Mutant Evolution

When you create a mutant, you first decide their **Mutant Origin**. A mutant origin determines how your character got their mutations and how long they've had them. Mutant origins primarily affect the way you pick mutations at character creation.

Once you have picked your mutant origin, you then decide what mutations your character has. There four different types of mutations.

* **Flawed** mutations have no mechanically beneficial effects whatsoever. They cost nothing, and may provide extra mutation points depending on your origin.
* **Minor** mutations have the smallest impact on your character. They represent less helpful changes to genetic makeup and carry only mild benefits, often with downsides as well. Minor mutations cost 1 point.
* **Major** mutations have a great affect on your character. They represent significantly beneficial physical and mental genetic transformations and may be quite difficult to hide. Major mutations cost 2 points.
* **Perfect** mutations are more than just impactful; they drastically alter the way the game is played and are likely a core, fundamental part of your character's personal identity. Perfect mutations are *extremely* potent and cost 3 points.

Mutations will tell you if they add or remove hit zones. Generally, you always consider any parts added by a single mutation to be a single hit zone - if a mutation says you grow 8 spider legs, they still replace just one result.

### Psychic Powers

Psychic powers are unique in that they do not rely on any dedicated combat skills. When you attempt to make an Attack using a psychic ability or activate it in some other way that targets a character unwillingly, you always roll using your **AUR** score. In the following cases, you also add certain Skills to the roll as well:

* **Damaging** powers like Pyrokinesis, Electrokinesis or Telekinesis add your **Insight** to their Attack rolls. They are normally resisted with a **Dodge** roll.
* **Utility** powers like extra-sensory perception, precognition or telepathy add your **Insight** to any rolls you make with them, such as when attempting to read someone's mind. They are also, in turn, resisted by the target's **Insight**.
* **Psychological** powers like neurokinesis, mental domination or induced sleep add your **Subterfuge** to any rolls you make with them. They are resisted by the target's **Insight**.

## **Origins**

### **Natural Evolution**

Whether beneficial or not, your mutations came about randomly as a result of divergent natural selection and you have had them since birth. For you, your mutated body feels normal, like second nature. You've never had any problems learning how to use it.

When you pick Natural Evolution as your mutant origin, you begin with 3 mutation points to spend. You may also take Flawed mutations to gain extra mutation points, up to a maximum of 2. More than 2 Flawed mutations can be taken, but they will grant nothing.

### **Accidental Exposure**

Not too long ago, you were exposed to something seriously mutagenic. Maybe it was a strong field of ionized radiation, maybe you were too close to an uncontained negative energy reaction, or maybe you just slipped and fell into a vat of toxic waste. Either way, you're different now, and you're still getting used to it.

When you pick Accidental Exposure as your mutant origin, you begin with 7 mutation points to spend and two random Flawed mutations. Additional Flawed mutations can be taken, but provide no boon. You may not pick what mutations you spend your points on. Instead, you spend points to pick a mutation category (minor being 1, major being 2, perfect being 3) and roll for the result. Accidental Exposure mutants may not reroll their choices.

### **Genetic Virus**

You are a victim (or child of a victim) of the same genetic virus that once rampaged through the Earth's lower levels long ago, severely disfiguring and mutating many of its poorest and most vulnerable residents. You are one of the lucky few that underwent advantageous mutations, but you were unlucky to have been afflicted by a now-rare disease in the first place.

When you pick Genetic Virus as your mutant origin, you begin with 0 mutation points to spend. You must take Flawed mutations to gain mutation points, receiving 1 point for each, but you may take as many as you wish.

### **Alien Tampering**

You're not sure how or when it happened, but you know that you were once abducted by aliens. Although your memory is fuzzy and you can't even recall their species, you do know that whatever they did to you changed you forever. You're more than human now, but it feels like they took something else in return...

When you pick Alien Tampering as your mutant origin, you begin with 2 mutation points to spend. You may take Flawed mutations, but they grant you no extra mutation points. Instead, you may subtract any number of points from your Attributes, adding an equal number of mutation points to your pool. Note that you cannot take the Enhanced Attribute mutation for any attribute you lower in this manner.

### **Deep-space Phenomenon**

Somewhere way out in the void of deep space, in the black emptiness between stars, something *strange* happened, and whatever it was, it left its mark on you. It might have happened when you were still in the womb, and it might have happened last month; regardless, you're far from normal. You're just glad you haven't had any trouble acclimating to your metamorphoses.

When you pick Deep-space Phenomenon as your mutant origin, you do not pick mutations with points. Instead, you roll for them across all lists. You roll for mutations one at a time, and you may roll up to three times. If you don't like your results, you can always reroll as many times as you like, but you will have to start from the beginning - no rerolling just the one mutation you don't like!

### **Science Experiment**

Your mutations are the result of intentional genetic modification by other humans, using advanced technology to directly manipulate your DNA. You were engineered in a laboratory somewhere by either the government or a faceless megacorporation, probably for use as a research subject, if not a living weapon.

When you pick Science Experiment as your mutant origin, you do not pick mutations with points. Instead, you pick 1 perfect, 2 major, and 1 minor mutation. You may take Flawed mutations, but will not benefit in any way. You also receive the Marked Man and Wanted Criminal disadvantages automatically, and do not gain extra advantages from them. *If you begin the game working for the organization that mutated you, the Game Master may choose not to confer this penalty.*

## **Mutations**

### **Major**

 Enhanced Athletics II
* Does not apply towards the skill cap.

### **Perfect**

 Enhanced Athletics III
 Telepathy
* Mind-reading costs willpower equal to the target's AUR score. This cost is halved if you have at least 3 ranks in the Insight Skill.
 Telekinesis
* Costs 1 willpower to move each object under Size 2.
* Anything larger than Size 1 costs an amount of willpower equal to its Size to move.
* Objects move AUR\*30 feet per round, or slower if desired. This can be doubled by spending double willpower.
 Pyrokinesis
* Moving a fire less than a foot costs 1 willpower.
* Moving a fire further than a foot costs 2 willpower + 1 additional willpower every 10'.
 Cryokinesis
* Lowering the temperature of an object or area by less than 40 degrees kelvin costs 1 willpower.
* Lowering the temperature of an object or area further than 40 degrees costs 2 willpower + 1 additional willpower per 40 degrees of temperature.
 Hydrokinesis
* Moving water less than a foot costs 1 willpower.
* Moving water further than a foot costs 2 willpower + 1 additional willpower every 10'.
 Neurokinesis
* Costs willpower equal to the target's AUR score and allows the target to resist with an opposed AUR roll.
 Photokinesis
* Invisibility costs X willpower, where X is the Size of the target to be made invisible. Lasts AUR minutes.
* Laser beams cost 2 willpower, have a penetration of 9, and deal AUR Fire damage. Laser damage can be increased to AUR\*2 by spending 4 willpower, AUR\*3 by spending 8, and so on.
* Lights cost 1 willpower to create and illuminates a 40' area.