Writhing Smoke

Writhing Smoke is a focus mutation often taken for focus grinding due to the low stress cost and short recharge time between uses. It also works an an effective "panic button" for high-focus users.

Location

Writhing Smoke is located in the Gas Station on the Abandoned Highway. It is relatively easy to get, as the only hostile creatures in the area are low-level rabid dogs.

Effects

This mutation grants:

    +2 to focus
    The command Spew Smoke

Advantages

Grants +2 to focus, which is a significant advantage to add to your other focus mutations. Spew Smoke is also very useful for escaping enemies and grinding for focus IP, which makes it a decent early mutation for some characters.

Disadvantages

None, unless you have really crappy endurance and senses or simply choose to never use the granted ability, then it's just a waste of a mutation slot. At low levels of focus, the ability is borderline useless given its charge time.

Spew Smoke

note: Spew and Exhale are valid synonyms

When used, the user gains a low amount of stress and makes a focus roll. If successful, the user exhales a cloud of smoke into the room and may briefly stun others in the room (duration of the stun depending on the focus roll). While this cloud is in the room (duration depending on the user's focus roll), one can leave the room without broadcasting a message saying when they exited and in which direction. Spewing while you are being attacked also makes it easier for you to run away from your assailants (but be warned, this causes you to stop attacking, and it can be interrupted). Note that the presence of smoke clouds in the room make it harder to create another smoke cloud successfully, and gas masks may be used to resist the effects of this ability at lower levels of focus. The cloud of smoke also effectively buffs the dodge of everyone within its effect, which is why it's easier to escape.

Appearance

No changes are made. Lucky you.

Messages broadcasted upon use of Spew Smoke:

(initate)<Name> inhales sharply as his/her eyes roll back into his head.
(successful) Tendrils of thick black fog erupt from <name>'s mouth like ghostly tentacles 
swirling  as they fill the room with darkness.
(failure) <Name> coughs out a thin cloud of greenish vapor.  Hm.