Neuroglyph
First Post
Name any other game where you can have characters like a radioactive catman, a giant fur-covered yeti-hawk, or the genetically-enhanced human clone of John Stamos? Chances are that unless you are playing the new D&D Gamma World Game, you probably will never have to face such a bizarre gamut of character oddities around your gaming table!
In this the 7th incarnation of the science-fiction role-playing game, Wizards of the Coast has created a 4E-compatible version, using all the basic rules of 4th Edition D&D, but with a few new twists.
Announced at the D&D Expo 2010, and shown of at this year’s GenCon (where an entire seminar was devoted to this release), and with rumors of a free copy hand-delivered to the offices of the PennyArcade webcomic, WotC perform a complete media blitz on behalf of this new D&D 4E “spin-off” game. But is this new boxed-set edition of Gamma World really worth all the hype, as well as the price?
D&D Gamma World Role-Playing Game
D&D Gamma World Role-Playing Game is a 4E compatible “genre-setting” set in a zany post-apocalyptic futuristic world of Gamma Terra, where players get to role-play bizarre and possibly contradictory mutant high-tech characters . The game comes boxed with a 160-page book with rules for character creation, game play rules, and an adventure module for 1st Level characters entitled “Steading of the Iron King”. The box set also contains accessories used in play such as a deck of Alpha Mutations and Omega Tech cards, two sheets of die-cut character and monster tokens, two double-sided battle maps, four double-sided character sheets, and a bonus of the Gamma World Booster Pack with 8 additional cards for the mutations and tech decks. [It should be noted that the game does NOT include a set of polyhedral dice which are required to play any D&D 4E game.]
Production Quality
The production quality of this new edition of D&D Gamma World is simply superb. The box and components are sharp looking and well-made, and it is difficult not to gasp a little the first time you dig your hands into that radiation-green splotched package. The rule-book extremely concise, covering the world setting, character generation, combat rules, and basic role-playing, as well as providing a mini monster manual, DM encounter design tips, and a starting adventure module! And it is also a great read, written with plenty of humor and a light-hearted style which made it easy get through the rulebook’s 160-pages.
The artwork in the book is drawn beautifully in an evocative comic-book style, which seems particularly appropriate for a game about futuristic super-powered mutants. The mini-monster manual is fully illustrated, including a size comparison chart so that the DM can explain just how tiny or massive some horrific beastie is when it comes charging at the party. Those same illustrations adorn the die-cut tokens, so it is easy to sort out a set of monsters for any encounter. The two poster maps were gorgeously rendered, and are specifically designed for the encounters in the started module.
However, the maps give enough variety of terrain types and settings that Dungeon Masters could use them for quite a number of encounters before they got too boring.
The only real disappointment I had with production quality was the character sheets. Providing only four sheets for a game system that revolves around five players and a DM seems a bit lacking. The 6x9” sheets were also designed for people that write in very tiny letters, and there is no additional space in the margins for writing notes and powers down - not even on the back, because they are double-sided, having a completely new character sheet on the other side. Thankfully, before heading over to my first Gamma World gaming session, I had the foresight to hit a copy store and make a dozen copies on standard letter-sized paper, which gave my players plenty of space to jot down notes - and in one notable case, even include a character illustration!
Setting Background
Gamma Terra came into existence as part of a terrible nuclear collider accident in the year 2012, where every possible incarnation of planet Earth, across every timeline and alternate dimension, was momentarily fused into one reality. Anything and everything has became possible on Gamma Terra, from mutants to dinosaurs to space aliens to extra-dimensional terrors, making the setting a true “kitchen sink” of gaming genres.
Let’s just say if a certain chap in a “blue box” showed up on Gamma Terra, he’d take one look out the door, say “WHAT” incredulously several times, then head off to the nearest space pub to get totally stinking, blind drunk for about a week. Yeah, Gamma Terra is that bad!
Character Generation
Creating characters for D&D Gamma World is not only fun, but often uproariously hilarious – frankly I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard at a D&D game. It took approximately 90 minutes to create a team of six mutant characters, which doubtless will get speedier the more experience the players and Dungeon Master have with the rules, character sheet, and the game in general. The process could be seriously increased by the inclusion of power cards for the mutations, similar to the at-will and stance cards which appeared in the “Red Box”, which would then preclude the time to read-off each mutant at-will power for the players to have to jot down. With 6 players and two at-will mutation powers per character, that process was a bit time-consuming, but it did allow all the players to become familiar with the abilities of their teammates.
It should be noted that Amazon lists the components of D&D Gamma World as having “Cardstock character sheets and mutation power cards”, but the box itself only lists “4 Character Sheets”. I would be disappointed to learn that WotC decided to skimp on their plans to include those flimsy card-stock mutation power cards, because that would have really made the character generation process a breeze. For future games, I personally intend to create “cheat-sheets” of the mutant powers for my players, to help speed up the generation process, not to mention game-play in general.
Character generation is fairly straightforward, with each player rolling two mutations for his character at random, which generates the at-will powers, primary and secondary statistic (an 18 in the primary and 16 in the secondary stat), as well as skill bonuses, any AC and non-AC defense bonuses, and other factors like movement speed modifiers, critical damage modifiers, and a suggested character appearance. In essence, the two mutations form together not unlike a hybrid character (as in PHB 3) combined with random racial traits to create a character quickly and easily. Once players have rolled (3d6) their other 4 statistics, and noted their powers and skills, they just need to grab some weapons and armor, pick a card from the Alpha Mutation and Omega Tech decks, and they are ready to kick some mutated butt!
Higher level characters will have access to added utility powers and additional Alpha Mutations, as well as special critical hit options, but starting players need not be concerned with anything but surviving the bizarre and dangerous landscape of Gamma Terra.
New Game Mechanic: Cards
The Alpha Mutations and Omega Tech card decks are a new concept to D&D 4E play. The game comes with 36 of each type of card, and the booster pack provides an addition eight (4 of each type) cards to add to the gaming experience. The Alpha Mutation cards take the place of encounter and daily powers in the D&D Gamma World game, and the Omega Tech is something like a cross between an additional encounter power/utility power and a magic item.
I had the good fortune of being at the D&D Gamma World Seminar at GenCon 2010, and all the attendees received three random cards from booster decks, giving me a selection of 41 Alpha Mutations and 42 Omega Tech cards to use in my game. Per the rulebook, players may elect to purchase booster packs of cards and build their own mutations and tech decks, which can be used at a gaming session to re-supply their powers, but that is not required to play Gamma World at all. Since the DM can designate whether a draw is to be from his deck or the player’s deck during the course of the gaming session, players electing to go the tedious and expensive route of building their own “dream” decks may still not be able to stack the powers in their favor.
The Alpha Mutation and Omega Tech cards themselves are high-quality, slick plastic-coated cards which will likely hold up for years of Gamma World gaming sessions. They have very different appearances to prevent confusion, and are very nicely laid-out, having flavor text, in addition to the power mechanics, to assist in role-playing each Alpha Mutation.
As mentioned previously, the Alpha Mutations act as encounter powers and can be used once per combat – with a minor caveat: rolling a natural one on any d20 roll causes an “alpha flux” which causes a character to discard their alpha mutation card and draw another from the deck! This means that even an alpha mutation card which has been “tapped” during an encounter can be replaced with another ready-to-use encounter power, which is not a bad deal for having terrible dice luck!
However, unlike standard encounter powers, Alpha Mutations can be “overcharged” for increased effect. Each card has a listed power effect, and then an overcharge section at the bottom. Overcharging a power is not without risk, and requires a 10 or higher on a d20 roll to successfully accomplish the overcharge. Some mutations give characters a +2 benefit to overcharging certain types of Alpha Mutations - up to a +4 bonus if both mutations grant the benefit to the same mutation type! The detriments for failing an overcharge roll are fairly hefty, but the added damage and effect are usually sufficient make players want to take a chance on the overcharge roll.
Omega Tech cards also act as encounter powers, but are not replaced during an “alpha flux”. However, they can malfunction about 45% of the time at the end of the encounter (9 or less on a d20 check), and then become useless. Other Omega Tech items can be found randomly as part of an adventure reward, or by searching dangerous installations before or after an encounter.
I have to say that I really like the use of the card decks in D&D Gamma World, and add more to that zany element of play that seems to permeate this recent incarnation of the Gamma World game. They are often humorous to read, and their effects can be downright side-splitting funny, particularly on a failed overcharge effect.
Overall Grade : A-
Conclusion
The D&D Gamma World Role-Playing Game is simply an awesome gaming experience. After just one session, one of my regular D&D gaming groups wants to take a few weeks off just to play GW for a while. The character generation is a blast, and the new card mechanics add a really new and fun edge to standard D&D game-play. The only real downside to the experience was the character sheets and the lack of mutation power cards, but DMs and Players can resolve this shortcoming with a little effort prior to play.
Admittedly, this new game resembles old Gamma World, Rifts, Paranoia, and Toon all rolled into one gaming experience, and that might be a negative for older gamers who played Gamma World when it was a gritty and edgy post-apocalyptic science-fiction RPG. As it happens, at the D&D Gamma World Seminar, one attendee voiced his displeasure at this new light-hearted tongue-in-cheek Gamma World version with a surprising display nerd-rage. But really, there is nothing forcing DMs and Players to play D&D GW as a humorous role-playing romp through Gamm Terra, and the game has more than enough “kitchen sink” variety to accommodate all kinds of play styles.
In fact, my only other complaint is trying to figure out how to get my players to want to go back to plain old D&D anytime soon! But my DM-instincts tell me that D&D Gamma World is more of a “beer-and-pretzels” role-playing game, and is not likely to be a long-term play experience. But I could be wrong, so I guess I better start considering what I might want for a second adventure after my mutant band defeats the “Iron King”!
Acknowledgements
Grade Card
In this the 7th incarnation of the science-fiction role-playing game, Wizards of the Coast has created a 4E-compatible version, using all the basic rules of 4th Edition D&D, but with a few new twists.
Announced at the D&D Expo 2010, and shown of at this year’s GenCon (where an entire seminar was devoted to this release), and with rumors of a free copy hand-delivered to the offices of the PennyArcade webcomic, WotC perform a complete media blitz on behalf of this new D&D 4E “spin-off” game. But is this new boxed-set edition of Gamma World really worth all the hype, as well as the price?D&D Gamma World Role-Playing Game
- Authors: Richard Baker, Bruce R. Cordell
- Illustrators: Steve Ellis (cover), Brett Bean, Steve Ellis, Michael Faille, Jason Juta, Tariq Hassan, Kako, Victoria Maderna, Lee Moyer, Patrick Thomas Parnell (interior), Jason A. Engle (cartography)
- Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
- Year: 2010
- Media: Boxed Set
- Retail Cost: $39.99 ($26.39 from Amazon)
D&D Gamma World Role-Playing Game is a 4E compatible “genre-setting” set in a zany post-apocalyptic futuristic world of Gamma Terra, where players get to role-play bizarre and possibly contradictory mutant high-tech characters . The game comes boxed with a 160-page book with rules for character creation, game play rules, and an adventure module for 1st Level characters entitled “Steading of the Iron King”. The box set also contains accessories used in play such as a deck of Alpha Mutations and Omega Tech cards, two sheets of die-cut character and monster tokens, two double-sided battle maps, four double-sided character sheets, and a bonus of the Gamma World Booster Pack with 8 additional cards for the mutations and tech decks. [It should be noted that the game does NOT include a set of polyhedral dice which are required to play any D&D 4E game.]
Production Quality
The production quality of this new edition of D&D Gamma World is simply superb. The box and components are sharp looking and well-made, and it is difficult not to gasp a little the first time you dig your hands into that radiation-green splotched package. The rule-book extremely concise, covering the world setting, character generation, combat rules, and basic role-playing, as well as providing a mini monster manual, DM encounter design tips, and a starting adventure module! And it is also a great read, written with plenty of humor and a light-hearted style which made it easy get through the rulebook’s 160-pages.
The artwork in the book is drawn beautifully in an evocative comic-book style, which seems particularly appropriate for a game about futuristic super-powered mutants. The mini-monster manual is fully illustrated, including a size comparison chart so that the DM can explain just how tiny or massive some horrific beastie is when it comes charging at the party. Those same illustrations adorn the die-cut tokens, so it is easy to sort out a set of monsters for any encounter. The two poster maps were gorgeously rendered, and are specifically designed for the encounters in the started module.
However, the maps give enough variety of terrain types and settings that Dungeon Masters could use them for quite a number of encounters before they got too boring. The only real disappointment I had with production quality was the character sheets. Providing only four sheets for a game system that revolves around five players and a DM seems a bit lacking. The 6x9” sheets were also designed for people that write in very tiny letters, and there is no additional space in the margins for writing notes and powers down - not even on the back, because they are double-sided, having a completely new character sheet on the other side. Thankfully, before heading over to my first Gamma World gaming session, I had the foresight to hit a copy store and make a dozen copies on standard letter-sized paper, which gave my players plenty of space to jot down notes - and in one notable case, even include a character illustration!
Setting Background
Gamma Terra came into existence as part of a terrible nuclear collider accident in the year 2012, where every possible incarnation of planet Earth, across every timeline and alternate dimension, was momentarily fused into one reality. Anything and everything has became possible on Gamma Terra, from mutants to dinosaurs to space aliens to extra-dimensional terrors, making the setting a true “kitchen sink” of gaming genres.
Let’s just say if a certain chap in a “blue box” showed up on Gamma Terra, he’d take one look out the door, say “WHAT” incredulously several times, then head off to the nearest space pub to get totally stinking, blind drunk for about a week. Yeah, Gamma Terra is that bad!
Character Generation
Creating characters for D&D Gamma World is not only fun, but often uproariously hilarious – frankly I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard at a D&D game. It took approximately 90 minutes to create a team of six mutant characters, which doubtless will get speedier the more experience the players and Dungeon Master have with the rules, character sheet, and the game in general. The process could be seriously increased by the inclusion of power cards for the mutations, similar to the at-will and stance cards which appeared in the “Red Box”, which would then preclude the time to read-off each mutant at-will power for the players to have to jot down. With 6 players and two at-will mutation powers per character, that process was a bit time-consuming, but it did allow all the players to become familiar with the abilities of their teammates.
It should be noted that Amazon lists the components of D&D Gamma World as having “Cardstock character sheets and mutation power cards”, but the box itself only lists “4 Character Sheets”. I would be disappointed to learn that WotC decided to skimp on their plans to include those flimsy card-stock mutation power cards, because that would have really made the character generation process a breeze. For future games, I personally intend to create “cheat-sheets” of the mutant powers for my players, to help speed up the generation process, not to mention game-play in general.
Character generation is fairly straightforward, with each player rolling two mutations for his character at random, which generates the at-will powers, primary and secondary statistic (an 18 in the primary and 16 in the secondary stat), as well as skill bonuses, any AC and non-AC defense bonuses, and other factors like movement speed modifiers, critical damage modifiers, and a suggested character appearance. In essence, the two mutations form together not unlike a hybrid character (as in PHB 3) combined with random racial traits to create a character quickly and easily. Once players have rolled (3d6) their other 4 statistics, and noted their powers and skills, they just need to grab some weapons and armor, pick a card from the Alpha Mutation and Omega Tech decks, and they are ready to kick some mutated butt!
Higher level characters will have access to added utility powers and additional Alpha Mutations, as well as special critical hit options, but starting players need not be concerned with anything but surviving the bizarre and dangerous landscape of Gamma Terra.
New Game Mechanic: Cards
The Alpha Mutations and Omega Tech card decks are a new concept to D&D 4E play. The game comes with 36 of each type of card, and the booster pack provides an addition eight (4 of each type) cards to add to the gaming experience. The Alpha Mutation cards take the place of encounter and daily powers in the D&D Gamma World game, and the Omega Tech is something like a cross between an additional encounter power/utility power and a magic item.
I had the good fortune of being at the D&D Gamma World Seminar at GenCon 2010, and all the attendees received three random cards from booster decks, giving me a selection of 41 Alpha Mutations and 42 Omega Tech cards to use in my game. Per the rulebook, players may elect to purchase booster packs of cards and build their own mutations and tech decks, which can be used at a gaming session to re-supply their powers, but that is not required to play Gamma World at all. Since the DM can designate whether a draw is to be from his deck or the player’s deck during the course of the gaming session, players electing to go the tedious and expensive route of building their own “dream” decks may still not be able to stack the powers in their favor.
The Alpha Mutation and Omega Tech cards themselves are high-quality, slick plastic-coated cards which will likely hold up for years of Gamma World gaming sessions. They have very different appearances to prevent confusion, and are very nicely laid-out, having flavor text, in addition to the power mechanics, to assist in role-playing each Alpha Mutation.
As mentioned previously, the Alpha Mutations act as encounter powers and can be used once per combat – with a minor caveat: rolling a natural one on any d20 roll causes an “alpha flux” which causes a character to discard their alpha mutation card and draw another from the deck! This means that even an alpha mutation card which has been “tapped” during an encounter can be replaced with another ready-to-use encounter power, which is not a bad deal for having terrible dice luck!
However, unlike standard encounter powers, Alpha Mutations can be “overcharged” for increased effect. Each card has a listed power effect, and then an overcharge section at the bottom. Overcharging a power is not without risk, and requires a 10 or higher on a d20 roll to successfully accomplish the overcharge. Some mutations give characters a +2 benefit to overcharging certain types of Alpha Mutations - up to a +4 bonus if both mutations grant the benefit to the same mutation type! The detriments for failing an overcharge roll are fairly hefty, but the added damage and effect are usually sufficient make players want to take a chance on the overcharge roll.
Omega Tech cards also act as encounter powers, but are not replaced during an “alpha flux”. However, they can malfunction about 45% of the time at the end of the encounter (9 or less on a d20 check), and then become useless. Other Omega Tech items can be found randomly as part of an adventure reward, or by searching dangerous installations before or after an encounter.
I have to say that I really like the use of the card decks in D&D Gamma World, and add more to that zany element of play that seems to permeate this recent incarnation of the Gamma World game. They are often humorous to read, and their effects can be downright side-splitting funny, particularly on a failed overcharge effect.
Overall Grade : A-
Conclusion
The D&D Gamma World Role-Playing Game is simply an awesome gaming experience. After just one session, one of my regular D&D gaming groups wants to take a few weeks off just to play GW for a while. The character generation is a blast, and the new card mechanics add a really new and fun edge to standard D&D game-play. The only real downside to the experience was the character sheets and the lack of mutation power cards, but DMs and Players can resolve this shortcoming with a little effort prior to play.
Admittedly, this new game resembles old Gamma World, Rifts, Paranoia, and Toon all rolled into one gaming experience, and that might be a negative for older gamers who played Gamma World when it was a gritty and edgy post-apocalyptic science-fiction RPG. As it happens, at the D&D Gamma World Seminar, one attendee voiced his displeasure at this new light-hearted tongue-in-cheek Gamma World version with a surprising display nerd-rage. But really, there is nothing forcing DMs and Players to play D&D GW as a humorous role-playing romp through Gamm Terra, and the game has more than enough “kitchen sink” variety to accommodate all kinds of play styles.
In fact, my only other complaint is trying to figure out how to get my players to want to go back to plain old D&D anytime soon! But my DM-instincts tell me that D&D Gamma World is more of a “beer-and-pretzels” role-playing game, and is not likely to be a long-term play experience. But I could be wrong, so I guess I better start considering what I might want for a second adventure after my mutant band defeats the “Iron King”!
Acknowledgements
- Kudos to anyone who got my poorly veiled "Dr.Who" reference. If ever there was a game begging for a cameo from the good Doctor, D&D Gamma World is it!
- Illustration of Dr. Hairwington the Yeti-Hawk courtesy of Robert Kusiak, whose other credits include the Passive Perceptions D&D webcomic, recently debuted at Neuroglyph Games!
Grade Card
- Presentation: A-
- - Design: B+
- - Illustrations: A
- Content: A-
- - Crunch: A+
- - Fluff: B+
- Value: A-
