Home Brewing Mutants

## Species not listed?

Sourcebooks only provided a limited number of mutants, and it was possible to make new ones. To do so, simply pick an existing species and go from there. For the most part, its is best to acknowledge that no matter what, Growth steps remain identical.

The majority of animals are basic, with little additions to their abilities. So almost any animal can be used, even if it's not in the book. The process is simple, fast, and easy. There are even contradictions between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle & Other Strangeness and the Heroes Unlimited book with mutants that are listed in both Sourcebooks. To put it more precisely, the mutants featured in the books are only "suggestions" even when they are listed. But they still, nonetheless, act as a guide for further character exploration.

Even when it comes to existing animals, there is room for adaption per GM allowance. For example, Rabbits are known to be a burrowing species, however, no Dig skills are listed in their Animal Powers. While this could be they are simply based upon "pet" varieties, it was likely that the species would not be too unbalanced compared to all other mutants. The Pika, a close cousin of the Rabbit, can be used to add missing Animal powers.

A mutant species will allow them access to various Animal Powers, there are animals who have a clear advantage over others, but overall picking a prey-animal in-game terms does not mean the player will be weak. While Bears and Tigers are powerful animal-mutants, Rodents and Turtles have some big advantages too.

## Examples

### Shark

*Notice: this example was made pre-Kicker update in 2023, it will remain here for reference and comparison with the actual Great White Shark mutant.*

For this demonstration, a typical example of a "Shark" is used, and not a specific "Shark" species (there is a difference between a Cookie-cutter and a Great White if the species is a particular "Shark" then more details may be argued).

* A Shark mutant could be created by referencing the Dolphin mutant since it is a similar size and both are aquatic animals. The largest Sharks are of course bigger, but for this example, we will only stick to the Dolphin-sized Sharks which is set at "17". So the Growth charts can be started from the Dolphin and can be used from there.
	+ Note: Dolphins are found in Road Hogs for reference.
* Bonus BIO-E is a bit more complex and is based on Growth and bonses to the Eight attributes. If the player has no intention of giving themselves Attribute bonuses, then the BIO-E reward can be set to 50. If they give themselves Attributes, then set it about 40.This is based on the size of the Dolphin, size differences add or subtract points.
* The next thing to do is look at the Eight Attributes. The safest route is to give no bonuses. Obviously, even if bonuses are given they will be to the Shark's physical stats and be P.P, P.S., P.E. or Spd. Stat bonuses are between +1 - +5 typically most animal Mutants gain only +1 or +2 to a stat boast, while an increase of +5 is exceptional.
* For Natural Weapons, a Shark has a bite force similar to that of a Bear or Jagaur. Therefore, a bear is a good comparison.
* Lastly, ditch the Animal Powers of a Dolphin and come up with new ones for a Shark. By then looking at an animal and comparing it to real life, one can find more suitable powers.
	+ For the shark example, a shark has an excellent sense of smell. So BIO-E can be spent to gain Advanced Smell.
	+ A shark, however, has relatively poor eyesight and many have poor hearing, making those options less likely. So, therefore, the GM can forbid the player from using these abilities.
	+ It will likely have the Swimming option available as a BIO-E cost.
	+ Things like Natural Armour would be off-limits as sharks don't have anything like this.
	+ Players should look at other animal abilities and argue for or against them applying to their new Shark mutant, but the GM should avoid them making up powers.

### Giraffe

A Giraffe will have its growth will be set to 20 due to its size as the tallest animal on the planet, making it relatively easier to start a build. A quick lookup of similar long-necked animals from Transdimensional Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reveals that no special treatment is given to a giraffe for having a longer neck, therefore it is okay to exclude this as a factor in the animal "build". Overall, compared even to the shark a build is straightforward and basic.

* The Giraffe receives no additional BIO-E points due to its size. It will have to gain them via Growth adjustments.
* From there, again attributes can be argued, a Giraffe is another physical animal known for its physical attributes, not its mental ones. Compared to other herbivores, reveals that more than the "Shark" example, the Giraffe will have no additional bonuses since they do not stand out for their remarkable speed, agility or dexterity. Most likely the only stat that would receive a bonus is P.E. alone.
* In terms of Natural Weapons, it basically has no usable horns, its feet have no claws and hooves are useless compared to some other animals so it will skip those.
* In terms of Animal Powers, it will have advanced eyesight. Their hearing is on par with a human, leading to no additional bonuses. Their sense of smell is optional, but Giraffes do not need a sense of smell as much as some other animals, they have nothing particularly remarkable about their eyesight.

Overall, the main changes to a Giraffe is Growth and Animal Powers, making the build easy. The Giraffe can be created using only the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle & Other Strangeness book.