Pure Strain Humans...why ask why?

[Atomic Ray]

This is one of those issues that keep a PA game designer up at night lol.

"how to bring about the fall"
"why are there mutations"
"what does a spider goat taste like"

and the big one, "why be a Pure Strain Human (PSH)"

*****

There are some easy answers:

mundanes outnumber the mutants and will generally hang, kill, or burn at the stake any and all mutants

PSH are the only ones who have access to pre fall technology, education, and training

Robots and AI will not recognize non-PSH via retinal scans, bio scans, etc.

because nothing quite fits when you are a mutant

*****

In the end I tend to grant pure strain humans advantages of stability and resistance.

I usually class them in two groups, innies and outies.

Innies are those PSH who have been isolated from the fall in domes, shelters, vaults, or even on space stations/moon...they have been screened, manipulated, and other aspects to create a pure form of humanity...good education, training, etc...a longer life span with an extended maturity span, 3 years to 1...so a 30yr old will look like a 10yr old and a 90yr old will look like a 30yr old...the average PHS innie has a life span of 120-130 with some reaching 200...so a wealth of skills, education, and related is the advantage of the PSH innie.

outies are those PSH who have made it through the worst of the fall and made it through with their humanity intact...resistant to mutation, to radiation, to disease, etc...they never get cancer for example...outies have an extended life span, 2 yrs to 1...so a 30yr old will look like a 15yr old and a 90yr old will look like a 45yr old...the average life span of an PSH outie is 120-130 with some reaching 200...outies have the advantage of living on the ground, building knowledge of the new world, etc. they are the keepers of new medicine, as well as the lands and seas.

This is how I handle PSH.

Why play a PSH? Because they know more, have vast skill bases, and live a long long time.

[Wizardawn]

why be a Pure Strain Human (PSH)

I never really think of this as a "campaign setting" type option for games. I always considered humans to be used as a baseline for the other races/types. Star Frontiers for example has nothing to do with Earth (much like Star Wars). It is just some universe where there are "humans". This just gives players a way to identify with something related to real life. Some of us play the RPGs to take the role of a orc, dwarf, or dralasite...because they are different than ourselves. Others want to play the humans for reasons such as..."what would it be like if I were thrown into this world with only a sword or laser gun".

[sniderman]

Well, PSH -- to me -- are like playing a "Fighter" in Ye Olde OSR Fantasy Gayme. After all, why play "Mr. Hit It With My Axe" when you could instead cast spells, or backstab, or cure wounds, or talk with animals, etc. But Fighters are strong and hearty. They wade into dangerous situations because they have more hit points and better bonuses in combat. That's a good place to start with PSH.

In my games, mankind yearns to return to The Way Is Was. The Ancients are gods. So PSH are the closest genetic link to the Ancient past, so civilization treats them with more respect. They haven't been twisted and mutated, therefore they enjoy a bit of a social "bump". I also give 'em Charisma bonuses out the wahzoo.

And because they don't get Mutant abilities, I always let them start with a "better weapon" than the rest, perhaps a lazer pistol...

[Atomic Ray]

Two replies!

Wow!

LOL

I was beginning to think it was just me.

*****

Both good plans for PSH.

I can go how ever the players want but for me I do like to establish a high standard for humanity at this point in the game, with only the strong remaining unmutated...as noted above, closer to the gods or the ancients.

As far as starting with a better weapon this can be a death sentence with a mutant bully killing the PSH for his shiny shiny bang stick

The way I like to work around this is a genetic key on the pieces that have been passed down from parent to child...the fabulous sun sword for example...it could be keyed only for the Thundarr family...it only turns on for a genetic match.

(what even the Thundarr family does not know is that the complex ritual of passing along the sun sword is actually a program lock setting pattern...they do not know this so they think it is a blood borne privilege)



Please keep posting, find other threads, let us keep the mutant fun going!

[JDJarvis]

In games I've played medical-tech works well on normal human. Mutants might not benefit from medical-tech. I have mutants make a save on the first use of a med to see it if works on them, if they roll a 1 on the save they have a bad reaction and suffer a random intensity poison attack.

Armor and other hi-tech gear is also less likely to work in the hands of mutants as well depending on mutations. Armor does not magically re-size itself.

NPCs are also suspicious of strangers, normal humans have a range of capabilities folks will generally be aware of, ypu don't have to worry too much about a normal human whipping up a death field.

[Atomic Ray]

All good points.

In many parts of the PA gaming worlds, mutants are the foundation for fertilizer

[gentleman john]

The way I like to work around this is a genetic key on the pieces that have been passed down from parent to child...the fabulous sun sword for example...it could be keyed only for the Thundarr family...it only turns on for a genetic match.

Interestingly enough, this was one of the advantages that PSHs had in the Alternity version of Gamma World. Certain items of equipment could only be used by PSHs, while other items could be used by both PSHs and Androids. So, if you played a PSH you had access to more technology than the other character types. Of course, there was a sting in this particular tale - but I won't spoil it for anyone who doesn't have that particular set of the GW rules.

I think some of the older versions of GW had it that PSHs had certain "command privileges" for computers and other AI machinery, possibly even Androids. This is something I have brought into some of the con games of MF that I've run. After all, if you're the only person who can potentially reprogram that Death Machine - if you can find the right level of ID - then people might decide to look after you.

[Atomic Ray]

Good stuff.

"the others might protect him"

Sounds like how most D&D protect the low level magic user or cleric lol.

[Gavin]

The setting for MF I'm designing is inspired by comics with post-apocalyptic settings. So, the only playable classes are genetically manipulated designed to be the defenders of one of the last major PSH cities left in North America. So it will almost be like a super-hero fueled concept in a PA setting. To me, this seems to be more of a fun concept then having PSH characters being playable. I can get why some people would want to play PSH characters but I want to do something different.

[Atomic Ray]

Sounds like fun.

Superhero PA gaming is a blast also.