NOW Mutation

[yrtalien]

I really like what you have for mutations in NOW... but I have a player who would like to play a constantly mutating character. Basically he is an agent of an advanced race (we expect to be playing new in B5) and as rewards or upon request they enhance him.


I know I could hand waive a new mutation grant but I'd like him to actually pay for it and for him to be roughly on par with the Teep in the group. I am considering extending the cost of raising a mutation to also buying the first level of a new one. So a Major mutation costs a careers worth of xp... just like raising it.


Am I missing some obvious problem? Does it sound workable? Have any cooler suggestions?

More than any worry of overpowered. I worry this might weaken the PC too much. I would, after all, be asking him to give up stat bumps, skills and exploits for powers... and if he really does try and focus on that then... forever starting character with a strange mish mash of powers... is it comparable?

Thanks.

 

[Morrus]

Hmm. I'd have to try it to be sure, but most mutations are roughly equal to an exploit, so he would be losing out. And his maximum dice pool would not increase in size.

I would create a new career which grants a new mutation when you take it.

 

[easl]

You may want to come up with a mutant career that has the "Spirit Animal" exploit from the Shaman career in Eons #61. It would be a good template for a "flexible power" mutant. Basically it allows you to spend 2 actions to gain one attribute or skill of your totem animal for one minute (animal must be your grade or lower). If you take it 2-3 times, your mutant should have a fairly wide range of high level skills and a few high level attributes he/she can access, one at a time. "I concentrate...and gain the eyes of a cat" sort of thing.

[Edit] Here's a homebrew version:
Animal DNA
Prerequisites: nature or zoology; a least one mutation
Attributes: INT+1, END+1, WIL+1, CHI+1
Skill choices: [outdoors], [physical]
Partial mutation. Choose an animal with a maximum dice pool equal to yours or lower. You are able to mutate your body to copy the abilities of that animal. Spend two actions and gain one of that animal's attribute scores or skills for one minute. You can take this exploit multiple times, choosing a different animal each time.
Monster DNA. This exploit gives you no additional powers, but increases the maximum dice pool of the animals you may choose with the partial mutation exploit by 1. You can take this exploit multiple times.
Nightsight. You can see in darkness as if it was twilight.
Instinctual communication. You can communicate with any animal species for which you have the partial mutation exploit. This power does not make the animal smarter or friendly to you, it just means you can understand and mimic/use the species' natural modes of communication.