# Claw mutation can't be used as cut tools?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [January 19, 2022, 1:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514 "2022-01-19T13:45:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tekeli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@Tekeli](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Tekeli)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 1:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/1 "2022-01-19T13:45:36Z")

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This is an existing idea in [Claw Mutations Provide Cutting/Butchering Properies](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutations-provide-cutting-butchering-properies/9519)  
Now we do have a butchering property for mutations like claws, but somehow people skip the “cutting” part?  
I think it’s natural to use that kind of claws as a crude knife to make some rags.

Actually, it’ll be helpful if we can add “fake tool” properties for mutations, just like we already have for bionics.

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**Author:** ![NetSysFire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/97f17d/32.png) [@NetSysFire](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/NetSysFire)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/2 "2022-01-19T15:41:34Z")

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The problem is how the cutting qualities, which I did overhaul, are structured. We have cutting 1 and 2. 1 is basically “Can I do this with a sharp rock?” and 2 is everything else. If we give your claws cutting 1, you could also carve wood with your claws - that seems not very realistic, especially because your claws will wear down quickly.

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**Author:** ![Invalid\_Username](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Invalid\_Username](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Invalid_Username)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 2:31am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/3 "2022-01-20T02:31:29Z")

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Now that proficiencies are a thing, could there be some way to simply disallow tasks related to the Carving proficiency?

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**Author:** ![Tekeli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@Tekeli](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Tekeli)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 5:46am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/4 "2022-01-20T05:46:25Z")

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We have that " Stainless Claws" described as “They might as well be made of stainless steel”, which I think would work like a sharp rock and will not wear down on wood carving, not to say make some rags.  
It’s natural if there is an intelligent human sized mutant with a sharp claw, it can make some simple cutting.

And claw wear down seems like an interesting idea?  
Actually if we do consider the wear down problem, then the claws may wear down on every melee attacks.  
A chance of wear down on very usage and temporary lose the claw trait may mimic that?

Of course it’ll be most convinient if we have more cutting qualities to work on. But I understand that means some work.

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**Author:** ![ThinkSome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@ThinkSome](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ThinkSome)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 7:07am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/5 "2022-01-20T07:07:18Z")

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I’m not sure if claws “wearing down” would be a problem, as they grow back.

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**Author:** ![Sediment](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/sediment/32/6534_2.png) [@Sediment](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sediment)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/6 "2022-01-20T16:19:52Z")

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Since mutations are somewhat random, maybe claws should have the chance to do piercing damage instead of cutting damage.

Not all claws are made for cutting or tearing, some are made for gripping. Think of a squirrel, whose claws are designed to help scurry up a tree or a bird’s claws, which help hold a branch or latch onto a fish/mouse/whatever as they swoop in to catch it.

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**Author:** ![Bio](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/bio/32/6690_2.png) [@Bio](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Bio)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 10:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/7 "2022-01-25T22:33:30Z")

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they’re probably too rough and smooth to do precision cutting  
try dragging a bear claw or a dog claw to try and cut clothes and see how effective it is

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**Author:** ![spicyshadow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5e9695/32.png) [@spicyshadow](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/spicyshadow)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/8 "2022-01-26T15:27:25Z")

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That is becease dogs and bears walk on them and don´t sharpen them. Things that don´t go for a intelligent bipidel mutant. Cat claws are a better aprocimation and those can definiatly cut especially if a mutant takes care to sharpen them better than a cat would.

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**Author:** ![PALU](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e56c9b/32.png) [@PALU](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/PALU)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/9 "2022-01-26T16:44:31Z")

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Claws don’t cut. They puncture and rend. They’re pointy round things, so they’d cut about as well as a needle would, in particular a curved needle attached to a paw…  
Now, if you were to take the time to file them into a diamond cross section they might cut somewhat, I guess.

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**Author:** ![spicyshadow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5e9695/32.png) [@spicyshadow](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/spicyshadow)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/10 "2022-01-26T17:19:54Z")

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depends on the type of claw, A bear claw definetly doesn´t cut a cat claw on the other hand definetly does.

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**Author:** ![NetSysFire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/97f17d/32.png) [@NetSysFire](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/NetSysFire)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/11 "2022-01-26T21:06:45Z")

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Since I have recent experience with cat claws and still have references on that persisting on my arms: Cat claws shred. You could tear a t-shirt into crude bits of cloth, differing in size dramatically but precision cutting is just not possible.

If a bear hits you with its claws they will tear apart your skin, too due to the bears strength. But this is really inefficent if you just want to cut a t-shirt into rags.

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**Author:** ![spicyshadow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5e9695/32.png) [@spicyshadow](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/spicyshadow)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2022, 11:35pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/12 "2022-01-26T23:35:40Z")

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> [@NetSysFire](#):
>
> Cat claws shred. You could tear a t-shirt into crude bits of cloth, differing in size dramatically but precision cutting is just not possible.

> [@NetSysFire](#):
>
> The problem is how the cutting qualities, which I did overhaul, are structured. We have cutting 1 and 2. 1 is basically “Can I do this with a sharp rock?” and 2 is everything else.

Seem comparable to ¨Can I do this with a sharp rock?¨ so cutting quality 1 seems appropriate for non-blunted sharpened claws.

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**Author:** ![PALU](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e56c9b/32.png) [@PALU](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/PALU)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2022, 8:27am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/13 "2022-01-27T08:27:55Z")

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The difference between a sharp rock and a claw is that the former cuts (crudely), while the latter uses brute force to pass through the material from the side.

It might be possible to use fine manipulation of a needle/claw to emulate cutting by drawing the tip on top of the fabric repeatedly, though (I’ve never tried, so it’s purely theoretical). That ought to take a fair bit of time, but might be possible to provide a decent result.

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**Author:** ![cjh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/cjh/32/11737_2.png) [@cjh](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/cjh)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2022, 6:44pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/14 "2022-01-27T18:44:10Z")

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I have doubts as to whether mutated claws should be as good as or better than implanted surgical scalpels CBM, which are currently pretty obnoxious to use since you can’t wield any items etc and try to use them. I got annoyed enough by that CBM that I can’t even remember if it allows gloves.

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**Author:** ![Bio](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/bio/32/6690_2.png) [@Bio](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Bio)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 12:55am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/claw-mutation-cant-be-used-as-cut-tools/27514/15 "2022-01-31T00:55:29Z")

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still would be terrible for a cutting tool. sharpening it still wouldn’t change its piercing properties. to make something capable of cutting you’d need something long and thick like a knife.  
something curved wouldn’t work and sharpening would only make the claws thinner