A Walk in the Dark A look in to the mind of an RPG designer

Gamma World Remnants: Accelerator Control Robot Guardian

In Where Worlds Collide, the party first needs to gain access to the computer systems that seal off the accellerator control room of what was once CERN. The site's AI, known affectionately as C3 (short for the CERN Computing Centre), has started to charge up the accellerator and intends to unlease a miniature black hole on Gamma Terra. Once the black hole is released, Gamma Terra will collapse in to a singularity and life as we know it will end.

Despite the multiple levels of security that block access to the accelerator core, C3 felt it necessary to add one final line of defense: a massive robot it refers to as "the Guardian". This hulking behemoth was manufactured out of the heavy machinery used to assemble and maintain the LHC itself. It has a wide assortment of weapons - laser batteries, flame thrower, flame retardant systems - and two arms. One of the arms has a enormous steel fist backed by pneumatic pistons, while the other arm ends in a five foot wide buzz saw.

For this encounter I wanted to give the impression that C3 had a lot of time on its hands, so whenever it discovered another new toy it did not hesitate to weld it on to the robot's frame. Therefore, I wanted this robot to be a walking arsenal of destruction, having every weapon and the kitchen sink at its disposal. It actually is the largest single stat block I've ever created for any 4E monster.

I never got around to designing the room itself, but it was going to be a large massive chamber with the usual bells and whistles prominent in most Fourthcore adventures. Since the module was meant for a party of level 5, going up against this level 8 behemoth was going to be quite the challenge.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy this one.

Where Worlds Collide - Accelerator Control Robot Guardian (PDF)