TROLL: THE CULLING - PART 2: MUTATION

Mutation is one half of Troll: The Culling's two core systems, with Stability being the other. These are the game's primary mechanics, and thus their most important components. All other new mechanics added by Troll: The Culling, as well as some of the original WOD mechanics that this system alters, link back to them. The Mutation Mechanic is somewhat similar in form to Vampire: The Masquerade's hunger mechanic, but it has significant differences in function and effect on the Chronicle.

Mutation happens naturally over the course of a Chronicle. It’s representative of a Troll's body being internally warped and twisted by the biological stress of their Adaptations, and, as a result, is entirely unavoidable. There are ways to accelerate the Mutation process, primarily through a Troll using their Adaptation Abilities, but there are also ways in which it can be managed, decelerated, and even reversed. The process cannot be stopped, however, and is always a looming threat over any Troll’s head, no matter how little they use their Adaptations.

Mutation Level

A Troll's Mutation Level is a measure of how mutated they are from using their Adaptations. It ranges from zero, meaning no significant effect, to five, indicating a significant risk of instability. Each time a Troll uses their adaptations in any significant way (meaning something they have to roll a Mutation Check for), they run the risk of increasing their mutation level and potentially bringing themself closer to Rejection.

Mutation Check

A Mutation Check is a simple, one-die roll to determine whether a Troll's Mutation Level rises or not. Mutation Checks are performed after Mutated Successes or Failures, as required by a Troll's Adaptation Abilities, and at the beginning of each session. If the roll is succeeded, the Troll's Mutation Level stays unchanged, but upon failure the Level is increased by one. If a player whose Troll is at Mutation 5 fails a Mutation Check, they receive a stain on their Stability.

Mutation Dice

Mutation Dice are special dice that impact all of a player’s rolls. They replace a certain number of dice in a dice pool based on their Troll's Mutation Level and Stability Rating. The exact amount is calculated by adding the Troll's Mutation Level to the Base Mutation Dice of their Stability Level. If a player’s total Mutation Dice exceeds the pool for their roll, they do not add any additional dice and simply roll the pool on Mutation Dice. Mutation Dice affect a player’s rolls in two potential ways: Mutated Successes and Failures.

Mutated Success

Mutated Successes occur when the player rolls a success and one or more of their mutation dice rolls a ten. While counting as a success, these rolls often result in unpredictable side-effects. A Troll attempting to punch someone, while landing the punch, may injure themself in the process. A Troll trying to take someone out from a concealed position may succeed in taking the target out while also revealing their position to everyone around them. If a player rolls a Mutated Success on any roll, not just those involving Adaptations, they must make a Mutation Check.

Mutated Failure

Mutated Failures occur when the player rolls a failure and one or more of their mutation dice rolls a one. Similar to Critical Failures, these rolls have consequences beyond just failing the attempted action, though these consequences are often far more severe. A Troll attempting to heal another with Radionics may end up cooking them alive by disrupting their homeostasis. A Troll trying to use Hypnotics to try and take information from another’s mind may end up deleting the information they were looking for, if not more, from the target’s mind entirely. Similar to Mutated Successes, Mutated Failures must always be followed by a Mutation Check.

Managing Mutation

Mutation may be lowered through fulfilling a Troll's Duty Norm and pleasing their Lusus through Doting Actions. If a player does any of these things, they make another Mutation Check. If the check succeeds, their Mutation Level is lowered by one. Otherwise, their Mutation Level stays the same. Each of these can lower a Troll's Mutation Level once per session. It's extremely important for a Troll to keep track of and manage their Mutation Level, as ignoring it for too long can lead to drops in Stability.

Outro

So that's the first of the two core mechanics down! Mutation and Stability are both equally as important as each other, but I figured I'd get Mutation done first since Stability is pretty heavily reliant on it. There are a couple of terms in here that'll get more of an explanation in next week's entry, like Stability Stains and Rejection.

Anyway, obligatory playtesting blurb go!

The Playtesting Interest Form (link here: https://forms.gle/ShNDqjVLUqNBds736 ) is still open, and it'll stay that way until the end of next month. Slots for the first two sessions are almost full, so if you're interested in participating in the first round of playtesting (and having your Troll immortalized within the digital pages of Troll: The Culling's Sourcebook), go fill it out! Like I've said, it is 18+, since, again, mature themes and all that, but any level of experience with WOD or TTRPGs in general are welcome! As a reminder, everyone who fills it out, whether they're part of playtesting or not, gets access to the Sourcebook earlier than the general public, and everyone who participates in the first round of playtesting can have their Troll added to the Sourcebook as an official T:TC character if they so wish.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next week with Part 3: Mutation!