musing about Mutant Year Zero

[Charlie D]

I've been looking through my RPGs and Mutant Year Zero really stands out as something I want to run again. I ran a campaign last year and it went okay but I was not on my A-game.

Things I'd do different this time around. No search for Eden (to fix the lack of the settlement being able to have kids), instead have that fixed from the first campaign and really concentrate on building up the PCs' Ark (settlement).

I'd also have the players randomly get mutations first before making characters to help guide them during character creation. Mutations are the superpowers of the game and the backbone of a character.

I'd give more hints and more definition to the surrounding Zone (ruins). Give the PCs more than just a blank map and allow them more informed choice. Reduce the number of Artifacts (old tech) but give the PCs a better direction of where to go if they really want one.

I'd allow more random events including powerful foes I downplayed in the first campaign. Let the randomness fall where it will and leave it up to the PCs to sort things out.

I'd also make combat more tactical and visceral. Use Zombicide maps and minis and make combat street level and violent.

I'm going to talk to my rules guy player tonight to get his read on heading back to the Ark and the Zone. My GMing mojo is coming back.

 

[Charlie D]

Looks like we may stick with Warhammer. When we return to MY0 my players want to try adding in the other options (robots or animals).

 

[Muchacho]

Your experience mirrors mine. I love MY0 in theory but in practice the game never really sang for us. The contradiction of picking class and then rolling powers randomly was the first bump for us (our negotiator ended up with flying abilities that made him a better scout than our stalker). Then we stumbled a bit on the expedition as the GM felt kinda taxing to come up with stuff for the sectors (only later we re-read the book and realized randomly rolling on tables is advised). We ended up dropping the game after 2 sessions. Just like you, I will try selling the game to my friends again after getting the expansions (Animals, Robots, Pure humans).

 

[Charlie D]

Your experience mirrors mine. I love MY0 in theory but in practice the game never really sang for us. The contradiction of picking class and then rolling powers randomly was the first bump for us (our negotiator ended up with flying abilities that made him a better scout than our stalker). Then we stumbled a bit on the expedition as the GM felt kinda taxing to come up with stuff for the sectors (only later we re-read the book and realized randomly rolling on tables is advised). We ended up dropping the game after 2 sessions. Just like you, I will try selling the game to my friends again after getting the expansions (Animals, Robots, Pure humans).

We completed a whole campaign and we did have fun. Finding artifacts was great and the infighitng in the Ark was fun. The random mutations are tough and none of the later games use powers randomly, not even the animals or robots.

The good news is that Free League (the publisher) learns from actual play experience and is has provided a few small updates to MY0. Also, their latest game, Forbidden Lands, uses the same ruleset but with years of actual play taken into account. I think it will run really well. Eventually I expect MY0 will get a 2E (after all the expansions and the big campaign get released) and all of these new ways of running the Year Zero engine will get added in.

 

[xanther]

This and another thread got me to look into this game. I really like the build and imporve your settlement stuff, at least based on the reviews I found; will likely buy the game later tonight.

On that note is there a particular version of the game I should buy?

To help answer that question, I don't care about the game's mutations, or mechanics per se (I'll use my own which are very close anyway) and which include vehicles and chase mechanics so don't care if there are any vehicle rules. I'm really interested in the settlement/base building stuff.

 

[Charlie D]

This and another thread got me to look into this game. I really like the build and imporve your settlement stuff, at least based on the reviews I found; will likely buy the game later tonight.

On that note is there a particular version of the game I should buy?

To help answer that question, I don't care about the game's mutations, or mechanics per se (I'll use my own which are very close anyway) and which include vehicles and chase mechanics so don't care if there are any vehicle rules. I'm really interested in the settlement/base building stuff.

Mutant: Year Zero has the settlement building rules. If you want a few extra options for a water based settlement Mutant: Year Zero Zone Compendium 2 - Dead Blue Sea has rules but you need the base rules of MY0 to use those.

 

[xanther]

Thanks Charlie D. Saw a bundle with both of those, looks like the way to go.

 

[xanther]

Well got the bundle and stayed up too late reading it. Good stuff, very inspirational and a good start on a settlement system. Combined with my way, way to many hours on Fallout 4 and Civilization (is the Steam Engine in the Ark improvements a nod to that?), combined with how Atomic Highway showed me the way with vehicles (sorry Car Wars, we'll always be friends) it's going to be good.

After reading it I really think you could port between Atomic Highway and MYZ. I can see you need a handful of dice when it's straight up 6 is a success without mods. Like the gear dice especially in how the gear can get degraded. Not sure if it is a rule but I think you should be able to use fewer gear dice than the maximum to lower the chance of breakage, it's like taking it easy, using single shot instead of full auto. I'm more gritty and would make gear failure always a possibility.

On mutants, excellent for the vibe they are going for, way more mutant filled with gonzo mutations than for my taste (knew that going in), but they did do mutant animals in a way that doesn't seem cartoonish and that's high praise from me...and...I'd readily play MYZ just wouldn't run it. I do really like the damage system with respect to empathy and wits, nice way to get the emotional trauma and mental fatigue in there.

 

[Muchacho]

Haha yeah Civ was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the community improvements!

 

[Bilharzia]

I've been looking through my RPGs and Mutant Year Zero really stands out as something I want to run again. I ran a campaign last year and it went okay but I was not on my A-game.

Things I'd do different this time around. No search for Eden (to fix the lack of the settlement being able to have kids), instead have that fixed from the first campaign and really concentrate on building up the PCs' Ark (settlement).

I'd also have the players randomly get mutations first before making characters to help guide them during character creation. Mutations are the superpowers of the game and the backbone of a character.

I'd give more hints and more definition to the surrounding Zone (ruins). Give the PCs more than just a blank map and allow them more informed choice. Reduce the number of Artifacts (old tech) but give the PCs a better direction of where to go if they really want one.

I'd allow more random events including powerful foes I downplayed in the first campaign. Let the randomness fall where it will and leave it up to the PCs to sort things out.

I'd also make combat more tactical and visceral. Use Zombicide maps and minis and make combat street level and violent.

I'm going to talk to my rules guy player tonight to get his read on heading back to the Ark and the Zone. My GMing mojo is coming back.

Out of interest Charlie, what do you think went wrong with your search for Eden campaign? If you did run it again could you change it to fix the issues?
Mutant powers - what's the downside of just letting PCs choose their mutations?
Tactical combat - is there a way to do this without breaking the system? Could MYZ use the duelling system like FL?

Thanks, just become aware of the system & settings.

 

[Charlie D]

Out of interest Charlie, what do you think went wrong with your search for Eden campaign? If you did run it again could you change it to fix the issues?
Mutant powers - what's the downside of just letting PCs choose their mutations?
Tactical combat - is there a way to do this without breaking the system? Could MYZ use the duelling system like FL?

Thanks, just become aware of the system & settings.

I think the search for Eden went pretty well. I just wouldn't run that campaign again with the same players. However, it didn't mesh well with the various weird groups roaming the Zone causing trouble, many of which were loaded with artifacts. I think I'd concentrate more on the factions and let the players flex their political muscle.

As to mutant powers getting picked, maybe nothing? But you might end up with everyone taking the same few powers if some are better than others. I like the card draw since each PC will have their own set of mutations. And from a setting point of view the mutations should be random. That's what makes the PCs mutants. They were mutated and it is killing them. Having the players choose mutations that will eventually kill their character may be a bit meta.

MYZ would work fine at a tactical level. There are rules to do so I think in the book. I don't know if I'd use the dueling system. I would use a version of the new monster rules in FL, especially the six attack options.

I couldn't sell my players on playing MY0 again so soon after the last campaign. But I really enjoyed it and I think it has potential. It can't support super long play I don't think (talents aren't nearly as robust as they are in FL with the three tier system) and the mutations will eventually kill PCs, but I think you can get several great months out of one group of PCs.

 

[raniE]

I don’t think the settlement rules are referencing Civilization too much (although that kind of “everything is a technology or building”-style leads back to it of course) but more harking back to the older Mutant games, which are set in a later time when civilization has returned and steam engines are start.

Personally I think drawing random mutations is great. The cards guarantee no two PCs get the same mutations, and them being random is entirely thematically appropriate. I can see doing mutations first though, and then being able to tailor the character from that, but I like that the mutations you have don’t necessarily have anything to do with your role or skills.

 

[Bilharzia]

I think the search for Eden went pretty well. I just wouldn't run that campaign again with the same players. However, it didn't mesh well with the various weird groups roaming the Zone causing trouble, many of which were loaded with artifacts. I think I'd concentrate more on the factions and let the players flex their political muscle.

As to mutant powers getting picked, maybe nothing? But you might end up with everyone taking the same few powers if some are better than others. I like the card draw since each PC will have their own set of mutations. And from a setting point of view the mutations should be random. That's what makes the PCs mutants. They were mutated and it is killing them. Having the players choose mutations that will eventually kill their character may be a bit meta.

Thanks that's handy, I see what you mean about repeating the Eden plot, I didn't realise you would be returning to it. I was wondering how well the player group engaged with it, or if it felt like an imposition of Plot.
I had a vague idea of trying to combine the Quade diagram from Mutant City Blues (http://site.pelgranepress.com/index.php/the-quade-diagram/ ) but it might be more trouble than it's worth. I was thinking of initial random starting mutation then a way of semi-randomly branching from there.

 

[Charlie D]

Thanks that's handy, I see what you mean about repeating the Eden plot, I didn't realise you would be returning to it. I was wondering how well the player group engaged with it, or if it felt like an imposition of Plot.
I had a vague idea of trying to combine the Quade diagram from Mutant City Blues (http://site.pelgranepress.com/index.php/the-quade-diagram/ ) but it might be more trouble than it's worth. I was thinking of initial random starting mutation then a way of semi-randomly branching from there.

My players run with just about anything, so the Eden plot was fine with them. Really, it started out mysterious as their Ark had no kids and none of the mutants were having kids. Not sustainable. So it flowed naturally from their concern to build a vibrant community.

When I run MY0 again I will use mutation cards and just have each player pick one extra and get rid of one they don't like. Keep it simple and random but with a bit of control thrown in.