Post by Terminal Dave on Nov 15, 2014 3:01:22 GMT -5
(Genre: Mutant / Sci-fi Thriller | Runner: Terminal Sinn | Content Created By: Terminal and Star)
(This is a rough, basic overview. This will be refined and modified.)
Saturday December 31st 2016, New Years Eve
That was a day to remember. It didn't start different than any other day. People woke up, some went to work, others had the day off. All over the world, in countries that observed the day as a holiday, people were either readying themselves for the festivities the evening would bring or were trying to ignore it completely. A night of parties for some, a night for family or community for others. A solitary night for those less than sociable. A night to wipe the slate clean of the event of the year we were leaving behind. Just another year passing. Nothing special.
People still aren't entirely sure what happened. Why it happened. But everyone knew one thing. Nothing would be the same.
All over the world, within minutes of one another, devices detonated. Not the kind that level buildings and burn things in fire. The kind that people couldn't see coming. In concentrated areas, where people were gathered in large groups, an airborne agent had been released from devices of an unknown origin. That's as much as anybody knew. People dropped to the ground. The total number of people that had been caught in the attacks was a staggering number. Men, women, children. People of all races, religions, creeds, and convictions. Celebrities, politicians. The average person. Nobodies. It did not discriminate.
It was a bio-chemical weapon. A weaponized designer virus or engineered bacteria. Nobody is exactly clear on that. Not the general public, anyway. But, it put people down. Hospitals were emptied of residents and refilled with the people caught in the area each device covered. They all got sick. Headaches, fatigue, rapid weight loss, chills, burning fevers, hypotension, rash, and peeling skin. It was a cocktail of symptoms that made the origin hard to place. It wasn't contagious. No others besides those caught in the area of the devices were affected by it. It was short lived. Whatever those bombs released into the air died within an hour without a trace.
Most of them died in terrible agony as their bodies seemed to break down. From what I hear it turned their insides to snot eventually and their bones into sponges. In countries with less advanced medical care, the death tolls were higher with only a handful of people surviving. In North America, the United Kingdoms, China, and so on the survival rate had been higher. The most to survive anywhere, however, was one third of the affected. People mourned, people raged, people thanked their gods, and people squeezed their loved ones. Those that survived just kind of got better. Of course, doctors claimed they had done. Others claimed Jesus or some other invisible entity had laid their healing hand down. The survivors themselves really weren't concerned with the why.
No one took responsibility. A few extremists, cults, and terrorist groups tried to. None of these claims panned out. Either the groups were overwhelmed quickly and found to have lied or they were completely discredited y investigations. Both covert and publicized. For a time, it looked like the whole world was finally on the same side. All kumbaya and friendly. For a time. But, that didn't last but about five years.
No one ever found out who or why those devices were detonated. They hadn't affected animals or plant life. Like they were designed to eliminate the human population of an area and leave the resources intact. It was smart and dirty warfare. But, there was no one declaring war. No other attacks. No demands. No cause spouted through an internet website and no lunatics proclaiming they were sent by some god or another. There was just silence.
No one forgot. But no one seemed to care after awhile. Not really. Sure, there were those that had reason to remember. The survivors who had went back to their lives. Those who had lost loved ones. But, as with everything, in time it faded into the background. Because people had lives to get back to. The world hadn't stopped. It only paused for a moment to blink.
It shouldn't have because when it did, it missed something.
It's been ten years since that day. It's a new year. Friday January 1st, 2027. Things seem fine. Technology advanced a bit. Phones became tiny things you wear in the ear instead of those huge touch screen monstrosities they used to be. Health care is better in the good ol' US of A. A lot of road ways and cars are outfitted with stuff that pretty much guides the car along. We aren't tied down by oil and gas like we used to be. Yeah, sure, they're still around but they're not the be all and end all of fuel. Other sources, cheaper and renewable sources, are available. But, you know as well as I do, just because it's cheaper to produce doesn't mean you get it for a steal.
But no matter how still the water is, you always get the feeling that something terrible is lurking just beneath. There are things out there I can't explain. I've saw... things.. that the rational mind can't fully comprehend. I know it's not a coincidence. I know who some of these people are. I'm not going to name names, but let's just say I've saw some high profile people do stuff that no human should be able to do.
I think it's connected. I think it's tied to that day ten years ago. It makes sense, when I look at it. Even though none of this shit should make any sense. I have a theory that those who survived that awful day, those who were caught in the attacks, didn't walk away unscathed like everybody thought. I think it changed them somehow. I don't know if whoever set off those bombs meant for this to happen, if it was an accident, or if fucking God is punishing us. I don't know. I haven't got a clue. But, whatever the reason or the why, something happened. Something that no one is prepared for.
You know, I'm reminded of something. I don't know why. Well, that's a lie. I saw something odd and it made me think of this. Genesis 2:7. I saw it on a crappy old worn out cheap bumper stick. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Don't know why, but that seems fitting.
I've been noticing things. People I've never seen before at places I used to go every day. After I first saw them, I kept seeing them. At first it wasn't obvious. Hell, they could have been there for months and I wouldn't have noticed. But, I started noticing them. the same faces in the same places. I started seeing them more frequently. Not a month ago I saw one moving into an apartment across the street. One girl I noticed at my favorite spots moved in across the hall from me just yesterday.
Funny thing is, I moved a month ago and I've not left this apartment since.
I think I was getting to close to something. I had saw strange things. Impossible things. I told a few people. People I trusted. People that I can't locate anymore. They either moved, got killed in some random accident, or just vanished off the face of the earth. I know my time isn't long. But, if anyone does find this, if any one reads this... be wary of new faces. Beware of shadow people.
About
Genesis II (Roman numeral 2) is a setting based around people who have developed mutations that give them unusual abilities and people affected by this. The setting takes place 11 years and change into the future from the present day, starting January 1st 2027. A timeline which starts with multiple detonations of unknown bio-chemical weapons. At the point the story takes place, the general population has NO IDEA these mutations exist. Those that have thee abilities come from all manner of background. Plot points for stories can be the individual trying to hide their abilities, some might decide to use their abilities for some purpose, others may be used for a cause or purpose, or any manner of story. You could play operatives of different organizations trying to steal one another's technology. Espionage is fun, after all.
Rules
General: No one in this universe has any idea what so ever who placed the bombs on the history date. No one has even the slightest clue as to why they did it. There are no usable clues, no paths to follow, no one to ask, no signs, no names, or ANYTHING else that leads to whoever was actually behind the attacks. Not all the bombs were the same size or made from the same materials. Each was custom made. No one can even figure out where the weaponized agent originated from or what the true purpose of it as besides making people ill. No one knows if the ones responsible intended the bombs to have the effect they did or if it was a freak accident. This is the unknown. Live with the fact your character may NEVER really know what happened.
As such, no character may have any knowledge as to the origin of the bombs, the weaponized agent, or who perpetrated the act. NO characters have this information. The only person who knows is the Storyteller. The Storyteller will not divulge this information unless it furthers the story as a whole. Even then, the information is most likely false and misleading.
There are no characters with mutations before the bombings. All characters with mutations either gained powers from being exposed to the bombs or were engineered to have them. There are no Afflicted characters, those who survived the bombings, who've had them more than SEVEN years. There are no Engineered characters with powers who've had them more than SIX years.
Characters: All characters should either be a person with a mutation, a member of some shadow organization, or some one else directly involved with these mutations. Supporting characters should be NPCed. There will be a very small amount of regular everyday people who even have an idea that these mutations exist. Most people like this end up vanishing. Unless a character is an operative (agent, member, fanatic, whatever) in an organization, where as human characters are allowed. Characters with mutations require a bit of information to be played.
All Afflicted characters should come from backgrounds people would have. These characters were regular people at one point. They had lives people would have in this day and age. They could have been a celebrity, a banker, a stay at home parent, a homeless person, or anything else. Engineered characters all come from intelligence, military, terrorist, cult, or paramilitary type outfits.
All players are encouraged to make flawed, psuedo-realistic characters. People have flaws and drawbacks, hang ups, so should your characters.
For purposes of the game, there are certain things barred. There will be no reality warpers. There's no Scarlet Witch type characters AT ALL in this game. No character can possess the ability to travel into space under their own power. You can not create a city leveling earthquake or explode all the oxygen in a city. Be creative, but don't try to break the game. If you attempt to break the game, you will be asked to cease. Once. If you do not cease, you will be excluded. Because e don't want to ruin everything for everybody else.
Barred Abilities: Reality Warping, Space Flight, Time Travel, Going Supernova or any other ability that can level a city or town in one blast, no spontaneous creation (ie; puling something out of thin air that did not previously exist), no immortality, no clairvoyance (slight danger sense is ok, SLIGHT). This list could be expanded if someone attempts to break the game. The object is to play and have fun, not measure dicks (or imaginary ones). Heh.
Also, it should be noted that for the purposes of the game Mind Reading is heavily restricted. The human brain and mind is extremely complex. Doing so is not an instant action. It would most likely takes days, if not weeks, as well as having to use torture and psychological tactics to weaken the mind to a more base state. Because this is a game of SECRETS. Mind Readers break the balance of that. As such, it's possible for an individual to mislead any Mind Reader that is lucky enough to get to them by essentially "believing their own bullshit". Mind Readers can only access the thoughts people actively think. They can not access the subconscious.
Mutations
The side effect of the devices on those who survived it was not immediately evident. 30% of the third that survived had their genetic code mutated by the weaponized agent. This did not manifest or become evident to any of them until a few years later. Out of the other 70% percent of the survivors, about 20 % of them are carriers of latent mutant dna. As in, they themselves have no power but could potentially have children who do.
The mutations for your characters should follow a certain suit. For instance, it makes no sense what so ever for telepathy to have physical enhancing mutations as well.
Mutations should be limited. The less number of abilities you have, the stronger that ability is. An individual with four different abilities may have a wider variety than a person with one, but the person with one would have a stronger affect with theirs. The more mutations a person has, the less stable they are. They have an extremely high risk to develop psychosis and sometimes physical defects. The more abilities a mutant has the more drawbacks they have. No Afflicted mutation is perfect and will have some sort of hindrance. Afflicted mutations are never of the uncontrollable variety. Only Engineered mutations run this risk (since they were most likely designed to).
Engineered mutations are an exception. But, engineered mutations are 50% more likely to develop crippling psychosis, defects, and unknown effects than those that were Afflicted. Example: Mister Blank is a shapeshifter. However, because of this, Blank has scattered memories due to changing "lives" repeatedly. Blank can't even remember it's own name or original gender. Further more, Blank's shapeshifting is an extremely painful experience every time. At present, Blank can not instantly shift forms. It takes time and Blank is under immense pain while Blank's unique physical make up rearranges itself into a new form. Blank was mutated to have extra bones and tissue that can be deflated or inflated to achieve various physical changes. Blank possess an odd scent that can be picked up by animals with hyper sensitive (dogs). They will either be deathly afraid of the alien spell or go berserk. Blank must also check in for regular visits to receive doses f a stabilizing agent or his powers will rage out of control after a month without treatment. In effect, he would shift rapidly until the pain of it killed him and he turned into an unrecognizable pile of goo.
However, there are certain ways that you should get creative. Each ability could have a few things, feats or supplemental powers, attached to it that aren't absolutely counted as a different ability. Example: Subject A has super strength. Because Subject a has a mutated muscular structure that gives them enough strength to toss a Volvo, they can also jump further, their body is more dense (but not bullet proof), and they can run farther and faster than a normal man. On the other hand, if Subject A has bulletproof skin as well as super strength, this is counted as TWO separate mutation abilities.
You can get extremely creative with this. These mutations are on a cellular level and character with hem have distinct changes that one could potentially notice under a microscope. However, only 40% of all Afflicted mutant have obvious changes to their dna that would show up in a standard physical. Others must activate their abilities, which in turn cause a spontaneous change to their cellular structure while the ability is being used. However, groups like the Agency have advance screenings that can spot the traces of the agent that have fully bonded with these individuals. The Agency regularly modifies tests and public records to cover up the existence of mutations. As well as removing witnesses to the fact.
Mutation Origins
Afflicted: These are people who survived the mysterious bombings. Women, men, teenagers, and children. Only a third of all those caught in the attacks survived. These people manifested abilities some time after the attacks. For children, the cellular mutation does not begin to take effect until they are in the first stages of puberty. Abilities do not manifest fully until late teens (17 being youngest for full manifestation). Adult survivors manifested their mutations about four years after the attacks. Teenaged Afflicted manifested their mutations about five years after the attacks. The Afflicted can potential pass the cellular changes on to children they may conceive. Afflicted mutations can be subtle or obvious. Those who suffer from mutations that change them under go a long, painful transformation as their body reconfigures itself. Some of these people can be monstrous in appearance. Those that are seem to quickly vanish without a trace.
Engineered: These are people who have been mutated by scientific means for specific purposes with specific results. Thy were never exposed to the original source. Instead, they had modified versions added to their dna. Engineering is not an exact science yet. There's is only, on average, a 30% chance that an engineered being will not have some fatal flaw, defect, or a monstrous mutation. Engineered mutations are designed and there for can potentially be stronger than some who were afflicted and changed. However, all engineered mutations are either die hard loyalists to their organizations or are controlled in some way. As an example, a person could be engineered so that they must receive regular treatment or their state will deteriorate to a sickness and eventual death. No two organizations have the same methods of engineering. No two organizations have ever came up with the same results from engineering.
Latents: A very small percentage (about 20%) of the survivors who did not manifest any abilities. Instead, they carry the biological agent in their genetic code. As such, they can potentially pass the mutating dna on to children. These latents could potentially be targeted by organizations with a lose moral code.Their dna could be used to derive raw material for engineering or they could be activated. An individual who has had latent dna activated goes through a shock change. They manifest within hours or moments. 80% of these burnout, their mutation rages uncontrolled until their body breaks down from the stress and they die. The remaining 10% usually develop psychosis from the shock the sudden change hits their system with. Activated latents, done by the same types of groups that dabble in engineering, would be tethered with some way to harness them. Be it blackmail, conditioning, loyalty to a cause, fanatic beliefs, or control by outside means.
Some organizations modify and augment those afflicted with mutations. his is generally used when a mutated subject they acquire has weaker abilities and as a means of implementing a system of control.
Organizations
There are many organizations within the setting that have their own agenda. Be they terrorist armies, paramilitary groups, government agencies, or off beat cults. All of these organizations work towards their goals in secret.These are the groups that have recovered the agent which caused DNA to be mutated and reverse engineered it to suit their own goals. No two organization has the same version of the Agent. No two organizations can produce the same results. Each formula (or whatever means of implementing the agent the organization uses) is vastly different from the next. NO ONE has been able to replicate the effects of the original bombs. Each organization has their own views on the mutations that they know of. Mutations in the employ of an organization can either be Afflicted or Engineered. One organization may recruit mutations to their service or have had members in their number that were caught in the attacks. Another may simply engineer their own living weapons, harvesting raw material for research from unwilling captives. The point is, no two organizations are exactly alike. Below has been provided an example organization.
The Agency: It has no designation. It has no official record of existing. Yet, it does. Comprised of loyalists to the United States of America, the function of the Agency is to keep the existence of mutations out of the public eye by any means necessary. They actively hunt mutations and either apprehend or remove them. As well, they remove or apprehend any person who has knowledge of these mutations. It is their job, their duty, to keep the public safe from the hysteria this knowledge would bring if ever brought to light. The Agency employs both human and mutated operatives. All are highly trained. Most were active in other intelligence and shadow agencies before the government realized mutations existed. All are loyal to the Agency and the noble pursuit of protecting America from itself. The Agency has both Afflicted and Engineered mutations in their service.
No organization has had the technology or ability to fully engineer a mutation further back than seven years.
Technology Level & The World of 2027
Not much has changed from what we know today. The current US President is a female of the Democratic party. She has been in office about three years. Gay marriage is nationally legal and recognized. Marijuana is legal in about fifteen states. Gasoline is not the only for of fuel and isn't as big a powerhouse as it used to be. Alternate sources, electricity and solar among them, are in abundance. Phones are tiny devices that fit in the ear like a hearing aid. They can be tethered to glasses or small sections of other screens (and some windows) to connect with a visual interface for face to face calls. Military firearms are caseless ammunition of a high caliber that fires at an extreme velocity and the weapons can hold a great deal of ammunition due to caseless ammunition being smaller. Electromagnetic propulsion is commonly used in military grade weaponry. Guns are outfitted with biological locks so they can not be fired by an unauthorized user and some can be disabled remotely.
There are no cybernetics, nanomite machines, or science fictiony technology at this point in time. If you want to play a cyborg, Oblivion Earth is a Shadowrun based setting that has cybernetics. There are no laser or plasma weaponry in the setting. There are no technological inhibitors for mutations as it affects people on a cellular level. Inhibiting it would cause death as they are tied to systems in the body that make the body work. Picture it like this: If you remove the brain stem completely, it can not connect to the body. Same sort of thing.
(This is a rough, basic overview. This will be refined and modified.)
Saturday December 31st 2016, New Years Eve
That was a day to remember. It didn't start different than any other day. People woke up, some went to work, others had the day off. All over the world, in countries that observed the day as a holiday, people were either readying themselves for the festivities the evening would bring or were trying to ignore it completely. A night of parties for some, a night for family or community for others. A solitary night for those less than sociable. A night to wipe the slate clean of the event of the year we were leaving behind. Just another year passing. Nothing special.
People still aren't entirely sure what happened. Why it happened. But everyone knew one thing. Nothing would be the same.
All over the world, within minutes of one another, devices detonated. Not the kind that level buildings and burn things in fire. The kind that people couldn't see coming. In concentrated areas, where people were gathered in large groups, an airborne agent had been released from devices of an unknown origin. That's as much as anybody knew. People dropped to the ground. The total number of people that had been caught in the attacks was a staggering number. Men, women, children. People of all races, religions, creeds, and convictions. Celebrities, politicians. The average person. Nobodies. It did not discriminate.
It was a bio-chemical weapon. A weaponized designer virus or engineered bacteria. Nobody is exactly clear on that. Not the general public, anyway. But, it put people down. Hospitals were emptied of residents and refilled with the people caught in the area each device covered. They all got sick. Headaches, fatigue, rapid weight loss, chills, burning fevers, hypotension, rash, and peeling skin. It was a cocktail of symptoms that made the origin hard to place. It wasn't contagious. No others besides those caught in the area of the devices were affected by it. It was short lived. Whatever those bombs released into the air died within an hour without a trace.
Most of them died in terrible agony as their bodies seemed to break down. From what I hear it turned their insides to snot eventually and their bones into sponges. In countries with less advanced medical care, the death tolls were higher with only a handful of people surviving. In North America, the United Kingdoms, China, and so on the survival rate had been higher. The most to survive anywhere, however, was one third of the affected. People mourned, people raged, people thanked their gods, and people squeezed their loved ones. Those that survived just kind of got better. Of course, doctors claimed they had done. Others claimed Jesus or some other invisible entity had laid their healing hand down. The survivors themselves really weren't concerned with the why.
No one took responsibility. A few extremists, cults, and terrorist groups tried to. None of these claims panned out. Either the groups were overwhelmed quickly and found to have lied or they were completely discredited y investigations. Both covert and publicized. For a time, it looked like the whole world was finally on the same side. All kumbaya and friendly. For a time. But, that didn't last but about five years.
No one ever found out who or why those devices were detonated. They hadn't affected animals or plant life. Like they were designed to eliminate the human population of an area and leave the resources intact. It was smart and dirty warfare. But, there was no one declaring war. No other attacks. No demands. No cause spouted through an internet website and no lunatics proclaiming they were sent by some god or another. There was just silence.
No one forgot. But no one seemed to care after awhile. Not really. Sure, there were those that had reason to remember. The survivors who had went back to their lives. Those who had lost loved ones. But, as with everything, in time it faded into the background. Because people had lives to get back to. The world hadn't stopped. It only paused for a moment to blink.
It shouldn't have because when it did, it missed something.
It's been ten years since that day. It's a new year. Friday January 1st, 2027. Things seem fine. Technology advanced a bit. Phones became tiny things you wear in the ear instead of those huge touch screen monstrosities they used to be. Health care is better in the good ol' US of A. A lot of road ways and cars are outfitted with stuff that pretty much guides the car along. We aren't tied down by oil and gas like we used to be. Yeah, sure, they're still around but they're not the be all and end all of fuel. Other sources, cheaper and renewable sources, are available. But, you know as well as I do, just because it's cheaper to produce doesn't mean you get it for a steal.
But no matter how still the water is, you always get the feeling that something terrible is lurking just beneath. There are things out there I can't explain. I've saw... things.. that the rational mind can't fully comprehend. I know it's not a coincidence. I know who some of these people are. I'm not going to name names, but let's just say I've saw some high profile people do stuff that no human should be able to do.
I think it's connected. I think it's tied to that day ten years ago. It makes sense, when I look at it. Even though none of this shit should make any sense. I have a theory that those who survived that awful day, those who were caught in the attacks, didn't walk away unscathed like everybody thought. I think it changed them somehow. I don't know if whoever set off those bombs meant for this to happen, if it was an accident, or if fucking God is punishing us. I don't know. I haven't got a clue. But, whatever the reason or the why, something happened. Something that no one is prepared for.
You know, I'm reminded of something. I don't know why. Well, that's a lie. I saw something odd and it made me think of this. Genesis 2:7. I saw it on a crappy old worn out cheap bumper stick. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Don't know why, but that seems fitting.
I've been noticing things. People I've never seen before at places I used to go every day. After I first saw them, I kept seeing them. At first it wasn't obvious. Hell, they could have been there for months and I wouldn't have noticed. But, I started noticing them. the same faces in the same places. I started seeing them more frequently. Not a month ago I saw one moving into an apartment across the street. One girl I noticed at my favorite spots moved in across the hall from me just yesterday.
Funny thing is, I moved a month ago and I've not left this apartment since.
I think I was getting to close to something. I had saw strange things. Impossible things. I told a few people. People I trusted. People that I can't locate anymore. They either moved, got killed in some random accident, or just vanished off the face of the earth. I know my time isn't long. But, if anyone does find this, if any one reads this... be wary of new faces. Beware of shadow people.
About
Genesis II (Roman numeral 2) is a setting based around people who have developed mutations that give them unusual abilities and people affected by this. The setting takes place 11 years and change into the future from the present day, starting January 1st 2027. A timeline which starts with multiple detonations of unknown bio-chemical weapons. At the point the story takes place, the general population has NO IDEA these mutations exist. Those that have thee abilities come from all manner of background. Plot points for stories can be the individual trying to hide their abilities, some might decide to use their abilities for some purpose, others may be used for a cause or purpose, or any manner of story. You could play operatives of different organizations trying to steal one another's technology. Espionage is fun, after all.
Rules
General: No one in this universe has any idea what so ever who placed the bombs on the history date. No one has even the slightest clue as to why they did it. There are no usable clues, no paths to follow, no one to ask, no signs, no names, or ANYTHING else that leads to whoever was actually behind the attacks. Not all the bombs were the same size or made from the same materials. Each was custom made. No one can even figure out where the weaponized agent originated from or what the true purpose of it as besides making people ill. No one knows if the ones responsible intended the bombs to have the effect they did or if it was a freak accident. This is the unknown. Live with the fact your character may NEVER really know what happened.
As such, no character may have any knowledge as to the origin of the bombs, the weaponized agent, or who perpetrated the act. NO characters have this information. The only person who knows is the Storyteller. The Storyteller will not divulge this information unless it furthers the story as a whole. Even then, the information is most likely false and misleading.
There are no characters with mutations before the bombings. All characters with mutations either gained powers from being exposed to the bombs or were engineered to have them. There are no Afflicted characters, those who survived the bombings, who've had them more than SEVEN years. There are no Engineered characters with powers who've had them more than SIX years.
Characters: All characters should either be a person with a mutation, a member of some shadow organization, or some one else directly involved with these mutations. Supporting characters should be NPCed. There will be a very small amount of regular everyday people who even have an idea that these mutations exist. Most people like this end up vanishing. Unless a character is an operative (agent, member, fanatic, whatever) in an organization, where as human characters are allowed. Characters with mutations require a bit of information to be played.
All Afflicted characters should come from backgrounds people would have. These characters were regular people at one point. They had lives people would have in this day and age. They could have been a celebrity, a banker, a stay at home parent, a homeless person, or anything else. Engineered characters all come from intelligence, military, terrorist, cult, or paramilitary type outfits.
All players are encouraged to make flawed, psuedo-realistic characters. People have flaws and drawbacks, hang ups, so should your characters.
For purposes of the game, there are certain things barred. There will be no reality warpers. There's no Scarlet Witch type characters AT ALL in this game. No character can possess the ability to travel into space under their own power. You can not create a city leveling earthquake or explode all the oxygen in a city. Be creative, but don't try to break the game. If you attempt to break the game, you will be asked to cease. Once. If you do not cease, you will be excluded. Because e don't want to ruin everything for everybody else.
Barred Abilities: Reality Warping, Space Flight, Time Travel, Going Supernova or any other ability that can level a city or town in one blast, no spontaneous creation (ie; puling something out of thin air that did not previously exist), no immortality, no clairvoyance (slight danger sense is ok, SLIGHT). This list could be expanded if someone attempts to break the game. The object is to play and have fun, not measure dicks (or imaginary ones). Heh.
Also, it should be noted that for the purposes of the game Mind Reading is heavily restricted. The human brain and mind is extremely complex. Doing so is not an instant action. It would most likely takes days, if not weeks, as well as having to use torture and psychological tactics to weaken the mind to a more base state. Because this is a game of SECRETS. Mind Readers break the balance of that. As such, it's possible for an individual to mislead any Mind Reader that is lucky enough to get to them by essentially "believing their own bullshit". Mind Readers can only access the thoughts people actively think. They can not access the subconscious.
Mutations
The side effect of the devices on those who survived it was not immediately evident. 30% of the third that survived had their genetic code mutated by the weaponized agent. This did not manifest or become evident to any of them until a few years later. Out of the other 70% percent of the survivors, about 20 % of them are carriers of latent mutant dna. As in, they themselves have no power but could potentially have children who do.
The mutations for your characters should follow a certain suit. For instance, it makes no sense what so ever for telepathy to have physical enhancing mutations as well.
Mutations should be limited. The less number of abilities you have, the stronger that ability is. An individual with four different abilities may have a wider variety than a person with one, but the person with one would have a stronger affect with theirs. The more mutations a person has, the less stable they are. They have an extremely high risk to develop psychosis and sometimes physical defects. The more abilities a mutant has the more drawbacks they have. No Afflicted mutation is perfect and will have some sort of hindrance. Afflicted mutations are never of the uncontrollable variety. Only Engineered mutations run this risk (since they were most likely designed to).
Engineered mutations are an exception. But, engineered mutations are 50% more likely to develop crippling psychosis, defects, and unknown effects than those that were Afflicted. Example: Mister Blank is a shapeshifter. However, because of this, Blank has scattered memories due to changing "lives" repeatedly. Blank can't even remember it's own name or original gender. Further more, Blank's shapeshifting is an extremely painful experience every time. At present, Blank can not instantly shift forms. It takes time and Blank is under immense pain while Blank's unique physical make up rearranges itself into a new form. Blank was mutated to have extra bones and tissue that can be deflated or inflated to achieve various physical changes. Blank possess an odd scent that can be picked up by animals with hyper sensitive (dogs). They will either be deathly afraid of the alien spell or go berserk. Blank must also check in for regular visits to receive doses f a stabilizing agent or his powers will rage out of control after a month without treatment. In effect, he would shift rapidly until the pain of it killed him and he turned into an unrecognizable pile of goo.
However, there are certain ways that you should get creative. Each ability could have a few things, feats or supplemental powers, attached to it that aren't absolutely counted as a different ability. Example: Subject A has super strength. Because Subject a has a mutated muscular structure that gives them enough strength to toss a Volvo, they can also jump further, their body is more dense (but not bullet proof), and they can run farther and faster than a normal man. On the other hand, if Subject A has bulletproof skin as well as super strength, this is counted as TWO separate mutation abilities.
You can get extremely creative with this. These mutations are on a cellular level and character with hem have distinct changes that one could potentially notice under a microscope. However, only 40% of all Afflicted mutant have obvious changes to their dna that would show up in a standard physical. Others must activate their abilities, which in turn cause a spontaneous change to their cellular structure while the ability is being used. However, groups like the Agency have advance screenings that can spot the traces of the agent that have fully bonded with these individuals. The Agency regularly modifies tests and public records to cover up the existence of mutations. As well as removing witnesses to the fact.
Mutation Origins
Afflicted: These are people who survived the mysterious bombings. Women, men, teenagers, and children. Only a third of all those caught in the attacks survived. These people manifested abilities some time after the attacks. For children, the cellular mutation does not begin to take effect until they are in the first stages of puberty. Abilities do not manifest fully until late teens (17 being youngest for full manifestation). Adult survivors manifested their mutations about four years after the attacks. Teenaged Afflicted manifested their mutations about five years after the attacks. The Afflicted can potential pass the cellular changes on to children they may conceive. Afflicted mutations can be subtle or obvious. Those who suffer from mutations that change them under go a long, painful transformation as their body reconfigures itself. Some of these people can be monstrous in appearance. Those that are seem to quickly vanish without a trace.
Engineered: These are people who have been mutated by scientific means for specific purposes with specific results. Thy were never exposed to the original source. Instead, they had modified versions added to their dna. Engineering is not an exact science yet. There's is only, on average, a 30% chance that an engineered being will not have some fatal flaw, defect, or a monstrous mutation. Engineered mutations are designed and there for can potentially be stronger than some who were afflicted and changed. However, all engineered mutations are either die hard loyalists to their organizations or are controlled in some way. As an example, a person could be engineered so that they must receive regular treatment or their state will deteriorate to a sickness and eventual death. No two organizations have the same methods of engineering. No two organizations have ever came up with the same results from engineering.
Latents: A very small percentage (about 20%) of the survivors who did not manifest any abilities. Instead, they carry the biological agent in their genetic code. As such, they can potentially pass the mutating dna on to children. These latents could potentially be targeted by organizations with a lose moral code.Their dna could be used to derive raw material for engineering or they could be activated. An individual who has had latent dna activated goes through a shock change. They manifest within hours or moments. 80% of these burnout, their mutation rages uncontrolled until their body breaks down from the stress and they die. The remaining 10% usually develop psychosis from the shock the sudden change hits their system with. Activated latents, done by the same types of groups that dabble in engineering, would be tethered with some way to harness them. Be it blackmail, conditioning, loyalty to a cause, fanatic beliefs, or control by outside means.
Some organizations modify and augment those afflicted with mutations. his is generally used when a mutated subject they acquire has weaker abilities and as a means of implementing a system of control.
Organizations
There are many organizations within the setting that have their own agenda. Be they terrorist armies, paramilitary groups, government agencies, or off beat cults. All of these organizations work towards their goals in secret.These are the groups that have recovered the agent which caused DNA to be mutated and reverse engineered it to suit their own goals. No two organization has the same version of the Agent. No two organizations can produce the same results. Each formula (or whatever means of implementing the agent the organization uses) is vastly different from the next. NO ONE has been able to replicate the effects of the original bombs. Each organization has their own views on the mutations that they know of. Mutations in the employ of an organization can either be Afflicted or Engineered. One organization may recruit mutations to their service or have had members in their number that were caught in the attacks. Another may simply engineer their own living weapons, harvesting raw material for research from unwilling captives. The point is, no two organizations are exactly alike. Below has been provided an example organization.
The Agency: It has no designation. It has no official record of existing. Yet, it does. Comprised of loyalists to the United States of America, the function of the Agency is to keep the existence of mutations out of the public eye by any means necessary. They actively hunt mutations and either apprehend or remove them. As well, they remove or apprehend any person who has knowledge of these mutations. It is their job, their duty, to keep the public safe from the hysteria this knowledge would bring if ever brought to light. The Agency employs both human and mutated operatives. All are highly trained. Most were active in other intelligence and shadow agencies before the government realized mutations existed. All are loyal to the Agency and the noble pursuit of protecting America from itself. The Agency has both Afflicted and Engineered mutations in their service.
No organization has had the technology or ability to fully engineer a mutation further back than seven years.
Technology Level & The World of 2027
Not much has changed from what we know today. The current US President is a female of the Democratic party. She has been in office about three years. Gay marriage is nationally legal and recognized. Marijuana is legal in about fifteen states. Gasoline is not the only for of fuel and isn't as big a powerhouse as it used to be. Alternate sources, electricity and solar among them, are in abundance. Phones are tiny devices that fit in the ear like a hearing aid. They can be tethered to glasses or small sections of other screens (and some windows) to connect with a visual interface for face to face calls. Military firearms are caseless ammunition of a high caliber that fires at an extreme velocity and the weapons can hold a great deal of ammunition due to caseless ammunition being smaller. Electromagnetic propulsion is commonly used in military grade weaponry. Guns are outfitted with biological locks so they can not be fired by an unauthorized user and some can be disabled remotely.
There are no cybernetics, nanomite machines, or science fictiony technology at this point in time. If you want to play a cyborg, Oblivion Earth is a Shadowrun based setting that has cybernetics. There are no laser or plasma weaponry in the setting. There are no technological inhibitors for mutations as it affects people on a cellular level. Inhibiting it would cause death as they are tied to systems in the body that make the body work. Picture it like this: If you remove the brain stem completely, it can not connect to the body. Same sort of thing.