Gamma World is a science fantasy role-playing game set in a wild post-apocalyptic future where humans, mutants, intelligent animals, and robots struggle to survive amid radioactive ruins littered with bizarre “Ancient” technology from a lost civilization.
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BASIC RULES
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Based on the original 1st edition Gamma World (1978) by James M. Ward and Gary Jaquet, which itself was based on the original Dungeons & Dragons rules by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
DICE
* d20 (1d20): Twenty-sided die, used to measure success or failure of tasks.
* d6 (1d6, 2d6, 3d6): Six-sided die, used to measure degrees of success.
GAMMA WORLD CHARACTER TYPES
Pure Strain Human
* A human closely related to the Ancients, with no mutations.
* Ability Scores: Physical Strength, Dexterity, Mental Strength 3d6 each (max. 18); Constitution 4d6 (max. 18); Intelligence, Charisma 4d6 each (max. 21).
* Bonus: Add +4 to Artifact Experimentation rolls for progress on determining functions and use.
* Mutations: None.
Mutant (or Mutant Humanoid)
* A human altered by radiation, mutagenic weapons, or genetic engineering.
* Ability Scores: All abilities 3d6 each.
* Mutations: 1 to 4 physical and 1 to 4 mental. (Roll 1d6, re-roll on 5 or 6.)
Mutant Animal
* A creature altered by radiation or uplifted to higher intelligence by genetic engineering.
* Ability Scores: All abilities 3d6 each.
* Mutations: One physical mutation related to animal’s nature, plus 1 to 3 physical and 1 to 4 mental. (Roll 1d6, re-roll on 5 or 6.)
Mutant Plant
* A plant altered by radiation, sometimes genetically bred.
* Ability Scores: All abilities 3d6 each.
* Mutations: 1 to 4 physical and 1 to 4 mental. (Roll 1d6, re-roll on 5 or 6.)
Machine
* A robot or android operating with autonomy.
* Ability Scores: All abilities 3d6+1 each.
* Mutations: None.
LEVELS AND EXPERIENCE POINTS
* Level 1 … 0 x.p.
* Level 2 … 3,000 x.p.
* Level 3 … 6,000 x.p.
* Level 4 … 12,000 x.p.
* Level 5 … 25,000 x.p.
* Level 6 … 50,000 x.p.
* Level 7 … 100,000 x.p.
* Level 8 … 200,000 x.p.
* Level 9 … 500,000 x.p.
* Level 10 … 1,000,000 x.p.
* +1 level … +1,000,000 x.p.
LEVEL BONUS (roll d20 each new Level)
* 1 to 2 … Gain +1 to Mental Strength score
* 3 to 4 … Gain +1 to Constitution score
* 5 to 6 … Gain +1 to Dexterity score
* 7 to 8 … Gain +1 to Charisma score
* 9 to 10 … Gain +1 to Physical Strength score
* 11 to 12 … Gain +1 to Intelligence score
* 13 to 16 … Gain +1 to Attack Bonus (“to-hit” in physical combat)
* 17 to 20 … Cause +1 damage per die with non-energy weapons
CHARACTER ABILITIES
* Strength (PHY STR) (physical prowess, brawn, encumbrance)
* Dexterity (DEX) (agility, reflexes, dodging, precision)
* Constitution (CON) (health, toughness, vigor, stamina)
* Intelligence (INT) (deduction, logic, memory, reason, wits)
* Mental Strength (MTL STR) (courage, insight, resolve, willpower)
* Charisma (CHA) (appeal, charm, confidence, leadership)
ABILITY SCORES
* Pure Strain Humans: Physical Strength, Dexterity, Mental Strength 3d6 each (max. 18); Constitution 4d6 (max. 18); Intelligence, Charisma 4d6 each (max. 21).
* Mutant Creatures: All ability scores 3d6 (max. 18).
ABILITY MODIFIERS
* -4 … Ability Score 1
* -3 … Ability Score 2 to 3
* -2 … Ability Score 4 to 5
* -1 … Ability Score 6 to 8
* +0 … Ability Score 9 to 12
* +1 … Ability Score 13 to 15
* +2 … Ability Score 16 to 17
* +3 … Ability Score 18 to 19
* +4 … Ability Score 20 to 21
HIT DICE AND HIT POINTS
* For creatures and machines, roll 1d6 per point of Constitution score, Level, or Hit Dice (whichever highest).
* For pure strain humans, add 2 additional hit points per point of Constitution score, Level, or Hit Dice (whichever highest).
* Healing: For each full 24 hours of uninterrupted rest, a creature regains hit points equal to 1d6+Constitution score, Levle, or Hit Dice (whichever highest). Strenuous activity, travel, or combat breaks the rest and prevents recovery.
SKILLS
* To succeed at a challenge, roll d20.
* Add a character’s most related ability modifier to the roll result.
* If a character has skills related to a challenge, also add the character’s Level to the result.
* A roll of 15 or more means a character gains the intended result of the action.
* A roll of 6 to 14 may mean success if paying a cost (extra time, resources, fatigue, or a minor complication).
* A roll of 5 or less means the task failed and the character suffers a serious set-back or complication.
SUCCESS MODIFIERS: Add to d20 roll result…
* +3 … Easy (aka “with advantage” from 5E games)
* +0 … Challenging (standard task check)
* -3 … Hard (aka “with disadvantage” from 5E games)
* -6 … Very Hard
* -9 … Extreme
COMBAT
* Each melee turn (aka combat round) lasts about 6 seconds.
* Initiative: Each side rolls 1d6. The side with the highest total wins initiative for the round. Re-roll each round.
* Types of actions are resolved for all characters in this order: Morale, Move, Missiles, Magic/Mutations, and Melee.
* In a melee turn, a character does Morale when triggered, Movement when desired, then one of Missiles, Magic/Mutations, or Melee.
* After everyone on one side has had a turn, the other side takes turns following the same five steps.
COMBAT ORDER
* Step 1.) Morale checks are resolved first. Roll d20+INT modifier. On a 5 or more, the character or creature keeps fighting. On a 4 or less, it surrenders or routs.
* Step 2.) Movement and repositioning for all individuals on the winning side are resolved next. Base speed is 10 meters per melee turn.
* Step 2.1) Optional Houserule: If not doing steps 3, 4, or 5, base speed can be up to 20 meters per melee turn. (Not in original rules, but common in D&D since 3rd edition.)
* Step 3.) Missile attacks (ranged fire) are resolved next. Attackers add their Dexterity modifiers on “to-hit” rolls. If the target is beyond half a missile attack’s maximum range, the attack suffers -3 on the d20 attack roll.
* Step 4.) Magic and/or Mutation powers go next, provided the source isn’t disrupted or killed first.
* Step 5.) Melee attacks are resolved last. Attackers add their Strength modifiers on “to-hit” rolls and damage.
ATTACKS AND DAMAGE
* For melee attacks, roll 1d20 + PHY STR modifier + Attack Bonus.
* For ranged attacks, roll 1d20 + DEX modifier + Attack Bonus.
* For mental attacks, roll 1d20 + MTL STR modifier + Attack Bonus.
* A d20 roll of 20 automatically hits, and a roll of 1 always misses.
* A melee or ranged attack roll equal to or greater than a target’s Ascending Armor Class (AAC, aka AC) suffers damage that reduces hit points.
* A mental attack is resolved by the attacker’s roll total versus the target’s 1d20 + MTL STR modifier. If attacker is higher, mental attack succeeds.
* At 0 or less hit points, a creature is defeated (unconscious, captured, or dead; attacker’s choice). Machines become unable to function until repaired. Object become broken.
ASCENDING ARMOR CLASS (AAC or AC)
* AC 10 … No protection
* AC 11 … Shield only.
* AC 12 … Furs or skins.
* AC 13 … Furs or skins and shield.
* AC 14 … Cured hide or plant fiber armor, partial carapace.
* AC 15 … Cured hide or plant fiber armor and shield.
* AC 16 … Sheath and piece metal armors, total carapace.
* AC 17 … Powered plate and plastic armors.
* AC 18 … Powered alloy, energized, inertia, powered scout, and battle armors.
* AC 19 … Powered attack and assault armors.
WEAPONS DAMAGE TABLE
* Arrow/Bow (1d6 damage, range 100 meters)
* Axe, Battle (1d6+1 damage)
* Axe, Hand/Throwing (1d6 damage, range 20 meters)
* Club (1d6 damage, range 10 meters if thrown)
* Bolt/Crossbow (1d6-1 damage, range 120 meters)
* Dagger (1d6-1 damage, range 20 meters if thrown)
* Flail (1d6+1 damage)
* Javelin (1d6 damage, range 40 meters thrown)
* Lance, Mounted (1d6 damage)
* Mace (1d6+1 damage)
* Morning Star (1d6+1 damage)
* Pole Arm (1d6+1 damage)
* Sling Bullet (1d6 damage, range 100 meters)
* Sling Stone (1d6-1 damage, 80 meters)
* Spear (1d6 damage, 20 meters if thrown)
* Sword, Long (1d6+1 damage)
* Sword, Short (1d6 damage)
* Sword, Two-Handed (2d6-1 damage)
POISON
* Set a strength rating on how the poison’s lethality (1 to 18).
* Make a Constitution check (1d20+CON modifier) and compare the result to the strength of the poison.
* Equal to or less than the strength of poison, death.
* 1 point greater than the poison, suffer 3d6 damage.
* 2 points greater than the poison, suffer 2d6 damage.
* 3 points greater than the poison, suffer 1d6 damage.
* 4 or more points greater than the poison, no effect.
RADIATION
* Set a rating on how the local radiation’s intensity (1 to 18).
* Make a Constitution check (1d20+CON modifier) and compare the result to the intensity of the radiation.
* Equal to or less than the intensity of radiation, death.
* 1 or 2 points greater than radiation, roll d20. On 1 to 16, death; on 17 to 20, gain new random mutation.
* 3 points greater than radiation, suffer 8d6 damage.
* 4 points greater than radiation, suffer 7d6 damage.
* 5 points greater than radiation, suffer 6d6 damage.
* 6 points greater than radiation, suffer 5d6 damage.
* 7 points greater than radiation, suffer 4d6 damage.
* 8 points greater than radiation, suffer 3d6 damage.
* 9 points greater than radiation, suffer 2d6 damage.
* 10 points greater than radiation, suffer 1d6 damage.
* 11 or more points greater than radiation, no effect.
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ARTIFACTS
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ARTIFACT CONDITION
* 1 to 5 … Obviously broken (will not function)
* 6 to 11 … Poor (functions on d20 roll of 17 to 20)
* 12 to 16 … Fair (functions on d20 roll of 13 to 20)
* 17 to 18 … Good (functions on d20 roll of 9 to 20)
* 19 … Excellent (functions on d20 roll of 5 to 20)
* 20 … Perfect (automatically functions)
ARTIFACT EXPERIMENTATION
* Most artifacts of the Ancients (pre-apocalypse technology) works for pure strain humans, may work for mutant humanoids and robots, but will not work for animals or plants.
* Each attempt represents about 12 minutes examining, manipulating, testing, or experimenting with the artifact.
* Make an Intelligence check (1d20+INT modifier) versus the complexity of the device. Pure strain humans gain a +4 bonus on these checks.
* When enough progress successes are gained, device’s purpose and use are understood. (If not already determined, then roll for Artifact Condition.)
PROGRESS TABLE
* Natural 20: Breakthrough, +2 progress and discover useful fact about the item.
* 20 or more: Great success, +2 progress.
* 15 to 19: Success, +1 progress.
* 11 to 14: Partial success with clue: No progress but gain +3 bonus on next attempt.
* 10 or less: Failure: No progress.
* Natural 1: Mishap: No progress and cause damage the artifact, injure the operator, fire a weapon, activate a robot, release radiation, or cause an energy cell to rupture.
COMPLEXITY
* Simple (pistol, grenade, communicator, simple tool): +3 to progress roll, 2 progress successes needed.
* Complex (medical equipment, robot controls, powered armor): no modifier, 3 progress successes needed.
* Advanced (computer, think tank, spacecraft systems): -3 to progress roll, 4 progress successes needed.
ARTIFACT POWERED MELEE WEAPONS
* Vibro Dagger (10 damage, works for 30 minutes)
* Vibro Blade (25 damage, works for 20 minutes)
* Energy Mace (energized club) (30 damage, works for 15 minutes)
* Stun Whip (stunned for 20 minutes minus 1 per Constitution score point, works for 20 minutes)
ARTIFACT MISSILE/RANGED WEAPONS
* Slug Thrower, Light (1d6 stunning damage, no h.p. loss but target unconscious for up to 6 minutes (1d6) when stunning damage equals half hit points, range 20 meters, 30 shots)
* Slug Thrower, Standard (2d6 stunning damage as above, range 40 meters, 30 shots)
* Slug Thrower, Heavy (3d6 stunning damage as above, range 60 meters, 30 shots)
* Needler (paralysis poison strength 12, or deadly poison strength 17, range 100 meters, 300 shots)
* Stun Ray Pistol (unconscious for 20 minutes minus 1 per Constitution score point, range 50 meters, 10 shots)
* Laser Pistol (5d6 damage, range 200 meters, 10 shots)
* Mark V Blaster Pistol (7d6 damage or 10 cm hole, 150 meters, 5 shots)
* Black Ray Pistol (instant death, range 50 meters, 4 shots)
* Stun Rifle (unconscious for 20 minutes minus 1 per Constitution score point, range 200 meters)
* Laser Rifle (6d6 damage, range 600 meters, 5 shots)
* Mark VII Blaster Rifle (8d6 damage, range 450 meters, 5 shots)
* Fusion Rifle (radiation intensity 18, range 700 meters, 10 shots)
ARTIFACT GRENADES AND BOMBS
* Tear Gas Grenade (throwing range PHY STR x 3 meters, creates 10-meter radius cloud for up to 6 minutes; to those in cloud, worsen AC by 1 and suffer -2 attack modifier for each melee turn inside the gas; recover effects every 3 turns in same stages)
Gamma World mutation notes revised Tue Sept 8 at 2:30 p.m.
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PHYSICAL MUTATIONS
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ATTRACTION ODOR (0): Your body secretes a substance which will attract carnivores.
BODY STRUCTURE CHANGE (CALCIUM OMISSION) (D): Lack of calcium in your bones causes them to break easily. Any physical hit on you causing 10 or more damage drops your movement rates by half until you have regained all lost hit points.
BODY STRUCTURE CHANGE (NO BODY HAIRS) (D):
BODY STRUCTURE CHANGE (ONE EYE) (D): You only have one eye in the center of your head. You have no depth perception and suffer -2 “to hit” on all ranged attacks.
BODY STRUCTURE CHANGE (???) (D): You lack XXX organs and have a dependency on getting XXX daily. You lose 1d6 hit points every day you go without XXX, but regain 1d6 hit points once you resume daily access to XXX.
CHAMELEON POWERS: You can instantaneously change your body color to blend in with your surroundings. You need not concentrate on the colors desired to maintain this change, even when unconscious.
DENSITY CONTROL: You can change the molecular structure of your body to increase your Armor Class or move more rapidly. To achieve a better Armor Class, your body shrinks and becomes more dense. Shrinking improves the Armor Class in direct proportion to the size change. A one-half size mutant has four Armor Classes better. A one-eighth size mutant is too dense to be punctured by any type of sword, spear, arrow, etc. However, becoming more dense also decreases movement and reflex actions by the same amount, so that at one-eighth size you are slowed to one-eighth normal speed.
Becoming less dense involves the opposite size change, and you become larger. This worsens your Armor Class and strength, but allows faster movement. A twice normal size mutant is four Armor Classes worse than normal, but can move four times as fast as usual. You can expand only to twice your normal size. You can change your density any number of times, and the change is instantaneous.
DIMINISHED SENSE (SIGHT) (D): Your eyesight does not function at normal levels. For example, you might not hear an approaching predator or notice the faint click of a trap being triggered.
DIMINISHED SENSE (HEARING) (D): Your hearing does not function at normal levels. For example, you might not hear an approaching predator or smell the burning woods you are in.
DIMINISHED SENSE (SMELL/TASTE) (D): Your smelling and tasting do not function at normal levels. For example, you might not smell an approaching predator or smell the burning woods you are in.
DOUBLE PHYSICAL PAIN (D): This defect causes you to be so sensitive to physical pain that all damage sustained will be doubled.
ELECTRICAL GENERATION: This gives you an “eel-like” ability to emit electrical shocks each melee turn (6 seconds), for 3 dice (3d6) of damage to those touching you or grappled by you.
FAT CELL ACCUMULATION (D): You are fat (twice as large as normal). The GM will determine how much this impairs your movement and fighting ability. Only certain body parts, rather than the entire body, may be affected (such as the head, one arm, or one thigh).
GAS GENERATION (MUSK): This gives you a gas or musk gland much like a skunk. You may expel this musk or gas at a range of up to 10 meters, causing repulsion, unconsciousness, or even death of the beings at which it is directed. Choose one effect: Obscuring gas, irritating gas, paralysis gas, poison gas or musk, blinding musk, and so on.
HEAT GENERATION: This allows you to cast beams of heat from your hands (paws, tentacles, or other appendage) that do 4 dice (4d6) searing heat damage. The beams have a maximum range of 15 meters and may be used every 3 melee turns (once every 18 seconds).
HEIGHTENED BALANCE: You are able to maintain your balance in difficult circumstances and will never fall into a pit, trip over a rope or wire, or land in any way but on your feet. If undisturbed, you can climb sheer walls and walk tightwires with no chance of falling.
HEIGHTENED CONSTITUTION: This adds 2 additional hit points for every point of your Constitution. It also gives an 18 resistance to poison and adds +3 points to your radiation resistance.
HEIGHTENED DEXTERITY: You are so agile in combat that your Armor Class is improved by 4. However, the GM may penalize you by reducing your Armor Class when you are encumbered or fully immobilized.
HEIGHTENED HEARING: You can detect and identify even the slightest noise up to 60 meters away. Because of this, you cannot be surprised by adversaries or hidden hazards.
HEIGHTENED PRECISION: You can determine opponents’ weak points and structural weaknesses in material objects. Because of this, you do 2 dice (+2d6) of additional damage normally inflicted with any weapon used.
HEIGHTENED SMELL: You are able to identify separate odors from a great distance (60 meters), and cannot be ambushed (this is different from being surprised) by non-plant creatures from upwind. You can follow any trail less than a day old over any surface but water. After contact with another being, you will subsequently be able to identify objects and places associated with that being, such as a campsite or possessions.
HEIGHTENED STRENGTH: You do 3 dice (+3d6) of additional damage normally inflicted with any non-powered melee weapon used.
HEIGHTENED TASTE: You can detect poisons at a touch of the tongue and can determine whether any given substance is safely edible.
HEIGHTENED TOUCH: You have a better chance to figure out the use of Ancient devices, gaining a +2 bonus. Given time, you can use heightened touch to “feel” the weak points of any given object. This ability could be very useful when trying to pick a safe, open a locked door, or escape from confinement, granting a bonus equal to your Level.
HEIGHTENED VISION: You clearly see and can identify objects over long distances (up to 3 kilometers). You also can see in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums, but full daylight doesn’t bother you.
HEMOPHILIA (D): Your lack of blood clotting agents causes serious bleeding in even the smallest of cuts. Once you have lost even 1 hit point, you begin to bleed and lose 2 extra hit points per melee round (6 seconds) until you have time to stop and bind your wounds.
INCREASED METABOLISM (D): You spend great amounts of time feeding. You must carry large quantities of food when traveling, and in combat, must stop every 5th melee turn (30 seconds) and spend one turn eating before returning to battle, or lose 1 point of Physical Strength and 2 hit points each melee turn (6 seconds) thereafter. These losses are temporary (unless you are killed) and may be replaced at the same rate if you take time to eat.
INCREASED SPEED: You can move at twice normal speed. You accomplish mental tasks in a much shorter time than normal and, in combat, you are allowed to strike or mvoe twice each melee turn (6 seconds).
INFRAVISION: You see any heat-producing bodies. At night, everything will seem like day to you. Flashes of heat, such as laser blasts, explosions, raging fires, or even torches at close range will blind you for a short period of time (1d6 rounds). Full daylight will also be painful if endured for any length of time (more than 10 rounds, or 1 minute), causing you to suffer a -3 penalty on task rolls.
LIGHT FLASH GENERATION: You can emit high-candlepower beams of light through your eyes out to a range of 10 meters. The blinding effect (which works even in full daylight) incapacitates the viewers by lowering both their Armor Class and “to-hit” chance by 4 points for up to 5 (1d6-1) melee turns. This is a flash much like a camera flash bulb, and is thus not generally useful as illumination for explorers.
MULTIPLE BODY PARTS: Multiply any normal body part (except the brain), so that you have a greater number of legs, or more eyes, or the complete use of 1-10 additional arms, etc.
NEW BODY PARTS: Add one or more parts not usually found on you in question, such as: third eye (back of head), feelers (radiation sensitive), antennae (light sensitive), pincers, fur coat, feathers, radiation absorbing organ, and so on.
NEW BODY PART (THIRD EYE): An extra eye in the back of your head gives you all-around vision. You cannot be snuck up on from any side.
NEW BODY PART (FEELERS): You have special feelers sprouting from your head that allow you to instantly detect radiation intensities around you at a range of up to 100 meters.
NEW BODY PART (ANTENNAE): You have antennae sprouting from your head that allow you to detect movement around you at a range of up to 10 meters, even when you cannot see with your eyes (blindfolded, in darkness, or so forth).
other ideas
PINCERS (do 2d6 damage)
MANDIBLES (do 3d6 damage)
SIPHON MOUTH (like a mosquito, hit
BIOLUMINESCENT (you can illuminate an area like a torch by glowing)
EYE SHIELDS (cannot be blinded)
SUCKER PADS (can climb on sheer surfaces, walls, ceilings)
PERHENSILE TONGUE (range of 6 meters, as strong as an arm)
LEAPING TENDONS (jump up to 24 meters forward or 10 meters straight up)
TAIL BLADE (sword-like ridge at end of strong tail, attack as Weapon Class 3 and 1d8 damage)
TAIL CLUB (heavy weight at end of strong tail, attack as Weapon Class 3 and 1d8 damage)
FOOD HUMP (provides food and water for an additional four days)
PREHENSILE TRUNK (elephantine-like nose functions as an additional arm)
NO RESISTANCE TO BACTERIA (D): You have little or no resistance to sickness, making any infection or illness a serious thing. A cut from a dirty sword may cause blood poisoning. The scratch of the claws of meat-eating creatures may cause serious infection, or a simple cold caught from another, may turn into pneumonia. All of these examples may cause up to 10 points of damage per day and are very hard to cure.
NO RESISTANCE TO POISON (D): Exposure to any poison will kill you unless the appropriate antidote is quickly administered.
NO SENSORY NERVE ENDINGS (D): This defect cancels the warning systems of your body. Although you cannot feel pain, you also cannot detect a surprise attack from behind, tell if your body has been punctured, or know when to regenerate lost hit points. This defect adversely affects your ability to figure out ancient devices by adding 2 points to each die roll when trying to figure out ancient artifacts (see ARTIFACTS AND EQUIPMENT).
OVERSIZED BODY PARTS: This constitutes a beneficial increase in size to a certain part of the body which gives that part a corresponding Increase In power. Example: larger eyes for greater vision, longer legs for greater speed, etc. Only one part of a being’s body may be affected this way.
PARTIAL CARAPACE: A partial carapace is a thick shell covering the back and head that will reduce the damage done to the body by one half if hit in those areas. It gives you a basic Armor Class of 6.
PHOTOSYNTHETIC SKIN: This allows you to produce your own food in sunlight or your equivalent. Thus, you may also heal lost hit points four times as fast as normal if you spend most of your time basking in the sun without moving. You with photosynthetic skin suffer 1 extra point of damage per die from heat and cold attacks, and move at one-half speed in periods of darkness.
PHYSICAL REFLECTION: With this mutation, your skin reflects the most Intense forms of energy away from your body in random directions. This reflection works for only one type of energy, such as heat, sonic, radioactive, electrical, etc.
POOR RESPIRATORY SYSTEM (D): You have trouble getting needed oxygen into the bloodstream, making you weaker and requiring you to rest after fighting for 5 melee turns. Failure to rest after 5 rounds of combat causes you to faint for 1·6 minutes after the 6th melee turn.
QUILLS/SPINES: These defensive weapons usually cover your arms or legs. Treat the touch of each quill as doing dagger damage to the victim. Some can throw their quills a short distance (up to 3 meters). Spines are larger and stronger than quills. Each spine does 1-12 (dl2) points of damage when it strikes a target, and these can be thrown in the same manner. Replacement quills or spines take at least one week to grow.
RADIATED EYES: This gives you the power to emit a damaging blast of radiation through the lenses of your eyes (roll 3d6 to determine intensity). This power may be used once every 4 melee turns and has an effective range of 10 meters.
REGENERATION: This allows you to heal yourself and replace lost hit points. You regenerate 1 hit point per 5 kilograms of body weight per day.
SHAPECHANGE: This is the ability to assume the outward appearance of a mammal, insect, or reptile, but not have the abilities of the creature being mimicked. At the start of the campaign, you must choose which of the above types of creatures it is to imitate. Completing the shapechange requires 2 melee turns of relative inactivity (making no attacks) on the part of you.
SHORTER: To determine how short to make you, roll percentile dice to determine your height in centimeters. The change decreases your metabolic rate and also causes a marked reduction in your ability to do damage to opponents in physical combat. So small, you will be very hard to hit in physical combat. The GM determines what these effects are.
SKIN STRUCTURE CHANGE (D): As the name implies, your skin changes for the worse. Suggestions: thin skin – adds 1 point to each die of damage sustained; water soluble skin – contact with water does 1 die of damage per melee turn; phosphorescent skin – mutant glows in the dark (enough to reveal position, not enough to see by); light sensitive skin – skin burns for 1-3 dice of damage when exposed to bright light.
SONIC ATTACK ABILITY: You can generate high-frequency sound waves that are damaging to exposed tissues at short range. The damage amounts to 3 dice (3d6) and is not selective. All beings (except you) within a radius of 10 meters are affected, and the dice are rolled once, with each suffering that amount. Sonic attacks may be made once every 4 melee turns.
SYMBIOTIC ATTACHMENT: This allows you to link with the nervous system of another creature. You must first hit your victim with an attacking appendage (claw, fang, etc.) and then maintain contact for three melee turns. You then gain complete control of both bodies. If contact is broken, the control is lost; to re-establish control requires three additional melee turns.
TALLER: To determine how tall to make any given mutant, roll a die (d6) for a 1-6 result and add this to a basic 2 meters. This will yield beings ranging from 3 to 8 meters tall. For every additional meter of height over 2 meters, you may add a bonus of 1 point to each of your damage dice when you strike an opponent in physical combat with a non-powered weapon. However, for every 2 meters of additional height, you must subtract 1 point from your “to hit” die roll when striking an opponent in physical combat. The number of hit points you have is not affected.
TOTAL CARAPACE: The total carapace is a thick shell that covers your entire body. It reduces all damage done to you by half and raises your Armor Class to 4. This shell is cumbersome and reduces your movement rate by one-fourth.
ULTRAVISION: You can see the ultraviolet end of the light spectrum, as well as radiation, energy cells, mental mutations that affect the physical environment, and the electrical workings of machines.
VISION DEFECT (D): With this defect, you suffer from one of the many possible eye problems such as myopia, astigmatism, etc., but are not blind. You must subtract 4 points from your die roll to hit opponents in combat, and you have difficulty seeing objects over 15 meters away.
WEIGHT DECREASE (D): This weakens you so that you are slowed by one-fourth in every endeavor, with your physical strength reduced by one-fourth, as well.
WINGS: You can fly through the air at a rate of 12 meters per melee turn. When flying, you may carry no more than the equivalent of one-fourth of your own body weight. If you weigh over 80 kilograms, you probably can’t fly, but you can still make wing-assisted leaps over objects such as walls or trees.
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MENTAL MUTATIONS
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ABSORPTION (COLD): When hit by extreme cold, you ignore an amount of damage per hit equal to your current hit point total.
ABSORPTION (HEAT): When hit by extreme heat such as fire, you ignore an amount of damage per hit equal to your current hit point total.
ABSORPTION (LIGHT): When hit by extreme light such as lasers, you ignore an amount of damage per hit equal to your current hit point total.
ABSORPTION (PARALYSIS RAYS): You cannot be immobilized by beam weapons and ignore such attacks.
ABSORPTION (RADIATION): When exposed to deadly radiation, you ignore an amount of damage per hit equal to your current hit point total.
ABSORPTION (MENTAL BLASTS): When hit by psionic attacks, you ignore an amount of damage per hit equal to your current hit point total.
ANTI-REFLECTION (D): This dangerous defect gives you a 25% chance (1 to 5 on d20), each time you use a mental power, of having the attack or defense reversed. This would cause a mental attack to come back and damage you instead of your target, and a mental defense to apply to the opponent instead of you.
COMPLETE MENTAL BLOCK (DJ: You are unable to see or even intentionally come near one of the following types of things or creatures: Robotic, Technological (non-robotic), Plant, or Animal. While you are able to operate logically in the presence of your block, you cannot use or touch, or even be aware of attacks on your person originating from your block. Only one creature of the types mentioned, i.e., a security robot, as determined by the GM, should constitute your mental block.
CRYOKINESIS: This is the ability to cause living matter, water, or anything else that will freeze to suffer cold damage and possibly freeze solid (GM’s discretion). On the first melee turn, 1 die (d6) of damage is done, and through undisturbed concentration, up to 10 dice (10d6) of damage may be inflicted on the 10th melee turn by you with cryokinesis. The effective range of this mutation is 25 meters.
DEATH FIELD GENERATION: In one melee turn, this mutation drains all but 1 of the hit points from all beings within 20 meters. When another being uses a death field, you are not affected by it except that you can do nothing else for 1-20 (d20) melee turns, as you will be lying on the ground, nearly unconscious.
DE-EVOLUTION: This is the power to strip abilities from your opponent by regressing it along your ancestral lines. If this power works (treat as a mental attack), it begins by permanently taking away the opponent’s greatest special ability (GM’s choice). On every subsequent melee turn, another special ability is thus removed, until your opponent is returned to your original stock. This power lasts for the duration of one combat situation, however long that may take, has a range of up to 30 meters, and may be used once per week.
DENSITY CONTROL (others): Note the definition of Density Control (Self), #30 under PHYSICAL MUTATIONS, give it a range of 30 meters, and use it as an offensive or defensive power on other beings.
DIRECTIONAL SENSE: This allows you to know exactly where you are in relation to where you have been. Thus, you will be able to retrace your path at any time, even if blindfolded.
DUAL BRAIN: Any mutant with this power has 2 brains (not necessarily 2 heads), both of which function normally and which may have, between them, up to 3 additional mental mutations. This allows you a +1 on all die rolls when trying to figure out any ancient artifacts (see ARTIFACT USE). When under mental attack, one brain may suffer the effects while the other keeps you functioning normally (moving, striking, attacking, etc.). A Dual Brain allows two mental saving throws, and if either one is successful, the mental attack on you fails. Both brains have the same mental strength (rolled at the start of the campaign by the player), but any increase in mental strength due to surviving mental attacks is awarded at one-half the normal rate.
EMPATHY: This allows you to sense the feelings (hate, fear, hunger, pain, etc.) of others. An empathetic mutant can force emotions on non-intelligent beings of any type (treat non-intelligent creatures as having a 12 for mental resistance). Thus you could force a pack of wild dogs away in fear, or entice a food animal closer for the kill. Range: 30 meters.
EPILEPSY (D): This is a body paralysis that occurs for various reasons. When attacks come on, the body can’t respond to its surroundings and remains motionless. The GM should set up a consistent set of variables to determine when these attacks occur (e.g., a 10% chance per melee turn during physical combat, or a 25% chance immediately before any combat situation, etc.).
FEAR IMPULSE (0): This mutation, for one reason or another, simply causes unreasonable fear of an object or animal and makes you unable, for any reason, to look at that thing without feeling total fear and running away (dropping everything in the proces11). A six-sided die is rolled to determine the object of fear; 1 = random mutated animal, 2 = random mutated insect, 3 = random non-mutated creature, 4 = any robot, 5 = any computer, 6 = any talking plant. The GM is to determine the specific creature involved, if any, in this fear impulse.
FORCE FIELD GENERATION: This endows you with the power to create an invisible wall of energy through which physical objects may not pass. The wall forms around your body (about 15 centimeters out) and will take 5 dice of accumulated damage (as though it were you) before being forced down. The force field requires no effort to maintain once established and lasts up to one hour (unless damage drives it down) before it dissipates. Only one such force field may be generated by you in a 24-hour period.
GENIUS CAPABILITY (MILITARY GENIUS): You gain a +4 bonus “to hit” with any weapon, and you cause one extra die of damage (+1d6) to be inflicted per hit.
GENIUS CAPABILITY (SCIENTIFIC GENIUS): You may subtract 1 from each die roll when trying to figure out ancient artifacts. By tripling your time when crafting, any weapon you make (crossbow, sling, trap, etc.) will do 4 extra points of damage with each hit.
GENIUS CAPABILITY (ECONOMIC GENIUS): You turn a triple profit on anything you sell, and your Charisma score is boosted.
[CHARISMA +3]
HEIGHTENED BRAIN TALENT: You will be able to figure out the workings of any artifact in one-third the normal time (i.e. 40 minutes for 10 die rolls on the ARTIFACT USE & OPERATION chart instead of 2 hours), and you receive 2 saving throws against mental attacks. Note, however, that if you have a double brain, you do not get four saving throws. It is impossible to tell an undetected lie to you with heightened brain talent.
HEIGHTENED INTELLIGENCE: Add 4 points to your mental resistance rating (not to exceed 18) and subtract 2 points from the die rolls when you are trying to figure out an artifact (see ARTIFACT USE & OPERATION).
HOSTILITY FIELD (D): This is a repugnant unconscious field set up in a 30-meter radius around you. Any being with an intelligence of 16 or less, friend or foe, will have a 20% chance (1 to 4 on d20) of wanting to attack you upon first entering the field.
ILLUSION GENERATION: This is the ability to create images in the minds of other beings who are within 30 meters of you. Such illusions will have any visual, audible, and olfactory aspects the sender wishes, and are dispelled only when a viewer attempts to touch the illusion.
INTUITION: This allows you to be subconsciously aware of what any opponent intends to do. This results in adding +1 to your “to hit” probability with any weapon, and 3 points to each die of damage you inflict. You cannot use this mutation while using other mental powers.
LIFE LEECH: This is the power to drain life energy from all semi-intelligent or Intelligent beings, friend and foe alike, within a 10-meter radius of you. This range is increased by 3 meters for every 4 points of mental strength possessed by you. Life leech will drain away 6 hit points per melee turn (i.e., cause 6 points of damage) from each being in range and add a like number of hit points to your total. If you with life leech takes damage, the hit points are first subtracted from those points leeched. Leeched hit points not destroyed in combat dissipate after 24 hours.
LIGHT WAVE MANIPULATION: This allows you and everything you are wearing or carrying to become invisible at will, to negate the effect of a laser, or to create a patch of total darkness (2-meter radius) anywhere within 10 meters of you. Although you can only make yourself invisible, the ability to create darkness or stop laser blasts may be used anywhere within your 10-meter range.
MAGNETIC CONTROL: This is the power, through the control of magnetic fields, to repel, attract, or utilize any inanimate ferrous object. The GM determines the effects on powered objects. Treat any object to be controlled as having a mental resistance of 12 to determine whether control is successful. There is no weight restriction, and the mutation has a range of 100 meters. Magnetic control lasts up to 25 melee turns and may be used once every 24 hours.
MASS MIND: This allows you to empathize with creatures of a like nature (same type) or like power (mental control, mass mind, telepathy, etc.) in order to amplify the effects of your own powers. Mass mind works in direct proportion to the number of minds participating. You with mass mind and mental blast abilities could get together with another creature with mental blast and, together, deliver a double-strength mental blast twice the normal distance.
MENTAL BLAST: This is the ability to launch a mental assault worth 3 dice (d6) of damage on any being within 15 meters. It may be used every other melee turn.
MENTAL CONTROL: This mutation allows you to take over another being’s body. While in control, you experience all the sensory impressions of the controlled being, and are totally unaware of your own body (which remains motionless). If those under your control are knocked unconscious or die, you suffer the same fate. To establish control, you must be within 15 meters of your intended victim. After that, this mutation has no range restriction. You may break off control and “return” to your own body at any time.
MENTAL CONTROL OVER PHYSICAL STATE: This is the ability to unconsciously disregard things like pain warnings and override problems such as blood loss or fatigue for up to one full day. This control enables you to heal wounds (recover lost hit points) four times as fast as normal. In situations of overwhelming danger (GM’s decision), you will have double your normal strength, dexterity, and speed for 5-50 melee turns (5d10). You may use this mutation only once per week.
MENTAL DEFENSELESSNESS (D): Disregard your mental strength as rolled. It is now 3.
MENTAL DEFENSE SHIELD: This ability adds 4 points (not to exceed 18) to your mental resistance rating. In addition, you will sense any other being with mental powers within a 30-meter radius, whether those powers are being used or not.
MOLECULAR DISRUPTION: This is a dangerous but powerful ability that may only be used infrequently. When you attempt molecular disruption, whether it works or not, you are reduced to 1 hit point and one-half movement for 1 full day. The chance of success varies with the subject matter involved: metal and dense material have a 3% chance of being disrupted per point of mental strength, stone and non-living material have a 4% chance per point of mental strength, and living organisms have a 5% chance of being disrupted per point of mental strength possessed by you. Up to 50 kilograms of contiguous matter, within a range of 30 meters, may be destroyed in this manner. For example: You with a mental strength of 15 would have a 75% chance of disrupting an obb (see CREATURES) and a 45% chance of disrupting a metal door. Once this ability is employed, a varying number of days (GM rolls d6, with result unknown to player) must pass before it will have any chance of succeeding again.
MOLECULAR UNDERSTANDING: This power allows you to know the weaknesses of any object and its separate parts. Because of this, you do 1 extra die of damage, over and above any damage you would normally inflict in combat. You are also able to instantly figure out the use of any artifact on CHART A, and subtract 2 points from the die roll on the other charts (see ARTIFACT USE & OPERATION).
MULTIPLE DAMAGE (D): This causes you to double any damage sustained by you. This occurs not because the damage has really been inflicted, but because you think it has.
PLANAR TRAVEL: This is the ability to open doors to alternate planes of e.11ishmce. The mutation manifests itself as a 3- by 3-meter opening lasting up to 3 full melee turns at your discretion. These planes of existence may or may not be populated (with GM-inspired creatures), but once entered, there is no way to leave them (unless you reopen the door), so they make perfect places of exile. Only one such door may be opened per week.
POOR DUAL BRAIN (D): This is a second brain which handicaps the function of the primary brain. It may take over the body at strange times, have several defects, or even counteract a mental power of the good brain in difficult situations. The extent and effects of this mutation should be determined by the GM and may be kept a secret from you until the moment of truth.
PRECOGNITION: This is the power to sense dangerous situations that will affect you personally, as the one having the power. It is effective only 3 minutes into the future and requires intense concentration. For instance, if you are about to open a door, you may use precognition to see what would happen if you did open the door. It is perfectly legal to change the course of history by acting on that information and, for example, not open the door to receive the ambush waiting on the other side. When you, with precognition, foresee damage about to be done to your own body, the shock to your nervous system is such that you receive one die (d6) of damage immediately. If you should foresee your own death, you immediately take two dice (2d6) of damage and fall unconscious for 3-18 (3d6) minutes. The GM may wish to limit the number of times this ability can be used In a day (perhaps by rolling d4 or d6).
PYROKINESIS: This is the ability to cause living matter or anything that is reasonably flammable, such as wood or plastic, to suffer heat damage and eventually burst into flame. On the first melee turn 1 die (d6) of damage is done (not necessarily fire) and through undisturbed concentration, up to 10 dice (d6) of damage may be inflicted on the 10th melee turn by you with pyrokinesis. The GM determines when and if a fire starts. The effective range of this mutation is 25 meters.
RADAR/SONAR: Creatures with radar or sonar have large ears, antennae, or hearing orifices. Much like bats or dolphins, they can walk or fly day and night, “seeing” without using their eyes. They also receive a bonus of plus 2 on all “to-hit” probabilities. The range of this mutation is usually 30 meters, but is tripled If you have heightened hearing.
REFLECTION: This mutation requires great concentration, and you must remain motionless while exercising it. On the first melee turn of concentration, up to 3 dice of damage (of any type) is sent back to the beings who inflicted it. On the second melee turn of concentration, up to 4 dice of damage is reflected, and so on, until, on the 18th and final turn of this power, up to 20 dice of damage may be reflected. Note: Reflected damage may not exceed damage inflicted. Reflection can be used only once every 24 hours, and while in use, you are subject to simple attacks, such as light generation, which incapacitate, but do no dice of damage. You can maintain concentration and reflection powers even if it takes damage, so long as no other action (combat, fleeing) is initiated. While reflecting, you receive no damage unless damage inflicted exceeds reflecting ability. For example, if you are hit by a laser pistol (which does 5 dice of damage) on the first melee turn of concentration, 3 dice will be reflected, and you will receive 2 dice of damage.
REPULSION FIELD: This is similar to a force field, but a repulsion field can be formed up to 15 meters away from you and used to surround or trap other beings. In all other respects, it functions like a force field. Indeed, you could use it exactly like a force field if you so desire, and it could be termed an improved force field.
SOUND IMITATION: This allows you to recreate sounds you hear and throw back sonic attacks immediately after hearing (and surviving) them. You cannot remember how to recreate sounds; you merely repeat what you hear.
TELEKINESIS: This enables you to lift objects, other than you yourself, into the air and move them about. You can only telekinese as much weight as you could normally lift, and you must strain as though you were actually carrying the object. Only objects within 15 meters may be thus lifted, and you may only keep them aloft for 5 melee turns, after which time you must rest for another 5 melee turns before again using this power. When telekinesis is attempted on living creatures, or things that they are holding, the GM should treat it as a mental attack on that being, which must succeed before the object may be lifted.
TELEKINETIC ARM: This mutation manifests itself as a 20-meter-long human arm (complete with hand), capable of doing anything a normal human arm and hand can do, with a Strength of 18. To function, it must always be visible to you. This arm cannot be hit by non-powered weapons, while powered weapons will do normal damage to you if they hit this arm.
TELEKINETIC FLIGHT: You can fly through the air at a variable speed (1-20 meters per second), carrying only as much as you could carry normally.
TELEPATHY: This is the power to read another creature’s thoughts and/or emotions and send your own in return. This power transcends language and works on all beings up to 10 meters away.
TELEPORTATION: The mental transference of your physical self to another place is called teleportation, and works up to a range of 30 kilometers. You may only teleport yourself, not others. If you have not spent at least 8 hours memorizing your destination, you stand a 25¾ chance of sustaining 10 dice (d6) of damage upon arrival.
THOUGHT IMITATION: This power allows you to immediately return any thought or mental attack directed at you, although it does not negate the effects of such attacks on yourself. You with thought imitation is able, any time you wishes, to exactly copy the communication patterns of those creatures with whose thought patterns you are familiar, even if those creatures do not speak a language known by you. Note: The power to return a mental attack is temporary. Once a mental blast has been returned, you do not know how to repeat it. You can, however, recall communication patterns later.
TIME FIELD MANIPULATION: This is the ability to travel or send objects through the currents of time. The use of this mutation requires an Intelligence of 18 and a “heightened intelligence” on the part of you (i.e., this is rare). If you do not have both, roll another mutation. The ability to send objects through time varies with the material involved and the time distance required. The material travels through time, but remains in the same spot on GAMMA WORLD. The energy required, whether or not the attempt succeeds, drains one-half the hit points from you for 1-8 (d8) days and reduces your speed to one-half for 1-12 (d12) days. The percentile dice are used to determine the success of time travel:
DISTANCE TRAVELED IN TIME … PERCENT CHANCE OF SUCCESS
1 week … 1-95%
25 weeks … 1-86%
1 year … 1-80%
5 years … 1-75%
10 years … 1-60%
25 years … 1-50%
50 years …. 1-30%
100 years … 1-20%
250 years … 1-10%
The preceding chart is for you and/or any inanimate object not belonging to another being sent into the past. Material that is part of, or belongs to, another being is harder to send through time: subtract 10% for metal or powered Items, 15% for stone and other inorganic material, and 20% for biological material (such as another being). To send objects into the future, subtract 25% from each increment on the above table. You must be able to touch whatever you are attempting to send through time, and the energy drain occurs even if the attempt fails.
TOTAL HEALING: This allows you to heal all your own lost hit points, up to four times a week, once per 24-hour period.
WEATHER MANIPULATION: This allows you to manipulate the weather in the area you are in. The newly-created weather conditions will last as long as you concentrate on them. (Note that if you are hit in combat, your concentration will be broken.) You must concentrate for a full minute (6 melee turns) before the weather begins changing, and it takes another 2 minutes (12 melee turns) for the change to be completed. The weather is affected within a 10-kilometer radius around you. The weather cannot be radically changed (e.g., from below zero to a 100-degree heatwave). The extent of manipulation possible depends upon the prevailing conditions:
Cloud Cover / Precipitation
* Clear … Very clear, partly cloudy/hazy
* Partly Cloudy … clear to cloudy, misty/light rain/light snow/sleet/small hail
* Cloudy … Partly cloudy, Deep clouds, Fog/Heavy rain/ Heavy snow/Driving sleet/Large hall
Temperature
* Hot … sweltering heat, warm
* Warm … hot, cool
* Cool … warm, cold
* Cold … cool, arctic cold
Wind
* Calm … dead calm, light wind
* Light Wind … calm, strong wind
* Strong Wind … light wind, gale
* Gale … strong wind, storm
* Storm … gale, hurricane/typhoon
All three aspects of the weather can be manipulated, but only one is shown. For example, a day which is clear and warm with a light wind can become a hazy, hot, calm day. Contradictions are not possible, such as fog and strong wind, for example.
Success is not automatic. There is a base 90% chance of causing one of the possible changes. If it is desirable to cause a change one degree away (from clear to light rain, for example), the chance of success drops to 50%, and double the time is required (12 melee turns of initial concentration, 24 melee turns to accomplish the change). If a change two degrees away from the prevailing conditions is desired (such as warm to arctic cold), the chance of success is only 10% and triple the time is required (18 and 36 melee turns).
You roll the percentile dice (2d10) after the initial concentration is complete, but the new conditions aren’t fully effective until the weather change is complete. If you fail to change the weather (either by failing the percentage roll or being interrupted after the initial concentration), you must rest a full week before attempting weather manipulation again. This mutation can be used a maximum of once per day.
WILL FORCE: This is the ability, through sheer force of will, to double any one of your abilities. It can be used in conjunction with any other power, or it may be used to add one point to your “to-hit” die rolls. Will force lasts from 1-10 (d10) melee turns and may be used only once every 24 hours.