Mutagens are potent magical agents capable of permanently altering a creature's physiology. A mutagen generally imparts one **Beneficial Mutation**, though its properties are not immediately identifiable. A Magic User or Artificer may may conduct **Minor Magical Research** (p.125) to distil a mutagen and reveals its specific properties. A Magic User or Artificer may mutate a creature with a mutagen so long as they have access to a **laboratory** or apparatus friendly workroom **(1,000 sp)**. The process takes **1d6 days** and requires a successful Int (Apothecary\*) check; on a **failure** the process fails and any mutagens are lost. If the Magic User or Artificer **succeeds**, the creature being mutated must also make a *Luck* (Con) check. On a **success** the mutation occurs without issue; on a **failure** the creature acquires a random **Negative Mutation**; and on a **Terrible Failure** the creature must also make a Death Save (*[[Toxin Trauma]]* on success). Mutations are permanent, and cannot be removed by anything short of a *Forbidden Wish.* In addition, each time a creature acquires a Beneficial Mutation, they accrue a **-1 penalty on subsequent *Luck* (Con) checks** made to resist Negative Mutations. ## Beneficial Mutations | 1d100 | Beneficial Mutation | Effect | | ----- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | 1-3 | **Third Eye** | Roll 1d4. You grow a fishlike eye on your (1) forehead, (2) palm, (3) back of head, or (4) chest. If the eye is uncovered, you can see perfectly in non-magical darkness up to Close range. | | 4-6 | **Second Head** | You sprout a second head! The second head is sentient and shares your same level of intelligence. Your Int and Perc increase by 1d4. | | 7-9 | **Flesh Pouch** | You develop a fleshy marsupial-like pouch on your abdomen. The pouch is sealable, and provides you 3 extra pack gear slots. Its interior is warm and moist. | | 10-12 | **Glowing Tumor** | A mysterious glowing tumor painfully bursts out from under your skin and begins growing. It communicates in a voice only you can hear. You learn a random spell and can cast it once per adventure (using the normal spellcasting rules). | | 13-15 | **Digitigrade Legs** | Your legs bend backwards and then forwards again, like those of a satyr or faun. Your speed increases to Fast. | | 16-18 | **Bloated** | You become grotesquely bloated and fat; a vile stench emanates from you at all times. You can use your action to belch a toxic gas; anyone in melee must make a *[[Luck]]* (Con) save or take 1d4 damage and become *[[Near Blind]]* for 2d6 hours.<br><br>(Incompatible with *Spidery*) | | 19-21 | **Aquatic** | You grow gills and your hands and feet become webbed. You can breathe underwater and your swim speed is Fast. | | 22-24 | **Spiked Tail** | A long scaly tail topped with spikes sprouts from your backside. The spikes at its end may be ejected at will; 1d6 damage, Close range (Nat 19: 1d10 *[[Missile Trauma]]*). | | 25-27 | **Winged** | Roll 1d4. You sprout large membranous wings from your (1-2) back or (3-4) elbows. You can fly at your normal speed. | | 28-30 | **Spined Appendages** | Tiny spines grow across the surface of your fingers and toes, allowing to climb up walls and upside down on ceilings like a spider. Your climb speed is Normal. | | 31-33 | **Gigantism** | You nearly double in size, becoming grotesquely tall, muscular, and thick-boned. Your Str increases by 1d6 and you gain advantage against being knocked *[[Prone]].*<br><br>(Incompatible with *Spidery*) | | 34-56 | **Tentacle** | A random arm transforms into a branching, flesh-colored tentacle. You gain a +2 bonus to Str checks made with the tentacle. A melee attack causes 1d6 damage (Second Rank Weapon, Nat 19: trip or disarm your target). | | 57-59 | **Bioluminsecent** | You can cause your skin to emit an unnatural light in a Far sized area. | | 60-63 | **Adamantine Skeleton** | A layer of adamantine grows over your skeleton and it becomes hideously enlarged, causing metallic bone to burst through your skin all across your body. Your Con increases by 1d6 and you can no longer suffer broken or severed limbs (unless attacked by a weapon as strong as adamantine). | | 64-66 | **Pyrokinetic** | You are immune to fire damage and can cause your body to burst into flames (no action). Your melee attacks deal an extra 1d4 fire damage and any flammable materials you touch may alight. | | 67-69 | **Engorged Genitals** | Use your imagination. They excrete a foul-smelling but intoxicating pheromone. Your Cha increases by 1d6 and you gain advantage on checks made to seduce others. | | 70-72 | **Scaly Skin** | Your skin becomes craggy and squamous, almost appearing like rock. Your base AC increases by 2. | | 73-75 | **Gestational Sack** | A strange uterus-like sack grows amongst your organs and quickly distends your gut. Once per day, you can spend an action to hastily birth a swarm of flying *Veil Leeches* (as *Bat Swarm*). The *Leeches* die after 2d6 minutes but believe you to be their mother and are utterly loyal. | | 76-78 | **Swollen Cranium** | Your skull enlarges threefold, becoming disgustingly swollen and wrought with bulging veins. You become telekinetic, and can cast *[[Hand of the Void]]* without making a spellcasting or DDM check. If you do so more than once per day, make a *Luck* (Int) check; on a failure your brain explodes from the uncontrolled psychic power. | | 79-81 | **Extra Arm** | You grow an extra humanoid arm below your current pair(s). The arm can hold weapons, items, cast spells, etc. | | 82-84 | **Bubbling Cyst** | A bulbous cyst full of a strange fizzing liquid erupts from your flesh. Once per adventure you can drain its puss to produce a random [[potions\|potion]]. | | 85-87 | **Spidery** | You lose all body fat, becoming only sinewy muscle and bone, and can move in unnatural ways thanks to your now double jointed limbs. Your Dex increases by 1d6 and you gain advantage against being *[[Grabbed]]* (may use Dex in place of Str). <br><br>(Incompatible with *Gigantism* and *Bloated*) | | 88-90 | **Echolocation** | A hideously wrinkled bat-like nose-leaf emerges from your face. You can emit ear-piercing screeches to perceive your surroundings through sound. You are immune to being *[[Blind]]* and *[[Near Blind]]* so long as you are neither deafened nor muted. | | 91-93 | **Black Blood** | Your veins become grotesquely varicose and turn an unholy black. You gain +2 on Death saves (does not stack with other bonuses) and any time healing is applied to you roll the dice formula with advantage. | | 94-96 | **Hermaphrodite** | You can spend 1d10 minutes to painfully mold your bones and flesh into a new appearance. You can change your build, eye color, hair color, skin tone, and sex. | | 97-99 | **The Claw** | One of your forelimbs transforms into a chitinous claw. A melee attack causes 1d12+2 damage (Nat 19: snip off target’s limb, no save). | | 100 | **Hypermutant** | Roll on the Beneficial Mutations table again and double the beneficial effects of the mutation (where possible, GM's call). | --- ## Negative Mutations | 1d100 | Negative Mutation | Effect | | :---: | :-------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1-3 | **Shriveled Limb** | Roll 1d4. One of your limbs becomes permanently atrophied and no longer can be used. (1) left arm, (2) right arm, (3) left leg, (4) right leg. If a leg atrophies your speed is reduced by half. | | 4-6 | **Hunchback** | You gain an unsightly and painful hunchback. Most are generally repelled by it but a select few pity you for your condition. Your Cha and Dex are reduced by 1d4. | | 7-9 | **Brittle Bones** | Your bones become porous and weak. Your Con is reduced by 1d4. You take double damage from falling and bludgeoning attacks. | | 10-12 | **Troglodytic** | Your skin and eyes become milky white and translucent, rendering you incredibly sensitive to sunlight. While you are in direct sunlight you have -2 on attack rolls and Perc checks that rely on sight. | | 13-15 | **Fused Lips** | Your lips fuse shut, preventing speech and spell casting (except for *Chaos Gift*). Those close to you (i.e. your party bonds) understand a unique sign language you have developed. | | 16-18 | **Smooth-Brained** | Your mind becomes mush. Your Int score is reduced to 5 and cannot be increased by non-magical means. | | 19-21 | **Split Skin** | Your skin begins to crack all over. It is painful and makes your wounds more grievous. Your maximum hit points are permanently reduced by 2d6. | | 22-24 | **Exposed Organs** | Some of your vital organs herniate through your skin and are now clearly visible. Creatures intelligent enough to target them deal double damage on a critical hit against you. | | 25-27 | **Blinded** | Your eyes melt into your surrounding flesh, becoming a hideous amalgam of skin and cornea. Unless you have some other means of perceiving the world (such as a third eye), you are perpetually *[[Near Blind]]*. | | 28-30 | **Muscular Degeneration** | Your body becomes frail and stick-thin as your muscles decay. Your Str score is reduced to 5 and cannot be increased by non-magical means. | | 31-33 | **Bloodthirsty** | You must consume a pint of humanoid blood per day otherwise you are *[[Starving]].* | | 34-56 | **Nightmarish Deformities** | Your appearance is impossibly revolting. Your Cha score is reduced to 5 and cannot be increased by non-magical means. | | 57-59 | **Popcorn Lungs** | Your respiratory system is weak. You have disadvantage on Athletics checks and the time you can hold your breath is reduced by half. | | 60-63 | **Nanism** | Your body shrinks to a pitiful size, smaller than that of a halfling or gnome. Your Con is reduced to 5 and cannot be increased by non-magical means. | | 64-66 | **Putrid Slime** | A pungent, nauseating slime seeps constantly from your pores and orifices. You have disadvantage on Stealth checks when not in a suitably smelly environment (like a sewer). | | 67-69 | **Dark Seed** | Your libido becomes ravenous; if you do not copulate at least once a day you suffer a level of *[[Fatigued]].* No matter your sex, there is a 5% chance of you becoming "pregnant" after each encounter. Your pregnancies last only 2d6 weeks, and your "children" are 1d4 *Skinless Terrors* that kill with blind abandon. | | 70-72 | **Elephant Fingers** | Your fingers become inflated with fluid and covered in craggy tumors. Your fine motor skills are shot and you fumble on an attack roll of 1 or 2. You have disadvantage on checks requiring delicate manipulation (e.g. Traps and Locks). | | 73-75 | **Pestilent Form** | Disease clings to you and passes easily to those around you. Once per adventure, make a *Luck* (Con) check to determine whether you have begun carrying a random disease, and whether it has spread to a random member of your party (or an important NPC, GM's call). | | 76-78 | **Parasitic Twin** | A small, underdeveloped twin grows somewhere on your body. It is sentient, malicious, and whispers terrible secrets to you. Your Will is reduced by 1d4 and your twin will occasionally attempt to control your body and mind (*Luck* (Will) save resists). | | 79-81 | **Nervous Wreck** | You become skittish and perpetually clammy as your adrenal glands malfunction. Your Will is reduced to 5 and cannot be increased by non-magical means. | | 82-84 | **Distended Stomach** | Your stomach grotesquely enlarges and your hunger becomes insatiable. You require 3 rations per day and your lifestyle costs are tripled. | | 85-87 | **Brain Tumor** | A bulging tumor erupts from your skull and assaults your senses with vivid hallucinations that distract you from reality. Your Perc is reduced to 5 and cannot be increased by non-magical means. | | 88-90 | **Tremors** | Violent tremors constantly wrack your body. Your Dex is reduced to 5 and cannot be increased by non-magical means. | | 91-93 | **Skinless** | Your skin sloughs off in bloody chunks, leaving only bare muscle and fat. In addition to spending several hours a day wrapping and changing full-body bandages, your Cha is reduced by 1d4 and you take double damage from fire and cold. | | 94-96 | **Chaos Magnet** | The [[Veil]] is weak around you. Whenever another creature within Close range would roll for [[Dark and Dangerous Magic\|DDM]] they instead instantly trigger it. You make all [[Dark and Dangerous Magic\|DDM]] checks with disadvantage. | | 97-99 | **Adverse Reaction** | The raw Chaos of the Beyond is too much for your body to handle. Your flesh and bones melt into bloody mush over 2d4 days. It is a slow and painful death, but may be eased by the mercifully placed swing of a sword. | | 100 | **Hypermutant** | Roll on the Beneficial Mutations table. |