Gamma World is a Gas!

[Reaper Steve]

I picked up Gamma World Friday night! The store I bought it from sold out of all 12 copies it ordered that day.
I love it... I'm amazed at how the 4E rules can be boiled down into such a concisely presented book. It is a streamlined version of 4E (no charges, delays, readies; second wind is a MINOR for everyone; weapon categories instead of specific stats for each; etc)... which is perfect for Gamma World. Opportunity attacks and other immediate reactions/interrupts still exist. Honestly, I'd like to give D&D a try using the Gamma World skinnyness!

Saturday I helped 4 guys make characters and I ran them through the first encounter. (We planned for more, but the super intense Castle Ravenloft game beforehand ate into our time.)

The characters were:
A Hypercognitive Plant (who had to leave after the first round. Turns out the brainiac vegetation didn't have the 'spine' for combat!)
An Electrokinetic Gravity Controller (never used his mutation)
A Telekinetic Swarm of Rats with a Rubbery Skeleton, giving it Reach 1 and overcharged Resist 10... it was awesome! It all went together so well, he was untouchable!
And the real star of the show: A Radioactive Mind Coercer with Stink Glands!

------Encounter Spoilers--------

(too much for spoiler tags and this encounter is a free preview at Wizards anyway, so I'm not gonna sweat it--you've been warned!)

Only after all the players placed their tokens on the map did 'Stinky' (as we dubbed him) realize that his powerful funk affected all creatures, including allies, so their was a mad scramble to get away from him! He used his stink glands to good effect against a porker for a few turns, but couldn't prevent the other one from knocking the Electrokinetic into the Radioactive Crater. The combination of porker flail, fall, and radiation left him dying... uh-oh. But wait, Stinky was radioactive and had Resist 15 radiation, so he leapt into the pit (using gavity control to land on his feet) to save his companion. Unfortunately, the ongoing radiation damage killed Electro-boy before Stinky could climb out with him. Heroic, yet tragic... the ongoing 8 radiation took him to exactly negative bloodied. I offered to let it do one less point of damage so he wouldn't die since they were playing awesomely and he missed using second wind as a minor, but he was out of time and needed to leave, so he let his character die. It was worth it for the story!
Stinky emerged from the pit to find the Swarm of Rats holding its own against the remaining porker and badder. Using clever teamwork and forced movement from Stinky's powerful funk and a Telekinetic Push from the Rats, the Heroes posistioned the foes just right for Stinky to overcharge his stink glands and purge them in one foul blast of poison wind! Both foes were already at single digit HP, so Stinky's gas was literally lethal to them! We couldn't stop laughing! The crude humor was already out of control from Sttinky in the first place and additive to the 3 foul belches that the porkers unleashed during the game... ending the encounter with a lethal blast of ass was over the top! It really seemed like these characters were purpose built to synergize with the encounter, but it was purely a mad dose of randomness!
So two survivors decided to go back to the village to round up some more mutant freaks before trying to enter the tower proper... to be continued!

I highly recommend GW. I think it would be fun to run Encounters style (1-2 encounters every so often) even if it doesn't take a prominent spot in your game rotation. I also think that it will be a great gateway to D&D, maybe moreso than the Red Box. Since character generation is random, fast, and fun, new players don't have to make uninformed decisions to build a character. And if my first encounter is any indication, the game is light and zany and encourages laughs, which is a great draw.

Sign up for GW Game Day at your FLGS on the 23rd if you haven't done so!

RS

 

[Festivus]

I rolled up a couple characters yesterday and found that was pretty entertaining. I imagined that my giant plant was using a 4x4 fence post from the garden it spawned from.

Half the fun is that there are no weapons or armor... it's all what you make up.

Can't wait to play this.

 

[Stumblewyk]

I haven't played it yet and I don't even own it, but GW strikes me as being a great time. I just don't know how, when, or where I'd find the time or people to play it. My D&D groups play D&D. The one meets monthly, the other bi-weekly. We're not going to start up a separate GW game, and we're not going to stop our D&D games to play GW. =/

 

[RigaMortus2]

A Hypercognitive Plant (who had to leave after the first round. Turns out the brainiac vegetation didn't have the 'spine' for combat!)

OK, I have to nit pick here...

Why would you highlight your pun as he didn't have the spine for combat?

When the REAL pun should have been:

A Hypercognitive Plant (who had to leave after the first round.

I don't mean to be a prick but these missed attempts at a legitimate pun are a real thorn in my side. Do you know what I green? Errr, mean!?

Ok, I'll stop now

 

[davethegame]

I ran it yesterday morning during DC Game Day. Had an awesome time, even though 5 out of the 6 players didn't know what they were in for, and 2 hadn't played 4e before. I managed to get my hands on the PAX preview adventure, which was great. The whole thing ended in a TPK, though they succeeded in their mission. I think it says a lot for a game (even a one-shot) when everybody dies but they still loved playing.

 

[Plane Sailing]

RM2, didn't you realise puns are the root of all evil? All kinds of madness stem from there, just leaf them alone, OK? My buddies Chlora, Phil and the others are just waiting to make withering comments, and I dare say that many other thoughts are budding right now, petal!

 

[Taed]

My son and I are planning to play on Game Day in two weeks. My 9-year-old son is very interested in the collectible card aspect. How do the cards fit into the game? Namely, are they actions, equipment, mutations, etc.?

I'm glad that it's 4e-like; that will make life simpler for all of our usual players.

 

[Tiitha]

Sounds pretty fun. I think I'll buy a pack of cards and try it out on Gamma World Day.

 

[Reaper Steve]

My son and I are planning to play on Game Day in two weeks. My 9-year-old son is very interested in the collectible card aspect. How do the cards fit into the game? Namely, are they actions, equipment, mutations, etc.?

I'm glad that it's 4e-like; that will make life simpler for all of our usual players.

Ecah player can construct two decks of cards, with a minimum of 7 cards each. One deck is alpha mutations, the other omega tech. A first level character starts with one of each readied.

Alpha mutations, used or not, are discarded and redrawn after every encounter. They normally have a standard use and an overcharge use (10+ it's uber, 9 or less and you'll wish you didn't roll.) Plus, if you roll a 1 on a d20 (at any time), an alpha flux occurs and you discard a mutation (used or not) and draw a new one. (maybe I should use this instead of reckless breakage in Dark Sun...)

Omega tech is usually awesome weaponry. You usually find one after every encounter. You can have as many readied as you like. Their initial--and most powerful--effect is usually a one shot. After that, if your character is high enough level, you can salvage the gear and continue to use it at a reduced effect.

The collectability comes in to play when you build your decks. No more than two of each card. So, you could make a crazy random deck, or a tight, min sized deck with duplicates to almost guarantee you get what you want. Of course there's a catch... some game effects make you draw from the GM's decks, which he of course has customizied to what he wants you to have!

 

[Odhanan]

I can't wait to receive it myself. This is going to be a blast.