What triggers mutations?

[StormLord-711-]

I have to say, I really love this mod and its replayablility. Things like these random mutations that I keep seeing make things interesting. But what I don't understand about them is that my last game that I played (my 1st) I never had a single mutation in any of my units. In this game, it's randomly happened like 4 times (the latest being a settler whose mutation gave it a "weak" promotion, giving it a strength total of -1...I guess it's just somehow even easier to capture ). So now I have to know...what triggers mutations?

 

[Mewtarthio]

Assuming you're not explicitly casting the "Mutate" spell (from either Overlords Cultists or specially Govannon-trained Druids with Chaos magic), you get it from owning Chaos mana. There are certain civs who start with Choas mana naturally, or you can just have your Adepts build the nodes.

 

[StormLord-711-]

Ah, that makes sense...although both games I played with the Lanun, whose palace gives a chaos mana. Although this game I'm importing another one from a vassal, so perhaps the effects for mutating are cumulative. I should try a 3rd one and see what happens. At least it's not because someone is secretly casting it on me somehow.

 

[MaxAstro]

The effect is indeed cumulative; each point of Chaos mana you have gives a 2% chance of a unit you build being mutated.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

It is cumuative. I think it is a 3% chance per unit per chaos mana (I'm not sure what happens when you have enough to have a more than 100% chance)

Oh, also the Balseraph UU, the Freak, will always start mutated.

 

[Vehem]

(I'm not sure what happens when you have enough to have a more than 100% chance)

Same as if it were 100%. The D100 roll will always be below 101+, so they'd always mutate.

 

[Slvynn]

i actually like this stuff and always getting wirth lanun chaos nodes, and always casting mutaton with cultists on warriors.
This way you can get perfect material and make from it very nice unit with cha trait very fast. U get good mutant and then upgrading him to stygian guard, and then , if it levelled , it make really , hero strenght like potent unit.
Also, if he start crazed/enraged - more xp is always good for your elite mutants, isnt it. So whose you mutate become or food or predator. All is good.
I also used to raise cheaply my elite units : buid few warriors, cast burning bllod, watch them become barbs and kill all with one unit.
At end, you can have some stygian guard who will have same odds with hipromoted saverous.