came up with an interesting idea for a breeding item earlier. I don't have any ideas for what it would be called but I do have ideas about the mechanics! suggestions about how this item should be obtained, how easy it should be to obtain, or what it should be called, are very welcome.

the item's primary purpose:

this breeding item would guarantee that all cubs in a litter would have the same base genetics MINUS RARITY as the parent the item is used on.

so, using the item on a lion with Golden Dark Solid Special genetics would make all of the cubs from its next breeding have a base with Golden Dark Solid genetics, with the rarity still being rolled the same way it normally is rolled!

useful for if you only want cubs with bases from a certain genetics group, but you have that one lioness with a rare base outside that genetics group that's just too pretty to change the base of. also excellent for anyone who may be aiming for specific rare genetics bases on their cubs.

the bonus potential of this item:

so, this sounds like a pretty standard guaranteed trait breeding item, but there's actually something interesting about this item suggestion: this CAN double as a way to increase the odds of a special base passing, in certain scenarios, as long as you use the item strategically! let me explain:

if you breed a special base x a special base, the odds of a cub having a special rarity base is 4%. if the two special bases are different from each other, the 4% chance is split between those two bases, essentially making it a 2% chance for each parent's base to pass.

now, consider this scenario:
1. you use the item in this suggestion on a lion with the base Damu, which is Golden Dark Solid genetics.
2. the other parent in this breeding has the base Lilac, which is Black Medium Solid genetics.
3. one of the cubs from this litter rolls the 4% chance to have a special base.
4. because of the item that guarantees that all cubs in the litter will have Golden Dark Solid genetics, the only special base that can appear on this cub is Damu.
5. therefore, you have essentially given this litter's cubs a 4% chance of being Damu, and 0% chance of being Lilac, as opposed to the usual 2% Damu and 2% Lilac chance! excellent for if you're wanting to breed Damu.

many people have expressed the desire for a breeding item to increase the pass rate of a base for a long time, and I think this would be an excellent way to test the waters with something that has the smallest chance of being unbalanced:
1. this item has a primary functionality besides just being a base pass boost, so if it ends up not being very useful in that regard, players will still have a different reason to use this item.
2. this item will only result in a base pass boost if the player applies their knowledge of the game's breeding mechanics. it's a reward for studying up and strategically planning your breedings!
3. it is only a 2% boost that comes secondary to the item's primary use (and isn't explicitly stated to be the item's purpose; it's a possible bonus, not the main attraction)

TL;DR: an item that guarantees the base genetics (minus rarity) of the cubs in a lion's next breeding, but can also double as a way to slightly boost the pass rate of a base if you use it strategically