Swamp Folk
If there are two things that nature abhors, it’s a vacuum and inbreeding. Add radiation and numerous toxins from the final wars and you end up with the Human Mutants known as the Swamp Folk. These mutants are found most commonly in the South Eastern swamps of Florida, Tennessee and the surrounding states, and have been discovered on the coastline as far north as Washington DC.
Chris Van Deelen is the author of the Skirmisher Publishing LLC sourcebook Creatures of the Tropical Wastes sourcebook and co-author of its Wisdom from the Wastelands game supplement.
No. Enc: 3d8 or 10d12 in communes
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90’ (30’)
AC: 6
HD: 6
Attacks: By weapon or 2 fists or 2 kicks
Damage: By weapon or 1d4 / 1d4 or 1d4+2 / 1d4+2
Save: L6
Morale: 4
Hoard Class: 1d3+1 primitive firearms or 1 high-tech melee weapon, I, II, VIII x3 (90%),
If there are two things that nature abhors, it’s a vacuum and inbreeding. Add radiation and numerous toxins from the final wars and you end up with the Human Mutants known as the Swamp Folk. These mutants are found most commonly in the South Eastern swamps of Florida, Tennessee and the surrounding states, and have been discovered on the coastline as far north as Washington DC.
These Mutant Humans appear for the most part human, although to a man they all have minor deformities that are hard to place at first. Some have slightly misshapen skulls, lack of chins, ears or other features that are slightly off-kilter, while others have stunted limbs, some have lazy eyes. Some of the worst cases have exceedingly large limbs and have a bloated appearance, but not a single member of these creatures can easily pass as un-mutated.
These mutants are very clannish and live in small family groups, typically numbering ten to twenty or as many as a hundred or more in a large extended family commune. To these mutants, family and survival are paramount, and generations of brother and sister lying together have had a very unpleasant side effect.
Although they can eat regular food, many of the various family groups have turned to cannibalism to survive during the first few generations after the end of the final wars and now they have no choice but to continue to consume flesh. Others have taken to eating the dead and some have even turned vampiric over the generations.
As one would expect, these mutant humans do not like outsiders. They feel threatened when they encounter people who appear to be normal. Pure Humans and Humans (see Wisdom from the Wastelands issue 4: New Races for more information) are always treated with open hostility and are usually attacked on sight. As mentioned above, many of these inbred families look upon such people as nothing more than their next meal. They are slightly more open to obvious mutants, but still regard such with a great deal of suspicion and often encounters will go badly.
When it comes to the females, they got the worst of the fickle hand of mutation. They are typically about twice the size of the males and are immensely fat. Many have likened the female’s appearance to that of pre-fall sows. Conversely, some of the females appear to be on the opposite spectrum, being thin and beautifully built, but always displaying at least one or two obvious deformities.
But if the fallout and toxins have given these poor mutants one thing, it’s the ability to breed. The females have a much shorter gestation period, only being five months in length and they give birth to what many would call liters. The typical female will give birth to 4+1d3 offspring.
To say that these mutant humans are stupid would be an understatement in the extreme. The smartest would have the intelligence of an average eight year old, with most being barely able to speak. Strangely enough, they are still able to communicate well enough with one another. They tend to look upon most tech as magic and have a very primitive view on the world. They mark their territory with fetishes, which could be anything thing from stuffed animals to robot parts to the skulls of their victims. They also have a religion that appears to be for all intent and purpose based on the works of the Ancient author H.P. Lovecraft. Many of the cannibalistic family groups have gone as far as taking the flesh of their victims and they tan it and make clothing out of it. Some around the Gulf of Mexico have gone as far as to cut off the faces and turn them into grotesque masks to wear.
When it comes to using artifacts, they typically need someone to show them how to operate any items they may find. The one major exception is when it comes to primitive firearms and even high-tech melee weapons (see Wisdom from the Wastelands issue 21: High Tech Melee Weapons for more information). When using any primitive firearm, they gain a +5 to hit and +2 per dice damage, and when using any sort of melee weapon, they have a +3 to hit and gain a bonus of +1 per dice damage.
The best thing one can do when they encounter these creatures is to back away as slowly as possible, and to be ready to fight, as odds are stacked against them leaving with their skin intact.
Although the gods of fallout have been for the most part exceedingly cruel when it comes to these creatures, they have been gifted with the ability to see in the dark, and are utterly immune to toxins and poisons, and heal far faster than others. They gain their healing rate per turn instead of per day. Also, they are capable of breathing water, even though they have no visible gills. This allows these mutant humans to lay in wait, deep in the murky swamps of their home to waylay the unwary.
Mutations: Atrophied Cerebellum (d), bizarre appearance (d), dietary requirement change (cannibalism, carrion or vampirism) (d), immunity to poison and toxins, obese (females only) (d), regenerative capability (modified), thermal vision.
Source: Fallout 3
