Spriggans and Slow

[snow]

With the slow nerf spriggans can now outrun most things while exhausted and slowed after berserking. I think this alone is enough to make SpBe a recommended combination.

[SinsI]

But would they be able to afford it due to food costs?

[mageykun]

Heck, even without the slow nerf, SpBes are one of the simplest and easiest builds to play. So in that light, sure, they should be recommended.

On the other hand... the recommended race / background combinations represent the supported roles in crawl. The ones the devs sought to make fair, to balance, and where complaints of "RaBa is too hard!" are taken seriously. By this definition, the SpBe is not a supported role. Spriggans were designed to be stabby spellcasters- the fact that they can become unstoppable mele machines was an unintentional, serendipitous discovery on the part of the players.

I guess I could go either way with this one.

@SinsI: yup, SpBes work, even with the hunger cost. You 'zerk, you eat. There's a thread discussing the combo in character builds, and several accounts in YAVPs if you want to see how people work around that.

[evilmike]

The SpBe role is well-known enough that there is even a "spriggan berserker" monster. It's definitely "supported", and acknowledged by the devs. The reason it's not highlighted as a recommended combo is completely arbitrary... the game only does that to give new players some suggestions as to what is viable. There are _a lot_ of good combos which are not recommended in-game. It really has nothing at all to do with how much they are "supported".

[pratamawirya]

I think Spriggan Berserker is no weirder than Troll Wizard. So there's nothing wrong with it being a recommended combo

[KoboldLord]

There is no combination that would not be recommended for spriggans or berserkers*, if being good was the only criteria. When you're stacking strong on top of strong, you don't really need a whole lot of synergy. Some combinations need to be non-recommended, or the recommendation doesn't mean anything.

* Okay, still no demigod berserkers. Are all the pedants happy now?

[Stormfox]

It's not recommended because if you don't know how to handle the hunger issue, you will die of starvation before Lair in more than half of your games where something else doesn't get you first. Races that can eat carrion have no trouble leaning on 'aa' and noshing on their kills after the dust settles. Spriggans don't have that option.

SpBe is the Zen berserker: the ultimate berserker is one who does not go berserk.

[JeffQyzt]

...where complaints of "RaBa is too hard!" are taken seriously.

RaBa --> Rat Bastard? Rumpelstiltskin Baby-snatcher?? Rain-god Barkeep??? What is this mysterious species / profession combo? An Easter Egg? (appropriate, since yesterday was Easter...)

[mageykun]

Race Background. :p

Although now I really want rain gods to be a player race. Hmm... what aptitudes suit a race of grumpy taxi drivers with a permanent robe of clouds effect....

[7hm]

There is no combination that would not be recommended for spriggans or berserkers*, if being good was the only criteria. When you're stacking strong on top of strong, you don't really need a whole lot of synergy. Some combinations need to be non-recommended, or the recommendation doesn't mean anything.

* Okay, still no demigod berserkers. Are all the pedants happy now?

DEBes are pretty tough.