Mutations, rules, examples, misc

A thread to throw all things mutations in.

As you might have read on some of the other forums here, I have developed a easy rule for those who want to eleminate defects or have a transhuman element. It is simply every mutation point is worth 4 skill points (ie O cost 4, G costs 8 and A costs 16). The GM may wish to allow this for defects in the same way flaws are handled (ie they earn skill points for the hero). This is, more or less, similar to the point system found in GURPS and may lead to some very strange heros if the GM doesn't keep a strong hand on the matter.

Though the given list of mutations in the GW book has 120 mutations and 36 defects, there are still many from previous editions of GW that should be converted. Note that there are some in Action Check and the Apocolypse Post such as Neil Spicer's plant rules. Before I start work on converting more, I have a question: Andy mentioned how he tried to avoid directed energy weapon type mutations, should I avoid those as well?

Oh hell yes. Blasters can be very destabilizing to a campaign, unless Joe Schmo packs a maser. Unlimited ammo and hefty damage are never a good combination.

As I did the conversion yesterday, I did come up with some limits.

Symbiotic Attachment
A, Activated, WIL

The mutant can, with physical contact, chemically control any living thing. An opposed mental resolve check is required to determine if control is attained. While controlled, the victim takes only litteral commands. If the victim dies while being controlled, the mutant is stunned for d6 minutes.

Devolution
A, Activated, INT

The mutant can make a mental attack that removes randomly determined mutations. The range is 20 meters and the target must make a resolve check to resist (mental for mental mutations and physical for physical mutations). PSH lose one point of a randomly determined mental ability. If all scores are reduced to 3, they revert to apes. Mutations and ability points return at a rate of one per week. Using this mutation costs the mutant 2 fatigue points.

Force Field Generation
A, Activated, WIL

The field produced is treated as a deflection harness. It can be used for WIL/3 times per day and each use lasts 5 minutes.

Hands of Power (and Improved)
G (A), Activated, DEX

The mutant fires some sort of energy from his hands (player selects). Treat as a flechette pistol in terms of damage and range. The mutation can be used CON X 2 times per day. The mutant must use the pistol skill to hit. The improved version is treated as a blaster pistol in terms of range and damage.

Kinetic Absorption
A, Automatic, CON

This mutation is identical to energy absorption except it reduces high impact damage.

Shapechange
A, Activated, CON

The mutant can physically change himself into any creature he has seen of his approximate mass. The mutant gains no mutations beyond the purely physical (new body parts, wings, etc.). This lasts CON X 10 minutes and can be used once per day.

Sound Imitation
A, Automatic, CON

The mutant can imitate any M, O or G sound he has heard within the last 24 hours. He is also immune to all sonic attacks.

Ultravision
G, Automatic, CON

The mutant can see most forms of energy, including radiation and lasers. He can tell if power cells and machinery have power. The range is normal sight.

Dragon 194 has mutations for the 4th edition. Out of the 30 or so, I found 3 that I want to convert (one I did an extreme change to):

Anti-necrobiosis (plus Improved)
G or A, Perm, CON

The mutant both has a long lifespan (d100+400 years) and is resistant to most diseases and poisons (2 step bonus).

The Amazing version gives mutants a total immunity to black ray weapons and the death field generation mutation and doubles the above number for lifespan.

Plasma Spheres
G, Activated, INT

The mutant can create small spheres of low grade plasma by touching solid objects. A one cm sphere of the object is converted and the plasma is stable until someting comes into contact with it. The resulting explosion does d6w/d8s/d4s (En/O) damage and has a range of 1/2/4 meters. The mutant can create INT/3 spheres per day.

Material Transformation
A, Activated, WIL

The mutant has the power to convert a 30 cm deep, 1 meter diameter area (unless the object is smaller) from one material to another. Roll a d12 to determine the material changed and then d6 to see what it will change into:

1 duralloy
2 leather
3 plastic
4 stone
5 wood
6 synthetics (eg nylon)
7 rubber
8 bone
9 cloth
10 glass
11 ceramic
12 metal (50/50 soft/hard)

1 living flesh (without a mind)
2 rubber
3 wood
4 leaf like fiber
5 glass
6 metal (50.50 soft/hard)

Duplication (like wood into wood) must be rerolled. GMs are encouraged to alter the chart to taste. The change is permanent. Using the mutation costs the mutant one fatigue point. This includes hoops.

This post has been edited by derek_holland on Jul 2 2006, 14:19

Would it be possible to change types if you have doubles? Wood to wood could be oak to balsa. Metal to metal could change pyrites into silver.

If the GM is willing, why not? But it does reduce the wackyness of the mutation (if you like wild and wahoo GW).

But it rewards inventiveness. You can make a weapon out of easily cast copper and turn it into steel. Wet, smoky cypress can be turned into clean burning mesquite.

Then again, trash can become gold, so it is open for abuse.

And gold can become trash (or any hard metal into rubber...). I would allow the player to reroll for another Amazing mutation, but only if the materials rolls were not made first.

Oh, now I see what you were talking about in the PM. I'll have to track this. Especially since you used the word "easy" in your first post. And because it has mutants.

K.

I edited the anti-necrobiosis mutation because I am stuck with too many Amazing mutations. Here are a couple from Darwin's World (renamed):

Enlarged Lungs
O, Perm, CON

The mutant takes a breath only once per 3 or 4 minutes because of his chambered and enlarged lungs. Because of this time to drown is tripled and the mutant gets a 1 step bonus against gas attacks.

Turtle Eyes
O, Auto, DEX

The mutant's eyes retract when exposed to danger, including Amazing light. This makes the mutant immune to most attacks that cause blindness.

And a couple defects from DW:

Stubby Fingers
M, Perm, DEX

The mutant takes a 2 step penalty to all skills that require the use of his hands.

Albanism
E, Perm, CON

The mutant is an albino or comes from a community that never sees the sun. In bright light, the mutant has a 2 (G light) or 3 (A light) penalty to all physical skills. If exposed for an hour or more, the mutant becomes temporarily blind and will only regain his sight after a few hours in low (M) or no light conditions.