Gamma World: Our First Session

[Wik]

That's the joy of it. Go big or go home; ludicrous, overpowered mutations and effects are one of the things that define this sort of "wahoo!" game style. There's no expectation of character survival, and either the beasties or the PCs can just plain get lucky. Very different from D&D, and for me very freeing.

Exactly. In our two encounters, we had two PCs knocked to negatives. I am sure that we'll have a death soon enough - and that's part of the fun. Once you know what you're doing, you can make a new character within about ten minutes (it took us longer because there's only one book).

 

[Wik]

For what it's worth, I should add that this is the third version of Gamma World that I've played, and it's the fourth version I've owned (fifth, if you count mutant future's PDF). In addition to this version, I've played Omega World (a d20 Polyhedron minigame using 3.0e rules) and Gamma World 4th Edition (which came out a year or two before third edition).

And honestly, this game is my least favourite of the three in some ways, and most favourite in others. I like it less because it lacks hindrance mutations as a permanent part of your character (it's fun rolling an awesome four-armed level-draining furiour badger only to find out he has leukemia!) and because the entire game is aimed towards short campaigns - I really don't think you can turn Gamma World 4e into a campaign without a LOT of work.

And I like it more because of that exact reason. It identifies a goal for itself, and pursues that goal. It is an RPG that plays like a board game, and dammit, I love it for that.

***

Also, the more I look at this game, the more I realize it might be kind of hard to port D&D monsters into Gamma World, mostly because the damage values are definitely off in comparison to Gamma World PCs, and the expectation with most D&D monsters is that they're going against a balanced party, whereas in Gamma World, there ain't no such thing.

 

[TarionzCousin]

... and for me very freeing.

Is this why you DM pantsless?

... it all makes sense now....

 

[mach1.9pants]

^ I just threw up in my mouth

 

[The Human Target]

Oh god, Amazon has this for 27 bucks.

I could totally buy two sets of Dungeon Tiles for that price and get a lot more use out of them.

But this is so... new... and shiny...

 

[Vendark]

I like it less because it lacks hindrance mutations as a permanent part of your character (it's fun rolling an awesome four-armed level-draining furiour badger only to find out he has leukemia!)

I've been encouraging players who roll very poorly for one or more stats (say, a 7 or less) to come up with permanent mutations that account for their characters' deficiencies.

 

[Tortoise]

Just received my copy yesterday. On the brief glance into it, I think it'll be fun to use as a break from regular campaigns and for quick pick-up games.

However, like many others I'm disappointed in a number of things, the biggest of which is the issue of the cards having the same backs. Not to cast aspersions on the messenger, but I don't believe the production budget excuse for why the cards have the same color backs. They're producing them in a collectible format, selling 8 cards per booster for $4 a pack. That leaves plenty of profit margin within which making the backs two different colors could not have eaten too much into it.

Other negatives are the choice of colors for the characer sheets, and the small font inside the book. There's plenty of white space that would have allowed a bit larger font. My poor aging eyes trying to read this stuff, EGAD!

The token art is also too cluttered for my poor eyes trying to discern the images among the assault of colors. Where's the contrast?

That's also a lot of box for such small amount of contents. Of course the up side there is storage space for supplemental stuff bought later.

Regardless, I expect to have a blast with the game.

 

[Neonchameleon]

That's the joy of it. Go big or go home; ludicrous, overpowered mutations and effects are one of the things that define this sort of "wahoo!" game style. There's no expectation of character survival, and either the beasties or the PCs can just plain get lucky. Very different from D&D, and for me very freeing.

I didn't say the whole of what I meant. Those really big cards are only in booster packs rather than in the base set. It's that part that bugs me. I wouldn't mind in the same way if everyone used the same table.

And I'm going to be dishing out Alpha Mutations in my current D&D game as a week long (IC) blessing reward for something. Just keep them on their toes.

 

[Wik]

I didn't say the whole of what I meant. Those really big cards are only in booster packs rather than in the base set. It's that part that bugs me. I wouldn't mind in the same way if everyone used the same table.

And I'm going to be dishing out Alpha Mutations in my current D&D game as a week long (IC) blessing reward for something. Just keep them on their toes.

But they're not, though. The black ray pistol, for example, is in the deck that comes with the game. And you can play the game just using the GM's deck - the collectible option is just that.... optional.

What it does allow is players to customize their character, so that all their possible mutations are bio mutations, and all their gear is fun stuff. But even then, they're drawing from the GM's deck roughly 50% of the time.

By the way, the exact same thing happens in D&D. All those great powers are usually found in splat books. How is there any difference? It's just that now, a player can buy perhaps $20 worth of cards (maybe 35-40 cards?), pick out the fifteen best, and throw them in his character deck - and maybe trade the others for cards more useful for himself.

I really don't see the problem.

 

[ced1106]

See this would be a problem stemming from familiarity of 4E. "Charging' exists there but it doesn't in GW. How do i know? It's not in the rulebook! Therefore there is no 'charge' attack in GW (and in a world with lots of guns who the heck would charge their foe anyways!?)

I suspect that you could easily "port" the full 4e mechanics into GW -- good use for that Rules Compendium book. I bet the stripped-down 4e rules in GW were there for the new players (charging isn't in the D&D Starter Set, either) or dubious "budget" reasons.

Thanks for the session report! I've heard negative things about the adventure (it sure reads like a D&D dungeoncrawl), but it looks like it worked just fine!