Summary
I recently read-or re-read all the published Mutant Crawl Classics RPG (MCC RPG) modules to prep for writing the sequel to Children of the Fallen Sun. Here’s the notes I took. Hope other’s may find this useful
Goodman Games Adventures
MCC 00: Assault on the Sky High Tower
- TODO – still need to finish the review
MCC 01: Hive of the Overmind
Summary: The mutants travel into an Ancient’s complex which has become the underground lair of ant men being controlled by a sinister AI.
- Bernick’s writing is crisp and fun. Extremely playable. It’s a “lost-complex” crawl
- One of the two I’d recommend as defacto starting MCC adventure
- Rating: 5 mutants
MCC 02: A Fallen Star for All
Summary: a fallen meteor has opened up a gash in the terra exposing an underground mining facility once operated by a “Howard Hughes/Mark Zuckerberg” type. The mad genius may have left some traps behind.
- Notes: a “lost-complex” crawl. I would have liked to see more foreshadowing of the critter at the end you’d be facing.
- Rating: 4 Mutants
MCC 03: Incursion of the Ultradimension
Brief: After a natural disaster wipes out the village, the mutants are sent to check out an evil complex that caused all kinds of havoc last time such an event occurred
- Honestly, this felt more DCC than MCC. The mutants must face down a Lovecraftian horror that has infiltrated the mutants world a tear in the universe caused by some Ancient mad scientists.
- This is an interesting one as the foe is mostly the alien threat so this one felt almost like our MCC characters were going through the downed ship from the movie “Alien”
- Tags: #DCCFriendly, #Aliens
- Rating: MCC 4 given the complexity, but Curtis’ writing is a 5.
MCC 04: Warlords of ATOZ
Summary: the mutants are approached by a refugees saying they are being slaughtered by warlords who will soon come for their village
- Clearly influenced by “Zardoz”, the PCs must infiltrate a complex which turns out to be a ship.
- Brief adventure. Loaded with Wampler zaninesses for you fans of the super science
- Rating: 4 mutants
MCC 05: Blessings of the Vile Brotherhood
Brief: The PCs must go on an adventure to get their beloved medi-bot repaired, but a recently awakened battle droid will be hunting them along the way causing havoc.
- Adventure feels more DCC than MCC
- Harley is a great adventure writer and this is no exception.But for whatever reason, this adventure didn’t feel so MCC’ish to me
- Tags: #WanderingTheWastesIntro
- Rating: 4 as an MCC, 5 as a DCC
MCC 06: The Apocalypse Ark
Summary: A Star Wars’ New Hope Jawa Sandcrawler” type ship comes rumbling through the forest destroying everything in its wake. Up to the mutants to stop it.
- Notes: Reads like a tough adventure (level 5). This is another “crawling through the broken ship of the Ancients” complete with irate AI keeping tabs on things (similar to Children of the Fallen Sun)
- Interesting: No read-aloud text
- Some complex bits for judges (so a 4 Mutant) rating, but Brendans’ writing is always interesting and brilliant. The philosophical Rat King was priceless, as was the AI that only answers in song requests
- Tags: #AngryAI
- Rating: 4.5 mutants, losing a mere half a mutant for no read aloud text
MCC 07: Reliquary of the Ancient Ones
Summary: 6-8 individual rooms where the PCs explore “westworld of the Ancient Ones”
- Tournament adventure. Has 6-8 loosely connected rules, as well as some interesting rules for swapping people in and out.
- The writing is very wampler-esque. Sadly, some of the best wampler-esque writing is not in the readaloud
- Rating: 3.5 to 4 mutants – more standalone rooms cohesive adventure due to it being a tournament module. Much of the “Wampler-esque” writing happens outside the readaloud. That said: Would be a 5 as a tournament adventure… and with some re-work, could make a good sequel to Museum at end of Time
MCC 08: The Data Orb of Metakind
Not reviewing as this is a supplement and not an adventure.
MCC 09: Evil of the Ancients
Summary: It is “The Shining” in the post-apoc with a haunted facility of the Ancients standing in as the Overlook Hotel, and the PCs slowly going mad and murderous “Jack Torrance” style. Adventure also has a sweet Lovecraftian finish.
- Sequel to Incursion of the Ultradimension
- I would not recommend this adventure to new judges – there’s a lot going on here.
- Tag: #LostComplexCrawl, #InteractingWithAncients #HorrorVibe
- Rating: MCC gameability is a 4.5 due to how challenging it is, but Curtis’ writing is a 5.
MCC 10: Seeking the Post-Humans
Summary: when the mutants village starts becoming poisoned with a sludge, it’s up to the mutants to travel down from their Avatar-like mountain home to travel through the underbrush to find gadgets that will help them survive
- Notes: Brendan gives a few sequenced encounters, before dropping the PCs off in a lair inhabited by some of the Ancient
- Tag: #InteractingWithAncients
- Rating: 5 mutants – not a campaign starter, but definitely one to have in your collection
MCC 2016 Free RPG: Museum at the End of Time
Summary: The mutants set off to find some adventure. They stumble across a lost complex (natural history museum) of the ancients. Mayhem ensues.
- A “lost-complex” crawl. So far I think this would be one of the 2 examples of the “defacto-starting MCC adventure.” (along with Hive of the Overmind)
- Tags: #WanderingWastesInto, #LostComplexCrawl
- Rating: 5 Mutants
MCC 2018 Holiday: Home for the Holideath
- Summary: When all the presents are stolen from the PC’s tribe (in true Grinch-like fashion), our mutants follow sleigh-tracks back to a Post-Apoc Xmas-themed Shopping Mall where all the familiar holiday themes have become deadly
- A “forgotten-mall” crawl. This is a super fun adventure. Julian Bernick is a great MCC author, and his tone is perfect in this one as well. He’s not afraid to create some fabulous death traps
- Tag: #LostComplexCrawl
- Rating: 5 Mutants
Third Party Products
Children of the Fallen Sun
Thick Skull Adventures
Summary: After witnessing a falling meteor, the mutants are sent to see if the “fallen sun” is the prophesied return of the Sky Ark of the Ancients
- The beginning is similar to “A Fallen Star for All”, but this is a “crashed ship” crawl, with very active AI and warring “alien” factions. I think it’s a good 0-level campaign starter, but I’m biased as I wrote it.
- Tags: #WanderingWastesIntro, #ModernAncients, #AngryAI
- Rating: Must recuse rating as I wrote it, but I hope YOU enjoy it
Stephen’s Hot Takes:
- Favorites: My favorite so far: Museum at the end of Time, Hive of the Overmind, Home for the Holideath, Seeking the Trans-Humans, and Evil of the Ancients
- Starting Adventure Recommendation: My take for “Most MCC-ish”: Museum at the End of Time – this is the adventure I’d recommend everyone start with. It’s the MCC equivalent of Portal Under the Stars. Otherwise, I’d recommend Children of the Fallen Sun or Hive of the Overmind.
- See Also: All The MCC Adventures
