3

A half-naked barbarian warrior wanders the land

with only his brawn, wits, and blade to keep him alive.
A feline beast with glowing red eyes prowls the shadows,
ready to fight or flee, since she only survives by making
quick decisions and acting without hesitation. A living tree
shambles from place to place after its original grove was
burned, quiet and gentle until its inner rage is unleashed.
Their land is a dangerous one, but also filled with
tremendous rewards. Artifacts from the old times can be
found by those determined enough to look, strong enough
to seize them, and clever enough to discover their secrets.
There is safety in numbers if you decide anyone is
worthy of trust. It is a world in which survival is no small
victory, yet it is never enough.
Something has been forgotten. If it cannot be
remembered, perhaps it can be rediscovered.
There is a word. Its meaning is known but within hides
a secret. If understood, explored, controlled the word
could change everything:

Warden

Metamorphosis
Alpha
Welcome aboard the starship
! This volume
Warden

contains everything you need to experience the unique

genre-blending adventure of Metamorphosis Alpha.
You can select pre-made characters and jump right
into the action or your group can create a collection of
mutants and misfits from scratch and write scenarios
wholly your own. The game is designed so the basics
are quite easy to learn but have enough depth to
keep experienced gamers engaged. Exploring the
Warden offers the action and adventure of fantasy, the
environment and technology of science fiction, and the
bizarre powers of superhero comics.

Science Fiction
Metamorphosis Alpha is all about science fiction.
Characters can discover suits of powered armor, blaster
rifles, and artificial intelligence gone haywire. The
action takes place aboard a generation ship carrying
thousands of colonists in suspended animation, set
to travel for countless years until the ship reaches its
destination. Mutagenic energy has given humans,
animals, and even plants altered appearances, strange

powers, and horrible defects. Creatures run wild

aboard the Warden, either roaming its decks or
staking out territories and defending them without
mercy. Computers, robots, and androids all follow
programming which may aid or destroy the beings who
encounter them. Discovering high-tech artifacts in
the bowels of the ship is incredibly rewarding but also
fraught with danger.

Exploration & Discovery

Metamorphosis Alpha is all about exploration. The

Warden has levels seventeen miles long and up to nine

miles wide; some areas are open and vast, while others
are crammed with tight corridors and maintenance
hatches. Most aboard the ship dont understand the
true nature of their world, but for the curious and
determined there are countless secrets to uncover and
technology to master. Understanding mutant breeds
can make the difference between life and death, as can
understanding your own mutant powers. In the future
the true secrets of the ship will be uncovered and the
keys to its control might be mastered.

Action & Adventure

Metamorphosis Alpha is all about action and
adventure. Danger can be found on every deck and
around every corner. The small white rabbit in your
path could be a tasty morsel; however, it might
generate a life-leeching energy field and evade your
attacks with mentally-projected illusions. It isnt easy
to predict what might happen next or a given enemies
weaknesses. Your group might be running toward
somethingor just as likelyaway from it. Seemingly
ordinary situations suddenly present unexpected
challenges. Combat is swift, chaotic, and deadly. Life
aboard the Warden is never dull.

A History of Metamorphosis Alpha

Metamorphosis Alpha is the original science fiction
roleplaying game, created when Dungeons & Dragons
was still new and growing in popularity. The game was
designed by James M. Ward in southeast Wisconsin
and published by TSR, Inc. in 1976. The original book
was a slim 32 pages and packed with information. It

INTRODUCTION

4
enjoyed support from the fans and in early issues of
Dragon magazine, eventually inspiring an entire world
filled with mutants and technology. In the 1990s, TSR
published Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega, marrying the
concept to a new set of game rules.
In 2002, the Starship Warden was launched again
with its original creator at the helm. Fast Forward
Entertainment published a third edition in hardcover,
which marked a return to a system closer to its original
game rules. Those ideas were pushed forward in 2006
with the fourth edition published by Mudpuppy
Games. Fourth edition pushed the story of the Warden
forward when the vessel crashed into an asteroid
possessed of a fungus-based intelligence, and alien life
began to invade the ship.

What
You Need
Besides the copy of the game youre reading right

now, you only need a few things to get started.

Roleplaying games are a hobby that need only some
basic investment and offer years of fun! Be sure to have:
A group of friends to play. One takes the role of
the refereethe person who will describe the action
and encounters and is the final judge of the rules in
a given situation. Everyone else is a player, taking the
role of one character each. The ideal group size is
three to six players and one referee.
Six-sided dice. The dice can show pips or actual
numbersit doesnt really matter. While a group
could theoretically make due with a single die, it is
really best if there is at least a big handful to share if
everyone doesnt have their own.
A play space. A big table often works best, but
anywhere that is comfortable, offers a place for dice
to be rolled, and is reasonably free of distractions will
do the job.
Odds and ends. Character sheets (which can
be downloaded and printed from our website or
photocopied from the back of this book) or at least
blank sheets of paper are a must, as are writing
utensils. Other game enhancerssuch as caffeinated
drinks, pizza, and chipsare completely optional.

INTRODUCTION

Whats In This Book?

While you may read this book cover-to-cover if you
so choose, you can also jump to whatever chapter
you need. This is a reference volume and set of tools
for you to have fun with your friends. Heres what is
waiting for you:
Chapter One introduces the starship Warden and
provides the kind of information that characters in
the game will most likely know. It gives an idea of the
tone and theme of a typical Metamorphosis Alpha game.
Chapter Two offers the basic rules, so youll
know what dice to roll and how to understand the
results when your character performs actions.
Chapter Three teaches you the steps to create
a character in the gamewhether it is a human, or
mutated human, mutant animal, or mutant plant.
Sample Characters show you the kinds of
characters you can generate and offers some premade if you want to start playing right away!
Chapter Four defines traits and qualities, so they
can be referenced easily.
Chapter Five lists the many beneficial and
debilitating mutations that can be found among the
life aboard the Warden and offers detailed descriptions
of how they all work in the game.
Chapter Six presents some of the gear characters
might possess and tech they may acquireeverything
from a dull knife to a laser pistol.
Chapter Seven is the meat of the gamethe
rules. While its useful for players to be familiar with
this material, its important for the referee to be able
to quickly reference this section during play.
Chapter Eight details the role of the referee and
offers advice on how to run everything from one-shot
adventures to full-length campaigns.
Chapter Nine contains some of the mutant and
artificial life that might aid, or more likely endanger, a
group as they explore the Warden.
The Petting Zoo of Death is an introductory
adventure for Metamorphosis Alpha. It offers a great
starting point to get a group of diverse characters
together and shows how scenarios are presented in
the game.

6
The shaman told Scar-lock that to prove his worth as
future leader of the tribe, he must journey farpast the
wolfoid packs, through the field of leechvines, and risk
unknown dangersto reach the Great Eye. Looking into
the Eye is to risk madness as a price for wisdom. Scar-lock
was young, brave, and foolhardy; of course, he agreed. He
only needed to know where it was he could find this Great
Eye. The shaman gestured with withered, webbed fingers
and said in a harsh whisper, At the wall at the end of the
world.
The world of Metamorphosis Alpha is the starship
Warden, or at least whats left of it. Constructed and
launched as a vast colonization ship, the Warden left
Earth in search of a new planet. With all environments
and life of Earth held inside its hull, the Warden
was ready to populate a new world full of hope and
promise. However, something happened. Something
bad. Perhaps no one truly knows the answer, or maybe
the secret is hidden somewhere within the ship waiting
to be found. Whatever disaster befell the Warden killed
many of the humans, plants, and animals living on its
many decks. Of those who survived, most were forever
mutated, with each subsequent generation evolving
stranger and stranger. While horrible defects continue
to crop up, many mutations offer fantastic powers that
help the mutants survive on a tiny world of decreasing
resources and increasing danger.
The disaster left the computer systems
malfunctioning and the Warden adrift. Artificial
intelligence still maintains the primary life support and
auxiliary systems aboard the ship, but it is unable to
properly identify mutant lifemaking encounters with
robots and androids unpredictable at best and a brush
with metallic, laser-wielding death at worst.
Somewhere within the bowels of the ship,
military personnel and supplemental crew are held
in cryogenic stasis, intended to be awakened in the
event of emergency. If those systems were damaged or
mishandled by the computers, the humans inside could
be dead or suffer serious problems when roused from
their long slumber.
This is the world of the starship Warden. Within its
walls are all the hopes, dreams, and wonder of mankind
and life on Earth. However, danger, madness, and death
are dealt with equal measure.

Introducing the Warden

by James M. Ward

Far from being just a science fiction

experience, a Metamorphosis Alpha campaign
is a combination of the future and the
past. Primitive tribes with bone spears and
mutated turtle shell shields live alongside
advanced robots with integrated blaster
rifles and laser welding torches.
Players must solve puzzles as they explore
a gigantic environment. Each of the ship
levels has unique dangers and encounters.
As a colonization ship, there were many
ecological levels vastly transformed by the
terrible accident that stopped the starship
in its path to an Earth-like planet many
light years from home. Learning that the
characters arent on a normal world is
the first of many surprises. After years of
exploration they might learn a bitter truth:
Something happened to the Warden, and
they have no idea or control over where
they are going until the ship is repaired.
Players usually start as primitive
tribesmen, exploring the ship and learning
how to use the fantastic technology they
find all around them. Experienced groups
can start out as military personnel coming
alive from a cryosleep, as they were put
to sleep only be used in case of deadly
emergency. Other player groups may begin
as robots or androids with their own unique
agendas, options opening up in future
supplements for this core game.
On reading this for the first time, a player
might not realize that discovery and
exploration are key features to playing
Metamorphosis Alpha. The game may begin in
the strict confines of the walls and floors of
a spaceship, but there is a huge campaigns
worth of enjoyment to be had by players
and referees alike in playing this game.

OUR
CHAPTER
WORLDONE
HAS WALLS

7
Life
on the Warden
Warden, the first colonization starship, left the Trans-

Plutonian Space Yards with tremendous fanfare. The

biggest structure ever built in space, the enormous
vessel was hailed throughout the solar system as an
achievement equal to the pyramids on Earth.
At the beginning of its voyage, the starship Warden
perfectly reproduced life on Earth. Many of the ships
levels duplicated environments found on the home
planet. There were areas for forests, plains, swamps,
mountains, deserts, and an ocean, as well as a large city
area, a huge section dedicated to the vessels massive
engines, and other levels for engineering. The Warden
originally had supplemental ships attached to be used as
neededa battleship, three destroyers, a battle cruiser,
and five frigates. If those vessels are still functioning
after all this time, much information and equipment
might be recovered from them or even a means of
escape.
Many colonists, military personnel, and crew were
placed in cryosleep. Robots and androids helped with
the daily operation and maintenance of the ship. A
series of artificial intelligence modules linked to the
central computer system, independently running the
operation of each deck of the ship.
There were large numbers of Earth animals placed
on board the Warden, and each was treated to be
extremely fertile. When the cataclysm struck, the
atmosphere of the ship was radically changed. The
fertility of all creatures on the ship was increased an
even greater amount, and massive mutational forces
changed the animals forever. Some wolves became
eight foot tall, intelligent humanoid creatures retaining
a savage nature. Simple robins became large savage
killers, striking from the ceiling and swooping down to
attack with surprise. Many plants became mobile and
predatory, some fully sentient and highly dangerous.
Small venus fly-traps grew to massive killers, able to
scoop up human-sized victims and dissolve them in
caustic acid-pods, turning the bodies to mush in short
order. Dandelion weeds grew to tremendous heights,
and each leaf became a razor sharp cutting machine
suitable for spilling blood.
When the reactors malfunctioned, high intensity
radiation leaked on to different areas of the ship.
Automatic safety protocols turned off the systems, but

the damage was done; pools of steaming, hot liquid

burned through the decks and splashed into many
levels of the ship.
Survival is the first order of business on the Warden,
as the ship is filled with vicious and powerful potential
enemies. Some are feral and attack only by instinct,
while others might prove valuable as allies, if you can
break through barriers of paranoia and xenophobia.
Tribes of mutants and even rare, pure humans have
carved out small territories on the different levels of
the ship. There is little communication and trade, as
hostilities and the needs of day-to-day survival have
long ruled. However, some have realized the value of
discovery. The secrets, technology, and other forms of
life out there are prizes waiting to be claimed by the
daring, strong, and clever. A rare few have realized
that knowledge is power. The unknown represents
terrifying potential danger, as isolated tribes and bands
of explorers never know if powerful enemies might be
around the next corner until they dare to step around
it.

OUR WORLD HAS WALLS

8
Safety

In brief, the Warden is not a safe place, but it was

designed to be. Much like the Titanic of long-ago Earth,
the colony ship was purported to be impervious to the
dangers and energies of interstellar space. Much like
the mighty ocean-going vessel, pride in mankinds
achievements is always trumped by the forces of nature.
Like the Titanic, the Warden was doomed to suffer
tragedy that no planning committee or engineer could
have foreseen.
While a cataclysm did kill most life aboard the ship
and forever mutate the rest, the Warden did fulfill its
purpose to keep the cargo inside its massive duralloy
walls alive and maintain its own crucial systems to
sustain that life.
Though filled with danger, there are pockets of
respite and safety on the ship. Some compartments
designed for storage have remained sealed, and clever
explorers might discover the secrets to unlocking
them. Friendly tribes could be bartered with for
shelter and sustenance, though explorers must guard
against deception. Powerful tech can be uncovered
and deciphered, giving adventurers access to sturdy
protection, portable shelter, and devastating weapons
that would deter all but mindless foes.
Artificial life maintains the ship and guards protected
sections. These systems recognize humans and respond
to them according to their primary programming,
though mutant life is not in the computers data
banks. Robots and computer systems might react in
unpredictable ways.
Some sections of the ship were flooded with
radiation, gaining reputations as zones of death.
Sometimes these areas clear on their own or because
of long overdue robotic repair, leaving areas feared
by most to be quite safeassuming a party is daring
enough to confirm these facts for themselves.

Risk & Reward

A character may well begin as a tribesman from a

dirt-hut village, ignorant of the dangers and treasures
awaiting discovery. As he explores his own level, he
will encounter wonders he cannot possibly understand.
He may fight monsters and mutants firing weapons

CHAPTER ONE

Tech

by James M. Ward
If the characters are pure strain humans,
robots and androids are often respectful
and very willing to help, so there is little risk.
If the characters are mutants of any type,
the robots and androids can be deadly and
instantly attack, so there is great risk. Either
way, new weapons must be found or taken
from others who clearly dont need them
enough.
One of the great fun elements of the
game is learning how to use ultra powerful
weapons and equipment. Clearly a primitive
tribesman doesnt know how to use a selfcontained toaster, and they may end up
believing this toaster is a deadly heat ray
device. The same situation can happen as a
character picks up a powerful fusion blaster
rifle. Taking a risk on learning how to use
this weapon can have the adventurer shoot
himself in the chest or have him figure out
a way to send a beam of energy through a
twelve inch wall of steel.
Even when the tribesman has learned
how to use the most dramatic of power
armor with massive energy weapons, it
may not be enough. In Metamorphosis Alpha,
you could be destroying whole jungles full
of creatures and be instantly laid low by a
seven foot tall rabbit that turns all of your
armor and fine equipment to soft gray
rubber.

that can only be magic and deal with powers he is illequipped to face. His flint-tipped spear may not keep
him alive past the next hill.
Through discovery, trade, combat, and sheer luck,
a character might acquire fantastic tech weapons and
the know-how to use them properly. As she advances

9
in skill and equips herself for exploration and battle,
she might become just as feared as that first pack of
wolfoids. But one should never get cocky, for the next
mutant could have powers that reduce her mighty arms
to rubber and leave her mind a quivering mass of jelly.
Sometimes the smartest thing to do in a fight is to turn
and run hard and fast in the opposite direction.

Adventuring

For those with the ambition and fortitude required

to journey beyond the safety of their own village, tribe,
pack, or grove, the dangers ahead are almost always
beyond the scope of any individual. Friends, or at least
allies, are needed to watch your back, guard your sleep,
and fight at your side. Trust is established, earned, and
easily broken.
Exploration will reveal new habitats, frightening
enemies, puzzling mysteries, dark secrets, and
incredible treasures. You only have to decide which
direction you wish to go and temper inquisitiveness
with caution. A simple field of mushrooms might pose
horrible risk, while a giant tusked sloth may be a tough
but ultimately gentle creaturethough it would be
dangerous indeed to assume this fact from the start.
Artificial life is not well understood by most, and it
is also unpredictable and often frought with danger. A
robot may ignore or assist a human while attempting to
cage or kill a mutant animal. Approach with caution.
New tech may present powerful possibilities, but
unlocking its secrets may involve a fair bit of danger or
leave you completely clueless as how to turn the damn
thing on. Some folk aboard the ship have learned much
tech lore and are valuable in dealing with the many
artifacts found on the Wardens levels.

Where To Next

Its recommended that you learn the basic nuts and

bolts of the System 26 rules to help you understand
whats found in the rest of the book, so proceed to
Chapter Two: Basic Gameplay. If youd like to
understand more about the setting and the role of the
referee, check out Chapter Eight: Storyteller &
Referee.

OUR WORLD HAS WALLS

11
You want to fire a laser pistol at the charging wolfoid
and then use your mutant levitation ability to escape
before the rest of the pack tears you to shreds. Action
is often fast and furious aboard the Warden, and the
System 26 game rules are designed to reflect that. The
basics of the game are easy to learn, and it doesnt take
long to resolve actions quickly and get on with the
adventure.
Whether the actions are taken during the heat of
combat, the tension of negotiations, or the frustration
of puzzling out tech artifacts, the basic rules of the
game are the same. Youll be grabbing some dice
and using the rolls to determine success or failure.
In a moment youll know whether you blasted
your enemys face off, won over a potential ally, or
accidentally detonated an explosive. Uncertainty is part
of the fun, and failure can often be as interestingand
potentially hilariousas success.
Only one person at the table is required to have a
detailed knowledge of the rules, the Referee. While
being a game guru is never a bad thing at the table
(unless you try to be an obnoxious know-it-all), if you
learn the material in this chapter youll be prepared to
adventure aboard the Warden.
The main elements to learn are how to interpret the
information on your character sheet, how many dice to
roll for an action, and how to read success or failure so
the referee can tell you what happens next. Once you
learn the basic game rules, you can either jump right
into playing with your friends or read other sections of
the book. If you want to create your own character, that
information is in the next chapter.

Players
There are central characters at the heart of any good

In the Metamorphosis Alpha RPG, the player

characters are humans, mutated humans, mutant
animals, or mutant plants with a variety of skills, special
powers, and acquired tech artifacts. They survive the
dangers of the starship Warden while exploring its
mysteries and uncovering its secrets. They win by
surviving and succeeding in their goals as a group,
as well as individual agendas, and lose when they are
defeated or even die facing the many hazards aboard the
ship.

Referee
While each player usually has only one character,

the referee plays literally everyone and everything

elseincluding the environment the player characters
are exploring and every living and nonliving thing
they run into along the way. He has to know the rules
well enough to both explain and arbitrate them for the
players, be able to adjust the ongoing story to react to
new decisions and situations, and bear the responsibility
for keeping the game fun for everyone.
The referee may feel like an adversary to the players,
since he spends a lot of time throwing enemies and
danger their way, but its ultimately a referees job to
keep things fun and fairor at least as fair as things get
aboard the Warden.
Anything a player character sees, hears, or even
perceives through mutant powers comes from the
descriptions of the referee. Whether hes got a detailed
adventure plan or is making things up as he goes along,
the referee must think on his feet and keep the action
moving. The referee interprets the game rules for the
entire table and is the ultimate authority on how things
resolve.

movie, television show, or bookthe people that the

audience is following and rooting to succeed (or at
least survive) against all odds. In our game, these are
the player characters and, like the name suggests,
these are the characters controlled by the players. Their
decisions, successes, and failures are what drive the
story and keep the group entertained. If they screw up,
the characters are the ones who will have to live with
the consequences.

BASIC GAMEPLAY

12
Dice
The S

26 rules that power the Metamorphosis

Alpha RPG use six-sided dice, the kind you can pull
out any family board game or purchase from a hobby
game store. It doesnt matter if the dice have pips or
actual numbers, so players should use whichever they
prefer. While a desperate group could share one die and
roll it repeatedly, that would be time-consuming and
slow down the pace of the game. Also, players tend to
get picky and even a bit superstitious when it comes to
their dice. There are smartphone apps to simulate dice,
and chits of paper in a jar can substitute in a pinch.
The shorthand for rolling dice in this game puts the
letter d behind the number of dice rolled. Therefore
ystem

2d
...indicates rolling two dice. The dice you roll to
generate results in the game are called a dice pool, even
if you only use one die for a particular action.

Basic Roll

2d is incidentally the default roll that a player uses

for character actions during the course of the game. If a
character is neither good nor bad at something, the roll
is assumed to be 2d. It allows the information on the
character sheet to focus on strengths and weaknesses
instead of spelling out every possibility and allows
everyone to focus only on the most interesting details
about any given character.
If any circumstances reduce the number of dice
rolled to less than one, the action is an automatic failure
or cannot be attempted, as determined by the referee.
And for standard actions attempted by a character, the
number of dice cannot be greater than fivethough it
can go as high as six dice if advanced tech or mutations
are involved.
While dice are usually rolled in multiples, the results
are not added together to create a total. Instead, each
die is compared to the level of difficulty (defined as
Easy, Average, or Hard), and achievements are counted
to determine success. All of this is explained in greater
detail below.

CHAPTER TWO

Rules, Action, and

Results
This is a game of fast-moving action, combining
elements from science fiction, sword-and-sorcery
tales, and superhero comics. In order to keep that kind
of excitement and pacing, the rules provide enough
structure to resolve actions but enough freedom to keep
games from becoming bogged down in endless details
and constant page-flipping.
Most Important Rule: Keep things moving. If
the rules dont seem to cover it, make it up. The firmyet-loose structure of our game is designed to handle
just about anything and make it easy for the referee to
improvise. However, no game mechanics can cover
every conceivable situation, nor are they meant to do
so. If a situation comes up and you cant find it in the
rules, the referee is encouraged to improvise and move
on. The referee is the final word on rules in the game.

Character
Sheet
We talked about characters a bit by discussing

players and the referee above, but now well show

how characters are defined in the game. The character
sheet holds all of the game information and other notes
about your character handy for reference during a play
session. It can be the official sheet in this book or just a
piece of paper with some handwritten notes.
Characters are defined by how they are special.
A character is probably normal when attemping most
types of actions, so rather than list everything, your
character sheet only shows where she differs from the
norm.

Stock

Usually, a characters stock can be determined at

a glance. A pure human is easy to distinguish from a
mutated human, which is even easier to tell apart from
a mutant aardvark or pine tree. The stocks available to
player characters are the following:
Human
Mutated Human
Mutant Animal
Mutant Plant

13
Traits

Now we learn what kinds of actions your character is

good at and the tasks that should probably be saved as
last resorts. Traits combine natural ability, aptitude, and
training to highlight the actions in which a character
varies from the norm. The actions defined by traits
can be physical, mental, or socialalmost anything a
character can attempt.
Traits are listed as a modifier to the basic roll (2d), so
traits listed as good (+2d) mean that 4d are rolled for
that particular action. Traits in a characters weak (1d)
areas leave him with only one die to roll for an action;
any that are hopeless (2d) are automatic failures under
most circumstances, since there is no chance of success
with no dice to roll.
If it seems like too many traits to keep track of, keep
in mind that most traits are assumed to be the average
of 2d, so the only ones that need listing are the traits
that are either better or worse.
Example: Scar-lock, a human, has amazing
Discipline (+3d), good Leadership (+2d), competent
Brawn (+1d), and weak Alertness and Dexterity (1d).

Mutations

The starship Warden is an environment in which

the vast majority of people, animals, and even plants
are mutants. While some breeds of mutated life have
established themselves over generations, there is
no telling what strange powers or defects any given
character might possess. Mutations generally break
the standard rules, giving characters actions they could
not normally attempt or situational bonuses. If the
mutation is a defect, its just the opposite and makes
life a bit more interesting for the characterand by
interesting, we mean difficult.
Mutations do not have a standard format, since they
cover a wide range of possibility. Each mutation lists
how it works in the game.
Example: Lock-scar, a mutated human, has Poison
Bite (2d) and Regeneration (4d), which grant him
advantages in battle. Unfortunately, he has defects in
the form of Diminished Sense: Sight (1d) and Energy
Sensitivity: Cold (2d).

Traits

Alertness, Artistry, Athletics, Brawn,

Constitution, Crafting, Deception, Dexterity,
Discipline, Influence, Leadership, Medicine,
Melee Weapons, Performance, Ranged
Weapons, Stealth, Survival, Tech, and
Unarmed Combat.

Qualities

Your character could have a talent or liability in a

particular area, a bad temper, or some other defining
characteristic. Features such as these make each
character unique. We call them qualities, and they
generally offer action modifiers based on the situation.
A good quality that helps a character in certain
situations is known as a talent, while one thats more
of a disadvantage is called a liability.
Example: Scar-lock is particularly handy in dealing
damage with his sword, so he has a +2d talent in
Weapon Attack. Unfortunately he suffers from bad
vision, and lists the 1d liability of Near-Sighted.

Actions
Whether youre swinging an axe at a mutated

razorback, trying to decipher the workings of a strange

artifact, or using a mutant power to heal your own
wounds, its called an action. Most of the game is your
character trying to accomplish things or, at the very
least, survive them. The game would be tedious and
boring if you had to roll for each and every mundane
task over the course of your characters day. Most
actions are automatically successful, so you dont have
to roll to walk across the room. However, the moment
there is both a chance of failure and consequences
either way, the dice come into play. For example,
walking across a minefield would be worthy of some
dice-rolling.

Action Points

Characters possess action points to help them

succeed, fail less spectacularly, and reduce damage
to keep them alive. Every player character begins an

BASIC GAMEPLAY

14
adventure with 2 points and spends them as chosen
during play. They can be earned during an adventure
by succeeding at impressive actions, coming up with
crazy plans, great roleplaying, and other rewards as
determined by the referee.

Traits & Dice Pool

When you declare an action, the referee determines if

your character has any traits that apply to the situation.
If so, you add or subtract the appropriate number
of dice from the basic roll (2d). The referee might
determine the situation warrants a bonus or penalty,
further modifying the number of dice you have for the
action. Once you have your fistful of dice, roll em!
Example: Spike has been cornered by a jackaloid, so
she decides to take a swing at it with her heavy wrench.
Spike is Good (+2d), but the wrench is not intended
for combat; the referee penalizes her for the improvised
weapon (1d). Since everything modifies the basic roll,
it comes out as 2d (the default roll) + 2d (for being
good with melee weapons) 1d (for the wrench as an
improvised weapon). Spikes player rolls 3 dice for the
action.

Difficulty & Achievements

Sad but true: Nothing is equal, let alone fair.

Depending on the nature of the action and the
surrounding circumstances, it could be a cake walk or
nigh impossible. Slipping out of a loosely-tied rope
is one thing, while escaping from a pair of plasteel
handcuffs is another. The game has three levels of
difficulty: Easy, Average, and Hard.
The difficulty is what sets the range of numbers
needed on each die to score an achievement. The more
achievements rolled for an action, the more successful.

Easy: 3+
Average: 4+
Hard: 5+
If the action is easy, any die roll above a 2 (i.e. 3 or
higher) scores achievements. If its average, a 4, 5 or 6
earns them. A hard action only gets an achievements
when a 5 or 6 is rolled.

CHAPTER TWO

Example: Randall, a mutant wolverine, is attempting

to rip open a secured door. Good thing he has amazing
Brawn, granting him 5 dice for the attempt. The referee
determines this to be a hard action, so at least one of
those dice must roll a 5 or 6 for Randall to get the door
even partially open. The dice comes up 2, 4, 4, 5, 6
only two earning achievements for the action.

Success & Failure

It only takes one achievement for an action to

be at least somewhat successful, but the more
achievements rolled, the higher the level of success.
A pile of achievements from a roll means the action
went very well! As a rule, here is how the number of
achievements measures an actions success:

1 Achievement: Minimum Success

The action is successful but just barely, and
the results may be only temporary.

2 Achievements: Modest Success

Its nothing to write home about,
but it gets the job done.

3 Achievements: Good Success

The action is handled successfully, even impressively.

Enhancements

Sometimes you do better than goodyou succeed

and then some. You dont just kick the ursoid, you
strike with bone-crunching force that throws him
back five feet and knocks over his denmate as well.
These benefits of extraordinary success are called
enhancements, and they occur when your action
scores more than 3 achievements. Each achievement
above 3 is an enhancement. They are counted separately
and allow you to add additional effects to your planned
action, effects that range from on-going conditions to
bonuses on follow-up actions.
The referee determines the precise results of any
enhancements rolled, but as a player you may give
suggestions as fits the action. Here are some game
guidelines:

15
1 Enhancement

Your opponent is penalized (1d) on its next

action.
You receive a bonus (+1d) on your next roll for a
similar action.

2 Enhancements

Your opponent loses its next action, is disarmed, or

is moved against its will.
You gain a temporary bonus (+1d) while
continuing with a type of action.

3 Enhancements:

Your opponent gains a debilitating condition

(dazed, blinded), or your attack also affects its allies or
impacts the environment in your favor.
You make a discovery or change the situation
significantly in your favor.
Sound vague? This is where the referee shines
by interpreting the situation. It should never come
out so dull as a mere game bonus or clinical status
update. Enhancements are satisfying and fun, if they
are delivered descriptively. In a fight, you might
have delivered a wicked cut above an enemys eyes,
temporarily blinding him. When trying to decipher a
keypad code for a door lock, you might stumble upon a
passkey that works for the entire area. When negotiating
with a potentially hostile mutant, you might say just the
right thing to gain her trust and a potential new ally.
Some enhancements are specific to the environment,
and pre-written adventures might have notes for
possible enhancements based on the situation.

Botching

Sometimes you kick ass and take names, other

times you just embarrass yourself. Sometimes the
dice roll high, other times you get snake eyes. When
this happens in the game, its called a botch. A botch
happens whenever all the dice you roll for an action
come up as 1. You not only fail, but do so in spectacular
fashion. Your blade slips from your fingers; you fall
on your backside; you break the tech artifact youre
trying figure out. The referee will describe your exact
misfortune, though you can use an action point to turn
your botch into plain old, mediocre failure. Note that

botching is far more likely when you are rolling only

one or two dice, which make legendary goofs more of a
habit when you attempt actions at which your character
isnt very talented.

Complex Actions

Most of the time youre trying to do something

relatively simple: hit a foe over the head, kick down a
door, or fry a control panel with energy emanating from
your mutant eyes. However, sometimes the action is
more complicated, like performing battlefield surgery
on a badly-wounded friend, solving a complicated
puzzle, or figuring out whether a tech artifact was
meant to project your thoughts into moving pictures or
toast bread on both sides. Sometimes, the action may
involve different steps, allowing for different traits to
come in to play.
For a complex action, its often an issue of how long
something takes rather than if you will succeed or fail.
You will eventually close your friends wounds, but if
shes bled to death that wont be very helpful. You make
a series of rolls over a period of time to figure out just

BASIC GAMEPLAY

16
how long it takes for you to succeed. Take too long and
the point may be moot, or you could screw up so badly
that youre forced to give up.
The threshold is the number of achievements
necessary to complete the complex action. Once the
threshold has been reached, the action succeeds
assuming you made it in time.
An increment is determined by the referee and
represents how much time elapses with each roll.
The increment could be a combat turn (3 seconds),
a minute, an hour, or even longer for something
truly complicated. Difficulty and the dice pool are
determined the same way as with simple actions, but
now achievements are tracked and accumulate with
each increment.
If you botch during a complex action, your entire
attempt is a failure. The referee will let you know the
consequences and if starting over is even an option. Just
like normal botching, an action point can transform the
roll into ordinary, boring failure for that increment.

Nuts
& Bolts
The basic gameplay here is just enough to get you

Staying
Alive
The starship Warden is a dangerous place. Fire,

Where to Next?

radiation, flooded areas, and malfunctioning robots are

as dangerous as mutants battling over territory or just
plain spite. The rules offer two ways to track damage, so
you know when your character is down for the count
or pushing up daisies.
Fatigue is a combination of bumps and bruises,
exhaustion and stress, as well as luck being pushed to
its limit. When a character suffers fatigue damage equal
or greater than her limit, she falls unconscious. Fatigue
recovers relatively quickly. Once per day a character
may use an action to get her second wind and recover
1d fatigue immediately.
Wounds represent cuts, trauma, internal bleeding,
and other serious injuries. If a character suffers wound
damage equal or more than his limit, he is dying
unconscious and must make rolls just to cling to life
in hopes of receiving aid. Wounds recover slowly on
their own, but the process can be accelerated through
medical care, mutations, and specialized tech.

CHAPTER TWO

started as a player with pre-made characters. The

referee is the only one at the gaming table expected to
have a thorough understanding of the rules, so dont
sweat it if you only have the basic dice-rolling concepts
down. The important thing is to have fun and be ready
to figure out just how your character will survive the
groups latest scrape.

If you want to get started with creating a character,

keep reading through Chapter Three: Mutants &
Mankind. If you want a more thorough explanation of
the rules and mechanics, flip ahead to Chapter Seven:
Rules.

After
the Preview
The preceding pages are an early sneak-peek of the

full Metamorphosis Alpha Roleplaying Game,

coming soon from Signal Fire Studios! For more
information, visit our companys website, follow
our Twitter feed @sgnlfirestudiosor Like the
Metamorphosis Alpha page on Facebook!
We encourage you to purchase the book from your
local game retailer. If youd like to order the book
directly from us, you may do so right here!

METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA, its concepts, and its

logo are & James M. Ward. Used with permission.
SYSTEM 26 and the System 26 Logo are trademarks
owned by Jamie Chambers. Text Signal Fire Studios.
All rights reserved.