Barachi

Version 0.32: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.

Barachim are an amphibious humanoid race, spawned at the dawn of time as servants for the gods. Inevitably, they rebelled and fled into the mortal world; but even uncounted years later, the darkness still flees at their approach, remembering those who they once served. Barachim's most remarkable trait is their grossly overmuscled legs, which allow them to leap great distances. When not leaping, they are somewhat slow-moving, and the long sight-lines that their heritage creates can be a major disadvantage, but they can master almost any skill.

Innate Abilities

• +1 LOS: Barachim have a line of sight of 8 tiles instead of the normal 7. This means that they can see more monsters at once and can attack monsters from further away, but the reverse is also true.
• Amphibious: Barachim may swim freely through shallow and deep water, without the usual movement or attack penalties. Also, they are immune to engulf and drowning damage.
• Slow 1: Barachim move slowly. They move 2 aut slower than average, taking a total of 1.2 turns per movement. (Equivalent to a monster at 84% speed.)
• Strong Legs 1: Barachim can hop short distances (up to four tiles), but without complete accuracy. Hopping requires a LOS unobstructed by any physical obstacles; however, one can hop over interposed monsters, plants, or statues. Hopping is not blinking, so it continues to function when one is affected by teleport restrictions or Dimension Anchor. After hopping, you will be unable to use this ability again until you have spent 12-24 turns not moving. You do not need to be resting: other actions, such as casting spells and attacking in melee, will recharge the hop.

Barachim have a base Strength of 9, Intelligence of 8 and Dexterity of 7 (before Background modifiers).

Preferred Backgrounds

• Warriors: Fighter
• Zealots: Berserker
• Warrior-Mages: Warper, Hexslinger, Reaver
• Mages: Summoner, Ice Elementalist.

Level Bonuses

• +1 to a random stat every 4 levels.
• Average HP
• Average MP
• +3 willpower per level
• Strong Legs 2, at level 13: the hopping range is increased, up to six tiles.

Starting Skills and Equipment

Barachim receive the skills and equipment listed for their background.

Difficulty of Play

Barachim are slow, meaning that they'll be unable to (easily) run away from threats like orc priests, ogres and hydras. Due to their extra LOS, those impeccably scary threats can detect them earlier and from further away. To compensate, Barachim have a unique ability to hop. Other than being a good escape tool, it also helps them reposition, as hops avoid attacks of opportunity. While the hop isn't entirely accurate, it still acts as a Blink you have some control over.

Otherwise, the aptitudes of a Barachi are some of the best in the game; not lacking in physical combat, general defenses, or magic. This makes them very versatile, a lot more than the short list of recommended backgrounds seems to suggest. Their extra line of sight also grants an effective +1 range for ranged weapons and spellcasting, though certain spells benefit more than others.

Skill aptitudes

The higher the value, the better the aptitude.

Skill	Aptitude	Skill	Aptitude	Skill	Aptitude
Attack		Miscellaneous		Magic
Fighting	2	Armour	2	Spellcasting	0
		Dodging	1
Maces & Flails	1	Shields	1	Conjurations	1
Axes	1	Stealth	0	Hexes	1
Polearms	0			Summonings	2
Staves	1	Invocations	-1	Necromancy	-1
Unarmed Combat	1	Evocations	1	Translocations	1
Throwing	0	Shapeshifting	0	Alchemy	1
				Fire Magic	1
Short Blades	1			Ice Magic	2
Long Blades	2			Air Magic	1
Ranged Weapons	0	Experience	0	Earth Magic	0

Strategy

Barachim struggle early on due to their slow speed, so it is important to develop a successful strategy for killing enemies quickly. The excellent aptitudes make this easy, thankfully. Additionally, they are far less limited in escape options than their slower counterparts, nagas, for they aren't quite as slow and they can hop to escape especially dangerous melee encounters.

Your hop can come in handy, but it isn't quite as reliable as a controlled blink. It's entirely possible you might hop towards a choke-point or away from a dangerous enemy only to fall a couple of tiles short of your destination. If you need to retreat from something particularly dangerous (such as something with a deadly smite-targeted ability), consider just reading a scroll of blinking instead of trying to hop.

God Choice

Almost every god will work with Barachi, although it is wise to choose a god without a significant Invocations requirement.

• Cheibriados is a natural god choice. Since you're already slow, being slower isn't as big of a deal. Plus, your innate hop is a renewable escape / repositioning option, which any Cheibriados follower can appreciate. While Chei may not be the best god for Barachi, it's certainly more viable than with most other species.
• Ru is a generally strong god, with abilities useful when you're stuck in a situation. Power Leap in particular gives you a second hop, one that is precise (always landing where you specify).

History

• Prior to 0.26 Barachim could hop to free themselves from webs or nets.
• Barachim were added in 0.20. They were called Barachians during their development.