Zone Veterans

A compendium of new talents for Mutant: Year Zero

Includes over 30 new talents for Mutants, Animal Mutants, Humans, and Robots to use in
Mutant: Year Zero and its expansions. Customize your characters with Hooch Hound, Scrap
Scrounger, Wind Whisperer, and more!
by

Erik Åhlin

PLACE IMAGE HERE

© ERIK ÅHLIN 2022

 Zone Veterans

DISCLAIMER: This document is a compilation of ideas and ¤ CARELESS

concepts made by many different individuals on how to Tools are meant to be broken. Once per session,
expand the character customization in Mutant: Year Zero. before rolling, you may choose to double the bonus an
Some are my own contributions, but a lot of inspiration has item gives you. The item bonus is automatically reduced
been taken from discussions on the Free League web to 0 after the roll and it needs to be repaired. Does not
work with single use items, such as explosives or
forums as well as other digital RPG communities.
consumables.
This document contains optional rules. Discuss
with your gaming group and GM if there should be any
restrictions or modifications before procuring them.
¤ EASY RIDER
You live for the sound of a roaring engine. You can
heal Doubt by piloting a motorized vehicle (outside of
combat). One hour of driving heals 1 point of Doubt.

X ZONE VETERANS ¤ FASTIDIOUSLY HYGENIC

Below are the new General talents. After the You are almost pathological about your hygiene and
chapter regarding General talents, there are four take every opportunity to scrub yourself thoroughly clean.
When washing off Rot, you remove 2 extra Rot points. You
chapters for specific player character types (Animal
still have to roll to see if each point becomes permanent.
Mutant, Human, Mutant, and Robot). These talents are
tied to their respective type and cannot be chosen by
¤ HAWK EYED
other types. All talents can be learned during play at a
Your eyesight is immaculate, and your aim is deadly.
cost of 5 EXP each. When suffering negative modifiers while using Shoot, you
always have one less negative modifier (trying to shoot
something from a Short distance does not generate any
GENERAL TALENTS negative modification, an attack from Long distance only
generates -1).
¤ AERIALIST
You tend to tumble like a feather in the air, always
¤ HOOCH HOUND
landing on your feet. When taking Damage from falling,
Nothing beats liquid courage when it comes to
the GM rolls 2 fewer dice for Damage (so a fall of 5
meters would only result in the GM rolling 1 dice).
calming the nerves. You heal an extra point of Stress when
consuming Booze. This is in addition to its regular effects.
X
You still lose the trauma healed once you become sober.
¤ AQUANAUT
Water is your second nature. You are an expert
¤ KILLER INSTINCT
swimmer and receive +2 on Endure, Fight and Move
The smell of death reinvigorates you. When you kill
rolls when submerged in water.
an enemy in combat, you heal 1 point of Confusion. Does
not apply to swarms. Usable once per combat.
¤ BOOKWORM
You have spent endless days reading the journals
¤ LOCKPICK
and books kept in the Dawn Vault. You are literate and
receive +2 on Comprehend when trying to read the No door or container can keep you out for long. You
language of the ancients. receive +2 when trying to open locks using Skills.
 Zone Veterans

¤ LOW PROFILE ¤ SCRAP SCROUNGER

When the bullets fly, you know how to optimize cover. You love scrap and always know where to find the
When taking cover behind something that provides best stuff. When you find Scrap you can roll on the Scrap-
Protection Rating in combat, the value counts as 2 higher table twice and choose which of the results you find.
than normal.

¤ SHIELD SPECIALIST
¤ MURDERER The rusty signpost strapped to your arm has saved
Mercy is not in your vocabulary. You do not have to you more times than you can imagine. When using
roll for the attack when trying to perform a Coup de Grace shields, they provide +2 extra Armor Rating.
on a broken enemy. You still consume ammunition if you
are using a ranged weapon.
¤ SHIFTY

X ¤ POLYGLOT
Your journeys into the Zone have given you the knack
You always keep a dagger in your boot, just in case.
You can automatically hide a Small weapon on your
person. Requires that you wear clothes or have thick fur.
to understand even its strangest creatures. You receive +2
on Comprehend when trying to communicate with
Robots, Zone Ghouls, or Animal mutants. You never get
¤ SLIPPERY
minus modifiers on Manipulate due to language barriers. No one can seem to get their hands on you in the dim
of battle. When trying to flee from combat, you ignore
negative modifiers due to the proximity to the attacker.
¤ PYROMANIAC
The fire and you are old, close friends and you love
the smell of smoke in the morning. When using burning
¤ TRUE GRIT
items in combat, such as Molotov Cocktails, the base The zone is harsh, cold, and pestilent, but you're
Damage is increased by +1. tougher than most. You receive +2 on Endure rolls when
suffering from cold or disease.

¤ QUACK
Most people just need to hear the right lie at the right
¤ WIND WHISPERER
time to get back up on their feet. When trying to heal You hear and smell the signs of the coming storms.
someone Broken by Doubt or Confusion, you may use
Manipulate instead.
You receive +2 on Know the Zone/Know Nature
concerning threats of the type Phenomena. X
¤ SALT OF THE EARTH
You are a grounding presence for those around you.
COPYRIGHT: This product was created under license.
A firm rock in the raging storm. Other friendly player
Mutant: Year Zero and its logo, are trademarks of
characters within Short distance of you get +2 to Resist Fria Ligan AB. This work contains material that is copyright
Rolls on Manipulate, Dominate or Intimidate from Fria Ligan AB and/or other authors. Such material is
attackers other than yourself. You do not have to interact used with permission under the Community Content
with the player character for this effect to be active, but Agreement for Free League Workshop.
they must know that you are there. Multiple characters All other original material in this work is copyright
with the talent do not grant cumulative bonuses. You 2022 by Erik Åhlin and published under the Community
receive no bonus to your own rolls due to this talent. Content Agreement for Free League Workshop.
Cover illustration made by Joyce Maureira.
 Zone Veterans

ANIMAL MUTANT TALENTS MUTANT TALENTS

¤ HOT SHOT ¤ FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD MUTANT
You take every opportunity to rise in the ranks of You are a well-known presence in the Ark and you
your clan. When preforming Domination duels, you know your home turf. You receive +1 on all Skill checks
always count your Rank as 2 higher than normal. You when you are in the Ark (but not when working on Ark
also ignore the negative modifier when performing a projects or out in the Zone).
Domination duel with a human or mutant opponent.

¤ MINDER
¤ ROBOTBANE Every workplace needs someone that looks out for
You are one of the fiercest revolutionaries in the workplace hazards. You can use Heal instead of Endure
valley, yearning for the destruction of the dreadful when working on Ark projects.

X Watchers. You get +2 on Fight and Shoot when

attacking a mechanical enemy.
¤ VOLATILE GENOME
Your body seems to think it's better to burn out than
¤ UNTAMED to fade away. Add one extra Base dice when rolling to see
You are a wild primal being. Add one extra Base if a Mutation misfires. However, if you roll one or more
dice when rolling for Feral Effects. However, if you roll ☢, then you get 1 Mutant Point back.
one or more ☢, you get 1 Feral Point back.

ROBOT SECONDARY FUNCTIONS

HUMAN TALENTS
¤ FIREWALL
¤ MUTANT ALLY You have isolating protocols that keep hostile viruses
You understand all kinds are needed if civilization is at bay. You receive +2 on Repair when trying to remove
to survive in this new world. You receive +2 on Machine Viruses from another Robot. You may also try to
Comprehend and Manipulate when the subject is a remove Machine Viruses more than once, even if you
Mutant or Animal mutant (but not Robot, Human, Zone have not improved your Repair skill or equipment. You
beast, or other mutated creatures). Cannot be still risk getting infected each time you try.
combined with the talent Xenophobe.

¤ TECHNOORGANIC
¤ SHATTERPROOF X
You are more durable than other robots. When
Your body has suffered the scalpel many times suffering from explosions, you take 1 point less Damage
before. When installing implants, you do not suffer a than normal.
Critical injury. You still get Broken from the Damage.

¤ PSYCHOANALYZER
¤ XENOPHOBE You have several automatic therapy programs
You have some bigoted, hateful ideas regarding including motivational voice recordings to assist non-
mutants and mutant animals. You receive +2 on Shoot robots under stress. Once per day you may spend one
and Fight against Mutants and Animal Mutants (but not hour together with a non-Robot player character to try
Zone beast or other mutated creatures). Cannot be and perform therapy. Roll Analyze, if you roll 1 or more
combined with the talent Mutant ally. ☢, the player character recovers 1 point of either Doubt
or Confusion.