Species: Banshee

[Klown]

Banshees are hysterical creatures known for their horrifying wails, and uncontrollable spellcasting. They have the power to infuse wands, which they prefer to use while training their unreliable magic. Banshees are hard on themselves, losing their temper whenever they fail to cast a spell correctly.


Innate Abilities

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Strength: 8
Intelligence: 11
Dexterity: 8
Screaming 3.
MP-Powered Wands.
Wild Magic 1 at XL1.
Wild Magic 2 at XL9.
Wild Magic 3 at XL18.
Spell miscasts are replaced with going Berserk instead. If not possible, all MP will be drained to 0.


Level Bonuses

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+1 INT every 4th level.
10% less HP than average.
10% more MP than average.
+4 magic resistance per level.


Skill Aptitudes

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Fighting: 0
Short Blades: 1
Long Blades: -2
Axes: -3
Maces & Flails: -4
Polearms: -4
Staves: 1
Unarmed Combat: -2

Throwing: -1
Slings: 0
Bows: -1
Crossbows: 0

Armour: 1
Dodging: 2
Stealth: -3
Shields: 1

Fire Magic: 0
Ice Magic: 2
Air Magic: 0
Earth Magic: 1
Poison Magic: 1

Spellcasting: 3
Conjuration: 1
Hexes: 3
Charms: 3
Summonings: 1
Necromancy: 3
Translocations: 1
Transmutation: 1

Invocations: -1
Evocations: 3

Experience: 1



[Sorcerous]

This seems like a very strong caster species(WM3 is a lot), but the Berserk from miscasts looks to me like a bad match. It could be used to trivialise encounters by deliberately learning spells that are unusable and pretty much trading MP for a combat buff that makes early D: a breeze. The full MP drain also feels unfair on a species that is deliberately designed with a wizardry penalty in mind. Maybe consider something else thematically linked to casting penalties in general:
1) waste more MP on a failed cast (1MP for SL 1-3, 2MP for SL 4-6, 3MP for SL 7-9 ?)
2) roll a second miscast (double trouble!)
3) maybe even MP bar rot (which is neutralised by some form of progression)

[Magipi]

I have seen some brutal challenge species suggested here, but this is just insane. Even lasting for 100 turns seems like a tough feat.

9 out of 10 games with a spellcaster background would go like this: you see a rat or bat or hobgoblin, you try to kill it with spells, you miscast the first or second or third one (remember, wild magic means your spells are harder to cast), berserk, beat that first monster with unarmed - but then you are slowed, low on mana, and the whole floor is coming at you. Ugh.

I think I would try to win it as a berserker. It looks bad (those weapon aptitudes are ugly), but not as horrible as a book start.

[TheMeInTeam]

I have seen some brutal challenge species suggested here, but this is just insane. Even lasting for 100 turns seems like a tough feat.

9 out of 10 games with a spellcaster background would go like this: you see a rat or bat or hobgoblin, you try to kill it with spells, you miscast the first or second or third one (remember, wild magic means your spells are harder to cast), berserk, beat that first monster with unarmed - but then you are slowed, low on mana, and the whole floor is coming at you. Ugh.

I think I would try to win it as a berserker. It looks bad (those weapon aptitudes are ugly), but not as horrible as a book start.

Book start could pick up a weapon and just cast spells close to enemies, including memorizing something hard to cast to intentionally berserk. In fact it is probably optimal to pick a book start for guaranteed access to berserk and then not train magic for most of the game lol.

Having neutral aptitude in fighting, positive aptitude in SB and staves, and reasonable launcher aptitudes means you could easily play them as a pseudo berserker. The spell aptitudes are so good that you could eventually get very strong magic going too though.

I think this species would actually perform pretty well, absent gear restrictions which aren't mentioned in OP.