The base mutation serum, I'd let you spend extra build slots in order to suggest the superpower and the strength of that power. Obviously the stronger the power, the more severe the mutation would have to be to grant it.
When it comes to mutagenics in general, the mutation isn't RELATED to the power. It is the CAUSE, and the serum is just the means of inducing that beneficial mutation. Using Boost serums bends that rule to a degree, but it doesn't BREAK the rule.
So if I'm understanding this right, and please correct me if I'm wrong
@Silently Watches, the base mutation serum would be restricted to physical traits. We can reinforce bone and skin, increase muscle amount or type, at most maybe grow some new limbs so long as a large amount of biomatter is supplied to the mutate. But nothing that is impossible for a biological origin to produce.
Meanwhile, the Boost Serums introduce magic into the equations, so we can stretch the "impossible" bar a bit further up. So a Strike Boost Serum for strength could introduce powers such as unnatural durability or tactile telekinesis that are physically impossible for a non-parahuman. One for speed could reduce gravity on their body, increase foot friction, or potentially grow their limbs longer for wider strides (I guess overall growth would work for a strength serum as well). The issue here is tying the power back to a potential mutation, as it is still the cause of the power. Hopefully connecting them conceptually will work, otherwise several of the ideas I've thought of won't work.
An example of the differences in mutations between these two types of serums I thought of is for generation of electricity. The base mutation serum could achieve this by literally turning the mutate's arms into electric eels. No more fingers, but can severely zap an opponent with their gross eel limbs.
A Barrel Boost Serum for someone who rolled electricity on the power list, on the other hand, could have a mutation like a
Lichtenberg figure appearing on their body, either covering their entire skin like a raised full-body tattoo or perhaps they sprout antennae shaped like this structure 🤷♂️ . There's no biological structure for generating electricity, but it is still created (because magic).
If I've misunderstood how this works, could you please explain what I've missed so I don't spout erroneous ideas in the future.
Like I said, for the base mutation serum it would be determined by how strong the ability is. The Boost serums state what category of mutation they cause.
1) Previous mutations improve the odds of a better mutation. Or, more accurately, turn negative categories to more positive ones.
So the mutation type for a Boost serum is fixed, but I assume the "previous mutations" rule applies to the base mutation serum
.... Oh my god. I've been calling it the Barrel Boost serum/spell ever since I started posting for this quest. Both mentally and whenever I've written it down.
...
