A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Wisdom from the Wastelands Issue #2: Monsters That Improve with Age

Wisdom from the Wastelands Issue #2: Monsters That Improve with Age is a role playing game supplement published by Skirmisher Publishing for use with the Mutant Future system. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result. The Wisdom from the Wastelands series introduces new options for Mutant Future and this one looks at how monsters can become more dangerous with age.

The supplement is available as a seven-page PDF on DriveThruRPG for $0.99 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the Open Game License and front matter and one is ads.

The opening paragraphs explains that an age chart can be useful for scaling monsters, and that they come with three columns; age, hit dice and notes. The charts can come in different variations and some monsters might have multiple age charts. This is then followed by examples.

For Standard Age Chart there is the Grape Mass, which gets stronger as it gets older.

Variant Age Chart has the Lazra, mutant moles that also get stronger.

Multiple Age Charts has the Giant Green Crayfish, which is divided into four castes, each with its own age chart.

Finally, Metamorphic Age Chart has the Dekodec, which comes in two forms, larva and adult, each with an age chart.

Wisdom from the Wastelands Issue #2: Monsters That Improve with Age in Review

The PDF is bookmarked with major sections linked. There is a short table of contents that is hyperlinked. Given the length, navigation is decent. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. There are some stock colour and black and white images. Presentation is okay.

How this supplement opens is a bit misleading. it sounds from the opening paragraphs that this intends to show how to use age charts with monsters. Instead, it’s actually a bestiary of monsters that have age charts. It’s not a bad bestiary, but the wording is a little unclear, and it may well not be what’s expected. Wisdom from the Wastelands Issue #2: Monsters That Improve with Age can be found by clicking here.