User:Neongenheg/Mutations

Mutations broadly define what characters of the Mutated Human phenotype can do. Mutations generally grant positive effects, such as access to new activated abilities, additional limbs, or improved stats.

During character creation, players choose from a list of over 70 mutations to define a new Mutated Human character. Players might decide to strategically choose a set of mutations that work well together mechanically. Or, players might pick mutations that fit a theme, for roleplay or experimentation purposes.

Mutated Human characters earn additional mutation points as they level up. Players spend mutation points to improve a character's existing mutations, or to purchase new mutations.

Mutations can be split into a few main categories:

• Morphotypes: A mutation Changes the types of mutations available to a particular character. Or, in the case of Unstable Genome, randomly mutates into another mutation after some time.
• Physical Mutations: Positive mutations that physically alter the player internally or externally.
• Mental Mutations: Positive mutations that are related to controlling things with mental energy.
• Defects: Can be of both physical and mental nature and seek to hinder the player in exchange for granting them extra points to spend during character creation.
• innate mutations: Innate mutations generally reflect a creature's natural traits, rather than a genetic mutation. For example, Snapjaws all have the Heightened Smell and Night Vision traits, reflecting their similarity to real-world pack predators like hyenas. For a list, see Innate mutations.

Character Creation

If the player chooses the Mutated Human genotype during character creation, the player picks a group of starting mutations using a point-buy system. The player can also choose defects (mutations with harmful effects) to get more points to spend.

Some mutations can be customized during character creation. Usually, this allows players to choose which location on the player's body a particular mutation affects. Other customizations, such as the customizations for Horns, are purely cosmetic.

Note: The points the player spends to choose mutations during character creation are not the same as mutation points. These do not carry over to the main game, so any left over points will be lost.

Buying Mutations

Each time the player character levels up, they get one more mutation point:

• Increasing the level of a mutation. This makes the mutation more powerful. Note: This only applies if the new level is less than or equal to Player Level/2 (or, more precisely, floor(Player Level/2)+1).

• Buying a new mutation, for four mutation points. The player can choose to buy a new mutation by pressing M on the character sheet screen. They will be given a choice of three random mutations; these are deterministic based on world seed and cannot be rerolled through save/loading or Precognition except for certain methods that will be touched on in a later section. What mutations can be gotten depends on morphotype or lack of.

Randomizing Mutation Buys

Normally, simply using Precognition will not allow you to change the set of offered mutations whenever you buy a new one; you will be offered the same three each time. However, there are certain conditions under which they can be rerandomized:

• Gaining a permanent (not meal- or relic-based) mutation that could have been rolled, regardless of whether it was one of the next three choices.
  • For example, if a character who can learn mental mutations permanently gains a positive mental mutation using brain brine, the choices will change, but not if it was a negative one.
• Injecting an Eaters' nectar injector.
• Cooking with a drop of nectar (the drop of nectar need not succeed in granting the boost).
• Cooking with a canned Have-It-All, and getting the drop of nectar cooking effect. (The same considerations apply; this is also relatively rare.)
• Halfway through the duration of the mutating effect from a gamma moth. (This is in addition to the fact that it may grant a permanent mutation and thus change the offerings for that reason.)
• Gaining a chimeric limb.

Physical Mutations

Physical mutations are mutations that grant the player various physical attributes and abilities. Players with the Chimera morphotype will only manifest physical mutations.

Rapid Advancement

Physical mutations possess a unique mechanic known as rapid advancement. Starting at player level 5, and every 10 levels after that, the player's genome will enter an excited state, and they will be given the option to rapidly advance one of their physical mutations, causing it to gain 3 permanent levels. Levels gained in this way can bypass the usual 10 level limit set on mutations. If the player has at least 4 mutation points, they will be given the chance to buy a new mutation before rapidly mutating. If the player has no physical mutations upon reaching the appropriate level, this prompt will be skipped.

Mental Mutations

Mental mutations are mutations that grant the player various mind-based abilities. Players with the Esper morphotype will only manifest mental mutations.

Ego Bonus

Mental mutations possess a unique mechanic whereby their effective level is increased in proportion to the player's ego bonus. Levels gained from Ego bonus can bypass the usual 10 level limit set on mutations. These levels are not permanent and will decrease if the player's Ego bonus decreases for any reason. Additionally, the level of mental mutations will be decreased in proportion to a negative Ego bonus.

Glimmer

Main article: Glimmer

Glimmer is a mechanic unique to mental mutations. A player's Glimmer score is proportional to the combined total of all of their mental mutations' levels, including levels granted by their Ego bonus but excluding mental mutations which can't be leveled (1 point mutations). The more Glimmer one has, the more desirable they are to esper hunters.

Gaining temporary mutations

Mutations can be temporarily gained using other methods besides mutation. This is often the only way for True Kin to gain mutations:

• Equipping a relic
• Eating a recipe
• Injecting specific injectors