Nubbins

May 7, 2014 Chris Van Deelen

No one knows the origin of the creatures known as Nubbins. Although uncounted new life-forms emerged from the radiation and toxin-blasted wastes, there were also those deliberately created by the Ancients. Most speculate that these creatures, despite their size, appearance and typical friendliness, were actually created as a type – albeit odd – biological weapon.

Physically, they appear as a football-sized ball (literally) of fur with two tiny legs, two large eyes, large bat-like ears and a very soft coat of fur. They have mouths that are surprising large for their size but seems to be quite harmless.

Chris Van Deelen is the author of the Skirmisher Publishing LLC sourcebook Creatures of the Tropical Wastes sourcebook, co-author of its Wisdom from the Wastelands game supplement and contributor to the 'Sword of Kos: Hekaton' Anthology.

No. Enc: 1-2 (1-1000)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 30' (10')
AC: 6
HD: 1 hit point
Attacks: 1 bite (see below)
Damage: 1 (see below)
Save: L1
Morale: 4
Hoard Class: None

The fact is that when temperatures are kept below 50 F they are indeed quite harmless. They have no real appetite, no desire to ‘frolic’ and are content with just milling about peacefully.

It is when temperatures get above 50 that serious issues begin to arise. First and foremost, they are, well for lack of a better word, horny little devils. They mate almost constantly and if there is enough food present, give birth to litters of typically a dozen individuals.

They also mature at incredibly fast rates. Within 24 hours of their birth, they are fully capable of breeding. So, in a matter of a week, provided there is enough food, a single pair can produce millions of offspring. Yes, they are a serious ecological nightmare in the making.

Individually, the furry creatures pose little to no threat, however when they gather in groups of dozens to hundreds, they can make Piranha look like rank amateurs. Even predators find the roles reversed when they encounter a pack of these voracious little creatures.

If they can be kept in the right environmental conditions, these creatures are actually wonderful pets. They are very affectionate and people find them to be comforting. Some societies are known to give them as wedding gifts to newlywed couples because they also produce pheromones which most creatures find, well, stimulating. It probably has to do with their own over-abundance of urges.

The creatures have a highly developed method of self-defence. They are capable of bending light around them to become invisible, although creatures with increased sense of smell can still locate them with relative ease.

In combat, fifty can fit into a five foot square radius, and they don’t have to roll for each one to hit, instead, a single roll is made (with a +6 to hit modifier) and if the attack succeeds, the target is subjected to 20+3d10 points of damage. A single mob has 50 hit points and only area effect weapons and mutations do any real damage to the mob. All melee, and ranged attacks only do 25% damage.

In areas that have become over-run by the creatures, dozens of mobs can easily be encountered and they quickly strip an area completely bare of all food, be it plant, meat, people, anything that is edible.

If an area is stripped, the creatures turn on each other until only a single pair are left. They are capable of going for weeks without eating and show no signs of distress when this happens.

All it takes though is a single pair to start the nightmare once again.

Mutations: Control light waves, pheromones

Source: Sanctuary Season 1 Episode Nubbins (2008)