The Process of Mutation

Blessed Mutation

Kail looked about at his new surroundings.The light was dim,but he could make out that he was in a round chamber with a number ofexits.He had dropped his emitter in the fall.Now it was nowhere to be seen.He pulled out the harrower. As he did,the shadows around him lurched and moved.A number offigures silently shambled into the room.Each ofthese mysterious intruders was very different from his fellows—one was massive with arms like wooden posts,while another stood hunched low to the ground despite his very long legs.And those were only the first two to enter.A short woman came very close to him with her hand outstretched.Her long fingers looked like serpents.Kail lowered his weapon to fire but it was too late.An unseen strength grabbed hold of the harrower,and it flew to the woman’s hand.Her whiplike fingers closed around it.More misshapen humanoids entered the room.

“Mutants,” Kail muttered under his breath.Here? That seemed unbelievable.Why would mutants be here beneath the councilman’s home?

He wondered ifhe would live long enough to find out.

As the worship ofchaos is about both change and individuality,the cults ofchaos embrace physical deformities as a sign ofthe constant process ofevolution toward an ideal far beyond what the lawful creator gods ever dreamed.Mutation is the ultimate expression ofthis type of physical,biological change.In this context,mutation is a random change to a creature that results not from natural causes (like simple maturation) but from some outside agent.To encourage mutation,many chaos cultists—especially members ofthe Ebon Hand—willingly undergo transformations in hideous rituals celebrated in the name ofthe Lords ofChaos. Many ofthese rites involve exposure to raw chaos,which ends in death as often as it does mutation.

Still others find themselves unwillingly mutated by longterm exposure to chaositech,which cultists refer to as a sort ofsurprise “blessing.” The cults ofchaos see mutation as a sign that a creature,lawful in its creation,has been touched by chaos.More than just a physical change,the mutation represents a change ofinner nature.Mutants are literally creatures ofchaos.They are blessed,sacred beings altered forever by the beauty ofrandomness.The fact that so many mutations are detrimental or are only superficial simply confirms chaos’ destructive power and true randomness.

The Process of Mutation

Aside from natural occurrences in evolution,there are three causes for mutation: 1. Long-term exposure to chaositech.This is called chaotic contamination. 2. Vile rituals held in chaos temples. 3. Even a briefexposure to raw chaos.

As explained in Chapters Two and Three,exposure to chaositech forces living creatures to make Fortitude saving throws.Similarly,ifa character becomes the subject ofa cult’s mutation rituals or ifshe touches raw chaos,she must also make a Fortitude saving throw.In the latter two situations,the Difficulty Class is usually 20.

Failure results in,at least,deformity and damage.First, the character slowly assumes physical deformities,a process that takes 1d4+3 days.Each day,she sustains 1d3 points of Constitution damage and 1d2 points ofStrength damage. The deformities bestow a –2 penalty on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.Ifthe character survives the ability damage,she has a 25 percent chance ofgaining a mutation.Ifthis happens,roll to determine the severity ofthe mutation (ifshe does not gain a mutation,she simply remains deformed):

d% Mutation Severity

01–75 Minor mutation 76–95 Moderate mutation 96–00 Major mutation

Minor,moderate,and major mutation are all mutation templates that you can apply to a character.They offer the character not only specific mutant powers,but also certain drawbacks,as described later in this chapter.

Developing a mutant power and/or drawback takes time. It takes a while for the physical change to occur,and it takes even longer to understand and develop the new ability.

Mutations manifest over a period of1d2+1 weeks.This is normally a painful period for the developing mutant,during which she is incapacitated,incapable ofnormal activity.

A creature gaining the minor mutation template reduces her experience point total so that she is halfway between her current level and the previous level.She does not gain a new level again until she actually reaches a total that would qualify her for the next level.Thus,ifshe is 6th level,her experience point total becomes 12,500,but her level remains unchanged.She does not gain another level (7th) until she reaches 21,000 XP.

A creature gaining the moderate mutation template reduces her experience point total to midway between her previous level and the one before that.Someone gaining the major mutation template reduces her total to the midpoint