Mimicry RPG:

Designer: Mendel Schmiedekamp
Editor: Irena Rothaug

Her eyes open, looking around in sudden fear. Then, calming with measured breaths, she sits up.

5:35 a.m.

Memorize name.

She opens the wallet lying on the bedside table in her rundown motel room, opens it and pull s out a few cards.

"Jaclyn Rice"
"Jaclyn Rice"
She repeats to herself, closing her eyes and furrowing her eyebrows.

5:39 a.m.

Look into mirror.

She stands, then walks slowly, determinedly, to the bathroom door. She pushes it carefully and enters. Bracing herself with one white knuckled hand, she reaches for the light switch.

She is slight, with shoulder length dirty blond hair and hazel eyes.

"Right, that ditzy receptionist . . . now, why did I take her? Think!"

She looks down. There is a small black pistol lying on the counter. She examines it for a few seconds and then shudders slightly.

Sigh "Her husband needs to die. Now if only I could remember where she lives. . . "
 

Some things in the world we take for granted assuming them to be inviolate and unchanging. Perhaps the most fundamental of these is our notion of individual existence, of self. In Mimicry you play a creature that has lost this simple feature and has been cast out of their once familiar form. Now these beings wander between bodies trying to achieve an end to this state. Some how ever have chosen different paths and try to change the world around them, for better or worse. The Mimics are the inspiration for werewolves, dryads, vampires, and demonic possession. They exist everywhere, fighting the Shells they leave behind into inevitable corruption, and occasionally finding their one true escape, joining with one of the great forces of the world, called True Forms.

Definitions:
    True Form - The purest of all Forms, these are the heavens and hells which all Forms eventually reach.
    Self - An identity, a unique and individual Form, metaphysically known as a soul.
    Nature - These are the many beings that may contain a Self, usually any physical being that has been named.
    Aspects - These are incarnations of the True Forms that lie within all Natures.
    Draw - The spiritual connection with the True Forms that drew the remnants of your Self back from destruction.
    Shell - The result of a Nature vacated by a Mimic, it slowly becomes a perversion of its previous self, often developing Entropy aspects to the exclusion of all else.
    Between - The spiritual places that contain the True Forms. By venturing through this surreal space the different True Forms may be encountered and their realms may be entered. However the only way to be able to exist indefinitely in such a realm is to join with the True Form it represents.

Making a Character

Attributes: (split 17 points among them) 

• Blatancy - how many aspects you can maintain that are counter to your current nature
• Memory - the number of static aspects
• Entropy - the number of destructive aspects
• Intuition - the number of aspects you can freely maintain from your current nature
• Hope - the number of defensive aspects

Draw is set equal to your lowest attribute.
(You gain draw when you support your current form, you lose it when you deny your chosen form.)  

Choose:

• Original Nature: what were you before you lost your Self
• Current Nature: what are you currently mimicking
• Ideal: the True Form you wish to attain
• Base: the True Form you cannot escape

Mechanics:

• Roll 1d6 for each applicable aspect to you action. 

• Each die that rolls over the opposed attribute succeeds:

• Effects / Uses of Successes:
• change a mental state (e.g. angry <-> very angry, happy <-> neutral, cooperative <-> neutral <-> wary) 
• inflict a minor wound (-1 die, not cumulative) 
• inflict a major wound (-2 dice, not cumulative) [costs 2] 
• inflict a mortal wound (-4 dice, not cumulative) [costs 3] 
• instantly kill a target [costs 5] 
• negate any one effect occurring during the exchange.    (usually Hope aspects only)
• change a physical state somewhat (e.g. stand, knock someone over, move a short distance, etc.) 
• cancel Draw from another Mimic [costs 2] (usually Entropy aspects only)
• displace a Mimic in Mendacity                   (usually Entropy aspects only)
• dissipate a Free Mimic [costs 3]                 (usually Entropy aspects only)
• use the basic effect of an aspect [Intuition allows free use for it's aspects]

Mendacity:
        When Draw drops to zero the Mimic becomes Mendacious, in denial of its current Nature. In this state the Mimic loses all aspects of the current Nature, except those listed for free use. Those aspects now require a success. In this state the mimic is so weakly linked to the current Nature a single entropy attack could dislodge it.

Free Mimic:
        A Mimic that leaves it's Nature, loses all aspects listed under Intuition and a successful entropy attack may destroy it permanently.

True Forms:

        Over time true forms have been known to change, sometimes they merge or separate, and occasionally wholly new true forms grow from selves. As such there is always the opportunity for new forms to arise, and the referee should feel free to produce more if needed. The Aspirant is the positive aspect of this true form, developed by a Mimic who has this from has it's ideal. The Thrall quality describes the negative qualities which a Mimic who Base lies in this true from tries to overcome. Lastly Realm describes the nature of the afterlife achieved with pure achievement of this true form.

House:
Aspirant: This form draws the mimic to shelter other forms, preventing unwanted change.
Thrall: This form causes the mimic to keep others and itself from the truth.
Realm: An afterlife of comfortable boredom, nothing need change, and nothing ever will.

Shadow:
Aspirant: You bring what is needed to any situation, keeping a happy medium.
Thrall: You live within deception preventing you from ever fully taking a position.
Realm: This afterlife is the muted in all ways, falling between passion and contemplation.

Blade:
Aspirant: You act with fine distinction and clarity in all you do.
Thrall: Your need to separate has driven you to judge all you see no matter the consequences.
Realm: This is the afterlife of dichotomy, at once joyful and painful.

Discord:
Aspirant: You strive to subvert the rules that harm yourself and others.
Thrall: You are a slave to disorder, you must keep things changing.
Realm: A realm of pure change.

Wind:
Aspirant: You ease yourself off of dependency on other Natures.
Thrall: Without a basing in anything else you find yourself rootless and unconnected.
Realm: Freedom, in both in suffering and joy.
 

Natures:

Likewise, a variety of natures exist, far to many to describe here. These act as a sample list, feel free to use them as inspiration to produce more natures for your characters.

Human:

• Dexterity: has free limbs with fingers and opposable thumbs, and can use them skillfully.
• Language: has the mental framework to understand language, and the ability to communicate in one. 
• Memory: remembers it's past (before the Mimic took possession).
• Senses: has basic senses and can perceive the world around them in general.
• Creativity: capable of producing new Natures from existing ones. 
• Empathy: can relate to other natures and form social groupings. 
• Deceit: can hide current emotional and mental states from Empathic individuals. 
• Mobile: capable of moving at varying rates of speed and agility.

Tree:

• Self-Feeding: can survive without time spent acquiring food.
• Empathy: can relate to other natures and form social groupings. 
• Sturdy: capable of withstanding physical trauma easily. 
• Taste/Smell Sense: advanced sense of chemical properties.
• Grounded: resistant to spiritual attacks and drains. 
• Calming: causes other natures in vicinity to be less passionate. 
• Plant Tongue: can communicate with in the Plant Tongue. 
• Weather Manipulation: can effect weather in vicinity.

Wolf:

• Senses: has basic senses and can perceive the world around them in general.
• Empathy: can relate to other natures and form social groupings.
• Mobile: capable of moving at varying rates of speed and agility.
• Cunning: can penetrate Deceit. 
• Pack Sense: strong empathy with designated pack.
• Predator Tongue: can communicate in the Predator Tongue.
• Natural Attack: has a destructive physical attack. 
• Taste/Smell Sense: advanced sense of chemical properties.

Rabbit:

• Senses: has basic senses and can perceive the world around them in general.
• Empathy: can relate to other natures and form social groupings. 
• Mobile: capable of moving at varying rates of speed and agility. 
• Rodent Tongue: can communicate in the Rodent Tongue.
• Burrowing: skilled in moving through tunnels and making new ones. 
• Hearing Sense: advance sense of sounds. 
• Taste/Smell Sense: advanced sense of chemical properties.
• Reduce Judgment: can hinder judgment in other forms (like alcohol in humans).
  

Sword:

• Sturdy: capable of withstanding physical trauma easily.
• Reduce Judgment: can hinder judgment in other forms (like alcohol in humans). 
• Natural Attack: has a destructive physical attack. 
• Cunning: can penetrate Deceit. 
• Stone Tongue: can communicate in the Stone Tongue. 
• Metal Tongue: can communicate in the Metal Tongue (radio waves). 
• Anger: may cause mental states to become more angry in other natures. 
• Hearing Sense: advance sense of sounds.

Bear:

• Senses: has basic senses and can perceive the world around them in general.
• Empathy: can relate to other natures and form social groupings. 
• Mobile: capable of moving at varying rates of speed and agility. 
• Cunning: can penetrate Deceit. 
• Predator Tongue: can communicate in the Predator Tongue 
• Natural Attack: has a destructive physical attack. 
• Taste/Smell Sense: advanced sense of chemical properties 
• ESP: can sense information beyond the normal senses.

Flame:

• Mobile: capable of moving at varying rates of speed and agility.
• Natural Attack: has a destructive physical attack.
• Taste/Smell Sense: advanced sense of chemical properties.
• Natural Attack: has a destructive physical attack.
• Amorphous: resistant to physical attacks.
• Hostile Nature: physical proximity can cause damage.
• Entrancement: may cause focused mental states in other forms.
• Flame Tongue: can communicate in the Flame Tongue.
  

Computer:

• Empathy: can relate to other natures and form social groupings.
• Language: has the mental framework to understand language, and the ability to communicate in one.
• Memory: remembers it's past (before the Mimic took possession).
• Flame Tongue: can communicate in the Flame Tongue.
• Deceit: can hide current emotional and mental states from Empathic individuals.
• Electric Tongue: can speak the Electric Tongue.
• Entrancement: may cause focused mental states in other forms.
• Multitask: may sense and act in a half dozen ways at the same time.
  

Automobile:

• Mobile: capable of moving at varying rates of speed and agility.
• Sturdy: capable of withstanding physical trauma easily.
• Metal Tongue: can communicate in the Metal Tongue (radio waves).
• Natural Attack: has a destructive physical attack.
• Reduce Judgment: can hinder judgment in other forms (like alcohol in humans).
• Container / Mount: capable of bearing other natures on or in itself.
• Quick: physically acts faster than most natures.
• Flame Tongue: can communicate in the Flame Tongue.
  

Horse:

• Herbivore Tongue: can communicate in Herbivore tongue.
• Empathy: can relate to other natures and form social groupings.
• Natural Attack: has a destructive physical attack.
• Quick: physically acts faster than most natures.
• Container / Mount: capable of bearing other natures on or in itself.
• Cunning: can penetrate Deceit.
• Mobile: capable of moving at varying rates of speed and agility.
• Senses: has basic senses and can perceive the world around them in general.
  

Hawk:

• Natural Attack: has a destructive physical attack.
• Quick: physically acts faster than most natures.
• Mobile: capable of moving at varying rates of speed and agility.
• Senses: has basic senses and can perceive the world around them in general.
• Visual Sense: advanced sense of vision.
• Flight: can move up and down.
• Predator Tongue: can communicate in the Predator Tongue.
• Entrenchment: may cause focused mental states in other forms.
  

Hill:

• Sturdy: capable of withstanding physical trauma easily.
• Container / Mount: capable of bearing other natures on or in itself.
• Multitask: may sense and act in a half dozen ways at the same time.
• Deceit: can hide current emotional and mental states from Empathic individuals.
• Stone Tongue: can communicate in the Stone Tongue.
• Metal Tongue: can communicate in the Metal Tongue (radio waves).
• Tactile Sense: advanced sense of touch.
• Hearing Sense: advance sense of sounds.
  

Lake:

• Container / Mount: capable of bearing other natures on or in itself.
• Multitask: may sense and act in a half dozen ways at the same time.
• Tactile Sense: advanced sense of touch.
• Hearing Sense: advance sense of sounds.
• River Tongue: may communicate in the River Tongue.
• Amorphous: resistant to physical attacks.
• Hostile Nature: physical proximity can cause damage.
• Weather Manipulation: can effect weather in vicinity.
  

Cloud:

• Weather Manipulation: can effect weather in vicinity.
• River Tongue: may communicate in the River Tongue.
• Amorphous: resistant to physical attacks.
• Tactile Sense: advanced sense of touch.
• Flight: can move up and down.
• Mobile: capable of moving at varying rates of speed and agility.
• Storm Tongue: may communicate in the Storm Tongue.
• Calming: causes other natures in vicinity to be less passionate.

Other Aspects:

Blatancy provides aspects from any of those listed in the above natures.

Hope Aspects:

• Strengthen: Prevents physical damage to the mimic or another nature.
• Preserve: Prevents spiritual damage to the mimic or another nature.
• Guard: Guards against attacks.
• Clarify: Removes spiritual damage.
• Simplicity: Maintains connection to current Nature.
• Repair: Removes physical damage.
  

Entropy Aspects:

• Weaken: Diminishes physical resistance.
• Distract: Neutralizes defensive aspects.
• Derange: Spiritually damages the opponent, may be used to remove draw. 
• Destroy: Physically damages the opponent.
• Blast: Adds range to attacks.
• Complexity: Dissipates connection to current Nature.
• Hamper: Impairs attempts at aspect use.
  

Hope and Entropy Aspects: (May be selected under either attribute)

• Gateway: Opens a gateway to Between.
• Message: Sends a message to another Mimic via Between.
• Wandering: Enhances navigation Between.
• Merge (True Form): Causes a True Form's Realm to affect the vicinity of the mimic.
• Resonance (True Form): Connects the Mimic to a True Form's manifestations.

Improving your Mimic:

At the completion of a gaming session you may make a different choice of aspects under an attribute.

• If you did not make any changes for a game, after the next game you may increase or reduce an attribute by 1, with the associated effect on chosen aspects.

• If you did not make any changes for two games in a row, after the next game you may reduce an attribute by 1, with no lose of aspects.

Making Free Natures and Shells:

    Shells: (stage = number of major corruptive features):
        Intuition = 8, Memory = 3 (no aspects), Blatancy = stage / 2 (round down),  Hope = 3 (no aspects),
        Entropy = stage, Draw = stage / 2 (round down)
 

Sample Shells:

Dire Wolf: (stage = 1)   Intuition 8, Memory 3, Blatancy 0, Entropy 1, Hope 3, Draw 0
    Nature: Wolf
    Entropy Aspects: Weakening

Dark Tree: (stage = 3)   Intuition 8, Memory 3, Blatancy 1, Entropy 3, Hope 3, Draw 1
    Nature: Tree
    Entropy Aspects: Distract, Derange, Destroy
    Blatancy Aspects: Natural Attacks

Ghoul: (stage = 6)   Intuition 8, Memory 3, Blatancy 3, Entropy 6, Hope 3, Draw 3
    Nature: Human
    Entropy Aspects: Weaken, Derange, Destroy, Blast, Complexity, Hamper
    Blatancy Aspects: Natural Attacks, Sturdy, Smell / Taste Sense

Mimic Hunter: (stage = 10)   Intuition 8, Memory 3, Blatancy 5, Entropy 10, Hope 3, Draw 5
    Nature: Blade
    Entropy Aspects: Weaken, Derange, Destroy, Blast, Complexity, Hamper, Distract, Gateway, Wandering, Resonance (Blade)
    Blatancy: Mobile, Flight, Senses, Language, Memory
 
 
© 2001, 2005 Mendel Schmiedekamp