When I first came to the Mutant Future rpg and this here blog, I strove to make my mutants "by the book". I doggedly used only the core rules, to both keep things simple, and to challenge myself by working within the system's constraints. I avoided (and by that, I mean "bought them anyway because I'm a gonzo-post-apocalyptic completist, but disregarded everything contained therein") third-party products that added new mutations at all costs.
But, gradually, I ported over a Gamma World mutation here and there, and made up a couple of my own, which led to a homebrewed Random Mutations chart for my campaign. [Consult the sidebar...download today!] And with my game going strong, some players like to keep things jazzy, so I've made further tweaks.
So, almost three years in, this Mutant Lord has come around to being a tad more flexible with the mutations...and that's where the nifty Wisdom From The Wastelands #20: Mutation Modifiers comes in.
WFTW #20: MM provides 60—that's right, SIXTY—random modifiers that make each mutation unique, specialized, and / or utterly nutzoid. They're like Marvel Super-Heroes / Mutants & Masterminds power stunts...no, more like HERO System's Advantages / Disads.
Because I want you to spend your money, I'll only mention a few of my favorite selections:
) Accelerated: mutant automatically wins Initiative when using the selected mutation. A player's dream!
) Amnesia: brain drain, slurping away either 25 XP or 1 minute worth of memories. GM's choice!
) Deciduous: body parts go dormant, meaning corresponding mutations only function for 6 months of the year!
) Disgusting: that mutation is nastay, y'all.
) Healing: each use restores 1d4 HP.
) Heat Flash: metabolic surge induces self-damage, and makes mutant triple-detectable via thermal vision. That's just clever.
) Sapient: Let me quote: "Sapient mutations have their own personalities and make their own actions." It's like having an egomaniacal D&D magic sword, right there in your DNA!
) Unstoppable: removes Saving Throw to resist mutation. Yowza.
And there's 52 more, plus a handful of substitutions if those don't float your boat.
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The Justin of three years ago would have HATED this supplement.
But the Justin now? He adores it, as there's some great, crazy stuff inside. And though I've gone on record stating that most of Skirmisher Publishing's rules-mod products leave me frigid at best and outright hostile at worst, author Derek Holland and the Usual Skirmisher Suspects knocked this one out of the park.
I know I sound like a broken voxbot at this point, but WFTW #20 is an amazing bargain at 99¢. Buy it here!
Cool. Why would the Justin of 3 years ago have hated it?
ReplyDeleteI would've hated it because it makes the core mutations go all crazy-like, and makes them unique and whatnot. I like the elegant simplicity of, say, an energy blast doing uniform and consistent damage and effects.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started the blog, I was trying to get away from the tricked-out specificity of point-build games (which I played for 30 years), and adhere to the pure ol' school descriptions that don't go beyond a sentence or two.
I've mellowed!
My favorites are Invisible (invisible wings, energy blasts, thorns) and the negative one that knocks the mutant flat every time they use the modified mutation (telepathy and empathy especially). I added the negatives to make the process a little scary for the players just like when rolling for a new mutation.
ReplyDelete