Gammarauders
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Gammarauders is a post-apocalyptic board game that features large mutated creatures called bioborgs. Each bioborg is operated by a human handler. The game also had a 10-issue comic book series that was published by DC Comics. Three of these comics also featured a "micro-RPG" installment that allowed readers to create their own bioborgs and handlers. Despite its normally grim post-apocalypse setting, the game and comic series had a humorous atmosphere. An expansion set called "revenge of the Factoids" was also released. It contained new bioborgs and types of terrain.
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[edit] Backstory
Gammarauders takes place in the distant future during a time period called the Gamma Age. Nuclear war has devistated much of the world, leaving a few pockets of civilization seperated by vast expanses of wasteland called "The Big Nada." Two major power groups formed after the war: The Gammarauders (who seek to rebuild the world) and the Slugnoids (who seek to dominate it). Among the ranks of the Gammarauders is a man named Professor Womba, inventor of the Womba Process. This process allows scientsts to create bioborgs by mutating animals and implant them with nodes that can be fitted with weapons. The Slugnoids kill Womba and steal his research, allowing them to develop their own bioborgs as well.
In addition to mutated animals, another development in the Gamma Age are "pods." These plants are the power source for the new age. Due to their great value and importance the Gammarauders, Slugnoids, and other power groups of the Gamma Age fight over them constantly. Unfotunatly, pods are unstable and are prone to bursting into beautiful (but useless) flowers.
The Gamma Age is also home to the Factoids, strange creatures that resemble walking television sets. According to game legend, a traveler accidentally activated a machine which started to produce Factoids at a rate of 1 every 43 seconds. Since then, Factoids wander the world of the Gamma Age collecting data and trying to learn everything they can. However, getting any useful information out of a factoid can be tricky. For example, in one of the comics a character asks how many units are in the approaching Slugnoid army. The factoid replies "All of them." The factoids also possess information from "The Golden Age," which is the time before the Gamma Age.
The Slugnoids and the Gammarauders are not the only power groups in the Gamma Age. There are also six Cryptic Alliances:
Crimson Moon, a warrior clan that follows a Samauri-like tradition of honor.
Da Boys, an alliance modeled on an organized crime gang.
Friends of Whatever is Left on Earth, (FOWLOTES for short)a militaristic hippy clan whose slogan is "Give peace a chance-or we'll nuke you!"
The Lab Rats, a group of scientists. According to the supplemental material book included in the boxed set the Lab Rats respected Professor Womba but felt he fell into a bad crowd with his "sience for a higher cause" attitude. After all, the purpose of science is (as any fool knows) to create more science.
The Men in Black, a mysterious organization inspired by a popular government conspirecy.
The Rayzors, an allience modeled after a motorcycle gang. It is said they dislike the Gammarauders for "their sickening abundance of morals" and the Slugnoids for their "lack of class."
[edit] Gameplay
The game came with several hexagonal tiles with various types of terrain (water, cities, mountains, etc.). This allowed the players to create many different scenarios instead of playing on the same field every time. Each player selected a bioborg. Each bioborg had special ability and a limited number of slots in which to hold weapons and shields. Each player also selected one of the Crypic Alliances and a location to build a fortress.
The object of the game was fairly strait forward: demolish three opposing fortresses (in a 4-6 player game) or everyone else's fortress in a 2-3 person game. During the course of the game each player could attempt to gather pods which could be used to improve a die roll, rebuild a destoryed fortress, and in some cases use a bioborg's special ability. Players also had the opportunity to draw cards to gain additional weapons and Factoids.
The bioborg could also travel with three different types of support units: infantry, gammajets, and hovertanks. The game referred to these units as "popcorn," since bioborgs enjoy munching on them (and to keep with the game's light-hearted tone).
[edit] The Comic Series
TSR also released comic book series through DC Comics in 1988-89. It did not include any characters from the Revege of the Factoids expansion set. The series only ran 10 issues and was cancelled near the end of 1989 due to poor sales. The end of issue #10 included a brief summery of what would have happened had the series continued.
Issues #1, 3, and 4 contained the Gammarauder's (extreemey tiny) role playing game system. The installments included inormation on how to create handler and bioborg characters, game mechanics, and equipment. The game used a six sided die for resolving actions and roling up character attributes.
Handlers were rated in the following catagories: Bod (the handler's physical fitness), Control (the handler's ability to keep his cool and command his bioborg), Style (the handler's ability to make a good impression), Science (the handler's ability to understand and use technology), and Rumble (the handler's fighting ability). Each handler also had a Complex, or personality quirk that influenced the character's actions (such as hating a particular color or having a rivalry with another character).
Bioborgs had similar statistics: Bod (size and strength, which was multiplied by 10 due to the bioborg's size), Brains (which had a maximum rating of 2 since bioborgs weren't too intelligent), Control (the bioborg's ability to resist commands), Armament (how many weaposn the bioborg can carry), and Power (the number of Pods the bioborg can eat without becoming sick).
[edit] References
Gammarauders board game Rule Book Gammarauders board game World Book Gammarauders comic series issues 1-10
[edit] External links
Gammarauders at Board Game Geek [1]
Gammarauders at RPG.net [2]
