80s Cartoon Inspirations: Herculoids “Mutoids”

The Premier episode of the Herculoids, we have some aliens – Mutoids – that use their shapeshifting ability to infiltrate the Herculoid’s world – Amzot – to set up a missile launching platform. Considering the era this show came out, I can understand the inspiration (Cuban missile crisis). What is weird is how they infiltrate the world. In the intro, they crash land a ship only to tell Zandor they don’t need help. It reminded me of those times that you see people on the side of the road with a flat tire. You might offer help and they said they called somebody and are just waiting. That was the vibe I got from this scene.

What I found funny off the bat was that the initial introductions of the shapeshifting ability. It starts with the a scene with Zandor offering help to the crashed ship of the Mutoids. The Mutoid character look like a nice alien. When Zandor leaves, the alien presses a button and shapeshifts to an uglier version of that alien – complete with fangs, claws and red eyes. And this is how we know he is a bad guy, because he’s more scary looking! I had to laugh.

These Mutoids are at war with someone and want to launch their missions from Amzot, making their enemy believe the missiles came from Amzot. Here you can see a subtle theme of deception and misdirection within the Mutoid culture, stemming from their shapeshifting abilities. This can be used later.

Because there are two key elements in this story – a crashed ship and missiles – I will stick with a sci-fi storyline but at the end I will make notes about how it can be converted to fantasy.

First and foremost the central part of this plot and any Herculoid’s plot is territory – the planet Amzot was Herculoid’s territory and they were tasked to defend it for whatever reason. On the flip side of that, a lot of bad folk and creatures wanted to occupy it for some reason or another, telling me that there is something special about it. Location, resources, and some other reason? In this case, this is location. It is in close vicinity of the Mutoids’ enemy. Same system or same planet? Likely neither based on the writing of the time.

This can be why the Mutoids need Amzot for their missile launching site – proximity. Why use a planet rather than a ship? Maybe their limited technology. They do not have the big dreadnaughts to carry a large missile payload. Additionally, as we said before, obfuscation. They don’t want their enemies to know it was them. So the question remains, if the enemies think the missiles came from Amzot, what would happen? Would they think the Herculoids or some other faction fired them? Was that they intention of the Mutoids – the start a war between two factions? There is your plot right there!

BASICS

The adventure begins with Faction A (good guys) and Faction B (the other guys) sharing a world in the Federation of Worlds. There is a tense Cold War between Faction A and Faction B. The Federation – governing body over known worlds – wishes to keep the peace and hopes to unite the world at some point, but right now, there is too many cultural and historical differences between the two Factions. There are also other factions on this world that want to see peace but side with A or B out of ancient alliances, etc.

{Insert your own background to each Faction here. It could be simply the same race with different cultures or different races completely. It could be strictly along political lines or religious. Real world inspirations makes it relatable to many, but depending on the setting you use, it can be anything.}

Authorities from Faction A have detected a ship crash in a remote region in their territory. The players are sent to investigate. Tensions are so high that they players are restricted by the Faction A Authority and the Federation on what they can do. Investigate and report back. Do not take any action. Their authority is limited.

PULL

The players are investigators/troubleshooters for the Authority of Faction A. There can also be agents from the Federation amongst them. The primary pull to begin with is their employers – the Faction A Authority – and their duty to their Faction.

The players arrive – dropped off my military drop-off (helicopter like craft) with all the supplies they need. They are given the coordinates of the crash site and must trek a few days to get to it. {Encounters can happen during this time.}

They find the craft and the crew aboard. They appear as one of the dominate species of the Federation, of a faction uninvolved with the politics of the world, peaceful and unassuming. Their ship is a large cargo vessel that seems to have only minor damage. They claim they had a navigation malfunction and had to make a crash landing, with little choice of where to land. They have already communicated back to their leadership who is sending a repair team. They just ask the Faction A Authority to allow the repair team through to their location, unincumbered.

The players will communicate back the request and they will be told the repair ship will be allowed through by the Authority. They are ordered to remain there and observe the repairs.

PUSH

After relaying the message that the players will stay to observe, the crew of the crashed ship reluctantly accept. They cannot accommodate the players, however. They suggest they camp out in a nearby clearing.

ENCOUNTER 1

Night Creature Attack – On the first night, the players will be attacked by a creature (or creatures) with the intent on killing them. It is savage and skilled in hand to hand. Anyone familiar with the planet’s fauna will not recognize this creature. Assuming it fails, the players will learn that it too attacked the ship’s crew. This will continue until the players kill or capture the creature or vice-versa.

ENCOUNTER 2

Arrival of the Repair Ship – The repair ship arrives and the crew go about their business of repairing the ship, or are they? They secretly are doing something else while disguising it as ship repairs. (see Gimmick).

GIMMICK

The crew is actually are an alien race called the Mutoids (for lack of a better name) – shapeshift mercenaries hired by Faction B to set up a disguised missile facility in the remote part of the planet and start a war between Faction A and Faction B. This way, Faction B will gain favor from the Federation if it appears that Faction A started it.

The crashed cargo ship contains simple sensor and guidance systems that could be used for anything. But in truth, they are built for missiles. The repair ship has the remaining equipment to build the missiles. They will build the missiles while appearing to repair the cargo ship. Eventually however, they players will figure it out.

The Night Creature is one of the Mutoids (either in natural form or another shifted form) that intended to kill the players so they could not observe their plan.

Once the repair ship arrives, A dome of communication interference will envelope the area, leaving the players isolated and unable to call for help. Whatever happens, it will be up to them.

FINAL ENCOUNTER

If the players figure the plot out before the complete the missile base, then they can destroy the two ships and hopefully engulf everything else with it.

If the players do not, then the missile will fire and they will have to find the missile self destruct mechanism in one of the ships.

All while fighting off or through a small army of shapeshifters.