So I'm just getting back into this for the first time in like 5 years, Can anyone break down the new races for me, some of them just seem like challenge races/gimmicks at first glance:
Octopede
Felid
Vinestalker
Formicide
Gargoyle
Octopodes, felids, and formicids are very much challenge races, by my understanding (I've not played them myself).
Octopodes can wear 8 rings, constrict enemies, can swim in water and gain bonuses while doing so, and has a passive bonus to stealth, in addition to a very high stealth aptitude. However, they can't wear any armour at all, have unimpressive aptitudes, and have lackluster base stats. While an octopode can be very powerful once you've got eight powerful rings under your belt, you probably won't get their before becoming calamari.
Felids have extra lives (One life per 3 levels), are fast, have claws I and fangs III, great aptitudes for an enchanter, slow metabolism, carnivore III, a jump attack, and passive see invisible. However, they cannot wield weapons, throw items, or evoke rods and staffs, have bad aptitudes in several things, and cannot wear any form of armour, though they still have jewelry, . I suppose if you're cautious, use hexes like mad, and get lucky enough to increase your claws level via mutations, then you could get a decent felid going. They don't have a horrible transmutations aptitude, but since they're quadrupeds, using blade hands gives them a massive reduction to stealth.
Formicids have antenna III, can treat pretty much any weapon as one handed due to having four arms (No large rocks or giant clubs, though), can use shields with a reduced penalty, can dig through walls, and make shafts under themselves to escape danger. However, they also have permanent stasis, which means no teleportation or blinking, no haste, no finesse, no berserk, but also no paralysis or slowing. Note that Lugonu's Bend Space ability and Passage of Golubria still work. Their aptitudes aren't terrible, but it does mean you'll probably be playing an earth mage or an enchanter.
Vinestalkers are good casters, particularly enchanters, since they have fangs II, and whenever they deal damage with their fangs, they regain MP, in addition to working as if the fangs had antimagic. Also, they get fangs III at level 8. They also have a spirit shield, making them surprisingly hardy once their MP pool gets larger. They start with regeneration I, which goes to II at level 6 and III at level 12. Finally, they have rotting resistance, which while not major, is still nice to have. However, they can't gain HP from potions nor wands (Though potions of curing can still remove status effects), which isn't as major as it sounds, between regeneration, large MP pools, and innate spirit shield. Additionally, their aptitudes are pretty bad for everything save magic, with their only positive skill being stealth.
Gargoyles are one of my personal favorites, since they have natural AC that increases with levels, have poison immunity, petrification and rot resistance, electricity resistance, permanent flying at level 14, unbreathing, innate rN+, and increased GDR. However, they're vulnerable to shatter and LRD, get less AC from Statue Form, and have lackluster aptitudes for everything except earth magic and maces/flails.
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Topic: Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup. Or: THAT DAMN SIGMUND. (Read 1682598 times)