My playtest campaign of Wastoid culminated in an arena battle against a legendary cryptid in front of a massive crowd, competing to win the last well-preserved painting in the local wasteland. The prize was put up by a raider boss in exchange for a cut of the ticket sales—and to make sure his guys didn’t cause any funny business, he declared “Pax Arena” just for the event. Any member of his own gangs caught robbing or attacking anyone else in or around the arena would be immediately and publicly executed—period.
My players were in a rush to get going, though—especially as the cryptid seemed to be getting kind of agitated in captivity—so they barely interacted at all with the 20 raider encounters I prepared. Ah well! I present them here for your own post-apocalyptic game. A few make sense pretty specifically in the context of the arena and/or in the ruins of Philadelphia, but others may work just fine in any old post-apocalyptic setting roamed by oddball marauders. Enjoy.
- Spunky. Bald, covered in tattoos, shirtless. Wandering aimlessly, pissed off, shouting periodically in a gravelly voice, “Anybody seen my goddamn vest?”
- Fats & Ducky. Baby-faced duo. (Fats is the one in the pink doughnut shirt; Ducky’s the one in welding goggles.) Looking for food. “Know where we can find some?”
- Watertight. Silver-haired, dressed in a wetsuit. Smoking a cigarette. Trying to find a moment’s peace.
- Teddy F*xspin. Wears a sports mascot mask resembling a friendly bear. Will tell stories or give information (or … stuff) for money.
- #9. Lanky robot. Protruding lower jaw and flickering bulb eyes give the impression of smiling smugly. Trying on a new vest from someone they managed to rob while napping. (See Spunky, above.)
- Grabby & Butts. Dim-witted pair roaming the crowd, looking for non-raiders to mug. If they target any arena headliners, they immediately gush and ask for autographs.
- Zilch, Doob & [Bzzt]. Skilled trio setting ambushes in out-of-the-way places, robbing lone targets and pairs, quickly hiding remains.
- Catty. Casing a joint—maybe one of the vendor booths, or a residence near the arena, depending on where encountered.
- Dipstick & Huffy. Dipstick is a wiry jackhole trying to jimmy open something he really shouldn’t be. Huffy is keeping watch. (If by “keeping watch” you mean “huffing paint,” asking whoever comes by, “Want some?”)
- Killjoy. An assassin, tailing a mark—choose or roll d4 to see which of the next 4 it is.
- Vanderbilt, Hoho & Noid: An enterprising wastelander with a flower in her cap, a standoffish mutant with withered skin, and an oddball who whistles to himself and never speaks are wheeling a deactivated robot from the nearby casino, where they recently dug it out. It’s in great condition, so they’ll get a hefty finder’s fee for it—easy to reprogram to battle in the arena later.
- Beamer & Bluetwo. Beamer’s in a black suit and bowler so dusty they’re gray, taking bets on the matches. Bluetwo stands with arms crossed over the lockbox full of bets, wearing a powder blue suit stretched tight over solid muscle.
- Whack-a-mole. Bulky weapons vendor in a mask resembling (or … made from?) a naked mole rat. Pay now and pick up on the way out, after the games.
- Prince Willy. Practically ancient mutant elder from west of the river. Dresses in a suit, dress shirt, sunglasses, and several gold rings and necklaces. Does not demand preferential treatment, but tends to be treated with respect, and is used to being recognized. Soft spoken nowadays, but still has a way with words.
- Nincomputer. Robot; inclined to clumsily hit on a player’s character.
"WHAT_IS_YOUR_ASTROLOGICAL_SIGN?" - Mandalf. Bearded guy in a robe and conical hat blowing rings of smoke. Chilling out with people familiar to the players’ characters—they’re invited to join. Whatever they’re smoking would grant a bonus to at least one ability (perhaps Weirdness, Toughness) and a penalty to at least one other ability (perhaps Agility, Observation) for a while.
- Oscar the Couch. A gargantuan, musclebound mutant, lounging amid a pile of garbage, under three other raiders who are sitting down and taking a breather.
- Chucky. Mutant kid. Tries to pick a player’s character’s pocket. If anxious or threatened, he vomits highly corrosive acid.
- Daryl. Hulking mutant with a keytar. Raves about “legendary” songs he is obsessed with recovering. May admit to regularly eating people in an attempt to gain their knowledge. (If the players’ characters encounter John in their travels, they can introduce him to another cannibalistic mutant musician and complete the “Maneaters” quest.)
- Blackheart. Mutant warlord demanding a “toll” to pass through a certain route. Wields a sharpened piece of a jet wing as a blade. (“Bad Reputation”: This unique, two-handed sword makes people think twice before messing with you. Adjust rolls to intimidate and avoid hostilities by its damage die.)
Pretendo Games 