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Good start up setting for a Mutant Future campaign with a few options for characters to explore. The jump off point is Leiningen's Farm where characters may find work as well as trouble and a good home base while some of the other areas are explored. The are a couple of other developed adventures offered as well as a couple areas where the Mutant Lord can develop as desired.
The layout and feel is very similar to the Mutant Future Rule book, and the maps provided are done well. My biggest issue was that the PDF wasn't bookmarked but the publisher has updated and the bookmarks make this product very easy to use and reference now, much appreciated.
If you want a good start up setting that can basically dropped into any campaign for starting characters, I whole heartedly recommend this product.
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A random mutation list for a mutation list? I am torn about this issue, the idea of modifying mutations by a whole new level is intriguing but the mechanics offered were a bit awkward in my opinion. The issue offers 50 ways to alter a mutation to make it more unique for the character. The modifications range an entire gamut from requiring some sort of triggering mechanism, linking mutations together, modifications to the effectiveness of the mutation, etc. The mechanic suggested is to roll a d6 for the 10's and then a d10 for the ones to come up with quasi-percentile number. One alternative would be to roll percentile and divide result in half to come up with a number between 1 through 50.
The mutational modifiers do not seem to be type specific though some seemed more suited for mental mutations (such as Psionics) while other seemed more suited for physical mutations (such as Grafted). It would have made more sense to categorize them into their respective types or at least indicate which types they would effect. I was a bit confused as to when a mutation modifier may be gained. Not sure if the author was suggesting all mutations be modified or only a few. I could see assigning a base percentage chance for each mutation or may be just allowing one mutation to be modified. Perhaps allowing a mutant humanoid or animal that gains a new mutation from radition to instead roll for a modification of an existing one instead.
Overall the idea of randomly modifying random mutation would make mutant abilities much more unique and at this point I could see using these for NPCs and monsters to make them a little more unique. The issue is worth the funds and anyone that likes to tweak the standard Mutant Future mutations may find some inspiration in this issue. The big news I gleaned out of this issue is Skirmisher's plans on releasing their own Mutations book, something I will definitely be keeping an eye out as I am a mutations junkie.
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More monsters for your ever mutating world is always a good thing. This issue gives us nine monsters from the deep from the commical Candy Cod to the behemoth Sticky Tree as well as a few new mutations and optional rules on drowning.
Oceanic post-apocalyptic settings seem to get overlooked, especially in regards to possible creatures to stock such environments and this issue of WftW definitely gives the mutant lord several varieties to choose with interesting mutations and environmental adaptations. Each of the creature descriptions were very well written and thought out for the most part. The only monster I could see having issues from a game mechanics side would be the Striking Lump, a coral that entraps its victim over a short period of time. Not sure why a victim would not move away, plus the coral only grows deep under the ocean so I am not sure why a character would be wondering through it (maybe there is an artifact underneath?).
The drowning rule makes sense and if the characters are doing a water borne adventure it would be incorporated easily enough.
There are three new mutations that I think they could have been easily rolled into an existing mutation from the Mutant Future rule book. Also, the mutation type is not given for any of them so it is up to the Mutant Lord to classify them if he wants to incoporate them for character use.
Overall, any very good issue of the Wisdom from the Wastelands and worth the price for the five filled pages of information Skirmisher puts out. Still not a big fan of the stockish art they are using but easily overlooked for the quality of the information they give out. The mutant creatures within should make any mutant fisherman think twice before trying to land the big one. Also, if your character sees a bunch of fish just laying on the beach just keep moving (unless you like fricaseed adventurer).
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This issue of the WftW deals with a lot of combat related issues, from critical hits (and misses) to called shots and disarming opponents, using cover to grappling. These rules are clearly thought out and any Mutant Lord that wants to add a level of regulated complexity to the combat will find most if not all of these rules acceptable. To me, it seemed that the author simply went through the advanced combat rules of the tried and true d20 system and simplified them a bit for the Mutant Future specific rules.
The big draw for me for Mutant Future is getting away from the entire minutia of rules involved with combat and the need to have several different sources available to just complete a single round of combat. The rules for combat are pretty straight forward for Mutant Future and if the character wants to do something that isn’t specifically covered by the rules it is the Mutant Lord’s call. Of course it is up to the Mutant Lord to implement any or all of the combat rules found in this issue anyway.
Personally I will probably pick and choose a few of these rules additions and may do some of my house rules mods to them so overall the issue was worth the money. Again, nothing in this issue seemed really original, but simply modified rules from other more rules centric games with MF specific twists (such as mutations). I do have one pet peeve in the format and layout of the issue, there were a few times where the rules option referred to another rules option by (see below). To me it would have made more sense to place the see below rules more towards the beginning of the issue then just refer back to them later on in the article or just build on them as a subset.
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Oh for the days bygone when behemoths of metal ruled the land and sky! Overall this is another good product by Skirmisher and the review will focus just on the first of the four robotic issues they produced. This issue (along with most of the WftW supplements) provides a lot of usable info packed into five pages (six is OGL and if there is a seventh it is typically an ad). We start out running with eight robots just in this issue alone, ranging from junk bots to fabricators, synthetic animals to the educators that can connect to the minds of the living to pass on their knowledge. All of the robots listed follow the robot stat block found in Mutant Future (more or less) with the addition of the actual movement rate of the robots. In addition, the issue introduces several new robot gizmos that can be included in the robot's repetoire including things like medical scanners and death rays. The issue is filled with photoshopped stock art which again is pet peeve of mine, I would have preferred actual line drawings or crude renditions of what the robots actually looked like rather than what the author could find online.
The issue is well worth the price and it does help develop the sparse section that Mutant Future didn't seem to completely develop (in my opinion). This issue alone about doubles the number of example robots that the Mutant Lord doesn't have to take time to develop on his own. I still dream of Death Machines and War Bots from the days of old and the one robot that seems to try to emulate that style was the Destructor but I would tone down the Hit Dice from 500 to something more managable (maybe 100).
So get your metallic groove on and pick up this issue if you like your animals synthetic or you want to get your education the old fashioned way, with a telepathic cable.
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Where issue #21 was the mutant's answer to magic weapons, this issue seemed to be the mutant's answer to magic armor (or at least the spell mage armor). Force screens/Force fields/etc. basically allow the user to avoid taking damage when hit. Overall the issue was very cohesive with itself and provides an alternate use for these devices as they seem to be more more limited (and some a bit more powerful) than the Force Field devices within the Mutant Future rule book. The issue definitely expands the type and power of force fields versus the two general types found in the core rule book (Force Screen Belts and force screens built into EMAs) with models for everyday civilian use to uber protective versions for the governmental elite. Also included are several devices to get around these protective shields as well.
Overall the issue is very well done and easily usable in any Mutant Future game. It would have been nice if the issue addressed (possibly given alternate stats) for EMA force screens and possibly some redesignation of robotic force screens from their robotic series (which basically allows the robot to ignore all attacks for up to 5 founds per day). I vote for an issue or two about Encasing Military Armors (EMAs) that implement this type of force field system and possibly some new suit mounted weapons and devices.
This issue is definitely worth the price, and "I'll buy that for buck!"
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Flaming Swords, Freezing Battle Axes, this issue of the WftW presents technological equivalents of magical weapons for your Mutant Future game. 6 pages including the OGL page, four to five packed with options for weapon designs any mutant would love to get his tentacles on and a new list melee and thrown weapons that can be found in most fantasy games (including quite a few oriental weapons). This is one of Skirmisher's better WftW issues and well worth the 99 cents to purchase it. It does refer to issue #11 for Critical Hits, but anyone that has played Pathfinder or D&D 3.X could probably infer how those rules work. There are also some references to item damage using their system from issue #1, but any rules relying on that are completely optional and up to the Mutant Lord.
To state it again, this issue gives you a lot of bang for your buck, literally. If you are running a MF game, this is a definite must have.
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This list of 100 Post-Apocalyptic Mutations is 4 pages long including the cover page. The gothic ink print feel on the cover is interesting but not sure what it has to do with post-apocalypic mutations. I am always looking for a new list of possible mutations to spring board ideas for my Mutant Future game and this item is listed as game agnostic (being adaptable to any game). Since it is basically a list of 100 things I guess that is true, but most give you no clue as to how the mutation will benefit or challenge the character, guess that is up to the player and the GM. Personally I would have preferred a product with a little more meat on the bone, even if it meant less mutations overall. I have picked up a couple of these lists from this publisher but really do not see a reason to spend any more money on them as I could easily cobble the same thing together from other online and gaming sources, especially if I am going to have to dress it out myself anyway.
So I am neutral with this product at best since it is just a list and nothing more. Not a waste of a dollar, but not really worth it either so it depends on whether or not you are just looking for ideas or wanting something that can easily be dropped in an existing game system.
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Definitely worth the cost either individually or as part of the bundle. Ten new mutant creatures (six being plants or plant like) and many that are more than just wandering monsters, but domesticated and usable by post apocalyptic societies. Again, biggest complaint is the artwork, line drawings of the author's concept would be preferrable to the stock photos that are prevalent in these issues. But artwork aside, the creatures and there use are pretty solidy done and well thought out.
Of the monsters listed, the dangling gourds would be the most interesting to inject into a game, either as a wandering threat or as a possible floating base for the PCs or their village. Perhaps a wild patch of hydro-roses is discovered nearby a desert village and the PCs are recruited to reclaim it as a new source of water fo the village.
I do wish they offered more mountable creatures, though for an aquatic arc or campaign the monitor serpent will do. Otherwise, a solid issue and well worth it.
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A bit of a dissappointment after the hi-tech weapons issue. Although the issue was loaded with possible playable 'races', most seemed contrived or simply a small modification of the general racial types. Also, as with many of the Wasteland issues, the artwork is generally stock photos that may somehow relate to the article it is attached to. I would prefer to see line art drawings (even cartoonish ones) that would link it more closely to the core Mutant Future rules.
Of all of the races presented, I found the regular humans the most usable and most sensible. It makes sense that not all pure humans are genetically superior and invulnerable to the effects of radiation. This race allows the player to begin play as a pure human and then switch over to a mutant humanoid (either accidently or on purpose). I liked the idea of the ancient human race but the mutation alotment lost me. I am not against introducing cybernetics or nano-technology to the game, but an issue dedicated to it would have made more sense than the small blurb given for the ancient human description.
AI recognition. The rules presented sound reasonable but no where can I find a robot recognition target number in the core rules. I am guessing that the AI base number is 12 so a pure human (with no modifications) would always roll that number or less on 2d6. The target recognition is then 12 minus all the modifiers given for the different mutations for a particular mutant and the mutant would have to roll that number or less to be treated as human. Although an interesting means to trying to tie rules to player's trying to give commands to robots or computers my belief as a Mutant Lord is that some mutations would make such an impossibility.
So overall for this issue, if it is part of the bundle it is worth it. If you are looking at adding new playable races without spending time to make up your own, it is worth it. Otherwise this may be one to pass by. Another little nit picky issue is the use of GM on page one. Previous issues used the appropriate Mutant Future term Mutant Lord where this issue seemed to drop that title completely. Not sure if it was just an oversite or an attempt to make the information a little more generic for use in other games, but if these issues are primarily for Mutant Future, then terms from that game should be used as appropriate.
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I think Skirmisher is beginning to get into the groove by this issue. Overall it is worthwhile for any Mutant Future game to add more weapons for the characters (and adversaries) arsenal. The weapons presenters were varied between energy and projectile (or somewhere in between or just different) and the mechanics seemed sound for the most part.
My biggest criticisms I have for this particular issue is that the sections for each weapon seemed unbalanced, with some having paragraphs giving a historical perspective on the weapon while others had maybe a sentence or two. Personally less is more in this type of periodical because the space could have been used to perhaps pack in an additional weapon or two. For particular weapons, the flamer is probably the most verbose and the mechanics seemed a bit much, treating it as an area affect weapon but then requiring the attacker to roll individually for each target that failed the saving throw. It would have made more sense to do one or the other, not nessarily both.
The Micro-missile gun was my favorite, with such a variety of makes and models and ammunition types as well as accessories. If the whole issue was about this single weapon and even more accessories and ammunition types, it would have made it my favorite of the Wasteland issues.
Overall this issue is well worth the cost and for any mutant lord looking for additional means of tearing apart monsters or PCs this issue is a must. As with most of the wasteland issues I have seen so far the images are random stock photos that may somehow relate to the items in the articles. A little more originality would be well worth it here, even line art drawings of what the author is visualizing while writing up the weapon would be more useful than some of the stock pictures used.
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The concept behind this article is interesting and follows the idea that as monsters get older they become more dangerous. However, after explaining the idea the article is then broken down into four example creatures. The four monsters listed could definitely be integrated into any Mutant Future game as is (following the general MF monster stat block) with the addition of charts based on the relative stage and age of the creature.
The writing and the images work well together (the older looking line art matches the feel of the MF artwork and I like this more than the other graphics Skirmisher tends to use for these articles) and the article is worth the cost (either individually or as a bundled pack). My biggest issue is that the article does not really deliver on the initial premise given on page one. I think it would have been more fitting to give some charts and direction on the general process of aging creatures rather than just providing examples and expecting mutant lords to be inspired by the examples given.
So if you are looking for a system of aging monsters this article really doesn't deliver, but if you would like a few new monsters with a lot of variety and perhaps some inspiration to create your own age charts then this issue is something that may be of interest.
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Definitely as well thought out article (I have purchased many of the these from Skirmisher and they are well worth the price) that definitely enhances the Mutant Future core rules. Coming from the old school Gamma World (2nd edition) mind set, Mutant Future rules on figuring out artifacts seems too watered down to me and the rules additions in the article work well with that system between the modifiers for overall familiarity with like equipment or weapons and the option of finding and using owner's manuals or tech manuals for ancient equipment. The random chart for failure results is especially helpful in filling a blank spot in the original rules and makes the MF rules of discovery a little more palatable.
The manuals section is interesting, especially on the condition of the manual and the bonus provided based on the condition. The only issue I have with this section is that on page 2 in mentions that if the manual matches the equipment the character automatically figures out the item and if it is a similar item then the bonus is only 30%. On page 3 it goes into the condition of the manual and for a grade 5 manual (mint condition) then the bonus is 100%. If the condition is less, the bonus is less. My question is, does the 30% for similar items percentage scale with the condition as well? Also, the manual type chart is pretty general, my guess is that the mutant lord will roll on the chart in section 7 of the mutant future book once the general manual type is chosen.
Toolkits section is pretty straightforward and definitely something mutant lords should consider using if they have players that like to try and repair their own items.
Item Strength and Saving throws
Although the core rules do not have definitive rules on breaking things, I do not think the optional rules in the article really suit the MF game as it seems too d20ish with DRs (or hardness in the d20 lingo) and hit points per inch. The item saving throws provided by item condition grade are usable as long as the mutant lord doesn't mind adding the extra chart to the game. The damage modifiers provided make sense. But again, the mutant lord must then track and implement another chart.
Overall this issue of the Wisdom of the Wastelands (as its first) was a good stab at trying to add to the Mutant Future rules and it does help in plugging some holes if the mutant lord decides to implement them. I can see using the chart on what happens when a player fails a technology roll and the possible use of manuals could make an interesting treasure or even an adventure or plot line (characters could be working for a newly established library and it is their job to find books of the ancients that can be translated for the new society). The same goes for tool kits, and if anything the list could be expanded to included automated or advanced tool kits (possibly even robotic in nature). As far as the sections on materials damage and saving throws, it was an interesting try but not nessarily something that meshes with the core rules of Mutant Future.
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I love reading about specific magical weapons and stuff. The more fluff, the better and this book has plenty. For the cost, you can't beat it for the content given, fourteen magical weapons that are each unique yet cover a whole gamut of weapon types and there should be something in here that is just about usable by any character class. In addition, the four monsters given are just a good bonus, just wish there were images for the Wolf and Linnorm Serpent. Speaking of which, the images were fresh and original and very well developed and presented.
My only suggestions to the publisher in general would be to include a nice graphic front page to give it more of a bookish feel in the PDF and to come up with more creative table formats. The tables get the job done but in today's graphic driven world alternating row colors and maybe some gradient headers would do wonders. I understand for printing purposes the tables are optimized for it, but I use most of my materials straight from my computer screen and have yet to print out pages from these wonderful PDF supplements.
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