Derek Holland is the author of Mutant Future and Labyrinth Lord material in multiple Skirmisher Publishing LLC publications and co-author of its Wisdom from the Wastelands game supplement.
Lils were introduced in the second edition of Gamma World. They are sprites- the artwork in the fourth edition of GW is very similar to to the sprite entry in the AD&D Monster Manual. They have bows with sleep arrows and a variety of mutations that are quite similar to the magical abilities of sprites. Here is their mutations from the fourth edition- Energy Reflection, Size Change, Wings, Dual Mind (Mass Mind, Telepathy, Total Healing), Anti-life Leech, Empathy, Force Field Generation, Illusion Generation, Telekinesis and the unique to them Light Generation. To be honest I was never much of a fan of lils as they are far too obvious as fairies. Recently, however, I got an idea on some changes to make them more inline in what I envision Mutant Future and Gamma World. Ironically some of their new abilities are spells from the Advanced Edition Companion.
First I strip them of Energy Reflection, Force Field Generation, Anti-life Leech and Mass Mind (or their MF versions). These mutations are not needed for their survival (or has no MF version). The one survival mutation I add is Chameleon Epidermis. This makes sense as a version of sprite invisibility. And one spell for survival would be Cause Disease, representing how their blood causes illness and death in those who eat lils.
Second I would replace some of their mutations:
Telekinesis is replaced with Unseen Servant. This reduces the amount they can move but it does allow them to act while the mutation is controlled by their subconcious.
Illusion Generation would be replaced with an enhanced version of my spell Phantasmal Magic ( http://d-infinity.net/game-content/new-illusionist-spells-ll-aec-and-add-first-edition ) which includes Veil. This allows them to tap into the minds of enemies and alter their senses, making them think their bodies have been altered or that the area around them is empty of life. Lils would use this mostly to hide their communities and selves.
Telepathy is replaced with Speak With Plants. They can use normal speech to communicate with animal races and have gained the ability to understand and produce plant pheromones. This has huge implications as it allows them access a lot of other spells and mutations. Charm Plants, Find Plant, Pass Without Trace and Plant Growth are obvious additions. Others include Insect Swarm (the plants attracting allied arthropods), Fog Cloud (water vapor given up by the plants), Ventriloquism (sounds made by the plants as they expand and contract with water pressure), Mirror Image (fake lils that may be flowers, twigs or rootlets), Cure Critical Wounds (tissue growth to replace what was damaged or lost), Move Earth (plant roots are unusually strong and even grass should be able to make small hills if directed to), Reincarnate (lils altering the genetic make up of seeds) and Minor Creation (I will get back to that one in a little bit). Ironically I was digging through my boxes and found an unusual source, one perfect for this- Cult of the Dragon (2e). In it is a spell that is used by a green dracolich, Training Vegetation. It has three functions: to alter the size and shape of plants (no more than 10%), to graft plants that would be otherwise impossible and to "bind a single plant's root to a foreign subtance such as rock, bone or the like." Training Vegetation is a key ability for lils.
And I would also add Tree Shape and allow lils to transform themselves into twigs, leaves and small roots.
Lils; be they sprites, mutant beetles or some other creature; still live in tangles of plant life. It may be in the air, in plants that fly or float; on the ground in massive twisted trees and vines; underground in tunnels and chambers dug through the effort of plants; or underwater in hollow plants that provide air. These tangles would have many traps meant to capture and kill those trying to invade the lils' inner sanctums. Plant mutations are important, but this can also include Plant Growth or Entangle to represent expanding vegetation that slowly crushes those captured due to increased water pressure. Communities that attempt to harm lils find that the third use of Training Vegetation and Plant Growth means immobile killer plants are found on their houses and vehicles one morning.
As masters of plant life, lils can get encourage the production of chemicals and materials. This is where a permanent version of Minor Creation comes into play. This can be anything from heartwood to alcohol, and that ignores what some mutant plants might be able to produce. If lils are willing to trade with other races, they would most likely become an economic powerhouse. If they can control the most powerful mutant plants, they also may become a military power as well.
