Race Idea: Yeek

[File200]

I posted this in the general brainstorming thread, but decided it could probably use its own thread.

New race idea: Yeeks!

Said to be the missing link between goblins and slimes, these small disgusting creatures are weak and terrible at most things. Their only saving grace is their high stealth and fast growth, which means they gain levels more quickly than even humans. They also emit a film of slime that covers their equipment, neutralizing acids and quickly healing wounds.

Yeeks have unstable genetics, making them prone to mutation. This can be good or bad, but mostly funny.

Traits:
Small
Slow movement 1
Deformed body 1
Resist acid and corrosion
Regeneration 1
Fast levelling (20% faster than humans)
Poor aptitudes in all skills except stealth, stabbing, poison and transmutations
Innate (permanent) evolution 3 (New level that has to be coded in. Possibly gives a mutation every XL)
Low str and int, medium dex. Gains dex every 4 levels.
At high levels, yeeks can swallow a portion of their brain stem, sacrificing permanent stats, permanent hp and permanent mp to restore current hp and mp in a pinch.
Cosmetic: yeeks leave a slime trail wherever they go.

Yeeks are to species what chaos knights are to classes: probably not viable, but also lots of fun.

[tasonir]

Sounds kind of like worshipping Jiyva, in a race. Which I personally don't think is a bad thing at all. I'd probably remove slow movement, jellies aren't slow anymore, and that would probably help make them a bit more reasonable.

Evolve tends to give mostly good mutations, so this race might not be that weak, but it'd depend on how evolve 3 is set up. Limiting it to once per XL is a lot slower than current evolve. I'd probably just make evolve 3 the same as evolve 2, but make it so that the evolve 3 mutation cannot be removed. Although if it was a racial mutation, wouldn't it be unremovable anyways? Could just use evolve 2 then.

[Lyrick]

Yeeks didn't mutate in Angband...but maybe their constantly exposed skin renders them susceptible to the radioactive air in the dungeon.

Corrosion resistance is kind of meh for most of the game. Actually acid in general is just kind of meh, its annoying and situational, infrequently occuring, but necessary all the same.

There's only one race with an exp aptitude that isn't -1, 0, or 1, and thats demigods who have a pretty good reason not to level any faster. +2 exp is really, really fast, and Yeeks already have a fair number of advantages minus slow movement and deformed body (they probably wouldn't wear anything heavier than leather/mottled anyway). You're also giving them a mini-Borgnjor's, it seems, which may be pretty broken (its a level 8 dual school spell), and even if its on a lesser scale it may be difficult to balance out without being too crippling or too useful.

But I think there are other reasons not to give anything a +2 EXP aptitude. (Maybe hitting level 27 by Vaults:1 from normal play would be one.)

[File200]

Sounds kind of like worshipping Jiyva, in a race. Which I personally don't think is a bad thing at all. I'd probably remove slow movement, jellies aren't slow anymore, and that would probably help make them a bit more reasonable.

Evolve tends to give mostly good mutations, so this race might not be that weak, but it'd depend on how evolve 3 is set up. Limiting it to once per XL is a lot slower than current evolve. I'd probably just make evolve 3 the same as evolve 2, but make it so that the evolve 3 mutation cannot be removed. Although if it was a racial mutation, wouldn't it be unremovable anyways? Could just use evolve 2 then.

Slow movement can be removed. It's a pretty annoying drawback anyway. But they need something else to balance a possible good mutation every level. Maybe lower experience apt?

Yeeks didn't mutate in Angband...but maybe their constantly exposed skin renders them susceptible to the radioactive air in the dungeon.

Corrosion resistance is kind of meh for most of the game. Actually acid in general is just kind of meh, its annoying and situational, infrequently occuring, but necessary all the same.

There's only one race with an exp aptitude that isn't -1, 0, or 1, and thats demigods who have a pretty good reason not to level any faster. +2 exp is really, really fast, and Yeeks already have a fair number of advantages minus slow movement and deformed body (they probably wouldn't wear anything heavier than leather/mottled anyway). You're also giving them a mini-Borgnjor's, it seems, which may be pretty broken (its a level 8 dual school spell), and even if its on a lesser scale it may be difficult to balance out without being too crippling or too useful.

But I think there are other reasons not to give anything a +2 EXP aptitude. (Maybe hitting level 27 by Vaults:1 from normal play would be one.)

My concept of Yeeks is sort of based on the tile from angband, which was some kind of slimy goblin thing. The evolution was suggested by a friend who pointed out that slimes are the enemy most associated with mutation in this game.

A lower experience apt makes sense I guess. +2 exp just frontloads your HP and MP gain and makes the early game a bit easier.

The mini-borgnjor's was a way to balance slow movement (which jellies no longer have, it seems). I would rather it be underpowered than overpowered, honestly. I was thinking 20% of HP and MP restored. Remember, this guy will have -2 or lower apts for a lot of things, and doesn't even have good stats like a demigod.