Race Idea: Elemental

[bcadren]

Elementals are being composed mostly of magical energy.

Weirdness/Mutations:

• As a being of mostly energy, you are weak to energy draining attacks rN- (More damage from Draining Effects, no effect on Torm)
• Spirit Shield
• MP + 100%.
• Magical contamination slows your MP regen, eventually making it run negative for a time; instead of causing glow. Effectively severe contam makes you frail until the contam clears.
• At XL 12, you gain an element; this brands your UC permanently, grants you a single resistance and changes your apts slightly.
  • Fire Elementals get Flaming UC, rF++ and +Fire -Ice Apt.
  • Water Elementals get an auxillary attack that prevents casting and causing damage that checks rDrown. rC++ +Ice, -Fire Apt.
  • Air Elementals get Electric UC, rElec EV+4 +Air -Earth Apt
  • Earth Elementals get Vorpal UC, AC+8 +Earth -Air Apt.

  Code:

El: Fighting: -1, Short: -1, Long: -1, Axes: -1, Maces: -1, Polearms: -1, Staves: -1, Slings: -1, Bows: -1, Xbows: -1, Throw: -1, Armour: -2, Dodge: 1, Stealth: 2, Shields: -1, UC: -2*, Splcast: -1, Conj: 1, Hexes: 1, Charms: 1, Summ: 1, Nec: -1, Tloc: 1, Tmut: 1, Fire: (3!/0/-2), Ice: (3!/0/-2), Air: (3!/0/-2), Earth: (3!/0/-2), Poison: -1, Inv: 0, Evo: 1, Exp: 0, HP: -5*, MP: 3

[BabyRage]

Just bring djinni back.

[vergil]

Sounds awesome.

[lethediver]

no effect on Torm)

Spirit Shield

MP + 100%

Conj: 1, Hexes: 1, Charms: 1, Summ: 1, Nec: -1, Tloc: 1, Tmut: 1 Evo: 1, Exp: 0

+3 apt on an elemental school

You avin a giggle there m8?

[jwoodward48ss]

Not torment immunity. Just that the -rN doesn't increase torment damage.

[duvessa]

when a draconian and a djinni love each other very much...

[Brannock]

You avin a giggle there m8?

Imo, the -5 HP far more than outweighs all of these advantages. Many of the attributes you pointed out would only be relevant after the player has already "won" (read: reached Lair or later). Elementals, as laid out in the OP, have severe constraints that make their early game horrific.

[bcadren]

Imo, the -5 HP far more than outweighs all of these advantages. Many of the attributes you pointed out would only be relevant after the player has already "won" (read: reached Lair or later). Elementals, as laid out in the OP, have severe constraints that make their early game horrific.

If you started the game with 0 Fighting AND 0 Splcasting (no start does this) you'd have 6 HP and 6 MP, or basically 12 HP with Spirit shield at XL 1...this is 1 HP less than Hu.

[chequers]

I think this species suffers from lack of unique draw. Would it really play differently to existing races?

Also, shuffling aptitudes at XL12 is quite late in the game. If anything I'd prefer earlier so there's more time to adapt rather than feeling "oh well this doesn't change my plan, just make it easier/harder".

[bcadren]

I think this species suffers from lack of unique draw. Would it really play differently to existing races?

Also, shuffling aptitudes at XL12 is quite late in the game. If anything I'd prefer earlier so there's more time to adapt rather than feeling "oh well this doesn't change my plan, just make it easier/harder".

The idea was a race that doesn't have to worry -as much- about yellow grade contam, while not making it completely trivial. And yea I did base it on old Djinni, but I tried to rebalance it so it wouldn't be so broken to just go fighter due to extreme bulk or as a fire elementalist due to high apt known to start...

[Brannock]

If you started the game with 0 Fighting AND 0 Splcasting (no start does this) you'd have 6 HP and 6 MP, or basically 12 HP with Spirit shield at XL 1...this is 1 HP less than Hu.

And what happens if you want to cast a spell? If you take a blow that wipes out your mana pool and you're playing a caster background? That "12 HP" is misleading, it only applies if you're not using your mana pool at all. Vine Stalker make up for this with very fast regeneration.

I encourage you to code this race in a local branch and playtest it. Plus, if you think it works well, then you can submit a patch

[dynast]

when a draconian and a djinni love each other very much...

The draconian lays an egg and the djinni boils it.

[Sandman25]

We need a new god who can combine species in a random way. Tiny size Tr with Sp speed, Op with Te bonus for flying, Hu with Fe lives etc.

[Hellmonk]

We need a new god who can combine species in a random way. Tiny size Tr with Sp speed, Op with Te bonus for flying, Hu with Fe lives etc.

Naga speed deep elf with mummy aptitudes and ghoul stats.

[Dungeoneer]

yea i like it. we really need a new race

[minstrel]

Without commenting on the specifics of the proposed implementation, I like the idea of an elemental race that starts out as a quasi-elemental, then gains a full elemental type later. But then again, I love the draconian/demonspawn roulette game so this might be pushing the theme a little more than some people care for.

One proposal specific criticism: branded unarmed attacks is thematically appropriate, but between trolls, felids and anyone with good tmut aptitude, unarmed is already popular enough. I'd rather see it as an auxiliary attack so melee elementals have a little more weapon choice.