Hero Creation

There are four broad categories that Players can choose from when creating their Post-Apocalyptic Alternity Heroes: True Men, Mutants, Mutated Animals, and Mutated Plants. In the latter three cases, the Player may opt to run a character from either a stable genome (an established "monster" species) or an unstable one (a "random" or unique character). Of course, if the Player and Gamemaster agree to it, characters based on an unstable genome can become templates for an established species, which can then be incorporated into the overall campaign setting.

True Men

True Men are the genetically "perfect" descendants of those humans who survived the Apocalypse genetically unscathed. These, in turn, were the "better half" of Pre-Apocalyptic society - individuals who were deliberately bred to possess those traits deemed most desirable by their culture. True Men in the post-apocalyptic world are "the beautiful people."

Roleplaying

True Men are as varied in their outlook and attitudes after the Apocalypse as human beings in the real world are today. Some of them are extraordinarily unbiased and accepting (these tend to be Restorationists or Healers), though militant and xenophobic groups (such as the Knights of Genetic Purity) are more often identified with True Men by members of other species.

Special Abilities

GENETIC STABILITY: Because their ancestors' DNA was manipulated to be "superior," True Men possess an increased resistance to radiation. When in the presence of radioactivity, True Men make Constitution feat checks against the following table:

True Men cannot gain mutations from radiation (though sufficient exposure will kill them as readily as any other species!).

GREAT LOOKS: Per the Player's Handbook. Note that this applies only to Mutants from cultures that would find an "ideal" human phenotype attractive. If a player wants his True Man character to be good looking even by True Man standards, then he or she must buy the Perk separately. The Gamemaster has final say on when this perk's bonus is applied.

ROBUST IMMUNE SYSTEM: Biological warfare was as much a part of the Apocalypse as the use of nuclear weapons. True Men, by virtue of their ancestors' engineered DNA and generations of subsequent natural selection, are as extra-resistant to disease as they are radiation. Constitution feat checks to resist infection are modified against the strength of the disease as follows:

SKILL BONUS: True Men begin the game with 5 more skill points than members of other species, and are given an additional broad skill.

ZERO PSIONIC POTENTIAL: True Men cannot have psionic powers. They cannot, therefore, be Mindwalkers or talents.

Mutants

Mutants are the descendants of pre-Apocalypse human beings who were not genetically engineered, or are the "defective" offspring of True Men, or of a Pure Strain Human and a Mutant (whose children are always Mutants).

Roleplaying

Like True Men, Mutants do not share a uniform view of the world. Some of them are extraordinarily unbiased and accepting (these tend to be Restorationists, Healers, or members of the Brotherhood of Thought), though members of militant and xenophobic groups (such as the Radioactivists and the Iron Society) are also common.

Special Abilities

GENETIC INSTABILITY: Mutants make normal Constitution feat checks against Table G19 in the Gamemaster Guide when exposed to radioactivity. However, in the presence of radiation of R3 or greater intensity, Mutants check the results against the following table:

Mutated characters appear to be Extremely Ill, and suffer all the debilitating effects of this condition as described in the Gamemaster Guide. The results of the character's subsequent Constitution feat checks determine the final results of his or her exposure:

• Critical Failure, worsen to terminally ill
• Failure, 1d4+2 drawback points
• Ordinary, d4 drawback and d4 mutation points
• Good, d4 mutation points
• Amazing, d4+3 mutation points

Unless the Gamemaster decides otherwise, all mutations are rolled randomly.

MUTATIONS/PSIONICS: Mutants may possess mutations, psionics, or both. This is determined by rolling against Table P48B in the Player's Handbook. Mutants may be Mindwalkers or talents.

In theory a Mutant could have neither mutations nor psionics, but what would be the point?

Mutated Animals

The first thing to determine when playing a Mutated Animal is whether or not the Hero will belong to a stable genome or an unstable one. For game purposes, a Mutated Animal from an unstable genome is unique, or at least not part of an established species. For example, Arks are a genetically stable race of mutated dog - there are thousands of them, and they are all pretty much alike. However, there are probably hundreds of other mutated canines roaming the post-apocalyptic wilds that are not Arks, and whose mutations set them apart from their parents, siblings, and offspring.

Mutated Animals from stable genomes are treated like the stock aliens in the Alternity Player's Handbook; Mutated Animals from unstable genomes can be created along the following guidelines (which are also useful for generating genetically stable Mutant Animal species).

1. Select a basic species template from the Animal Compendium or the Alien Compendium in Chapter 17 of the Gamemaster Guide.

2. All Mutated Animals have the following Humanoid Traits:
   
   • Average Height (between 1-3 meters)
   • Bipedal Stance
   • Prehensile Limbs (1 or 2)
   • Vocal Chords
     
     
3. For every Humanoid Trait a player chooses not to keep, his or her Hero gains 2 skill points. Dropping all Humanoid Traits earns the Hero 8 skill points and d4 mutation points.

4. All Mutated Animals retain their natural attacks and armor, as described in the Animal or Alien Compendiums, subject to limitations agreed upon by the player and the Gamemaster.

5. Assign physical ability scores (STR, DEX, CON) per the method outlined in Chapter 17 of the Gamemaster Guide. Generate mental stats (INT, WIL, PER) as follows:

   	PRIMATE	OTHER MAMMAL*	INSECT	OTHER**
   INT	4-14	4-13	4-12	4-12
   WIL	4-14	4-13	4-13	4-12
   PER	4-14	4-13	4-13	4-12

   * includes marsupials
   ** birds, fish, reptiles, etc.

   NOTE: The lower mental stats reflect the degree to which sentience is, in and of itself, a potent and unlikely fluke outside of humanity; the degree of difficulty for non-human sentients to acquire knowledge in a world where most information is held/was generated by humans, etc.

6. Choose a profession.

7. Determine mutations.

Roleplaying

Mutated Animals (especially those that are genetically unstable) come from a wide variety of backgrounds which, in the interest of good roleplaying, should be worked out in some detail before they enter play.

Special Abilities

GENETIC INSTABILITY: Mutated Animals make normal Constitution feat checks against Table G19 in the Gamemaster Guide when exposed to radioactivity. However, in the presence of radiation of R3 or greater intensity, Mutants check the results against the following table:

Mutated characters appear to be Extremely Ill, and suffer all the debilitating effects of this condition as described in the Gamemaster Guide. The results of the character's subsequent Constitution feat checks determine the final results of his or her exposure:

• Critical Failure, worsen to terminally ill
• Failure, 1d4+2 drawback points
• Ordinary, d4 drawback and d4 mutation points
• Good, d4 mutation points
• Amazing, d4+3 mutation points

Unless the Gamemaster decides otherwise, all mutations are rolled randomly.

MUTATIONS/PSIONICS: Mutated Animals may possess mutations, psionics, or both. This is determined by rolling against Table P48B in the Player's Handbook. Mutanted Animals may be Mindwalkers or  talents .

In theory a Mutated Animal could have neither mutations nor psionics, but what would be the point?

Mutated Plants

The first thing to determine when playing a Mutated Plant is whether the Hero will belong to a stable genome or an unstable one. For game purposes, a Mutated Plant from an unstable genome is unique, or at least not part of an established species. For example, Shrooms are a genetically stable race of mutated fungus - there are hundreds of them, and they are all pretty much alike. However, there are probably dozens of other mutated fungi roaming the post-apocalyptic wilds that are not Shrooms, and whose mutations set them apart from their parents, siblings, and offspring.

Mutated Plants from stable genomes are treated like the stock aliens in the Alternity Player's Handbook; Mutated Plants from unstable genomes can be created using the following guidelines (which are also useful for generating genetically stable Mutated Plant species).

1. Select a basic species template from the following: Flower, Fungus, Grass, Succulent, Tree, or Vine.

2. All Mutated Plants have the following Humanoid Traits:
   
   • Average Height (between 1-3 meters)
   • Bipedal Stance
   • Prehensile Limbs (1 or 2)
   • Vocal Chords
     
     
3. For every Humanoid Trait a player chooses not to keep, his or her Hero gains 2 skill points. Dropping all Humanoid Traits earns the Hero 8 skill points and d4 mutation points.

4. Assign ability scores as follows:

   MUTATED FLOWERS
   STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIL	PER
   4-11	4-12	4-11	4-10	4-12	7-15

   Sentient flowering plants are generally perceived as beautiful, but are neither especially tough nor bright.

   MUTATED FUNGI
   STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIL	PER
   4-12	4-10	6-14	7-15	7-15	4-10

   Alien even to other plants, sentient fungi have a unique view of themselves and the world around them. They are unusually intelligent, willful, and extraordinarily difficult to relate to.

   MUTATED GRASSES
   STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIL	PER
   6-14	4-12	7-15	4-11	4-12	4-12

   Strong and tough, sentient grasses arguably have more predators than any other intelligent species on Post-Apocalyptic Earth.

   MUTATED SUCCULENTS
   STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIL	PER
   4-14	4-10	8-16	4-11	4-12	4-12

   Intelligent succulents are sturdy plants covered in a thick, waxy resin. Most are some form of cactus, but there are more exotic varieties (like the sentient aloe).

   MUTATED TREES
   STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIL	PER
   9-17	4-9	9-17	4-12	4-12	4-12

   Physically massive, slow moving, slow aging, and quick to defend their territory, sentient trees are a powerful force to be reckoned with.

   MUTATED VINES
   STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIL	PER
   6-14	6-14	7-15	4-10	4-12	4-10

   Sinuous and wiry, these intelligent weeds are overbearing pests more often than not.

   NOTE:The lower mental stats reflect the degree to which sentience is, in and of itself, a potent and unlikely fluke outside of humanity; the degree of difficulty for non-human sentients to acquire knowledge in a world where most knowledge is held/was generated by humans, etc.

5. Choose a profession.

6. Determine mutations.

Roleplaying

Mutated Plants come from a wide variety of backgrounds that, in the interest of good roleplaying, should be worked out in some detail before they enter play.

Special Abilities

GENETIC INSTABILITY: Mutated Plants make Constitution normal feat checks against Table G19 in the Gamemaster's when exposed to radioactivity. However, in the presence of radiation of R3 or greater intensity they check the results against the following table:

Mutated characters appear to be Extremely Ill, and suffer all the debilitating effects of this condition as described in the Gamemaster Guide. The results of the character's subsequent Constitution feat checks determine the final results of his or her exposure:

• Critical Failure, worsen to terminally ill
• Failure, 1d4+2 drawback points
• Ordinary, d4 drawback and d4 mutation points
• Good, d4 mutation points
• Amazing, d4+3 mutation points

Unless the Gamemaster decides otherwise, all mutations are rolled randomly.

MUTATIONS/PSIONICS: Mutated Plants may possess mutations, psionics, or both. This is determined by rolling against Table P48B in the Player's Handbook. Mutanted Plants may be Mindwalkers or  talents .

In theory a Mutated Plant could have neither mutations nor psionics, but this would make the character a vegetable! ;-)

SKILL PENALTY: Mutated Plants begin the game with 5 less skill points than members of other species, and receive one less broad skill. This reflects their comparative rarity and the sheer scope of the differences between them and most other sentient life.

This page last updated on 04/09/2000.
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