[Other] Mutant Crawl Classics: Hive of the Overmind

[stepanxol]

Game Name Mutant Crawl Classics: Hive of the Overmind

Game System Other Roleplaying Games

Theme post-apocalyctic meat funnel for 0-lv characters

Flavour irradiated bright green 4-foot cockroach

Plot Summary Mutant Crawl Classics (MCC) is basically GAMMA WORLD the post-apocalyptic version of DCC, ie Dungeon Crawl Classics, a retro-flavored version of D&D that, unlike most OSR rewrites, actually adds a lot of tweaks and a very peculiar attitude to the system. pew pew pew Goodman games has a page about MCC, but you can get much more info at the old Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...cs-rpg-mcc-rpg That includes the links below to material you can freely download: a complete adventure (with useful appendices) http://goodman-games.com/downloads/M...ew-FRPGD16.pdf and, most of all, a fundamental system preview http://goodman-games.com/downloads/M...iew-GC15PG.pdf Ownership of the full manual will be required for further adventures, but not for this one, which is a 0-lv funnel (aka "meat grinder") with 0-lv players. Basides the info above, what do you need to know? Expect character death. Old-school gaming is lethal; this is a funnel, so you can expect that only 1 out of 4 characters will emerge alive (and promoted to 1st level!). And, of course, we can't rule out a TPK. The adventure, however, offers plenty of opportunities to "fatten up" a decimated party. We'll stick to the MCC system, but (according to its spirit) the adventure will be sort of freeform. Basically, forget PFRPG and 5e and free yourself from the slavery of the character sheet -- OK, your PCs will not have any... that helpsdon't think about your skills. Whatever you want to do, just say you're doing it; I'll find a way to represent it in-game. You want to act like you're attacking the bulette, but you're actually more concerned about saving your skin? I'll let you attack at -4 for a +4 AC bonus. Or even more than that, but then again, if you go too far your ruse may be detected. I'll adapt as we go, but make sure to stay alert and flexible. Another way of stating the above is that this style of play tests the players' skills, not the characters'. Don't expect your PC to succeed (or fail) for a roll -- I'll do my best to give you clues and opportunities, but the burden on making an adventure great rests on the players. Rest assured that I'll reward any creative idea, attempt and endeavor (even if the reward will take the form of the most epic, spectacular death). a typical adventuring party What do you need to do? The game is already starting with two committed players that are going to run 4 characters each. I can accommodate at least 12 more (characters, that is). If you are too many, the latecomers will get just 2 PCs, but don't worry: if they die, you'll get new meatsacks 0-lv PCs to play. So you basically have to state your interest, wait for my confirmation, then make some characters and join. These can be created with a single click with the tool here https://purplesorcerer.com/create_mcc.php Or you can pick whover you want from the pregens here http://goodman-games.com/downloads/MCCPregens.pdf This is basically it! Welcome to the neolithic world of Terra AD! Kamandi and Thundarr the Barbarian are waiting... A FINAL, IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER I've had a bit of experience on RpgX now and I know it can be awesome, but also very frustrating. I want to stress that this may be a light-hearted, fun little adventure, but we're serious gamers. Don't waste our time -- only join if you're seriously committed. Newbies are welcome, but it would be nice if you have at least finished the NPSG. That said, respect and commitment are the only real requisites. Posting rate will hopefully be brisk, since I don't expect huge swaths of novel-length RPing from your neolithic savages.

[GallupsMirror]

& You know the old saying. If we ever have World War Three, all that would survive is cockroaches and Google. The very first RPG I ever GMed was Gamma World (3rd edition) in 1985. Talk about old school. Nothing about Gamma World was balanced or even pretended at fairness, especially in the early editions. Remember black ray pistols? Force fields stop them, but that's all. No damage roll. No saving throw. No second chance. One hit, no matter how many hit points you have, and you're done. Because the ultimate exercise in character development is... A. Fracking. Death. Ray. I'm interested as heck but concerned that I won't be able to keep up. My time for a second game is pretty limited, even as a player instead of a DM. What kind of posting rate are you after? Could I make 4 identical PCs to save time? Maybe four mutated house plants, telepathically linked into one mind, and playable as one character?

[stepanxol]

Hi Gallups! I have to admit, I've never played post-apocalyptic (and barely sci-fi), sticking to fantasy and Cthulhu in its various forms. I knew about those games and specifically GW, of course.
Since I did the MCC kickstarter and I've got all those PDFs lying around, and since all my games more or less folded or are on hiatus right now, I thought of delving into some mindless, bloody fun for a while.

I'm not going to brag about daily posts or so (esp. since I'll end up not posting that often myself!) I think 3 posts/week is an adequate estimate, considering that I expect we won't be go heavy with the role-play (although you can never say...)

If you want to go easy you can play less than 4 characters, although I don't think it will make a huge difference -- outside of combat the players will have a single spokesman anyway, and combat with 0-lvs is mostly a matter of rolling a die -- no big deal. I love your idea, though! Just consider that 0-lv plantients are humanoid for all purposes - to quote the manual, "Level 0 mutants, manimals, and plantients begin the game with only cosmetic mutations".

You can still move them as one, though, and maybe have them speak the same words together in perfect sync every time (kinda unnerving for the other guys...). On the other hand, if you do so it will be too sad if any of them dies!

[timplausible]

I would like to get in on this if there's room. I LOVED old Gamma World as a kid. Unfortunately, my friends didn't, so I ended up reading the books more than actually playing the game. MCC looks like it really captures the awesome over-the-topness of the source material. Consider me interested.

[GallupsMirror]

! Originally Posted by stepanxol Hi Gallups! I have to admit, I've never played post-apocalyptic (and barely sci-fi), sticking to fantasy and Cthulhu in its various forms. I knew about those games and specifically GW, of course. Well, I'm a year older than you. It's probably a generation gap. I say tomato, you say Cthulhu. D&D was always the serious favorite. GW was always the half-assed eye-roller that didn't know what it wanted to be when it grew up, drifting somewhere between A Boy and his Dog, The Omega Man, Planet of the Apes, and Mad Max; often ridiculous and rarely plausible, but never boring. Since I did the MCC kickstarter and I've got all those PDFs lying around, and since all my games more or less folded or are on hiatus right now, I thought of delving into some mindless, bloody fun for a while. Do you mean that you ran the kickstarter campaign or got the rule books by donating to it? Which books will we use and where can I buy them? I'm not going to brag about daily posts or so (esp. since I'll end up not posting that often myself!) I think 3 posts/week is an adequate estimate, considering that I expect we won't be go heavy with the role-play (although you can never say...) I can probably handle 3 posts per week if all you need is empty calories, but three nutritious meals every 7 days is definitely more cooking than I can handle right now. If you want to go easy you can play less than 4 characters, although I don't think it will make a huge difference -- outside of combat the players will have a single spokesman anyway, and combat with 0-lvs is mostly a matter of rolling a die -- no big deal. I love your idea, though! Just consider that 0-lv plantients are humanoid for all purposes - to quote the manual, "Level 0 mutants, manimals, and plantients begin the game with only cosmetic mutations". Gotcha. The shared mind is strictly cosmetic. I love the idea too, but It's been done before, albeit as 4 plus 1 spare, and not with geraniums. Plants were always very tough in the GW fantasy world, which never held with the reality that no house plant, save one cactus, has ever outlived my shamefully neglectful ownership, so the idea of house-plant survival through mutation has a certain appeal. Will there be grid maps for battles? You can still move them as one, though, and maybe have them speak the same words together in perfect sync every time (kinda unnerving for the other guys...). On the other hand, if you do so it will be too sad if any of them dies! That's what I'm thinking, except one dying is more like a human losing a limb than a pal. The character generator tool offers a lot of options. Which ones should I use? Or can I take my pick?

[taleteller50]

I'll throw a hat in. Always loved Post Apocalypse but most of my playing experience was with Deadlands: Wasted West and the occasional d20 zombie game. Never played Gamma World but 1st edition D&D was what got me interested in roleplaying. I'll take a look at the Pregens and see if any tickle my fancy.

[stepanxol]

Hi Tim, I swear I had replied earlier today, but... I guess I didn't? Anyway, I just got the game forum from the Powers of the Crossing. Go ahead and roll some 0-lvs or choose them from the pregens while I set it up! Speaking of that, since Gallup asked: if you use the generator, you can go ahead and use the default options; you're allowed to reroll how many times you want until you get the races you want. You can reroll hopeless characters, but don't abuse this! I guess we'll have to rely on the honor system for that

Gallup:
I was a KS backer of MCC way then, at the "full monty but only PDFs level". The books are available on drivethruRPG, but for now you can just download the preview I linked above -- it should suffice, and if it doesn't, I'll post the relevant systems in a thread when time comes. Remember that 0-lv characters are basically all similar.
Please do generate 4 plantients, it'll be fun to see them move as one!

[stepanxol]

Hi taleteller, you sniped my post for mere minutes! At this point I say we're ready to roll, since we already have 5 players (2 friends of mine are already in -- in fact, I decided to play MCC with them).

See my last post above re: character generation. I bet you'll find all you need in the pregens. Tomorrow morning I'll create a few threads and we can start soon-ish!

[taleteller50]

I checked the Generator and it seemed to make characters with classes rather then races. I just left everything as standard but obviously I'm missing something.

[timplausible]

0-level characters have one of two occupations, hunter or gatherer, that mostly determines gear. "Genotype" = race. Characters that survive to 1st level get a real class if they are pure strain humans, or they get race abilities if not.

[stepanxol]

thanks Tim, I was just posting this.

taleteller, the point is, MCC is like B/X in this regard -- "races" are classes by themselves, only pure strain humans get to differentiate at 1st level. All that, of course, is mostly moot at 0 level.

If you have any doubts about the generator, just use the pregens -- again, at 0-lv there's little difference. just pick the ones you like. Now I gotta go, tonight I'll set up the first threads in the game forum.

[taleteller50]

Ok, good. I just wanted to make sure.

Made a random roll and got the following:
LINK

[stepanxol]

Hi tale, these are good for me if they are for you!
Tomorrow I'll set up the threads and link these in the character list

[Roekahs]

It seems like you may already have what you are looking for, but I would be interested if you need/want more.

[stepanxol]

Roek, how can I turn you down? If you want to join the funnel, by all means be my guest! If everyone here confirms his/her participation (I'm counting Gallup, Tim, tale and you), plus my two original players, I may ask some of you to give up one character and bring them down to 3 to keep the total count to 20 or so (before any actual in-game pruning from my part, that is...).

I've been busy these last days, but later today I should be able to set up the character, OOC and game threads. Stay tuned!