Posband-style monster races

[Djabanete]

Here's my pitch for PosBand-style monster races and monster kings.

MONSTER RACES
You may pick a monster race, which is unlike a standard race in that
(1) your equipment slots are different; (2) you don't choose a class;
(3) you evolve to more advanced forms of your race as you level up,
which gives you the effect of New Life. Many monster races don't have
slots for melee weapons, but instead have increasingly powerful innate
attacks. Monster races also have a variety of magical racial
abilities.

EXAMPLE RACE TREES
1. Cave Spider > Giant Spider > Phase Spider (8 rings, lite)
2. Chiokovo > Black Chiokovo > Devu Chiokovo (crown, amulet, 2 rings,
lite)
3. Eagle > Great Eagle > Thunder Bird > Lord of Change OR Fenghuang
(ditto)
4. Gazer > Spectator > Beholder > Ultimate Beholder (crown, 3 rings
(eyestalks!), lite)
5. Hydras: 2-headed, 4-headed, 5-headed, 7-headed, 9-headed, 11-headed
(N/2 amulet slots, N/2 crown slots, lite)
6. Naga > Dark Naga OR Guardian Naga > Spirit Naga (same as normal but
no boots)
7. Tyrannosaurus > Skeletal Tyrannosaurus > Spectral Tyrannosaurus
(crown, lite, amulet, 2 rings)
8. Basilisk > Greater Basilisk (ditto)
9. Xorn (lite, 4 rings, 4 arms)

Dragons and hounds could be done too, but their evolutions might be
complicated. Subraces would undoubtedly be needed.

MONSTER KINGS/QUEENS
Several uniques are appointed Kings/Queens, and have artifacts
associated with them. These artifacts are dropped only 1 in 20 times
by the King or Queen, and that is the only way to get them. However,
if you are a member of the corresponding race, you will ALWAYS get
these by killing the unique. Examples:

Ungoliant drops the Ring of Devouring Darkness: +5 Stealth, See
Invisible, Hold Life, RBlind, RDark, RNether, FA, ImmPois. Get it if
you're a Spider.

Glaurung drops the Golden Crown of Dragonkind: +2 all stats & speed,
RBase, RPois, activate resistance, random high resist, (+5,+5) combat.
Get it if you're a Draconian or a Dragon. Activate for same as a multi-
hued DSM.

Gwaihir drops the Jewel-Encrusted Crown of the Heavens: +5 speed, CHA,
DEX, levitation, RCold, RElec, activate for haste. Get it if you're
one of the Bird species (Chiokovo or Eagle).

Omarax drops the Jewel-Encrusted Crown of Eyes: SI, Telepathy, RBlind,
RDisen, Warning, +3 INT and searching. Get it if you're a Beholder.
Activate for map and illuminate level.

The Lernaean Hydra drops the Eye of the Hydra (light source); radius-3
permanent light, regeneration, RPois, sustain STR and CON. Get it if
you're a Hydra. Activate for healing (700).

************************

SO...

this should be completely easy to implement, right? =D

I can dream.

[Andrew Levy]

Whoops, I goofed up on the dragon crown. Probably the resistance activation would be too powerful, and a DSM-style elemental breath would fit better.

[Chris Kousky]

>
> this should be completely easy to implement, right? =D
>
> I can dream.

I like the ideas, and maybe not so bad to implement. I'll need to
study the code a bit first ... Can the Xorn attack with 4 conventional
weapons? Do they suffer multi-wielding penalties? Perhaps they can
equip 4 weapons and attack with all 4 with no penalty, but their max
blows calc is special (3 max with each weapon, for example ... Hey,
they will probably need to wear a couple shields to boot).

I'm taking a short break, btw, but I will mull this idea over in the
mean time ...