So I’ve kind of fallen in love with the whole mutations system lately, and I think there’s only one thing that would really make it even cooler than it already is: more variety. Basically, more ways to mix and match mutations, and more variety in their effects.
The classic mutants/animal-hybrid types are well represented, but there are some categories that could use some tweaking or expanding, some that could be added, and it’d be really cool to see more uncategorized mutations with mild-to-neutral effects.
I’ll be sort of surprised if no one’s suggested some of these, but here’s some of my ideas:
Feline and lupine could use some more differentiation from beast and each other.
Suggestion there:
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feline as agile, stealthy, assassins. For starters, a non-threshold mutation like "graceful " that improved movement speed over rough terrain (stacking with the parkour trait) and/or lowered their noise production, and adding the “Inconspicuous” trait as one of their possible positive mutations would be nice ways to give them some unique flavor. A threshhold mutation like “feline charm” that countered some of the uglyness (but not visibility) of previous mutations might also make sense: well-adjusted catfolk can cross the uncanny valley back into “not hideous” despite having claws and fangs, whether that be by anime cuteness, barbaric grace (see Sabertooth from the X-men), or Catwoman style (“meow”) (I count her because she’s still got the “whole psychopath with her nails filed to points” thing going on).
-Lupine as “one with the land” hunters. Take away “high night vision” and give them a mild setting of the scent map thing from the debug menu as an activated-ability mutation with roughly the same cost as a threshold. Canines see with their nose, after all. The ability to eat meat raw and drink unboiled water with less risk would also make sense, and perhaps some sort of boost from being outdoors or in the woods as well.
other suggested mutations:
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Small and petite size traits: inversion of the large and huge traits. You loose a little strength, but gain a little dexterity and dodge. The upgraded versions ditch the strength penalty like their counterparts ditch the encumberment (“Having learned to deal with a slightly larger world, you find your reduced stature to be more of an advantage than a hindrance.”. Would be a good fit for the rat and bird lines, too
-Serpentine Category: Somewhere between lizard and cephalopod; you trade your legs for a snake tail (movement penalty much less than tentacle legs, but little or no swim boost, and gives a driving penalty (it’s hard to work pedals with one appendage, but where there’s a will there’s a way), gain a tail strike/grab attack). Gain traits that slow metabolism for both good and ill, and increase the ability to eat anything that used to move. And some things that still do. Obligatory threshold mutation: ability to eat grabbed small animals, upgrading to just animals (fullness still applies as a limiter, but a once-every-couple-days instakill for anything you can slither close enough to isn’t too shabby)
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Leporine Category: Bunny ears. You’ve got a hyperactive metabolism, overwhelming paranoia, and a massive craving for carrots…but you run like the wind, and you can dig, reinforce, and tastefully decorate a bunker nearly as fast. Also, you’re friggin’ adorable.
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Limber: you take slightly less damage when being thrown into something.
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Stripes: You have stripes. They make you harder to see when you’re in the woods, and look rather nice as well. (woods camouflage, +1 vis, -1 ugly, +2 mood with stylish trait)
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Delicious: you taste and smell like bacon. People will find you slightly more pleasant to be around. In the good way. Meat eaters find you irresistible. In the bad way. (-1 ugly. Predators with a good sense of smell or which bite you will pursue you relentlessly. Potentially exploitable as bait for your own traps. Yay?)
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Eye Mask - You have developed darker patches of coloration around your eyes. You find this reduces glare, and actually looks rather fetching. (glare reduction, +1 vis, -1 ugly, +2 mood with Stylish trait.)
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Electric organ: you have developed an muscular organ which generates small amounts of electrical current. You find you can use this to trickle-charge your equipment and CMB power reserves, but it hurts a little and wears you out. (+10 pain, hunger, and tired/min, +10 charge to rechargable items and CMB power reserve/min) (might make great addition to Fish, and a threshold upgrade that let you electrocute things in water around you would finally give that one a reason to exist in addition to being awesome.)
