Trolling the residents of Eyal and the cosmos

[dancingVelociraptor]

I messing around in developer mode, and noticed a few peculiar things, mostly related to undeath, which I thought I'd share...

Undead starting race:

1. If, after getting the staff of absorption, you didn't have to report to Last Hope, you'd be able to play and complete the whole game without putting on the cloak of deception. (But good luck killing Aeryn in the far east).
2. If you don't wear your cloak of deception in dungeons, most NPCs that normally side with you will have their faction listed as "undead". This is especially fascinating when you meet sun paladins...
3. The yeek wayist will attack halflings on sight, but has no problem introducing himself to a skeleton or a ghoul and showing him a glimpse of the way.
4. ...Which makes little sense as yeek abilities aren't supposed to work on undead.
5. ...Which further confounds me as to how the undead can feel the "strange compulsion" to not enter the island of Rel through the halfling ruins.
6. Interestingly, if you side with the Grand Corruptor while not wearing the cloak of deception, the Rhalore are able to tell that you are their friend only when your cloak is OFF. If you put it on they will become hostile again.
7. ...Which brings me to the sheer DERP of NPCs. Go into a town with cloak on. Find a lone NPC. Take cloak off. NPC freaks out. You fight for loot and XPs. You feel like you're losing? Put the cloak back on. The NPC is none the wise - he is instantly your bestest friend again and does not make the connection between you and the filthy undead monster attacking him moments ago.
8. When you enter the far east, the anorithil has no issues asking an undead for help. But Aeryn attacks you on sight.

The necromancer class

1. Nobody has issues with you being an obvious necromancer. Stride into Derth with your bone giants, ghouls, skeletons, vampires - nobody gives a damn!
2. Suppose you were a dashing young man when you saved Melinda. Then you attained Lichdom. Melinda has no problem going out with a clearly rotting corpse.
3. Oh, and everyone notices you're undead. Many places will clearly refer to you as "undead" being your race. Nobody minds, though. You don't need a cloak of deception and there's no one running around screaming HELP THERE'S A ROTTING CORPSE MAN HERE.
4. Yeeks who seek to escape The Way ought to consider being necromancers - Lichdom makes you non-yeek enough that you're no longer allowed back on Rel and don't have to sacrifice yourself at the endgame. But you ARE yeek and wayist enough to summon LIVING yeeks with your racial powers!
5. On that note, if you are a living yeek necromancer with the Lichform talent active when you finish the game with Aeryn's help, when you ask her to stab you - the game suddenly forgets that you have lichform active and simply kills you. Too bad - that'd be the most epic way to sever your link with the way and attain lichdom.

Caldizar

1. If you find yourself in the "Unknown Sher'Tul fortress, before opening the door on the left, check the glass wall on the right. See the stars? Yes, you're in space.
2. And the glass wall is diggable.
3. Dig it. Dat ass Caldizar deserves some vacuum in his abode for the way he treats you. He just up and yells at you - then kicks you out. Where's my chance to explain myself? Rude.
4. He even goes as far as to make you cry blood. Even if you have no blood, tear ducts, or eyes. Yes, if you play a skeleton, you will have "wet cheeks" and "cry blood".
5. Oh, and of course he has total domination over your mind, even if you lack a brain... or show up holding the awakened staff of absorption. Cos that stick is just a toy.
6. Besides, it's not like the vacuum of space will kill a level thousand Sher'Tul. Who is set as invulnerable.

[RedBucket]

If you take off the cloak in town and immediately put it back on, anything that saw you will target you but not attack you, causing them to follow you.

This can be useful for leading the residents of Derth into a hole you dug through the outer ring, so they don't get killed by the storm.

Or for leading people to a watery grave en masse.

[dancingVelociraptor]

Or for leading people to a watery grave en masse.

Always a great way to earn your first few levels!

"Huh? Did that guy look like a skeleton for a sec there? Let's follow him into the river's bottom!"

[0player]

there's no one running around screaming HELP THERE'S A ROTTING CORPSE MAN HERE.

The usual handwave goes about by you being "fresh" enough, by virtue of your corpse being sustained by necromantic powers, that no one recognizes you as dead.

The yeek wayist will attack halflings on sight, but has no problem introducing himself to a skeleton or a ghoul and showing him a glimpse of the way.
...Which makes little sense as yeek abilities aren't supposed to work on undead.
...Which further confounds me as to how the undead can feel the "strange compulsion" to not enter the island of Rel through the halfling ruins.

Undead are still susceptible to mental effects, which makes one think that they have arcane brain simulacrum (tm).

Oh, and of course he has total domination over your mind, even if you lack a brain... or show up holding the awakened staff of absorption. Cos that stick is just a toy.

To be fair, Caldizar probably doesn't give a damn about that puny human "awakening". He probably is much more experienced with that staff.

[Mewtarthio]

Nobody has issues with you being an obvious necromancer. Stride into Derth with your bone giants, ghouls, skeletons, vampires - nobody gives a damn!

The usual handwave is that, when the townspeople see a skeleton or ghoul, they assume it's just a mindless wandering undead that will kill them on sight. When they see a whole horde of undead, they realize they probably shouldn't tick off that cloaked figure leading them.

Suppose you were a dashing young man when you saved Melinda. Then you attained Lichdom. Melinda has no problem going out with a clearly rotting corpse.

Strictly speaking, you need to be alive when you first talk to her (if you go Lich after saving her, but before the bit with the scars, then she'll treat you like any other undead). Also, bear in mind that she'll still hit on you even if you're a Yeek Corrupter with Flames of Urh'Rok sustained at all times. She looks past your unsettling appearance, your five-digit body count, your aura of pure evil, and your history of violent sociopathy. She loves you for what's on the inside.

Yeeks who seek to escape The Way ought to consider being necromancers - Lichdom makes you non-yeek enough that you're no longer allowed back on Rel and don't have to sacrifice yourself at the endgame. But you ARE yeek and wayist enough to summon LIVING yeeks with your racial powers!

Not a bug. You are 100% intended to be able to dodge the sacrifice via Lichdom.

On that note, if you are a living yeek necromancer with the Lichform talent active when you finish the game with Aeryn's help, when you ask her to stab you - the game suddenly forgets that you have lichform active and simply kills you. Too bad - that'd be the most epic way to sever your link with the way and attain lichdom.

Holy crap, that would be so epic. Feature request!

He even goes as far as to make you cry blood. Even if you have no blood, tear ducts, or eyes. Yes, if you play a skeleton, you will have "wet cheeks" and "cry blood".

He is just that badass.

Oh, and of course he has total domination over your mind, even if you lack a brain... or show up holding the awakened staff of absorption. Cos that stick is just a toy.

He actually will comment on the Staff of Absorption. It won't do anything to him, but he'll notice it.

[dancingVelociraptor]

there's no one running around screaming HELP THERE'S A ROTTING CORPSE MAN HERE.

The usual handwave goes about by you being "fresh" enough, by virtue of your corpse being sustained by necromantic powers, that no one recognizes you as dead.

I'd accept that if people didn't openly call you "undead". Just... "Hello, what can I do for you, undead?"
If you're dead enough for the common shopkeeper to tell...

The yeek wayist will attack halflings on sight, but has no problem introducing himself to a skeleton or a ghoul and showing him a glimpse of the way.
...Which makes little sense as yeek abilities aren't supposed to work on undead.
...Which further confounds me as to how the undead can feel the "strange compulsion" to not enter the island of Rel through the halfling ruins.

Undead are still susceptible to mental effects, which makes one think that they have arcane brain simulacrum (tm).

The yeek's dominant will ability explicitly states in the description "does not work on undead", though.

Nobody has issues with you being an obvious necromancer. Stride into Derth with your bone giants, ghouls, skeletons, vampires - nobody gives a damn!

The usual handwave is that, when the townspeople see a skeleton or ghoul, they assume it's just a mindless wandering undead that will kill them on sight. When they see a whole horde of undead, they realize they probably shouldn't tick off that cloaked figure leading them.

Except if you're a ghoul/skeleton not wearing your deception that strides into town with a horde of undead...
And even if you're not undead yet, showing up in, say, Angolwen, Linaniil will gladly say "Welcome to our city, Necromancer". Pretty sure she'd be confident in her ability to 'dissuade' you from practicing your craft.

Yeeks who seek to escape The Way ought to consider being necromancers - Lichdom makes you non-yeek enough that you're no longer allowed back on Rel and don't have to sacrifice yourself at the endgame. But you ARE yeek and wayist enough to summon LIVING yeeks with your racial powers!

Not a bug. You are 100% intended to be able to dodge the sacrifice via Lichdom.

I'm not pointing out bugs, I'm poking at funny game facts

Oh, and of course he has total domination over your mind, even if you lack a brain... or show up holding the awakened staff of absorption. Cos that stick is just a toy.

To be fair, Caldizar probably doesn't give a damn about that puny human "awakening". He probably is much more experienced with that staff.

Oh, and of course he has total domination over your mind, even if you lack a brain... or show up holding the awakened staff of absorption. Cos that stick is just a toy.

He actually will comment on the Staff of Absorption. It won't do anything to him, but he'll notice it.

Yes, he asks you how you got it, but never lets you answer. I'd think if someone shows up at your doorstep with your beloved old firearm, I'd ask them how they got it, and maybe see if I can have it back - not kick them out and let them keep it.


Oh, new fun fact. Ghoul Rot can turn anything into a humanoid shaped ghoul. Rats? Ghoul. Poison Ivy? Ghoul. Swarm of Bees? Ghoul!

[Mewtarthio]

Except if you're a ghoul/skeleton not wearing your deception that strides into town with a horde of undead...

Then they assume you're just another minion, and, since they don't see a necromancer around, you must be a directionless horde of undead out to kill them all. Remember, as far as anyone knows, ghouls and skeletons cannot be intelligent. The closest you get is advanced skeletons that retain some of their former skills; even then, they have no volition of their own and will mindlessly attack anything that moves.

[RedBucket]

Oh, new fun fact. Ghoul Rot can turn anything into a humanoid shaped ghoul. Rats? Ghoul. Poison Ivy? Ghoul. Swarm of Bees? Ghoul!

And it can turn a brittle clear ooze in an army of ghouls.

[Matanui3]

Since I did dig that wall the first time I went to the Unknown Fortress, my headcanon was always that the decompression made me bleed (after the Sher'Tul lowered the forcefield that kept the air in, of course)

[0player]

Yes, he asks you how you got it, but never lets you answer. I'd think if someone shows up at your doorstep with your beloved old firearm, I'd ask them how they got it, and maybe see if I can have it back - not kick them out and let them keep it.

Well, from my understanding of lore, he might regret them even creating Godslayers, and would probably never want to touch it again.
If he wanted to keep it, he'd just take it with himself.

Ghoul Rot... well, blight, or whatever handwave for necromancy there is, seems to be able to convert anything into humanoid corpses, see necromancer's Raise Dead.