A Review of The Mutation Manual

The Mutation Manual is a recent release (2014) from Goodman Games and provides many new powers for first edition Metamorphosis Alpha characters and creatures. Though the cover just mentions James Ward, there are 10 authors, including Gary Gygax. I bought it a few months ago and found it a mixed bag and here is a short review on its contents and my reaction.

The book starts with a forward by Jim explaining what the book is and why EGG’s name appears in the authors’ credits. He apparently added a mutation to his characters back in the day, Total Healing. Jim and Gary apparently played around with this idea (Gary wanting it and Jim not allow it) for all the editions up to EGG’s death. So Jim added it to this official book and now considers the game complete. A bit of humor that brings a smile to this reader.

Next up are mutation lists that include all those in this book as well as those in the original rules. There are 6- physical mutations, physical defects, mental mutations, mental defects, plant mutations and plant defects (the actual write ups merge mutations and defects). As there are 2 ½ pages, there are a lot of mutations. I am not going to provide full lists, just some of the more interesting examples. They are written in old school style with few stats (range, damage, duration and area of effect) and fairly minimal description, but enough to get the general idea of the power through and allow GMs to decide on if a specific one should be included and how to use it in the game.

Physical mutations and defects is almost 8 pages long. A few examples of those that I found interesting:

-         Hive Host gives the mutant an actual bee or wasp nest somewhere on or in their body. They follow very simple commands, including scouting that allows the mutant to see through their eyes, though at the cost of weakening the host for a round.

-         Holographic skin embeds the mutant’s hide with “tiny multi-faceted crystals” that give the mutant the ability to hide in plain sight, much like the Predator’s camo.

-         Husk allows the mutant to quickly heal superficial wounds by turning them into damaged skin that can be ripped off the body.

-         Merge allows the mutant to fuse with another creature, claiming their mutations and hit points. If the fusion is unwilling, the other creature gains a saving throw that increases every round until the mutant is thrown off.

-         Protective Coating allows the mutant to encase an object in a material that makes it impervious to pretty much everything chemical or biological based unless it is physically damaged.

-         Water Purification allows a mutant to consume and destroy any impurity and spit out clean water.

The downside to The Mutation Manual having so many authors is the duplication in effort. It isn’t so bad in the physical mutations. Gene Splice and Mutation Replication are all but identical. And then there are those mutations I would never use because either they are weaker than a similar mutation (Ballooning) or don’t fit within my vision of MA/GW/MF. Maximum Efficiency is the worst of the lot for physical mutations and allows objects to work as if they were undamaged no matter how busted they are.

Mental mutations and defects are also about 8 pages long.

-         Animal Empathy gives the mutant animal followers. Some can be trained but most are just following and protecting the mutant.

-         Brain Stink makes the mutant offensive to telepaths and empaths and they have to save to get near the stinky character.

-         Molecular Integration allows for simple repairs and healing. Do this with complex technology and this GM would take out his book on wild magic.

-         Space Rending is Dimension Door, but only for hand sized objects. It allows the mutant to stab someone in the back from 10 meters in front of them.

-         Thought Projection turns thoughts and emotions into holograms.

-         Total Healing has art of Gygax flinging off bandages and tossing away crutches.

There is a little more duplication in this category. Brain Power and New Power System recharge power cells (though the latter is much more powerful as it can be applied to vehicles), Mental Repair is actually about healing and is very inferior to Molecular Integration, and Power Leech is a version of Gene Splice and Mutation Replication with a nasty side effect (it may permanently drain the power from the donor). As for the mutations that I would never use include Cognitive Immortality (the character can never die, but has to take new bodies as the old ones die), Laser Barrier/Barricade (creates a static wall that damages those who pass through it, how is this mental?), Phase-Shifted Mental Attack (pointless as phased creatures are not immune to mental mutations) and the two Probability Manipulation (Self and Others) mutations (seeing and altering timelines can not be found on the Warden, otherwise the ship would have never had the disaster).

And now onto my favorite part of the book, Plant Mutations. Like the others, 8 pages of wondrous and weird powers. Here are a few of those I like:

-         Altered Biology gives the plant an alternative power source, be it radiation, consumption of plastics or salt or draining power cells.

-         Biomechanical turns the plant into a cyborg that can adapt to any artifact that it could reasonably install on its body.

-         DNA Resequencing allows the plant to absorb all the mutations of a creature it has slain, with two from the total list vanishing.

-         Gravity Inversion/Manipulation is the best power in the book in my opinion. It allows a plant to select a surface and create a gravity field to make such surface “down”. If placed correctly, several could pinball characters or allow access to otherwise unreachable locations.

-         Hydra-Weed allows the plant a form of regeneration that is visible and produces two parts for every one destroyed. It has a limitation, radiation can not be healed, but even then I think I would add something else, lest the plant grow enough to fill an entire level of the Warden.

-         Laser Fruit creates one shot laser pistols.

-         Puppet Roots allow for capture and control of others, but only as long as the connection is kept.

Duplication is found here as well. Duplication Pods and Mimic allow plant parts that look like technological artifacts, Kinetic Growth is a combination of Altered Biology and Hydra-Weed, Dragging Vines and Hidden Roots are very similar, Plant-Human Hybrid and Vegetable Conversion are very similar in effect (even if the former is rather icky); and Control Sap, Puppet Roots, Siren Call, Slave Berries and Symbiosis pretty much do the same thing. Unlike the physical and mental lists, there are a few plant mutations that really aren’t that useful for player characters. Deep Roots forces the mutant to stay in one place, Explosive Reproduction kills the character, Guardian Plants are shriekers, Insubstantial (which I think is cool) has a limitation that will kill characters sooner or later, and Trap Mat forces the plant to sit still for long periods of time. And I don’t understand the purpose of Humanoidal. Plants can already be humanoid in shape if the player wants.

The book ends with complete chart of mutations and defects, providing the page numbers in the original book, the Goodman edition and this book.

I am happy to have this book as some of the ideas are awesome. I just wish the authors had more interaction and as a result, less duplication of ideas.