Core Concepts - Tachyonite/Pawnmorpher GitHub Wiki

Mutations and Mutation Sources

At its heart, Pawnmorpher is all about mad science & mutations, and each mutation has either cosmetic or mechanic effects on a pawn.

There are three types of mutation 'severity'.

• Partial: Only one mutation from a certain morph will be applied.
• Chain: A full suite of mutations will gradually be applied in increasing severity over a number of days.
• Buildup: A buildup of mechanites in a person's system, which gradually adds more mutations as the severity increases. Decreases over time, unlike a chain. Mutations are random at first until the mechanites 'decide' on a morph. Once buildup reaches 100%, the pawn becomes an animal of that morph.

Mutations are gained by exposure to mutagenic mechanites. These have a number of sources, ranging from aerosols, injections, animal products and solid matter.

• Chaobulbs: A mutant plant that produces orange bulbs, each of which is filled with a mechanite-infused sap. Causes chaotic mutations, and can be refined into slurry. Can be grown with the prerequisite research.
• Mechanite Slurry: A cansiter of non-newtonian fluid composed of billions of mutagenic mechanites. Extremely potent and likely to create chaotic creatures. Must be refined into injectors or more defined serums to reduce the risk and direct the mutations. Used in many recipes.
• Cowmorph Milk & Chookmorph Eggs: Produced by their respective morphs with the correct mutation (Udder & Egglayer). Both products when administered create mutations of the same morph type - milk makes cowmorphs, eggs make chookmorphs. Can be combined at a mutagen lab to create slurry instead.
• Mutanite: Found in solid deposits, large chunks of mutanite can mutate by proximity and will create partial mutations, but not full chains.
• Aerosol: Mechanites can be dispersed in the air by means of grenade or mortar shell. This also counts for random mutagenic diseases transmitted by ambient mechanites that activate, and mutagenic fallout.
• Ingested/Intravenous: Serums and injectors can be administered to pawns to give them a strong dose of mutagen, which results in developing a full mutation chain.
• Cut/Blunt/Bite: Various melee weapons also apply mutagenic effects such as the stun stick or a cobramorph's bite.

Management

There are ways to mitigate or reverse these sources or the effects of them.

• Stabiliser: Ceases all current chains/buildup/partials, and prevents the user from being affected by mutagenic sources for five days. Note: As stabiliser stops chains, you only need to use one to prevent a pawn from mutating. You can schedule them if your colony is under the effects of a mutagenic fallout.
• Reverter: Provides mutagen stabilisation like above, and additionally removes all mutations from a humanoid pawn. Can be used to revert sapient animals back to a humanoid form again. Note that SAs with a morph variant will retain morph parts when reverted and will need a second dose if you want them to be entirely human.