Mutophage: Race by

<div class='cover-header'>The Mutophage: Race</div>

<div class='cover-footer'>Life from Death </div>
<div class='cover-footer'>Life from Death </div>

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# The Mutophage: Race

At the end of the old world, in the struggle for power, vast amounts of creative energies were poured into new forms of life. The mutophagi, singularly "mutophage" ("muto" for short, sometimes derogatorily "mangle"), are thought to be a byproduct of this creation, a race of creatures who, as legend holds, created themselves from the leavings of others. As a result, the mutophagi maintain strange abilities; a race of scavengers, they take the form of what they eat, slowly transforming over time. In addition, they still have the taint of creation on them, making them a feared foe in the wastelands to the present day.

### Appearance
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Physically, the mutophagi share one obvious trait: the forms they take are mutated and often warped versions of what they eat. On first look, a mutophage, depending on type, could be confused to be wearing the skin of other creatures. Oftentimes at a distance, it's hard to judge whether a creature is a mutophage or not, though close up this uncertainty fades.

### Language and Names

Muto use a series of chittering sounds and clicks to communicate with each other. Known as Mutolex, or simply Muto (or, again, derogatorily as Mangle), no effort has been made to understand this language. Speaking Common can be a challenge for a muto, but it is normally the only option available for communication.

Since to most races Muto sounds akin to animalistic noise, muto names can be difficult to pronounce. As a result, in the very rare occassion that muto interact with other creatures, they will often take the names of non-muto creatures, places, or even objects, as their own.

### Behavior
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Muto are, by nature, shy and skittish creatures. They will only attack if a group of other creatures invades their territory and is particularly aggressive. They know from experience that their kind is unwanted, and are often hunted as abominations. This does not mean that they are solitary creatures; most muto live in clutches of various individual types, though certain types tend to live only amongst their own phage type.

When invaded, a singular muto tends to act without malice, usually hiding away, though in numbers they might approach out of curiosity, only attacking if threatened. In contrast, certain more aggressive types may go on the offensive, either to drive out or kill trespassers, and so gain a food source for the coming weeks, or even months.

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### Food Consumption
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Though mutophagi are known for their particular appetites, they rarely eat, only needing to sate themselves once every few weeks. As they rarely need sustenance, they are notoriously picky eaters, only feasting on their preferred food (or phage type) unless they have used certain abilities (most often to fight), which draw a vast amount of energy. When they are forced to defend themselves, or meld, they undergo "phage consumption" and are prone to eat almost anything at hand, even breaking certain taboos (such as non-Salvophages eating inorganic material), or risking attack by eating other sentient / sapient creatures.

Young muto, or philophage muto often spend several years sampling from various local food sources. Once they become enamored with a particular food, their physical development will progress rapidly, completely taking on the attributes of their chosen food source within a few months.

### Mutophage Reproduction
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Mutophage breeding is by and large a mystery. Early on after their discovery, many believed them to reproduce asexually, though this idea has fallen out of fashion. It has been observed that muto form life-long bonds, though monogamy, or single pairing, is uncommon.

Though there are no completely verifiable sources on the topic, the belief is that, when a mutophage is born, they are without type, coming into existence as something akin to a human child (or perhaps more accurately a kangaroo joey).

Whether or not this is true, phage type seems to pertain less to the types of muto in a particular clutch, and much more to the surrounding food sources. However, when a phage type is taken, it is believed that this type is maintained throughout the muto's lifetime.

<div class='footnote'>Page 1 | Mutophage: Creature</div>

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### Melding
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Perhaps due to their particular malleability, mutophagi possess a curious ability which is central to their perceived danger. When a clutch of muto are threatened and that threat becomes existential, the clutch will meld, literally melting into each other, forming a creature often referred to simply as a "Mangle." This creature is much more difficult to handle, and wreaks destruction on a much larger scale than the individual mutophagi could separately.

As of this writing, there is no known size limit of a melded Mangle; legend speaks of building-sized Mangle (known colloquially as "Devourers") which, in elden days, destroyed entire cities. Still, maintaining any melded form takes immense energy from the mutophagi that compose them, and so Devourers would only appear in the most rarified of circumstances.

Once any melded (or composite) Mangle has been taken enough damage, or has been active for enough time, the Mangle can no longer maintain the form, and falls apart, separating into the various individuated mutophagi that compose it.

### Origin and Alignment
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While there is a percieved connection between mutophagi and the undead - both in origin and in certain traits shared - despite all rumors, mutophagi are living creatures, and are more accurately described to be undead-eaters rather than undead themselves.

Though muto are often labeled as "evil," this is by and large due to their proclivity for eating anything (even other sentient / sapient creatures), as well as due to the threat they can pose to a "peaceful" settlement. It is not due to any particularly "evil" desires or inclinations of the mutiphage other than the desire to survive, and to live unhindered. Your mileage may vary as to what this means to you.

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**On PC Melding:** All muto can meld; however, melding is done at great risk, and only in the right circumstances. Melding is only feasible when living or travelling with other muto. When melded, muto consciousness becomes something akin to a hivemind, so player control should be limited if not nonexistent. Also, damage against a muto-meld is randomly distributed between all composite creatures, and muto that die while melded are often absorbed by the others involved, and cannot be brought back to life. In addition, after melding, the muto undergoes Phage Consumption, necessitating the consumption of a large amount of matter. Still, if PC melding is desired, speak with your DM about the possibility, as well as melding traits. See [Mutophage: Creature](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-NAASurNZacIX2de7SSn) for more.

<div class='footnote'>Page 2 | Mutophage: Creature</div>

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## Muto Racial Features
Want to play a muto? Discuss with your DM where muto might hide in the world, and what the world's reaction might be to a muto with the bad sense to walk in daylight.
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**Ability Score Increase.** Increase your Constitution by 2.
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**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and can speak Muto.
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**Life Span.** Mutophagi have a slightly shorter lifespan than the average human, usually between 50 and 60 years.
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**Phage Consumption.** Muto only need to eat once every few weeks unless they have used a large amount of energy, as with Melding (amongst others; DM's discretion). If a muto uses a large amount of energy, they must eat in the next 24 hour period or take a level of exhaustion. Every additional 24 hours that the muto does not eat, they gain another level of exhaustion, even if they have taken a long rest. Levels of exhaustion gained this way are dispelled once the muto eats.

When eating to dispel "phage consumption" a muto may eat anything, including other creatures (though it cause problems with the non-muto population), and even inanimate objects (though this may cause disapproval from other non-salvophage muto). Whatever they eat, they must consume at least their own bodyweight in "food" before phage consumption is dispelled.

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**Size.** You are medium or small.
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**Speed.** Your walking speed is 30 feet.
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**Startling Visage.** To most races, mutophagi are somewhere between uncannily strange and hideously ugly. You are easily noticed in daylight even in a crowd, and can only escape prying eyes if hiding in shadow or when heavily obscured, as with a very good disguise. While in bright light, you have disadvantage on stealth checks relying on sight, and have disadvantage on Persuasion checks when recognized as muto; however, when recognized as muto, you have advantage on Intimidation checks.

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**Malleable Form:** The mutophage has an elastic physiology, and can change their appearance to hide their grizzly features. Once per long rest, a mutophage may use their action to cast Disguise Self. This instance of Disguise Self requires no verbal or somatic components, as it is a morphing of their own body, and can only modify their appearance to become more like what they appear to be.

For example, while a carniphage might take the form of another humanoid race or rare monster similar to their "food type", a fungophage may take on the appearance of a fungal colony or fungal race, and a salvophage might choose to look like a pile of debris or inorganic creature, like an earth elemental. Any muto can look like a common animal. Once a philophage takes a trait from another race, they may choose to look like that race as well.

As the mutophage in question is physically holding this form, this instance of Disguise Self requires concentration.

<div class='footnote'>Page 3 | Mutophage: Racial Features</div>

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### Mutophage Subraces: Phage Type

For any subrace other than philophage, when you take a subrace, pick a "food" type within that subrace's scope. For example, a carniphage might eat primarily deer, birds, or intellect devourers; a fungophage might prefer a particular kind of yeast, mushroom, or lichen; a salvophage might eat rocks, inorganic materials like feathers or precious stones, or depending on the campaign even plastics. Once a philophage chooses to take another's race's trait, their "food" type becomes that race or an equivalent; if a philophage consumes a dragonborn, they may choose to use dragons, wyverns, or even certain draconic lizards as their "food" type.

If none of the following subraces seem to fit your desired "food" type, the creation of new subraces is encouraged. Speak with your DM about acceptable "food" types.

No matter what you choose, you may only eat this type of "food" unless undergoing "phage consumption" (see above).

##### Carniphage
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**Ability Score Increase.** Increase your Dexterity by 1.
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**Wiley Hunter.** Unlike other muto, a carnaphage must track their prey before they can consume it. As a result, they've developed a keen sense of smell. Once per short rest, you may choose a creature within 30 feet that you are tracking. As long as that creature is within a range of 10 miles, you have advantage on checks made to track that creature. You may only use this ability to track one creature at a time.

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##### Fungophage
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**Ability Score Increase.** Increase your Wisdom by 1.
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**Spore Cloud.** A fungophage uses their spore cloud to monitor their surroundings. You can’t be surprised by any creature within 10 ft. of you. This does not extend beyond barriers such as closed doors or windows, or the ground.

##### Salvophage
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**Ability Score Increase.** Increase your Strength by 1.
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**Thick Skin.** Through eating tough materials, the salvophage has gained a thick hide. Your AC is increased by 1.

##### Philophage
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**Ability Score Increase.** Increase your Charisma by 1.
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**Fast Evolution.** A philophage is a young muto who has not yet chosen their particular phage type. At dawn, you may choose one trait to gain from another race you have eaten in the last 24 hours. When you gain a trait using Fast Evolution, you must replace Fast Evolution with that trait. Once Fast Evolution has been replaced, it cannot be regained.

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<div class='back-cover-header'>
 
 Making Weirder Content
 
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 <div class='back-cover-text'>
 
 Mutophagi were first put together as part of a video game / playtest campaign of a game entitled *The Source* (product pending). The game and its contents owe their existence to other games such as *Resident Evil*, *Silent Hill*, *Mother*, *Lisa*, *Nier*, and many more, in addition to books like Jeff Vandermeer's *Annihilation*, Karin Tidbeck's *Amatka*, China Mieville's *Perdido Street Station*, amongst others.
 
 I would also like to make mention of Christopher Delvo's "Mangle." Though the concept and application of the mutophage were developed independently, certain aspects of "The Mangle" have been referenced. Check it out in the credits.
 
 As always, though, much of the credit goes to friends and family who have supported me through many daft ventures.
 
 Cover Art: [Pieter Bruegel the Elder](https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/imaginary-creatures-art)
 
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 [WWW.GMBINDER.COM](https://www.gmbinder.com)
 
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 <div class='back-cover-right'>
 
 ##### Credits
 
 ***Homebrew***
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 * [Christopher Delvo](https://lootthebody.org/2015/10/12/monstrous-monday-the-mangle/#:~:text=In%20essence%2C%20a%20mangle%20is,and%20pummel%20prey%20to%20death. "Monstrous Monday: The Mangle")

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***Images***
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* [Gerald Markham Lewis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Bunyip_%281935%29.jpg/300px-Bunyip_%281935%29.jpg "Bunyip")
 * [Arnoldus Montanus](https://the-public-domain-review.imgix.net/collections/arnoldus-montanus-new-and-unknown-world-1671/26980868832_307cf61113_b.jpg?w=600 "De Nieuwe en Onbekende Weereld")
 * [Odilon Rebon](https://www.gmbinder.com/images/6P52llg.png "Then a strange creature appeared with a head of a man and a body of a fish")
 * [Kyosai Kawanabe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Kyosai%2C_Yokai_image.jpg/1920px-Kyosai%2C_Yokai_image.jpg "Yokai Artwork from 'Kyosai's Pictures of One Hundred Demons'")

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Check out more content at [awaveringspeck](https://www.gmbinder.com/profile/awaveringspeck "GM Binder")
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