Bad Idea: Merge species/backgrounds

[nht]

Crawl has 32 species and 29 backgrounds (27 plus two types of priest). Let's simplify! Pair each species up with a single background suitable to their aptitudes. Here are the suggested new roles

Draconian colour is chosen at character creation
Red/White/Black/Grey/Green get to be the respective Fire/Ice/Air/Earth/Venom elementalists
Spriggan Enchanter, Deep Dwarf Healer, Hill Orc Priest(Beogh), Felid Berserker, Troll Monk, Mummy Summoner, Sludge Elf Transmuter, Centaur Hunter, Demonspawn Wanderer, Minotaur Fighter, Merfolk Gladiator, Deep Elf Wizard, Tengu Conjurer, High Elf Arcane Marksman, Vampire Necromancer, Naga Warper, Halfling Assassin, Kobold Stalker, Ghoul Chaos Knight, Octopode Artificer, Purple Draconian Skald, Ogre Priest(Zin), Mottled Draconian Abyssal Knight, Pale Draconian Death Knight.
(getting tenuous near the end)

Remove boring humans and demigods, this leaves only yellow draconian, perhaps they could start as a Jiyva worshipper, or also be cut.

This simplifies early game balance (balancing ~30 roles instead of ~1000) and reduces choice overload at character creation. Not much content is lost by such a change (it removes challenge combos) and you gain some flavour from having species start out as specialists. Also you are shackling 7 species to a starting god until they are strong enough to deal with wrath.

Comments? (in before Worst. Idea. Ever.)

[PerverseSuffering]

Worst. Idea. Ever.

[Bloax]

If anything, there should be more species. Namely by having demigods not be human only. (Who said divine bastards are always human?)

[Jabberwocky]

If anything, there should be more species. Namely by having demigods not be human only. (Who said divine bastards are always human?)

Because it's tricky getting most humans to have sex with Great Cthulhu.

[IronJelly]

Well, no, see if demigod status is independent of species, so should be vampire, mummy, and ghoul, seeing as how it's as easy to mummify a dead human as it is a dead minotaur. and a vampire-Spriggan would be hilarious.

[Laraso]

If anything, there should be more species. Namely by having demigods not be human only. (Who said divine bastards are always human?)

I think and have always thought that demigod would have been better as a class and not a race.

[jejorda2]

I someone suggested a god that could only be worshiped by humans, only gave stats and hp as a benefit, could never be abandoned, and slightly lowered XP gain as the only conduct, he'd be laughed out of town. But that's pretty much what demigods are, right?