Mutant Madness - Notes On Mutants

Note that this blog entry came from the annals of 2011. Before the release of Deadpool & Deadpool II. And since then the Marvel Xmen movies are now owned by Disney. The information still applies to an upcoming personal project of mine.

 Mutant Madness

So  X-Men First Class opened over the weekend & others have covered it in their blogs. Needless to say that over the weekend I printed out the Mystery Men Rpg from Here. I've only glanced at it but none the less it looks pretty damn good. The stats look as if I'm going to have no problem with any super hero antics. There will be more about the game later.  My recent experience with mutants comes about because of the Mutant Future game. This Gamma World inheritor is built on the on the labyrith lord core rules. Its been out for quite sometime now & if  you want to take a look then down load it here .Mutant Future. 
There have been countless reviews Review Grognardia 
Instead I want to talk about one of my favorite threads that appeared on the old Mutant Future Forums!
This one! Media Monsters! Make sure you turn down your volume on your computer. Here you will find pretty much everything you need to make your own faux  X men style rpg campaign. From Wolverine's tribe to a nightcrawler want to be. This was all done by one guy! There are far too many supports to list for the game. Note that that one guy was my buddy Chris Van Deleen! Thanks Chris! 
Now I want to mention something about mutants from the old school science fiction stories. Most of what I've found lurking within the internet isn't very much at all for the early science fiction. The Man Of The Year One Million 1893 isn't out there. Only Well's Time Machine is easy to find. Edward Hamilton's The Man Who Evolved 1931 is very similar to the film Altered States  except that one uses cosmic radiation & the other drugs.
Odd John was pretty well covered by the Old School Heretic.You can down load here Odd John  Odd John is the mutation after man born within the confines of a civilized world.
Many of the early science fiction mutants don't belong anywhere! They are doomed to die because they're unbalanced, unnatural, & enviromental monsters! Does this mean that they can't be used  in a game? Heck no, there are plenty of places to use these man monster types. Simply roll your favorite mutations, give him, her, or it a hidden agenda with some evil intention & go from there.

Slan by  A. E. van Vogt is the perfect old school x style mutation before the word mutant came into being. From Wiki: Slans are evolved humans, named after their alleged creator, Samuel Lann. They have the psychic abilities to read minds and are super-intelligent. They possess near limitless stamina, "nerves of steel", and superior strength and speed. When Slans are ill or seriously injured, they go into a healing trance automatically.
There are two kinds of Slans. One has tendrils and can read the minds of ordinary humans and telepathically communicate with other Slans. The tendrils are golden in colour thus making it easy to spot a slan. These Slans are hunted to near extinction. The other type of Slan is tendrilless. They are still super intelligent but do not have psychic capabilities, only the ability to hide their thoughts from the first type of Slan. Kier Gray is the leader of the human society and promises to exterminate the Slans. As the novel begins, Jommy Cross (a telepathic Slan of the first type) is brought with his mother to the capital, Centropolis. They are both discovered, and Jommy's mother is killed. Jommy is only nine years old and manages to escape. Jommy Cross is not only the heir to the brilliant inventions of his father, but he represents the last hope of his race to save it from genocide. Because of the importance of his mission, he is opposed by various enemies. 
Anyhow this book has everything you've come to expect from a "mutant spieces". A rebellion,  Magneto style speeches, etc. All here. Tract this one down. Its a pulpy classic. 
So what does all this have to do with old school space gaming? How can I use mutant humans? Well there are several options. The usual trope of  humans visiting a planet full of mutants comes to mind. There's the lost colony 
bit, post apocalypse planets & alien worlds are certainly an option. There are really unlimited fields here.
Mutant Event Table Roll 1d10 

1. There is a signal coming from a lone space craft. The design hasn't been seen since the 3rd World War. A mutant overlord is aboard! 
2. A ruined space station is encountered aboard are the bodies of several mutant aliens. These are actually home to some mind slugs ala The Puppet Masters 
3. The character's ship is mistaken for combatants in an intergalactic genetic arms race. If the party loses they become a genetic resource for one of the combatants 
4. Genetic Pirates! A band of evolutionary pirates wants the genome of the party for sale on the open market. Their unique genetic codes are very valuable 
5. Cosmic Messiah  Missionaries - Convert or Die. These missionaries are part of a genetically descended race of mutants who want to convert or kill anyone they run across. 
6. The Cure - A band of mutants signals the characters & wants to hire them to help them find a "cure" for their race's sudden wide spread mutation. 
7. You are one of use now. A band of humanoid mutants wants to spread its genetic seed to other races. One of the party is a target  
8. Mutant riders- A signal comes into the character's ship. A group of friendly humanoids wants to trade. The traders are actually a mutant alien life form that needs a new host 
9. A group of mutant children is fleeing from a hostile power, will you help them? 
10. The party is hunted down by a Star Child entity who wishes to evolve them to the next level of their race's ultimate form.