Dragon Index
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homeHow Green was My Mutant (The Appearance of Humanoids in Metamorphosis Alpha)
by Gary Gygax (Dragon #5)
Mutated humans, or simply humanoids, are a commonplace sight in the "worlds" of METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA. It is no great matter to describe the obvious when telling a player about his own appearance, or relating to a party of adventurers what they see when they encounter some humanoids. Thus, a mutant is very large or quite small, has quills, or is winged. Large ears go with heightened hearing. A long, broad nose indicates a humanoid with heightened smelling ability. It is easy to go on, but what about general differences? Of course, you may have humanoids appearing as humans in most respects, but if you would enjoy adding a bit of "color" to your campaign, I suggest the following tables for obtaining the general appearance of mutated humans, players or not. To determine the appearance just roll dice for as many of the categories as you desire, and, or course, you may delete, add, or change as you see fit!
| Die Roll |
Skin/Hair Coloration |
Skin Characteristic |
Color Pattern |
|
1
|
white
|
hairy
|
solid (or solid patches)
|
|
2
|
pink
|
hair patches
|
striped
|
|
3
|
tan
|
bald
|
spotted
|
|
4
|
brown
|
wrinkled
|
belted
|
|
5
|
orange
|
warty
|
banded
|
|
6
|
black
|
knobby
|
whorls
|
|
7
|
red
|
pocked
|
splotches
|
|
8
|
yellow
|
leathery
|
normal
|
|
9
|
blue
|
normal
|
normal
|
|
10
|
green
|
normal
|
|
|
11
|
purple
|
|
|
|
12
|
gray
|
|
|
|
13-15
|
2 colors
|
|
|
|
16-17
|
3 colors
|
|
|
|
18-19
|
4 colors
|
|
|
|
20
|
5 colors
|
|
|
|
| Die Roll |
Head |
Neck |
Body |
|
1
|
crested
|
long
|
round
|
|
2
|
long, pointed
|
long, thin
|
thin
|
|
3
|
flattened, oval
|
short
|
barrel like
|
|
4
|
bulbous
|
very thick
|
hunched
|
|
5
|
bullet shaped
|
wattles
|
long
|
|
6
|
quite small
|
normal
|
small
|
|
7
|
normal
|
|
normal
|
|
8
|
normal
|
|
normal
|
|
|
| Die Roll |
Facial Features |
Hands and Feet |
Fingers and Toes |
|
1
|
very small
|
long
|
three
|
|
2
|
round eyes
|
short
|
four
|
|
3
|
drooping ears
|
narrow
|
four
|
|
4
|
no ears
|
wide
|
five
|
|
5
|
huge mouth
|
hard
|
five
|
|
6
|
big nose
|
soft
|
five
|
|
7
|
no nose
|
thick fingered/toed
|
six
|
|
8
|
very large
|
thin fingered/toed
|
six
|
|
9
|
normal
|
very large
|
seven
|
|
10
|
normal
|
very small
|
webbed
|
|
11
|
|
normal
|
double-jointed/prehensile
|
|
12
|
|
normal
|
nailless
|
|
| Die Roll |
Arms |
Legs |
|
1
|
long
|
long
|
|
2
|
short
|
short
|
|
3
|
thin
|
thin
|
|
4
|
thick
|
thick
|
|
5
|
double-jointed
|
bowed
|
|
6
|
normal
|
normal
|
|