Octopode

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This page is about the player species. For the monster, see Octopode (monster).

These land-capable relatives of common octopuses can move about as fast as humans and yet retain the ability to swim underwater, although their dual adaptation is not as good as that of the shapechanging merfolk. Octopodes have eight tentacle-shaped legs, and need four of them to move. While a tentacle lacks fingers, two tentacles are a rough equivalent of a human's arm where item manipulation is concerned - including wielding two-handed weapons with four. They can use no armour other than loose hats, but can handle shields just fine. Another peculiarity they have is the ability to wear eight rings, one on each tentacle. Their natural camouflage makes them excel at stealth, and they have good knowledge of poisons as well. They are also able to use their tentacles to constrict enemies - potentially several at a time!

Innate Abilities

• Octopodes cannot use any type of armour other than shields and hats.
• Octopodes can wear up to eight rings at the same time.
• Octopodes are amphibious. While in water, they can swim with no penalties, and receive a large stealth boost, equivalent to merfolk. Unlike merfolk, they don't get the EV or speed boost.
• Gelatinous Body 1: Octopodes have AC +1.
• Camouflage 1: Octopodes have +40 Stealth.
• Octopodes have eight tentacles, each of which may be used to constrict an enemy.

Octopodes have a base Strength of 7, Intelligence of 10 and Dexterity of 7 (before Background modifiers).

Constriction

The octopode's constriction ability is passive. When attacking an adjacent foe in melee (barehanded or with a weapon), a constriction attack is automatically attempted with one of your free tentacles and, if successful, will continue for as long as you remain on your current tile. If you were to attack a different target, a new constriction attack would be initiated while your previous constrictions continue. All constricted enemies will take damage each turn and be unable to move away from their current tile until they escape or are released. This effect continues even if you are just resting on the tile or casting spells. Once you leave the tile, however, all constrictions are lost. Technically, wielding a weapon or wearing a shield decreases the number of total possible constrictions; but unless you're fighting bats, attempting to constrict too many enemies at one time is unwise.

Preferred Backgrounds

• Warriors: Assassin
• Warrior-mages: Transmuter
• Mages: Wizard, Conjurer, Fire Elementalist, Ice Elementalist, Earth Elementalist, Venom Mage

Level Bonuses

• +1 to a random stat every 5th level.
• 10% less HP than average.
• Average MP.
• +3 magic resistance per level.

Starting Skills and Equipment

Octopodes receive the skills and equipment listed for their background, save that body armour is removed.

Difficulty of Play

Octopodes are a difficult race to play. While the prospect of an octopode wearing eight artefact rings with multiple intrinsics, stat boosts and bonuses sounds nice, getting there is another matter entirely. The lack of armour makes the early game risky; later on, their lack of HP gives them the semblance of being deep elves, but without the awesome magical aptitudes. Without good EV, SH, and careful avoidance of monsters you aren't ready for, engaging in melee isn't so much a last resort as disguised suicide.

On the other hand, octopodes level nearly as quickly as humans, are quite versatile thanks to their average or better aptitudes in everything (save Armour), and can make great use of deep water to avoid monsters.

Skill aptitudes

The higher the value, the better the aptitude.

Skill	Aptitude	Skill	Aptitude	Skill	Aptitude
Attack		Miscellaneous		Magic
Fighting	0	Armour	N/A	Spellcasting	-1
		Dodging	0
Maces & Flails	0	Shields	0	Conjurations	0
Axes	0	Stealth	4	Hexes	0
Polearms	0			Summonings	0
Staves	0	Invocations	1	Necromancy	0
Unarmed Combat	0	Evocations	1	Translocations	0
Throwing	0	Shapeshifting	-1	Alchemy	1
				Fire Magic	0
Short Blades	0			Ice Magic	0
Long Blades	0			Air Magic	0
Ranged Weapons	0	Experience	0	Earth Magic	0

Strategy

By playing as a transmuter, you can get around some of the limitations of playing an octopode. In Spider Form, for example, you can have an excellent EV score, making up for their almost non-existent base defenses, while Stoneskin is a cheap and easy way to reduce the impact of those inevitable hits. However, some Transmutations spells do disable certain octopode mutations, often with dramatic effect; suddenly having 6 of your 8 rings meld into your body can dramatically reduce your capabilities and resistances. The following list shows the impact of various form-changing spells on your octopode's innate mutations. Ones marked with an asterisk are replaced with similar or superior mutations, and thus should not be of concern:

• Beastly Appendage: No impact
• Stoneskin: No impact
• Passwall: No impact
• Blade Hands: No impact
• Necromutation: No impact
• Spider Form: Disables constriction, stealth bonus*, AC bonus*
• Ice Form: Disables 6 of your 8 rings, constriction, stealth, AC bonus*
• Statue Form: Disables AC bonus*
• Dragon Form: Disables 6 of your 8 rings, constriction, stealth, AC bonus*

Almost any source of AC should be given more consideration than normal. Rings of protection are usually the main source, but weapons of protection are worth a little more than normal. If you find any sources of mutation, consider rolling it up for the possibilities of scales; the AC it'll bring is vital, and if it is early enough in the game the emotional loss won't be too great if your character dies a horrible mutated death.

Trivia

The octopode may have been loosely based upon the pacific northwest tree octopus (Octopus paxarbolis).