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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: Dan Davenport on April 18, 2011, 04:44:31 PM

Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Dan Davenport on April 18, 2011, 04:44:31 PM
http://www.outlandarts.com/mutantepoch.htm

What do you think? A post-apocalyptic heartbreaker?

I'm always up for gonzo post-apocalypse, and while I love Gamma World, I can't abide D&D 4e. I wonder if this will be any good... The poor editing of the promo materials has me leery.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Spinachcat on April 18, 2011, 05:21:38 PM
Who? What? Where? When?

Links?
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Dan Davenport on April 18, 2011, 05:28:55 PM
Quote from: Spinachcat;452343Who? What? Where? When?

Links?

Whoops! Forgot the link. :o

http://www.outlandarts.com/mutantepoch.htm
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Tetsubo on April 18, 2011, 07:27:51 PM
My copy shipped today. I have a hard time imagining that it will unseat my favorite mutant system, the 1992 version of Gamma World but I will give it a read.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Tahmoh on April 19, 2011, 04:16:46 AM
Looks interesting but im not 100% sure how i'd go about getting a copy as the site refused to load half the pages i clicked on so i gave up.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Dirk Remmecke on April 19, 2011, 05:38:27 AM
Is this a JOKE?

http://www.outlandarts.com/TME-kids-area.htm
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Tetsubo on April 19, 2011, 07:30:34 AM
Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;452421Is this a JOKE?

http://www.outlandarts.com/TME-kids-area.htm

If it is, I'm missing the punchline. Why do you think it's a joke?
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Dirk Remmecke on April 19, 2011, 11:43:55 AM
Don't get me wrong, I very much like the artwork of William McAusland, I always did. By being able to illustrate his own RPG from the first to the last page this game will be 100% his vision and style.
For that alone I am interested in having a look at it.

Quote from: Tetsubo;452424Why do you think it's a joke?

No, I don't think it is a joke. It's a real coloring book.

But I find the content theme ... weird.
The link to the coloring book can be found at the end of the gallery. There are 8 pages full of gory artwork, and at the end you get to a download link for a coloring book aimed at children (full of art that does not contain gore, of course).

My son is 5. He is in that age when children use coloring books. He has no idea of post holocaust monsters and scenery. There are creatures, weapons, and vehicles that he couldn't make head nor tails of.

By the time he could he won't be interested in coloring books anymore. I am just puzzled who is supposed to color these pieces of art. That's all.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: J Arcane on April 19, 2011, 12:14:08 PM
Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;452421Is this a JOKE?

http://www.outlandarts.com/TME-kids-area.htm

Looks like one to me.

You people seriously need to chill.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Blackhand on April 19, 2011, 12:19:28 PM
Perfect for my girlfriend.

But not my 3 year old.

I guess I'll download it.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Tommy Brownell on April 20, 2011, 02:56:25 AM
"The idea of a kids area of the site was at first a joke among the staff, but over time we thought about it and decided to have some fun with this. We figured that many grown ups play RPGs and those members with kids might want to print off some stuff for their kids to do while they are playing a session with friends."

Makes sense to me. My son is 7 and likes to color SOMETIMES...but there's way too much detail in some of those pictures for him...he would get bored and just start slathering crayon all over them.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Dan Davenport on April 20, 2011, 08:07:55 AM
Got a review copy, so let me know if you all have any specific questions.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: kregmosier on April 20, 2011, 09:22:45 AM
yeah, stop mincing around like Sunday school teachers and somebody give us a synopsis of the rules.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Dan Davenport on April 20, 2011, 09:30:59 AM
Quote from: kregmosier;452586yeah, stop mincing around like Sunday school teachers and somebody give us a synopsis of the rules.

Well, so far I can tell you that character creation is wildly random, right down to gender and swimming ability.

Also, it appears to be a percentile system. Although the instructions on dice use includes the methodology behind a d1000, which is somewhat alarming...
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: kregmosier on April 20, 2011, 09:43:42 AM
Yikes!  Thanks Dan...after checking out this link (http://www.outlandarts.com/TME-Outland-System-preview.htm#dice%20usage), and based on what you've said, I'm getting a bit of a RIFTS-vibe from it.  Is that far from the mark?

Does the core system seems needlessly complicated, or is it pretty easy to grasp?  Is there an emphasis on tactical placement in combat? (ie; do you need miniatures and a game board)

Thanks!
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Dan Davenport on April 20, 2011, 10:03:52 AM
Quote from: kregmosier;452591Yikes!  Thanks Dan...after checking out this link (http://www.outlandarts.com/TME-Outland-System-preview.htm#dice%20usage), and based on what you've said, I'm getting a bit of a RIFTS-vibe from it.  Is that far from the mark?

Does the core system seems needlessly complicated, or is it pretty easy to grasp?  Is there an emphasis on tactical placement in combat? (ie; do you need miniatures and a game board)

Thanks!

From what I've read so far, there's a unified core percentile mechanic, so from that standpoint, I don't get a RIFTS feel from it.

Too early to tell, re: the need for miniatures.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: kregmosier on April 20, 2011, 12:55:52 PM
ok cool...thanks for the heads-up.  I'll give you some time to digest the beast before asking any other questions!

Thanks again,
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Pseudoephedrine on April 20, 2011, 01:00:10 PM
Quote from: Tommy Brownell;452566Makes sense to me. My son is 7 and likes to color SOMETIMES...but there's way too much detail in some of those pictures for him...he would get bored and just start slathering crayon all over them.

Yeah, they're not great colouring pictures. Too many lines.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Tipsy on April 20, 2011, 03:55:56 PM
I would totally gamble on this if it came with as a Print/PDF bundle.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Spinachcat on April 20, 2011, 04:16:04 PM
20 free art pics? Who care about the kids!

Those are awesome and I am quite sure they will be useful as props for my Rifts / Gamma World / whatever game.  Thank you for the link.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: RPGPundit on April 21, 2011, 12:48:37 PM
Wouldn't there be a certain age of boy who would love to colour those pictures?  Given that most colouring books are aimed more at "soft and fluffy" style stuff?

RPGPundit
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Tommy Brownell on April 21, 2011, 09:20:38 PM
Quote from: RPGPundit;452867Wouldn't there be a certain age of boy who would love to colour those pictures?  Given that most colouring books are aimed more at "soft and fluffy" style stuff?

RPGPundit

Well yeah, like I said, my kid would probably love those (he's 7), except there are way too many lines. Simplify the line art down a bit and it's spot on stuff.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: RPGPundit on April 22, 2011, 06:15:04 PM
Quote from: Tommy Brownell;452973Well yeah, like I said, my kid would probably love those (he's 7), except there are way too many lines. Simplify the line art down a bit and it's spot on stuff.

I suppose that would have been wise of them.

RPGPundit
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Bloody Stupid Johnson on November 13, 2011, 06:37:16 PM
Bumped since this looks interesting.
Has anyone played this?
How does it rate compared to (say) 1992 GW?
What mechanics does it use?
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: VectorSigma on November 13, 2011, 08:33:10 PM
My six-year-old would color these in a heartbeat.  Not well, mind you, but the idea of coloring a dude with a gun on a dinosaur, then hanging that on the fridge?  He's all over it.

Poking through the rest of the site now.  My initial reaction was "another post-apoc?" but I grant that's just the jadedness talking.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Tetsubo on November 14, 2011, 07:47:49 AM
Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;489629Bumped since this looks interesting.
Has anyone played this?
How does it rate compared to (say) 1992 GW?
What mechanics does it use?

My YouTube review of the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Yn9qub1bU
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Daedalus on November 14, 2011, 07:12:33 PM
I have looked over the .pdf but the game is random character generation which bugs the crap out of me.

So sadly, I wont play this game.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Bloody Stupid Johnson on November 15, 2011, 07:52:01 AM
Quote from: Tetsubo;489684My YouTube review of the game:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Yn9qub1bU

Thanks for that, I had a look and have purchased the pdf, though I won't be able to go over in detail for a couple of days.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: Justin Alexander on November 15, 2011, 01:40:54 PM
"Over 111 mutations!"

... I'm forced to assume they mean 112.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: One Horse Town on February 02, 2017, 11:24:23 AM
*arise from the grave*

Just discovered Mutant Epoch and fucking love the art and like the totally random chargen. Ordered as much of the line as i can afford at the moment and will likely get the rest through the year.

I love this kind of one-man-band style effort. Love shows and the vision stays strong.

I'll try to do a review when i get it, as the game seems to be largely ignored.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: crkrueger on February 03, 2017, 12:49:50 PM
I wondered why there was so much stuff out for a new game, then remembered the Coloring Books.
Interested in seeing the review, this was something that stuck in my mind, but dropped off the radar.

BTW. The new avatar was great for this, the frog looks like he's casting the Thread Necromancy spell. :D
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: One Horse Town on February 03, 2017, 01:39:52 PM
Quote from: CRKrueger;943899BTW. The new avatar was great for this, the frog looks like he's casting the Thread Necromancy spell. :D

It's inspired by the Heqetians, a race of Greco-Roman frog-like humanoids i'm currently writing up. In turn, they were inspired by Heqet, the ancient Egyptian God of fertiliy, sometimes depicted as frog-headed.

Also, i have Caesar Slaad's avatar in my head, which is awesome.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: One Horse Town on February 05, 2017, 08:48:31 AM
Even with just the quick-start rules and bits gleaned from the 'look inside' function of the amazon entry for the book, i've managed to create a perfectly fit character - totally randomly, and they're awesome!

He's a cyborg mercenary. His stats are pretty poor with his only bonus, a small one to strength, and his endurance is pretty low at 27 (that stat is basically your hit points). But many random rolls later, he suddenly became awesome. His stats weren't really improved, but he ended up with Brawling 5 skill which grants him 2d6+6 damage and although he only rolled 2 implants, they complimented his abilities perfectly. First, he got a Force Field Generator, which is basically damage reduction of 10 per round - there is a 1 in 6 chance that the damage reduction is 10 per attack and i got it! His second implant is a Retractable Laser Pistol in his wrist which deals 1d20+10 damage per hit (shows how awesome the brawling damage is) and also allows him to fry opponents in punching range if his fists let him down.

Together with his Junk Armour and Dodge skill of 2, he has a Defence Value of 12 (20 with a Dodge-able attack) (this is subtracted from opponents chances to hit you) and Damage Reduction of 10 when he activates his forcefield (200 rounds worth before needing to recharge).

Brawling 61% 2d6+6 damage - can be used for stun damage or normal damage
Laser Pistol 60% 1d20+10 damage

Once i get the proper rulebook, i'll be able to finish him off properly because i actually rolled a Brawling of 2 and Unarmed Combat of 3 and apparently you can only have one of those, so i'll have to look to see what the difference is and maybe swap to UC 5 instead. Need to complete his equipment too.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: languagegeek on February 05, 2017, 11:38:14 AM
One thing I've done in my Mutant Epoch games is give each player a laminated card of the Hazard table, as more often than not they will be rolling on this table. If you are GMing, make sure you familiarize yourself with the stats on the Hazard table as there are no explicit rules on how to assign hazard ratings, but you'll be doing so all the time. I also printed out the skills chapter thinking I'd need to reference it constantly during the game as each skill is a little sub-mechanic, however most of the skill info ends up on the character sheet so it was less necessary to reference skill rules than I thought. Each time I've run Mutant Epoch it's been quick and smooth and fun. A couple of players balked at the unbalanced power levels in the game, but they're Hero-system players and perhaps such a swingy and random system just isn't for them.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: One Horse Town on February 05, 2017, 01:10:07 PM
Quote from: languagegeek;944182One thing I've done in my Mutant Epoch games is give each player a laminated card of the Hazard table, as more often than not they will be rolling on this table. If you are GMing, make sure you familiarize yourself with the stats on the Hazard table as there are no explicit rules on how to assign hazard ratings, but you'll be doing so all the time. I also printed out the skills chapter thinking I'd need to reference it constantly during the game as each skill is a little sub-mechanic, however most of the skill info ends up on the character sheet so it was less necessary to reference skill rules than I thought. Each time I've run Mutant Epoch it's been quick and smooth and fun. A couple of players balked at the unbalanced power levels in the game, but they're Hero-system players and perhaps such a swingy and random system just isn't for them.

Yeah, it's definitely old school to its boots. Reminds me of DCC actually, where pretty much every adventure is the funnel! It even tells you in the adventure blurbs to create at least 2 characters each as casualties will probably be high!

The whole line looks amazing. Can't believe i've missed this for so long. I've been on the look out for something new for about a year - even something a bit superhero-ish. At a push, i can see this being used as a brutal supers smack down.
Title: The Mutant Epoch
Post by: One Horse Town on February 08, 2017, 06:20:10 AM
Being delivered today apparently. Looking forward to cracking it open tonight! Haven't looked forward to getting a new game like this since 2e WFRP (maybe DCC too, but i was late adopting that too, and strangely enough, i've just discovered that the guy behind Mutant Epoch illustrated parts of the DCC line. Hopefully, that means this is right up my ally).