66 
  Threat 
  Source 
  11-13 
  Inkfish 
  ZC2 
  14-16 
  School of fish 
  ZC2 
  21 
  Kraken 
  ZC2 
  22-24 
  Steel shark 
  ZC2 
  25-31 
  Strangle weed 
  ZC2 
  32-33 
  Rot plankton 
  ZC2 
  34 
  Rotzilla 
  ZC2 
  35-41 
  Trash hawk 
  MYZ 
  42-44 
  Scrap gulls (use 
  scrap 
  crows 
  stats) 
  MYZ 
  45 
  Leviathan 
  ZC2 
  46-51 
  Gorge whales 
  ZC2 
  52-53 
  Beach fish (use 
  Rotfish stats) 
  MYZ 
  54-55 
  Steel Jaws 
  ZC2 
  56-61 
  Torpedo Fish 
  ZC2 
  62-63 
  Unbearded 
  Catfish 
  ZB 
  64-65 
  Giant Lobster 
  ZB 
  66 
  Flying 
  Death 
  Maw 
  ZB 
   
  Table C - Phenomenon Threat – Land 
  Roll on the following table if you roll a Threat and then a 
  Phenomenon on land. 
   
  D66 
  Threat 
  Source 
  11 
  Acid Rain 
  MYZ 
  12 
  Ash Storm 
  MYZ 
  13 
  Dust Tornado 
  MYZ 
  14 
  Electric Storm 
  MYZ 
  15 
  Ghost Lights 
  MYZ 
  16 
  Inertia Field 
  MYZ 
  21 
  Magnetic Field 
  MYZ 
  22 
  Mirage 
  MYZ 
  23 
  Mud Puddles 
  MYZ 
  24 
  Night Lights 
  MYZ 
  25 
  Obelisk 
  MYZ 
  26 
  Pillars of Light 
  MYZ 
  31 
  Rot Hotspot 
  MYZ 
  32 
  Rot Wind 
  MYZ 
  33 
  Sinkhole 
  MYZ 
  34 
  Temperature 
  drop / Heatwave 
  MYZ 
  35 
  Unexploded 
  ordnance 
  MYZ 
  36 
  Vacuum 
  MYZ 
  41 
  Zone Smog 
  MYZ 
  42 
  Avalanche 
  MGA 
  43 
  Earthquake 
  MGA 
  44 
  Flash Flood 
  MGA 
  45 
  Gas cloud 
  MGA 
  46 
  Geyser 
  MGA 
  51 
  Ice storm 
  MGA 
  52 
  Skyquake 
  MGA 
  53 
  Wildfire 
  MGA 
  54 
  Zone morass 
  MM 
  55 
  Glass storm 
  ZB 
  56 
  Club head 
  ZB 
  61 
  Infected tech 
  ZB 
  62 
  Gutfish (infected 
  water) 
  MYZ 
  63 
  Red plague 
  GD 
  64 
  Nanotechnology 
  ZB 
  65 
  Soot storm 
  ZB 
  66 
  Elmer’s Fire 
  ZB 
   
  Table D - Phenomenon Threat – Sea 
  Roll on the following table if you roll a Threat and then a 
  Phenomenon at sea. If the sector contains an island or a 
  coastline, you can instead roll on the above table. 
   
  D66 
  Threat 
  Source 
  11-12 
  Reef cluster 
  ZB 
  13-14 
  Electric storm 
  MYZ 
  15-16 
  Carcass 
  ZC2 
  21-22 
  Giant wave 
  ZC2 
  23-24 
  Zone cyclone 
  ZC2 
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  25-26 
  Magnetic field 
  MYZ 
  31-32 
  Rot wind 
  MYZ 
  33-34 
  Night lights 
  MYZ 
  35-36 
  Oil spill 
  ZC2 
  41-42 
  Rot Hotspot 
  MYZ 
  43-44 
  Maelstrom 
  ZC2 
  45-46 
  Acid rain 
  MYZ 
  51 
  Gutfish 
  MYZ 
  52 
  Temperature 
  drop / heatwave 
  MYZ 
  53 
  Pillars of Light 
  MYZ 
  54 
  Vacuum 
  MYZ 
  55 
  Zone Smog 
  MYZ 
  56 
  Ice storm 
  MGA 
  61 
  Skyquake 
  MGA 
  62 
  Red plague 
  GD 
  63 
  Soot storm 
  ZB 
  64 
  Glass storm 
  ZB 
  65 
  Infected 
  technology 
  ZB 
  66 
  Hovercraft 
  ZC2 
   
  Credit: Espen Bierud, Unsplash 
  PHENOMENON? 
  Some of the encounters on the Phenomenon table does not 
  technically resemble the others. Viruses, nanotech, etc. They 
  are placed here to complete the Phenomenon tables and 
  because they really don’t fit in anywhere else.  
   
   
   
   
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  Bearded Oak (-2) 
  This creature, that in most aspects resembles any other tree, 
  can grow up to 18 feet tall with a diameter of 5 feet. What 
  makes it abnormal though, is its thick, leathery leaves, the 
  messy branch structure and the creature’s root system. The 
  latter consists of between seven and twelve (d6+6) tentacles 
  that allow for movement.  
   
  Even though it clearly is a living creature, it is uncertain 
  whether this creature is intelligent. What triggers its root 
  attacks is also not known, only that some oaks are peaceful 
  and never assaults another creature, while others attack 
  indiscriminately.  
   
  What is certain is that you should never camp near one. 
  Stalkers have been known to disappear after camping too 
  close to a bearded oak. A bloodless husk has been discovered 
  later, the tree not to be found nearby anymore. Bearded oaks 
  grow in small clusters of d6/2 (minimum 1) specimens. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 10, Agility 3 
  Armor: 4 (bark) 
  Skills: Fight 2, Move 2 
  Weapons: Branches (weapon damage 2). If a creature is caught, 
  it must roll Force -2 to escape the branch. Otherwise, the 
  Bearded Oak inflicts 1 Fatigue per round. When the victim is 
  broken by Fatigue, it takes 1 Damage per round. The Bearded 
  Oak can still attack other creatures using his other branches.  
   
   
   
  Birdbeast (-1) 
   
  These birds are the size of ponies, and live in scrublands, 
  highlands and moors, far away from the ruined cities of the 
  Ancients. They can be domesticated and trained as riding 
  animals or birds of war.  
   
  Birdbeasts live in flocks of 2d6 creatures.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 3 
  Armor: 1 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 2, Move 3, Scout 2 
  Weapons: Beak (weapon damage 2), claw (weapon damage 1). 
  The claw attack is primarily used to attack opponents who fail to 
  escape the conflict.  
   
   
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  Blackwater (+0) 
   
  Describing this creature is almost harder than defeating it. 
  Blackwater is a stinking mass of thick, fetid black water. This 
  jelly-like creature’s half-rotten Rot-infested water also 
  contains various scrap, debris, branches and even bodies that 
  it has picked up during its travel.  
   
  It consists of toxic waste that has fused together with organic 
  creatures and thereby created a primitive, amoeba-like 
  organism. Its only purpose is to eat, grow and procreate. The 
  latter happens through division. When the blackwater has 
  grown large enough (Strength 12), it splits into three smaller 
  blackwaters.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 4-12, Agility 2 
  Weapons: Absorption (weapon damage 1, and see below)  
   
  Absorption: Anyone caught in the rolling path of a blackwater 
  is trapped and suffers 1 point of Rot per round. It can free 
  itself (or be freed by others) by rolling Force every round. It 
  gets more difficult the more the victim has been mashed 
  together with the creature’s substance, and the Force roll 
  receives a -1 for every round after the first round. After four 
  rounds, the only way of breaking a victim free is to cut it out 
  after the blackwater is dead.  
   
  After absorbing a creature, a blackwater increases its Strength 
  by 1.  
   
  Bush Sniper (+1) 
  This blind, swine-like mammal lives mostly underground, but 
  ventures out in the zone to hunt. Even though it is blind, it can 
  orient itself using its sonar ability. Its most distinguishing 
  feature is its bulging cheeks, which produce and contain the 
  paralyzing saliva it uses to bring down prey. The bush sniper 
  hunts in packs of 2d6 creatures. The pack focuses its attacks 
  on one single prey at a time. 
   
   
   
   
   
  Attributes: Strength 2, Agility 3 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 1, Move 2, Sneak 3, Shoot 2 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 1), Spit (weapon damage 1 
  Fatigue)  
   
  Paralyzing saliva: When a victim is broken by fatigue, it is 
  completely covered with a quick-drying substance that 
  prevents movement. The crust loosens within 1d6 hours, and 
  victims need external help to be freed. This is possible with 
  tools or maybe a knife and a successful Force roll.  
   
  When all available prey is immobilized, the bush snipers rush 
  forward and start eating their victim(s) alive.  
   
  Choker (-2) 
   
   
  This oozing cloud of unhealthy fumes is one tough opponent 
  for an unlucky zone traveler. It is difficult to spot, as it consists 
  solely of faint gases. With good light sources, like a lantern or 
  a flashlight, you could make out a faint, humanoid shape 
  made up of fumes and gases. It is easier to discover the 
  creature by smell, a foul stench that burns in the nostrils and 
  makes you want to vomit.  
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  This semi-intelligent creature nourishes itself by sucking in 
  decomposing gases from organic beings. It will never attack a 
  robot.  
  Attributes: Strength 5, Agility 5 
  Weapons: Choking attack (see below) 
   
  Choking attack: Roll an attack with 10 base dice. Every success 
  inflicts 1 Fatigue. When a victim is broken by Fatigue, further 
  trauma is Damage.  
   
  Immunity to weapons: A choker is immune to all damage but 
  fire. If the choker is currently attacking a victim, the victim 
  takes the same amount of damage. The victim needs to Move 
  away from the Choker to avoid harm. 
   
   
  Club Head (-1) 
  These voracious and intensive microbes from the Old Age can 
  kill a creature within hours. When exposed to the contagion, 
  a potential victim must roll a successful Endure. If the victim 
  fails, he will suffer an intense headache after 1 hour, followed 
  by several, permanent growths on his head and in his face. 
  This does not cause any damage, but the victim suffers a 
  permanent -1 to any attempt to Manipulate, Intimidate or 
  Dominate. At the same time, a fast and serious infection 
  spreads in the victim’s body, causing large wounds to open. 
  The victim suffers 1 damage. This happens every hour until 
  the victim is broken, at which point it dies. A Heal is necessary 
  to stop this disease, with a -1 penalty. Attempts to cure itself 
  suffers another -2. Anyone trying to help a patient risks 
  infection.  
   
  As the incubation time is so short, this disease does not spread 
  as quickly. Also, anyone who fights off the disease either 
  before it breaks out or is saved from dying, becomes immune 
  to it.  
   
  Combinator (-3) 
  These insect-like creeps are about 50 cm long and seem to 
  consist of crystalline parts, which looks like blinking grey and 
  red metal. A single combinator is no big threat, but where one 
  is spotted, more will soon come. These creatures travel 
  around the zone searching for prey while hidden. When it 
  finds it, it somehow calls to the rest of the swarm, which 
  quickly joins in the attack. When a combinator dies, three 
  other alive combinators consumes the dead combinator and 
  merges together to become a larger combinator.  
   
  When killed, the swarm and most of the individual 
  combinators which make up the swarm, disintegrates into 
  unrecognizable ashes. If someone were to capture a 
  combinator and study it closely with a magnifying glass (or 
  even better, a microscope from the Old Age), he would 
  discover that these are technological creatures, the remnants 
  of a nanotechnological experiment gone awry.  
  Attributes: Strength 4-6 (starting Strength) 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Weapons: Fangs (weapon damage 1, but this may increase) 
   
  Swarm: Can only be damaged by fire or explosions.  
  For every round that goes by, roll a base die. On a 1, the 
  swarm increases in strength by 1. On a 6, the swarm increases 
  by 2.  
   
  Increased size: If a swarm takes damage in a round, the 
  combinators combine with the dead ones and become bigger. 
  This increases weapon damage by 1, to a maximum of 5. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Weird Zone 
  Combinators can usually only be found in The Weird 
  Zone, (see the special Zone Sector The Weird Zone), 
  also available on drivethrurpg.net). You can of 
  course use this creature without using that Zone 
  Sector. If encountered elsewhere, this is an 
  anomalous specimen whose programming has been 
  disrupted by something. 
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  Crystal Creature (-3) 
  A crystal creature is a creature made entirely of crystal. All 
  such beings are different. Most have four legs, some have 
  eight. Some have tails, some have two heads. The only thing 
  they have in common are the sharp crystal claws on their 
  paws or crystal teeth in their mouths.  
   
  A crystal creature’s only purpose is to kill. Nobody knows why, 
  or how it is created. It can sense living creatures within Long 
  range, so hiding is futile.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 6, Agility 5 
  Armor: 4 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 3 
  Weapons: Claws, fangs or tail (weapon damage 2)  
   
  Pouncing attack: A crystal creature can charge an opponent 
  within Short range and attack with a pounce. If successful, the 
  attack causes 1 extra damage. 
   
  Immunities: A crystal creature is immune to fire and energy 
  weapons. 
   
  Sharp body: If a PC misses a melee attack, he takes 1 Damage 
  as he cuts himself on the sharp, protruding crystals of the 
  creature. 
   
  Vulnerability: Sonic attack, like mutations or ultrasonic 
  weapons does 1 extra Damage. 
  Death Flies (-2) 
   
  These flies, which can swarm up to a thousand individuals, are 
  a real pain in the ass for psi mutants. The parasitic bug needs 
  psychic energy to reproduce, and they are drawn to mutants 
  with psi powers. Not only is it harder to use psionic mutant 
  powers, it also increases the chance of backlash.  
   
  1-10 flies require +1 MP, 11-100 flies require +2 MP and 101 
  to 1000 flies require +3 MP. This also increases the chance of 
  backlash.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 1-3 
   
  Swarm: Can only be damaged by fire or explosions.  
   
  Doom Pine (-1) 
   
  These anti-social plant creatures grow in compact clusters 
  that without warning spreads within a forest. The doom pine 
  is a heavy-minded and misanthropic existence that despises 
  all contact with the outside world. It wants to be alone with 
  its thoughts, and emits a wistful, psi emotion that affects 
  those nearby. The affected are struck with despair and want 
  nothing more than to abort the expedition. Too long exposure 
  will lead to serious insanity.  
   
  There are normally 200-300 doom pines in one location.  
  
   
  Zone Bestiary 
   
   
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  x 
   
  Attributes: Strength 16 
  Armor: 6 (natural) 
  Skills: Scout 3 (ground vibrations) 
   
  Despair: Every hour someone is within Long range, he must 
  succeed in an Empathy check. Failure means that he is 
  stricken with guilt, feelings of anxiety or negative thoughts 
  imparted by the whispering tree crowns. The victim feels 
  strongly about returning the way he came, and only force will 
  prevent him from doing so.  
  2d6 hours after leaving the last of the doom pines, the victim’s 
  mind is restored to normal.  
   
  If the Empathy check succeeds, the PC only needs to check for 
  Empathy every 24 hours while in the presence of the pines. 
  However, a failure at this point reduces the PCs Empathy by 
  1. If Empathy is reduced to 0, the victim becomes completely 
  catatonic and needs to be removed from the doom pines 
  presence in order to recover.  
   
  Electric Choking Eel (+0) 
  These long and slender fish can grow to a length of nearly 5 
  feet. The eel is a merciless predator fish that primarily hunts 
  in marshlands but can actually survive for an extended period 
  of time above water. This swarm of hungry fish tries to disable 
  a victim using their electric shocks, before eating it. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 3-8, Agility 5 (3 above water) 
  Weapons: Electric shock (weapon damage 2 Fatigue) 
   
  Swarm: Can only be damaged by fire or explosions.  
  You are food: A swarm starts nibbling on a disabled victim as 
  soon as it is down. It suffers 1Ddamage pr. 3 strength of the 
  swarm. If the swarm doesn’t have the strength to inflict 1 
  point of damage, it takes several rounds to inflict damage. The 
  swarm may divide itself and continue attacking other victims 
  while the rest eats the first. 
   
   
  Electric 
  Choking 
  Eel, 
  Emperor (-1) 
   
  Some stalkers braving the wet dangers of the marshlands 
  have reported seeing lone electric eels measuring twice or 
  even thrice the size of a normal eel. They always hunt alone, 
  not part of a swarm. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 6, Agility 5 
  Armor: 3 
  Skills: Fight 3, Move 5 (3 above water) 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 1), Electric shock (weapon 
  damage 2 Fatigue)  
   
  Drown: In the turn after a successful Fight attack, the Emperor 
  Electric Choking Eel can pull its prey down under water to 
  drown it. The victim will suffer one point of damage per turn 
  and must make a Force roll to break free. 
   
   
  
   
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  Elmer’s Fire (-2) 
  These large, spherical and almost translucent phenomena are 
  the bane of robots and high-tech equipment. As they travel 
  aimlessly throughout the Zone in its pursuit of advanced 
  technology to destroy, they do not spare the flesh of a 
  mutant.  
   
  Elmer’s Fire are lost remains from an advanced Elysian anti-
  robot defense system from the Enclave Wars. They are 
  concentrated fields of electro-magnetic energy equipped with 
  artificial intelligence. They primarily attack robots, but can 
  also target energy weapons and other high-tech equipment 
  such as e-tools, computers etc. They attack by enveloping the 
  victim (or piece of technology). They are not very precise, so 
  in order to attack a laser rifle wielded by a human, Elmer’s Fire 
  burns the skin of the human as well.  
   
  They do not attack creatures that do not have high-tech 
  equipment on them. Robots with the EMP Protection module 
  can defend themselves easier against Elmer’s Fire.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 5, Agility 3 
  Weapons: EMP blast (Short range, weapon damage 2). The EMP 
  blast can also be used to target weapons or other high-tech 
  equipment with gear bonus. Armor does not count against this 
  attack.  
   
  Immunities: Elmer’s Fire can only be injured by Sonar attacks, 
  as from an Ultrasonic Carbine or someone with the Sonar 
  mutation. 
   
  Fire Bull (-1) 
  These creatures are the size of a domestic pig, but with curved 
  horns like a goat. It has a strange diet consisting of wood and 
  wooden products. The creature’s poisonous substances in its 
  stomach, combined with this diet, gives it a unique ability to 
  spew flames. While the fire bull is herbivorous, it can be 
  dangerous if disturbed. It is quite easily domesticated though 
  and can be used as a guard animal or to help light fires. Just 
  keep them away from wooden buildings. They can be found 
  in small flocks of d6+1 animals. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 3, Agility 3 
  Armor: 3 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 2, Move 2 
  Weapons: Gore (weapon damage 1) 
   
  Flame Breather: The Fire Bull’s fire breathing ability is similar to 
  the Flame Breather mutation. It cannot misfire but uses MPs 
  from the GM’s pool. 
   
   
   
  Flying Death Maw (-2) 
   
  This huge and extremely flat fish has a maw with sharp teeth 
  and an uncanny ability to attack by “flying”. The extreme 
  aerodynamic shape of the fish can give it an enormous speed 
  underwater, allowing it to jump out of the water to attack 
  prey on boats. There, it locks its jaws on a part of the victim’s 
  body before the fish tries to wriggle the poor fellow out into 
  the water. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 4 
  Armor: 3 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 2, Move 2 (5 underwater), Sneak 3 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 1) 
   
  Flying attack: Using its well-developed sonar, a flying death 
  maw is able to detect prey standing on boats, piers, etc. It 
  speeds up and jumps out of the water. If it misses its Fight, it 
  overshoots and lands in the water on the other side. If it hits, 
  it inflicts Bite damage and latches on to a victim. In the next 
  
   
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  round, the flying death maw tries to wriggle towards the 
  water and bring the prey down into the water. The flying 
  death maw rolls Move vs Move or Force (victim’s choice).  
  In the water, a victim suffers 1 Damage per round and must 
  now roll against the full Move score of the fish.  
   
  Flying death maws often travels in schools of 5-10 fish. More 
  than one empty scrap sloop has been found adrift at sea, all 
  its crew suspiciously missing.  
   
  Exploder (-1) 
  The exploder may or may not be related to the zone 
  mammoth. It looks similar (although half its height) but 
  exhibits more aggressive tendencies. This despite it being an 
  herbivore. It almost seems like its purpose in life is to hurt 
  other creatures.  
   
  The exploder is producing proportionally more gas than its 
  bigger relative and has between 3 and 14 vents to exhaust its 
  gas, which it does five-six times a minute.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 4 
  Skills: Scout 4 
  Weapons: Gore (weapon damage 1) 
   
  Explosion: Whenever an exploder takes 2 or more damage on 
  a single hit, roll d6. On a 1-2, it explodes with a Blast Power of 
  5. 
   
  Giant Lobster (+1) 
  These giant, sea-dwelling creatures prefer to live on the 
  bottom of seas, lakes and rivers, eating trash and refuse that 
  falls to the bottom. When hungry, they can come closer to the 
  surface to try their luck against animals and intelligent 
  creatures crossing rivers by foot or traversing lakes with 
  boats. These creatures can be spotted in groups of d6. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 7, Agility 2 
  Armor: 6 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 4, Scout 3, Sneak 3 
  Weapons: Pincers (weapon damage 2) 
  Giant Pincers (+0) 
  These crab-like creature measure between 5 and 6 feet tall. 
  They live in swamps, near rivers and wetlands and 
  underground where there is wet or damp (e.g. sewers). Giant 
  pincers follow the oldest female in the flock, and where that 
  female deems as a good place to lay eggs, the pincers defends 
  fiercely. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 2 
  Armor: 3 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 2, Scout 2, Sneak 3 
  Weapons: Pincers (weapon damage 1 + poison) 
   
  Poison: The victim takes 1 Fatigue, and most roll for Endurance 
  each round (not an action) to avoid losing 1 Fatigue.   
   
   
   
  Gear Eaters (-1) 
  
   
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  These small creatures look like a cross between a rat and a 
  reptile. It is a very peaceful animal who never attacks 
  mutants, but is still considered a nuisance, a pest and a real 
  dangerous hazard. These strange rats eat non-organic 
  material and pose a threat to gear and artefacts alike. Their 
  favourite food, however, is gunpowder. Throughout their 
  lifetime they have digested so much gunpowder that they can 
  explode if they become stressed.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 6-8, Agility 5 
  Weapons: Bite (target’s the victim’s clothes and gear, see 
  below).  
   
  Swarm: Can only be damaged by fire or explosions. But 
  probably shouldn’t.  
   
  Gear eating: A swarm starts nibbling on a victim’s gear. Any 
  damage it inflicts targets gear carried by it. Any gear who is 
  reduced to zero gear bonus is destroyed, beyond the ability of 
  the best gearhead. Consult the following table in order to see 
  what gear they target. 
   
  1-2 
  Bullets 
  3 
  Clothing and armour 
  4 
  Weapons 
  5 
  Other gear 
  6 
  Artefacts 
   
   
  Explosive: A swarm of gear eaters may explode if stressed or 
  attacked. If the swarm attacks and rolls more 1’s than 6’s, it 
  explodes with a Blast Level of 3+number of Strength left in the 
  swarm. The same happens if the swarm of gear eaters is 
  attacked and the attacker takes trauma due to pushing. 
  Individual gear eaters, if captured, may be used as a hand 
  grenade. However, caution is advised. A failed attack with a 
  thrown gear eater causes a gear eater to explode 
  prematurely, with a Blast Rating of 4 and damage 2. 
   
  Glass Storm (-1) 
  Glass storms are an aggressive natural phenomenon that 
  some Chroniclers claim are connected to electric and 
  magnetic fluctuations in the Zone. Chroniclers and stalkers 
  also disagree on whether or not this is a zone monster, or a 
  phenomenon. The reason for it not being automatically 
  categorized as a phenomenon, is that it tends to move swiftly 
  towards living beings when formed. For those unfortunate 
  enough to witness a glass storm, it looks like a tornado that 
  has caught hundreds or thousands of glass shards on its path.  
   
  There is only one strategy when encountering a glass storm – 
  flee. Due to the Glass Storm’s speed and velocity, any Move 
  attempts suffer a -1 modifier in addition to modifiers for 
  range.  
   
  If caught by a Glass Storm, the victim is tossed around by 
  the winds and sliced by the glass shards. Roll two attacks 
  for the Glass Storm, with the number of Base Dice 
  dependent on the size of the storm (6-12 dice). The first 
  attack (glass shards) inflicts damage, with an initial damage 
  of 2 with additional successes increasing the damage. The 
  second attack (buffeting winds) inflicts fatigue but is 
  otherwise similar to the attack from the shards.  
  Armor counts as normal.  
   
   
  Grazers (+1) 
  These are generally less lethal animals, hunted by mutants for 
  their meat and fur. Some of these may become livestock in 
  the Dawn World. These grazers are in addition to the ones 
  mentioned in the Mutant Year Zero CoreBook and in Genlab 
  Alpha. 
   
  Spear bull 
  The spear bull is about 3 feet high with brown-speckled, slick 
  fur. The meat is quite chewy, but the females yield delicious 
  milk. The spear bull sheds its horns every fall, and the horn 
  may be used as a scrap knife, a drinking horn or a foghorn. 
  Maybe there are also rumours that the horns may be 
  grounded up to create a fertility potion that will give a mutant 
  the ability to sire children? 
  Attributes: Strength 3, Agility 3 
  Weapons: Gore (weapon damage 2) 
  
   
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  Shagged beast 
  The shagged beast is an over 6 feet tall grazer with long, 
  shaggy fur. Sometimes even their snouts are hidden by the 
  long mane that covers its head. The animal is rather stupid 
  and docile. If domesticated, it will yield plenty of milk that can 
  be used to drink or as a base for cheese. The wool can be cut 
  and used to create warm clothing. 
  Attributes: Strength 5, Agility 2 
  Weapons: Gore (weapon damage 2) 
   
   
  Pony 
  This four-legged creature is a much safer choice for a riding 
  beast than the bitterbeast and is much easier to tame. It 
  comes in a variety of colours but is quite short and sturdy. The 
  largest mutants may touch the ground when they ride it, but 
  the animal’s endurance is great. 
   
   
   
  Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 3 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Skills: Endure 3 
  Weapons: Bite or hooves (weapon damage 1) 
   
  Steel hooves 
  This fearsome beast might be related to the pony, but is much 
  larger, fiercer and difficult to tame. Their hooves, while not 
  actually clad in steel, are dangerous weapons, and when the 
  animal rears on its hind legs and attacks, it can kill a mutant 
  outright with its feet. Unlike the pony, a steel hoof is always 
  brown-black in color, and instead of fur, it has armor plates. 
  Its mouth is lined with sharp teeth and powerful incisors that 
  can rip a mutant apart. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 6, Agility 4 
  Armor: 7 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 3, Endure 3 
  Weapons: Bite or hooves (weapon damage 2) 
   
  Hell’s Bells (-1) 
  This plant creature is as devious and murderous as it is 
  beautiful and seductive. It has a deep green color, can 
  measure over 6 feet tall and grows in clusters of d6 
  specimens. The stem ends in a pretty flowerhead of blue and 
  purple, shaped like a bell. On the inside though, the bell is 
  covered by teeth and small tentacle mouths.  
   
  The plant eats everything that lives and breathes and lures its 
  victims to its grasp by playing hypnotic music, almost like 
  orchestral bells. The victim simply walks over to the plant and 
  puts its head into the monster’s mouth.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 3 
  Skills: Manipulate 5 
  Weapons: Grab (no damage, but the victim must roll Force -1 to 
  break free), Maw (weapon damage 1, automatic hit on a grabbed 
  victim, but roll an attack for extra damage) 
   
  Alluring music: Everyone within Long range of a Hell’s Bells 
  must succeed in a Sense Emotion against the creature’s 
  Manipulate. Failure means it moves towards the plant. Any 
  
   
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  attempt to hinder the hypnotized victim is met with violence 
  from the victim. When at Arm’s Length of the plant, the victim 
  puts it head in its maw. Jury-rigged ear protections can give a 
  Gear bonus, and you can also hold your arms/fingers over 
  your ears for a +2 modification. 
   
  Infected Tech (N/A) 
  Some of the artifacts and technical scrap that exists in the 
  Zone still have some traces of machine fever. If a robot 
  handles this piece of technology, it can be infected by 
  Machine Fever. See Mechatron p. 92. 
   
  Killer Bird (+0) 
  The killer bird is a rather large, flightless bird measuring 
  between 6 and 9 feet tall. It is known for its magnificent 
  feathers that blink in nuances of black and white. The bird has 
  wings of sorts, but moves by using its long, powerful legs that 
  ends in fearsome claws. A long and naked neck ends in a 
  rather small head dominated by a big beak that may tear a 
  mutant apart.  
   
  Killer birds hunt on open scrublands or in dead woods, but the 
  flock always have a subterranean lair where they sometimes 
  drag unfortunate stalkers to in order to “soften” the meat 
  before consumption. There are stories about stalkers waking 
  up in a killer bird lair and escaping with artefacts and gear 
  from other zone travellers.  
   
   
   
  A flock of killer birds are veritable killing machines. Not 
  especially large (d6+3 individuals), but extremely well-
  coordinated. This is due to a collective intelligence that 
  controls their actions and makes it extremely difficult for an 
  unfortunate victim to escape.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 4 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 3 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 1), talons (weapon damage 2) 
   
  Coordinated attack: Thanks to their collective intelligence, the 
  more they are, the more difficult it is to defend against them. 
  The birds usually gang up on a single prey, even if he has allies. 
  They stay true to their target, not changing targets even if 
  they are injured by someone else. For every 3 members of the 
  flock attacking, they get a +1 modifier to their attacks. 
   
  Second attack (talon): If a killer bird scores 3 or more successes 
  on its attack roll with a bite, it may use two stunts to get a 
  second attack with its talon. This is usually spent in order to 
  fend off another attacker, but it can use it on the original 
  victim as well. 
   
  Lightning Starling (-2) 
  This seemingly mundane bird is an auspicious bird that is 
  often connected with bad weather. Storm clouds, rain and 
  thunder always seem to follow this strange creature. More 
  than once, lightning has struck a creature that has come too 
  close to the lightning starling. 
  Attributes: Strength 1, Agility 3 
  Skills: Move 4 
  Weapons: None, but see below.  
   
  Electric: The lightning starling can summon lightning from the 
  skies, in all effects similar to the Electric mutant power, but 
  with no chance of a misfire. Use MPs from the GM pool. 
   
  
   
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  Meat Rose (+0) 
  A meat rose is a hybrid of a plant and the flesh of an unlucky 
  creature infused with the rose’s devious seeds. The most 
  common host body is that of a grazer or maybe a bitter beast, 
  but a meat rose attacks anything that moves.  
   
  A fully developed meat rose is a quirky and repulsive little 
  bush with a circumference of about 6 feet. The base structure 
  is a host body, most often an animal or an intelligent creature 
  that has been frozen in a twisted position. A meat rose lurks 
  in woods, moors and scrublands, hiding in-between more 
  normal plants and growths.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 4 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 2 
  Weapons: Branches (grabs the victim and holds it in place for a 
  seed injection. Extra successes will inflict penalties on the 
  victim’s Force roll. A victim can roll for Force every round), Seed 
  Injection (weapon damage 1, extra successes inflict penalties to 
  the Endure and Healing rolls). 
   
  Seed injection: If the meat rose’s seed is injected into the 
  victim’s body, he must roll an Endure roll. If he succeeds, he 
  becomes feverish for the next d6/2 days (-2 on all rolls), but 
  then recovers.  
   
  If he fails, the seed starts to take effect. Every 24 hours the 
  victim takes 1 trauma in every ability. Soon, spots of green-
  black bark start covering the body, and then small branches 
  start to sprout. If the victim is broken, it crawls towards the 
  nearest plot of land, dies and starts developing roots.  
   
  A creature infected by the meat rose cannot heal trauma by 
  normal means. The only way of saving a creature is by the use 
  of advanced medical technology, like a REGEN artefact.  
   
  Nanotechnology (-3) 
  When the Enclave Wars raged at its worst, scientists 
  belonging to all three Titan Powers were dabbling in the 
  experimental field of nanotechnology. Some succeeded 
  better than others, but when the Fall came and these 
  researchers died, the nanotechnology was left behind. As 
  time went by and buildings deteriorated or fell apart, some of 
  this nanotechnology was released into the Zone. These 
  miniature robots can have many different purposes and 
  programming (see table below).  
   
  It is extremely hard to detect nanotechnology with the 
  equipment available to normal mutant PCs. This can violate 
  the principle that a successful Find the Path allows for the 
  group to avoid the danger. If you are uncomfortable with this, 
  allow the Stalker to see disturbing signs, to hear a low hum or 
  to feel a throbbing sensation in the air as they are 
  approaching the nanotech.  
   
  Roll a d6 for the purpose of the nanotech. It is up to the GM if 
  the nanotechnology affects one or more of the PCs, and if so, 
  if the effects are different from PC to PC. The effects take 
  place instantaneously.  
  
   
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  1. 
  Healing. The nanotechnology functions as 
  the REGEN artefact once.  
  2. 
  Enhancement. 
  The 
  nanotechnology 
  increases Strength and Agility to 5. This 
  lasts for d6 days.  
  3. 
  Mutation. The nanotechnology duplicates 
  the effect of a random mutation or animal 
  power. This lasts for d6 days.  
  4. 
  Virus. The nanotechnology infects the PC 
  with a virus resembling Machine Fever (see 
  Mutant Mechatron p. 92). This virus affects 
  both robots and non-robots.  
  5. 
  Inhibition. The nanotechnology reduces 
  Strength and Agility to 1. This lasts for d6 
  days.  
  6. 
  Schizophrenia. The nanotech attacks the 
  brain and changes the victim’s personality. 
  Either take control of that character* or 
  work with the player to change personality 
  for a while. Lasts d6 days.  
   
   
  * This is not fun for the player. In games with varying 
  attendance, you could have the nanotech take control over 
  the character at a session where the player is not present. Talk 
  with the player about this first, of course.  
   
  Poison Thrushes (-1) 
  These birds live in flocks near rivers and lakes. A single poison 
  thrush is neither dangerous nor spectacular, but as a flock 
  they are capable of quite brutal attacks on both beasts, 
  mutants and humans. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 5-8, Agility 5 
  Skills: Move 3 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 1 + poison)  
   
  Swarm: Can only be damaged by fire or explosions.   
   
  Poison: Every attack from a flock of poison thrushes inflicts 1 
  Fatigue on the target in addition to 1 Damage. Extra successes 
  only increase one of the trauma types. 
   
   
   
  Puff Ball (-1) 
  These mushroom-looking miscreants thrives in swamps, 
  marshes and other wetlands. The field of mushrooms consists 
  of frayed, meaty leaves in greyish nuances which covers the 
  ground. Here and there, oval seed pods as large as a human 
  head grows. The puff ball’s root system reaches far beyond 
  the field itself. The root system is sensitive and picks up 
  movement as vibrations in the ground. When this happens, 
  the seed pods are released.  
   
  There are three different types of seed pods. One is explosive, 
  one is toxic and the third contains a sticky substance. The seed 
  pods are light, and bounce and float around in the area until 
  they hit a living creature. They then erupt, releasing their 
  contents. The combination of poison, explosions and sticky 
  substance is enough to take care of unwary travelers who 
  ended up in the puff ball field. After they are dead, the root 
  system can calmly suck in the nourishment from the bodies.  
   
  A normal-sized field of puff-balls consists of d6+6 sticky balls, 
  d6+6 poison balls and d6+3 explosive balls. For every normal-
  sized creature entering the field, 2 random balls are released. 
  Larger creatures (or vehicles) release 4 balls, while small 
  creatures release 1 ball.  
  
   
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  Creatures must succeed in a Move roll to avoid the balls, with 
  a -1 modifier pr. 5 balls.  
   
  A creature may escape the entire puff ball field after getting 3 
  successes on Move (either in one round, or cumulative).  
   
  Poisonous puff balls inflicts 1 fatigue. Sticky puff balls 
  immobilizes the victim, who must succeed in a Force roll to 
  escape (-1 pr extra sticky puff ball that hits it). Explosive puff 
  balls inflicts 2 damage, but is quite ineffective against armor. 
  All armor counts as double. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 6-10 
   
  Immunities: Only fire or explosions may harm a field of Puff 
  Balls. It is immune to its own explosions. Individual puff balls 
  are destroyed by taking one point of damage, but attacks 
  against them are at a -1 due to the small size. In addition, 
  destroying a puff ball that is at Arm’s Length to another 
  creature (or oneself), exposes that creature to the effects of 
  the puff ball. 
   
  Reef Cluster (+1) 
  Underwater reefs can be difficult to spot for navigators on the 
  sea. 
   
  Effect: Roll 5-12 Base Dice (depending on the number, size 
  and sharpness of the reefs in the area). Base damage is 2. 
  The navigator of the vessel rolls Move, with each success 
  eliminating one point of damage. Roll for Armor 
  afterwards.  
   
  If the total damage has not been reduced to 0 after the 
  navigator’s move roll, the vessel is stuck. The ship might 
  still be seaworthy, it might not be that damaged 
  (depending on the Armor roll), but it is stuck.  
   
  To free it, a number of people equal to half the vessels 
  Resilience need to get out into the water and succeed with 
  a Force roll with a penalty equal to the damage of the 
  vessel.  
   
  Silent Killer (+0) 
   
  Fortunately for the Zone’s inhabitants, this dangerous 
  predator prefers to stay far away from the ruined cities of the 
  past. This cat-like creature has fur that can change colour, and 
  two long and sharp canine teeth. The Silent Killer hunts alone. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 5 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 4, Scout 6, Sneak 5 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 2), Claws (weapon damage 2) 
   
  
   
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  Pounce: When ambushing, a Silent Killer may attack twice, 
  once with its bite and once with its claw. 
   
  Difficult to spot: Even if a Stalker succeeds in Find the Path, he 
  may not be able to actually see the Silent Killer. For that, a 
  successful Scout vs Sneak is necessary. However, a successful 
  Find the Path will let the Stalker find tracks and clues that 
  indicate that a predator is nearby and may avoid. 
   
  Sky King (-1) 
  This enormous bumblebee is almost 9 feet in diameter and is 
  as feared as its honey is desired. Despite this, the Sky King 
  lives a harmonious and peaceful existence centered around 
  gathering, storing and eating honey. But when cornered, it 
  becomes a dangerous foe.  
  The Sky King lives underground, in caves or in ruined buildings 
  within the city limits. It needs access to the surface though, 
  and a bold stalker may find tracks leading to a treasured nest 
  of honey.  
   
  The Sky King is heavy and clumsy, but its massive body is 
  difficult to avoid in combat. Its wings also create a disturbing 
  buzz. The Sky King lives alone.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 6, Agility 2 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 2, Scout 4 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 1), Stinger (weapon damage 1 + 
  poison) 
   
  Poison: The stinger inflicts an extra 1 point of Fatigue. The 
  victim suffers an additional point of Fatigue damage until 
  healed or broken.  
  Wings: The Sky King tries to warn away enemies by using its 
  buzzing wings to scare them away. This attack inflicts 1 point 
  of Doubt to anyone within Short range.  
   
  Ram: By flying straight into a group of enemies, a Sky King can 
  ram d6 enemies within Short range in a single round. Damage 
  is 1, and extra damage is divided between the victims.   
   
   
  Soot Storm (+0) 
   
  The scorched and ruined buildings of the Zone have left tons 
  of soot behind. Now and then, the capricious zone winds pick 
  up the soot and send it whirling through the zone. For careless 
  zone travelers, a soot storm not only limits sight, it can cause 
  suffocation as well. 
   
  Effect: Everyone caught in a Soot Storm must succeed in 
  an Endurance roll or suffer one point of Fatigue damage. 
  Gear such as Rot Mask, Gas Mask or Protection Suit helps. 
  Roll Endurance every round until the PC succeeds. As long 
  as he doesn’t perform other actions but movement, he can 
  avoid more fatigue.  
   
  Vision is limited to Near range, the PCs cannot see (or 
  Shoot at) anything farther away. The Soot Storm stays 
  close to the ground and dissipates after D6 hours. 
   
   
  Stink Dog (-1) 
  These creatures look like smaller zone dogs, with the 
  exception that they usually have brownish fur. Still, many 
  mistake these creatures for zone dogs. In addition to its 
  hideous breath, the stink dogs claws also make it a competent 
  tree climber. Hiding in trees doesn’t help against these 
  critters. They hunt in packs of 2d6+6 specimens. 
   
  
   
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  Attributes: Strength 3, Agility 6 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 2, Move 3 
  Weapons: Claws (weapon damage 2) 
   
  Stinking Breath: Anyone within Near range must succeed in a 
  Move roll or suffer 1 Fatigue. Anyone broken by this collapse 
  on the ground vomiting. Zone masks, gas masks and other 
  protection add their gear dice. 
   
   
  Swamp Thing (+0) 
  These snow white beasts are among the largest animals 
  observed in the zone. They do not like the ruined city, and 
  tend to stay in marshlands or near water. They are close to 12 
  feet tall when they reach adulthood. Their heads are 
  unproportionally small compared to their bodies. 
   
  They are generally docile, but if encountered when 
  accompanied by young (normally in the winter), they become 
  quite aggressive. In the summertime, in mating season, the 
  female swamp things become easily startled and aggressive. 
  White or lightly colored boats tend to become their center of 
  attention, as the female may mistake it for a male. When it 
  discovers that the boat is in fact made of metal or plastics, it 
  may chew its way through in anger.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 8, Agility 3 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 2 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 2) 
   
  Fast Swimmer: The swamp things are fast swimmers, and may 
  attack a victim up to Short range if both the beast and the 
  victim are in the sea (or if the victim is or sits in a boat). 
   
  Troglodyte (-2) 
  These semi-intelligent predators live in subterranean villages 
  in mountains or deep inside forests. Some Stalkers call them 
  simply “the under-earthers”. The creature is vaguely 
  humanoid, but with a ferocious and monstrous behavior. 
  They have wiry bodies and four arms, two of which ends in 
  claws and two that ends in hands. Their bodies are grey and 
  hairless, and if they are clothed, it is simple clothes like capes 
  or cloaks, tarps or curtains they have found on their few treks 
  into civilization.  
   
  Their faces are long and narrow, with a stump nose and large, 
  protruding eyes that burn with malice. The mouth is always 
  open, and the troglodyte makes chewing motions with its 
  mouth when it is agitated.  
   
  Their lifestyle is dominated by unbridled mating and blood-
  thirsty hunts, even though they also fashion primitive artwork 
  out of bones. They communicate by using hand signs and 
  head gestures, together with a guttural and simple language. 
  Their basic essence is hunger, and no creatures are spared. 
  They eat any and all creatures, from animals to mutated 
  monsters and mutated humanoids.  
   
  A village consists of 50-100 individual, while a hunting party 
  consists of 2d6 troglodytes. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 3, Agility 4, Wits 2, Empathy 1 
  Skills: Fight 3, Move 2, Stealth 1, Endurance 2, Scout 1 
  Weapon: Club (+1, weapon damage 1), scrap spear (+1, weapon 
  damage 2), claws (weapon damage 2) 
  Mutation: All troglodytes have Four-Armed as a mutation. In 
  addition they have one more mutation, always chosen from the 
  list below. 
   
   
  Manbeast 
   
  Double-brained 
  
   
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  Hunting instinct 
   
  Sonar 
   
  Direction sense 
   
  Regeneration 
   
  The troglodytes cannot misfire, but spend MPs from the GM 
  pool. 
   
  Unbearded Catfish (-1) 
  For travelers on sea, the unbearded catfish is the monster 
  with a capital M. The fish has a long and slender body, almost 
  like an eel, but with an oversized head capable of sinking 
  smaller vessels. The unbearded catfish prefers to sink boats, 
  drag victims below the surface and drown them before 
  devouring them in peace and quiet. 
   
  Attributes: Strength 8, Agility 3 
  Armor: 3 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 2, Move 3, Sneak 2 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 2), tail whip (only at Near 
  range, weapon damage 2) 
   
  Ram Attack: The unbearded catfish may move up to a vessel at 
  Short range and ram it, using Fight. If the creature rolls more 
  6’s than the vessel’s Resilience rating, the boat is capsized. 
   
  Death Waltz: The fish prefers drowning their victims before 
  consumption. It therefore grabs hold of a victim and dives 
  down. This attack does no damage, but any Force roll to break 
  free suffers a penalty equal to the number of successes on this 
  attack. 
   
  World Worm (-3) 
  This grotesque and immense creature is fortunately as rare as 
  it is horrible. During the Enclave wars, this worm-like creature 
  was designed by Elysium’s enemies as a crawling, 
  subterranean bomb that could dig through the earth and 
  attack the enclaves. After the fall of humankind, these 
  creatures have run amok, eating everything that comes in its 
  path.  
   
  A world worm can grow up to 200 feet long and 30 feet wide. 
  It lives underground and is simply a worm with a circular, 
  enormous, teeth-filled maw. The world worm possesses psi 
  abilities, but most likely unaware of its powers and that it uses 
  them. It emits massive mental energies that fill intelligent 
  creatures with doubt, while non-intelligent creatures are 
  filled with an enormous hunger, driving them to attack any 
  food sources nearby. In the vicinity of a world-worm, trash 
  bugs, giant pincers and zone rats are most common.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 15, Agility 1 
  Armor: 5 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 1 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 5) 
   
  Mental Assault: Long range. Roll 6 base dice. Any intelligent 
  creature suffers 1 point of doubt per success. If the world-
  worm achieves at least one success attacking non-intelligent 
  creatures, the creature is driven by a violent hunger to attack 
  the closest living creature. 
   
  Poison Fumes: Short range. Roll 8 base dice. Each success 
  inflicts 1 point of confusion on all within range. 
   
  Yellow Buzzers (+0) 
  This swarm of large, aggressive insects are another, 
  devastating weapon – but only to mutants. Anyone within 
  Short range of them cannot use any mutations. This has no 
  effect on robots or animal powers.  
   
  They are nocturnal creatures and docile and easy to capture 
  in the daytime. In a battle scenario where robots, animal 
  mutants or enclave humans were up against a band of 
  mutants, having a bunch of these nearby could go a long way 
  of neutralizing the mutant’s greatest powers.  
   
  
   
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  Attributes: Strength 4-8 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 1) 
   
  Swarm: Can only be damaged by fire or explosions. 
  No Mutations: No mutations can be used within Short range of 
  a yellow buzzer, swarm or not. 
   
  Zone Mammoth (+0) 
  These majestic and gargantuan beasts have a withers of 
  almost 12 feet. Powerful, curved horns protrude from its 
  sheep-like head. Its body is covered with short, mossy green 
  fur and seems to constantly move due to the simmering gas 
  movements that take place inside the beasts body. When the 
  pressure becomes too much, a fountain of partially 
  translucent gas shoots out of an opening behind its neck. This 
  is often accompanied by a huge roar.  
   
   
  Unless cornered, the zone mammoth is a friendly and docile 
  creature that mainly lives in scrublands and other open areas. 
  If you can tame one of these, you may have a friend for life.  
   
  A zone mammoth may sometimes be encountered alone, but 
  is normally a part of a herd of d6+10 members. Taking out a 
  single zone mammoth in a horde is difficult, as they protect 
  each other fiercely.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 8, Agility 3 
  Armor: 3 (natural) 
  Skills: Scout 4 
  Weapons: Gore (weapon damage 2) 
   
  
   
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  Ram: A zone mammoth may trample d6 opponents within 
  Short range in a single turn (dmg 1, extra damage is divided 
  between the opponents) 
  Special Armor: The gas filled body of the zone mammoth acts 
  as an extra layer of armor. Projectile and melee weapon 
  damage is reduced by 1. This can be avoided by targeting the 
  opening on its neck, which requires proper positioning and a 
  roll at -3. 
   
  Zone Nightmare (-2) 
  The hideous Zone Nightmare is the strangest creature 
  witnessed in the zone so far. It is still not clear whether the 
  Zone Nightmare is a bizarre machine from the past or a result 
  of extreme mutations. The zone nightmare’s physical shape is 
  dominated by a huge brain about 3 feet in diameter. From the 
  central brain, five metal-looking tentacles protrude. The zone 
  nightmare travels through the air, normally 6-10 feet above 
  the ground.  
  The zone nightmare possesses a high intelligence and psi 
  powers. It often uses its powers to control primitive creatures 
  as slaves.  
   
  It can communicate using a primitive form of empathy (those 
  who possess the Psi power Telepathy have a more 
  sophisticated way of communicating). This way, it can convey 
  its general sense of mood and can express its desires toward 
  those it encounters. 
   
   
   
  Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 4, Wits 7, Empathy 6 
  Skills: Fight 2, Move 4, Sneak 3, Manipulate 4, Sense Emotion 5 
  Weapons: Tentacles (Near range, weapon damage 1. If hit, a 
  victim is grabbed and must roll Force to break free), maw 
  (weapon damage 3, can only be used on a grabbed victim) 
   
  PSI Powers: The zone nightmare possess d6 psi-powers. Use 
  the following table:  
  D66 
  Power 
  11-14 
  Clairvoyance 
  15-22 
  Cryokinesis 
  23-26 
  Mind Terror 
  31-34 
  Puppeteer 
  35-42 
  Beastmaster 
  43-46 
  Pathokinesis 
  51-54 
  Pyrokinesis 
  55-62 
  Telekinesis 
  63-66 
  Telepathy 
   
  The Zone Nightmare cannot misfire but uses MPs from the 
  GM’s pool. 
  Zone Wolf (-1) 
  This furry canine is rarely seen outside of forests and other 
  wilderness areas. When inhabitants of the Zone do see the 
  creature, it is most certainly hunting for food.  
   
  Zone Wolves are larger than the biggest Zone Dogs, with long, 
  sharp teeth and a thick fur that protects against attacks. 
  Despite its size, it is a silent and lethal hunter. The Zone Wolf 
  is sometimes seized by a mad, gluttonous rage. A Zone Wolf 
  in a gluttonous rage is more dangerous than usual Zone 
  Wolves (-1) 
  This furry canine is rarely seen outside of forests and other 
  wilderness areas. When inhabitants of the Zone do see the 
  creature, it is most certainly hunting for food.  
   
  Zone Wolves are larger than the biggest Zone Dogs, with long, 
  sharp teeth and a thick fur that protects against attacks. 
  Despite its size, it is a silent and lethal hunter. The Zone Wolf 
  is sometimes seized by a mad, gluttonous rage. A Zone Wolf 
  in a gluttonous rage is more dangerous than usual, but is also 
  more easily distracted.  
   
  Zone wolves are encountered in packs of d6 creatures.  
   
  
   
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  Attributes: Strength 6, Agility 4 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 3, Scout 6, Move 2, Sneak 3, Force 2 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 2) 
   
  Gluttonous Rage: When encountering a Zone Wolf, roll 3 base 
  dice. Any 1’s means that the wolf is caught in a gluttonous 
  rage. For each round of combat, roll again with one more die 
  than the previous round. 
  In this rage, it only has one thing on its mind – meat. While in 
  this state, all Sneak rolls are at -2 and damage is increased by 
  1. The Zone Wolf is easily distracted while in this state, and a 
  successful Manipulate roll and some fresh meat is enough to 
  keep it occupied.  
   
  The Zone Wolf will try to get out of the rage. Roll 3 base dice 
  the first round following the start of the rage. Any success will 
  indicate that the wolf manages to pull itself out of the rage 
  (the Zone Wolf does not use its action for this). For each round 
  of combat, roll again with one more die than the previous 
  round. 
   
  Death spasm: If a snauzerwolf dies while in a gluttonous rage, 
  experienced hunters know to stay away for a few minutes. For 
  d6 minutes afterwards, the wolf will spasm and try to bite 
  anyone coming close. As it is broken by damage, it only rolls 
  for Fight. 
   
  Zone Wolves are encountered in packs of d6 creatures.  
   
  Attributes: Strength 6, Agility 4 
  Armor: 2 (natural) 
  Skills: Fight 3, Scout 6, Move 2, Sneak 3, Force 2 
  Weapons: Bite (weapon damage 2) 
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Mutant Year Zero (Year Zero Engine) [multi]/Core/Workshops/MYZ - Zone Bestiary.pdf