I had planned a different post this week, but I fell ill and ended up spending a bunch of my writing time in bed.
So, instead of that still-forthcoming post, I present and Isotope encounter, Rampaging Cabbages. I planned to hold off publishing any more Isotope adventures until I get a version of the rules up for sale, but I need a post today, so here we go!
You can follow me on Drive Thru RPG or Itch.io to be informed when I publish new games.
This encounter is designed for my post-apocalyptic mutant weirdness TTRPG, Isotope 92, but it’s generally portable to any OSR-style or classic RPG with a little tinkering and stat magic.
Rampaging Cabbages is suitable for any wilderness area, particularly in the farm region where some of the ancient automated farms still function, or where they have broken down, and their genetically-engineered-and-now-mutating stock run free.
You can run this encounter as a random wilderness event, a tense battle, or an environmental hazard to be survived or avoided.
Rampaging Cabbages
A personal tour of the current state of cabbage-themed clipart
A migrating herd of ambulant cabbages, marching blindly from meadow to watering hole. Dozens, maybe hundreds of them. Guided by instinct. Alert for predators.
Migrating constantly on myriad short, stubby legs, the great ambulant cabbages are always seeking clean water and fine soil. They are blind, navigating by instinct and touch and using a passive psychic ability that allows them to sense and communicate with plants in their environs.
The herd moves surprisingly quickly. In forested terrain, the only warning of their approach may be the rumbling of hundreds of feet accompanied by the sound of cracking branches. Climbing trees may be enough to escape, provided you are quick enough. Note, however, that smaller trees may be toppled by the herd.
In open terrain, the herd may appear first as a dense cloud of dust, approaching rapidly, obscuring its source. This gives more warning but, the terrain being open, no trees to climb.
The main danger from the cabbage migration is being trampled underfoot. When the herd appears, set the scene, ask the players what they do, and then make appropriate rolls. Beware, however, if the herd is spooked, say by an attack or an explosion, they will stampede, at which point things may become much more dangerous.
Bestiary: Ambulant Cabbages
More cabbage art
Number: 10-1000
HP: 3
Attacks:
Trample, 1d4 physical
Stampede, 1d8 physical, ongoing
Instinct: To keep moving
Motivation: To find new sources of fresh water and fertile soil, to spread seeds in muddy ground so that a new herd may grow.
Characteristic moves:
Charge blindly through a camp or village, scattering people, destroying buildings, crushing equipment.
Come out of nowhere, forcing you to react quickly or be caught underfoot.
Become spooked and turn into a deadly stampede!
Few sights are as bizarre as an enormous, healthy cabbage bearing down upon you on a bevy of busy little legs. Moving across the land at a brisk running pace, Ambulant Cabbage herds are not hostile, but may still be dangerous to the unwary or unlucky. The cabbages are blind, but mildly psychic. They may easily be spooked by violence or noise. If this happens, the herd can become a stamped which is much more dangerous.
The cabbages are blind but can sense vibrations in the air. They are mildly psychic and possess an innate connection with nearby plants. This may be enough for a character with psychic abilities or a plant-based character to communicate with them (or at least influence their actions). Cabbage heads range from basketball-sized to the size of a compact car.
Rarely, a herd of cabbages may be tended by one or more of the stately sunflower folk astride their enormous insect-steeds, who carefully herd them away from valuable fields and towards fertile marshes. These herders care little for animal problems but will defend the herd and themselves if harassed.