All it takes is a little brain chemistry to be slightly off and the strangest things can happen. It appears that this mutation runs certain neurotransmitters in such a pattern upon taking a breather that you have two personalities that can switch at any time. Because of the mental interference of what is essentially two people in one head, this mutation provides 1 armor to all intellect damage. (Note, do not be afraid to buff up the perks of this mutation. Many people will be reluctant to play something like this as it requires extra roleplaying. Feel free to give some points to intellect pool or even training in intellect defense if that is what it takes to make this mutation seem valuable to your players.)
The first personality is the character’s personality, whether that means he’s a tough brute, a charming silver tongue, or a reclusive nerd.
Roll a D4 on this table for the second personality. These benefits and bonuses replace whatever descriptor skills the player has, but not the bonus.
- 1 – The Naive Personality
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Hello! Nice to meet you! I am Thomas! Is that a knife? Are you going to ask me to help you prepare an animal carcass? My money?
This is the naive personality. Up beat, cheerful, optimistic, and unable to admit that other people might be doing bad things. This personality receives training in persuasion, training in calming animals, an inability in insight, and an inability in lying
Now while it may seem that 2 skills and 2 inabilities is kind of harsh, Naive has a special trait. While he may not know what he’s talking about sometimes, he does know how to cheer someone up. When giving a helping action (pg.101) he acts as though he is trained even if he isn’t. Unfortunately his cheerful attitude can only help so much, so he can’t help a trained person as though he were specialized. Only an untrained person as though you’re trained.
- 2 – The Paranoid Personality
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Shhhh, what was that? Who are you? Do you see these markings? I’ve seen them before, I swear it.
This is the paranoid personality. Very fun to play. Distrusts any local governing authorities as well as its agents. Due to the fact that the paranoid personality thinks he is being watched; he is trained in sneaking, lying, and perception. Unfortunately, his distrust in humans gives him an inability in persuasion and seduction.
Now, the paranoid personality’s benefit is not a mechanical one. Upon entering the paranoid personality for the first time, the PC is absolutely convinced, with no chance to sway him or her, of 3 conspiracies. One of which will be true. If the true conspiracy is followed through, there should be a nice reward waiting.
Example Conspiracies.- Human trafficking ring running out of the local gambling den.
- In an attempt to lower the population and sustain food resources, the local government has started poisoning water.
- An Aeon priest is secretly a technomancer gathering any numenera he can to build a super weapon.
- The local government has come into contact with a powerful piece of numenera that gives them complete surveillance over citizens.
- A local tragedy was really a false flag by the local government to enact some type of law/action that would not normally be accepted.
- 3 – The Grizzled Veteran Personality
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Kid, you don’t even know the half of it. I swear to God we stacked their bodies high. Used em as sand bags for christ’s sake. I’ve seen the dark underbelly of humanity. No beast out there that scares me as much as a man with ambition.
The grizzled veteran personality thinks it served in a large war in the far past and now holds on to the guilt and shame of the actions it thinks it had taken. This personality is incredibly diverse skill wise due to the generalized army training it thinks it received. Trained in running, climbing, throwing things, healing, and receives training to a defense type you are not already trained in.
The Grizzled Veteran, though capable, has been through a lot. His old war wounds still give him aches and he receives a -1 to armor.
- 4 – The Mad Scientist Personality
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The mad scientist isn’t mad in a “LOL so random” way. He is mad in that he sacrifices all safety of him and his companions in pursuit of new powerful numenera. A tinkerer as well as a test subject, the mad scientist has sacrificed much of his physical well being for great knowledge. The mad scientist receives training in ALL INTELLECT TASKS (note, I define intellect here as DnD’s style of intellect. The mad scientist is not a charmer), training in using numenera of any sort, and loses an edge point in both might and speed.
Oh this? Why, it’s nothing. Just a small project I’ve been working on. That button? Hehehe, please don’t press that. I’m not sure any of us would survive the blast.
Once a day while in his mad scientist form, the mad scientist can roll a numenera check (That he will be trained in) to tinker with a cypher. Here is the roll table for what can happen
- Roll 3 levels or lower under the cypher’s level. The cypher is activated or destroyed, if this is a grenade, the grenade blows up in his hand doing extra damage. If this is a stimpack, the stimpack is ruined and unusable
- Roll 2 levels or lower under the cypher’s level. The cypher loses a level and is one level harder to operate.
- Roll 1 level under the cypher’s level. The cypher loses a level.
- Roll the cypher’s level. Nothing happens
- Roll one over the cypher’s level. Cypher gains a level.
- Roll 2 levels over the cypher’s level. The cypher gains a level and you receive an asset when operating it.
- Roll 3 levels over the cypher’s level. The cypher gets the aforementioned bonuses, and you get to use it twice.
Every time the PC sleeps, whether this is a nap or a full night’s rest, on awaking, roll a 1d4 to see if they switch personalities. If they are in their normal personality, on a 1 they switch to their alternate personality. If they are in their alternate personality, on a 2,3, or 4 they switch back to their normal personality.
- Mutation Type
- Distinctive