The Touch of the Wyld

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Lunars book, pages 209-210

The Wyld reshapes Creation, and any creature that the Wyld touches is vulnerable to mutation. See page 284 for information on resisting Wyld mutations. Storytellers should allow players to choose the mutations their characters will suffer, with the limitation that they cannot chose the same mutation twice in a row.

Wyld Mutations on Characters

With your Storyteller's permission, your character can begin play with special, nonhuman features and intrinsic abilities. These might be actual Wyld mutations gained from excessive shapeshifting before your Lunar character received her tattoos—she almost became a chimera. A character could also gain mutations because she spent time in the Wyld before her Exaltation, or because she came from a race or tribe that possesses such features from birth, such as beastmen or various Wyld barbarians.

You can buy these special Traits with bonus points, and only with bonus points: one for a pox, two for an affliction, four for a blight and six for an abomination. At the Storyteller's option, entirely negative mutations supply extra bonus points (1 for a deficiency, 2 for a debility, 4 for a deformity)—but these points may only be spent on further, positive mutations. Players cannot spend them on anything else.

See The Compass of Celestial Directions: The Wyld for more information about playing mutant characters. This is a special option, and not all Storytellers may want to allow it.

Or Even Worse...

As a further optional rule, the Storyteller may declare that any positive mutations a character gains (from the Wyld, or from the spontaneous mutations the Casteless may suffer) must be paid for by "pre-spending" future experience. In this case, poxes, afflictions, blights and abominations cost experience points equal to twice their bonus point cost. If you use this optional rule, be sure to tell your players about it in advance.

Pox and Deficiencies

These are the mildest of Wyld mutations. Creatures with a pox, or even several poxes, are usually able to survive in Creation, and most who suffer from these minor changes avoid the Wyld in hopes of preserving what humanity they have left.

Poxes

Claw/Fangs (choose one)

The mutant gains short but sharp claws or fangs. Clawed punches or kicks inflict lethal damage, and a fanged mutant's bite also delivers lethal damage. Claws can be retractable or hidden under gloves, but fangs are visible whenever the mutant eats or speaks.

Enhanced Sense (choose one)

The mutant's sense becomes unnaturally acute. The character gains two dice on all Awareness rolls relating to that sense. This pox is physically obvious in unusual eye color or shape, large pointed ears, an elongated nose and so forth.

Fur/Feathers/Leaves/Fish scales (chose one)

The mutant's skin changes, and she is now covered in light fur, feathers (players chose colors or patterns), leaves, thin bark or delicate scales. The character gains one die in all Survival pools and does not need to wear clothing to protect her against the elements. This pox also adds 1L/1B to the mutant's soak. This pox cannot be hidden, but characters with this pox can occasionally be mistaken for Dragon-Blooded.

Large

The character grows to an unusual size. He gains one dot each in Strength and Stamina and an additional -0 health level. This pox is still (barely) within normal size range, and the mutant can still pass as a normal (if very large) human. (Taken more than once, this pox becomes a deficiency.)

Skin/Hair Color

The mutant's skin or hair changes to some unusual color or colors: tiger stripes, pure white, blood red and so forth. This is purely a cosmetic change and can usually be hidden by dye, make-up or obscuring clothing.

Small

The mutant afflicted with this pox loses about 25 percent of her body mass and height. She loses one dot each in Strength and Stamina as well as a -2 health level. She will also be harder to hit (+1 difficulty). Small mutants can barely pass for normal and are frequently mistaken for children. This pox can be taken multiple times until any Ability reaches 0. Then, the mutant dies. (Taken more than once, this pox becomes a deficiency.)

Tail

The character gains a tail. A pox tail is basically cosmetic. It may be scaly, furred, bare like a rat's or tufted, but the mutant cannot use it to manipulate things, hang from branches or attack. The mutant gains two dice in Athletics pools as the tail aids in balance. The tail can be hidden under clothes.

Deficiencies

Atrophy

The character has been ravaged by the Wyld. Reduce one Attribute by one dot. The atrophied Attribute can never rise above 4, or one less than her current score if the Attribute was over 5. Attempts to use Charms or other magic to raise this Attribute can be made, but the character takes a level of unsoakable lethal damage for every dot above his atrophied maximum the spell raises it. This damage can be healed normally. Atrophy is always visible as withered limbs, malformed craniums or other obvious physical changes.

Mood Swings

The character becomes afflicted with an overwhelming sense of despair and lethargy or bursts of manic energy. The depressed character's mood is always at its worst during the three nights of the new moon. The mutant's player must roll Conviction -2 in order for the character to initiate new plans during this time. Manics suffer from extreme fits of joy and distraction. Their symptoms are worst during the nights of the full moon, and their players must roll Temperance – 2 to avoid public fits of wild dancing, brawls or other bizarre actions during these times. Taken twice, the victim suffers from both symptoms.

Ugly

The character has been mutated into a repulsive, twisted creature. Reduce Appearance by two dots, and the character cannot raise Appearance above 3 with experience or freebie points. This pox can be hidden by Charms or magic, but these illusions will never be permanent.

Afflictions and Debilities

These mutations can be quite severe and are often difficult to hide. Afflictions are relatively beneficial mutations, while debilities are harmful ones.

Afflictions

Chameleon

This mutant can change the color and pattern of her skin to match her surroundings. The mutant's player adds one die to Survival dice rolls and two dice to any Stealth rolls involving sight.

Frog Tongue

The mutant's tongue becomes very long, prehensile and sticky. If the character's Strength allows her to lift her own weight, her tongue can be used to haul herself around. Punch and grapple attacks can be made with the tongue at a three-yard range. When she attacks with her tongue, add two dots to the character's Dexterity and one dot to Strength, reflecting its speed and stickiness. The character's speech is very slurred and unclear.

Gills

The character has gills and can breathe comfortably underwater. When choosing this mutation, make a roll against the character's (Stamina - 2). If the roll fails her lungs atrophy, and she cannot survive out of water for more than (Stamina x 5) minutes. After that, she begins to "drown." If the roll is successful, the mutant is amphibious, functioning equally well both in and out of water. Gills are visible at the neck and shoulders.

Prehensile Tail

The character gains a functional tail. This agile tail can be used to manipulate objects and is treated in all ways like a third limb but at -2 dots on all Strength rolls and -1 dot on Dexterity. Usually, the tail can be hidden under clothes. Of course, it can't be used while hidden.

Talons/Tusks/Horns (choose one)

The mutant grows long, deadly talons, savage tusks or long horns. They can be cutting bones springing from the character's arms or wide tusks from her cheeks or spikes from her knees, but they cannot be hidden. They allow the character to make lethal attacks with Martial Arts.

Toxin

The mutant has a poisonous bite, claw or spittle. If the character has claws or fangs, they are envenomed. If not, she spits her poison. The standard toxin is: (5L/action, 2, –/–, -2). This affliction may be taken more than once. Add one to the Toxicity and the Penalty for every toxic affliction.

Debilities

Diet

The character's diet is restricted to one type of food. It may be raw flesh or nectar or taro roots, but it must be unusual for her species. Any physical changes necessary to procure said food (long probing tongue, hollow sucking needle or fangs) accompany the mutation. It is difficult to hide this affliction for any length of time. The Storyteller decides if a substitute (honey for nectar) is acceptable or not.

Delusions

The mutant believes something that is absolutely not true. She may hear a "secret friend" warning her against treachery from her allies or believe that jade is made from the ground bones of Exalted children. Mild cases are merely annoying, while severe delusions can cut the victim off from reality.

Wyld Addiction

The mutant is hopelessly addicted to the Wyld, without hope of escaping her dependency. She will not willingly leave the Wyld and is constantly tempted to travel deeper into it. If forced from the Wyld, she loses one point of temporary Willpower every day she is away from it and, at 0 Willpower, will do anything to get back to it.

Blights and Deformities

Severe mutations such as derangement cannot be hidden and can make it difficult for the mutant to survive away from the Wyld that created it. Blights are relatively positive changes and deformities are not.

Blights

Armored Hide

The character's skin has changed beyond any human norm. She may have an insect-like exoskeleton, heavy mammoth fur or thick plates of hide like a rhinoceros. She gains 4B/4L to her soak, and the hide adds four dice to her player's Survival rolls. Obviously, this derangement cannot be hidden.

Cheetah's Pace

This blight is equivalent to taking the Wolf's Pace pox three times. For long distance travel, Cheetah's Pace provides the speed of a simple horse relay. The mutation alters a human recipient's entire body: when running at full speed, including Dash actions, the character must go to all fours. This is not compatible with carrying weapons ready for use, or any other activity that requires hands; when the character stops running, she must spend the normal amount of time to draw weapons or otherwise prepare to use her hands again (typically a Miscellaneous action or a Join Battle roll, as circumstances warrant).

Enlightened Essence

The Wyld tears away the character's blinders, revealing the truth about Essence and the nature of Creation (and other places). Shamans seek this mutation more than any other when they go power-questing in the Wyld. The character gains an Essence pool equal to his permanent Essence x 10. From then on, he can increase his Essence trait by spending experience points at the normal rate for heroic mortal characters. Only the first third of this pool is accessible unless the character spends a point of Willpower to free up the rest for a scene.

Some mortals can learn select spirit Charms, Terrestrial Circle Sorcery or supernatural Martial Arts, if they have willing tutors. Exalted characters cannot acquire this mutation, and the process of Exaltation overwhelms and burns away this mutation.

Giant

This mutation is equivalent to taking the Large pox three times. The creature grows to twice the size of the tallest normal example of his species. Some Giant animals might be mistaken for larger species of their class (a Giant housecat for a panther, for instance) but most cannot be mistaken for natural creatures. The mutation confers three dots of Strength and Stamina, as well as additional health levels: -0x1, -1x2 and -2x2.

Glider

The mutant has a set of gliding wings that allow limited flight. The character can clumsily take to the air and has little ability to maneuver. He flies at (Stamina x 3) yards per action in level flight. Gaining altitude reduces speed to (Stamina) yards per action, while diving allows for speeds up to (Stamina x 10) yards per action. In order to dive, the character's player must make a successful (Dexterity + Athletics) roll, difficulty (the number of actions of the dive + 1). These wings can be bat-like, feathered or scaly.

Quills

The character has sharp quills that can be used in unarmed attacks or launched like darts at opponents. She may grow quills all over her body (and barely pass for human) or in a limited location such as the head or arms. All punches inflict +1L Damage, with an Accuracy +1, Rate 3 and Range (if launched) 15 yards. They also add one die to any parry made by the character, and anyone who attempts to grapple the character takes 3L damage. The more times this blight is taken, the more the damage (only) increases and the more the character's body is covered with quills.

Tentacles

The mutant has strong tentacles about five yards long. The character gains 1d10/2 tentacles each time he takes this blight. They are strong but they suffer a -3 penalty to Dexterity for any coordinated activity. The character can grapple any target in range, and he may also throw his victim or constrict her at (Strength + 3B) damage per action. Victims can attempt to escape the tentacle's grasp like any other clinch.

Wall Walking

The mutant has unique hands and feet that allow her to cling to even sheer surfaces. She may have sharp, tiny claws, sticky pads or dozens of small spurs. Regardless, her hands and feet will always grow large, with long toes and fingers that are very difficult to hide. She moves at (Dexterity + 8) yards per action at full movement—half that if she wishes to take actions as well. Unusually slick surfaces (ice, glass, First Age buildings) might require a (Dexterity + Athletics) roll for her to stick, but the difficulty should never rise above 2.

Deformities

Decomposing

This horrific disability leaves the mutant trapped in the rotting shell of her body. She will slowly fall apart over a period of months or years. Every week, roll the character's Stamina. If the roll fails, a random small body part falls off. Decomposition begins with fingers and toes, then noses and ears, but it will move to more critical parts as time goes on. In the Marches and beyond, the character will regenerate one body part per full month spent in the Wyld. Otherwise, she will eventually die.

Plague Carrier

The deranged mutant carries a deadly disease. She is immune to the disease but she passes it on to anyone who comes in contact with her. The player of anyone who is exposed to a plague carrier must check against the disease's Virulence or his character comes down with the illness. The Storyteller determines the disease the character carries. (See Disease.)

Abominations

Mutants with abominations cannot pass as human in any land, and even Wyld barbarians look upon them with fear and revulsion. Hive: The character is a living host to numerous vermin, whether it is a hive of wasps on her back, flesh-eating beetles that crawl out of her mouth or snakes that live in hollows in her arms. She can control these animals and use them as weapons, spies or companions. If this abomination is taken more than once, the character becomes a hollow shell, consisting entirely of vermin that carry the skin shell about. Whether the character is still truly alive at that point is a question no one is willing to investigate closely.

Multiple Limbs/Heads

The mutant has multiple extra arms, legs or heads. One extra set of limbs or one extra head is gained every time this abomination is taken. Multiple heads often have multiple personalities and might not even physically resemble the character. Each set of legs, up to three, adds five yards per action to running speed and one die to resist knockback, knockdown and grappling maneuvers. Multiple arms are identical in Strength and Dexterity to the original set, and the character may flurry with them. When a character splits her dice pool, compute the penalties then reduce them all by one die per set. Minimum penalty is one die. For the purposes of extra actions, a set of tentacles counts the same.

Wings

Mutants with this ability can fly. They might have huge functional wings or perhaps gas-filled bags of skin. The character flies at two times her normal running speed, ascends at her normal running speed and can dive at 10 times her running speed. She does not need to make checks to pull out of dives.