FATE Numenera/Mutants and Races
There are two playable non-human races in the core book: the Varjellen and the Lattimor.
- Varjellen: (p. 121) Tall, red-skinned descendants of an alien race whose ancestors were stranded here hundreds of thousands of years ago (if not more). Can open their chest cavity and modify their internal organs.
- Lattimor: (p. 122) A symbiotic race; a combination of a bursk (large, hairy, biped) and a neem (intelligent fungal creature). Can sometimes switch states between which entity is 'in charge', but are most often in a combined 'fugue' state.
Either can be used in FATE Numenera; you may take a race-related ability as a stunt, or just use it as roleplaying fodder.
Mutations are found on pages 123-128 in the book, and there are too many to list here.. They are broken into:
- 'Beneficial Mutations',
- 'Harmful Mutations',
- 'Powerful Mutations',
- 'Distinctive Mutations', and
- 'Cosmetic Mutations'.
They are balanced in the core rules by replacing the Descriptor, which usually gives you a bunch of skills. Since everyone in FATE gets the normal suite of skills, this means you can take just one Beneficial Mutation as a Stunt, or spend two stunt slots to get a 'Powerful Mutation'. Distinctive and Cosmetic mutations can be taken in general as part of your description of your character; if one is particularly important to you, you can take it as an Aspect, or you could even make one into a stunt, if you want a mechanical benefit from your mutation.
A Harmful Mutation could be taken as your Trouble aspect, if you so choose.
You are welcome to roll to choose a mutation, but probably will just want to pick one (alternatively, if you're having trouble deciding, roll a few times and pick one).
