Mutant Crawl Classics
Mutant Crawl Classics posted in Gamma World forum comment posted by derek_holland One way to make Ancient artifacts weirder and differentiating between standard artifacts and superscience artifacts is to use mercurial magic from DCC for artifacts and spells for superscience. I know of three sources for it- the core book, Peril on the Purple Planet, and the Elfland patrons third party supplement (the last I plan on getting sooner or later). From the core book I like these options the best:
- Difficult to cast simply places a penalty on all activations. These are due to a variety of reasons.
- Anima drain mutates the user each time the artifact is activated. (For GW 5e I would give a 50/50 chance of getting an Ordinary mutation or Slight defect.)
- Planar rift would need a rewrite of its specific effects but the idea of accidentally summoning a creature or object is too good to pass up.
- Slow cast doubles activation time.
- Material magic adds an expensive component, some sort of fuel. Ancient materials work well as long as they are uncommon in the setting. (There are variants of this on the table but this one is the most generic.)
- Primordial channel has the artifact broadcast memories of the Shadow Age to the user, making it difficult to act but also providing possibly useful information.
- Vermin attractor draws something unpleasant after every activation. What appears is artifact specific but the critters have to be within range, at most 500 meters, otherwise nothing happens.
- Rush of wind causes a gust that is directed at the artifact. A pain for those using torches (the flaming kind).
- Prismatic distortion has several effects, all relating to light or color.
- Terror inducing makes the artifact difficult to use as even the wielder may be affected.
- Auditory feedback alters what the artifact activation sounds like, usually to something louder or more unpleasant.
- Odd growths include actual plants/fungi as well as weird things that appear after every activation.
- Unwanted attention turns the artifact into a beacon that will draw the sensors of mutants or machines.
- Circumstantial magic limits when the artifact can be used, either a time or day or environment. I chalk this one up to a buggy AI.
- Aura of Decay weakens a specific material within a few meters of the artifact. Enough activations and the results are a pile of dust.
- Blood sweat makes the user lose a few Stun points and bleed out of their pores. Nasty and a good way to draw blood feeders.
- Ravenous has the artifact draw upon the blood sugar of the user, making them very hungry.
- St. Gygakk's Fire gives the user a glowing aura for a few phases after activation. Making it difficult to hide and easier for foes to strike the user.
- Terrible to behold projects an image or makes actual physical changes that make the user scary to everyone with optical sensors/organs. Good for scaring robots.
- Energy burst adds a short-ranged attack that hits everything within a few meters of the artifact, likely including the user.
- Planar blink makes the user and artifact blink in and out of existence for a few rounds after activation. Not as cool or useful as it sounds, especially if the other place is hazardous.
- Rain of frogs can be used for any Fortean weather event.
- Weatherman is for the other sorts of atmospheric phenomena.
- Breath of life has the artifact give off healing pulses of energy to everyone within a few meters every activation. Depending on the artifact, this may include disease and poison abatement.
So, 24 possible results. For those with MCC this shouldn't be a problem as a d24 is part of the game.
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