d20 Future: Mutants as a Separate Species

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I've been toying a little with the Mutation rules in d20 Future and d20 Apocalypse, and one thing that's frustrated me is that all of the beneficial mutations have to be balanced out with drawbacks.

Of course, I understand this from game balance reasons, but I am accustomed to games allowing Mutants to have a considerable "edge" in beneficial mutations over drawbacks. Alternity handled this pretty well by removing the Human bonus skill points from Mutant characters-- something I've been emulating in my house rules regarding Templates.

Right now, I'm experiment with allowing a dedicated Mutant to replace the Human bonus feat and skill point for 5 MP, and the Mutant is required to take at least one drawback. (The Mutant gets the points for the drawback, so starts with at least 6 MP.)

I'm also planning to allow Mutants (and Xixchil, if the setting allows for them) to trade in +1 LA for 8 free MP, as written in d20 Apocalypse. I'm divided as to whether or not I'd allow Humans or any other race to take mutations "normally" by buying MP with drawbacks, since there are already special rules in place for mutants.

Does this work? Would you consider it for your own games, particularly post-apocalyptic ones? (I originally worked the rules out for Star*Drive.)

 

[philreed]

There are some existing options for taking beneficial mutations without drawbacks.

The Future: Datastream has run an advanced class for mutants while the Future Player's Companion has environment packages (and at least one feat) that grants mutations without drawbacks.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I don't have D20 Apocalypse, but I heard on another forum they let you trade out 8 MP for a point of level adjustment, and there's a feat that gives you 5 MP. (The drawback is the feat ... a minor drawback if you ask me.)

It's best if you find the book and at least skim it to see if the rumors are right, however.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

If I missed that feat, I'm going to feel damned foolish-- considering that's almost the exact same thing I proposed and I own d20 Apocalypse.

The 8 MP for +1 LA caught my attention, but I wanted an option for ECL 0 mutants, as well.

One thing I'm thinking of doing in my D&D game is allowing anything with the Aberration type to take LA for MP, even after character creation-- mainly as a benefit for Xixchil, though I could see some Elan or even Illithids using it. (Heh. And so that I don't have to worry about creating Xixchil Graft rules.)

Anyone have a good system for handling mutation ability bonuses? Alternity had mutations that would add to ability scores, and d20 Future allows you to gain 4 MP for a -2 penalty. Would it be fair to allow +2 to a score for 4 MP? If I did that, should I limit it to +2, make modifiers higher than that progressively more expensive, or leave it alone? Should I limit Ability Decay to -2?

 

[Ymdar]

You should only allow PC's to take ability upgrade/decay only once for a given ability. This should prevent the slighest possibility of powergaming. (which is generally a valid threat in a d20 game )

 

[eyebeams]

Posthuman: The Definitive D20 Guide to Human Augmentation allows you to purchase mutations as biotech mods or add a template that provides mutations without drawbacks. You can also freely mix mutations and cybernetics in the same character.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

The 8 MP for +1 LA caught my attention, but I wanted an option for ECL 0 mutants, as well.

What would you do to balance them? They have t give up something. If not taking negative mutations, what would they give up?

d20 Future allows you to gain 4 MP for a -2 penalty. Would it be fair to allow +2 to a score for 4 MP?

Nope. A lot of mutations are worth fewer points than the "reverse" mutation is, and for good reason. It's easy to make a penalty not count most of the time. It's hard to take away such a bonus most of the time.

 

[Ymdar]

OR with increasing the MP value for +1 LA you could create a setting like X-Men.

 

[RodneyThompson]

There's actually going to be a system in the Future Player's Companion Volume 3 that allows you to do just this, so hopefully you won't have long to wait.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

What would you do to balance them? They have to give up something. If not taking negative mutations, what would they give up?

Human racial traits-- they lose their feat and skill points in exchange for 5 MP. They're required to take at least 1 point of Drawback, but they still get points back for taking it. I also give Humans a mild XP bonus in my games, and Mutants would be forsaking that, too.

I'm trying, in some small fashion, to replicate the handling of mutants in Alternity, where they generally had slightly more benefits than drawbacks, but didn't gain any of the normal bonuses for being Human.

Nope. A lot of mutations are worth fewer points than the "reverse" mutation is, and for good reason. It's easy to make a penalty not count most of the time. It's hard to take away such a bonus most of the time.

So, what rate would you suggest? A simple ability boost is universal to almost all mutation systems in RPGs, and I was very much surprised to see it missing from d20 Future. Five MP? Six?

It's an absence that I think needs repaired, especially since certain mutations strongly imply the need for them-- how do you have Powerful Build without a Strength bonus? How do you have Redundant Vital Organs or Enhanced Skeleton without a Constitution bonus?