History TabletopGame / MetamorphosisAlpha

* NuclearNasty: All of the monsters on the ''Warden'' are the results of earth animals or plants having mutated from unusual radiation.

* MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: Pretty much Mohs/ScienceInGenreOnly, with mutant powers like force fields, mind control, and teleportation.

* AutoKitchen: ''Magazine/{{Gygax}}'' maqazine #3 adventure "They All Died at the International Space Station". One room of the space station is a luxury apartment for a wealthy person on holiday. It has an automated kitchen that can create meals for the guest.

[[Creator/{{TSR}} TSR's]] first entry into Science-Fiction Role-Playing, and therefore also the first science-fiction role-playing game. ''Metamorphosis Alpha'' was first published in July, 1976. Later editions have been published by James Ward, the original designer, including a 25th anniversary edition and a re-print of the original.

* UrExample: The first sci-fi RPG.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/meta_alpha.jpg]]

The setting is the generation ship ''Warden'' which flew through an unexplained radiation cloud which killed off the crew. Over hundreds of years the ship's surviving colonists have lost most knowledge about their technology and have mutated into strange new forms of life. The players create human and mutant characters that explore their world, and possibly eventually take control of the ''Warden''.

The game's rules set is a variation on the original edition of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', with different attributes and character options but very similar combat rules. There is no ClassAndLevelSystem and there are no real provisions for character advancement other than gathering treasure together.

* MileLongShip: The ''Warden'' is the only environment in the game, so it has to be big enough to explore. The introduction tot he game gives its dimensions as 50 miles long, 25 miles wide, and 8 and-a-half miles high, with 17 decks.

* NuclearNasty: All of the monsters on the ''Warden'' are the results of earth animals or plants being mutated by unusual radiation.

The setting is the generation ship ''Warden'' which has suffered an unexplained catastrophe which killed off the crew. Over hundreds of years the ship's surviving colonists have lost most knowledge about their technology and have mutated into strange new forms of life. The players create human and mutant characters that explore their world, and possibly discover the secrets of the ''Warden''.

The game's rules set is a variation on the original edition of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', with different attributes and character options but very similar combat rules.

* ColonyShip: The colonists are the only survivors of whatever catastrophe overtook the ''Warden''.

* MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: Pretty much Mohs/ScienceInGenreOnly, with mutant powers that border on the stuff you can find in ''D&D''.
* MileLongShip: The ''Warden'' is the only environment in the game, so it has to be big enough to explore.
* RadiationImmuneMutants: Every character had a "Radiation Resistance" trait, which meant some mutants were more immune than others.
* RecycledInSpace: It's basically the D&D ruleset re-purposed for a sci-fi setting.

* DungeonCrawling: The ''Warden'' is basically one massive dungeon [-In SPACE!!-]

* DungeonCrawling: The ''Warden'' is basically one massive dungeon - In SPACE!!

* MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: Pretty much Mohs/ScienceInGenreOnly, with mutant powers that border on the stuff you can find in TabletopGames/DungeonsAndDragons.

* {{Mutants}}: All of the monsters encountered are mutants of life forms originally brought aboard the ''Warden'' for the colony. Playing a mutated human, plant, or animal are all options. ''Dragon'' magazine later added rules for playing robots and clones.

[[Creator/{{TSR}} TSR's]] first entry into Science-Fiction Role-Playing, and the first science-fiction role-playing game. ''Metamorphosis Alpha'' was first published in July, 1976.

James Ward, the designer, said that his inspiration was the Creator/BrianAldiss novel ''Literature/NonStop''.

* SpiritualSuccessor: The later ''TabeltopGame/GammaWorld'' was very much ''Metamorphosis Alpha'' set on Earth AfterTheEnd.

* DungeonCrawling: The ''Warden'' is basically one massive dungeon; In SPACE!!

[[Creator/{{TSR}} TSR's]] first entry into Science-Fiction Role-Playing, and the first science-fiction role-playing game. ''Metamorphosis Alpha'' was first published in July, 1976. The setting is the generation ship ''Warden'' which has suffered an unexplained catastrophe which killed off the crew. Over hundreds of years the ship's surviving colonists have lost most knowledge about their technology and have mutated into strange new forms of life. The players create human and mutant characters that explore their world, and possibly discover the secrets of the ''Warden''.

[[Creator/TSR TSR's]] first entry into Science-Fiction Role-Playing, and the first science-fiction role-playing game. ''Metamorphosis Alpha'' was first published in July, 1976. The setting is the generation ship ''Warden'' which has suffered an unexplained catastrophe which killed off the crew. Over hundreds of years the ship's surviving colonists have lost most knowledge about their technology and have mutated into strange new forms of life. The players create human and mutant characters that explore their world, and possibly discover the secrets of the ''Warden''.