199200 Marvel Super Heroes - X-Forces Campaign Book [TSR].pdf - 1992 - Komiksarium

INTRODUCTION

"My homeworld floats alone, a dead

monument to a dead galaxy, a reminder of

those who thrived millennia ago.

"And yet I live on, an immortal whose

only amusement lies in games of chance

and challenge. I am an Elder of the

Universe. I am the Grandmaster.

"The universe is my game board; it's

countless inhabitants, my playing pieces.

On your world, I have beaten the Prime

Mover, a robotic computer created by the

Earth-born called Doctor Doom. I have

even bested Death itself.

"The Earth and its flock, especially its

mutants, are dear to me. As a breeding

ground for superhuman pawns, this planet

has no equal. Mutants are particularly

'adaptable' to my games.

"I have written this log so you might

prepare yourself for the games to come. In

this log, you shall find information relevant

to Earth's most powerful mutants. Not only

shall you discover the limits of their

powers and abilities, but you shall learn

what it is like to be a mutant among

normals. This factor, this 'mutant agenda,’

shall affect their success in the contest

above all else.

"I have also included scenarios designed

to test mutant players for the coming

challenge, as well as complete rules for

developing a 'Danger Room' of your own,

where your heroic pawns can be tested

even further. For even more variance, and

I pray a worthy challenge, I have given

you data concerning some of the special

equipment often used by mutants.

"Pay heed to the Grandmaster's Log! For

one day, I and my Chosen shall arrive

from the frigid depths of space to make

our challenge. The very Earth shall be the

prize! Who among you shall stand to face

the Game of the Grandmaster?"

ROLE-PLAYING A MUTANT

To play a mutant character to the fullest in

the MARVEL SUPER HEROES role-

playing game, it is important to know

exactly what mutants are, how the world

views them, and how they view

themselves.

Unlike high-tech characters, whose

powers are gained from equipment, a

mutant's abilities are inborn. Mutants are

neither robots nor aliens. They usually

originate from this dimension and planet.

Mutants should also not be confused with

"mutates," who are also called mutated or

altered humans. These once-normal

people gained super-human powers

through external forces which changed

their genetic makeup. Such forces include

radiation, cosmic rays, magic, and so on.

While a mutate's DNA is altered by

external stimuli, a mutant's genetic coda

changes at the moment of conception and

often requires an internal "awakening" to

become active.

Though mutants and mutates are

technically different, they are often lumped

together and labeled "muties" by people

who hate them. Such mutant prejudice is

growing.

disquieting for normals; they may be

facing their own evolutionary successors.

• It is known to an enlightened few that

the Celestials, a race of super-aliens,

discovered the Earth over a million years

ago and modified the genetic makeup of

the existing human stock. The Celestials

created the Eternal and Deviant races in

this way, and may also have given

humanity the genetic programming for

mutation, which might account for both

mutants and super-powered mutates.

• The third theory draws assumptions

from the previous two. It is postulated that

mutants are showing up in greater

numbers now because of atomic testing,

which began nearly 50 years ago. The

rising background radiation level triggers

either natural mutation or the Celestial's

genetic programming for mutation.

Although there were mutants before the

atomic age (such as Apocalypse and

Selene), as well as mutants from places

other than Earth, the majority of mutants

from the Earth have appeared in the last

50 years.

• The final theory claims there exists a

genetic "Survivor" also known as "That

Which Endures." Supposedly, the Survivor

is the source of evolution for all life on

Earth. It inhabits the dominate species

(such as dinosaurs or humans) until the

host species attains its genetic peak. That

Which Endures then searches for a new

host species, leaving the former host at an

evolutionary dead end. This theory states

that the increase in mutant population is

due to influence by the Survivor, which

has chosen mutants as its next

evolutionary host.

The Mutant Condition

Mutants are like normal people, but with

one exception: Strange genetic anomalies

are present in the their DNA at birth.

These genetic peculiarities often result in

super-human powers.

Physical powers are usually obvious,

such as the blue fur, teeth, and claws of

the Beast. Mental abilities can be more

subtle, but usually leave their mark on the

mutant also, as with the stunning white

hair and piercing eyes of Storm.

A mutant's power usually appears upon

reaching adolescence, a time when the

human body naturally undergoes

incredible emotional and physical

changes. It is likely that this stress

"awakens" the mutant genetic code,

bringing about even more changes in the

unsuspecting adolescent.

Imagine you are sitting in class. All day

your back has been itching furiously. You

feel two small bumps there. Mosquito

bites? The teacher insists that you visit the

nurse. Walking the halls and scratching

your back, you decide to stop in the

washroom and see what the heck is going

on. Lifting your shirt and twisting to look in

the mirror, you gasp in horror. Small white

feathers are growing from mounds in your

back. You, plain old you, are sprouting

wings! Are you part of the "mutant

menace?" What will people think? Will

they label you an angel... or a devil?

Some mutant abilities surface before or

after puberty. An Intense trauma can

cause a young mutant's powers to emerge

prematurely. Some mutants even grow to

adulthood with no inkling of their mutant

condition until special circumstances arise

to unleash their latent powers.

Thoughts and Theories

Though researchers (notably Professor

Charles Xavier and Dr. Moira MacTaggart)

have had some success in identifying the

process of mutation, the exact nature of

human mutation in the Marvel Universe

remains a mystery. This is partly due to

the fact that mutant research is hampered

by political and social pressures.

Researchers are usually persuaded to

proclaim themselves either pro-mutant or

anti-mutant, which immediately influences

who will investigate or accept their

findings, and who will remain close-

minded.

There are four theories which try to

pinpoint the cause of human mutation and

to understand why the mutant population

is steadily growing:

Unfortunately, there is no way to discover

which theory is correct. It seems most

likely that all four theories are partially

true, with the ultimate truth lying

somewhere in between.

• At this time, the most commonly

accepted theory is that mutants are the

next step in the evolutionary process. Like

present man differs from the Neanderthal,

mutants differ from the man of today. This

theory is very

The Mutant Menace

Because mutant abilities are inborn,

anyone has the potential to be a mutant. A

sudden, shocking transformation could

happen at any time. How can anyone be

safe from this "mutant menace?" Family,

friends, and neighbors could all be

mutants!

Most ordinary humans view this situation

with great discomfort. Fear, ignorance,

and even envy have bred a deep-rooted

prejudice against mutants. Depending

upon the region and recent events, anti-

mutant activities range from peaceful

protests to murderous lynchings.

There are several factors which

contribute to a general fear and mistrust of

mutants:

take control of the Earth.

• Another reason for mistrust is that

mutants tend to gather into fighting teams.

Though some are obviously good and

others downright evil, they both seem to

leave mass destruction wherever they

tread. While most of these groups are

formed as a direct response to anti-mutant

attitudes, it doesn't seem to matter to

humans, who also don't care that the

destruction caused by good mutant groups

usually prevents even greater destruction.

"It's time we became a force for change

in this world. A force—legal or not—for

what's right." (NEW MUTANTS 100)

Cable represents the gray area between

good and evil mutants. By openly fighting

for mutant rights, he is considered a

freedom fighter by mutant supporters, and

a terrorist by the governments he

threatens.

Cable's exact mutant agenda is difficult

to pin down. He seems most concerned

with eliminating evil mutants who threaten

society and, in turn, negatively affect the

public's attitude toward mutants. He also

uses X-Force to aggressively thwart anti-

mutant factions within the government. As

might be expected, the U.S. Government,

and especially Henry Gyrich of the

Commission of Superhuman Activities,

wants to take Cable down.

Cable believes he is taking part in a

bloody war and is training his charges as

soldiers. He is not above killing to "win."

"Do unto them what they've got planned

for us. Hit 'em hard an' fast. We got the

power, people, past time we used it"

(UNCANNY X-MEN 273)

The Mutant Agenda

The future for both mutants and normals

is in jeopardy. One probable future, as

experienced by Rachel Summers

(Phoenix II), is one in which strict anti-

mutant laws are passed, forcing mutants

to report to concentration camps. Those

who resist become renegades to be

hunted down and slaughtered by

Sentinels, highly advanced robotic mutant-

hunters. Eventually, the Sentinels'

programming was expanded to include all

super-powered individuals. New York City

became a ruin in the process. It appeared

that the utter genocide of mutants and

super-beings was imminent. Will this

nightmare future come to pass?

Methods for remedying the situation are

as varied as the people who support them.

Some want an end to conflict, while others

view conflict as the only means to a

peaceful conclusion. Many people don't

even care about the mutant situation, but

play mutants against one another and

society in order to gain personal power.

Below are the opinions of some of the

most influential characters in the Marvel

Universe. Use them as guidelines for

developing your own character's way of

thinking.

• The most obvious fear is that anyone

can be a mutant, even one's closest

friends and relatives. While most

mutations are obvious, others are subtle.

Who is to say that our elected officiate are

not secretly mutants trying to infiltrate and

control the government? This type of

paranoia spreads like a cancer, affecting

both the guilty and innocent alike.

• Because they cannot understand

them, and will likely never possess them,

most humans fear mutant powers. How

can ordinary people stand up to these

awesome abilities? Can they even depend

upon their police or armed forces to

defend them? The fear of the abuse of

mutant powers is a definite factor in the

prejudice against mutants.

• The theory that mutants are the next

step in human evolution has only served

to increase anti-mutant sentiments. The

thought that normal people are being

replaced by this new sub-species of

humanity (called Homo sapiens Superior)

is disquieting. From the actions of some

"evil" mutants, much of society is

convinced that all mutants believe

themselves to have an inborn right to

EMMA FROST (User/Manipulator): White

Queen of the Hellfire Club.

"This young witch presents a threat to

myself and my organization," proclaimed

Emma Frost. "And anything which

threatens the Hellfire Club must sooner or

later threaten the X-Men! Now, open your

mind to me, young one... before I peel

your psyche like a ripe fruit!" (UNCANNY

X-MEN 281)

Emma Frost is the type of character who

cares little about the state of affairs

between mutants and normals, even

though she too is a mutant. She only

cares about her own welfare and that of

her organization, the Hellfire Club.

To the White Queen, mutants are little

more than pawns in her social and

economic schemes. She seeks control

over mutants in order to use their

CABLE (Freedom Fighter/Terrorist):

Leader of X-Force.

199200 Marvel Super Heroes - X-Forces Campaign Book [TSR].pdf

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