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Mutant Crawl Classics RPG $24.99
Average Rating:4.7 / 5
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Mutant Crawl Classics RPG
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Mutant Crawl Classics RPG
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Graham H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/21/2024 23:41:08

This game is incredible. But there are some misconceptions a person could get from looking at the back of the MCC book or looking at the internet-- I want to clear those up. I am not affiliated with the publisher but I do have some lv. 6 guys running around Terra A.D.

1) Is it a mash-up? No, this is no mash-up.

The “magic” that is referenced on the back of the book is that of “post-Singularity” Arthur C. Clarke technology. How the lo-tek denizens of the world perceive the artifacts of the Ancients. This definition is what allows the game to have its unique contours. But the technology is so mind-blowing that it gives the best items in our favorite fantasy game a run for their money.

If Rifts and similar games are sitting across the “Science Fantasy” axis, this is squarely in “Science Fiction.”

Designer Jim Wampler is the Shakespeare of technobabble. One of the twists MCC adds is the ability to truly be a wizard… but without using “mystical/supernatural” abilities. Instead it’s all “quantum shunts” and transmat beams. It’s all about the lingo, and it works!

2) This IS the spiritual successor to Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World.

And there is nothing like the MA/GW cosmos. In 1976, did James Ward accidentally discover another dimension, mapping a perfect 1:1 correspondence to D&D, but where there is “no magic?” Maybe-- and it’s magical.

I hope he made it over there. You know, the final destination of the Warden.

That cosmos is the product of a singular vision, plus a few decades of spirited but faithful iteration.

I love Palladium but the edges of that megaverse can blur and lose resolution. This is the opposite. This is not a bad port of Mad Max or Robocop either, or a gritty table-top version of Fallout. GW/MCC is its own place, with a brilliantly colorful aesthetic.

It’s totally optimized for futuristic dungeon-crawling. Usually a single world comprises the campaign setting, and there are limited transportation options. This is a “less-is-more thing.” Generally speaking, players can’t fly to a random city or planet and make you freestyle a whole culture.

MCC expands the range of possible settings that fit this cosmos: The Neolithic hothouse jungle with a shattered moon. This time, consider the “Post-Apocalyptic” / “Science Fiction” axis. With its stop sign shields and semi-recognizable locales, Gamma World falls along the “post-apocalyptic” side. MCC’s offering is again closer to “science fiction”-- an unexplored planet. Is it a billion years in the future? A billion years in the past? A counter-Earth? A lost colony in the Horsehead Nebula? (Psst-- you can still have a stop sign shield.)

3) The DCC rules are the perfect foundation for this world.

Despite the “retro” branding, the DCC rule set is nothing if not a cutting-edge, state of the art modern game. Only “old school” in the phantasmal sense that it makes old timers feel like they did in the good old days. Wildly unpredictable, its pioneering use of tables means that there are a dozen-or-so tiered effects for nearly every ability. And in MCC, practically everyone is the equivalent of a spellcaster, recklessly burning luck and attributes at the first crack of a twig. The game shatters that dichotomy which, back in the 3e era, had the tasteless name of “crunch vs. fluff.” How? Well see, those effect tables literally define what the world is-- and what it can be turned into.

MCC is complete (one caveat below). I never crack open my DCC hardback over the course of an MCC phase. That is tabu! Some folk on the boards perceive a gap here and there and propose to fill them with DCC rules. You are free to do that, but it’s not necessary. And if you want my opinion, as often as not it is ill-advised. Example: humans can burn luck to avoid taint? Not in my holo-grid. All humans in MCC regen luck; such a trifling sacrifice does not impress the orbital electro-Gods. But hey, speaking of humans, from a rules standpoint PSH are awesome for the first time in…

The powers that your cast of heroes can get their claws on are really next-level. If you never found the Sky Chariot during your GW days, now is your chance to get into orbit. The rainbow-hued cover of the base MCC book perfectly captures the tone of infinite possibility and lightning-shot positive energy. This is cave-punk. The diametric opposite of grimdark cyberpunk. You are going to re-populate Terra A.D.! Unless some random mid-adventure mutation causes you to laugh so hard you can’t breathe.

4) The support for this game continues to be AMAZING--

--destroying a couple out-of-date prognostications still etched into dusty corners of the web. There is already more content for MCC then there ever was for any three or four editions of Gamma World. Goodman, plus a contingent of third-party publishers possessed of mind-melting creativity, are cranking out enough adventures that my kids will be able to play this with their kids someday (D&D will be on its 12th edition). And I never get bored during a read-through of a module with the MCC logo on it. That’s a deep bench of writing talent.

Okay so what is missing? In my opinion the only thing “missing” in the core MCC book is a useable map-- no offense to the Kovacs beauty on the inside cover.

And what is missing from the product line? Well, DCC now has Lankhmar and Dying Earth, but before that it struck me as a little skimpy on setting. MCC remains lean on setting. That is okay, as each of the modules builds out another unforgettable destination. I will take epic adventures over sourcebooks almost any day-- but why not have both? Our fearless third-party champions are starting to fill gaps here also. I would love to see a full-blown hardback or better yet, boxed set. But hey! The kickstarter could come any day. Maybe YOU will make it happen!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Mutant Crawl Classics RPG
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Erich [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/20/2024 15:56:24

I love the setting of this game and it seems like it will be fun to play. As mentioned several times in the discussions, however, the shaman class is incomplete to the point of being unplayable without 3rd party supplements or heavy house ruling. I bought the pdf while on sale, and have no regrets, but I would be fairly annoyed if I had paid full price.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Thanks for the feedback and we're glad you are enjoying the setting. The Shaman class can be a point of contention if it's viewed as being a replicant of the Wizard class in DCC. Check out this episode of RAW: Rules As Written where they discussed the Shaman class and if something might be missing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIJzX8vhVQc&list=PLjotbAxDry2JeD5K_QGcF73wSM8sFy6af&index=29&t=2141s I'm pretty sure the following episode also has an answer directly from the creator Jim Wampler and his thoughts on the question - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjJxksenQHE&list=PLjotbAxDry2JeD5K_QGcF73wSM8sFy6af&index=30 Gain 1 point of Luck in any GG staff run game for leaving a review! (can only be redeemed once!) ~Matt Robertson Goodman Games
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Mutant Crawl Classics RPG
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Wesley A. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/22/2023 11:55:26

For whatever reason, all the things that DON'T land with me in DCC click in MCC. This is a great gonzo fun with an included adventure which had me laughing myself silly from nostalgia vibes. It's well worth the pick up.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Check out the RAW: Rules As Written videos on the Goodman Games YouTube channel Wesley. We've most recently been talking about the nuances of MCC and I've personally discovered so much more under the surface than I realized was there. Thanks for the review. ~Matt Robertson Goodman Games
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Mutant Crawl Classics RPG
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Frank M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/14/2022 09:37:44

I'm only giving this 5 stars because 6 isn't an option.

MCC is a lightweight set of rules which are easy to pick up and have a blast doing some post-apocalytic gaming a la Gamma World.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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