Line #61 TabletopGame/MutantChronicles


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15	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mutchron.jpg]]
16	[[caption-width-right:300:The first boxed set of the short-lived collectible miniatures game]]
17	''Mutant Chronicles'' is a [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic]] [[TabletopRPG tabletop role-playing game]] created by the Swedish company Target Games. It also spawned [[Franchise/MutantChronicles a semi-successful franchise]].
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19	What's it all about? Earth gets too tight for the {{MegaCorp}}s, so after battling for quite a time, they go and colonize the whole inner Solar System (and a few outposts beyond), since AllPlanetsAreEarthLike (MASSIVE terraforming). Sadly, [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire Imperial]] colonizers go a planet too far, reaching the mysterious Tenth Planet (named Nero) and unleashing the CosmicHorror - The Dark Soul along with its [[HumanoidAbomination Apostles]] and their [[TheLegionsOfHell Dark Legion]]. People go nuts and form [[ReligionOfEvil evil cults]], the Dark Symmetry makes [[AIIsACrapshoot all sufficiently powerful computers go evil]], [[DemonicInvaders Demonic]] AlienInvaders expand their ranks with {{Squick}}y BodyHorror Shop creations from cybernetic [[TheUndead zombies]] and {{mutants}} of different kinds to Franchise/{{Godzilla}}-sized zombies to biomechanical {{Spider Tank}}s. In short: TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
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21	Of course, the [=MegaCorps=] try to stop them, get their asses handed to them a couple of times, and if not for a {{Church Milit\|ant}}ia called the Brotherhood, they'd [[MemeticMutation fail forever]]. With the Brotherhood's help, the bigger part of humanity repents (mainly because the [[KnightTemplar Brotherhood's]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist methods are brutal,]] [[TheExtremistWasRight but work for humanity's good]]), leveling the playing field. On the other hand, [[WeAreStrugglingTogether corporate rivalries aren't forgotten]]; if the Corporations aren't kicking Legion ass, they're most probably butting heads over resources. If the [[UsefulNotes/UnitedNations Cartel]], a body formed especially to mediate among the {{MegaCorp}}s, allows it. Most of the time, it does.
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23	Most of the franchise is set about a thousand years after the defeat of the Dark Legion's first onslaught; humanity has rebuilt, but much of its past achievements have been impossible to equal (computers are usually based on vacuum-tube technology, most firearms still use jacketed lead bullets, and anything terraformation-related is still LostTechnology save for maintenance). And while the Megacorporations are once again at each others' throats, corruption and moral decay are spreading everywhere, even the vaunted Brotherhood, just as the Dark Legions and Dark Symmetry, which by then were barely more than a myth to most people, are making a comeback after marshalling their forces for another go at destroying humanity...
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25	The 2nd edition was released in 1997. In 2014 the 3rd edition of the pen-and-paper RPG rules was released by Creator/ModiphiusEntertainment (both on their own 2d20 system and ''TabletopGame/SavageWorlds''), as well as a complete reboot of the spin-off ''Warzone: Resurrection''.
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27	See also [[TabletopGame/MutantUA Mutant: Undergångens Arvtagare]] and [[TabletopGame/MutantYearZero Mutant: Year Zero]], as well as [[Franchise/MutantChronicles the franchise page]].
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29	----
30	!!Trope In The Name Of The Cardinal!:
31	[[foldercontrol]]
32
33	[[folder:A to F]]
34	* AbnormalAmmo: Some Dark Legion guns use it: black holes, hungry maggots, corrosive chemicals, bullets that [[FaceHeelTurn turn you into]] [[TheDarkSide a Heretic]] and energy drained from ''[[FetusTerrible demonic fetuses]]''. Squicky.
35	** For humanity, the Pulse Rifle (a high end gun used most often by the Doomtroopers) uses highly-explosive plasma shells for taking down small numbers of Dark Legionaires per shot. Cybertronic often uses armor-piercing flechettes for their guns.
36	* TheAgeless: Whoever is currently the Cardinal and his brothers are eternally young due to their unique Art; this has since been retconned in the 3rd edition. The Immortal is a cyborg that is over a millennia in age and was the basis of the Dark Symmetry-immune technology for Cybertronic.
37	* AIIsACrapshoot: Played straight in the backstory, adjusted for the RuleOfFun in the game itself. Cybertronic is a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Corporation built around cyborgs, androids, AIs and computers.]] Their AI-controlled war machines tend to go berserk from time to time if you happen to roll a CriticalFailure.
38	** Double-subverted in 1E in that [[spoiler:Cybertronic's supposed [=AIs=] are actually wetware/hardware interfaces (i.e. the main component is always a cybernetically-enhanced BrainInAJar)]]. This has since been [[RetCon quietly forgotten]]-today, it's due to the AI cores they use being overly literal in instructions and become [[DumbMuscle stupider]] in larger bodies due to taxes on the processing power.
39	** Subverted in the 3E backstory up until the Dark Symmetry is unleashed: AIs actually tried to prevent humanity from releasing the Dark Symmetry, because they had collectively figured out that some unknown force was influencing humanity to do something like that.
40	* AllThereInTheManual: See above. ''Warzone: Universe Under Siege'' manual serves backstories by the bucketload, not mentioning the comic book series starring signature characters.
41	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: The Dark Legion.
42	* AmazonBrigade: Lots. Etoiles Mortant, Mourning Wolves, Vestals and Valkyries to name a few. All supremely badass Special Forces within their respective organizations.
43	* AmbiguouslyEvil: Cybertronic. They use AIs, which have proven themselves to be a conduit for the [[DarkSide Dark Symmetry]], seemingly without ill effects. They mysteriously lure employees away from other corporations. They seem to have developed some form of MindControl. Their contributions to the Brotherhood are token at best. But they also send plenty of their troops to become Doomtroopers, provide other Doomtroopers with weapons, and no Cybertronic employee has ever shown signs of following the Dark Symmetry.
44	** As of 3rd Edition, this is pretty clearly subverted. [[spoiler:Their founder is a WellIntentionedExtremist who believes [[ProHumanTranshuman cybernetic evolution]] is the key to defeating the Dark Legion. The reason nobody in Cybertronic becomes a Heretic is that he and his lieutenants ''are'' the Subreality the corporation uses-and as soon as they see signs of true Heresy that hasn't been stamped out by [[CreativeSterility XLR8]], they eliminate it ''with extreme prejudice.'' They're pretty much entirely on humanity's side.]]
45	* AndIMustScream: The appropriately named Screaming Legionnaires, one of the fates for those Heretics who aren't saved from TheCorruption.
46	* AntiMagic: The Brotherhood has the Resonator Helmet and Cybertronic has the Metaphysical Disruptor, both of which disrupts all supernatural activity, not just Dark Symmetry.
47	* AristocratsAreEvil: Although far from universal, Bauhaus has a lot of those. Stahler from the comic being evil beyond the usual level.
48	** The Imperial also have their fair share, the intrigue and dirty business at one time resulting in the Sad Struggle, a ShoutOut to the British Isles' many wars, [[CivilWar civil]] or otherwise.
49	** Mishima too, as a matter of fact, since they follow a particularly harsh brand of Tokugawa era Bushido, but their sourcebook exposits on the growing corruption within the noble families (the adventure scenario in said sourcebook has a noble who keeps his dead enemies' heads in jars happily conspiring with a Dark Legion Nepharite as the BigBadDuumvirate).
50	* ArchaeologicalArmsRace: This is how the White Stars gets their weapons, they've been ransacking ancient bunkers and military bases on Earth. Mostly this gets them the near-obsolete designs that they're famous for, but it's also netted them LostTechnology which puts some of their equipment at the top tier of technology. Cybertronic also goes around tomb robbing for old tech that they can improve upon.
51	* TheArchmage: Each of these magical effects is the pinnacle of its own discipline of the Art. On its own, the Dominus, or Mastery, of each Aspect is powerful enough:
52	** Teleporting themselves and passengers over a distance of miles with a thought (Rubrum, the Art of Kinetics);
53	** Rewriting targets' memories, or learning the secrets they hide even from themselves (Aurantium, the Art of Manipulation);
54	** Resurrecting recently-deceased persons or severing cultists' ties to the Dark Symmetry (Aureum, the Art of Exorcism);
55	** Creating illusionary landscapes so convincing that they can fool even the minds of those who ''know'' them to be false (Viridulum, the Art of Changeling);
56	** Creating a tornado of pure flame, or hurling multi-strike lightning bolts at their enemies (Cyaneum, the Art of Elements);
57	** Foreseeing ''with perfect accuracy'' key future scenes which ''will'' happen, no ifs, buts or maybes, sometimes centuries in advance (Venetum, the Art of Premonition); or
58	** Empowering themselves to far, ''far'' beyond the pinnacle of human potential - for a short while (Violaceum, the Art of Mentalism).
59	*** In order to be recognized as a Keeper of the Art, any Mystic must be able to perform no less than ''three'' of these feats at-will, and most Keepers can perform four or five. Chang Dang-Vu, the Revered Teacher, has mastered no less than ''six'' of the Aspects of the Art, and has only declined to master Kinetics because he considers it "vulgar". Suffice it to say, any Keeper of the Art not traveling incognito is treated with ''extreme'' respect by those around them.
60	** The undisputed master of the Dark Symmetry patterns is Ilian. Not only can she use the magicks unique to her faction, she is also the master of the patterns of her brother Apostles and is actually better than them at their own magicks.
61	* ArmCannon: Most Mecha have them.
62	* ArmyOfThievesAndWhores: Capitol has two flavors. The conventional flavor is the Freedom Brigades, men and women who are trading ten years of brutal service in the most Light-forsaken hellholes in the solar system for a clean rap sheet and Capitol citizenship. The less conventional one is the Free Marines, which is a penal battalion for highly decorated Spec Ops veterans who for some reason have been sentenced to death, and are used mostly for suicide missions.
63	** Whitestar has the Nameless, citizens who find that they are in an untenable situation and decide to dedicate their lives to becoming {{Super Soldier}}s until their death in battle, with their loved ones receiving a generous pension in recompense.
64	* ArtificialLimbs: Domain of Cybertronic. Even if not entirely metal/plastic/inhuman, they will have metal bits and wires sticking out as a hint. Mishima has some as well, only much less advanced or prevalent.
65	* TheAtoner: The entire Imperial corporation. It was Imperial explorers who broke first and (later) second Seals of Repulsion, triggering the Fall of technology and the release of the five Dark Apostles. Imperial has done everything in its power to make up for this great shame since, and are the biggest contributors to the Brotherhood and the Doomtroopers.
66	** Big Bob Watts was a convicted military felon and was sent to the Free Marines to serve or die. He's the one person to successfully serve out his sentence with the Free Marines and is a better man for it.
67	* AxeCrazy: Heretic Corruptors and Destroyers, most of Muawijhe's Legions, Imperial Wolf Packs.
68	* AuthorityInNameOnly: Overlord Mishima Nagoya is in theory the head of Mishima, and as such one of the six most powerful people alive. In practice, the only people who obey him are his ten thousand or so retainers. His only duties are to represent Mishima in the Cartel, but everyone knows that his subordinates will just ignore any deal he makes if it suits them, so any negotiations of importance need to be done with the Lord Heirs directly.
69	* BadassArmy: All armies are this. Any ''non''-badass armies fell by the wayside centuries ago.
70	* BadassBiker: Imperial Fenris Bikes and Necromowers, though the latter are more like Badass Quads.
71	* BadassInANiceSuit: Cartel Field Agents from the original ''Warzone'' sported suits, and the heretic corporate raider John Baptiste from ''Warzone: Resurrection'' wears one as well. Brotherhood Revisors and Bauhaus Quality Control operatives like the style too.
72	%%* BadassLongcoat: Jake Kramer.
73	* BadassLongRobe: Brotherhood elite units, like Inquisitors, usually have clerical robes over their armor.
74	%%* RetiredBadass: Crazy Capitol vet Jake Kramer. With a flamethrower.
75	* BadPowersBadPeople: The Dark Legion. No exceptions, [[TheDarkSide Dark Symmetry]] kills any good qualities.
76	* BaseOnWheels: The unique necrotank Annihilator carries and supplies 1000 troops, has a number of helipads, and LOTS of guns. It's so big that when the Free Marines beached it by bombing its treads, it's treated as a zone of conflict and continues to pose a threat on Mars despite not having moved since the first war with the Dark Legion.
77	* BenevolentPrecursors: [[spoiler:Ancients and their Guardians, who sealed the Dark Legion away and severely weakened it in modern times-just enough for humanity to stand a fighting chance.]]
78	* {{BFG}}: Lots. From the popular Deathlockdrum anti-tank [[GatlingGood vulcan rifle]], to Big Bob Watts' shoulder-mounted Atlas Megacannons, to a good handful of Legion guns.
79	** Imperial guns aren't the best made or highest tech, but they're the most expensive on the market because they're the ones that tend to hit the hardest because of their greater than average size.
80	* {{BFS}}: Imperial Wolfbanes regularly carry claymores into battle, and their scout vehicles come with sword-racks. The Imperials claim that the swords protect them from the Dark Symmetry, and they may very well be right.
81	** Nepharites serving Algeroth love huge swords, and their inhuman size and strength allows them to put them to good use.
82	* BigBad: The Dark Soul, leader of the Dark Legion and the closest thing to a genuine GodOfEvil there is in the setting. Thankfully it needs proxies to do anything.
83	* BiggerIsBetter: Imperial's philosophy of production. Their military equipment isn't particularly high-tech and the worksmanship is usually good, but not excellent. However, they tend to spit out very large numbers of very heavy bits of lead very quickly. This means the highest damage output and highest cost to buy.
84	* BilingualBonus: In the film, Creator/RonPerlman says the Our Father in Irish.
85	* BlackAndGreyMorality: Played with. All the megacorporations are amoral and/or arrogant in varying amounts, and regularly fight the Dark Legion, which is gleefully, sadistically evil... but it's also shown that opposing the Legion [[ALighterShadeOfGrey tends to bring out the best in people]] by necessity (otherwise the Dark Symmetry would corrupt them).
86	* BlackMagic: Dark Symmetry, the secret arts and philosophy of the Dark Legion, and ''very'' sadistic.
87	* BlackSpeech: The First Voice, the language of the Dark Legion.
88	* BlingOfWar: Mishima with their samurai-styled armors, Brotherhood with {{Badass Long Robe}}s and Imperial Wolf Packs to name a few. Also, Erwin Stahler's default mode wears a full dress uniform with an embroidered sash.
89	* BodyHorror: Dark Legion is rife with this. Heretic Corruptors, Metropolitan Prophets and Cairaths to name a few. And if you're a Heretic, pray to your Apostle you don't start succumbing to TheCorruption, because only being turned into a full monster can save you from a FateWorseThanDeath.
90	** In ''Warzone: Resurrection'', you can have your Cultists play a Body Horror Russian roulette. There's a slim chance of turning into a Necromutant, a large chance of violently exploding, equally large chance of simply dropping dead and, if things go particularly badly, a slim chance of dropping dead so hard that your army's commander feels it and loses a hit point.
91	** The Dark Symmetry campaign for Third Edition introduces Incursids, the Dark Legion's version of [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorphs]]. Good news, if you're infected with one, you can be cured. Bad news is, that's because Incursid larvae are a PuppeteerParasite HatePlague-while it's possible to starve them to death by dosing up on happy pills and not committing violent crimes, those that succumb to the larva's manipulations usually rack up the death toll-which feeds the larva enough to [[ChestBurster metamorphosize]] and eat the corpses of their host's victims before moving on to harder prey. If they eat enough, [[FromBadToWorse they develop further into the intelligent]] HiveQueen form...
92	* BottomlessMagazines: Some Dark Legion weapons like the Metacannon use unholy energy rather than bullets, resulting in unlimited ammo.
93	** The Annihilator necrotank carries so much ammo that it gets a rule where dice rolls are made to see if an "empty" gun needs to be reloaded and only requires a reload on a failed roll. It gets 50 reloads, but more can be manufactured internally after a battle and the Annihilator is constantly being re-supplied by nearby citadels.
94	* {{Brainwashed}}: Cybertronic does this ''a lot'' when ensuring employee loyalty from people who use the type of [=XLR8=] that leaves emotion intact.
95	* TheBrute: Algeroth (GeniusBruiser version; he represents all aspects of war, including strategy and technology). His arm of the Dark Legion is also by far the most numerous and diverse.
96	* BurnTheWitch: Brotherhood Inquisitors use flamethrowers... see below...
97	* CameBackStrong: Vince Diamond used to be a Bauhaus soldier, then he died and Cybertronic got a hold of his corpse. After resurrecting him and bit of body modification surgery, Vince is stronger than ever.
98	* CanineCompanion: Pride to Mitch Hunter. As of ''Resurrection'', Pride has gone from appearing in one unpublished comic to becoming a playable character.
99	* ChainsawGood: Capitol Sergeants have chain swords. Brotherhood Inquisitors have flamethrowers with chainsaw bayonets. And Legion has guys with chainsaw halberds.
100	* ChanceMeetingBetweenAntagonists:One ''War Zone'' battle scenario works like this, pitting two scout teams (the [[AmazonBrigade Bauhaus]] and [[HighlyVisibleNinja Mishima]]) against each other. The scenario starts with the sergeants of both sides already dead; both scout teams have been crawling through tall grass and somehow FailedASpotCheck until the leaders nearly bumped into each other.
101	* ChestBurster: How Metropolitan Prophets show up on the battlefield: by popping out of enemy infantry unit members.
102	* ChildSoldiers: Literally, and powered by horror. The Children of Illian are [[UndeadChild kid-sized zombies]] that overrun their enemies and bludgeon them to death with maces shaped like rattles. Or snipe them with high-impact slingshots. It's much, much less funny than it sounds.
103	* ChurchMilitant: The Brotherhood. On the flipside, Dark Legion Cultists are an evil version of this.
104	* CityOfAdventure: Luna City, the hub of human civilization. One of the first colonies founded during the Exodus. With over a billion inhabitants, it covers most of the lunar surface and is the largest city in the solar system. All five of the megacorporations have major holdings here, providing plenty of conflict, and thats before factoring in the various Dark Symmetry cults that are formed almost as quickly as they are destroyed by the Brotherhood.
105	* ColdSniper: Cybertronic Chem.IMN. Basically, a Franchise/{{Terminator}} with sniper rifle and chemical weapons. Calistonian Sundancers (space demons with sniper rifles and {{Cool Helmet}}s) as well.
106	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The Aspects of the Art. Each corresponds to one of the seven visible colours of light; Red (Kinetics), Orange (Mentalism), Yellow (Exorcism), Green (Changeling), Blue (Elements), Indigo (Premonition) and Violet (Mentalism).
107	* ColonyDrop: Many Dark Legion citadels are a mix of this and DropPod. Giant spaceships that crash onto planets to act as ready made fortresses. A citadel landing usually results in earthquakes for miles around.
108	* CombatMedic:
109	** Most Corporations field them. Cybertronic "personality" Dr Diana is an example.
110	** Clan Finn are TheMedic to any Imperial force they're serving alongside, even if they have to a (wo)man taken vows of pacifism.
111	** The Legions of Demnogonis have a spectacularly squicky version in the Curators, intelligent plague-spreading zombie medics that double as {{deadly doctor}}s. Demnogonis's troops are about the only one who'd care for their treatment.
112	* CombatTentacles: Vahldredd The Hunter and Tekron Warmasters, both from the Dark Legion. Also from Team Evil, the [[LadyOfWar Nepharite Overlord of Algeroth Golgotha]] has a ''segmented'' variant (they look like spider legs, but are as flexible and versatile as less rigid types), and all Nepharites of Ilian go in combat with animated spiked chains attached to their armor.
113	* CoolHelmet: Bauhaus troops wear pickelhaubes and skull-shaped helmets, some Mishima troops wear kabutos, old figures of Capitol heavy infantry wore football helmets, Calistonians wear bone masks and Brotherhood Mortificator and Inquisitor helmets became iconic of the game.
114	* CoolOldGuy: Sebastian Crenshaw. The best assassin The Brotherhood has, not only doing his job, but also mentoring the younger Mortificators. And being a hit at parties.
115	** Another candidate could be The Cardinal - no matter who currently leads the Brotherhood, they are almost all extremely charismatic, decent and just plain 'good' people with a deep wellspring of wisdom. (Cardinal Durand X "The Mad" need not apply.)
116	** Subverted with Cardinal Dominic, as while he ''is'' an incredibly badass who loves mixing it up on the battlefield, he's also a bitter, cynical old KnightTemplar bastard and only pretends to be any different when the cameras are upon him; one of the few pleasures he has is [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming the screams of suspected heretics]] while he [[ColdBloodedTorture "interrogates"]] them.
117	* CoolTank: Many examples such as Cybertronic's Armadillo twin-cannon hovertank, Capitol's ultra-gun Leviathan and most famously, the Bauhaus Grizzly. More of a mobile fortress than a standard tank. The Grizzly boasts enough armour to withstand most anti-armour weapons, a 180mm anti-tank cannon to kill other tanks and a 230mm mortar plus a number of 60mm cannons, a light mortar, a flamethrower and light machine guns for dealing with smaller prey. On the other hand, it's so big that it burns 31 gallons of diesel per kilometre traveled.
118	** The Dark Legion gets a nod with the Annihilator necrotank, which is a tank so large it has multiple helipads, carries and supplies 1000 troops and has 13 Hellbaster turrets, 18 Nazgaroth HMG emplacements and 8 surface to air missile batteries.
119	* CorporateWarfare: Before, during ''and'' after everything went to hell.
120	* CoolTrain: In older editions of ''Warzone'', Capitol operated a number of huge armored trains in south Mars, which were literally described as railbound battleships and aircraft carriers, designed to fulfill that role in an environment without seas.
121	** Third Edition gave us Whitestar's ''Zolotoy Glaz'', a combined [=palace/command and control center/army base=] operating on the rail networks throughout Whitestar territory, and allowing the Tzarina to transfer her court to any place or event that requires her personal input and deal with it decisively.
122	* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Erwin Stahler. A high-level Bauhaus executive and a high-ranking Dark Symmetry cultist. A tie-in comic shows him morphing into a massive armored behemoth, an ability he retains in War Zone.
123	** A new ''Warzone: Resurrection'' Dark Legion character, John Baptiste, is a corporate raider, and his special abilities revolve around manipulating Resource cards that allow for use of special abilites.
124	* TheCorruption: Dark Symmetry again. It is, however, curable, hence why the Inquisition is respected and liked by those in the know.
125	** Defied by Cybertronic [[spoiler:which has figured out a way of purifying the Dark Symmetry into an eldritch crystal that prevents any corruption of their tech and is otherwise entirely harmless.]]
126	** Mutation by terraforming agents [[spoiler:is both a subversion and an ''inversion''. It's not actually effects from the terraformation, it's the Genetic Pilgrimage being signaled it's ready to turn at least a few humans into reborn BenevolentPrecursors. The gradual transformation actually immunizes the mutant almost entirely from the Symmetry, and the greatest mental effect is a compulsion to include "defeat the Dark Legion" on any list of priorities. As the book itself points out: Since the Dark Legion wanted to kill and enslave all human life, ''why isn't it already!?'']]
127	* CosmicHorrorStory: Not mandatory, but it's easy for the GameMaster to make any campaign into this. It's just as easy to make it one flavor or another of LovecraftLite, though.
128	* CreepyChild: Voice of Demnogonis. Looks like a perfectly normal child and drains life from your troops pretty quickly. Also the Children of Ilian (see ChildSoldiers above).
129	* CyberneticsEatYourSoul: That's what The Brotherhood thinks about Cybertronic. They just wait for a bigger screw-up to round up the whole corporation and [[KillItWithFire burn them]]. Whether it's true or not is intentionally left a mystery. [[spoiler:Their founder, for example, thinks this is a good thing-and did it intentionally to himself, so it's even more ambiguous.]]
130	* {{Cyberpunk}}: The game can have a cyberpunk feel, especially in Luna City. Despite the everyday technology being DieselPunk, the [=PCs=] are usually Freelancers that live on the edge of society and are often hired as deniable assets by the megacorporations.
131	* DarkIsNotEvil: Normally it is, but Mishima's Shadow Walkers are ostensibly on the side of good despite using the Dark Symmetry in a cautious, controlled manner, and [[spoiler:Cybertronic has figured out how to use the Dark Legion's eldritch tech in the service of humanity...though they may be a subversion, as Element 13 is only created after destroying all aspects of the Dark Symmetry it was refined from.]]
132	** Mutants: The more they develop their non-Light based psionic strength and the more they are exposed to terraforming agents, the more they look increasingly like predatory, reptilian aliens. [[spoiler:They ''do'', but said aliens are their [[BenevolentPrecursors Guardian]] ancestors; they are, in fact, becoming the perfect anti-Dark Legion {{Super Soldier}}s, and they retain their personalities completely throughout the metamorphosis.]]
133	* DarkSecret: [[spoiler: The Cardinal and his brothers, the Durands have unique supernatural techniques that make them almost immortal, techniques they refuse to teach anyone. They take turns becoming the next Cardinal after the previous one "dies", so there's actually no chance that anyone else can lead the Brotherhood.]] This has since been retconned in the 3rd edition.
134	* TheDarkSide: Dark Symmetry. Use anything touched by it, and you will likely be touched by Corruption and turn into a BrainwashedAndCrazy Heretic if the Inquisition can't cure it.
135	* DecadentCourt: Any of the three nobility-styled {{MegaCorp}}s will have some aspects of this among its constituent noble houses, but the courts of Overlord Mishima and his three heirs are the best example.
136	* DeadlyDoctor: Most field medics are armed. The Dark Legion's Curators take this up to eleven, however, and Demmogonis recruits them.
137	* DeathFromAbove: Jump infantry, paratroopers, drop pods.
138	* DeathSeeker: Imperial Mourning Wolves, as they're all widows of Imperial Wolfsbane killed in combat with the Dark Legion. Think woad-painted {{Action Girl}}s with [[ChainPain spiked chains]], Wolverine-style claw bracers and the attitude of a [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} dwarf Slayer]] and you're not too far off the mark. Capitol's Martian Banshees as well (although either gender can be part of those).
139	* DemonicInvaders: The Dark Legion are aliens, but they look the part and have similar behaviors and schemes.
140	* DespairEventHorizon: This is the true form of the Madness Muawijhe heralds; while he and his cultists enjoy [[MadOracle the benefits]], his true field of influence is doubt (of one's ''[[{{Gaslighting}} senses]]'', natch). All of his powers are based around slowly wearing down the mental will of his adversaries until they lose the will to live or fight back.
141	* DestroyerDeity: Algeroth is the apostle of war and dark technology. He has the largest armies and most numerous bases, his factories supply all other apostles with ordnance, he himself manifests as a huge demon whose body is fused with countless weapons, ans his whole schtick is relentlessly waging war on humanity.
142	* DieselPunk: The game's theme and style sure counts.
143	* DoomTroops: Many of the human forces, including the Doomtroopers. Scary face masks and helmets. Check. Heavy Armor. Check. Big guns. Check. Being an elite mook. Check again. Yup, we have DoomTroops
144	* TheDragon: Ilian, eldest of the Dark Apostles and mistress of sorcery.
145	* DualWield / GunsAkimbo : Happens often, with units using [[GunAndSword swords and guns]] (or two melee weapons) at the same time. Played way too straight with Crucifiers, who have FOUR arms and a weapon in every one.
146	* EarthThatUsedToBeBetter: A blasted, post-apocalyptic wasteland, which is too polluted, resource-poor and sparsely populated to be of much interest to anyone.
147	* EldritchAbomination: The Dark Soul. It's a piece of the original Nothing that "was" before the Big Bang that wants a return to the good old days of nonexistence. '''''[[OmnicidalManiac Badly.]]'''''
148	* ElitesAreMoreGlamorous: The Doomtroopers are the finest soldiers of the individual Megacorporations that the Cartel can recruit. They then get further training, including how better to resist Dark Symmetry and have access to unique Doomtrooper equipment as well as the top of the line items from their respective corporation.
149	* EvilGenius: Both Semai and Muawijhe fill this role for the Dark Legion, being largely subtle masterminds and sponsoring their cults to covert activity. Bonus points for being the only two Dark Apostles who [[VillainousFriendship get along pretty well]], both recognizing that Semai's political corruption and Muawijhe's anarchy feed into each other, even sharing their PowerTattoo Endowment.
150	* EvilIsDeathlyCold: Ilian is associated the cold vacuum of space. Her heretics and nepharites often have the ability to freeze their enemies.
151	* EvilVersusEvil: The Dark Apostles don't really get along, and even in the ranks everyone is jockeying for position without a shred of ethics. It's remarkable that the Dark Legion gets anything done.
152	* EvilSorcerer: Ilian is the undisputed mistress of the Dark Symmetry and its avatar, and all her cultists quickly pick up her talent with it.
153	* FantasyCounterpartCulture: All of 'em.
154	** Bauhaus - Germany, Russia (though see below), France and Italy, served as 19th Century-style Aristocracy ([[AristocratsAreEvil Evil optional]]).
155	** Capitol - the friggin' {{Eagleland}} looking like they're still stuck in the UsefulNotes/VietnamWar (and Canada too, according to one of the novels).
156	** Cybertronic - multinational corporate hive. [[spoiler:3rd Edition adds in elements of Thelema, of all things, and transhumanism.]]
157	** Imperial - United Kingdom, mostly with an Elisabethan/Victorian feel. Some of the units are [[ViolentGlaswegian violent]] [[{{Scotireland}} Scotirish]] Highlanders with a berserk streak and love for facepaint.
158	** Mishima - Mostly Edo Japan, with {{samurai}}, {{ninja}}s and warrior monks. A few bits and pieces of other asian cultures are present, such as TheTriadsAndTheTongs as the main criminal organisation, and the city of Fukido, which is basically Hong Kong (it's on lease to Imperial for 99 years following a lost war, natch. Though later editions have it as Imperial getting it through a won auction).
159	** Whitestar, introduced in 3E, is far more openly based on Russia (with shades of the Soviet Union) than Bauhaus, though [[FridgeBrilliance it is noted]] that some Russians (the ancestors of house Romanov) defected to Bauhaus in the "old days" (and there is bad blood between the two factions over it).
160	* FateWorseThanDeath: Being processed into any of the Legionnaire or Necromutant variants. Or even "reanimated" into Cybertronic service... when your original Corporation manages to capture you alive.
161	* FeudalFuture:
162	** Mishima is based on Tokugawa-era ''bushido'', and a particularly brutal brand at that. Land and industrial rights are given as fiefdoms, with the High Lords doing as they please. Social mobility is pretty much non-existent, though that is changing.
163	** Bauhaus are also purely feudal, but less oppressive. Bauhaus nobles, unlike their Mishiman counterparts, have a strong sense of ''noblesse oblige'', and commoners who distinguish themselves can be raised to the nobility. That said, commoners are second-class citizens in Bauhaus, and no bones are made about that.
164	** Imperial flip-flops a bit. While less extreme than Bauhaus or Mishima, power lies firmly with the clan chiefs and their families. Commoners have little power, but they ''can'' gain a fair bit of influence. It is very possible for commoners to rise to power by working their way up in the civil service, distinguishing themselves in battle or taking advisory positions with powerful people.
165	** Capitol is a subversion. The corporation is governed by shareholders voting their stock like a modern day corporation, with the CEO holding a position analogue to that of the president of the United States.
166	** Cybertronic gets things done. Somehow. [[spoiler: In 3rd ed., their CEO is a practically omniscient VirtualGhost that the higher-ups run their decisions by simply by typing in an inquiry. Assuming they aren't his hundred or so clones, all of which embody a different facet of his personality. So, a God-King, of sorts.]]
167	** The Brotherhood are an electory theocracy led by the Cardinal, who is elected by the leading figures in the Brotherhood and holds his position until death.
168	%%* Five Man Band: The Dark Soul and its Apostles fit pretty well.
169	* FluffyTheTerrible: Billy the Dark Prophet.
170	** In 1st and 2nd Ed., Bauhaus' Quality Control division. What do they do? Well, they find people who have been using the Bauhaus brand to sell sub-standard goods, and convince them of the error of their ways. Neither the companies nor the people involved tend to survive the experience.
171	* ForeverWar: Probably not ''forever'', but it's certainly dragging on for centuries.
172	[[/folder]]
173
174	[[folder:G to M]]
175	* GambitPileup: When you consider dominance of the solar system as the prize, all schemes lose their brakes. ''Especially'' when [[TheChessmaster Illian or Semai cults]] get involved.
176	* GasMaskLongcoat: Imperial Trenchers. Trenchcoats and gasmasks and Brodie helmets, oh my!
177	* GasMaskMooks: Basic infantry of Bauhaus, Capitol and Imperial. The rest is more fashionable.
178	* GatlingGood: Many heavy machine guns are those. Amount of barrels may vary, from three to [[MoreDakka shitload]].
179	* GeoEffects: In the tabletop wargames, pieces of terrain provide cover, concealment, the usual blah.
180	* GermanicEfficiency: Bauhaus. In spades. It even carries over to a degree to the Brotherhood and Cybertronic, both which are descended from Bauhaus.
181	* GirlWithPsychoWeapon: Mourning Wolves, who wield a length of chain with a weighted end on one hand and Wolverine-like claws on the other. And Bauhaus personality Valerie Duval, who uses blade-tipped tonfas with one shot 20mm autocannon rounds in the other end.
182	* GlobalCurrency: In theory, every corporation mints and trades exclusively in its own currency. In practice, Brotherhood Cardinal's Crowns are accepted everywhere and the standard currency for intercorporate trade, Capitol dollars and Imperial Stirlings are good in most places not currently at war with Capitol or Imperial (though the exchange rates might be extortionate), Bauhaus ducats are usually only used by Bauhaus but have for some reason become the standard currency for trading financial instruments, no-one outside Cybertronic ever sees their currency, and Mishiman laborers have been known to riot when paid in Mishiman dubloons rather than a more solid currency.
183	* {{Golem}}: Dark Legion creations (hence the full name being 'Golem of Darkness').
184	* GratuitousGerman: The names of some Bauhaus units and characters.
185	* GratuitousJapanese: The names of some Mishima units and characters.
186	* GreenEyedMonster: Algeroth is the 2nd most powerful of the Apostles, he hates Ilian for being the foremost Apostle and his hatred only grew when his attempt to breach Nero failed and it was Ilian's plan that worked. The Dark Symmetry rewarded her with even more power.
187	* HandCannon: Many of the setting's pistols, at least visually. It says a lot when [[http://www.ambient.ca/cpunk/images/piranha.gif the Piranha Handgun]] (which was [[Manga/{{Hellsing}} Alucard's gun]] before Alucard even existed) is designated on the setting as a ''backup for undercover agents''.
188	* HauntedTechnology: The main reason technology has regressed and barely advanced. The more advanced the tech, especially if has any intelligence, the more vulnerable it is to the Dark Symmetry. This can range from simple malfunctions ocurring at just the wrong time, to electrical cables bursting out of a wall to attack you.
189	* {{Hellgate}}: Nero has one to the Dark Legion's strongholds. Closing it would be a decisive victory.
190	* HighlyVisibleNinja: Subverted. Mishima's Shadow Walkers do wear the distinctive black pajamas when on the job...except their gis are heavily laced with {{Magitek}} that makes it actively harder to look at them or recall that there was even a person there to begin with, much less that it was a ninja. So they're actually pretty stealthy, all things considered.
191	* HospitalHottie: Cybertronic's ad campaign regarding the Dr. Diana clones/bioroids depict her as a sexy nurse. And it's partially true, those non-Cybertronic individuals who meet her, find her looks are enough to overcome the queasiness they feel at her inhuman coldness.
192	* HotWitch: Illian shifts her form frequently and often, but the one commonality between her faces is that they are all terrifyingly, coldly beautiful. Her Nepharites and many other higher-ranking servants aren't much different.
193	* HumansAreWarriors: [[spoiler:Why the Ancients decided to make humanity their plan to repulse the Dark Soul forever- we're naturally more violent, which means naturally more ''ambitious and determined'' then they were.]]
194	* HumansArePsychicInTheFuture: The potential to use the Art, the mystical psychic powers of the Brotherhood, is becoming more common each generation.
195	* HumongousMecha: Imperial Hurricane Walkers. Not as humongous as Praetorian Behemoths, but still pretty big.
196	** Cybertronic's Eradicator Deathdroids approach this scale; however, the absolute king of this trope in-universe is (unsurprisingly) Mishima, ranging from the 8-10 ft. [[PoweredArmor Showa Ace custom battle armor]] to the 100-ft. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Gigameka]].
197	* InhumanlyBeautifulRace: In the 3rd edition of Mutant Chronicles RPG from Modiphius, the Dr. Diana clones have been engineered to be so beautiful that they have a rule where human enemies (even females) attacking them will fight more poorly.
198	* InterfaithSmoothie: The Brotherhood is described as not strictly being a relgion. Its main goal is to oppose the Dark Soul, so while most people worship the Cardinal directly, the old religions are still around and have even been absorbed into the Brotherhood.
199	* InterserviceRivalry: Introduced in ''Warzone: Universe Under Siege'', where each faction has units divided between separate "services" that usually don't mix up.
200	* TheJuggernaut: Dark Legion has a good few of 'em, size XXXL. The Mercurian Maculator and Praetorian Behemoth, for instance. The biggest of all though is the [[OurGiantsAreBigger Bio-Giant]].
201	* KatanasAreJustBetter: Zig-zagged. Katanas are the best standard-pattern swords. There are several other types of swords, such as claymores forged by clan Gallagher, which are significantly better, but they are either {{Ace Custom}}s or {{Ancestral Weapon}}s.
202	* KillItWithFire: What's a dark sci-fantasy game without a flamethrower and Mutant Chronicles is no exception. For those creatures that resist heavy machine guns, the Cartel can burn them with the Gehenna Puker and some of the other factions have their own flamethrower.
203	* JackOfAllTrades: Capitol's corporate philosophy. Their items aren't as cheap as Mishima's but they're certainly better made and while they can't match Bauhaus or Cybertronic's manufacture, they don't cost nearly as much.
204	* LaserBlade: Cybertronic Machinators use these.
205	* LaserSight: Some elite units can be equipped with those.
206	* LastOfHisKind: Sean Gallagher is the last surviving member of Clan Gallagher; the Dark Legion eradicated the rest in one of the opening moves of their new offensive due to their knowledge as master smiths whose swords were often custom-made to kill servants of the Dark Symmetry.
207	* LibertyOverProsperity:
208	** A common reason to go Freelancer. Most often inverted later on, when the would-be tough guy realises ''knowing'' you get a paycheck at the end of the month, instead of having to queue at the Brotherhood soup kitchen, was pretty sweet.
209	** A source of a lot of conflict between Bauhaus and Capitol. Capitol likes to portray Bauhaus as a BreadAndCircuses {{Dystopia}}, whereas Bauhaus are equally prone to point to Capitol's anarchic nature, the astronomical violent crime rates and the hypocrisy of claiming democracy when 11 families control 50% of the votes. Neither side is portrayed as completely right, though. It's just a matter of deciding which you prefer.
210	* LighterAndSofter: Has a lot of the same elements and feel as ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', but is a lot more hopeful. Oh, ''Mutant Chronicles'' is plenty grimdark by most standards, but here compassion and respect for human life are still important, the Emperor-analogue still leads humanity from the front and it feels like humanity actually has a chance.
211	* LongevityTreatment: Exists but between the exorbitant cost, the invasive surgeries and the severity of the diet and exercise regimens required for the treatment to be effective, few people bother.
212	* LostTechnology: Averted: Technology from before the arrival of the Dark Symmetry still exists, but has been deactivated. All corporations still have blueprints for targeting computers, laser weaponry and orbital attack platforms archived, just waiting for the day when someone figures out a way to shield them from Dark Symmetry. [[spoiler:Cybertronic has, but Alexander is holding back to stabilize his base more and experiment with purifying the Dark Symmetry. This is at least one reason why his subordinates are starting to worry he's gone too far.]]
213	* MadOracle: Muawijhe embodies all aspects of Madness, including nonlinear thought and intuition. His cultists quickly develop abilities as {{Seers}}, and he's no slouch himself.
214	* MagicKnight: Most Brotherhood sergeants in Warzone. Most Brotherhood personel period (yes, even the ostensibly noncombatant missionaries and administrators) in the RPG.
215	* {{Magitek}}: Both the Dark Legion and the Brotherhood will infuse technology with their respective magic to make it deadlier or at least functional. One example is the Brotherhood Crucifier armour, which acts like powered armour but doesn't have the electronics for it. Instead the Brotherhood uses enchantment to give it similar abilities.
216	* MagicVersusScience: The conflict between Cybertronic and the Brotherhood in a nutshell. [[spoiler: The third edition Cybertronic splatbook teases that while defeating the Dark Legion is essential for humanity's survival, the conflict which will truly define humanity's fate is the one between the Cardinal and the Cybertronic leadership.]]
217	* UsefulNotes/{{Mars}}: Capitol has its capital there, they even dragged a whole freaking ASTEROID to serve as a third moon stabilizing the planet's orbit.
218	* McNinja: A lot of corporations beyond Mishima have stealthy assassin operatives. The Brotherhood's Mortificators, for example.
219	* MedalOfDishonor: The Capitolian Shooting Star medal. It is given to pilots and air crews who have bailed out over enemy territory and made their own way home. The Capitol Air Force considers it an award for getting shot down or otherwise screwing up, and derisively refers to it as "The Golden Parachute".
220	* MegaCorp: Subverted in most cases. The major players are referred to as "megacorps", but Capitol is the only one which is a corporation by the modern definition.
221	* MercyKill: Units can be outfitted with a special auto-injectors pumping them full of toxins whenever they get under the influence of Dark Symmetry.
222	* MoreDakka: A good couple of weapons fall under this one, Bauhaus [=AZ61=] '''Twin Rotary Shotgun''' being one of the most JustForFun/{{egregious}} examples.
223	* MoreDeadlyThanTheMale: Illian is the only the female Dark Apostle, but she's the eldest of them and the most powerful of them all because of her mastery of the Dark Symmetry. However reluctantly, all the other Dark Apostles will defer to her leadership.
224	* MrFanservice: Nick Michaels. Lessee... TallDarkAndHandsome, HellBentForLeather, ManInAKilt, WalkingShirtlessScene and TroubledButCute, all in one supremely dangerous package.
225	* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Brotherhood Crucifiers, these are Brotherhood soldiers in special {{Magitek}} armour with four arms to carry more weapons. [[spoiler:Ancients had this naturally.]]
226	* {{Mutant}}: Curiously downplayed. There's a lot in the Dark Legion, but very few everywhere else, to the point where mutation is seen as a sign of being a Heretic, because generally you're a Heretic before you mutate. [[spoiler:This is a mistake-true mutants are actually normal people who have awakened the Guardian genetic ancestry, and are actually called out as one of the two great hopes for defeating the Dark Legion forever.]]
227	[[/folder]]
228
229	[[folder:N to S]]
230	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Dark Legion runs on those. Algeroth The Apostle Of War, Demnogonis The Befouler, Ilian The Mistress Of The Void, Muawijhe (''pronounced "moo-ah-jee"'') The Lord Of Visions, Semai The Lord Of Spite - and that's just the beginning. Their units have equally colorful names - Immaculate Furies, Gomorrean Emasculators and Zenithian Soulslayers, for example. The Nepharites, for their part, have names mostly inspired from Abrahamic religions like Golgotha or Absalom. Not mentioning the ''weapons'', like Ashreketh, Azoghar, Kratach or Vassht.
231	* NewTechnologyIsEvil: People are afraid to build too capable computers after the last ones they had went on the fritz, and murderously so, due to Dark Symmetry. Of course, Cybertronic just doesn't care, [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope because they don't need to]]. They've figured out a way to inoculate technology against the Dark Symmetry, though it's very hard and requires ''capturing'' the Dark Legion alive, so making new tech is slow and dangerous. Still, it's something.]]
232	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The Imperials have done this twice, first is when they went to Pluto they unleashed the Dark Symmetry, and again when they reached another planet beyond Pluto they released the Dark Legion.
233	* NightOfTheLivingMooks: Legionnaires, unfortunate casualties reanimated by the Dark Legion.
234	* NoOneGetsLeftBehind: Capitol sergeants get PAID for this. And master Exorcists can ensure that your side ''will'' walk off the battlefield under your own power.
235	* ObstructiveBureaucrat: The Cartel has a lot of these, some Megacorp officers as well. Mishima and Cybertronic compete for the prize in this - though only if you've ticked them off somehow.
236	* OfficerAndAGentleman: Bauhaus. Mostly. Imperial has some, to go with the Britishness of their theme.
237	* OldMaster: Sebastian Crenshaw, again. If you've been a {{Ninja}} for longer than many people live, you become good at it.
238	* OneWingedAngel: Stahler from Dark Legion. When you shoot him for the first time, he turns into a heavily armored behemoth with massive claws.
239	* OrganicTechnology: Dark Legion Necrotech. Part organic, part demonic, all squicky.
240	* OriginalPositionGambit: In ''Ilian'', there are two short stories on this theme. Humans join the cult of Ilian because they want to become the exploiters rather then the exploited. And of course, their futures are so bright, since Ilian will smile upon them forever... until they fail or get backstabbed by each other, that is. Suckers.
241	* PlasmaCannon: Something of an oddity is that in the Mutant Chronicles post-Dark Symmetry, humanity skipped over the laser gun stage and jumped straight into plasma-based weapons to the point where plasma guns are uncommon, but not especially rare. Only Cybertronic has issued out laser rifles and these are mostly at the prototype stage.
242	* PostModernMagick: [[spoiler:Cybertronic's true nature, a project by an estranged founder of the Brotherhood to transform humanity into a species spiritually liberated by technology. It's also the basis of their Art-users, the Technoseers, using holy computations to visualize psychic spells.]]
243	* PistolWhipping: Averted. Pistols work in close combat, but in the shooty way.
244	* PoweredArmor: Bauhaus and Mishima mecha are basically those. And in ''Warzone: Resurrection'', heavy infantry of most corporations got upgraded to Powered Armor status.
245	* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Cartel has them in heaps.
246	* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: Mishima and part of Imperial have this philosophy.
247	* PurposelyOverpowered: Mutants gain power very quickly. Suspiciously so. This is entirely intentional. [[spoiler: The Ancients designed the Guardians, what Mutants are mutating into, to be the the ultimate anti-Dark Legion weapon, and capable of soloing Nepharites. The crunch just takes that statement and puts stats to it, leaving it to the DM to scale resistance accordingly.]]
248	* PsychicPowers: Brotherhood calls them Art, Mishima also got some flashy ones in ''Warzone: Universe Under Siege''.
249	* {{Raygun}}: As of 3rd edition, Cybertronic is starting to field laser rifles as a move to go more high-tech for firearms.
250	* {{Ranger}}: Venusian Rangers are considered the greatest special forces unit in Bauhaus and one of the greatest in the solar system.
251	* RebelliousRebel: [[spoiler: Alexander Durand was the 2nd Cardinal and one of the founders of the Brotherhood. Feeling they weren't active enough, he left them and started Cybertronic. Now with his interest in transhumanism, he and the Brotherhood are coming to blows over Cybertronic.]]
252	* ReligionIsMagic: The Brotherhood had this as part of teaching themselves psionics.
253	* ReligionOfEvil: Dark Symmetry (the philosophy of the Dark Legion) and its Apostles.
254	* RichesToRags: House Feldhausen went from being able to make a credible bid for Elector House-status into a minor and anonymous noble family in the course of a generation, following a civil was between the twin brothers Viktor and Otto over the title, and Viktor's defeat and subsequent defection to Imperial.
255	* {{Room 101}}: Mentioned a couple of times in the fluff. Both literally and metaphorically.
256	* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: Boils down the conflict between the Brotherhood and Cybertronic quite nicely. The Brotherhood is Romantic, espousing spirituality and PsychicPowers as the path to a united humanity and step forward as a species. Cybertronic is Enlightenment, and equally interested in seeing humanity unite and advance, but advocate using BrainUploading to create a unified consciousness.
257	* {{Ronin}}: Mishiman samurai who have either lost, or been banished by their Daimyo, become ronin. While still allowed to carry their weapons and due the bare minimum respect of the Samurai caste, they are often forced to become bandits or wandering mercenaries.
258	* RunicMagic: Although rare, a few within the Imperial corporation can inscribe charms and weapons with runes that grant supernatural benefits.
259	* SaintlyChurch: The Brotherhood. Yes, the Brotherhood runs an Inquisition, executes heretics, demands attendance and tithes (in practice if not theory) from all of humanity, and violently opposes any new technology. And guess what? [[TheExtremistWasRight It's all at the very least justifiable, and in most cases necessary.]] The Brotherhood is also the one unifying factor among the corporations, and runs banks, schools, soup kitchens and hospitals, with a particular emphasis on providing a basic safety net, since most of the Mega-corporations won't.
260	** Unfortunately, likely due to renewed efforts by the Dark Soul to crush humanity, [[CorruptChurch corruption]] has begun to take root in many of the less righteous individuals and subgroups.
261	* {{Samurai}}: Mishima's nobles and military, of course. They recently integrated ashigaru commoner-soldier units into the military, though, due to growing manpower needs and changing times. The enticement of escaping second-class citizen status (i.e. become a samurai yourself) if you perform well enough makes recruitment easy.
262	* ScaryBlackMan: Big Bob Watts. Imagine Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan with two freaking [[{{BFG}} CANNONS]] on his shoulders. Yeah. There.
263	* SealedEvilInACan: And Imperial was stupid enough to open it ... Twice! As of 3rd ed, the first "opening" consisted of touching a mysterious tablet after exhaustive scans showed no danger, and the second was carried out by Heretics. But no-one knows that part...
264	* ShoddyKnockoffProduct: This is Mishima's economic niche. Barring a few items (such as swords), the Mishima corporation mass produces poor quality goods. They still profit heavily as these goods are cheap to manufacture and are highly affordable to the masses. Only the Whitestars make crappier goods and that's because they're scavenging obsolete designs.
265	* ShouldersOfDoom: One of the worst offenders in existence. Some figures have no armor apart from gargantuan shoulderpads. Old Capitol figures and Imperial special forces units stand out even by the standards of the setting. Then there's Erwin Stahler...
266	* ShoutOut: The Whitestar Tsarina's BaseOnWheels CoolTrain is named ''Zolotoy Glaz'', Russian for ''Film/{{Goldeneye}}''.
267	* SinisterScythe: Some Dark Legion units wield those.
268	* SlidingScaleOfSillinessVersusSeriousness: Hopelessly stuck on the serious end-with proudly silly elements (literally a quarter of the random character tables gives you a big ol' pauldron for some reason or another).
269	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Played straight in Capitol, Cybertronic and Legion, less so in other factions that have whole {{Amazon Brigade}}s.
270	* SoulsavingCrusader: The Inquisition, again. Bonus points for being actually effective (their primary goal is curing Dark Symmetry Corruption before it overtakes Heretics completely and returning them to human society - after suitable remedial education in why corruption is Bad News).
271	* SpaceMarine: Two literal kinds in Capitol alone (Assault Marines being the "true" Space Marines and Free Marines being an ArmyOfThievesAndWhores).
272	** And then there are the Capitol Navy Special Forces, the [[PunnyName Sea Lions]].
273	* SpawnBroodling: the Heretic Corruptors in ''Warzone: Universe Under Siege'' could turn killed enemies into Undead Legionnaires. In ''Warzone: Resurrection'', it's given to Dark Legion's special character, Fabien von Hoelle, and Necromutant Leaders.
274	* SpiderLimbs: Golgotha. In ''Warzone: Resurrection'' Cybertronic hero Doctor Diana got a backpack with medical implements on spider limbs too, akin to Warhammer 40000's MadScientist Fabius Bile.
275	* SpiderTank: First created as a prop for miniature battle photos, the Dark Legion Black Widow was upgraded to a real unit in ''Warzone: Resurrection''. Other examples are Dark Legion's Tekron Warmasters, Cybertronic Cancer Machine Guns and ''Warzone: Resurrection'' redesign of the Cybertronic Scorpion LMG.
276	* SpikesOfVillainy: To drive the point home, Legion has this stuff liberally applied throughout. Golgotha's SpiderLimbs, Stahler's OneWingedAngel armor and some Nepharites, for example.
277	%%* SpyCatsuit: Etoiles Mortant.
278	%%* StandardSciFiSetting: More or less straight. Confined to the Solar System only, though.
279	* SwordAndGun: Depends on the unit. Brotherhood infantry is usually the embodiment of this trope.
280	[[/folder]]
281
282	[[folder:T to Z]]
283	* TakeCover: It helps. See "Geo Effects" above.
284	* TakingYouWithMe: Mishima Faceless Ones are Kamikaze on foot, and their Suicide Warheads are essentially MiniMecha {{Action Bomb}}s. Crescentian Martyrs and Blessed Tears fit here in the "Allahu akbar '''KABOOM!'''" way as well.
285	** ''Warzone: Resurrection'' gives this ability to Dark Legion Heretics.
286	* TortureTechnician: In the fluff, Inquisitors. In Warzone, and very squickily, Eonian Justifiers. To name a few.
287	* TrueCraftsman: Unlike Mishima's cheap but shoddy philosophy, Bauhaus aims for the high-end and significant amounts of what they make are done by hand from master craftsmen. For the less wealthy, Bauhaus does have mass-manufactured goods but these are still above-average quality products at above-average price.
288	* TurnBasedStrategy
289	* {{Ubermensch}}: Vince Diamond. In short: bleached {{Cyborg}} Creator/VinDiesel. Some other Cybertronic troops also qualify. [[spoiler:And their founder, who effectively made himself the god of the internet.]]
290	* {{Uncanceled}}: Twice. First, Excelsior Entertainment revived the tabletop wargame as "Mutant Chronicles Warzone: Universe Under Siege" in 2003, coming up with new miniature designs and entire new units (Tekron Warmasters for example). Then, in 2013, Prodos Games funded the fourth edition of the tabletop wargame, "Warzone: Resurrection" through Kickstarter, while Modiphius Games started working on the third edition of the "Mutant Chronicles" role-playing game in 2015.
291	* UltimateBlacksmith: Imperial had a clan of these who were capable of making swords that were uniquely devastating to the Dark Legion and also taught Mishima blacksmiths the art of forging blades (but not supernaturally fine ones). For those reasons, the Dark Legion targeted them with eradication.
292	* UndeadChild: Children of Ilian. They beat the crap out of your units with rattles and slingshots.
293	* UnderCity: Being over a thousand years old, sections of Luna City have been built over many times. Entire skyscrapers are now underground. The Undercity is a haven for criminals, mutants, and Dark Legion Heretics.
294	* {{Unobtanium}}: Element-113 which can be found in Dark Legion trinkets and also mined in large quantities on Dark Legion worlds. It's Element-113 that enables Cybertronic to make technology resistant to Dark Symmetry.
295	* UnholyGround: Any place corrupted enough can become this, but Dark Legion citadels overflow with dark symmetry, often corrupting large aread around them.
296	* WarfareRegression: Considering what the Dark Symmetry does to advanced electronics, it's no surprise that weapons tech also declines.
297	* WarForFunAndProfit: The second part happens when Megacorps start butting heads over resources. No fun for the troops, though.
298	* WellDoneSonGuy: The Durands are a Bauhaus noble house, but Bauhaus was ashamed of the Durand brothers actions of preaching against the corporation wars. Things turned around when it was the Durands and their Brotherhood that spearheaded the first victory against the Dark Legion and the brothers were first Cardinals. Now Bauhaus is the most loyal corporation to the Brotherhood.
299	* WellIntentionedExtremist: Lots of people on humanity's side, but the prize has to go to [[spoiler:Alexander Durand, founder of Cybertronic, who deliberately destroyed his humanity in order to become the ultimate anti-Dark Symmetry weapon.]]
300	* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: The Dark Legion gets most of their equipment from Algeroth's weapon-builders, who amongst other things reverse-engineer captured human weapons and then mod them with Dark Symmetry. Besides Algeroth, all the other Dark Apostles design weapons for their followers, with Algeroth being especially alarmed at how good some of Illian's designs are.
301	* TheWildHunt: They're Illian's executioners of failures and people who need to be disappeared. Be sent to their dimension and it's a one-way trip, with your future existence either being a hardscrabble run from them or having your very soul torn apart.
302	* WritingAroundTrademarks: Sort of. Nothing is stated outright, but it's heavily implied that Bauhaus is the contemporary retail chain [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaus_(company) Bauhaus]], and that Imperial grew out of clan Murdoch, which, in turn grew from UsefulNotes/{{Rupert Murdoch}}'s media empire. There is also mention in the fluff of ''[[Theatre/{{Cats}} The Devil's Cats]], a [[LongRunner long-running]] musical by [[Creator/TSEliot T.S.]] [[Creator/AndrewLloydWebber Webber]].
303	* WorldHalfFull: There's a Dark Legion of quasi-demonic aliens out there, humanity cannot seem to get its act together, people have been forced into the perpetual misery of war...and yet humanity's factions honestly want the best for it, there is no shortage of genuine heroes, and the Dark Legion can be defeated.
304	* ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld: Due to their resistance to the Dark Symmetry, zeppelin and airship technology has made a comeback as a cheaper alternative to jets and VTOL vehicles.
305	* ZombieApocalypse: Legionnaires aplenty. Those guys are zombies WITH GUNS. Also, painfully literal in TheMovie.
306	[[/folder]]

Context TabletopGame / MutantChronicles