dragons.ie

I have an idea for your weird/post-apocalyptic/urban fantasy game. I was thinking of Americano Anomalies and The New Economy, Tore Nielsen’s post-normal hacks, but I’d use it in my regular D&D campaign.  

Below are some gameables.

Microwave items

Prices imply that microwave technology is fairly common. Feel free to make these items much more expensive if it isn’t in your setting. You can also make the reusable items difficult or expensive to recharge. 

Exorcism grenade. When triggered, this casts microwaves in a small radius (3m) for about a minute. All unbound spirits contained within must save or leave the area – in any case they take d6 damage. A possessed individual or creature has an opportunity to expel the spirit by making a save. Physical beings take 1 damage from superficial burns. One use, 50 GP

Ecto-pistol. This often jury rigged device looks like a dueling pistol with a holy symbol affixed at the end of the barrel. It works like turn undead from a 5th level cleric, but only against non corporeal creatures.  2d6 charges, 400 GP 

Firestarter. Aim this heavy plastic rod at a metallic item within 10m and sparks will fly. Any flammable material in contact with the metal has a cumulative 1-in-6 chance of catching fire every round. The beam does a cumulative 1 point of damage every round (1 on the first round, 2 on the second, etc.) to anyone holding a metallic item or wearing metal armour. 3d20 charges, 300 GP

Heat ray. This heavy musket deals 2d6 of very painful damage to a living target within a short range (25m).  Good ole fry-and-die would be more common if it wasn’t so unreliable in bad weather (half damage – maybe the reason why a lot of deadly spirits prowl our world in the snow, rain, and fog). 2d4 charges, 500 GP

Microwave barbecue. These portable ovens can be set up at campsites and come with their earthenware and wooden cooking implements. Not only do they replace a campfire, but they repel spirits, who must save to enter the area. Living souls don’t have a great time around MWBBQs: bad dreams and feelings of disassociation are commonplace around working devices. Also, magic potions have a 1-in-6 chances of losing their power. It is of course impossible to brew or cook anything magical on a microwave barbecue. 3d10 uses, 800 GP 

Mind fryer. This heavy gauntlet emits short range microwaves that only do superficial burns (1 damage) but can destroy any magical energy present in someone’s mind. Touch someone and they lose d6 levels of prepared spells (or the equivalent in mana points). The higher level spells are first affected. On a crit, the plasmic energy contained in the spells detonates, causing d6 damage per spell level destroyed to everyone in the area (save for half). 3d6 charges, 750 GP

Microwave spells

Protection from microwaves
1st level cleric and druid spell
No microwaves can penetrate a circle 5m in radius centered around the caster. Microwaves fields or beams emitted from within the circle are unaffected but cannot go through it. 

Summon the glittering doom
3rd level magic-user and lazermage spell
The caster opens a conduit to a giant cloud of microwave-emitting nanodiamonds. This causes a beautiful but deadly nimbus to appear in front of the caster. The crackling storm travels d100 metres in a straight line, inconveniencing everyone in its path, then dissipates in a gorgeous multicoloured mist. Roll d8 for effects on each target (d4 for non-magical creatures):
1. Gets vaguely uncomfortable and annoyed. 
2. Takes damage equal to the caster’s level.
3. Forgets what they were doing there. 
4. Loses touch with reality – catatonic for d4 turns (save to resist). 
5. Feeds off the storm and gains d20 temporary hit points.
6. Becomes corporeal, which may have consequences on its supernatural nature. 
7. Has its mind wiped and becomes susceptible to suggestion (save allowed).
8. Takes d4 damage per caster level. 

Microwave monsters

MELTAbee
This species of giant bees may or may not be of natural origin. On top of the excellent quality of their honey, the melter bees have a peculiar defence mechanism. By vibrating their wings in unison, they generate microwave fields that can be quite dangerous if they are in a large enough group.

Some druids have learnt how to domesticate them, and use them against their enemies. They can command one bee per level.

AC 7 (12), HD 1, Att bite (1) or special, ML 7, AL Neutral, NA 3d6 (5d6)

• Swarm: It takes 3 bees to swarm one medium sized creature.
• Heat field: swarming their victims, the bees cause as many points of damage as their number (save to jump away and avoid all damage).
• Dispel magic: magical effects caught within the heat field may be dispelled as per a magic-user of a level equal to the number of bees.

Ambulatory cannon
How do you make a 3-meter long, 150-kilo microwave emitter useful on the battlefield? You surgically implant it in the chest of two freshly skinned zombies tied back to back. The one facing the barrel of the cannon is in charge of aiming, while the other one operates the firing mechanism, checks for microwave leaks, and watches out for backstabbing thieves.

AC 8 (11), HD 5, Att 2 claws (1d8) or special, ML 12, AL Chaotic, NA 1 (1d6)

• Heat ray cannon: 2x50m ray; 5d6 damage to targets within 3 metres, 3d6 until 20 metres, 1d6 up to 50 metres. Targets can save for half damage.
• Leaking microwaves: all 1s rolled on any dice on behalf of the ambulatory cannon (including damage dice) injure the creature. If these leals kill it, the battery explodes, causing 5d6 damage to everyone in a 3m radius (save for half).
• Semi-intelligent: easily confounded by unexpected situations. Cannot speak.
• Undead: Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading spells (e.g. charm, hold, sleep).