Advanced Character Guide

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Advanced Character Guide

Postby Willy Elektrix » Thu Dec 17, 2015 3:24 pm

I've been running a Mutant Future campaign in Chicago for several months now (new players are still welcome). I've revamped the character creation and advancement quite a bit to give players some more options. Since I put a lot of work into these house rules, I thought I would share them.

You can view the PDF here.

There are 4 new races. There is a skill-like system based on the character's various “backgrounds". There are also 15 “feats” which characters can gain special benefits from.

I am now writing many new mutations and updating all the mutation charts. I'll update this supplement in a couple of months.

Please give me any feedback or report any mistakes. Thanks!
Last edited by Willy Elektrix on Sat Apr 30, 2016 2:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Advanced Character Guide

Postby sniderman » Thu Dec 17, 2015 3:45 pm

I like it! I came up with a few new races years ago. Posted over on my blog, in fact. Maybe you can use some for your own games:

Geologian (rock person): http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/20 ... ogian.html
The Time-Displaced (folks from other times and places): http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/20 ... laced.html
Insectaur (half-man/half-insert hybrid): http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/20 ... ctaur.html
Mastermind (my version of the mental mutant): http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/20 ... rmind.html

And, of course, from Thundarr the Barbarian:
Barbarian: http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/20 ... -race.html
Sorcerer: http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/20 ... -race.html
Moc: http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/20 ... e-mok.html
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Re: Advanced Character Guide

Postby greyarea » Thu Dec 17, 2015 5:02 pm

I like it
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Re: Advanced Character Guide

Postby Willy Elektrix » Sun Dec 20, 2015 7:01 pm

sniderman wrote:I like it! I came up with a few new races years ago. Posted over on my blog, in fact. Maybe you can use some for your own games:


The Time-Displaced race is a good idea. I might adapt ideas from it into my supplement at some point.

If any of you use of the rules I wrote, let me know how they work it. My next mission to to expand the mutation lists a lot. I suspect that people will be interested in that. The current Mutant Future mutation lists are a little sparse (in my opinion).
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Re: Advanced Character Guide

Postby Malcadon » Mon Dec 21, 2015 1:26 am

I really like the background rule. It reminds me of the old Non-Weapon Proficients system used in 2nd edition AD&D, but without being exhaustive. Making it open-ended as it is, helps each Background be as versatile as possible, akin to how "Careers" in Barbarians of Lumaria cover a wide range of skills, abilities and knowledge.

If you need more ideas on additional rules, or wish to add your own MF house rules (settings, ideas, inspirations, etc.), then checkout the Mutant Future Wiki. You'll find a lot of neat stuff there. (This is the best place to start.)
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Re: Advanced Character Guide

Postby Willy Elektrix » Mon Dec 21, 2015 2:44 pm

I actually got the idea for backgrounds from another player supplement. There is a post about it in this thread. I agree with you. It is a very elegant and flexible way to handles skills and non-weapon proficiencies. The players in my group really like it too.

I looked through some of the content on the wiki. It's nice that The Metamorphica is linked there.

I didn't see anything comprehensive about this on the wiki, but has anyone written a good alternative to the random level up chart in Mutant Future? I admire how random it is, but I would be interested to see a different approach too.
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Re: Advanced Character Guide

Postby Malcadon » Tue Dec 22, 2015 7:22 am

Willy Elektrix wrote:I looked through some of the content on the wiki. It's nice that The Metamorphica is linked there.

Yeah, that book is insanely essential for a game of the genre, and offers way more options then what is in the core rulebook. I also give some spotlight to other games and supplements akin to Gamma World and Mutant Future, even if the rule are different.
Willy Elektrix wrote:I didn't see anything comprehensive about this on the wiki, but has anyone written a good alternative to the random level up chart in Mutant Future? I admire how random it is, but I would be interested to see a different approach too.

The simplest of change I seen with the random level chart in MF, was the inclusion of a bonus to AC included with the standard combat bonuses. While the most drastic, would be to add D&D classes with a post-apoc name-change (e.g. Magic-User becomes Esper). With that, you start a character with the normal rules, but note their class, and gain the abilities with each level. Additional hit points granted with this system tends to be lower than normal, as the characters are front-loaded with a lot of HPs.

I have been toying with using EXP to freely buy level progression, so players can improve fighting ability (Fighter), spell-casting (Magic-User), thieving abilities (Rogue), and so on, independently. This was meant to allow D&D characters more flexibility on what they can do and learn, much like how Conan was a warrior and a thief, as well as to allow archetypes formed form class-combos, like Clerics being specialized (white magic) Magic-Users with every two levels of Fighter (who are restricted with weapon-use, do to white magic-use). Basically, only Fighter can grant extra HP, better to-hit, lower saves, etc.; Magic-User only grants spells (general or specialized); Rogue only provides thieves' abilities; and so on. The cost to progress in a class is adjusted by ones' prime ability score, instead of granting bonus to earned EXP. As a side to this rule, players can use EXP boosts Attributes. This is a messy, complex sub-system that I'm still hammering out.
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Re: Advanced Character Guide

Postby Willy Elektrix » Tue Dec 22, 2015 7:00 pm

Malcadon wrote:I have been toying with using EXP to freely buy level progression, so players can improve fighting ability (Fighter), spell-casting (Magic-User), thieving abilities (Rogue), and so on, independently. This was meant to allow D&D characters more flexibility on what they can do and learn, much like how Conan was a warrior and a thief, as well as to allow archetypes formed form class-combos, like Clerics being specialized (white magic) Magic-Users with every two levels of Fighter (who are restricted with weapon-use, do to white magic-use). Basically, only Fighter can grant extra HP, better to-hit, lower saves, etc.; Magic-User only grants spells (general or specialized); Rogue only provides thieves' abilities; and so on. The cost to progress in a class is adjusted by ones' prime ability score, instead of granting bonus to earned EXP. As a side to this rule, players can use EXP boosts Attributes. This is a messy, complex sub-system that I'm still hammering out.


That’s pretty interesting. Although, at that point, you are en route to abandoning the a level-based system altogether.

Actually, that’s a pretty good idea! Levels in MF are pretty superfluous. Essentially, they just increase your likelihood to hit in combat. I like they idea that players could spend their EXP on various things (attributes, to-hit bonus, damage bonus, HP, AC, number of attacks, etc) and not even have a level.
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Re: Advanced Character Guide

Postby Malcadon » Wed Dec 23, 2015 4:35 am

Willy Elektrix wrote:Levels in MF are pretty superfluous.

Same with the system used in Gamma World (which MF was based off of). In fact, Metamorphosis Alpha did not even use any kind of leveling or experience points. In first edition MA, a character gains one point of Mental Strength after surviving five aggressive mental attacks (this rule bleed into GW). In second edition MA, a character becomes "talented" with a weapon after killing ten foes (in real life-or-death combat) with it. Being talented at a weapon means attacking with a to-hit number five-points lower than normal. You can only benefit form this once per weapon, and is good with all weapons of its general type (clubs, swords, fists, laser pistols, french-ticklers, etc.). Although, in MA, it was assumed that surviving explorers would already benefit form new allies and tech. Plus, even with all the hit points, the game was so brutal, surviving an adventure was usually its own reward!

If one was to use that sort of rule in Mutant Future, than attributes and combat abilities can build if characters are pushed to their limits. That is, a character could gain a point of Constitution after surviving so many near-death experience. Strength could be gained after spending time doing hard labor. Willpower gained form surviving mental attacks, as above. Dexterity can be gained by surviving physical attacks. Intelligence can be gained through figuring-out technology. Charisma can be gained or lost by building ones' reputation. Saving throws can improve (lowered) by surviving what you needed to save against, after so many times. After defeating ten or so foes with a single type of weapon, the character can gain a +1 to-hit and damage with that weapon, and killing twice that many or so, gains an additional attack/damage bonus, as well as a extra attack per combat round (this can continue for as long as the character uses that type of weapons).
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Re: Advanced Character Guide

Postby AgileDaddy » Wed Jan 20, 2016 4:29 pm

Willy Elektrix wrote:The Time-Displaced race is a good idea. I might adapt ideas from it into my supplement at some point.


The Time-Displaced meme shows up in my games periodically. I especially like it as a player character option in a fantasy setting. Sort of a "Yankee in King Arthur's Court" thing.
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