I AM THE LAW!

[1970]

Has anyone considered using 200AD's Judge Dredd comics as a resource for MF? I could see a bunch of Pure-Strain Humans and Robots/Cyborgs in the Mega-Cities with Mutants hiding in the lower levels plotting revenge on the more pretty races. I guess it would be fairly standard city-crawling adventure, with a few modifications to the game's assumptions, like having guns and vehicles be rare.

A more MF-friendly setting would probably be the Cursed Earth: the land between Mega-Cities. It's full of lawlessness, petty warlords and mutants. Lots of action.

On a related note, I'm trying to get into the old Rogue Trooper comics. Has anyone else read them? How relevant are they to a MF game?

[gentleman john]

I've never seen Judge Dredd as being a natural fit for MF, although you could certainly use it as inspiration for a MF game. Mind you, I'm biased, having played four different versions of rules optimised for the Judge Dredd setting.

Why wouldn't it work for me? Too much knowledge of Judge Dredd, to be honest. For a start, the Mega Cities are just too organised and locked down. Or were, prior to certain events. For a second, while the Judges would make decent PSH characters in terms of a MF-based game, I'm not too sure about the run of the mil criminals and citizens that they deal with. However, if you bring in such plots as the First Robot War, the Apocalypse War, Captain Skank ... Really, the more fantastic ones fit very nicely with a MF game. However, they're not what I would have turning up every time in a Judge Dredd game. I prefer the satire-based humour of the comic and having that. However, YMMV.

The Cursed Earth, on the other hand, is a very good setting for a MF game and contains lots of classic tropes. Aliens, slavers, Gila-Munja assassins ... oooh. Shiny.

I suggest (if you haven't already) you get hold of the Cursed Earth saga collected editions just to see what madness was wrought in the name of thrill-power. I also seriously suggest that you take a look at the Judge Minty movie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aavS_XUITXU) on Youtube. Perfect source material.

That said, I have used Judge Dredd to inspire some of the oddities I have posted to the forum, so it is good for inspiration.

Now, Rogue Trooper ... I have to ask, which incarnation? In my opinion, the original run (ie, the search for the Traitor General) is very relevant to MF. You have war on a terminally polluted planet, filled with mutated life forms. You have bizarre weaponry being employed by both sides (Dreamweaver tanks, Hard Rain). You have bizarre societies (Fort Neuro being the perfect example). As if that wasn't enough, you have the GIs themselves, who have been gentically engineered to survive without protective suits in this environment. Very relevant.

[JDJarvis]

Id did a mash-up of Mobius Gravis and Judge Dred (with a little soylent green) using Gamma World years back. It was fun for a few sessions. Something like it would work for GW. I'd go more for influence and bits to borrow than direct recreation.

[1970]

I wasn't sure of using Judge Dredd as straight source material either. Sadly, the comic is kind of mundane for a MF game. I haven't read all that much of it, but the First Robot War was a fun read. I'm working my way up to the original Cursed Earth series, but from what I've glanced through it looked good. I understand that most of the villains/miscreants would be too mundane for a real MF game, but it was a fun thought in spite of that. Regardless, I didn't see it as being sustainable. MF is too gonzo to be contained within one city, IMO.

I haven't looked at the Judge Minty video yet. I'll have to get on that.

As for Rogue Trooper, it would indeed be the original series. I haven't looked through it yet, as I am patiently awaiting its arrival.

I've never heard of Mobius Gravis before, or at least I don't think I have. What's it about?

[gentleman john]

I haven't looked at the Judge Minty video yet. I'll have to get on that.

Do. It knocks both Dredd movies flying. Seriously. And the Cursed Earth sequences are brilliant.

[1970]

Watched Minty. That was slick!

[gentleman john]

Glad you liked it.

[seneschal]

If you can find them, Eclipse Comics' X-Mutants and Wild Knights series are perfect matches for Mutant Future.

[greyarea]

I loved the Judge Minty movie. (I'm also a fan of the recent Dredd film as well, as an aside.) I've read some but not lots of the Judge Dredd comics (or Rogue Trooper, for that matter). I agree that the Mega-Cities would not work but the Cursed Earth would, at least as far as I recall.

Now, the Ex-Mutants (published by Eternity and Amazing) was an excellent book in the black-and-white explosion in the mid 80s. Great stuff. It came back in the 90s by Malibu, as I recall. Wasn't as good.

Scout by Eclipse, Kamandi by DC and Doomsday +1 by Charleton (reprinted as the Doomsday Squad by Fantagraphics) are also excellent source material.

[MythAdvocate]

Why do you say that such a campaign would be unsustainable?