31 Days of Character Creation #22 – Mutant Year Zero

After trying out The Electric State I became a big fan of the Free League model of games. Most of them use a variation on their proprietary Year Zero Engine which is fairly quick and easy to play with. I’d be eyeing this game as I have been on the lookout for something post-apocalyptic that wouldn’t be a resources number crunching chore to play. I like the way this game feels, so I think it may be what I was looking for.

Here’s how Mutant Year Zero is described on its official website:

Mutant: Year Zero takes you to the world after the great Apocalypse. Humanity’s proud civilization has fallen. The cities are dead wastelands, winds sweeping along empty streets turned into graveyards. But life remains. Among the ruins, the People live. You are the heirs of humanity – but not quite human anymore. Your bodies and minds are capable of superhuman feats. You are mutants.

A fast and effective character generation system, using archetypal roles such as the Crusher, the Gearhead, the Fixer, the Dog Handler and the Chronicler. Unstoppable but highly unpredictable mutant powers, such as Flame Breather, Insect Wings, Human Magnet, and Pathokinesis. A skill and conflict system that makes you push yourself to the limit, and beyond. The rules system highlights two main themes: mutation and resource management. Every bullet counts!Rules for developing the Ark (“base building”) and exploring the Zone (“gridcrawling”).

I did some random rolls and ended up with Pontius, an Enforcer with some grudges.

Pontius is a hulking Enforcer with a a body as scarred as the Zone itself. Beneath his welded-together metal armor, every jagged mark tells a story of battles fought to protect what little he has. His mutation, pathokinesis, lets him manipulate the emotions of others—a power he wields with subtle menace.

Boss Marlotte took him in when he was at his lowest, trading grub for Pontius’s muscle and loyalty. He suspects Fixer Milix, a scheming scavenger in the Ark, has been skimming grub rations, and Pontius is itching for proof to give him an excuse to break Milix. His companions, Niko and Zara, represent the fractured hopes of the Ark. Niko’s painful visions of the Zone often drive their plans, while Zara’s reckless expeditions into the most treacherous ruins ensure they always return with valuable salvage—or barely return at all.

Pontius dreams of destroying anything beautiful—a twisted ambition fueled by the misery of the Zone and his belief that beauty breeds weakness.

When Zara stumbles back from her latest expedition, she carries not only a haul of strange Zone tech but also news of a ruin untouched by scavengers. She claims it holds something so pristine it seems impossible—a lush, glowing garden. Boss Marlotte demands Pontius investigate, fearing others will seize this paradise before her crew does.

But Niko’s latest vision complicates things: it shows Milix standing in the heart of the garden, feeding an unseen monster while the Ark burns behind him. Is the garden real? Is Milix plotting something dangerous? And what role will Pontius play in deciding the fate of this strange beauty?

Click here to read the entire character sheet.