Wednesday, 30 April 2025

Background Mutations for Paranoia

After last week’s holiday I’m taking a little break from Mythic places, but I’ll return to that series at some point. 


Let’s go back to Alpha Complex. 


I mentioned previously that mutant powers have felt like an afterthought in the few sessions of Paranoia that I’ve run. 


So what if they weren’t a thing the player could actively use, but something that ticks along in the background? Some might be useful, but I also like the idea of them just being annoying and sparking more suspicious behaviour from players. 


Of course, that means it becomes a thing for the Referee to track, but I’m sure they can handle it.


Let’s make 12.


  1. Hostile Emissions - If you are scanned for anything you always generate the worst possible result. 

  2. Shocking Field - Any living thing you touch suffers a painful shock equivalent to a stun stick. 

  3. Pressurised Blood - If you suffer even the smallest wound you spray blood everywhere. If you’re killed it’s extremely messy. 

  4. Soft Gut - If you eat any solid food you regurgitate it instantly.

  5. Rubberised Musculature - You are unarmed by falling, but bounce a lot upon landing. 

  6. Inflation Bladder - If you enter a body of liquid you automatically inflate like a balloon, floating quite safely. It takes a moment of calm for you to deflate.

  7. Facial Chameleosis - Each morning you wake up with a new face.

  8. Bronchial Cryogenesis - When you sneeze, cough, or otherwise expel a large amount of air, it’s cold enough to freeze liquids or a bit of flesh.

  9. Mortal Regeneration - When you die, as long as your body is mostly intact, you’ll regenerate in a few minutes without needing a new clone. You’re still messed up, but you’re back on your feet. This may cause multiple clones to be active at once.

  10. Hyper Hearing - You can hear things happening in the next room as clear as day, but loud noises cause you physical harm. 

  11. Bio Siren - When you are wounded you emit a scream so loud that it shatters glass in the nearby area.

  12. Molecular Metallurgy  - Metal objects you hold gradually start to melt, without becoming hot.

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