Chapter 58: Mental Mutations

Mental mutations are abilities arising from hypothetical powers of the mind. Mental mutations are also called psionic abilities, and the mutant manipulates unknown forces (possibly never to be discovered) to create the effects of her mutation. The mental mutations require concentration of the mind, like lifting a weight requires contraction of the muscles.

The mutations listed here are intrinsic abilities of the mutant, not skills. The difference is that a persona can learn a skill and become better at using it, but a mutation changes very little from whence it first appears. The mutations are not easily explained from a biological standpoint, but in the bizarre technological world of EXP such mysterious behaviour is not considered magic.

The nature of mutants in a society depends entirely on the campaign that is being run. Mental mutations are considered sinister by most personas because the mutant has no cosmetic indicators of her difference from the others of her race. The referee may find that even in a society which completely accepts all forms of mutations, her referee personas will still be very wary (paranoid) of any mutants that they must deal with. This is primarily because once a persona has revealed a mental mutation, there is no telling what ability may be used next.

Considerations

The referee should also have special effects prepared for certain weird occurrences. For instance a time stop mutation may attract aliens that manipulate time, and a planal holdaway opened in special drive may create a space vortex. The rule for the referee to remember is that the power of a mental mutation should be delicately balanced with subtle inconveniences.

Target

The target of a mental mutation is whatever the mutant hopes to affect. The target could be the thinkspace of another sentient being, or it could be some inanimate object across the room. The word target is generic for what ever the mutant wants to affect whether the mutation is a mental attack, a life saving procedure, or and innocuous irritation. Most every use of a mental mutation will require a save by the target. Refer to Chapter 16: Special Rolls, for more information.

Line of Sight

Line of sight may be required for some mutations, while others merely require the mutant to sense the thinkspace of the target. If there are any problems a to whether a mutation requires line of sight or not, the referee should decide using these overly simple guideline. Mutations that travel in a straight line, and affect the target directly require line of sight, whereas area of effect mutations do not. If it is still not clear then Sphincter Dice can make the decision.

Levels

Mental mutations improve as the persona increases in experience level. The experience level of the persona is determined the amount of experience that she has amassed, and by her persona class. Some may argue that class experience level should not affect one’s psionic ability. Experience level is a general rating of life skills, of which the mutant’s psionic ability is included. A more detailed explanation of what experience levels represent can be read in Chapter 15: Experience.

Combinations

Expeditions full of mutants will often find themselves combining mutations against powerful opponents (or weak opponents if they are bullies). This can include stacking kinesises, or combining mutations for other effects. This results of this are entirely up to the referee. For instance combining information eradication, and extra sensory perception may allow a mutant to profoundly effect a target’s memory.

Parameters

Each mutation, whether mental or physical, has certain properties that describe what it is and how it affects play. The attributes of each mutation are explained in the following paragraphs. Not only should the basic feature of a mutation be recorded but the mutation number and the page number where the mutation can be found.

Name

The name of a mutation can give an inkling to what the mutation does or simply describe it outright. The title can be deceptive so the mutation should be read in detail and the mutation number recorded on the persona record sheet.

Range

The range of a mutation indicates how far away the effects of the mutation can be delivered to a target. Any exception to this meaning of mutation range will be specified in the mutation. Many mutations can affect targets hexes away; others require contact; and some have a radius of effect. Ranges are not devoted solely to offensive mutations and even defensive mutations may be critically affected by range limits.

The intensity of a mutation cannot be regulated and neither can its area of effect. Only a single target mutation can be adjusted for different ranges from the persona. Mutations that have areas of effect will indiscriminately affect all targets in this area of effect.

Nothing can stop a mutation which travels directly from one mind to another. E.S.P., gyrokinesis, and telekinesis can pass through any barrier if the mutant has positive proof that the target exists. Those mutations which manipulate the environment to attack a target such as mind blast or launch-able quills are subject to all terrain effects.

Distance

The most common is the ranged mutation. Ranged mutations can be directed at any target within range of the mutant. The range is determined by the MSTR and EXPS level of the attacker. For example, a mutation may have a range of one hex @ MSTR. This means one hex per point of mental strength and, with a 12 MSTR, a mutant could use the mutation 12 hexes away. There are variations to this common range format. Two hexes per MSTR would yield a 24 hex range with a 12 MSTR. One hex per four MSTR would yield a three hex range with a 12 MSTR. If the range includes MSTR and experience level then the two are added. A fourth level persona with a 12 MSTR would have a 16 hex range with a mutation that was listed as one hex per (MSTR + level).

Area of Effect

Radius ranges are spherical and use the location hex of the persona for the centre. Thus a mutation with a ten hex radius of effect would contain all targets within ten hexes including above and below the mutant. The area of effect would include everything in the 20 hex diameter sphere.

Touch

Touch mutations are self explanatory. The mutant must touch the target to inflict the effects of the mutation whether benevolent or not. The touch must be hand, paw or claw to skin, fur or scales. Some touch mutations can be conducted through material that would be considered conductive, like metal. Some touch mutations may still be effective if derma to derma contact cannot be made. They may be mutations with very short ranges, several millimetres, and a successful to hit roll may be all that is needed to get within range.

Duration

The duration of a mutation almost always refers to the length of time that the mutation effects last. If the mutant has telekinetic flight, she can stay aloft for the duration of the mutation. Mutations usually require complete concentration on the part of the mutant. If a mutation obviously does not require complete concentration on the part of the mutant then the concentration need not be maintained. Mutations that are always in constant use do not require a significant portion of the mutant’s mental or physical resources.

Mutations usually last so many units per point of MSTR and they may also be affected by the persona’s experience level. If a mutation has a duration of one until per MSTR, then the mutant can make the mutation last 12 units if she has a 12 MSTR. Other variations of duration exist and they all function identically to the range variations discussed earlier, except that units replace hexes. Mutations with random durations are determined each time the mutation is employed. Such mutations indicate that the mutant has set in motion physical effects which she has no control over.

Until Saves

If the duration is “until saves”, the mutant may continue the attack until the victim saves or is dead.

Permanent

When the duration says “permanent”, it indicates that the effects won’t dissipate on their own accord. For instance, permanent healing of HPS means that they will not disappear after a certain number of units but it does not mean that the mutant has a cache of indestructible HPS.

Constant

Most mutations can be stopped whenever the mutant sees fit, except those mutations that have a “constant” duration or an “until dead” duration. These mutations will function until the mutant is dead or has the mutation excised.

Frequency

The frequency of the mutation indicates how often it can be used during a daily cycle of the mutant. The frequency assumes a 24 hour day (see Chapter 12: Time and Movement) where the mutant sleeps around eight hours each day. If the mutant is in a situation where there is no planetary rotation or one where there is no 24 hour cycle, a complete rest (eight hours’ sleep) will be equivalent to the completion of a daily cycle.

Most mutations can be used several times a day depending on the MSTR and level of the mutant. The more powerful the mutation, the less frequently it can be used each day. If the frequency of a mutation is one per four MSTR, a persona with a 12 MSTR could employ it three times each day and would have to rest eight hours before using it again. For this type of mutation, rest for the brain is essential. Unless otherwise stated, a mutation can be used at least once a day. This includes mutations which have very low frequencies (e.g. one per 13 MSTR). This mutation could be used once a day even by a persona with a MSTR of six.

Mutations which can be used more frequently are labelled “as needed” and just as the title states, the mutant can use such a mutation as it is needed. “Constant” mutations are usually defects and they constantly project their effects regardless of what the mutant is doing. Constant mutations always function whether the mutant is asleep or awake.

Mutations cannot be stored. A mutant cannot use a mutation more often one day than the next because she saved some uses from the previous day. The mutant may use the mutation no more than the frequency states and each use is cumulative until she rests. Mutations cannot be compounded to double an effect. The mutant can only use one mutation at a time unless one of the mutations has a “constant” or “as needed” frequency.

The mutant has used a mutation whenever the effects start. Even if the target saves and the mutation has no effect, the mutation has been used. If the mutant voluntarily stops the mutation then it has been used. If the mutant switches from one target to another, this will usually indicate another use.

General Bonus

The general bonus listing of the mutation could contain several arcane bits of information that are related to the use of the mutation in unexpected circumstances. If the mutation is particularly dangerous, then there may be a combat ration (CR) adjustment listed (see Chapter 11: Referee Personas). The mutation may indicate a bonus for particular PT rolls, attribute rolls or negotiation rolls. Any simple affect that the mutation has on the dice rolling of the persona should be included beside the general bonus listing.

Mutations

The number of mutations that a persona has is determined on the Mutation Frequency table in Chapter 7: Mutations. The number of mutations varies depending on race, desire of the player to have a mutated persona and the referee’s input. If the persona is supposed to have 3 mental mutations then the player rolls once on Table 58.1: Mental Mutation at least three times.

There are other subtables included here, such as a combat, non-combat, and defect subtables. Players should only use the main Mental Mutation table unless otherwise indicated by the referee. These tables are aids to the referee and players when they are in need of specific kinds of mutations. For instance a combat robot may have a device that imitates a combat mutation.

This table is the one that should be used by players creating new personas. There is one roll on this table per mental mutation. A deci-die roll of 86 would indicate mental mutation #56 Telekinetic Arm, and the player would refer to that mutation in this chapter.

Table 58.1 Mental Mutation Type

Die Roll (1d100)Mental Mutation
01-021)Absorption
032)Alternate Banishment
04-053)Animal Attachment
06-074)Calculations
08-095)Communicate
106)Cryokinesis
117)Death Field Generation
128)Density Control
13-149)Detections
15-1610)Directional Sense
1711)Empathy
18-1912)Energy Attraction
2013)Epileptic Projection
2114)Extra Sensory Perception
2215)Force Field Generation
2316)Gyrokinesis
24-2517)Heightened Brain Talent
26-2718)Hostility Field Generation
2819)Illusion Generation
29-3020)Information Eradication
31-3221)Intuition
33-3422)Knowledge Transmission
3523)Levitation
3624)Life Leech
3725)Light Wave Manipulation
38-3926)Magnetic Control
4027)Mass Mind
41-4228)Mechanical Sense
4329)Mental Blast
4430)Mental Control
4531)Mental Control Over Physical State
46-4732)Mental Defencelessness
4833)Molecular Distruption
49-5034)Molecular Examination
5135)Molecular Phase Transformation
5236)Molecular Phase Transmutation
5337)Muscle Manipulation
5438)Neuronegation
5539)Phase
56-5740)Planal Hideaway
58-5941)Planal Holdaway
60-6142)Polar Disruption
62-6343)Power Drain
64-6544)Precognition
6645)Projected Sense
6746)Protection Shell
6847)Psionic Defence
6948)Purify
70-7149)Pyrokinesis
72-7350)
Repulsion Field Generation
74-7551)Restoration
76-7752)Sensory Deprivation
7853)Sociability Field Generation
79-8054)Sonar
8155)Sonic Attack
82-8356)Sonic Reproduction
8457)Suggestion
8558)Telekinesis
8659)Telekinetic Arm
8760)Telekinetic Flight
8861)Telempathy
8962)Teleport
9063)Thought Imitation
9164)Time Stop
92-9365)Time Tell
9466)
Total Recuperation
9567)Ventriloquism
96-9768)Weapons Discharging
98-9969)Weather Tell
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollMental Mutation
Determine what type of mental mutation the mutant has.

Defective

Defective Mental Mutation Subtable: Table 58.2: Defective Mental Mutations is a very specific table. It is used by the referee when a defective mutation effect has been indicated. A deci-die rod of 86 on table would indicate the mental mutation #68, Weapons Discharging.

Table 58.2 Defective Mental Mutations

Use this table if a defective mental mutation is required.
Die Roll (1d100)Mental Mutation
01-2012)Energy Attraction
21-4018)Hostility Field Generation
41-6032)Mental Defencelessness
61-8042)Polar Disruption
81-9968)Weapons Discharging
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollMental Mutation

Combat

Table 58.3: Combat Mental Mutation is a very specific table that is used by the referee or players who have need of a combat oriented mental mutation, but do not wish to keep re-rolling on the Mental Mutation Table until they get a combat mutation. A deci-die roll of 86 on this table would indicate the mental mutation #62,. Teleport.

Table 58.3 Combat Mental Mutations

Use this table if combat mental mutations or effects are required.
Die Roll (1d100)Mental Mutation
01-031)Absorption
04-062)Alternate Banishment
07-096)Cryokinesis
10-127)Death Field Generation
13-158)Density Control
16-1813)Epileptic Projection
19-2115)Force Field Generation
22-2416)Gyrokinesis
25-2719)Illusion Generation
28-3020)Information Eradication
31-3324)Life Leech
34-3625)Light Wave Manipulation
37-3926)Magnetic Control
40-4227)Mass Mind
43-4529)Mental Blast
46-4830)Mental Control
49-5133)Molecular Distruption
51-5436)Molecular Phase Transmutation
55-5737)Muscle Manipulation
58-6038)Neuronegation
61-6339)Phase
64-6644)Precognition
67-6947)Psionic Defence
70-7249)Pyrokinesis
73-7550)
Repulsion Field Generation
76-7852)Sensory Deprivation
79-8155)Sonic Attack
82-8458)Telekinesis
85-8762)Teleport
88-9063)Thought Imitation
91-9364)Time Stop
94-9966)
Total Recuperation
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollMental Mutation

Non-Combat

Table 58.4: Non-Combat Mental Mutations is a specific table that is used by the referee or players who have need of a non-combat oriented mental mutation, but do not which to keep re-rolling on the Mental Mutation table until they get a non-combat mutation. A deci-die roll of 86 on this table would indicate the mental mutation #63, Thought Imitation.

Table 58.4 Non-Combat Mental Mutations

Us this list for mutations that are neither combat or defective.
Die RollMental Mutation
01-021)Absorption
03-043)Animal Attachment
05-064)Calculations
07-085)Communicate
09-108)Density Control
11-129)Detections
13-1410)Directional Sense
15-1611)Empathy
17-1814)Extra Sensory Perception
19-2017)Heightened Brain Talent
21-2219)Illusion Generation
23-2420)Information Eradication
35-2621)Intuition
27-2822)Knowledge Transmission
29-3023)Levitation
31-3225)Light Wave Manipulation
33-3426)Magnetic Control
35-3627)Mass Mind
37-3828)Mechanical Sense
39-4030)Mental Control
41-4231)Mental Control Over Physical State
43-4434)Molecular Examination
45-4635)Molecular Phase Transformation
47-4839)Phase
49-5040)Planal Hideaway
51-5241)Planal Holdaway
53-5443)Power Drain
55-5644)Precognition
57-5845)Projected Sense
59-6046)Protection Shell
61-6247)Psionic Defence
63-6448)Purify
65-6651)Restoration
67-6853)Sociability Field Generation
69-7054)Sonar
71-7256)Sonic Reproduction
73-7457)Suggestion
75-7658)Telekinesis
77-7859)Telekinetic Arm
79-8060)Telekinetic Flight
81-8261)Telempathy
83-8462)Teleport
85-8663)Thought Imitation
87-8864)Time Stop
89-9065)Time Tell
91-9266)
Total Recuperation
93-9467)Ventriloquism
95-9869)Weather Tell
99-00Ref's Own Table
Die RollMental Mutation

Mutation List

1) Absorption

Range:Persona only
Duration:Until dead
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:Combat Ration plus 4

This mutant can absorb, using the powers of her mind, damage that is directed at her in such a fashion that she does not lose HPS. A laser bolt will dissipate over her entire body or radiation will pass through her unaffected. The damage type that the persona can absorb is determined on the Attack Absorption Table. A persona with absorption can absorb an amount of damage equal to half her HPS total plus 3 HPS per experience level. Damage cannot be reduced to less than one point of damage. For example, a level 4 persona with 30 HPS could absorb 42 HPS in damage. If the attack is supposed to inflict less than 42 HPS of damage she would take no damage. Absorption cannot be used to gain HPS.

If there are concerns over what percentage of an attack is fire versus concussion versus projectile Sphincter Dice may need to be consulted.

Table 58.5 Absorption Type

Determine what kind of elements are absorbed by this mutant.
Die Roll (1d100)Absorbed AttackComment
01-10ConcussionExplosive wave force, grenades
11-20Crushing, fastProjectiles, like bullets
21-30Crushing, slowThrusting and striking attacks.
31-40ElectricityAs stated
41-50EnergyFission, fusion, plasma attacks
51-60FireAs stated
61-75LazerLazer attacks
76-80PsionicAny thinkspace damaging attack
81-99RadiationAs stated
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollAbsorbed AttackComment

2) Alternate Banishment

Range:1 h per EXPS level
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:1 per 12 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ration plus 10

This mutation allows the mutant to transport objects to an alternate plane of existence. This mutation can only be employed in situations of extreme duress; like combat, surprise, or imminent death, etc. The mutant can only banish complete objects that do not exceed half the mutant’s WATE, plus 5 kg per level. A corpulent 4th level persona with a wate of 80 kg could banish an object up to 60 kg in wate. All targets get a save vs psionic attack. If the save is successful the mutation has no effect. Inorganic objects being banished will have either a 0-9 (1d10-1) MSTR , or a MSTR equal to that of the persona holding it.

3) Animal Attachment

Range:Touch
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:1 alien per 7 EXPS levels
General Bonus:+10 for alien related PT rolls

This mutation is an example of pet bonding to the highest degree. The persona will become psionically attached to a smaller, less powerful, and less intelligent creature that is the same sex as the mutant. The pair have a telepathically bonded relationship which will allow them to discuss any topic by just thinking to each other. This telepathy cannot be detected with any normal listening device. The animal will receive a save versus psionic attack to avoid attachment, although this not considered an attack.

Once telepathically bonded, the attached animal will have an intelligence equal to the sum of the persona’s and its own. This will automatically make the attached animal intellectually superior. Other changes to the attached animal include very sensitive detection abilities, which include locating clean, un-poisoned members of the opposite sex and areas of land, food, and water. These detections are effective up to a range of 7 km per point of the animal’s new INT.

The attached animal will be absolutely loyal to its bonded master.  In return, the persona will protect and feed the attached animal. If the persona should die, the attached animal will die shortly after. If the attached animal should die a violent death that the persona could have prevented, the persona will suffer a temporary penalty of 1-6 points on her MSTR, and1-3 points on her INT. If this attribute anguish does not kill the persona, she will heal one point back per week of rest.

For example, a female feline mutant has the mutation animal attachment and befriends a not so intelligent herbivorous rodent. The animal has a 2 INT and the persona has a 12 INT. The animal’s attached INT is 14. It will certainly choose itself a name, talk telepathically with the mutant persona, and will detect clean food, clean males, clean land, and clean water up to 84 kilometers away.

4) Calculations

Range:Persona only
Duration:Not applicable
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:+15 for any calculation assisted PT roll

This persona has the amazing ability of being able to do virtually any mathematical calculation in her head within 2 seconds. Before the arithmetic savant has a chance of being successful, all the necessary data must be present and the method used to obtain the answer must be reasonably understood.  Regardless of the problem’s difficulty, the response will be generated within one unit.  Generally, uses for this mutation must be thought up by the player.  Some examples of how calculations come in useful is in the calculation of speed of opponent, probability of success in gambling, HITE of a building, or width of a crevasse. The referee should allow any reasonable use of this mutation to succeed, owing to its almost complete uselessness. Calculations will allow this mutant to replace an astrogation program on a space vehicle.

5) Communicate

Range:Persona only
Duration:Special
Frequency:Special
General Bonus:+15 for any language assisted PT roll

Specially tuned senses in uncharted reaches of the mutant’s brain allow her to communicate with any communicating entity provided that the mutant is physically capable of generating the communication form. The chance of this persona being able to comprehend a language is equal to her INT plus level multiplied by three. If she fails this roll, she may make a number of tries equal to one attempt per month per 8 points of adjusted MSTR.

If the language has been understood and it is physically possible for the mutant to speak it, she may do so. Forms of communication which cannot be engaged in without technical support are: pheromones, ultrasonic transmissions, and light wave manipulations. If the persona decides to memorize this language permanently she may. The number of languages memorized cannot exceed the persona’s INT plus 1 per level.

If a 4th level persona with a 10 INT were to attempt to communicate with an alien race she would have a 42% chance of success. If she failed this roll, she would have to wait a month before trying again. The maximum number of languages that she could have at instant recall would be 14.

6) Cryokinesis

Range:1 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:5 units per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 5 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 3

This mutation may be employed in either a nasty way or a benevolent way. The nasty way involves penetrating a creature’s mind with cold. The attack will do one 1d4 in the first unit, two 2d4 in the second unit and so on, until a save vs. psionic attack is successful. There is no limit to the number of d4s in freezing damage that the target can take. The psionic attack ends when the mutant turns it off, when the target saves, or when the attack has reached its duration. So a persona with a 10 MSTR could inflict up to 50d4 in damage before having to stop cooling her target.  It is more likely that the victim would be frozen solid long before that. With the benevolent form of cryokinesis the mutant can turn herself into a psychological air conditioner. This effect has a four hex radius. Cryokinesis will only work on a target with a think space and cannot be used to cool an inorganic machine like an engine or a tool.

7) Death Field Generation

Range:1 h per EXPS level
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:Special
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 3

This powerful ability is used to instantly drain all hit points from all organic creatures within the area of effect. This will render all creatures dead that do not make a saving throw vs psionic attack. Immediately after this occurs, the mutant will collapse and be completely unconscious for l minute per hit point consumed. Once the mutant regains consciousness, she may immediately use her death field generation again.

The area of effect nature of this mutation can make it very difficult to use. For every 3 levels of the experience, the persona can exclude one target from being affected by the mutation. This allows a 3rd level mutant to spare a certain target from death field generation or to use it on all targets in the area of effect. At level 6, the mutant could use the death field on all targets in the area of effect or choose two targets to be excluded.

If a mutant were to employ this mutation on three targets within her area of effect and none of them made their saving throw, they all would be dead and the mutant would be unconscious. Assuming the targets had 90 HPS between them the mutant would be unconscious for one and a half hours.

The referee must remember to drain not only the HPS total of the targets but she must also include the number of HPS that must be absorbed below zero. For instance, an anthropomorph with 40 HPS max would have to have 60 hit points drained. Since the mutant cannot be awakened from this sleep she must beware when using this mutation. The referee may randomly lengthen the duration of recovery to keep HPS totals secret or to limit the use of the mutation. For example it would be acceptable for the mutant to be unconscious for 1 hour per HPS drained to make this mutation’s use require greater consideration.

8) Density Control

Range:10 h plus 1 h per EXPS level
Duration:3 units per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 4 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ration plus 3

By manipulating magnetic and gravetic fields, this mutant can alter the density of objects, including herself, within range. This is done without changing the target’s physical structure. The mental mutation can affect inorganic objects as well as organic targets. Increasing density will increase AR by 10%, and decrease speed by 15%. An increased density would make fish sink and birds fall from the sky. Density control could make a weapon denser and hence more difficult to use (-175 on to hit roll). Lowering density would decrease AR by 10% and increase speed by 25%. There would be similar floating and flying effects with a lessened density. All targets get a save vs psionic attack even if it is for benevolent density changes. Before any attempt at density control can be made, the target must be less than double the mutant’s WATE plus 10 kg per level.

9) Detections

Range:10 h per adjusted AWE
Duration:Special
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:+20 for searching PT rolls

A mutant obtains one roll on Table 58.6:  Detection Type for every four points of AWE. Each detection has a range equal to 10 hexes per point of adjusted MSTR.

The chance of successfully homing in on whatever the mutant detects is equal to a deci-die roll less than her tripled AWE plus level. The referee can adjust this chance depending on the situation. Once homed in the persona will still have to search for at least 30 to 360 units (or 1 to 12 minutes) before finding the deposit. Some of the detections must have instantaneous responses, detect lies for instance.

A 2nd level persona with a 12 AWE and a 16 MSTR has 3 rolls on the Detection Type table and it is determined that she can find food, poison, and water. When searching for water it would have to be within 180 hexes and she would have a 42% chance of detecting the water. Once detected, she would have to search for 1 to 12 minutes before she finds the water.

Table 58.6 Detection Type

Determine the type of stuff detected by the mutant.
Die Roll (1d100)DetectionComment
01-08ChemicalsNot pharmaceuticals
09-16PharmaceuticalsNot chemicals
17-20EnergyHarnessed power source
21-28Food
For the mutant's taste
29-37IntelligenceHigher than feral alien (>3 INT)
38-40InvisibleAnything intentionally hidden
41-45LiesDeliberate untruths
46-54LifeOrganic existence
55-63MechanicsInorganic processes (machines, robots)
64-72MetalsAnything metallic or alloy
73-81Poison+1% chance per intensity of toxin
Not radiation
82-90Radiation+1% chance per intensity of toxin
Not poison
91-99WaterPotable or not.
00DetectionComment
Die RollDetectionComment

10) Directional Sense

Range:Special
Duration:Constant
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:+30 for directional PT rolls

This mutant may retrace her steps with ease. By psionically relating where she is now to where she has been, this mutant cannot get lost. In addition, the mutant can take a true heading on as simple directions as the point of a claw or finger. The mutation has an unlimited range. The only way she may get lost is if the mutant travels by air (unless avarian), by sea (unless aquarian), or while unconscious. Tremendous bonuses, in the order of plus 20 to 30 on deci-dice, should apply for whenever this mutant is undertaking anything of a navigational nature. This includes astrogation, aquatic, and terrestrial navigation. Directional sense does not work exatmo.

11) Empathy

Range:1 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Special
Frequency:1 per 4 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:+20 for interrogation PT rolls, and all vet PR rolls

This mental ability allows the mutant to automatically live the feelings of creatures around her. This mutant may pick up emotions like fear, joy, sorrow, pain, etc. If the target’s INT is 3 points higher than the mutant’s, the target will get a saving throw versus this emotional voyeurism. There is no limit to the use of this passive version of empathy. Listening in on another persona’s emotions can be very important if one is trying to determine their intent.

A more powerful form of empathy can be used to alter the persona’s emotions. This is done by temporarily removing an emotion from a target’s emotional repertoire. Feelings such as pain, fear, or depression can be eliminated from the mind of the target if a save vs. mental attack is not successful. Those personas who would benefit from the removal of such an emotion may receive -4 on their saving throw.  The removed feeling will stay away for one minute (30 units) per point of the mutant’s  adjusted MSTR.

When the emotion returns there is a 2% chance that the empathy (the mutant that banished the emotion) will be able to regulate the empathed feeling. For example, she could make the victim feel varying levels of pain or pleasure. The mutant could make the persona feel inappropriately euphoric or dangerously depressed. A controlled emotion is a dangerous liability for the persona and each time the mutant tries to manipulate the controlled emotion, the target will get another saving throw. If the saving throw is successful, the target will throw off the control.

12) Energy Attraction

Range:10 h per point MSTR
Duration:Until dead
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:Defect. Does not count as a startup mutation.

This mutational defect calls for a deci die roll each time an energy weapon (laser, phaser, fission) is used within range of the mutant. If the deci-die roll is less than the persona’s MSTR, the bolt will change direction and make an attack on the mutant with a bonus proficient totalling -200.  Much of the energy that would normally go into inflicting damage is expended when the attack changes direction. If the attack is successful then the hit will only do 25% damage. The energy bolt dissipates completely if it misses the mutant.

This energy attraction defect only works with personal weapons and will not divert the energy bolts from artillery weapons or spaceship naval artillery. The energy attraction mutation will turn off when the mutant is unconscious. Energy attacks directed at this mutant inflict normal damage but suffer a -50 to hit roll penalty. This penalty is incurred due to path alterations that the bolt will take when it nears the mutant. This defect does not count as an startup mutation and the player should roll again on the Mental Mutations Table.

13) Epilepsy Projection

Range:1 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:5 units maximum
Frequency:1 per 4 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 4

When concentrating on a target, this mutant can cause organic creatures to develop a progressively worse fit of epilepsy. The initial level of seizures are a little above subtle and become progressively worse as the target fails saving throws. Each consecutive unit that the victim fails to save, there are cumulative penalties.

There are many penalties that affect the target when she fails her saving throw. She will lose 25% of her present movement rate, suffer a -150 to hit roll penalty, increase any PT rolls by 4DD, and and -1 on all saves being made. These penalties are compounded every unit until a save a is made (negating all effects), or five units elapse. If the target fails to gain control of her body after five consecutive units, the victim will have a “grand mal” epileptic seizure. A grand mal seizure will involve 2-16 units of spastic muscular contractions, followed by 1-100 minutes of unconsciousness. Targets suffering a grand mal seizure are at risk of suffocating if they are left medically unattended. The chance of this happening is 1% per unit of grand mal seizure. [ed. note epilepsy is an outdated term for seizure disorder]

If a target, whose movement rate is 4 h/u were to fail her saving throw and were subjected to the effects of epilepsy projection the following would occur. Her movement rate would be reduced to 3 h/ u, -150 on her to hit rolls, +4 DD on her PT rolls, and -1 on all saving throws being made. If she failed her save in the next unit her movement rate would be 2 h/u, -300 her to hit rolls, +8 DDs on her PT rolls, and -2 on all saving throws being made. In the 5th unit of epilepsy projection she would have a movement rate of 1 h/u, -750 on her to hit rolls, +20 DDs on her PT rolls, and -5 on her saving throw rolls. Failing her next saving throw, which is likely since she would be suffering a -5 penalty on her roll, she will have a complete seizure

14) Extra Sensory Perception

Range:2 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:2 units per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:Special
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 5
+10 vet PT rolls
+20 interrogation PT rolls

Extra sensory perception (or mind reading) allows the mutant to probe the thinkspace of any creature to determine facts that the creature would otherwise keep secret. Even the garbled thoughts of a foreign language, and alien thinkspaces, can be understood since the mutant is probing the most basic icons of the sentient mind. For convenience the referee will simply tell the mutant what the target mind is thinking. If the target mind is intent on escaping from a prison cell, the Esper (a mutant with extra sensory perception) will learn of this intent by reading its thinkspace. If the target mind is intending to attack, the mutant will learn of this intent through its thinkspace. If the target mind is lying then the mutant will not only learn about the lie, but will also learn the nature of the lie.

Targets automatically and naturally attempt to repulse a mental intrusion like ESP whenever it is initiated. If the mind repulses the ESP intrusion then the mutant may not read that mind again for an hour. If the target fails to ward off the intrusion then the mutant will have close to free reign in the target’s thinkspace for 2 units per point of MSTR. After this duration the target may attempt another save.

Thus a mutant with a 10 MSTR could determine what the target thinkspace is up to for 20 units. After 20 units the target mind would get another save. This mutation can be used without any visual target, but it cannot be used to detect the location of creatures within range. Only a mutant who has rolled ESP twice may listen to more than one mind at a time.

Personas can use ESP easily on referee personas since the referee knows more, or less, what her referee personas are going to do next. In light of this the referee will simply tell the player the general intention of the referee persona who’s thinkspace is being monitored. Where things become difficult is in the monitoring of the intentions of player personas. The referee can limit her information retrieval to those things that the expedition has done in the past, making it hard for the personas to lie, hide things or deny allegiances. The true power of ESP is in knowing what the target thinkspace intends to do, but for the minds of players the referee personas will have to be limited to access to the persona’s past, and not their intended future.

Invisible protective field.
Invisible protective field.

15) Force Field Generation

Range:Around persona
Duration:Until destroyed
Frequency:1 per sleep
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 2

This mutant may create a protective shell around the hex in which she is contained. The force field may appear as a shimmering translucent shell, or be completely transparent. Regardless of how the force field appears it will resist anything that could potentially harm the mutant. The shell will keep out rain, dirt, bugs, small animals, and other harmless nuisances. The force field will also absorb bullets, lazer bolts, clubs, fires, aerosols, explosions, etc.

The mutant will always be at the center of the force field, and it will move around her as she moves. The mutant cannot leave her activated force field, and it will last until the mutant turns the shell off, or until the shell takes too much damage. The force field can withstand 10 HPS of damage per point of adjusted MSTR. Moving damages the force field, and each unit that the persona moves the force field will suffer 2 HPS of damage for every h/u that the mutant moves.

A 4th level persona with a 16 MSTR would generate a natural force field that would withstand 200 HPS of damage before it dissipated. If the mutant is hit by a lazer rifle that should inflict 17 HPS of damage then the force field will take 17 HPs of damage, and the mutant will remain unscathed. Before an attack can damage the force field it must first score a hit on the mutant. If the mutant wants to move then this will damage the force field also. If she runs away at 5 h/u then the force field will take 10 HPS each unit she moves. The force field will dissipate when ever the mutant turns it off, or when it takes more than 200 HPS in damage.

The force field cannot heal itself, and can only be reactivated after the mutant has rested for 8 hours. The mutant cannot create multiple force field shells, or partial force field shells. It is an all or none proposition that will continue until destroyed, or willfully turned off. The force field shell will continue to function if the mutant is somehow knocked unconscious.

The shell allows anything to exit it, but almost nothing can enter. This allows the mutant to attack targets with ranged, type B, and type C weapons with no effect on her to hit roll. Any unwanted objects within the force field can easily be ejected by the mutant’s movement. Since the mutant is very familiar with the structure of her force field shell it should be relatively easy for her to evict unwanted personas. Items that are caught along the area of effect of the shell will be pushed out of the shell 70% of the time. For other personas to be included within the safety of the force field shell they must be holding onto the mutant that is generating the shell.

The force field will not prevent attacks that are borne along the air, such as poison gas. These attacks can still waft into the shell since the mutant still needs air to survive. The intensity of poison gas is reduced by half when it passes through the force field. Radiation attacks can also pass through the shell, but their effect is partially absorbed. The intensity of radiation passing through the mutant’s force field is reduced by half. Mental attacks of an entirely cerebral nature are unaffected by a force field.

16) Gyrokinesis

Range:1 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:1.5 units per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 6 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 3

This mutation manipulates magnetic poles around creatures or objects; causing them to involuntarily revolve. The target will elevate slightly from the ground and begin to spin. The target’s spin could be end over end, or around her longitudinal axis. The revolutions start at a rate of 2 per unit, then 4 revolutions in the second unit, then 6 revolutions in the third unit, and increasing by two revolutions per unit up to a maximum number of revolutions per unit equal to 1.5 times the mutant’s adjusted MSTR. So a 4th level mutant with a 10 MSTR could rotate a target for 21 units, reaching a maximum gyration of 21 rev/unit.

If other personas attempt to keep the mutant from spinning they must make a saving throw versus mental attack, or begin to spin also. If the rescuer’s saving throw is successful then they will only be thrown in a random direction for a number of hexes equal to the revolution rate of the target. If the target fails to save and is fastened down her eyes, tongue, and any other body parts that are not fastened down, will begin to rotate on their own. The uncontrolled body parts gyrating will have the same effects as that of whole body gyrokinesis.

Organic creatures get to save vs psionic attack each unit. A successful saving throw will negate the gyration effects, and the mutant will regain composure after 0 to 3 units. Inorganic objects should only get a save versus gyrokinesis if they are being held by an organic creature.

The effects of gyrokinesis can be quite severe. The severity of the effect depends on the frequency of the rotation that the target is making. When an object, or creature, is spinning at more than 4 rev/ unit it is incapable of any semantic or physical activity. For each unit that the target is spinning faster than 6 rev/unit organic creatures must make a successful CON attribute roll, or go unconscious. Beyond 9 rev/unit the target will start to take damage from the torque created by her own body parts. The target will take 1d6 HPS damage for every one rev/ unit greater than 9 rev/unit. So a persona being spun at 12 rev/unit would take 3d6 HPS in damage and one being spun at 15 rev/unit would take 6d6 HPS in damage. Gyrokinesis will continue until the mutant shuts it off, or the duration runs out.

The target is rendered physically helpless when spinning at 4 rev/unit, but she could use mental attacks until she is unconscious. Beyond 6 rev/unit the target appears as not much more than a rotating lump, and its effective armour rating should be reduced to its base, usually 500. The gyrating target cannot be translationally moved by the controlling mutant. The only way to make the target crash into things would be to move things into the spinning victim.

17) Heightened Brain Talent

Range:Persona Only
Duration:Special
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:Special

This creature can force her entire brain to become completely engrossed with one specific task. When heightened brain talent is activated the mutant will curl up into a fetal ball, her temperature will rise appreciably, and her eyes will appear to randomly open and close. It isn’t at all obvious that she is thinking, and the fit of cerebral activity may be mistaken for a seizure. Normally the problem solving trance will last 1-4 minutes (a minute equals 30 units), regardless of the persona’s intelligence.

The fruit of this ungraceful attack is an answer. The mutant will arrive at a conclusion that is correct more than 90 percent of the time. The exact chance of the mutation deriving a correct answer is equal to 90 plus the mutant’s INT. This cannot exceed a 99 percent chance of being correct. If the answer is wrong the mutant will know it, and will dispense with the idea immediately. If the task confronted by the persona cannot be solved by logical reasoning (like; why are we here?), or if it relates to aspects of the referee’s scenario that the players are supposed to find out for themselves the mutant will withdraw into a completely confused state for 2 to 16 hours.

It is up to the referee to be honest, and ensure that this mutation is as useful and powerful as it is intended to be. There is no reason that the solution has to be an easy one for the expedition. The solution to one problem may lead them into another adventure as interesting as the previous puzzle.

Heightened brain talent is not a psychic ability that can predict the future or determine things unknown to the world. It just allows her to focus her entire mental capacity on all the data that she knows about. If personas are being particularly difficult in employing this mutation the mutant may suffer 2 to 16 hours of severe mental confusion. The confusion is caused by over taxing the mutant’s brain depleting essential nutrients.

18) Hostility Field

Range:1 h radius
Duration:Until dead
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:-25 on all negotiation rolls

This mutation has a self explanatory title. There is a field of hostility that surrounds this mutant. The mutant has some strange psychic effect on all creatures within a one hex range, causing them to have a hostile emotions towards the mutant.

Generally, all creatures will have a hostile attitude towards this mutant, but in times of disagreement this can become quite acute. Referee personas with a MSTR less than 8 must save vs psionic attack, or attack the mutant. Usually the referee personas will want to give the obnoxious mutant, regardless of her CHA, a good drubbing. The referee should note that this need not always be lethal combat. See chapter 37, Non-Lethal Combat. Those referee personas with an INT higher than 8 will harass the mutant at the slightest instance, like whenever she talks, or like when she stands up offensively. Expedition members are immune to this effect, unless the persona crosses them. Expedition members will attack non-lethally unless they choose otherwise . Thus differences in opinion between this mutant and other personas will usually result in violence.

All of these effects wear off as soon as the mutant is out of range. Once them mutant is greater than 1 hex away things will immediately calm down. Undoubtedly they will have a bad impression of the mutant, but not the urge to act violently. This mutation has no effect over televids, or other communication devices. This mutation can have a most harrowing effect on veterinarians, and sworn pacifists.

The mutant can override the mutation with her charisma. This only operates on one affected persona per die roll, but that may be sufficient for the mutant to function normally. The hostility field may be overridden in a benign situation with a successful impossible (1d100) CHA attribute roll. For player personas this is reduced to a normal (1d20) CHA attribute roll. Although it is virtually impossible for an expedition member to attack the mutant this mutation will still cause endless trouble for the mutant. For instance could a veterinarian function with this mutation? This mutation is a defect, and does not count as a roll for startup mutations.

The library in this space ship also has a roller coaster. Cool.
The library in this space ship also has a roller coaster. Cool.

19) Illusion Generation

Range:5 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Special
Frequency:1 per 4 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 5

Illusion generation allows the mutant to create non existent sounds, images and sensations in the thinkspace of the target. These sensory illusions can range from a peculiar noise, to a moving three dimensional image. The illusion will only appear for the target if she fails her saving throw versus mental attack. The illusion will not appear to any other persona unless they too are attacked by the mutant. Auditory illusions could make the target break away from the expedition to investigate a strange sound that only the target could hear. A visual illusion of an oncoming vehicle could cause the driver of the expedition’s ground car to veer off the road. A complete illusion with sound, smell, sensations, and moving colour could engage a persona in combat with an unstoppable enemy.

Illusions can prove very difficult to run once players have realized what they are. Players will attempt to ignore illusions that are generated by referee personas. The main point is that they would not be seeing the illusion if they didn’t fail their saving throw. The effect of failing the saving the versus psionic attack means that they must face the consequences the illusion. Refusing to role play along with an illusion is just the same as refusing to take damage for a poison attack, only it is a lot more frustrating for the players.

It is difficult for one expedition member to convince another expedition member that she is being subject to an illusion. Success depends on the charisma of the persona trying to dissuade illusion victim. Success should be unlikely since she must convince the victim to walk through a wall that she can feel, smell and see, or across a bridge that doesn’t appear to be there. It is possible that the unaffected expedition member might just think that the illusion victim is suffering from delusions, conversely the victim may think that the other expedition members are out of it. The illusion is solely within the victim’s senses, and nowhere else. Personas that are frequently affected by illusions will definitely suffer prolonged psychological effects.

The duration listed on Table 58.7: Duration of Illusion is multiplied by one quarter the mutant’s  MSTR. The more complex the illusion the shorter its duration. More complex illusions require the mutant to impinge on more sensory systems and this makes it harder for the mutant to maintain the illusion. An adjusting illusion is one that can change for surroundings and situations. An adjusting illusion allows for movement, conversation and this also makes it harder for the target persona to ignore the illusion, and penalties on her player’s saving throw are awarded.

The nature of the illusion also affects the player’s saving throw. If the illusion is unrealistic then the player may receive a saving throw bonus. All inorganic sensors (robots, computers), get +4 to save, and mechanical sensors that aren’t equipped with video won’t see shapes, and mechanical sensors that don’t have audio won’t hear sounds. If anything manages to touch, or hit, the illusion another save can be made by the affected personas.

Table 58.7 Duration of Illusion

The duration of the illusion depends on the illusion's complexity and the mutant's MSTR. The duration is multiplied by one quarter the mutant's MSTR.
Illusion TypeDuration
Auditory Only30 units
Olfactory Only20 units
Tactile Only10 units
Other (chemotactic)5 units
Visual, Static20 units
Visual, Responsive10 units
Visual and Auditory10 units
All Senses, Static10 units
All Senses, Responsive5 units
Illusion TypeDuration

20) Information Eradication

Range:1 h per EXPS level
Duration:Special
Frequency:1 per 5 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 6
+15 on convincing PT Rolls

The mutant can force its target to forget almost anything stored in her memory. If the victim fails to save vs mental attack the memory will be temporarily forgotten. How long, and how easily, the victim forgets the memory depends on the MSTR of the attacker, and the importance of the memory. The victim will eventually recall the forgotten fact. This can occur gradually during the memory lapse, or suddenly when the effect wears off. Things such as instincts and natural abilities are virtually impossible to eliminate from memory. The exact effect of such a specific memory loss is virtually impossible to realistically predict. Luckily EXP is a totally unrealistic game.

Table 58.8: Importance of Memory shows the save adjustment given to the victim, and the duration of the victim’s memory lapse. If a mutant were trying to make a police officer forget that she is writing the mutant a speeding ticket, this would be a critical memory. Since it is in the present, and upholding the law is very important to most peace officers. The cop would get +4 to save, and if she failed she would forget about the ticket for a number of hours equal to the attacker’s MSTR.

If the mutant were to meet the same police officer later, and she wanted her to forget that she had met the mutant before, this would only be a memory of minor importance. The memory is only a minor one since the cop has given out several dozen traffic tickets since then.

This example is given so that the referee can get some idea of how flexible the importance of a memory can be. If the referee has no idea of how important the memory is to the persona it is most likely of trivial consequence. If the referee wants to give the persona a fighting chance then she can roll a d6 to determine the memory’s importance accordingtolmportanceofMemory table. The value of the d6 roll corresponds to the memory’s importance. Regardless of the importance of the memory, documentation and recordings may still exist. The mutant still won’t remember, and the documentation will be irrelevant until she regains the memory.

Another complexity is whether, or not, the attacking mutant knows that a certain memory exists. Information eradication allows a memory to be overlooked by the victim, but it doesn’t allow the mutant to search it out. If the mutant has the slightest idea that the target thinkspace might store the memory then she can eradicate it, but the mutation cannot be tad to determine what the victim knows. Trying to make a persona forget a critical memory by eradicating its less important components will not work because these components will usually have a critical importance too. Robots, computers, and mechanical recording equipment are affected the same as personas. All inorganic information is given a random d6 importance.

Table 58.8 Memory Importance and Eradication

The more important the memory is to the target the harder it is to eradicate it.
Memory TypeSave AdjustmentDurationComment
Trivial-1PermanentCasual street glance
Minor0WeeksAppointment
Average+1DaysWork start time
Major+2HoursRoute to get home
Critical+4MinutesTrained skills
Intrinsic+20Units Breathing, walking
Memory TypeSaveDuration Comment

21) Intuition

Range:1 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Not Applicable
Frequency:1 per 3 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 2
+29 on all intuitive PT Rolls

When employing intuition the mutant can ask questions of the nature “is it safe to open this door?”, and get a simple yes/no answer. The only answers given to proper questions are yes or no. If the mutant fails to ask the correct question a “maybe-so” answer is given, and one of the mutant’s daily uses is lost. Incorrect questions are ones that are too large in scope, or ask for information rather than a yes/no response.

The chance of getting a correct answer depends on a save vs psionic attack. The “unknown” that is being pursued by the persona will get a random MSTR of 0 to 9. The referee rolls a saving throw for the unknown, and answers the question correctly if the unknown fails the save (with a yes or a no). If the unknown saves versus the intrusion no answer can be given.

The ref can adjust the roll depending on the type of unknown. Campaign secrets have incredibly high defences. Questions about personas have a defence to be equal to the MSTR of the persona. For example, asking if a jewel is in a persona’s bag would have a defence from 1 to 10, but asking if that persona stole the  jewel would have a defence equal to the persona’s MSTR. If the referee is creative about the facts in her campaign it should be easy for her to avoid intuition becoming a campaign wrecking mutation.

The expedition will usually get together to ask a series of questions that could give the answer to life the universe and everything. The referee must remember that she is the only one that knows everything about her campaign, and if personas are abusing this mutation the referee can make up some things on the spot which will make the game more complex than simple intuition can handle.

Consider the following question. Will I (my persona) die if I go through that door? The referee could answer either yes, or no, to this question without the slightest hesitation. If the room behind the door is entirely benign she could respond ‘yes’ to the question, because the persona will die eventually anyway, even if its due to old age. If the room behind the door contains a fully operational heavy offensive combat robot then the referee could still respond ‘no’ (not entirely without compunction), because going through the door won’t kill the persona, but the combat robot might. The referee must keep the mutation balanced so that it is fun for both the players and the referee. Ideally intuition will be used to guide the expedition deeper into the mystery that they are following.

22) Knowledge Transmission

Range:Touch
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:Special
General Bonus:None

This unique ability allows the mutant to instantly transmit information from one creature to another. The mutant can act as a repository for knowledge that she may not even understand. The first step is acquiring the knowledge from a source. The mutant may wish to transfer knowledge of its own to another persona, or she may wish to transfer knowledge from a third party. Acquiring knowledge from another party requires the mutant touch the persona near its brain, in most cases this will be the head.

The information will be transferred to the mutant if the target fails her saving throw. The thinkspace that contains the desired information will not willingly yield to the intrusion of knowledge transmission, and the transferee must fail her save whether she is willing to donate the knowledge, or not. Information isn’t given up easily by whatever is storing it. Inorganic storage systems, robots and computers, have a MSTR of 13 to 22 (12 + 1d10), and organic storage systems, persona brains, uses the MSTR of the persona. The mutant can copy knowledge once a day per 6 points of combined MSTR and level.

Once the mutant has copied the knowledge from the source it will sit in some deep recess of the mutant’s brain until it is needed. If the mutant has some use for the information she can attempt to access it herself. The chance of successfully doing this is equal to 5 times her INT. If a mutant cannot access information for her own purposes it does not mean that she cannot transfer it into another mind.

Knowledge transfer from the mutant to a receiving thinkspace will erase the information from the mind of the mutant that transferred it. Thus knowledge transfer will not result in an ever growing library of knowledge. The receiving persona has a percentage change of successfully comprehending the knowledge transferred equal to five times her INT. The knowledge will only be lost to the mutant if she successfully transfers it.

There is a major restriction is in the number of times a knowledge transmission can be received by a persona. A transmission can be received by a persona once a month for every point of adjusted INT. The mutant may transmit her knowledge once a month for every three points of adjusted INT. Mutations cannot be transferred, although all the information about them could be. Abilities such as computer knowledge, or surgery skill can be stored, and then transferred to appropriate personas.

A certain persona in the expedition wants to learn an ancient language that another member of the expedition knows how to speak fluently. The mutant touches the head of the persona that speaks the language and if the target fails her saving throw the mutant will have the language stored in her thinkspace. The mutant will be able to use the language herself if she makes a percentile roll less than 5 times her INT. This would allow the mutant to use the language until she transfers it to the other persona. Even if the mutant cannot understand the language she will still have it stored until it is transfered to the other persona.  

23) Levitation

Range:Persona only
Duration:30 units (minute) per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 2 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 5
+10 sneaky PT Rolls

This mutation allows the mutant to counter her own body wate against gravity by manipulating gravity and magnetic waves. This ability is made most obvious by levitating upwards, and defying gravity itself. Levitation also allows the mutant to safely lower herself into a gravity well defying the dangerous accelerations associated with falling.

Levitation does not allow for translational motion, and the mutant cannot use this mutation for flying. The direction may only be up or down, and she must depend on air currents, or other devices, for translational motion. The mutant can travel upwards or downwards at a movement rate equal to twice her regular movement rate.

When employing this mutation the mutant can function normally in gravities from zero to five gravities, by manipulating her wate through levitation. The ability to compensate for high gravity improve by 1 G per two EXPS levels. So a 6th level persona with levitation could function normally when being subject to 8 G. 

Levitation will also assist the mutant’s wate allowance. When in normal gravity the mutant can use the mutation to carry her entire wate in equipment and not be encumbered. So and 80 kg mutant could use levitation to carry 80 kg of equipment without any enucumbrance effects, regardless of her PSTR. Levitating mutants may zoom away when hit with a kinetic attack, reducing kinetic damage  by half. When hit the mutant will fly away 1-8 (1d8) hexes.

24) Life Leech

Range:Touch
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 2 per 3 HPS drained

This mutation gives the mutant the infamous ability of being able to painlessly drain life force from a victim and use it herself. In game terms this mutation allows the mutant to leech hit points from other personas by touch. Each touch, or unit, of continued touch will drain 5 HPS (plus one per EXPS level) from the target, and add 5 (plus one per EXPS level) HPS to the mutant’s HPS total. For the remainder of this explanation we will assume that the mutant is first level and will drain 6 HPS per life leech. If the mutant cannot touch the target then a successful to hit roll must be made for  life leech to work. If necessary the mutant can life leech through a sword or any other conductive material.

The mutant can continue to leech hit points from targets even when she is at full HPS. A touch from this mutant will always drain 6 HPS from the target, and add 6 HPS to her HPS Total. The mutant cannot exceed double her HPS Max with bonus leeched hit points. Therefore a mutant with 34 HPS Max could leech a total of 68 HPS. These HPS function same as normal HPS. If the mutant sleeps, or falls unconscious, then she will return to her HPS maximum.  Thus in the morning the mutant with life leech will have to seek out victims to hype up her life force. Mutants with life leech can become very ghoulish characters indeed.

HPS life leeched from a target during combat will not be noticed any more readily than any other combat damage. For instance a non lethal punch would do 6 HPS more than normal. A pat on the back, or a gentle caress would also inflict 6 HPS damage on the target. Life leech cannot be turned off. If a persona were to fall asleep touching the mutant she would be dead in the morning. Life leech makes the mutant a solitary figure indeed. For any living thing that  touches= her will take 6 HPS in damage. This includes veterinarians, barbers, and lovers. If the life leecher is trying to secretly steal HPS from an unsuspecting target the target gets to make an easy (1d20) AWE attribute roll with a bonus of +1 per point of damage leeched.

25) Light Wave Manipulation

Range:Persona only
Duration:30 units (minute) per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 4 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 3
+42 sneaky PT Rolls
+25 light related PT Rolls

This mutant can manipulate electro-magnetic waves that fall under the spectrum of visible light. She can warp these naturally occurring waves of light around herself to achieve a variety of effects. By manipulating light the mutant can; become invisible, visible, create darkness, ward off lazers, hide her shadow, change color, glow, makes parts of herself glow, etc. Light wave manipulation does not allow the mutant to create images out of light, but it does allow her to alter the colour, luminosity and shading of any light that strikes her body.

Most often this mutant will use the very powerful mutation to make herself invisible. This mutation has no effect on noises made by the mutant, and it does not alter her wate, or density. An invisible mutant can be detected by radar, sonar, or any other detection device that uses parts of the electromagnetic spectrum other than visible light. The general location of a mutant could also be determined if she were using visible attacks such as lazers, fusion blasts, or grapple guns.

Light wave manipulation is a personal mutation, however the mutant can envelope a certain amount of her equipment. Light wave manipulation will function normally provided the mutant is not over-encumbered. Light wave manipulation will malfunction if the mutant is over-encumbered. Malfunction of this mutation could have her effects flicker on and off, or leave bits of her unhidden. Light wave manipulation will not function at all if the mutant’s wate allowance is in the lift only category.

26) Magnetic Control

Range:1 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:1 unit per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 2 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 2
+10 on all metallic PT rolls

Magnetic control allows the mutant to turn itself into a walking electromagnet. The term magnetic is a bit of a misnomer since anything that is metallic will be affected by this mutation. This includes alloys of metal as well as ferrous magnetic metals. A tremendous attraction is built up between the mutant and all metallic objects within range. If the metallic objects are not bolted down they will race towards the persona, and if they are larger than the mutant then she will fly towards them.

Objects less than half the mutant’s wate will be pulled towards the mutant at a speed of 7 h/u. Objects greater than twice the mutant’s WATE will cause the mutant to be pulled towards the object. She will move towards the object at 3 h/u. The usefulness of this mutation is not immediately obvious, and the player running this mutant must be very creative to ensure that she is not crushed by an array of kitchen utensils, or end up being attached to the side of a moving van.

This mutation is particularly useful for disarming vast numbers of personas. Since all objects within range will be effected weapons in the hands of other personas must make a save versus psionic attack, or be start flying towards the mutant. Magnetic control can also be used by the mutant to increase her movement rate by 3 h/u when she is running towards something heavier than her. The mutant has complete control over this mutation, and can turn it off as soon as everyone is disarmed, or if she is getting too close to something big and heavy.

The downsides to this mutation are mostly due to its indiscriminate nature. The mutant will have objects approaching her from all directions within the radius of effect. If something heavy should manage to get to her before she turns off her magnetic control it will get a to hit roll to hit her. If the object attracted to the mutant started more than ten hexes away will do 0-3 HPS of damage for every 5 kg of WATE. 

Determining whether something is metallic, or not, is a difficult situation in a game where everything is based on black box technology. If there is a dispute arising over the nature of a device’s material structure then refer to the sphincter dice in Chapter 16: Special Rolls.

studiostoks stock illustration. modified HM
Teamwork inside one thinkspace.

27) Mass Mind

Range:Special
Duration:Special
Frequency:1 per 4 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 4
+10 on mental mutation related PT Rolls

Mass mind turns the mutant into a psionic rebroadcast station. Any mental mutation used within range of this mutant can be picked up amplified or redirected. Mass mind will only work on ranged mutations that have a target in mind (no pun intended). Mental mutations that require touch cannot be affected by mass mind. This mutation will amplify almost any mental mutation to double its previous power. Ranges, damages, intensities, durations, etc. are all doubled by mass mind. When the mutant is increasing the psionic power of the mutation she cannot redirect its target.

If another persona in her expedition were to attack an opponent with Gyrokinesis, the mass mind could double the duration, range, and effect of this mutation. So the target would increase her revolutions per unit by 4 rev/unit instead of 2 rev/ unit, and this could be done for twice as long as the persona previously could.

Mass mind also allows the mutant to coordinate multiple psionic attacks on one victim. This means that the mutant can channel the mental attacks of other mutants onto the thinkspace of the one target. This channeling can be done voluntarily by the attacking mutants, or the mass mind can override the chosen target.

The mutant with mass mind can also override the target chosen by any mutant provided that the mutation is within range. This does not allow the mass minding mutant to use the mutation herself, but she can redirect another mutant’s mutation if that mutant fails a save versus mental attack.

If a mutant target a persona with Cryokinesis the mutant with mass mind could try and redirect the attack onto a different target. If mutant using the Neuronegation mutation did not make her save versus mental attack then she would inadvertently attack the target of choice by the mutant using mass mind. If the mutant is trying to direct mutations such as ESP she cannot read the target think space, but she can sure cause confusion for the esper.

studiostoks stock illustration

28) Mechanical Sense

Range:Persona only
Duration:Until dead
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:+42 on mech or vet related PT Rolls

This mutant has a way with machines. She has an innate ability to understand anything mechanical, and can converse with machines as if they were living entities. The more complex the machine the more developed the level of communication is. The mutant could pick up a weapon and ask it what it had fired at lately. The gun would answer telepathically to the mutant. The chance of this working is equal to the mutant’s MSTR. So a mutant with an 11 MSTR would have an 11% chance of talking to a specific mechanical device.

These machines can be organic or inorganic. There is a 15% chance that the mutant will also have an organic mechanical sense. An organic mechanical sense will allow the mutant to converse with the bones, organs and specific body parts of the living organisms. The chance of this working is equal to the mutant’s MSTR. So a mutant with an 11 MSTR would have an 11% chance of talking to a specific organic part.

A mutant inorganic mechanical sense  can operate as a second level mechanic regardless of what persona class the mutant is. If the persona chooses to be a mechanic her EXPS earned are doubled until she reaches fourth level. If the mutant has an organic mechanical sense she will function as a second level veterinarian regardless of her chosen class. If the persona chooses to be a veterinarian her EXPS earned are doubled until she reaches fourth level.

The doubling of EXPS until fourth level means that the persona will double any experience award that she receives until she reaches her fourth level of EXPS. Thus a mechanic with inorganic mechanical sense that earned 732 EXPS for an adventure would get 1464 EXPS instead. This experience point bonus would end once the persona achieves fourth level.

29) Mental Blast

Range:2 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:1 unit to recharge
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 1 per EXPS level

The mental blast is a psionic concussion wave on the material plane. It usually appears as a fluorescent yellow streak that flashes from the mutant’s head. The mutant can make this attack every second unit while in combat. Mental blasts can be used simultaneously with other attacks, or while performing some procedure. The attack will suffer no penalty, and will not detract from any other performance. As long as the mutant has line of sight targeting is normal. Mental blast can affect any target type regardless of its mental ability. This attack does 2-8 HPS of damage, plus 1 HPS per EXPS level. So a 4th level persona with this mutation would inflict 6 to 12 HPS of damage if the target fails a saving throw vs psionic attack. If the save is successful the damage is negated.

30) Mental Control

Range:Touch
Duration:Special
Frequency:Special
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 7

This mutation allows the mutant to completely control the body and mind of another persona. To do this the mutant must make skin to skin contact with the organic target. Once skin contact is made the victim gets a save vs psionic attack to repel the mental control. If skin to skin contact is impossible then a successful to hit roll will must be made. If the saving throw is successful, then the mental control is negated. A fail on the saving throw indicates that the victim is subject to complete mental control of the attacking mutant.

Mental control means that the victim’s eyes become the mutant’s the victim’s mouth becomes the mutant’s, and the victim’s brain is controlled by the mutant (mutations too!). The mind controlling mutant will function normally while controlling another mind. To the player running the mutant it is similar to running two personas at once. The victim becomes nothing more than an extension of the mutant. The mutant can control the creature up to a range of one kilometer per point of adjusted MSTR. If the victim falls outside of this range of effect then she will break the mental control.

The number of thinkspaces that the mutant can control, and the duration for which they can be controlled is dependant on the target’s INT. Table 58.9: Control Break Checks indicates how often the target gets to save versus mental attack. If the save is successful the victim will immediately break free of the mental control.

The mutant can control any number of targets, provided their combined intelligence is less than the mutant’s adjusted INT (INT plus experience level). The mutant is capable of controlling only one creature with a INT greater than her own. The player should be told the INT level of targets.  Once she exceeds the maximum combined INT she can control the new target will always save. A fourth level mutant with an INT of 14 could control 18 INT points worth of personas. This could be two 9 INT personas, three 6 INT personas, but only one persona with an INT 18, or greater.

The more intelligent the controlled persona the more likely it is to break the mental control. The most likely way that a persona will break free from mental control is on one of her mental control checks. Mind controlled targets get repeated saving throws at intervals determined by their INT. A successful saving throw at this time will free the victim from the control of the mutant.

Mind control checks will always take the mind controlling mutant by surprise. Creatures can break the control by straying out of the mutation’s range, being re-controlled by a stronger mutant, by being released by the mutant, by getting access to psionic resistant technology, or by dying. When a mind controlled victim breaks free the mind controlling mutant will instantly know.

Table 58.9 Mental Control Checks

Targets get chances to break away from mental control of the mutant.
INT of TargetFrequency of Saves
up to 3every 7 days
4-6every 3 days
7-9every 1 day
10-12every 12 hours
13-14every 6 hours
15-16every 2 hours
17every half hour
18every 10 minutes
19every 1 minute
greater than 19every 30 seconds
INT of TargetFrequency of Saves

Mind controlled personas are not mindless drones that the mind controlling mutant will send into slaughter. For any damage that the controlled persona takes the mind controlling mutant will take also. Damage taken by the mind controlled target is divided by four, and delivered directly to the controlling mutant. This damage is psionic, and cannot be absorbed by armour or force fields. If this amount of damage is a major threat to the mind controlling mutant she may release the mind controlled persona before any further damage is accrued.

If the target should die, or go unconscious, the controlling  mutant must make a recovery roll. If the recovery roll is not successful, then the mutant will also fall unconscious. All mind controlled mutants will remain mind controlled and function normally while the mutant is unconscious. Only if the mutant dies will they be released from the mind control.

Mental attacks on the mind controlled target are also directed to the controlling mutant. If the mind controlled target fails her saving throw the mental attack will then be directed at the mutant. The mutant will get a chance to save before the effect is conducted to her.

If the mutant tires of her mind controlled charge she may dismiss it, but this means that the creature must save versus mental attack to be dismissed. If the controlled creature fails this roll she will remain controlled for another hour, and may attempt another save then. A severe dependence can develop between controlled thinkspaces. It is possible for the controlling mutant to become just as trapped as the controlled victim.

Melting into the backdrop.
Melting into the backdrop.

31. Mental Control Over Physical State

Range:Persona Only
Duration:Constant
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 5

This mutant is capable of conscious control over the normally automatic physical functions of her body. If necessary her breathing can be made very shallow to reduce respiratory damage from gases. Blood flow can be reduced to a cut limb. Venous return from a poisonous bite could be reduced. Hormones can be controlled to reduce hunger sensations, end fertility, or improve muscular strength. Mental control over physical state will mostly be used to reduce malevolent effects on the body by mentally overriding the body’s physiological controls. The physical effects of anything are reduced to 25% of what is intended.

If a killing poison was supposed to inflict 80 HPS in damage then it would only inflict 20 HPS. If the mutant is supposed to age a year then she’ll only age 3 months. A paralysis effect would have one quarter the duration, and even one quarter the effect. These benefits are attributed to respiration control, blood re-routing, hormonal adjustments and alterations in enzyme production. Benevolent effects can be extended 4 times as long with this mutation. This mutant heals 4 times as fast (4 HPS a day instead of 1), can extend a pharmaceutical’s effect 4 times longer, and reduce the side effects by 1/4.

A mutant with mental control over physical state is unaffected by diseases, or cancers. The more dangerous an effect the body is fighting, the more the mutant is required to concentrate. This mutation is a mental one, however it cannot affect a psionic attack unless it is expressed in a physical effect on the body. Subconscious mechanisms will override the mutant from enacting detrimental controls over her body.

32) Mental Defenselessness

Range:Persona only
Duration:Until dead
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:Combat Ratio divided by 2
Defect. Does not count as a startup mutation.

Just as the title states, this mutant is mentally defenseless. For some reason she cannot properly defend herself against mental attacks. A mutant with this serious defect will usually have a long history of impulsive purchases, personal dependencies, and cult affiliations. These points shouldn’t necessarily be reflected in a stupid, or emotionally weak persona, but when subject to a psionic attack her effective MSTR is zero. This does not mean that she does not get a saving throw, but instead of using her MSTR to defend her thinkspace she has no defence. The mutant’s mental strength remains the same, but when trying to save against psionic attack the mutant’s MSTR is effectively zero. The mutation is a pathetic and potentially lethal defect that does not count as a start up mutation, and allows a another mental mutation to be rolled.

33) Molecular Disruption

Range:1 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:Special
General Bonus:Combat Ratio tripled

This mutant can instantly convert matter into a low energy gaseous state. Molecular disruption allows the mutant to obliterate solid objects by converting them into a billowing cloud of gas. There is no saving throw against this attack. The persona is capable of disrupting an amount of matter equal to her body wate.

There are two ways this attack can be carried out. The first is a silent clandestine version. where the matter can be obliterated without anyone noticing. The second version involves a horrendous explosion that attracts all sorts of attention. If the mutant wishes the attack to be silent, she must concentrate for five units before she can attack.

The silent attack mode requires 3 units of rest per kg of wate disrupted, and this rest must be complete. The explosive version requires no concentration what so ever, and only 1 unit of rest per kg of wate disrupted. The mutant can select the amount of wate that she wishes to disrupt, provided that it does not exceed her own body wate. This mutation does not fully regenerate for six days, less one day per 3 levels of experience. A third level mutant could employ molecular disruption once every 5 days.

Those objects that have a wate less than the amount of disrupted material are irrevocably destroyed. Inorganic structures will take damage according to location of the wate disrupted. Organic personas (of a normal bone/muscle/organ body structure) will usually be vanquished if more than 10% of their body wate is disrupted. If less than 10% of a organic personas body wate is being disrupted then the target will take a 1d20 HPS damage per kg lost. Inorganics (robots) can withstand losing up to 20% of their body wate being lost, but still take 1d20 HPS damage per kg lost. The molecular disruption has no area of effect beyond the target. 

34) Molecular Examination

Range:3 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Not applicable
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 5
+10 on all PT rolls

With this mutation the mutant can quickly determine physical weaknesses in any observable structure. The mutant emits no special radiations to do this, and it is carried out by acutely active processing centers in the brain. The building, animal, or whatever can be analyzed to determine the weakest point in view. The mutant must observe the subject personally and be within range. Thus molecular examination used against a building in a photograph would determine the weakness in the photograph (not the building), and molecular examination used on someone over a televid would find a weakness in the televid (not the persona). If the subject appears to have no weaknesses, it may only have no structural, or tactical, weakness from that angle, and a change in view might change this opinion. Thus the mutant must use molecular examination on a unit by unit basis.

All objects being examined will get a save vs psionic attack to see if they relinquish their weakness. Buildings and other inorganic objects have a random MSTR between 0 and 9. Military buildings, and such, may have a higher MSTR due to their defensive nature. If the target fails its saving throw then the mutant will gain combat bonuses that represent this extra information.

If the mutant walks up to a solid rock and determines its weakness, she would increase her chances of fracturing it, rolling it, or balancing it. The benefits are + 10 times AWE added to to hit rolls, and + AWE to PT rolls. 

A mutant with molecular examination, and a 14 AWE is in combat with a particularly well armoured alien. Using molecular examination the mutant is trying to find a weakness in the alien’s thick, scaly hide. The alien fails her save and the mutant can add 140 to her to hit roll, greatly increasing her chances to hit. However the next unit the alien makes its saving throw, and the mutant gets no bonus other than her regular to hit roll bonus. If the mutant were a biologist and were trying to make an identification on the alien she would automatically add 10 to her PT roll. If the alien failed her saving throw again, the mutant biologist would get to add her AWE to the PT roll also, for a total PT roll bonus of 24.

35) Molecular Phase Transformation

Range:Persona only
Duration:30 units (minute) per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 4 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 2

This mutation allows the mutant to convert her present body structure into a homogeneous form of any of the three basic phases: solid, liquid or gas. The mutant can convert her entire body, including bones, muscles, blood etc. into a single phase type that contains mutant’s functioning life force. While undergoing the effects of molecular phase transformation, the mutant enjoys all sensory faculties, and all capacities of reason. The mutant can only employ those mental mutations that are non-contact while phase transformed. Physical mutations become disorganized and cannot function while transformed.

In the transformed state the mutant cannot carry, or manipulate, equipment of any sort. The mutation only affects her body, and all the equipment, including clothing, she possesses either crashes to the floor, or sits on her statue. There are exceptions. For instance, taking on a solid form with this mutation could freeze the mutant’s digit onto a button, or trigger that she is depressing.

Solid: The mutant’s body becomes a statue like, motionless body of rock, and can remain in this state for two minutes (60 units) per point of MSTR plus level. The mutant’s Ovate and volume remain the same while solid. Any damage delivered to the mutant will have no effect, unless the total damage per attack is greater than the mutant’s HPS maximum, and then she would only take the amount of damage that exceeds her HPS maximum. If the mutant’s HPS maximum were 30 HPS she would take only 2 HPS damage from a 32 HPS attack. Attacks must still make a successful to hit roll before they can inflict damage. The mutant’s armour rating cannot fall below 500. Any attacks that have special effects on organic organisms will not work while the mutant is solid. Poison gases, radiations, and exposure to vacuum have no effect on the mutant while she is in this state.

Liquid: The mutant’s body will pour out of her present form into a cohesive puddle on the floor. The mutant’s wate and volume remain the same while in the liquid phase. Like all liquids, the puddle is affected by gravity, but the puddle can creep its way up walls if it wants too. If the mutant wishes to move she can flow along at 3 h/u. Attack forms like stabbing, clubbing, shooting, or puncturing will have no more effect on the mutant in this phase than they would on any other puddle. Any attack that would heat up water will affect the mutant the same as a normal attack. For instance, electrical, fusion, fission and lazer attacks would damage the mutant if a successful to hit roll is made. The mutant must use her unarmoured armour rating while in the liquid phase. Exposing the mutant to a vacuum in this phase will have the normal detrimental effects. The liquid state can be used to squeeze through cracks, or other tiny spaces, but the mutant must be sure when the duration of liquidity will end, and avoid getting herself cut in half. The mutant can remain in the liquid state for 1 minute (30 units) per point of adjusted MSTR.

The mutant can generate a liquid pressure equal to her PSTR. The liquid pressure could be used to push open an unlocked door, however it could not be used to pull the trigger on a gun. This also allows the mutant to attack—while in the liquid phase. She can envelope targets with her own wate in liquid and drown them. The target will be able to survive for 1 unit per point of CON, plus 1 unit for every time the target makes a successful PSTR roll. Thus a target with an 11 CON could survive with her head enveloped by the mutant for 11 units. It is expected that the target will struggle, and a successful PSTR roll will indicate that she has thrashed another mouthful, or beakful, of air, and her time to death is extended.

The liquid state of the mutant is very cohesive, and the mutant does not have to worry about mixing with other liquids, or being washed away. If an attacker is trying separate the liquid phase mutant into separate parts the attacker must compete with the mutant’s liquid pressure (PSTR) in order to separate the cohesive blob. If the attacker over powers the liquid mutant then she may flatten herself out such that the room appears simply wet. If the attacker resorted to a cleaning vacuum then a to hit roll would have to be successful before any of the mutant could be vacuumed up. The mutant will only take damage from this sort of attack when she reforms. When in liquid state there is tremendous opportunity to reconnect into one blob. If reconnection is impossible then the mutant may take a 1d20 per kg of herself that is missing. The exact mechanics of this are left to decision of the referee.

Gas: The mutant can stay in a gaseous state for one minute (30 units) per 2 points of MSTR plus level. While in the gaseous phase the mutant’s wate remains the same, while her volume doubles. This mutant can move at 6 h/u, and travel anywhere that a gas will be able to go. While in the gaseous form the mutant would be able to steam her way through a mail slot of a normal door, but could not penetrate an airlock door. Exposing the mutant to a vacuum while in the gaseous phase will have the normal killing effects. While in this state the mutant can only be affected by lazer and energy weapons (fusion and fission). The mutant can use her unarmoured AR while in the liquid phase. Since the mutant appears as a cloud of smoke, or gas, she can still become a target if noticed.

When in the gaseous phase the mutant can generate a vapor pressure equal to her half her PSTR. The gaseous pressure could be used to pop open an unsealed box, however it could not be used to push a button on a dashboard. This also allows the mutant to attack while in the gaseous phase. She can envelope targets with her own wate in a gaseous cloud and suffocate the target. The target will be able to survive for 1 unit per point of CON, plus 1 unit for every time she makes a successful DEX roll. Thus a target with an 8 CON could survive with her head enveloped by the mutant for 8 units. It is expected that the target will struggle, and a successful DEX roll will indicate that she has thrashed another mouthful, beakful of air, and her time to death is extended. The target can also outrun the cloud if she moves faster than 6 h/u.

The gaseous state of the mutant is very cohesive, and the mutant does not have to worry about mixing with other gases, or being blown away in the wind. If an attacker is trying separate the gaseous phase mutant into separate parts the attacker must compete with the mutant’s vapor pressure (half her PSTR) in order to separate the cohesive cloud. If the attacker overpowers the gaseous mutant then she may flatten herself out such that the room appears simply misty. If the attacker resorted to a cleaning vacuum then a to hit roll would have to be successful before any of the mutant could be sucked up. The mutant will only take damage from this sort of attack when she reforms. While gaseous there is tremendous opportunity to reconnect back into one cloud. If reconnection is impossible then the mutant will take a 1d20 per kg of herself that is missing. The exact mechanics of this are left to decision of the referee.

36) Molecular Phase Transmutation

Range:1 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Special
Frequency:1 per 4 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 3
+25 on materials PT Rolls

This mutant can transmute objects (other than herself) into any of the three basic phases: gas, liquid or solid. This mutation will most often be used as a very dangerous attack, since partially transmuted targets will suffer tremendous damage. The mutant can transmute her own wate in material.

When an entire target is transmutated she will suffer no damage, and will return to normal after 1 to 1000 units. The target cannot function while she is transmutated, and will remain a marvelously sculpted statue, a quivering puddle, or a floating cloud of gas. Although the transmutated target has no functioning mental faculties at all, she will function against attack as would a mutant that has voluntarily undergone Molecular Phase Transformation.

Complete trans-mutations can be used to subdue targets, terrify the opposition, or preserve expedition members by converting them into a phase that protect them from harm. For instance an impending depressurization would have no effect on a persona that was wholly converted to a solid. The benefits of being in particular phases are discussed in this chapter under mental mutation Molecular Phase Transformation.

When the persona transmutates a target a save vs psionic attack must be made. If the save is successful the attack has been negated, and no part of the target has, been transmutated. The mutant can partially transmute the target, converting part of the target into either a solid, liquid, or gas. In most cases a partial transmutation will kill the target. Inorganic targets that do not save are permanently transmutated to the chosen phase, and will almost always be destroyed. Organic creatures can possibly survive a phase attack: damage is determined on Table 58.10, Effect of Partial Transmutation. The damage inflicted is per kg of body wate transmutated. So a target that gets 80 kg of her body trans-mutated into a solid would take 20d4 in damage. If she were completely solidified she would take no damage.

Any target that is partially affected by this attack form will have a percent chance of completely transmuting, and not taking any damage at all. The chance of accidental complete transmutation is dependant on the amount of target transmutated in kilograms. See the Effect of Partial Transmutation Table for the percentage chance of complete transmutation. The very large target that is supposed to have 80 kg of herself turned into a solid would have an 80 percent chance of completely transmutating and taking no damage. This is incredibly inconvenient for the target, but it is better than being dead.

Multiple attacks on the same target present difficult problems for the referee to resolve. Some guidelines for refereeing this situation include: total amount of target transmutated is included in the chance for complete transmutation; previously transmutated wate can be transmutated, but it will not inflict additional damage; mixing phases on a target doubles the chance of complete transmutation.

If a target dies when transmutated, it will remain partly transmutated, partly dead. If the target survives a partial transmutation, the transmutated flesh will stay attached to the target’s unaffected body, and will return to normal after 1 to 10 units. Remember that a complete transmutation will last 1 to 1000 units whether it was intentional or not.

Table 58.10 Partial Transmutation Damage

Bad things happen when parts of a persona disappear.
PhaseDamage per kgChance Complete Transmutation
Solid1-3 HPS 1% per HPS damage
Liquid1-8 HPS 2% per HPS damage
Gas1-12 HPS3% per HPS damage
PhaseDamageChance Complete
Take that yourself.
Take that yourself.

37) Muscle Manipulation

Range:3 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Until saves
Frequency:1 per 4 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 6

This mutation allows the mutant to seize complete control of a muscle, and the corresponding motor nerves that manipulate it. This control attack can be made on any creature that uses limbs for leverage. The mutant does not have to identify specific muscles and nerves in the target’s anatomy. This mutation will work on most alien races. Muscle manipulation will not work on robots. This attack could carry out any of the following actions, close a target’s eyelids, cause one leg to trip another, make a wing stop working, force a fin to flag about limply, push an undesired button, pull a trigger to soon, not throw a grenade, or change targets unexpectedly.

Muscle manipulation is generally divided into limbs. The mutant will always be able to pick a nerve trunk close enough to the spine that she can manipulate the actions required for an entire limb. Another attack would have to be made if the mutant wishes to make two or more limbs act in unison.

As the victim realizes that her muscles are being controlled by an exterior force, and she is not suffering from some peculiar seizure, or cramp, it will become easier for her to throw off the control. This is reflected by a bonus in her saving throws. In the first unit of control, saving throw adjustments are given according to Table 58.11: Muscle Manipulation Save Adjustment. A cumulative bonus of +1 is given for each successive saving throw after the initial unit of muscle manipulation. Thus a victim that has been controlled for 5 consecutive units will receive a bonus of +5 on her saving throw. Muscle manipulation is terminated when the mutant ends the control, the taget makes a successful saving throw, or the target manages to get out of range. Muscle manipulation will also work on recently dead targets.

Muscle manipulation can be made to subtly hinder a target’s performance. Covert muscle manipulation will grant a to hit roll penalty or a performance table penalty. The victim will get a saving throw for this form of attack the same as any other form of muscle manipulation.  The mutant can exert muscle manipulations that can kill the target. Such muscle manipulations are considered dangerous controls, and they include stopping cardiac, or respiratory muscles. If the victim fails her saving throw, she will receive a CON roll. If this CON roll is not successful then victim will fall into respiratory, or cardiac, arrest. If the victim is not revived in a number of units equal to the victim’s CON then she is dead.

Table 58.11 Muscle Manipulation Save Adjustments

The more complex the muscle control exerted the better the target can avoid being manipulated.
Control TypeSave AdjustmentComment
Covert-2Minor twitches or distractions.
-100 to hit; -10 PT Rolls
Frustrating-1Blinking, digit diverting.
-200 to hit, -20 PT Rolls
Typical0Sneezing. Clenching.
Stops attacks or actions.
Obvious+3Doing wrong action. Dropping something.
Self Harm+6Hitting self. Stop breathing.
Control TypeSave AdjustmentComment

38) Neuronegation

Range:2 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:1-6 minutes (30 units)
Frequency:1 per 4 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 2
+40 for anaesthetic PT Rolls

This mutant is capable of shutting off the minds of targets. The mutant completely cuts her target off from all and any sensory input. Targets failing their saving throw versus neuronegation become simultaneously blind, deaf, and lose all olfactory and tactile ability. Their brains are completely shut off from the outside world, and the target collapses into a mindless heap. If an intended victim saves, the attack is negated. Those targets that become a unresponsive pile of flesh will remain so for 1-6 minutes (30 units per minute). A neuronegated target is completely immune to any form of mental attack that manipulates the thinkspace. This mutation effects all creatures in a 2 hex radius up to the maximum range.

39) Phase

Range:Persona only
Duration:1 unit or less
Frequency:1 per 3 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 5

This mutation allows the mutant to temporarily phase out of the material plane leaving nothing but a ghostly after image. Phasing out can last up to one unit, after which the mutant’s ethereal form will rematerialize. Phase can be used to avoid hits, pass through walls, evade mental attacks, and dodge shrapnel. Phase will only work on the mutant, and an amount of equipment that does not surpass her encumbered wate allowance. If the mutant is encumbered and attempts to phase, all her equipment will crash to the floor. Once phased the mutant moves at normal speed, and absolutely no other function can be undertaken.

Movement while phased is rather special since it allows the mutant to pass through walls, or doors at her leisure. In order to pass through floors the mutant must concentrate on a downwards motion before phasing. A phased mutant will not automatically sink though ceilings, fall through the bottom of rising elevators, or go flying out the back of high speed vehicles. If she wants to though, she can. When rephasing the mutant  will be moving no faster than her phased movement rate. Therefore a phased mutant could jump out the wall of a speeding train, and rematerialize moving at her regular movement rate. Even if the train is speeding by at several hundred kilometers an hour. Conversely if a mutant phases through a wall on the same train she will rematerialize at the speed she was moving at, and not be wrenched from the train.

When phasing is used to avoid attacks the mental mutation will automatically phase out before any attacks can be made. Attacks include any weapons, trained abilities, or physical mutations. If an attacker is using a mental mutation then the two mutants have an initiative roll comparing their MSTRs instead of DEXs. While phasing, there is a 1 in 1000 (42 on kilodie) chance that the mutant will remain phased for 1 to 3 days. If the mutant should solidify into an object or into a wall there is a 50% chance she will be pushed through in the same direction she was moving, and a 49% chance she will get pushed in the opposite direction. The effect of the remaining one percent is left to the ref’s discretion.

I am so out of here.
I am so out of here.

40) Planal Hideaway

Range:Special
Duration:As needed
Frequency:1 per 20 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:None

A planal hideaway is a convenient time-space aberration that is generated and manipulated by the mutant. The planal hideaway mutation allows the mutant to create an entrance into a strange 2 hex cube that can store items off of the material plane. The entrance to the planal hideaway appears as a motionless, black, 1 dimensional plane parallel to the strongest local gravitational field (planet, star, or spaceship). Even if the hideaway is opened in total darkness the entrance will always appear darker than the surroundings. Closing the planal hideaway will make the entrance disappear, and no trace what so ever will be left where the opening was made. The mutant can always find her closed planal hideaways.

The planal hideaway can be opened once (when created) and closed once. When the planal hide-away is opened for the second time it will dissipate, and all objects in it will drop a distance of 1 hex onto the nearest solid surface. The entrance to the cube stays in the same location, relative to nearest planet or star.  The planal hideaway will not kill its occupants by opening into certain death. The hideaway will not release them onto the surface of a sun, nor will it release them under water. An opened planal hideaway does this for reasons of its generation, and it should not be mistaken as benevolence towards its contents. For instance, the hideaway could open just as a nuclear bomb detonates melting its contents (a referee would have to be particularly cruel to do this).

It is possible to leave multiple planal hideaways open, but the mutant must be present to close each one. Another variation of this is opening a hideaway within a hideaway, however the mutant should be prepared for anything since the results of such actions are left to the refs imagination. All planal hideaways will dissipate and disgorge their contents when the mutant dies.

The planal hideaway is excised from time and space itself. Anything inside the cube will remain in stasis, and be completely unaffected by time, or any occurrence on the material plane. Organic creatures can subsist inside a planal hideaway without food or water indefinitely. Opening a planal hideaway 10 seconds or 10 years later will make no difference to the items stored inside it. Personas will not heal, nor will they bleed while locked into the planal hideaway. Boredom will be the greatest enemy, and sometimes combat can result from boredom. Combat within the enclosed space of the planal hideaway will only be nonlethal, although any ammunition used will be considered spent. Once the planal hideaway reopens everything restarts again.

The planal hideaway can be a chore for the referee. For instance, what if the expedition jumps inside the planal hideaway and hangs around in the time-space aberration for about 10000 years. Since time is meaningless they may hide inside it for 20 million years. The trick for the referee is that they not only are outside of the channels of time, but they also have no concept of time. This means that a 10000 year wait could feel like a 10 minute wait. This sort of confusion will be accepted by the players provided that the hideaway at least allowed them to escape whatever they needed to hide from.

41) Planal Holdaway

Range:Special
Duration:Until dead or dying
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:None

This extradimensional bilge follows along in the hex directly behind the mutant. The planal holdaway is a timespace phenomena that functions as a storage compartment capable of carrying ten times the mutant’s wate allowance. In this case she uses her MSTR instead of her PSTR  to calculate the wate allowance. The holdaway occupies no space on the material plane, and can only be found, or opened by the mutant. The opening is 60 cm square, and appears as a 1 dimensional sheet of blackness. When opened no contents can fall out, but the mutant can reach in and pull out whatever she is looking for. As long as it fits through the opening it can be hidden inside the planal holdaway. This planal footlocker will spill its contents if the mutant dies, or has a negative HPS total (dropping all equipment a distance of 1 hex) just behind the mutant.

I am attracted to your car.
I am attracted to your car.

42) Polar Disruption

Range:1 h per 10 kg of Mutant Wate
Duration:1-6 (1d6) units
Frequency:Random, max once per day
General Bonus:+10 on any magnetism PT Rolls
Defect. This does not count as a startup mutation

Whenever this mutant is subject to extreme duress, there is a chance that she will turn into an electromagnet. The following situations can be classed as extreme stresses: getting hit, being surprised, vehicle crashes, expedition personas dying, etc. Whenever these stressful situations occur there is a 3% chance that the mutant will suffer polar disruption.

All metallic objects within range are effected by the polar disruption. When an attack occurs, all objects that have less than half the mutant’s wate will be repulsed from, or be pulled towards, the mutant. So if a mutant’s wate is 58 kg she would affect anything that is 29 kg, or less, in wate. Any object with a wate greater than 29 kg cannot be drawn towards the mutant. Metallic objects with more than twice the mutant’s WATE will affect the mutant. If she fails a save versus psionic attack she will be drawn towards the object. If there is some difficulty determining whether, or not, some artifact has polar disruptable metallic content then consult the sphincter dice described in Chapter 16: Special Rolls.

A normal polar disruption will involve 1-6 units of attracting, or being attracted to, metallic objects. There is a 30% chance the mutant will have a repulsive (push metals away) polar disruption. Movement for affected objects will be at a non-damaging 10 h/u. Thus objects will hurtle towards the mutant at 10 h/u, but eventually they just gently pile up against the her. A typical attractive polar disruption will snatch all the weapons with range of the mutant, and fly them towards the mutant. Those items held by a persona will get a save versus mental attack using the holder’s MSTR.

43) Power Drain

Range:Touch
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:1 per 4 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 4
+10 on any battery related PT Rolls

This mutation allows the mutant to drain potential energy from inorganic storage devices (batteries) to gain HPS. The mutant can regenerate 10% to 60% of her HPS maximum for each battery that she drains. Draining a battery has the same benefit for the mutant, regardless of the battery’s storage capacity. The healing amount is generated by the roll of a d6, where 1 is 10% and 6 is 60%.

For example, a mutant with 50 HPS maximum touches a battery to heal 20% of her HPS maximum. She will add 10 HPS to her HPS total, and completely deplete the battery. To convert energy to HPS the mutant must touch the storage device, or the artifact that contains the battery. Once hit, the storage supply gets a save vs psionic attack, or it will be completely drained. The mutant can only drain batteries. This mutation has no effect on power cells (robots), fuel cells (vehicles), broadcast/psionic cells, or power generators. There is a slight side effect mutation.  All batteries on the mutant to wear down twice as fast. So whenever this mutant fires her lazer pistol it counts as two shots because batteries drain twice as fast around her.

There is a 12% chance that the mutant will have the reciprocal mutation, Power Source. This mutation has all the opposite effects of power drain, and she can recharge batteries by losing 10% to 60% of her HPS total, and batteries around her will drain half as fast.

44) Precognition

Range:10 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Until dead
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 3
Ambush is nearly impossible

This mutant is psionically aware of hostility or impending danger. If the mutant is asleep, the sensation of danger will awaken her. A mutant can detect danger anywhere from days to seconds before it actually occurs. This will usually give the mutant warning, but it won’t always prevent what is about to happen. This hindrance is not designed to render the mutation useless, but challenging. Before a mutant can sense danger the threatening situation must be within range (10 hexes per point of adjusted MSTR). Precognition will only work if the hostility, or danger, will personally effect the mutant. If the mutant is about to bite into a poisoned jelly donut then precognition will stop her. If another expedition member is about to shoot her she will be warned that something bad is going to happen, but she may still get shot. This mutant will probably act a little bit more paranoid than usual.

45) Projected Sense

Range:5 h per adjusted AWE
Duration:1 minute (30 units) per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 3 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:None

The six basic senses of this mutant can be ethereally projected beyond the mutant’s body, where they can function normally. The senses that can be projected are awareness, hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. So this mutant could project her sight into a locked room, and search it. None of the senses can manipulate objects while being projected; the projected senses can only observe. While a sense is projected the mutant can still use her organic senses to their full capacity. So this mutant could have two sets of eyes watching something. This could offer the player two AWE rolls when her persona is searching an area.

Sight, hearing and awareness are still subject to damaging effects while in the projected form. A flash, boom or mental attack could respectively injure the mutant’s sight, hearing or thinkspace. Projected awareness is analogous to the mutant’s sixth sense, and it can deploy mental mutations. The projected sense is where the mental attack will originate from tremendously increasing a mental attack’s range. If the mutant wants to project more than one sense at a time she must also project her awareness.

46) Protection Shell

Range:1 h per EXPS level
Duration:Until dead
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 2

This mutant has a constant repulsion shell which can ward off various creatures or entities. Aliens of the type repulsed must save vs psionic attack, in order to get within range of this mutant. If the alien is trapped by the shell another mental attack save is given with a plus 6 bonus. The mutant gets one roll on Table 58.12: Protection Shell Type for every 4 levels of EXPS. If the mutant rolls the same shell  type twice she gets a more powerful shell where the protected creatures has a penalty of -2 on the saving throw. Generally fellow expedition personas will not be affected by the protection shell.

Table 58.12 Protective Shell

Determine what the protective shell does repel.
Die Roll (1d100)Shell Type
01-10Omnivores
11-20Carnivores
21-30Herbivores
31-40Insects/Vermin
41-50Flora, mobile
51-55Robots
56-60Mutants, Mental
61-65Mutants, Physical
66-80Unwell, disease, infection
81-99Threatening to mutant
00Ref's Own Table
Die Roll Shell Type

47) Psionic Defence

Range:Thinkspace only
Duration:Until dead
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 2

This mutant has a higher than normal defence versus psionic attack. Psionic defence functions against those mental attacks that manipulate the mutant’s body, or mind. Mental attacks are less likely to affect the mutant because her MSTR is doubled when she is making saves against psionic attacks. Regardless of her MSTR a psionically defended mutant will not have a MSTR defence less than 16. This mutation will also automatically defend against benevolent intrusion into the mutant’s thinkspace. A mutant with a 17 MSTR and psionic defence would have a 34 MSTR when saving versus mental attack, and a mutant with a 6 MSTR would have a 16 MSTR when employing psionic defence.

There are other benefits with psionic defence: the mutant cannot be sold anything she doesn’t need, and any level of interrogation will be unsuccessful. Mental mutations that employ normal physical reactions to inflict damage are not affected by this mutation. So a mutant with psionic defence would double her MSTR when saving against pyrokinesis, but not when saving against mental blast.

48) Purify

Range:Touch
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:1 per 3 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:+42 for cleaning PT Rolls

This mutation allows the mutant to purify substances by touching them with her bare skin. The purification process will destroy any infectious organisms or toxic contaminants. Picking up a piece of meat would eject toxins and neutralize any bacteria or viruses living making the meat safe to eat. The same could be done for contaminated water, plastic, or lumps of gold. The amount of substance purified cannot exceed 10% of the mutant’s body WATE, and the mutant must touch the substance for 1-4 units. This procedure will result in a 100% pure sample (which is immediately subject to recontamination). It is left to the referee to decide if this mutation will destroy alloys, or separate other composite materials. If it does this mutation could easily become an attack against inorganic targets such as robots, walls or artifacts.

49) Pyrokinesis

Range:2 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Special
Frequency:1 per 2 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 5

This attack causes the extreme overheating of organic targets by manipulating their thermal regulation system. Targets will start to dangerously overheat if they fail against a psionic attack. Pyrokinesis has a cumulative effect, and the target’s body can become so volatile that the friction of her cells bustling against each other can cause her to burst into flames.

The target takes 1d10 HPS of damage every unit of the pyrokinesis attack. Each unit of attack there is a cumulative % chance that the victim will burst into flames. The chance of the target spontaneously combusting is equal to the total damage inflicted by pyrokinesis. If a target immolates the fire will inflict an additional 3d10 HPS of damage before extinguishing itself. If it is important to know what part of the target’s body immolated refer to Chapter 36: Hit Location. Pyrokinesis ends when the mutant wills it to end or when the target immolates. The target gets no saving throws other than the initial one.

Pyrokinesis is not limited to the spontaneous combustion of organic targets, it can also be used to cause flammable objects to suddenly burst into flames, burning fires to flare up, or explosives to detonate prematurely. The most difficult thing to determine with the inorganic pyrokinesis is whether, or not, the target is flammable at all. If it cannot be decided whether a stack of papers, a piece of furniture, or a weapon can be affected by this mental attack the referee should consult the sphincter dice described in Chapter 16: Special Rolls

Inorganic targets attacked by pyrokinesis will get a save versus mental attack using a randomly generated MSTR of 0 to 9. If the target is flammable and fails its saving throw it will burn for 1 to 10 units (plus 1 unit per level of mutant. The effect of the combustion is determined by the referee.

50) Repulsion Field Generation

Range:2 h per EXPS level
Duration:1 unit per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 6 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 10

This mutant can create an undetectable field of nausea and sickening sensations. Every time this mutation is employed, all creatures within the radius must make a successful save vs mental attack, or become incapacitated by nauseous. If the save is not successful the creature will become violently ill, and unable to act, while within the repulsion field. Creatures that do make a successful saving throw will suffer a combat penalty of -500 on all to hit rolls, half movement (no sprinting or bolting), plus 10 DD penalty on all PT rolls, and halved attributes when attempting attribute rolls. The same effect will be had on all organic creatures, whether they have standard physiological mechanisms, or not.

The repulsion field is a very effective device for immobilizing all those within the area of effect. However the repulsion field is a difficult mutation to control, and it will affect any organic creature within the area of effect including both opponents and fellow expedition members. The mutation will always have the maximum area of effect, and will last for the maximum possible duration. Only as the mutant increases in experience levels will she be able to control this mutation better. The mutant will be able to protect one target per 2 EXPS levels from the attack. So a 4th level mutant could keep 2 of her expedition members from being impacted by the repulsion field.

51) Restoration

Range:Touch
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:1 per 3 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 12
+20 on all vet PT Rolls

This mutation allows the mutant to heal damaged organic creatures simply by touching them. If the target creature is armoured in a fashion that makes contact difficult (like powered armour, or a space suit) the mutant must make a successful to hit roll before healing her target. Restoration can only return lost hit points, and cannot be reversed to inflict damage. By touching the damaged creature, the mutant can heal a number of HPS in damage equal to her present HPS total. A mutant with 13 HPS total can restore 13 HPS to herself, or another persona that she touches.

52) Sensory Deprivation

Range:1 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:1 unit per 4 point adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 8 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 6
+10 on all vet PT Rolls

This mutant can sever a target’s brain from its various sensory utilities. The attack is only effective against organic creatures, and the results can be quite nasty. If a save vs psionic attack is not successful, the mutant can selectively cut off the target’s brain from various senses. If the mutant decides to sever the target’s brain from all her senses (similar to Neuronegation) the target will fall unconscious. The creature will remain unconscious for one unit per two points of adjusted MSTR of the attacker. During this time there is a 2% chance the target will succumb to non-specific internal organ malfunctions. If internal system difficulties arise the unconscious target must successfully make a recovery roll, or die. The mutant can also cause deafness, blindness, or a loss of tactile and olfactory senses. The special effects of such sensory depravations are listed on Table 58.13: Sensory Deprivation Effect. This attack has an area of effect covering a 2 hex radius, and can be directed at selected targets within it.

Table 58.13 Sensory Deprivation Effect

The more important the sense the more difficult it is shut off from the target persona.
SensesSave AdjustmentComment
All+5Unconscious; Chance of death
Hearing0Half AWE; -100 to hit
SIght+2Quarter AWE; -600 to hit; +15 DD penalty
Touch+1Half DEX; -250 to hit; +8 DD penalty
Smell/Taste0-1d6 AWE; Not notice poisoned food or gas.
Sixth+2Half MSTR; Turn off mental mutations.
Pain-2Bonus to Vet +20; Double DSS success
SenseSaveComment
My aren't you sooooo nice.
My aren’t you sooooo nice.

53) Sociability Field Generation

Range:1 h per EXPS level
Duration:Until Dead
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:+20 on all personality PT Rolls
+42 on all negotiations

This mutant has an aura of good humour and friendship radiating around her. The mutation automatically causes creatures to be unusually friendly towards this mutant. Most creatures which enter the one hex radius are affected by this mutation. Those creatures with INT between “low” and “average” (3 to 10) have an 80% chance of becoming friendly and amiable; creatures which have intelligences between “above average” and “genius” (11-17) have a 40% chance of becoming friendly and amiable, other intelligence ranges(<3 and >17) are unaffected by the sociability field.

The mutation is the opposite to Hostility Field Generation, but this mutation does not make creatures automatic friends like the automatic enemies created by that mutation. When creatures become friendly and amiable there is a +70% adjustment on any negotiation rolls made, see Chapter 22: Negotiation. This mutation has no effect over televids, or other communication devices. The sociability field will not overcome the instincts of a hungry, or enraged alien, nor can it be used to pressure personas to place their lives at risk or carry out materially, socially, or personally suicidal acts.

54) Sonar

Range:20 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Until Dead
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:Triple AWE versus ambush or during search

This mutation gives the mutant “sonar sight”. Sonar sight operates on the acoustic reflection of a variety of undetectable frequencies that are emitted from the mutant’s skull. The reflected sound waves are converted into images that allow the mutant to detect solid objects in a 360° radius. Sonar allows the mutant to navigate in the dark, determine if holograms are solid, or not, and see through conductive substances such as smoke or water. Holograms, phased out creatures and projections would be invisible to sonar, but invisible, or visually camouflaged creatures may appear as a blip. Invisible or camouflaged objects can be detected with sonar, although an AWE attribute roll may still be required. Sonar employs a variety of frequencies that allow the mutant to see around smaller obstructions.

Sonar and normal sight are interchangeable, however they are not equivalent in function. Sonar sight does not give fine detail, and the mutant may be unable to tell a parked aircar from a combat robot, or the opposition from her expedition. Sonar may not be able to function through some helmets, but eye gear or breathing masks will not obstruct its function. Sonic attacks on the mutant (while her sonar is on) will do double damage and disable the sonar for 1 to 4 days.

55) Sonic Attack

Range:1 h per 2 points adjusted MSTR
Duration:Speed of sound
Frequency:1 per 4 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 3

This mutant can releases a deadly burst of sonic energy. The attack is a psionically adjusted version of the mutant’s own speech. For instance, a softly spoken word would be converted into a wall of ultra-high and ultra-low frequency sound waves that delivers damage to everything within range. The attack will inflict damage on all objects within the radius of effect, regardless of whether they have ears, or not. Any organic or inorganic objects that have enhanced audio sensors, such as sonar, will usually take double damage.

The amount of damage inflicted is determined on Table 59.18: Sonic Damage Range (conveniently provided below). The mutant is unaffected by her own sonic attack, unless it is somehow reflected back to her. The sonic attack has a radius (in hexes) equal to the mutant’s adjusted MSTR. A first level mutant with a 9 MSTR would have a radius of effect of 10 hexes. Organic and inorganic audio systems can be rendered inoperative if they take more than 15 hit points of damage. If 15 (or more) hit points of damage is delivered a recovery roll must be made, or “deafness” will result. Organic systems will remain deaf for 1-8 hours, but inorganic audio systems must await repair. 

Table 59.18 Sonic Attack Volume

Determine the range and damage of the sonic attack.
Range (hexes)Damage
1 h4-32 (4d8)
Half Range3-24 (3d8)
Full Range2-16 (2d8)
Just past Full Range1-8 (1d8)
RangeDamage

56) Sonic Reproduction

Range:Within hearing
Duration:Up to 2 units per adjusted INT
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 1
+10 on disguise PT Rolls

This mutation turns the mutant into a walking digital recorder. Perfect reproduction quality can be obtained on any audible sound. Sounds can be memorized and replayed at a later date. If the player makes a successful intelligence roll the mutant can replay an edited, or remixed, version of the recording . The INT roll should be adjusted for the difficulty of the remix being attempted.

Each recording can last up to two units per point of adjusted MSTR. Thus a 3rd level mutant with a 10 MSTR could make a recording up to 26 units in length. The number of recordings stored cannot exceed the mutant’s adjusted INT. The major component lacking on these recorded noises is volume, extreme volume cannot be reproduced solely by the mutant. Sonic attacks directed at the mutant can be reproduced, and fired back up to 1/2 range, inflicting half the damage that the mutant took.

57) Suggestion

Range:1 per 2 points adjusted MSTR
Duration:Special
Frequency:1 per adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 5
+40 on negotiation Rolls

A mutant with suggestion can force an intelligent organic persona to make decisions that it normally wouldn’t make. For instance, the mutant could tell a victim that this isn’t the parking space she wants, and if the victim fails her saving throw, she would not park there. Or in the heat of battle the mutant may think-to an opponent that they don’t want to use a particular weapon because they need to save ammunition. The target would switch weapons if she failed her save.

The mutant can think, or speak, a suggestion to the victim. Spoken suggestions are directed at a target, and the mutant makes her suggestion orally. Spoken suggestions must be done in the target’s native tongue. Thought suggestions are directed at the target’s thinkspace, and need not be done in the native tongue of the target. The target gets a saving throw bonus of +2 against those suggestions directed at her thinkspace.

The more reasonable the suggestion, the more likely it will succeed. Suggestions like: go kill yourself, kill your friend, and give away all your savings would certainly fail. The referee can make saving throw adjustments (+1 to +6) depending on the gravity of the suggestion. This mutation can be employed once a day per point of adjusted MSTR.

58) Telekinesis

Range:2 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:2 units per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 3 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 5

Telekinesis allows the mutant to psionically lift objects without touching them. The mutant needs to concentrate on an object and it will begin to float through the air under the mutant’s control. Objects include anything less than half the mutant’s wate, whether organic, or inorganic. Telekinetically controlled objects are under the control of the mutant, and will not fall with gravity, or be blown by the wind.

The speed of target object depends on the adjusted MSTR. Table 58.15: Telekinesis Movement gives the speed of tje target object. Using telekinesed objects as weapons is not too efficient since part of the process of telekinesis involves negation of the object’s mass, but a telekinesed objects will still inflict 1d6 per 3 h/u movement. This is the damage inflicted on the target, and the damage inflicted on the telekinesed object.

Objects with a wate greater than half the mutant’s wate simply cannot be affected by telekinesis. Any object that has a WATE less than half the mutant’s is susceptible to telekinesis. Voluntary organic targets, and inorganic objects are assigned a random MSTR of 0-9 (1d10-1), and they must fail their saving throw before they can be telekinetically moved. Involuntary organic targets use their own MSTR to resist movement. If an inorganic target is being held by an organic target the MSTR of the holder will be used by the inorganic target. Targets holding onto large objects get bonuses to save of +1 per 5 points of PSTR. The target is moved through her center of gravity, and can still flail about its limbs. A creature can break free from telekinesis if it happens to grasp onto a stable object and made a successful save.

Table 58.15 Telekinetic Object Speed

An object moved telekinetically can inflict damage depending on object wate and MSTR of the mutant.
Adjusted MSTRSpeed (h/u)Damage on Collision
<310
3-520
6-831d6
9-1141d6
12-1451d6
15-1662d6
1772d6
1893d6
19114d6
20134d6
21165d6
22196d6
23227d6
24258d6
>24289d6
Adjusted MSTRSpeedCollision Damage

59) Telekinetic Arm

Range:1 h plus 1 h per EXPS level
Duration:1 unit per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 3 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 5
+5 on appropriate PT Rolls

This mutation is an invisible telekinetic arm which can articulate anything from back-scratching to pick-pocketing. The arm functions like a real arm, hand and all. The arm is flexible and can pick up anything the mutant’s PSTR can handle. Although the arm is invisible, it must always be within sight of the mutant. The arm will operate for a duration of one unit per point of MSTR. Only one arm may be created at one time, but one arm per three points MSTR may be created each day. The arm’s range is dependent on the mutant’s EXPS level, and she must watch her telekinetic arm at all times. The arm is subject to damage. If it should take more than half the mutant’s HPS total the arm will dissipate.

60) Telekinetic Flight

Range:Persona only
Duration:1 minute (30 units) per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 3 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 2

Telekinetic flight allows the mutant to fly through the air without the aid of flying devices. She can defy gravity simply by concentrating her psionic powers. The mutant can hover, skim along the ground, or soar high into the air. She can travel at a speed up to three times her normal movement rate. Thus a persona who could move 5 h/u could telekinetically fly at up to 15 h/u. The mutant can only fly 3 times her base movement rate, and not 3 times any special movement rates, like bolting or sprinting. While flying the mutant moves as if this were her normal movement rate, and the Driving Performance Tables need not be consulted for high speed maneuvers.

Telekinetic flight will work in or out of atmosphere, and in or out of gravity. This mutation will not work if the mutant is more than encumbered by her equipment, or by her body wate (as in high gravity). There is no decreased effect of telekinetic flight, it simply will not function if the persona is more than encumbered. Encumbrance is discussed in detail in Chapter 18: Encumbrance and the effects of high gravity on body wate is discussed in Chapter 19: Special Terrain.

If telekinetic flight is combined with other mutations that increase speed supersonic personas can quite unexpectedly arise. If such personas are threatening game balance there are several steps that the referee can take to limit high speed activities, such as: the mutant’s body is damaged at high speeds, she gets lost very easily (must make frequent AWE rolls), or she gets severe motion sickness (must make frequent CON rolls).

61) Telempathy

Range:1 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:1 minute (30 units) per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 6 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 2
+20 on Vet PT Rolls
+42 on negotiation rolls

This mutant can use telempathy to project moods or feelings into the thinkspaces of organic creatures. The mutant can make other personas feel, pain, anger, love, hate, fear, etc. For example, an ursidae could be forced into a frenzy by being made feel anger, a patient could be made to feel pleasure instead of pain, and a nervous Nellie could be immediately calmed. The target must fail her saving throw before any effects can be had.

Telempathy can be projected in a 2 hex radius, with all targets in that area being affected. The strength of the signal is diluted by the number of targets within the area of effect. For every 2 separate thinkspaces within the area of effect each target gets +1 to save. The mutant can accommodate one extra thinkspace for every 2 levels of experience:- If telempathy were being used on 4 targets within the 2 hex radius of effect every target would get +1 on their saving throw. A successful saving throw will negate any possible effects. Telempathy can also be focused on a single target, at a range of up to 1 hex per adjusted MSTR. The thinkspace gets a saving throw vs mental attack in an attempt to negate the effects of telempathy.

Some of the less intelligent creatures are incapable of comprehending higher emotions, and successful mental attacks may have no effect. Players also have no idea what has previously gone on in the target’s life, and they have no way of exactly predicting a target’s response to a sudden, unexplained and overwhelming emotion.

62) Teleport

Range:500 km per adjusted MSTR
Duration:Instantaneous
Frequency:1 per 12 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 10

Teleportation allows the mutant to transfer her body and thinkspace from one place to another in an instant. By merely visualizing another location the mutant can will all the molecules of its body to transfer there. The new destination need only be on the, the material plane, and the teleporting mutant can travel over, under or through vacuums, oceans, planets, force fields, etc. A mutant can teleport within a space vehicle traveling on its special drive, but cannot teleport from the ship to the material plane. The teleportation always occurs in an instant, and as soon as the mutant decides to teleport her and her equipment will be at the new location.

Teleportation is particularly safe. The mutant is reassembled in reference to the destination environment, and corrections for differences in velocity, pressure and gravity are instantly compensated. For example, the mutant could teleport onto, or off of a moving train, and suffer no penalties for the change in velocity. Teleportation has an instinctive survival defence built in, and the mutant is unable to commit suicide by teleporting into certain death. For instance, teleport would not work if the persona was teleporting into a vacuum. This instinct can be overridden if the persona makes a successful MSTR roll. This does not mean that teleportation is completely without risk.

Each time the mutant teleports she must check Table 58.16: Teleportation Failure. It is assumed that the mutation is taking all possible precautions to deliver herself safely, and no adjustments can be made to these values. The mutation is affected by the amount of equipment that the mutant is teleporting along with herself. If the mutant is more than encumbered then the chance of failure 5 times more likely normal. The chances of teleportation failure are listed on the Teleportation Failure Table, and they are related to the familiarity of the destination.

A very familiar location would be a favorite room in the mutant’s home, or some other specifically memorized location. An outdoors location can never be classified as very familiar. A familiar place would be the office at work, a casually known place would be a restaurant visited once or twice. The other categories are self explanatory.

The chance of failure is compared to a kilodie roll, so familiar destinations are very safe. If the mutant fails her teleport roll she has teleported into an object, the ground or some passerby. This means that her molecular structure has been accidentally integrated with some other solid object. This could be a wall, the ground, a tree, a coat rack, or a passerby.

The mutant can zap herself away to any location within 500 kilometers per point of adjusted MSTR. Thus a 5th level persona with a 10 Msm could teleport 7500 kilometers away. Teleport can be used once a day per 13 points of MSTR, but at least once a day.

Table 58.16 Teleportation Failure Effect

What we have here is a failure to translocate.
Destination FamiliarityChance of Failure (1d1000)Damage Range
Very Familiar42 on Kilodie1-18 (1d3 1d6s)
Familiar2 or less1-24 (1d4 1d6s)
Casually known4 or less1-36 (1d6 1d6s)
Described only8 or less1-48 (1d8 1d6s)
Unknown24 or less1-60 (1d10 1d6s)
FamiliarityChanceDamage

63) Thought Imitation

Range:4 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:One use
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 5
+42 on learning PT Rolls

Thought imitation is used by the mutant to turn her brain into a mental process tape recorder. By observing activities of a target the mutant can begin to create pathways in her own thinkspace that imitate the target. This high level of modelling allows her to repeat physical activities, recreate mental attacks, and predict the actions of imitated thinkspaces. To ensure that the mutant’s brain does not become a useless hodgepodge of neural circuitry, imitated thoughts are quickly forgotten. The mutant’s thinkspace resets itself after a brief sleep, or any other loss of consciousness.

The mutant can memorize observed physical acts and repeat them flawlessly if the target fails a mental attack on its thinkspace. The mutant could observe someone opening a complex lock, and then repeat the procedure flawlessly. Obviously the mutant must be able recreate the action made by the target to within a reasonable degree. For example a keyboard made for claws and tentacles may be impossible for an anthro with digits to use.

The thought imitation mutation will automatically synthesize and return any mental attack that is used on its thinkspace. This applies only to mental attacks, and a mental mutation like Teleportation, or Time Stop cannot be imitated. Nor can physical mutation.

The attack is returned to the attacker at one half the attack strength that the mutant was subjected to. The mutant having its mental attack returned will always get a saving throw regardless of the description of the mutation. If ESP were used on this mutant she would be able to read her attacker’s thoughts with half proficiency and at one half the range. If this mutant were subjected to Death Field Generation she would recreate the field at half strength. The thought imitating mutant is still subject to the mental attack, but sends it back instantly. This is often a case of mutual assured destruction.

Using thought imitation to predict a creature’s actions is complex and time consuming activity. To predict a creature’s actions, the mutant must study the target for at least one melee (5 units) per point of the target’s INT. Therefore a target with a 12 intelligence would have to be observed for at least 60 units, or two minutes.

This baseline chance for successful analysis allows the mutant a 7% chance to correctly predict actions of the target. Each additional minute (30 units) of observation increases the chance of success another 7%. The chance of correct prediction is cumulative, so after ten minutes of study the mutant has a 70% chance of predicting a creature’s actions. The maximum chance for successfully predicting actions is 90%, and that percentage is reduced by 2% for every point of the target’s INT. This means that the maximum chance of determining the actions of a creature with a 15 INT is 60%.

There some is danger in repeatedly imitating another persona’s thinkspace, and that is the taking on of certain personality traits of the imitated persona. Usually these personality traits will be the most unsavory ones for the player. A veterinarian may develop unhygienic habits, or a mercenary may develop a very high respect for living things.

64) Time Stop

Range:Conscious range
Duration:2 units per adjusted MSTR
Frequency:1 per 24 points of adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 5

Time Stop has a bizarre effect on matter and physical laws. The mutation arrests them in such a way so as to make it appear that time has stopped. Absolutely nothing moves during time stop, except for the mutant. She can function within the time arrested universe at her normal pace. The scope of the time stop is as far as the mutant can think, yet it leaves no observable edges anywhere in existence. Just this factor makes it a rare and powerful mutation indeed. The only noticeable effect of the mutation is the havoc that the mutant wreaks in her immediate environment. At the instant of activation of Time Stop the mutant finds herself in a hazy life sized diorama. Falling objects are suspended in the air, bullets stop, flames freeze, and energy blasts hang useless. There is no hot or cold, no up or down. All machines, mechanisms, chemical reactions, and physical laws are paralyzed. Except for the mutant.

What the mutant can get done during the Time Stop is what makes it such a powerful mutation. Considering the cosmic scope of the mutation’s effect the mutant actually has a very limited area of action. The mutant can race around for the duration of the mutation essentially altering the course of reality. She can lift any object up to ten times her wate allowance (temporal inertia keeps her from lifting anything greater), and by lifting and moving things she can become quite a dangerous opponent. For example, she could gather up all the lazer bolts suspended in the air during a fire fight, and point them towards the opposition. When Time Stop ended the lazer blasts would pursue their new targets. She could pull the pins on grenades, and when Time Stop ended they would detonate. She could open the door of a moving vehicle, carry a few personas outside, and leave them suspended there. When Time Stop ended they would crash to the ground. She could rush into a burning building, pushing the smoke out of the way, bending the flames, and rescuing as many people as she can carry. When Time Stop ended they would instantly find themselves outside on the sidewalk.

Not even those mechanisms on the mutant will function normally in Time Stop. She can fire her weapons and throw her knives, but nothing will start moving until the mutation ends. A surgeon could stop time to make a delicate sewing procedure, but any electronic procedures would have to wait until after Time Stop ended. Mental mutations do not work within the time space aberration created by Time Stop. Although those effects already generated by the mutation will remain. This includes: illusions, mental blasts, force fields, etc.

This mutation can be employed less than once a day. Thus a mutant with a 12 MSTR could only use Time Stop once every second day.

65) Time Tell

Range:Persona only
Duration:Until her time ends
Frequency:Constant
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 2
+42 on all timing PT Rolls

This mutant’s brain contains a series of cyclical neural pathways that allow her to be a walking atomic clock. She always knows the exact time of day, date, amount of time that has elapsed, duration of an event, or chronological order of any observed series of events. Not only can she be pedantic about what happens when, but she can do so to several decimal places. The mutation can be used as an internal watch, for timing cycles of a fusion drive, for knowing exactly when to act, or for detecting time space aberrations. The Time Tell mutation is multi-tasking, and she can carry out any number of these tasks simultaneously. When measuring longer durations of time the mutant must remain conscious, she may sleep, but she must not be unconscious.

66) Total Recuperation

Range:Persona only
Duration:Permanent
Frequency:1 per 12 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio times 2

Total recuperation allows the mutant to instantly restructure her body to that of a previously undamaged state. The mutation psionically repairs all her traumatized tissues by comparing them to an undamaged template stored in her thinkspace. The mutation will not stop the effects of poisons, cure cancers, arrest infections, or regenerate missing tissues. The most immediate effect of this mutation is that the mutant can instantly restore all her hit points. When this mutation is employed the mutant’s hit point total will instantly return to maximum hit points. If the mutant is comatose (at a negative HPs total), and she has not depleted her Total Recuperation for the day, it will automatically activate.

Total Recuperation can also be used to delay aging effects. When any aging is detected by the mutant’s thinkspace Total Recuperation will quarter the effects (4 years is only 1 year). This includes aging attacks and natural aging effects. The mutant must be at maximum HPS to use total recuperation versus aging effects. See Chapter 13: Health for more information.

67) Ventriloquism

Range:2 h per adjusted MSTR
Duration:1 minute (30 units) per adjusted MSTR
Cannot be turned off
Frequency:1 per 3 points adjusted MSTR
General Bonus:Combat Ratio plus 1
+13 on trickery PT Rolls

The mutant can psionically generate acoustic waveforms some distance from her own body. These sounds are generated within the mutant’s thinkspace, and there is no allusion to the fact that she is generating them. Any noise that the mutant could make with her own voice could be created. Ventriloquism allows her to very effectively throw her voice, but it does not allow her to synthesize any unique sounds. Ventriloquism can also be used to obliterate minor sounds by cancelling out the waveforms that make up the noise at the source. The mutation can also be used to subtly alter other sounds.

This mutation can be used to cause a distraction, make a shoe step silent, make a warning bell sound like an okay bell, or change the pitch of someones’ voice. The mutant cannot generate brand new sounds, and can only change existing sounds in real time. The effects of the mutation is be negated by a successful save vs mental attack. The saving throw is given to any targets that may hear the real sound, and have an intelligence better than average (9 INT).

The voice, or noises, can be projected up to two hexes per point of adjusted MSTR. Once started, the mutation MUST be employed for one minute per point of adjusted MSTR. If the mutant wishes to speak normally she must project her voice near her mouth and her lips will have to fake speaking. If fake speech is attempted, saves vs mental attack are granted to all those listening to the speaker. Making the save will result in disbelief of the speaker.

68) Weapons Discharging

Range:2 h radius
Duration:Until dead
Frequency:Constant; 1 per day.
General Bonus:+10 on activation PT Rolls
+10 on Artifact AID Chart accidental activation check
Defect. Does not count as a startup mutation.

This mutant’s thinkspace has a strong psionic drive to send mechanical devices into a state of lower entropy. This means that triggered devices are capable of spontaneously activating when near this mutant. Weapons discharge checks can only be made on inorganic loaded weapons like energy weapons (lazers), projectile weapons (crossbows), artillery, bombs, grenades and aerosols.

This mutation does not require the continual checking of all powered weapons within a two hex radius of the mutant. The referee may make a random check at any time, but not more than once a day. Checks are automatically made for each weapon within range when the mutant is surprised, hit, or subject to any other stressful situation. If the check is positive, only that specific weapon being checked will fire.

There is a one half percent chance of  a weapon discharging for every point of the mutant’s  down adjusted MSTR. A down adjusted attribute subtracts the persona’s level from the attribute. This result cannot be less than one. So a 3rd level mutant with a 12 MSTR would have a 5% chance of discharging a weapon (12 minus 3 times one half). Weapons that fire must make a roll to hit, (guns, lazers, crossbows) attack as though the mutant has fired them. Table 58.17: Direction of Random Discharge is used only if the direction of weapon is not specified. 

Weapons discharging need not always be setting off bombs, grenades, and guns. It could also activate household appliances, vehicle ignitions, lamps, etc. This mutation is a defect and does not count as a startup mutation. The player should roll again.

Table 58.17 Direction of Weapon Discharge

Determine the general direction of a weapon discharge activated by this mutant.
Die Roll (1d100)Direction of Discharge
01-20Down past feet of holder
21-40Up past head of holder
41-60Hits holder above waist
61-80Hits holder below waist
81-99Ground parallel random hex direction
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollDirection of Discharge

Figure 30.2 Grenade Miss Direction

Which facet direction does the grenade miss head.

69) Weather Tell

Range:As needed
Duration:As needed
Frequency:As needed
General Bonus:+42 on predictive Nomad PT Rolls

The thinkspace of this mutant is intimately entwined with the meteorological nuances of its environment. This mutation functions in any environment that the mutant is in. She can predict all the normal weather condition that one would expect, plus altering conditions in foreign environments. Tides under the water, radiation surges in outer space, cave-ins under ground, or any useful bit of natural trivia that relates to environment. Unexpected phenomena, like earthquakes, volcanoes, tidal waves etc. can be predicted as well. The mutant can give same day readings with 100% accuracy. The chance of correctly forecasting the weather decreases by 10% for every day in the future. The mutant can add 2 times her adjusted MSTR to the chance. A 5th level mutant with a 15 MSTR would have a 90% chance of predicting weather events 5 days in the future.

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