Mutant Mars: A New Campaign Setting for Mutant Future!

New Campaign! Due to an old gaming buddy being back in town I am throwing together a campaign setting for Mutant Future. As I LOVE to tinker with campaign settings, I am not going to be using my Atomic Dawn setting for the game. Rather I am trying something a bit different for our post-apocalyptic fun. As follows:

MUTANT MARS
The game will be set on a Terraformed Mars that was established as a colony world shortly before Earth was plunged into a devastating war that cut off the Mars colonies from the homeworld. Of course as numerous nations and corporate powers worked together (as weird as that is) to terraform the Red Planet, these groups got into fights as well.
So long after the dust has settled, Mars is a savage world. The adapted ecosystem of the planet reacted strangely since the groundwork, and along with cosmic radiation and the uncertainties of bio-engineered life-forms, mutation is rampant. Culturally Mars is dotted with city-states, petty kingdoms and nomads with only a few cities holding to a higher standard of culture.
Players can play any of the races other than Mutant Plants, and will be beginning at 3rd level.
Players of Mutants have the option of using Mutant Packages.
Also, characters have the option of playing Magic Users (call them Wizards, Sorcerers, Priests etc) by using these rules. Such characters will have to have a cool back-story and/or belong to a spellcasting society. More on those very soon.

Below is a map of the beginning campaign region:

Candor: A massive city near Mariners River-Valley. The city is built around a Utopian Dome and is home to a large and diverse populace. The city is mostly composed of tiered slums interspersed with barbarian splendour and advanced technology. The city has many industries, but the largest is the processing of Martian Ore from Nickel-Iron Meteorites.
Ignarh: A barbarian city that maintains a trade route across the plains. It is a rough place full of cutthroats and thieves. Ideal for adventurers.
Lakkdarol: This city-state is a dusty but prosperous trade town.
Lockyer: Industrial town that maintains the other end of the Ignarh trade route. A society of mystics rules here, communing with ancient gods of Mars.
Paleveria: A republican and capitalist state with class divisions. Ruled by a wizard elite and styled much like Roman philosopher-leaders. Thursia - A learning center of Paleveria.

Mariners Valley: A deep gorge larger and more frightening than the Grand Canyon. Cliffs and cave networks are numerous here as are a number of cliff loving monsters and bat-riding madmen. Travelers beware.

Mythos Space: Hyperspace

HYPERSPACE (Plane)
Hyperspace (also called the Astral Plane) is an alternative region of space co-existing with our own universe

Two merchant vessels entering hyperspace.

which may be entered using an energy field or other device. Hyperspace is most succinctly described as a "somewhere else" within which the laws of general and special relativity decidedly do not apply, especially with respect to the speed of light being the cosmic speed limit.
Hyperspace is a great, endless "sea" of clear silvery sky, both above and below. Hyperspace has subjective directional gravity. It is also timeless. Age, hunger, thirst, poison, and natural healing do not function in Hyperspace, though they resume when the traveler leaves Hyperspace. Travel through Hyperspace for Starships is relatively easy once an Interstellar Gate is used. Ships find this route between stars quite useful. Unfortunately Hyperspace is haunted by a number of aggressive and dangerous species.
HYPERSPACE TRAVEL
Ships equipped with a Hyperdrive can enter hyperspace once they are out of a planets gravity well, typically ten miles out (GM's discretion). Wormholes, Warp-Gates and some psychic powers can also allow access to hyperspace, but these are pretty rare.
Travelling between solar systems using Hyperspace can be accomplished via a successful Navigation check. Success indicates that the course has been successfully set through the Silver Void. Failure results in the ship running off course to a destination of the DMs choosing.
Ships using Hyperspace to travel to distant star systems take 7d10 ship days to reach their destination, regardless of travel distance. During this time the crew need not eat, drink or sleep, though many still do to repel the sheer alien-ness of the Starry Void.

HYPERSPACE ENCOUNTERS
Hyperspace is a busy place, especially where vessels enter and leave the Starry Void. Every time a ship enters or leaves Hyperspace, there is a chance that something is drawn to the disturbance.

Roll d100 -- and be sure you have numbers and behavior ready.

     1    Terror From Beyond (Solitary)
     2    Fire Vampire Swarm (2d6)
     3    Mi-Go Clutch (1d8)
     4    Nug-Soth Explorers (2d4)
     5    Tove Colony* (5d10)
     6    Nightgaunt*
     7    Space Patrol -- 2d8 Starfighters
     8    Space Patrol -- 1d4 Couriers
     9    Merchant Frigate -- GM's choice. 

    10    Moon Beast Slavers(1d4 + 2d6 Lengites) 

    11    Asterion Star Mother (Solitary)
    12    Asterion Star Warrior Gang* (1d8)
    13    Asterion Starlord Command* (1d4)
    14-20 Asterion Starling Clutch* (2d6)
    21    Dimensional Horror*
    22    Astral Angler (Solitary)
    23    Phase Spider*
    24    Examiner Cluster* (1d6)
    25    Thuum'ha Trade-Freighter (2d12)
    26    Arkhamer Researchers -- GM's choice.
    27    Spirit -- DM's choice.
    28    Sawsnark Cruiser -- GM's choice.
    29    Giant Robot -- GM's choice.
    30    Color Out of Space -- 
    31    Wenelian Pirates*

    32    Tove Colony* (5d10)
    33    Byakhee Swarm* (1d12)
    34    Elderian Travellers (2d4)
    35    Space Pirates -- GM's choice.
    36-00 No encounter 
* Appears in an unocupied section of the nearest ship or space station. The only exception to this rule is a Boojum ship like the Sawsnark Cruiser. 

This material is using the Grit and Vigor roleplaying Game by John Stater. John has been kind enough to allow me to see the playtest version of the rules, and this gives me more than enough to begin work on the Mythos Space setting. 

Pulp Age: CTF Bromion Land Ironclad

Ran across this ship design while sorting some files and remembered that I never finished it. So I thought I would do so and post it here. This vessel is a Land Ironclad originally designed for a concept incorporation the various works of H.G. Wells for making a Steampunk setting.
The overall setting is a version of the future predicted in The Shape of Things to Come. The Earth dominated by a "benevolent dictatorship" after a second dark age, possibly after repeated Martian Invasions (1898, 1932, 1953 etc). Now mankind, along with Selenite allies and Moreuvian Beast-Men (a labor/grunt class) are forging out into space.
Technology of a steampunk / Mad Science sort has aided mankind in other ways. Immense super-crops (The Food of The Gods), spaceships and airships and other gadgets. Unfortunately, these scientific elite are intolerant towards anyone not ascribing to a fanatic form of scientism.

The Land Ironclads Stats:

CTF Bromion

Tremendous Construct
HD: 120 (480 hp)
AC: 12 (DR 300)
SPD: 25 mph, ACC 10 mph
MVR: -2
ATK: 1 x tesla cannon and 3 x cannon 100 mm and 3 x heavy machine guns
CP: 24/5
WT: 2 kilotons

The CTF Bromion is a loud, smoke-belching land frigate that has seen many battles across the plains of Mars as Earth forces seek to dominate the Red Planet.
These ships and ones like it are designed to battle the Sarmak Martians and their Tripods, and have so far been fairly successful. Of particular note is the ships massive Tesla Cannon, a powerful weapon that fires a massive bolt of electromagnetic lightning, dealing damage equal to the ships original hit points in both electrical and fire damage. Targets can attempt to save for half damage.
The CTF Bromion is specially armored against Martian Heat Rays that it only suffers half damage from fire or laser attacks. Furthermore the vessel can be sealed against gas attacks and remain so for 48 hours.
The CTF Bromion is crewed by human officers and human crew, bolstered by Beast-Folk troops and specialists. The ships locker is always amply equipped with firearms, from pistols to rifles and more exotic weaponry dreamt up by the lab boys of the White Council.
Other vehicles such as heavier than air Aeronef, heavy-duty and scout Aerostat airships and smaller Land Ironclads often go into the field with the Bromion, but this vessel has more than once been in tough straits without additional support.

New Race(s)

Beast Folk (The Island of Doctor Moreau)

Creatures made from animals into the shape of men. Though intelligent, they are simplistic creatures who need guidance. Beast Folk serve as laborers and warriors having a social status somewhere between animal and man, with the more attractive animals (Cat and Dog) having an easier time of it. Within society, these creatures are considered second-class citizens, but can often form close bonds with humans who work closely with them. However such friendships are usually less like true friendships and more like a proud pet owner and his or her favorite pet.
Beast Folk retain their base animal form’s attacks (claw, slam, etc) and can go down on all fours, adding +10ft to their movement rate. Beast Folk characters modify their attributes and gain a knack as follows:
Ape (Chimpanzee)-  +1 Str, -1 Cha. Knack for Athletics.
Bear (Black and Brown)- +2 Str, -1 Dex, -1 int. Knack for Search.
Cat (Big)- +1 Dex, -1 Int. Knack for Gymnastics.
Dog (Working)- +1 Con, -1 Int. Knack for Track.
Pig- +2 Con, -1 Int, -1 Cha. Knack for Endure.

Mythos Space: Everyday Technology of The 51st Century (part 1)

The setting of Mythos Space embraces the views of the "future" from the perspective of the 30's, 40's and 50's as well as inspiration from the French science fiction movement of the 1970s. Its a setting firmly in the "Atomic Rockets" genre, tinged with industrial grit, Cold War style paranoia and fear of Socialist "isms" such as Fascism and Communism, and the can-do attitudes of the post-war boom.
As a part of this, the settings technology incorporates elements from those eras, but don't always include technologies that we take for granted. This is explained away as a result of the rising of R'Lyeh and the war with the awakening Old Ones.
Some thoughts on the settings technology:


RETRO FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES (MAD SCIENCE)

Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe

Put your ray gun to my head

Press your space face close to mine, love

Freak out in a moonage daydream oh yeah!

-David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Most people in the 51st century have access to technology roughly equivalent to the mid to late 20th century (TV, telephones, projectile weapons, automobiles etc) though usually with high tech twists to let you know its the future. So its not just a Car, its a Turbo-Car! Gamemasters and players are encouraged to use as many sci-fi buzzwords that they can.
Out in the colonies such as the Bai Hu Sector and others, tech levels can vary considerably due to availability of resources, environment and other considerations. Colonies must either depend on their corporate employers, or make do. Often colonies adopt a melding of tech levels.
As a part of the Grit and Vigor RPG, characters have an option to play Inventors. As this is a setting for that up-and-coming game, I preset the technologies of the setting to accommodate this. An inventor can create Plausible or otherwise existing technologies on his own given parts, time and money. Implausible Technologies are things that are either mostly theoretical or specialized items normally only available to the super-rich or to Mad Scientists. Modifiers are included as part of rolls required by Inventors.

Plausible Technologies:
Atomic energy, atomic bombs, atomic power plants, biotechnology (drugs), cold-sleep, colonies on planets and moons, data pads, electronic brains (see computers), food pills, starships, vacuum suits, explosive bullets, heat rays, infra-red photography, robots, radar.

Implausible Technologies:
Androids/Gynoids (-2), cloning (-4), virtual reality (-2), flying cars (-2), hyperdrive (-6), digital cameras and small portable video cameras (-4), invisibility ray (-4), touch-screens (-2), unmanned satellites (-4), unobtanium processing (-6), orbital towers (-8), teleportation rays (-8).


ANDROIDS, GYNOIDS AND ROBOTS (OH MY!)

Robots are clunky mechanical beings, made for simple functions and commonly seen in colonies and on larger spaceships. They are form equals function in design and generally look like semi-humanoid vehicles or vending machines. Robots are mindless for all intents and purposes and lacking in any kind of self motivation or discretion. Robots have no rights and can be bought and sold as such.
Androids and Gynoids are a different matter than Robots, though most common folk will often mix the terms (which is seen as racist amongst Androids and Gynoids). The term Android refers to robotic humanoids of apparent male gender, while Gynoid refers to humanoid robots designed to look like a human female. Though these beings are robotic in design, they are extremely sophisticated, and have thoughts and emotions of their own. Such beings are produced via advanced experiments in Computer Technology (see below) and and are considered miraculous, even by their creators.
ANDROID OR GYNOID CHARACTERS
Androids are sentient robots that resemble males, while gynoids are sentient robots that resemble females. Android or Gynoid characters modify their attributes as follows; Str +1, Con +1, Wis -1, Cha -1. They are constructs, and so are immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic magic, ability damage and drain and energy damage and drain. They do not need to eat, sleep or breathe. However they do not heal naturally but must be repaired using either the Electronics or Mechanics skill (GM's discretion), the results of which are the same as a Treat Injury roll. An electronics tool kit or mechanical tool kit are required. Androids suffer half damage from electricity, and have a natural armor class of 12. Androids and Gynoids can imbibe potions and receive the benefit of them.
Androids usually speak English and might know virtually any other language. They can advance as Fighting Men, Rogues and Daredevils.


INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (COMPUTERS)

"Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain." -Arthur Weasley
The networked computer systems that we take for granted in our present age are not so prevalent in the 51st century. The rising of R'Lyeh and the start of the first Mythos War brought mankind into opposition to powerful hyper-spatial entities that have a distressingly easy time disrupting and exploiting silicon-based electronics (something to do with crystals) and causing no end of trouble. Because of this, computers that are in use can be individually powerful, but are almost never networked with one another. This means NO INTERNET, at least not for average Joe's. Similarly; A.I. is more limited being housed in hardware or in the form of Android or Gynoid form (see above).
So what does this mean for the setting of Mythos Space? Well for starters the characters will have to get up and do real research if them want to learn something.  Personal computers will either be BOOKS or clunky gadgets that are probably attached to a base or spaceship. If a computer IS networked it can be expected to come under assault by things from hyperspace (and de-bugging those will be a BITCH!). Really advanced computers will almost always be the product of mad science and/or sorcery and subsequently alive and free-willed in some way.
Several non-human beings have found ingenious (and often disturbing) ways around this issue. Of special interest to the Tsan-Chan Empire, the Mi-Go augment their computer systems by using organic brains (brains in a jar) that are linked to otherwise normal computers. This along with psionic access to the Akashic records, can produce the equivalent of a supercomputer. Trade agreements with the MiGo has allowed Imperial and Corporate technicians to produce rough equivalents, though the brains in use have a distressing tendency towards megalomania...

This material is using the Grit and Vigor roleplaying Game by John Stater. John has been kind enough to allow me to see the playtest version of the rules, and this gives me more than enough to begin work on the Mythos Space setting.