Spider Stomper
Posts: 216
Joined: Saturday, 25th December 2010, 20:02
Umaga, God of the Swarm
Umaga is the god who watches over swarms of vermin and pests (because I'm including spiders). While not a god that is normally worshipped (bugs aren't pious), she is rumored to have influence over groups of insects, and the ability to control what lands of the world suffer infestations. That said, she isn't concerned so much with the individual insects, and generally isn't upset if you kill bugs (since making a group of enemies neutral is Jiyva's schtick anyway).
Those who do elect to follow Umaga will find themselves taking on certain insectlike qualities, as they begin the process of turning into one. Umaga also grants followers some powers manifesting in control of insects.
Umaga piety is gained in the following ways:
Using wads of enslavement on insects/bugs/arachnids (or Random effects and getting them to be enslaved)
sacrificing poisonous corpses, potions, and weapons by praying over them. Even those which are insects/bugs/arachnids.
using her children and their products (eating honeycomb/royal jelly, letting beetles destroy walls within LOS)
Umaga dislikes:
the use of poisons
harming non-hostile insects/bugs/arachnids (more in a moment)
When following Umaga, there is a very small chance of each bug/insect/arachnid, even summoned ones, being generated neutral.
At a low piety, you can summon a small swarm. A small swarm summons up to eight (depending on available space) weak insects/bugs/arachnids in a square around a single target, one square away (so they still have to close in). This swarm is very short lived, and the insects summoned die after roughly one attack (they exist for 3 turns). At higher piety/invocations, this can go up to maybe 10 turns, but no more, and the summons are more dangerous. This s probably good for slowing pursuers, or softening up an enemy, rather than killing them outright.
At the next rank, you gain a random insectoid mutation, and the chance for bugs/arachnids/insects to be generated neutral increases. (you'll ultimately get 3 of these)
Next, you can create a blinding cloud of insects for a short while somewhere in LOS (blocking LOS like clouds do)
At the next rank, you gain a random insectoid mutation, and the chance for bugs/arachnids/insects to be generated neutral increases. (you'll ultimately get 3 of these)
Next, any time you are full or above, you have a very small chance each turn you take or spawning a Royal Jelly at your feet. (I know this is powerful, the chance would need to be quite low, as this is probably really useful in the extended game. I'm thinking you should spawn one per about 10,000 turns).
At the next rank, you gain a random insectoid mutation, and the chance for bugs/arachnids/insects to be generated neutral increases more. (you'll ultimately get 3 of these)
If you offend Umaga by killing neutral insects or using poisons, her wrath is survivable, but not pleasant:
you lose one of your insectoid mutations, the remaining two or one (if any) shuffle (so you have something, but not what you were working with/planning around).
you gain vulnerability to poisons (since she doesn't give rPois, this would only make them neutral again if you had a resistance).
you don't spawn royal-jelly anymore
all insects that were neutral are hostile, and more are not generated neutral while under penance
occasionally an area you have already explored will have a hive-worth of 'k' enemies in it.
Possible Insectoid mutations (like DS mutations, pretty much all beneficial, and some can only be obtained this way. This might be too powerful when stacked with DS mutations. Note that some have 3 ranks. It might be best to bring them down to two, since getting all 3 would be rare, and keep you from getting any others from the list):
You have (small,normal,large) antennae surveying the area around you (sometimes, often, constantly). (Passive Magic Mapping, basically, with more map being revealed more often with each rank)
You have a (tiny,large,huge) horn that can burrow through rock (digging through walls and statues, makes a lot of noise. bigger is quicker, and probably a better passive attack if this grants one).
You have a (thin,solid,thick) exoskeleton (+2,+4,+6 AC respectively)
You have a (small, large, huge) set of (butterfly, dragonfly, wasp, fly, ladybug) wings (noise-producing flight at slow,normal,fast speeds respectively)
You have (a few, some, many) compound eyes (chance each turn to see something invisible, bonus to accuracy)
You can shoot gobs of sticky web (like nets, but not using the throwing skill. can Spider-form do this?)
You grow (2,4) extra limbs. (extra unarmed/passive attacks. maybe extra rings if it isn't too powerful. most armour no longer fits)
Your limbs stick to walls (spider-form style clinging)
Your body is segmented/your body is beginning to shrink to insect-size (+EV)
I'm unsure what else might fit in here...