Mutations?

The sonar thing could work very easily. Normal humans can be taught to echolocate effectively; blind people can be taught to do it quite readily as their brains process information in a different fashion. (brain plasticity is fascinating; for instance there is intense activity in the visual centers of a blind person when they read braille) That someone could be born with hearing developed to that point is not a large stretch at all.

Infravision, however, is tougher. Infravision would not stem from natural mutation, but rather it would require a long time of evolution. Since infravision is heat sensitive, the heat of the head that held the eye would flood the eye and it would need cooling. I once read a long and intelligent article on explaining infravision in the D&D world, and surprisingly it brought up these and other intelligent points. Anyway, creatures that see in the dark in the natural world do it by other means, usually they have more sensitive eyes. Cats have specially formed eyes to collect a lot of light. Dogs have 25% more light sensors than color sensors.

I could see a few "Mutation" traits like this:

Feline Eyes: Your eyes have the light-focusing characteristics of a cat. You have 25% better night vision.

Hypersensitive eyes: Your eyes have developed to an extreme level. You see 65% better in darkness, but are hampered by bright light and sunlight especially, taking 25% penalty on all vision-related actions in bright light. Perhaps you can find a way to alleviate this penalty? [Mirrored shades, anyone? Another use for this item, presuming it returns!]

Echolocation: Your auditory centers are liked unusually with your visual centers. You can sense objects with sound, and are never truly in the dark. In total darkness, you can still "see" as if in dim light, and you take only half penalties from blinding effects and eye damage. You also get +1 on auditory PE checks. However, since you rely upon your ears for this orientation, you take equivalent penalties to vision-related tasks if you are deafened.
 
Wow Lord 432 those sound like they came right outta a pen-and-paper player's guide! I love it! The ideas seem helpful, unique, and fair. Im not surprised about you reading a D&D book that had detailed descriptions on how things can take place...they go to great lengths to be factual...

:D ,
The Vault Dweller
 
Infravision, however, is tougher. Infravision would not stem from natural mutation, but rather it would require a long time of evolution.
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Don't forget that in Fallout, the real world science is not that important. SCIENCE! instead of science is a general rule.
 
But don't forget that it is still ruled by the laws of the fiction style and setting. Which is why RadScorpions fit, but SheepClaws do not.
 
Well, I don't really have that much against hairy deathclaws (even though the original ones are obviously superior). I have much more against talking hairy deathclaws.
 
*Deathclaw Claws: "Your hands form a pseudo-exoskeleton and your fingers each form a sharp claw on the end. They function like regular fingers in every other way, but the ability to slash with your bare hands means your unarmed damage is doubled when using your hands.

Unarmed damage 200%"

Or it could be a tradeoff mutation:

*Deathclaw Traits: "Your body has the characteristic of a Deathclaw in that random patches of your skin are scaly, and your hands and feet form claws, almost as if you are somehow part Deathclaw. This gives you double damage in all unarmed combat but your charisma is brought down by your scaly skin.

CH -2
Unarmed damage 200%"

-----------------------------------------------

*Deathclaw Blood: "Your body has the characteristic of a Deathclaw in that parts of your body are scaly and your hands and feet form claws, almost as if you are somehow part Deathclaw. This seems to effect your mind as well, meaning that you have less control over your temper and actions, but gain some form of advanced instinct. This gives you many traits which make a Deathclaw a Deathclaw, and traits which make a human a human seem to be retarded somewhat.

ST +2
PE +1
CH -3
AG +1
IN -3
Critical chance +20%
Unarmed damage same as a Deathclaw
The effects of the Kamikaze trait are included as well."
 
Your right, but it could be the result of some genetic experimentation by the people who are experimenting with genetically engineering the Deathclaws. I think it fits the theme of 50’s science fiction well enough.
 
I think you could achieve something similar to what Calcy is suggesting without getting Deathclaws into it. People, being mammals, are very, very incompatible with Deathclaws. Why not:

Mineral Absorbtion Imbalance:
Your genetic makeup has changed the way your body uses minerals. Your bones, teeth, finger and toenails are all incredibly hard, due to elevated content of iron and other metals in these areas. Your fingernails are black and grow to as long as six inches (although with work you can keep them trimmed down somewhat). They are as hard as metal and can be used like claws, giving you an extra melee attack: Slash, which does much more damage than standard punching. In addition, the hardness of your bones means you are much less likely to take a crippled limb. Unfortunately, however, if you do have a limb broken, it will take twice as long as normal to heal on its own. The claws come with their own restrictions: You cannot make slash attacks while wearing gloves of any kind, (including those associated with armor) and making a purely unarmed attack while in an environment suit is certainly ill-advised. The metallic nature of the claw-like nails gives you a +10 natural bonus to repair and lockpick checks, but you incur a -20 penalty to doctor and first aid, since while it's easier to work with metal it's harder not to damage flesh.
 
I like the idea, but I'd like to see it incorporated into the game as a result of the effects of radiation while playing. This way it wouldn't be so simple as just taking Rad Away to get rid of contamination, and *boom, you're fine. It would have lasting effects even after you purge your body.

The results could be random, and have different stages and layering effects.

For instance, you get a large dose of radiation posioning, and you grow an extra limb. Even more, and you start glowing in the dark (positive effect for night vision, negative effect for sneaking). Yet even more and you turn into a sort of ghoul like creature.
 
satanisgreat9 said:
I like the idea, but I'd like to see it incorporated into the game as a result of the effects of radiation while playing. This way it wouldn't be so simple as just taking Rad Away to get rid of contamination, and *boom, you're fine. It would have lasting effects even after you purge your body.
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Even by the details of the setting and science fiction of this style, it would still take the presence of radiation to make the effects grow. I would have to say that this should be amended to "If the effects of radiation are not treated promptly", therefore both preserving the setting and also not hopelessly screwing the character because they just got an affliction that Rad-Away couldn't help at all. If the person keeps playing with radiation effects, instead of reloading as most players would if radiation were to have such an affliction, then they should mutate a little. But if they use the Rad-Away fast enough, they shouldn't have anything other than a likely addiction to Rad-Away.

The results could be random, and have different stages and layering effects.

For instance, you get a large dose of radiation posioning, and you grow an extra limb. Even more, and you start glowing in the dark (positive effect for night vision, negative effect for sneaking). Yet even more and you turn into a sort of ghoul like creature.
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This is a good idea if the mutations the developers add (if they do add them in) fit into the setting, and the possibility of even more happening to you as you get further exposed and still radiated would be an interesting aspect to the game. If you manage to live with a non-fatal but still present dose of radiation, then perhaps you will mutate, then your rad resistance will go up a little and you will have to encounter further nonlethal amounts of radiation to become an even more hideous freak.

In this way, it would be a progression towards a ghoul character, and then later into something similar to a glowing one, where radiation would no longer really affect you for the most part and you would in fact enjoy the hot rads from a reactor - perhaps be able to act like a little radiation battery and add radiation damage to your HtH attacks. Of course, your physical appearance and attributes would change, for the better or poorer.
 
TVD said:
*Tentacle: "You have a random limb in the form of a tentacle growing on you. Under seemingly nonsensical circumstances it may grab an item in your inventory and throw it on the ground. It may also wave in front of you and throw off your aim. The effect is random. You can choose to have it amputated, but only at the loss of 10% your total HP."
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:rofl:

I keep thinking about a penis when I read this. I just can't help it. Sorry.

I guess these 'mutations' could be kinda sorta like penalties when you travel through certain forbidden zones on the worldmap...
 
I kept thinking of Hentai. :P

I think it would be cool if you, in the course of the game, were able to become a ghoul like Rosh said, or even a Supermutant, as long as it's not scripted. I can't stand scripted stuff like this.
 
uziel said:
That would work, but the armor penalty wouldn't go, despite the fact it wold be accurate.
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What armor penalty? Not being able to make a slash attack while in armor with gloves? Or are you talking about something completely different?
 
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