Electrical Generation

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Electrical Generation
Electrical generation mutation.png
Category

Physical

Cost

4

ID?Use this ID to wish for the mutation
(example: mutation:ElectricalGeneration)

ElectricalGeneration

Reality DistortingReality distorting mutations
cannot be used under
the effects of normality.

no

Electrical Generation

You accrue electrical charge that you can use and discharge to deal damage.

Maximum charge: (level based)
Accrue base (level based) charge per turn
Can discharge all held charge for 1d4 damage per 1000 charge
Discharge can arc to adjacent targets dealing reduced damage, up to 1 target per 1000 charge
EMP causes involuntary discharge (difficulty 18 Willpower save)
You can drink charge from energy cells and capacitors.
You gain 100 charge per point of electrical damage taken.
You can provide charge to equipped devices that have integrated power systems.

Electrical Generation is a physical mutation that allows the player to generate and discharge stored electricity for a variety of applications. Creatures with Electrical Generation are able to build up and store an amount of electrical charge determined by their mutation level; the units this charge is measured in are identical to the units used by energy cells and artifacts.

Electrical Generation can be utilized via the "Discharge" ability to release all of the creatures stored charge at once, dealing ♥1d41-4 (Avg: 2.5) electrical damage for each 1000 units of charge expended. Additionally, the electricity will randomly arc to adjacent creatures around the target, with each 1000 charge expended allowing for 1 additional arc. Each arc will reduce damage slightly.

Electrical Generation also provides the "Power devices", ability, which can be toggled on or off. It allows the creature to provide charge to artifacts and devices with onboard power systems, such as items with the jacked modification. Devices drawing power in this way will take from the creature's charge pool and will require the same amount of power as normal. Power supplied by Electrical Generation can stack with the power supplied by a biodynamic power plant to provide power to jacked objects with a larger charge draw than either could support alone.

Formulas

The following formulas are used to determine maximum charge and charge rate based on mutation level.[1]

Maximum Charge
2000 + (Level × 2000)
Recharge Per Turn
Level × (100 + ((Willpower - 16) × 5))

Advancement Table

The recharge rates listed below are for a character with 16 Willpower. The actual rate will be modified up or down by 5% for each point of willpower above or below 16.[1]

Mutation
Level
Maximum
Charges
Recharge Rate
Per Turn
Damage
(Max Charge)
Number of Arcs
(Max Charge)
1 4000 100 ♥4d44-16 (Avg: 10) 4
2 6000 200 ♥6d46-24 (Avg: 15) 6
3 8000 300 ♥8d48-32 (Avg: 20) 8
4 10000 400 ♥10d410-40 (Avg: 25) 10
5 12000 500 ♥12d412-48 (Avg: 30) 12
6 14000 600 ♥14d414-56 (Avg: 35) 14
7 16000 700 ♥16d416-64 (Avg: 40) 16
8 18000 800 ♥18d418-72 (Avg: 45) 18
9 20000 900 ♥20d420-80 (Avg: 50) 20
10 22000 1000 ♥22d422-88 (Avg: 55) 22
Mutation
Level
Maximum
Charges
Recharge Rate
Per Turn
Damage
(Max Charge)
Number of Arcs
(Max Charge)
11 24000 1100 ♥24d424-96 (Avg: 60) 24
12 26000 1200 ♥26d426-104 (Avg: 65) 26
13 28000 1300 ♥28d428-112 (Avg: 70) 28
14 30000 1400 ♥30d430-120 (Avg: 75) 30
15 32000 1500 ♥32d432-128 (Avg: 80) 32
16 34000 1600 ♥34d434-136 (Avg: 85) 34
17 36000 1700 ♥36d436-144 (Avg: 90) 36
18 38000 1800 ♥38d438-152 (Avg: 95) 38
19 40000 1900 ♥40d440-160 (Avg: 100) 40
20 42000 2000 ♥42d442-168 (Avg: 105) 42
Mutation
Level
Maximum
Charges
Recharge Rate
Per Turn
Damage
(Max Charge)
Number of Arcs
(Max Charge)
21 44000 2100 ♥44d444-176 (Avg: 110) 44
22 46000 2200 ♥46d446-184 (Avg: 115) 46
23 48000 2300 ♥48d448-192 (Avg: 120) 48
24 50000 2400 ♥50d450-200 (Avg: 125) 50
25 52000 2500 ♥52d452-208 (Avg: 130) 52
26 54000 2600 ♥54d454-216 (Avg: 135) 54
27 56000 2700 ♥56d456-224 (Avg: 140) 56
28 58000 2800 ♥58d458-232 (Avg: 145) 58
29 60000 2900 ♥60d460-240 (Avg: 150) 60
30 62000 3000 ♥62d462-248 (Avg: 155) 62

Strategies

This section is opinion-based. Your mileage may vary.

A major component of using Electrical Generation effectively is controlling the direction of electrical arcs as much as possible, hitting several enemies with a single arc. This is made challenging by the fact that Discharge can only be used against adjacent objects, and that arcs tend to travel better through physical media than through air.

As such, Electrical Generation synergizes well with abilities that construct a continuous path between points. For instance, you can use Spinnerets to lay down a path of webs, or Force Wall to construct a forcefield between yourself and an enemy, directing your electric arcs towards enemies. Creating Gas between you and your target also enables you to use the ability on range, but the direction is harder to control if the gas spreads in unwanted ways. As an upside, plasma will also lower the enemies electrical resistance and is accessible to everyone in late game. The demo below (run with the "Draw electrical arcs" option enabled) shows an example of using Force Wall to hit several distant enemies at once.

GIF of an electrical arc moving through a forcefield, killing several enemies in the process

Another way of leveraging the fact that electrical arcs pass through walls is to use Electrical Generation in conjunction with abilities like Heightened Hearing and Clairvoyance. You can use Discharge on a wall between you and an enemy to hit them before you run into them.

Additional tips

  • You can tell followers to increase their follow distance from you to reduce the chance that Electrical Generation will damage them.

Advantages & Disadvantages

This section is opinion-based. Your mileage may vary.

Advantages

  • Electrical damage bypasses ♦AV and ○DV, making the mutation useful for killing well armored or evasive targets
  • Can allow for easier usage of high power consumption weapons and equipment, such as the phase cannon, via the Jacked modification
  • Electricity will arc through multiple enemies, allowing for decent multi-target damage
  • Creative use of arcing can extend the reach further than expected
  • At higher levels, gives an option for quick burst damage
  • Charge rate is influenced by Willpower

Disadvantages

  • High cost on character creation
  • Has terrible synergy with Electromagnetic Impulse (D)
  • All charges must be used at the same time
  • The first target in the arc must be in melee range
  • Arcs can be unpredictable and may harm neutral or friendly creatures in melee, or short out prematurely
  • Arcs will always prioritize jumping into liquid pools before creatures, making bleeding and critical hits from weapons troublesome

Creatures with Electrical Generation

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 XRL.World.Parts.Mutation.ElectricalGeneration