Mutants: An X-Men AU RPG

'Mutant: A) A sudden departure from the parent type in one or more heritable characteristics, caused by a change in a gene or a chromosome. B) An individual, species, or the like, resulting from such a departure.'

In recent years, a new variant of humanity has emerged: The 'mutant'. They have been around for untold centuries, but it is only in the last several decades that their numbers have truly swelled enough to the point where they can be considered a valid minority across the globe. They are born as ordinary humans, but at some point in their lives — usually at puberty, but occasionally earlier or later — they... change. Some mutations are milder or more extreme than others, but the end result is they are no longer 'normal'. Some mutations are simple enough that those with them can still try to lead ordinary lives, but with others, it is almost impossible to go on living as they had. Regardless of the extremity of the change, they are changed none the less, to the point where it is hard for ordinary humans to understand them. In fact, many hate and fear them. In some cases, it is born out of religious beliefs and judgement, where others are birthed out of the notion that these mutants might grow in number so much that they could one day overtake humanity. But others are merely afraid of what they do not know.

However, there is another sort of mutant that most are not aware of. They number less than 200, but they exist. These mutants — some still with physical alterations, otherwise without them — possess strange and uncanny powers beyond the understanding of humans or even other mutants. One man is bringing them together to deliver what he sees as justice towards those who mean ill will towards his kind, but another is bringing them together to oppose him. And in the midst of this battle of ideals, other mutants as well as politicians, celebrities, religious leaders, and more will all have their parts to play in the growing conflict, one which no-one knows the outcome to...

Hey there! As the title says, this is an X-Men AU RPG. To anyone who possibly doesn't know much about the X-Men, they are a group 'mutants' born with special abilities who strive to protect a world which hates and fears them. It's a lot more complex than that, but that's the gist of it. This particular RPG was born out of some ideas I had for an X-Men AU fanfic, which itself was born out of my frustration with the direction that the franchise has taken lately. However, while this is an X-Men RPG, it still takes place in it's own standalone universe, and there are some rather notable differences from the canon universes.

As said in the intro, mutants with powers are rather few in number compared to those who don't have them. Instead, most mutants only possess some sort of physical change that visibly separates them from humanity, which themselves divides many mutants into two main factions. First, you have the 'Extranormals', which are less a unified faction than people just trying to live their lives as best they can. They tend to have some sort minor mutation such as a third eye, an extra arm, excessive body hair, etc. All of these are minor enough that, with a bandanna, a large coat, a gallon of shaving cream, etc., they can still try and live their normal lives, though there are of course those who embrace their extra features, and don't bother to hide them in the least.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have the Morlocks, named after HG.Wells' monsters of the same name. Rather than possessing the relatively tame mutations the Extranormals, the mutations of Morlocks are so extreme that most couldn't blend in with ordinary humans if they tried. Some are essentially anthropomorphic animals or Petting-Zoo People, consisting of cat-girls, centaurs, bear-people, wolf-people, etc. Others are grotesque monstrosities that wouldn't look out of place on Halloween. Morlocks tend to live apart from the rest of humanity, residing anywhere from ghettos, to under the sewers, to even nearby forests in some cases; anywhere they can just be themselves and not have to deal with the fear and hatred that they tend to be dealt with in the cities.

As for normal humanity, it's a mixed bag. While mutants definitely have their supporters, others feel like they should be locked up and/or segregated like the monsters they no doubt are, for a variety of reasons and beliefs born out of both superstition and science. Some believe that mutants are the spawn of the devil, while others think that they'll overtake humanity if left unchecked. And still others hate and fear them just because they're different from themselves. There are no doubt other reasons, (a few yahoos think that mutants are aliens from another planet, for one) but the fact of the matter is that mutants are getting a lot of heat, and there are of course hate groups out there dedicated to putting mutants' heads on pikes.

The other major type is the Empowered. Numbering only in the dozens, most don't know that such mutants even exist, but exist they do. Some are still visibly morlocks or extranormals despite their powers, while others possess no physical mutations at all, but if they have powers, then they're mutants none the less.

Of course, if a dog is pushed too far, it will bite back. An old and particularly powerful mutant going by the name of Eric Lenshier is gathering forces together as a sort of brotherhood of mutants, managing to seek out and acquire a small group of Empowered mutants among the few who posses special powers beyond humanity and the rest of mutantkind. Together, they seek to rouse the rest of mutantkind to fight back against humanity, believing that the only way mutants will be safe and free to live as they choose is to subdue humanity and rise to the top of the foodchain, and with this with group of superpowered mutants leading the pack, it might just be possible.

But to every power, there is another to oppose it, and in this case, that is Charles Xavier, a powerful telepath and headmaster of the School For Gifted Youngsters, designed to provide a safehaven and place to grow for all mutants who are willing and able to accept it. It also has opened its' doors to a small number of human students as well, to show that it wishes to promote peace between humans and mutants and not to segregate them, and it also frequently takes trips out into the community to further that point.

That said, Xaiver knows that, though it is never the first option, there are times when one must fight, and to that end, he has put together a team to combat those who would actively seek to harm mutants, as well as mutant terrorist groups who desire to harm humanity. Using his telepathic abilities, he has sought out among those select mutants with powers those who wish for peace with humanity, or at least those who would rather defend mutantkind than engage in a hostile takeover of humanity. All of them reside at Xaiver's school in New York City, despite the fact that many of them are no longer 'youngsters', and seek to make the world a better place. They won't just be fighting either, as they will also be attending rallies, holding interviews, appearing on talk shows, etc. But if needed, his X-Men will fight to defend mutants and humans alike.

With all of that said, here's a character sheet. Just an FYI, you don't have to play as a member of Xaiver's X-Men or even as a mutant if you don't want to, though you certainty can if you so choose. From Morlocks to Extranormals to the Brotherhood to even politicians, there are plenty of different roles you can play, though the X-Men will still play a fairly large role in the RP. (And you can of course create OC's if you so choose as well.) Also, yes, Morlocks and Extranormals can have powers. They will just be called Empowered Mutants in addition to Morlocks or Extranormals. If you want to make a Morlock or Extranormal with powers, please do so.

• Name:
• Age:
• Race: You can choose between Human or Mutant. If you're a Morlock, an Extranormal, and an Empowered, (those with superpowers,) please state that as well.
• Appearance:
• Personality:
• Powers (If Applicable): Try to keep this somewhat low level on the Power Scale. For example, you can be really darn strong, fly about in the air, fire laser beams out of her hand, etc., but we won't be having any Superman-ish characters or anything like that around. Time travel is also a no-no, and while healing powers are allowed, they can only be used outside of fights, for the purposes of fairness in an RP setting. And if I see anything else that seems to be suitably OP, I will let you know.
• Skills and Other Abilities: This is particularly important for those who choose not to have a character with powers, and even more so for those whose characters can't really fight. For example, if they're a politician or a similar character, than they would probably be good at negotiating and diplomacy, just as an example.
• Accessories:
• Backstory:
• Miscellaneous:

And that should cover it. If you have any other questions about the setting or anything else relating to the RP, please let me know.

Sign-up Sheet:

• William Malloy, by Stratofarius
• Nico Nemo, by Tenebrous Gaze
• Pyotr 'Peter' Trapelov, by Zetsubou
• Nick Walden, by Tricksterson
• Ashley 'Ash' Nishihara, by Hydra Gem
• Araci Loronha, by Tojin
• Cale Bluefield, by Nick the Swing

Lastly, we'll be starting on Monday, December 28th, though Sign-ups will always be open. Here's hoping you enjoy the RP!

EDIT: RP's Open. Main RP Thread available here.

Likewise, Discussion Thread available here.

edited 28th Dec '15 8:05:58 PM by kkhohoho

Is this only for OCs? or are canon characters allowed?

Color me interested. Are we supposed to be members of the school or can we be independent or belong to the Brotherhood?

edited 4th Dec '15 1:19:54 PM by tricksterson

You know, I was originally going to say no, but you know what? Everything else is X-Men anyway, and as much I'm trying to deviate from it, Carlos and the School are still basically 'Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.' So, frick it. This is going to be a proper X-Men RPG after all, or rather, an X-Men AU RPG. It will still take place in it's own standalone universe, and we'll still be starting over from scratch, but if you want a canon X-men character, go for it. Just remember that whoever you choose is starting from square one here. You can't just pick, say, Gambit, and say they're already a card-carrying X-Man (forgive the pun), because as far as this RP is concerned, they're only just starting out.

With that said, this series will still go beyond the usual Superhero action and focus more on the actual politics of the situation, though there'll still be some classic X-Men action in there too. And also, you can still create your own OC characters if you want. In fact, if you don't want to be an X-Man, then you might have make one anyway.

No, you don't have to be a member of the school or the X-Men. You can be part of the Brotherhood or anything else that you want to be. It's up to you.

edited 4th Dec '15 2:37:12 PM by kkhohoho

Thread title changed per request.

Thanks. But yes, this was essentially going to be X-Men with the serial numbers filed off, so we might as well just make it a X-Men RPG.

I'm getting a lot of 'Dawn of New Age' vibes from this. It was a 'teenagers get superpowers' RP from a while ago, with a semi-realistic vibe and a kickass plotline that focused on the repercussions of teenagers getting powers.

Which is why I want to propose Superman as a mutant. I'm imagining someone who starts out with a few powers but over the course of years (or months of focused training, or whatever) unlocks the other powers hidden deep in his genes. A potential weapon of mass destruction in the body of a very uncertain teenager is the phrase that comes to mind.

Would that character be OK with this RP or, and I'm totally expecting this, is it too OP?

Hm. In something like World of Heroes, I'd most definitely say no, but this RP's going to be more focused on drama and politics than straight Superhero action. Even if he would be really darn powerful, it wouldn't matter as much, because there shouldn't be as much of a focus on fighting anyway. So yeah, go with it. The only thing I might have a slight problem though is the name. The concept is fine, but still, this ain't DC. How about Hyperion? He's basically Marvel's Superman, down to the last iota of his being. Other than that though, I'm actually down with this idea. Seriously, go for it.

I suppose in this AU, the Avengers/Fantastic Four/whatever aren't a thing?

And is it 2015? As in, our 2015?

1.Nu-uh. The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, etc.; none of them exist here. This is strictly a X-men only universe. (Aside from your Not!Superman.) Apart from the X-Men, there aren't any Superheroes in the traditional sense, and the X-Men themselves won't be wearing any colorful spandex or the like. However, if there is a specific non X-man character that someone wants, and they can make a convincing argument as to how they would fit into this RP's setting, then I'd be willing to give that character a pass. (Such as Not!Superman.) But traditional Superhero teams like the Avengers and the FF just wouldn't fit into what I've got in mind here.

2.Yup, our 2015. Well, more or less. The very presence of mutants makes this a different reality than our own, but everything else other than that is the same as in our reality, so in terms of everything that matters, it is our 2015.

I'm not 100% sure on this sheet yet. Tell me what you think, GM?

• Name: William Malloy
• Age: 17
• Race: Empowered Mutant
• Appearance: I imagine him looking like the guy in the middle.
• Personality: William may seem like an outgoing kind of person, and his way of speaking helps to sell that idea. He's very outspoken and won't shut up about the things he like and the things he dislike. He'll go out of his way to make a fool out of himself if it means bringing a smile to the faces of the people he likes. And, more often than not, he'll take the stupid nicknames and the labels and wear them proudly. However, William is very unsure of himself. He constantly doubts his own actions- even if he does not voice those doubts- and has a never-ending fear of the 'what if'. He yearns for a romantic relationship, but he won't do it because 'what if she says no?' He wants to write stuff, but he won't do it because 'what if it sucks?' As such, William's personality is at odds with itself: a smile on the outside and a crippling self-doubt on the inside.
• Powers (If Applicable): William's X-Genes have granted him an awesome set of powers... unfortunately, at the beginning, he only has access to the first wave of powers, with later waves becoming available as he trains and hones his abilities. The first wave includes super strength (enough to lift a car and to jump really, really high) and super senses (lets him see and hear things that are really far away, and has some unusual applications like tasting the particles in the air). Later powers will be chosen once the time comes by me and the GM, so that we're not stuck to a predetermined path way before the RP actually starts.
• Skills and Other Abilities: William really likes writing, although he enjoys reading about writing more than actually writing. That being said, although his shyness and lack of courage keep him from ever putting anything to paper, he has developed a rather encompassing encyclopedia in his mind of how stories are made, from books to TV shows. Which means going with him to the movies is either very interesting or incredibly boring, as he'll most likely spend his time talking about the choices made by the writer in developing the story.
• Backstory: William Malloy is the latest member of the esteemed Malloy family, who began their history when they immigrated to the US from Ireland in the early years of the 20th century with a few books in their hands. Soon, the Malloys were the owners of 'The Pot of Gold', a popular bookstore in downtown New York, priding themselves on how they always knew what kind of book the customer wanted. These days, The Pot of Gold is run by Barry Malloy (William's father) and his wife, Maria Malloy. Since he grew up surrounded by books, William never knew how to confront things head on, be it physically or psychologically. Whenever something went wrong for him and he felt sad, he'd just read a book. It wasn't until his teenage years that William began to make friends, and by then the 'damage' had already been done: William often found himself unable to do anything, constantly worrying that something might go wrong should he take a risk. Not wanting to lose his newfound friends, he modeled his outside persona on the books he read. Although he likes to think he's all fine and dandy now, William's problems only seem to grow more and more now that he has to muddle through the difficult world of adolescence.

Looks good. Accepted.

Can you be an Empowered who is also an Extranormal or Morlock? For instance like Nightcrawler? And would having dark green skin and blue hair make you Extranormal or Morlock? Because you can cover or dye the hair but not really the skin.

1.Yes, Empowered's can be Morlock/Extranormals. I tried to say this in the opening post, but in any case, you can be an Empowered while still having the appearance of an Extranormal or Morlock, and if you didn't have powers, that's what you'd be anyway. I'll try and make this a bit more clear in the OP.

2.Hair you can hide, (you might not even have to hide it; some might think it's just hair dye,) but skin you can't, unless you're prepared to apply body paint to yourself every single day. In which case, you would be considered a Morlock. And to clarify a bit, these are less scientific names and classifications, and more slang for certain mutant groups that have risen over time. You're all still mutants nonetheless.

Question: would a character that is around 1500-1800 years old (immortal and ageless, but anything that could kill a normal human kills them as well), along with a couple of other powers be acceptable?

...Hm. Considering Apocalypse is going to be in this RP at some point, (not any time soon, but still,) it wouldn't be out of the question. What it would really depend on though is what just type of character you'd be playing, and how they'd fit into the RP. How about this: You don't have to make a full Sign-up sheet if you don't want to right now, but at least tell me the character's backstory and what you'd think they'd be doing during the RP. Then I might have an idea of whether they'd work or not.

edited 6th Dec '15 6:25:04 AM by kkhohoho

Well, she's a bit of a tricky one, with a penchant for popping into events to make them boil over for pleasure and profit. Thalia, original name unknown, has been active in human history for at least 600 years. A combination of agelessness, illusory ability, and limited teleportation can work wonders in ensuring things remain "interesting." Some of her more outstanding achievements include Joan of Arc, the Munster Rebellion of 1534, assisting in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, among others.

She's been quiet for a few decades due to the increasingly large number of mutants. Things are heating up between them and humans, so why not manipulate things in her favor?

In other words, she'll be trying to spark trouble at every opportunity. Inciting a riot here, leaving a body here and there: it's all fair game.

I'm pretty interested. My sheet'll be kinda late though; I'm busy pretty much from the get-go tomorrow, and I can't do it now because I'm on my phone.

edited 20th Dec '15 4:21:19 PM by Tojin

In that case, she might actually work. She could possibly even be associated with the Hellfire Club, as 'stirring things up' will be part of their MO here, as a means to manipulate the current situation so as to gain power. That would be up to you though. In any case, just write up a sign-up sheet, and if everything checks out, she'll be good to go.

I'll be posting a sign up soon

• Name: Nico Nemo
• Age: 18
• Race: Extranormal^* Mostly, see powers. Empowered Mutant
• Appearance: His regular body is pretty typical apart from his visual mutation; Nico is about 5'8" tall and fairly thin with tan-coloured skin and a chiseled but unremarkable face. Due to his mutation his hair, which is normally short and scruffy, and his eyes, concealed by a pair of dark glasses, are a light violet colour. His splinters have mostly random and thus completely different appearances.
• Personality: Nico is quiet and seems determined to keep his emotions to himself, being stoic even when it's ill-advised and seeming calm even when internally he is not. He's fairly apathetic about the bigger picture, not really noticing anything that isn't easily visible to him, but is willing to help people on a small scale if doing so doesn't actively hurt him. He struggles with trust and as such keeps a great deal of secrets and sometimes spies on people to try and figure out the truth. On the rare occasion he does grow to truly trust someone however, he tends to latch onto them and quickly grow attached. He also has some identity issues, as he can't really define himself and sees no place he fits in the world.
• Powers: Nico can create "splinters", which are fragments of his persona. Each splinter is an entirely separate physical being with a largely random appearance (they're a similar age more often than not and a small portion are differently extranormal or even morlocks but the rest is random) and a mind which is a duplicate of his. They can act with total autonomy but if he focuses (he can get small bits reasonably easily but has to meditate to completely synchronize) he can tap into their senses and the memories gained since splitting. Creating one also takes sustained focus, so it can't be done in the middle of any other actions (basically it could never be done in the middle of a fight but he could make one if there's nothing time-sensitive going on) and drains him physically, meaning he must rest between creating multiples. Having more at once creates a mental strain on him (at the start he can manage himself and 4 splinters without anything outwardly notable but any more and it may become obvious that something is wrong). While the initially created splinter can easily walk away just after creation, if it comes close to Nico again it will recombine with him, giving him the memories it gained. A splinter can copy basic objects such as clothing when it’s created but nothing more complex.
• Skills and Other Abilities: Nico is fairly talented at acting and can lend this talent to deception or fleshing out fake identities for his splinters. He’s very good with technology and has some basic hacking ability. He also has elementary self-defense and first-aid skill, although neither is remarkable.
• Accessories: Nico has a pair of dark glasses which hide his unnatural eye colour, as well as correcting his vision like normal glasses. He also keeps a penknife which was given to him by his adoptive mother. As the splinters can only duplicate simple objects, he carries multiples of utility objects like wallets and mobiles.
• Backstory: Nico was abandoned by his parents when he was just a baby. His extranormal nature manifested extremely early in life, which may have been the cause, but he never knew his biological parents. He was adopted and lived in reasonable happiness for some time but it didn’t last, as his adoptive parents eventually grew apart and divorced. Nico lived with his mother, a successful lawyer, and took her maiden name as he distrusted his father, seeing him as solely responsible for the divide. Eventually the two of them moved from the UK to the US but despite his mother’s support, Nico struggled to keep up with the changes in his life and the tension of human-mutant politics further complicated his life, creating more stress. As he learned about the various mutant factions a desire grew within him to figure out his place in the world and learn of these options first-hand.

I have an idea that he could actually start out in multiple factions, his main body going to the school but also having at least one splinter trying to join another group (preferably one with another player in for obvious reasons). The idea is that he hasn't actually chosen a side yet, so he wants to judge all the possibilities.

edited 8th Dec '15 2:27:00 PM by TenebrousGaze

Accepted. Well, mostly. The only real problem I have is that your Race is listed as Extranormal instead of Empowered. If you've got powers, (which you do,) then that counts you as an Empowered mutant, regardless of where you would otherwise fit in. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm being nitpickey, but aside from that, you're good to go.

What about a Mutant who can manipulate the electrical bonds of his body? Its self-focused, and while it can effectively allow him to emulate various abilities the core ability is very draining. Thus he can't 'teleport' spam or soar the skies infinitely. Even if he undergoes a secondary mutation, he'll be a rampaging bestial creature whilst the secondary ability is in effect.

By the way, what about other stuff related to Mutants, like Weapon X for starters? Are the Mutants really just the product of sufficiently random mutation, or did the Celestials have a part?

I'm sorry, but that sounds needlessly complicated, and it also sounds like it could turn into New Powers as the Plot Demands if not handled carefully. Why don't you try something simpler?

In regards to your other questions, Weapon X will be delved into whenever they actually show up in the RP in due time. In the meantime, it's not something to really worry about. As for the cause of mutations, for our purposes, yes, it's just random mutations. No aliens in this RPG. Of course, that also means no Shi'ar and the like. I'm trying to go for a more grounded feel here, and that means that there won't be any aliens or alternate dimensions or Bad Futures or anything like that. Again, this is an alternate universe, and one shouldn't assume it's going to be exactly like any of the previously established X-Men universes.

edited 8th Dec '15 3:24:41 PM by kkhohoho

Can I make an Empowered Morlock, or would that be too OP/Mary Sue-ish?