Created Friday 02 August 2013

The abilities and drawbacks of naturally occurring mutants rarely come in neat packages. Mutations may arise due to exposure to strange radiations or energies, freak accidents, or genetic happenstance.

Mutation Points (MP) provide a method of selecting mutations while preserving game balance. All creatures (including player characters) begin play with 0 MP. A creature gains MP by selecting one or more drawbacks—physical deformities and disabilities that make the creature less effective in play. A creature can then “spend” the MP on one or more beneficial mutations. The total MP spent on beneficial mutations cannot exceed the total MP the creature gains from drawbacks. This system allows for an a la carte approach to mutations, in which the player chooses her character’s mutations from a list. The maximum amount of Mutation Points from drawbacks a character is allowed to have is equal to their Constitution ability.

This system can be used to create genetically engineered mutants who are designed for purposes other than those deliberate genetic lines described in the Genetic Engineering section, or even to add to those existing packages, as long as all of the mutations balance out.

There are both positive mutations and negative drawbacks, and the player must balance the Mutation Points (MPs) of her character’s mutations with MP’s from drawbacks. A creature may still have unspent MP after choosing beneficial mutations, however. These unspent MP can be spent on new mutations at a later time.

Because these mutations are balanced out by drawbacks, mutant characters designed using this system still receive the bonus feats and skill points that baseline humans receive and they have no level adjustments, but they are considered to be of the Type: Humanoid (mutant), rather than Humanoid (human). They are also likely to be discriminated against at least as frequently as genetically engineered mutants.

There are four types of mutations: Cosmetic Mutations, Minor Mutations, Major Mutations, and Drawbacks. Cosmetic Mutations: The simplest and least mechanically complicated mutation is a cosmetic mutation. A cosmetic mutation has no game effect other than to change the hero’s appearance in some fashion. Cosmetic mutations cost 0 MP. Minor Mutations: A minor mutation not only changes a creature’s appearance, but also grants it a beneficial (if minor) special ability or useful feature, such as darkvision or gills. A minor mutation costs 1-3 MP and can usually be offset by a single drawback. Major Mutations: Major mutations fundamentally change the genetics and physiol-ogy of the creature. Moreover, they grant the creature a beneficial special ability or feature it couldn’t otherwise, such as the ability to fly or project energy. A major mutation costs 4 or more MP and are generally offset by one or more drawbacks. Drawbacks: A creature with minor or major mutations also has drawbacks to offset them. Drawbacks are special disabilities or vulnerabilities that negatively affect the crea-ture. Each drawback has an MP value, and a creature can spend these MPs on minor and major mutations to offset the negative effects of the drawback.

Extra Digits 0 Fins 0 Forked Tongue 0 Horns 0 Scaly Skin 0 Thin Fur Coat 0 Unnatural Eyes 0 Unnatural Hair 0 Unnatural Skin 0 Unnatural Voice 0

Acidic Saliva 1 Adhesive Secretions 2 Adrenaline Jolt 3 Armor Plates 3 Claw 1 Darkvision 3 Energy Diffusion 2 Expanded Lungs 1 Fangs 1 Filtered Lungs 2 Fog Cloud 2 Force Barrier 3 Gills 2 Glider 3 Great Horns 1 Heat Drain 3 Hypersensitive 3 Leaper 1 Pervasive Hearing 3 Pheromone, Energizing 2 Pheromone, Enraging 2 Pheromone, Soothing 2 Piercing Howl 2 Radio Receiver 1 Radio Transmitter 2 Scaly Armor 3 Scent 2 Second Wind 2 Shatter 3 Shock Absorber 1 Smokescreen 1 Sonic Vibrations 1 Sticky Ichor 2 System Shock 1 Tail 1 Thick Fur Coat 1 Ultra Immune System 2 Uncanny Equilibrium 1 Wall Crawler 2 Webbed Digits 1 Zero-G Equilibrium 2

Chitin Darts 4 Chitin Rocks 6 Choking Pollution 4 Echolocator 5 Elastic Limbs 4 Elasticity 5 Energy Absorption 4 Enlarged Form 6 Exoskeleton 5 Extra Arms 6 Fire Handler 4 Flamethrower 4 Gazing Eye 4 Gravity Anchor 4 Gravity Burst 5 Massive Claw 4 Pheromone Attraction 6 Power Drain 5 Power Source 6 Prehensile Tail 4 Prickly Pear 4 Radioactive 5 Rapid Dash 4 Reinforced Legs 4 Shocking Discharge 6 Skeletal Reinforcement 5 Slime Shooter 4 Spines 4 Stinger 4 Tentacle 6 Thunder Fist 4 Venomous Bite 4 Vexing Voice 4 Wings 6

Drawback MP Value Ability Decay (Mutation) 4 Blood Hunger (Mutation) 1 Brittle Bones (Mutation) 4 Cold Susceptibility (Mutation) 1 Combat Fear (Mutation) 4 Cybernetic Dependency (Mutation) 6 Festering Sores (Mutation) 2 Frailty (Mutation) 3 Heat Susceptibility (Mutation) 1 Hideous Visage (Mutation) 2 Lethargy (Mutation) 2 Light Sensitivity (Mutation) 1 Lost Arm (Mutation) 3 Mindslave (Mutation) 2 Neutrad Dependency (Mutation) 5 Nightmares (Mutation) 4 Pheromone Repulsion (Mutation) 1 Poisonous Blood (Mutation) 6 Psionic Vulnerability (Mutation) 2 Rapid Aging (Mutation) 2 Reduced Speed (Mutation) 3 Space Sickness (Mutation) 1 Thin Skin (Mutation) 5 Ultraviolet Allergy (Mutation) 3 Uncontrollable Rage (Mutation) 4 Weak Immune System (Mutation) 1

Ability Decay (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Acidic Saliva (Mutation) (MINOR) Adhesive Secretions (Mutation) (MINOR) Adrenaline Jolt (Mutation) (MINOR) Armor Plates (Mutation) (MINOR) Blood Hunger (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Brittle Bones (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Chitin Darts (Mutation) (MAJOR) Chitin Rocks (Mutation) (MAJOR) Choking Pollution (Mutation) (MAJOR) Claws (Mutation) (MINOR) Combat Fear (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Cybernetic Dependency (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Darkvision (Mutation) (MINOR) Echolocator (Mutation) (MAJOR) Elastic Limbs (Mutation) (MAJOR) Elasticity (Mutation) (MAJOR) Energy Absorption (Mutation) (MAJOR) Energy Diffusion (Mutation) (MINOR) Enlarged Form (Mutation) (MAJOR) Exoskeleton (Mutation) (MAJOR) Expanded Lungs (Mutation) (MINOR) Extra Arms (Mutation) (MAJOR) Extra Digits (Mutation) (COSMETIC) Fangs (Mutation) (MINOR) Festering Sores (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Filtered Lungs (Mutation) (MINOR) Fins (COSMETIC) Fire Handler (Mutation) (MAJOR) Flamethrower (Mutation) (MAJOR) Fog Cloud (Mutation) (MINOR) Force Barrier (Mutation) (MINOR) Forked Tongue (Mutation) (COSMETIC) Frailty (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Gazing Eye (Mutation) (MAJOR) Gills (MINOR) Glider (Mutation) (MINOR) Gravity Anchor (Mutation) (MAJOR) Gravity Burst (Mutation) (MAJOR) Great Horns (Mutation) (MINOR) Healing Touch (Mutation) (MAJOR Heat Susceptibility (DRAWBACK) Cold Susceptibility (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Heat Drain (Mutation) (MINOR) Hideous Visage (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Horns (Mutation) (COSMETIC) Hypersensitive (MINOR) Leaper (Mutation) (MINOR) Lethargy (DRAWBACK) Light Sensitivity (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Lost Arm (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Massive Claw (Mutation) (MAJOR) Mindslave (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Neutrad Dependency (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Nightmares (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Pervasive Hearing (Mutation) (MINOR) Pheromone Attraction (Mutation) (MAJOR) Pheromone, Energizing (Mutation) (MINOR) Pheromone, Enraging (Mutation) (MINOR) Pheromone Repulsion (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Pheromone, Soothing (Mutation) (MINOR) Piercing Howl (Mutation) (MINOR) Poisonous Blood (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Power Drain (Mutation) (MAJOR) Power Source (Mutation) (MAJOR) Prehensile Tail (Mutation) (MAJOR) Prickly Pear (Mutation) (MAJOR) Psionic Vulnerability (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Radio Receiver (Mutation) (MINOR) Radio Transmitter (Mutation) (MINOR) Radioactive (Mutation) (MAJOR) Rapid Aging (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Rapid Dash (Mutation) (MAJOR) Reduced Speed (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Reinforced Legs (Mutation) (MAJOR) Scaly Armor (Mutation) (MINOR) Scent (Mutation) (MINOR) Second Wind (Mutation) (MINOR) Shatter (Mutation) (MINOR) Shock Absorber (Mutation) (MINOR) Shocking Discharge (Mutation) (MAJOR) Skeletal Reinforcement (Mutation) (MAJOR) Slime Shooter (MAJOR) Smokescreen (Mutation) (MINOR) Sonic Vibrations (Mutation) (MINOR) Space Sickness (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Spines (Mutation) (MAJOR) Sticky Ichor (Mutation) (MINOR) Stinger (MAJOR) System Shock (Mutation) (MINOR) Tail (Mutation) (MINOR) Tentacle (Mutation) (MAJOR) Thick Fur Coat (Mutation) (MINOR) Thin Fur Coat (Mutation) (COSMETIC) Thin Skin (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Thunder Fist (Mutation) (MAJOR) Ultra Immune System (Mutation) (MINOR) Ultraviolet Allergy (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Uncanny Equilibrium (Mutation) (MINOR) Uncontrollable Rage (Mutation) (DRAWBACK) Unnatural Eyes (Mutation) (COSMETIC) Unnatural Hair (Mutation) (COSMETIC) Unnatural Skin (Mutation) (COSMETIC) Venomous Bite (MAJOR) Vexing Voice (MAJOR) Wall Crawler (MINOR) Weak Immune System (DRAWBACK) Webbed Digits (MINOR) Wings (MAJOR) Zero-G Equilibrium (MINOR)