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A Brief Overview

Terra A.D. is a primitive world dominated by the bizarre side-effects of an Ancient Apocalypse, known only as The Great Collapse. Millennia after this cataclysmic extinction event, the planet has transformed into a lush tropical wilderness, now referred to as Terra A.D. (After Disaster). Plants and animals with unstable and strange mutations permeate the ecosystem and the food chain.

Of these mutations, the strangest and most pervasive is the advent of sentience and intelligence. Never before in the history of Terra A.D. have so many intelligent species been competing for their place in the ecosystem. There are many sentient plants and animals that have developed enough intelligence and sentience to be able to use tools and engage communally. Many are walking upright and have developed various levels of reasoning abilities. These two species are referred to as Manimals, and Plantients.

The few members of mankind left descended into barbarism and savagery. They eventually split into two separate species: Pure Strain Humans (PSH) and Mutants. Pure Strain Humans survived not through virtue of constantly mutating genetics, but through a genome that is hardened against radiation and other mutagenic environmental effect. This has left Pure Strain Humans as an especially intelligent and hardy race.

Mutants survived through taking advantage of the beneficial mutations and using them to give them a leg up in tribal society. Natural Selection awarded their ancestors for possessing an either very plastic and unstable, or very hardy genome.

The Great Collapse

The Great Collapse (A.K.A. The Great Disaster) is when The Ancient Ones’ society collapsed from their own hubris. In their great intelligence, they created massive empires with ancient magics, but in a lack of wisdom, much of this advancement was done in magical weapons. Eventually creating something that was capable of ending the world backfired, and ended the world. The exact cause of this is unknown to the vast majority of the world, and anyone who does know is not eager to share the information.

Ecology and Climate

The world of Terra AD is that of a tropical hothouse and rain forest, referred to as The Xocust Wilderness. It is said it assumes this climate from pole to pole. The sun is red and bloated, and the skies are an emerald-blue green. Dense jungles and mile-tall trees dominate the planet. This place is still struggling to recover Fully from the disaster even after many millennia. The planet seems to have chosen to do so by undergoing an explosive evolutionary radiation of it’s native life forms. Where there is life there is an overabundance of it. Mega-fauna are the rule rather than the exception.

The weather composes of large amounts of rain, and thunderstorms. There are places in the world (Like The Shimmering Sands) that have climates that deviate from this due to other influences however. Sometimes these influences are apparent and in others they are not.

Player Information

Overview of the Setting

  • The Wasteland: You find yourself in the remnants of a once great civilization. The landscape is a mix of mutated flora and fauna, ancient ruins, and bizarre technology left behind by The Ancient Ones.
  • The Age of The Mutant: in this world mutations are very common. Some are beneficial while others can be grotesque and dangerous.
  • Ancient Ruins: Filled with threats and artifacts, you will find these scattered across the land. These places tend to be guarded by traps and powerful entities.
  • Character Types: You will create four level zero characters for your rite of passage. All completely randomly generated. They could be a part of any genotype, and class selection comes after the first adventure. Whichever level 0 character survives with an artifact or other piece of valuable knowledge will become your seeker for the course of the game. This is what is referred to as “The Level 0 Funnel.”
  • Survival and Exploration: Your primary goals will be to explore the wasteland, uncover its secrets, and survive against the odds. Cooperation with each other, and good strategy will be key as you face the challenges that await in Terra A.D.

Conclusion

Get ready for a journey through a harsh and unpredictable wasteland. As you navigate this world, you will face significant challenges that will test your skills and force you to confront difficult moral choices. Welcome to Mutant Crawl Classics.