A Swedish-language post-nuclear-apocalypse RPG, set many years after world wars and a great plague. The PCs are descendants of survivors, in a feudal Scandinavia that is slowly rebuilding. The rules are based on 3rd ed Drakar och Demoner, with new rules for mental powers and mutations instead of magic. The 2nd edition kept the rules but converted it to a generic cyberpunk RPG without any post-apocalyptic aspect. The 3rd edition's title translates to "Mutant: The Heirs of the Apocalypse". It returns to the post-apocalyptic world of the first edition, with some changes. The rules have been simplified and streamlined.
Positioning and Background “Mutant – ett action rollspel i en mörk framtid” is a Swedish language RPG published in 1989 by Target Games AB. It is a follow on product to another RPG published in 1984 by Äventyrsspel also called Mutant (referred to as “Old Mutant), which is somewhat different in setting and mood. I’ve never seen this RPG, but I gathered that the setting seemed to be quite similar to Gamma World. The system was derived from Drakar & Demoner, a popular Swedish fantasy RPG, which system was itself derived from Chaosium’s Basic Role-playing System. The “new mutant” seemingly kept the rules system but changed the setting to a post-nuclear cyberpunk melange. The newest version of this game was published in 2002 by Järningen HB and changed the setting back to original one. The successor to the “New Mutant” was probably Mutant R.Y.M.D. which expanded the cyberpunk setting to space and introduced a new rules system (cp. http://www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/encyclopedia/bylanguage/Swedish.html). This game was in turn the predecessor to Mutant Chronicles published in 1993 in Swedish and 1996 in English by Target Games, which was termed a techno-fantasy RPG and combines retro-tech, horror, film noir and military adventure.
Physical appearance The RPG comes in a small, black box, 20 x 25 x 3 cm in dimension. It contains two slim stable bound, black and white books with black cover, a table booklet and four dice (d4, d6, d8, d10). The text is laid-out in two columns with sideway chapter headings taking a whole column. There’s some art in the two books by five illustrators, which shows in the quite different style and mood of the illustrations.
Book 1: Rules This book contains on its 64 pages an introduction to the world of Mutant in form of a timeline running from 2010 to 2080, an introduction to role-playing, rules for character generation, detailed in the chapters about class, former profession, mutations, cybernetics, robotics and skills, combat rules (weapons & combat) and optional rules.
The timeline explains how the current state of the world came to pass, via the deterioration of society, nations and natural environment, the expansion into space, the rise of the corporations, a conflict between the corporations fought in space which marked the end of the space age and the rule of the space based corporations, the rise of the earth based remaining corporations in the cities, the rise of mutants in the forbidden zones outside of the cities, and finally nuclear holocaust caused by ill programmed computers. The current state in 2089 can be described as follows: large parts of the earth are desolated by nuclear weapons and natural disasters. Most of the population is gathered in enormous mega cities with star scrapers, which are ruled by mega corporations and street gangs. Beyond the cities lie the “twilight lands” and the forbidden zones. The forbidden zones are destroyed and contaminated regions where mutants live. In the twilight lands, farmers, nomads and mutants live.
The character generation follows seven steps: • Choice of class: there are four classes or rather “life-form” to choose from. Normal humans are just that, humans as we know them without mental or physical “abnormities” and who rule the cities. Psi-mutants look like normal humans and fit snugly into the city-society, but possess special mental powers and are physically weaker than normal humans. Robots are synthetic life-forms with an artificial intelligence and serve a certain master. Finally, the mutants are physically changed and possess several advantageous and disadvantageous mutations. They can originate from human or animal stock, but are always anthropomorphic. • Determination of the basic capabilities: There are seven basic capabilities (strength, intelligence, personality, agility, size, constitution, mental strength). Their values normally range from 3 to 18 and are generated by dice rolls, using several d6 and modifiers, based on the chosen class. Humans get the well known 3d6 based bell curved ability range, whereas mutants are physically stronger but mentally weaker etc. Based on the basic capabilities, derived capabilities like damage bonus, body points, and movement are calculated. Handedness, age and starting money are also to be determined, partially randomly partially by choice. • Former profession: All characters have a former profession, which can be chosen from eight alternatives (street kid, criminal, mercenary, metro police, nomad, reporter, SVOT, technician), if certain requirements concerning the values of the basic capabilities are met. Robots are special and have to choose their type (labour, combat, security) instead of a profession. Every profession is presented with a description, possible starting cybernetic equipment (or robotic equipment in the case of robots), former employers and/or creditors, skills and required values of basic capabilities. Starting cybernetic equipment if any is determined by a die roll. Regarding employers or creditors, the circumstances of the termination of the employment or affiliation must be determined, which can be chosen from the set “being still employed, resigned, deserted, laid off”. Depending on the choice, commitments and debts for equipment vary. • Determination of mutations: There are two kinds of mutations: mental (like decipher, animal control, psychometrics etc.) and physical (like resistance to elements, chameleon, armoured skin etc.). Psi-mutants and mutants possess a randomly determined number of mental and physical mutations as well as mental and physical defects. The kind of mutation or defect is determined by roll of d100 for every mutation or defect gained. There are 25 mental and 25 physical mutations, 11 mental defects and 8 physical defects. • Determination of cybernetic and robotic equipment: The number and kind of starting cybernetic and robotic equipment is determined by the chosen profession a die rolls. Items include augmented hearing and sight, cyber jack, weapons, cosmetic cybernetics. • Determination of skills: As mentioned before, the rule system is derived from Chaosium’s Basic Role-playing System. Therefore skills are measured in percentiles and increase in 5% increments. Success is determined with a d100 roll-under roll, there are also perfect successes and fumbles. All characters have a certain capability in all skills which is calculated from the skills basic capabilities that govern the respective skill (base chance of success = sum of governing basic capabilities rounded up or down to the nearest 5% step). Professional skills (or better skill value increases) are bought with background points, which are determined by intelligence and age of the character. Skills are divided in general skills (18 skills) and combat skills (9 skills). Skill value improvement is possible via training, which costs time and money, or actual use. • Completion of the character: Determination of name, background and starting equipment.
Combat is round based and is handled in 7 phases: determination of the order of action, statement of intended actions (use mutation, movement, fight etc.), mutation phase, movement phase, movement manoeuvres phase (jump, climb etc.), combat phase and other actions phase. The chance of success of an attack is determined by the respective combat skill and modifications. Successful attacks can be dodged by the attacked character. Damage is determined by the weapon used. There are rules for different weapons, armours, non weapon related damage, healing and fumbles.
Book 2: World This book contains chapters on the task of a game master, the state of the world in 2089, flora and fauna, technology and conversion notes on “Old Mutant” to “New Mutant” on 48 pages.
The game master chapter explains what a game master is, what his tasks are, how to handle game time and movement, how to structure a gaming session or campaign as well how to create adventures and campaigns.
The world chapter describes the main regions of the world in 2089 (cities, twilight lands and space) and means of transportations. Regarding cities, their general make up, the role of corporations, police forces, street gangs, the role of mutants, leisure activities, work and income, slums, means of communication, drugs and money are shortly discussed. Regarding the twilight lands, communities like farms, mutant villages and external production facilities and enclaves, different areas like forbidden zones, woods and seas as well as the climate and relicts are touched upon.
The short bestiary lists a few examples of more or less dangerous beings and rules on the creation of more critters.
The technology chapter gives an overview on weapons, amours, vehicles, energy, medicine, cybernetics and robotics as well as some other issues.
Also included in the middle of the book is a short and simple adventure called “Attentat: Sypox”, where the PCs are hired by a corporation to gather information on a rival corporations production facility in the twilight lands.