History TabletopGame / MutantCityBlues

* MassEmpoweringEvent: Ten years ago in the setting, a flu-like illness labeled as "the Ghost Plague" spread across the planet. It killed millions, it was incurable, and it stopped and disappeared as mysteriously as it showed up; leading some to suggest it was a biological weapon and not a plague. Several months later, however, the first superpowers started to manifest all over the world and in people from all walks of life. This became known as the Sudden Mutation Event.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The "current day" of the setting is ten years after the manifestation of mutants.
* UnbelievableSourcePlot: Subverted. Not only are superpowers accepted (so it's not "unbelievable" if it's a result of them), but it's required by law that investigators provide more evidence for their case than just the hearsay of a mind-reader.

* NeurodiversityIsSupernatural: A detail of how MagicAIsMagicA is that a side-effect of how powers manifest on a person's biology is that their mind molds the power and the power molds their mind. As an example, mutant with healing and regeneration powers have a significant chance of developing a messiah complex, due to their ability to heal people and ignore being hurt themselves, or someone with the ability to read minds and alter memories having an increased risk of megalomania due to being able to control and predict the memories of those around them. The second edition opted to largely remove this, largely due to UnfortunateImplications vis-a-vis mental health.

* NeurodiversityIsSupernatural: A detail of how MagicAIsMagicA is that a side-effect of how powers manifest on a person's biology is that their mind molds the power and the power molds their mind. As an example, Mutants with force field powers have a significant chance of developing adult-onset autism. The second edition opted to largely remove this, largely due to UnfortunateImplications vis-a-vis mental health.

* NeurodiversityIsSupernatural: A detail of how MagicAIsMagicA is that a side-effect of how powers manifest on a person's biology is that their mind molds the power and the power molds their mind. As an example, Mutants with force field powers have a significant chance of developing adult-onset autism.

''Mutant City Blues'' is a role-playing game created by [[Creator/RobinLaws Robin D. Laws]] published by Pelgrane Press in 2009, and which uses the proprietary TabletopGame/{{GUMSHOE}} System (''The Esoterrorists'', ''Fear Itself'', ''TabletopGame/TrailOfCthulhu'', ''Ashen Stars'', et al).

''Mutant City Blues'' is a role-playing game created by [[Creator/RobinLaws Robin D. Laws]] published by Pelgrane Press in 2009, and which uses the proprietary GUMSHOE System (''The Esoterrorists'', ''Fear Itself'', ''TabletopGame/TrailOfCthulhu'', ''Ashen Stars'', et al).

* ShoutOut:
** The game's name is an obvious riff on ''Series/HillStreetBlues''.

''Mutant City Blues'' is a role-playing game created by [[Creator/RobinLaws Robin D. Laws]] published by Pelgrane Press in 2009, and which uses the proprietary GUMSHOE System (''The Esoterrorists'', ''Fear Itself'', ''Trail of Cthulhu'', ''Ashen Stars'', et al).

* {{Capepunk}}: Think of it as Series/{{CSI}} meets ComicBook/XMen (and strictly "street-level" in power levels) and you'll get the picture.

''Mutant City Blues'' is a role-playing game created by [[Creator/RobinLaws Robin D. Laws]] published by Pelgrane Press in 2009, and which uses the propietary GUMSHOE System (The Esoterrorists, Fear Itself, Trail of Cthulhu, Ashen Stars, et al).

In a world where 1% of the population has gained mutant powers police procedure has changed forever. The characters are members of the Heightened Crime Investigation Unit that specializes in crimes involving the mutant community. If a crime was commited by a mutant, it's the Unit's work. If the crime was committed against a mutant, it's the Unit's work.

* FantasticLegalWeirdness: This game showcases various elements of how law enforcement had to change to accomodate superpowers appearing, such as an investigation having to take into account whether or not someone was being mind-controlled at the moment of their commiting the crime.

* MassEmpoweringEvent: Ten years ago in the setting, a flu-like illness labeled as "the Ghost Plague" spread across the planet. It killed millions, it was incurable, and it it stopped and disappeared as mysteriously as it showed up; leading some to suggest it was a biological weapon and not a plague. Several months later however, the first superpowers started to manifest all over the world and in people from all walks of life. This became known as the Sudden Mutation Event.

* NeurodiversityIsSupernatural: A detail of how MagicAIsMagicA is that a side-effect of how powers manifest on a person's biology is that their mind moulds the power and the power moulds their mind. As an example, Mutants with force field powers have a significant chance of developing adult-onset autism.

* {{Capepunk}}: Think of it as Franchise/{{CSI}} meets ComicBook/XMen (and strictly "street-level" in power levels) and you'll get the picture.

* ExtraordinaryWorldOrdinaryProblems: 1% (and rising) of the world population hasn't created superheroes. It's only made street crime somewhat more... ''odd''.

* {{Capepunk}}
* FantasticLegalWeirdness: This game showcases various elements of how law enforcement had to change to accomodate superpowers appearing, such as investigation having to take into account whether or not someone was being mind-controlled at the moment of their commiting the crime.

* SuperpowerLottery: Averted. Power design in this game means that a mutant will be either pretty powerful on just one ability (like having a very powerful HandBlast) or be so-so powerful on various abilities. Furthermore, [[PowerAtAPrice most powers have their downside that becomes stronger the more the power is used]] -- such as for example becoming increasingly autistic if you have force field abilities.

''Mutant City Blues'' is a role-playing game created by [[Creator/RobinLaws Robin D. Laws]] published by Pelgrane Press in 2009, and which uses the propietary is one of the games to use the GUMSHOE System (The Esoterrorists, Fear Itself, Trail of Cthulhu, Ashen Stars, et al).