Difference between revisions of "Spriggan"

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'''Spriggans''' are small, magical creatures distantly related to [[Elf|Elves]]. They love to frolic and cast mischevious [[spell]]s.
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{{flavour|Spriggans are small magical creatures distantly related to Elves. They love to frolic and cast mischievous spells.
  
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Spriggans do not adventure the same way that most species do. They are poor fighters, have little physical resilience, are too small to handle many weapons and armour, and are terrible at destructive magic - [[Conjurations]], [[Summonings]], [[Necromancy]] and elemental magic. On the other hand, they are excellent at other forms of magic and are very good at moving silently and quickly. So great is their speed that a Spriggan can overtake a [[Centaur]], and more than even [[Halfling]]s or [[Kobold]]s, they can be massively frustrating to simply ''hit''. They can also survive on very little food, and in fact do not eat meat at all - a diet which serves them well when they take up the path of Necromancy after all, or worship [[god]]s who accept blood sacrifices.
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They are poor fighters and have little physical resilience, though they are incredibly skilled at dodging attacks. They are terrible at destructive magic - conjurations, summonings, necromancy and elemental spells. On the other hand, they are excellent at other forms of magic, and are very good at moving silently and quickly. So great is their speed that a Spriggan can overtake a Centaur. Their size makes them unable to wear most armour. They cannot wield large weapons, and even most smaller weapons require both hands to be wielded by a Spriggan.}}
  
 
==Innate abilities==
 
==Innate abilities==
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*[[See Invisible]]: Spriggans have supernaturally acute eyesight.
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*Spriggans are '''[[Size#Player Sizes|little]]'''. They get bonuses to [[EV]] and [[Dodging]], but are too small for many items.
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*[[Good_mutations#Slow_Metabolism|Slow Metabolism 2]]: Spriggans need almost no food.
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**They are completely unable to use most two-[[hand]]ed weapons: [[great sword]]s, [[triple sword]]s, [[dire flail]]s, [[great mace]]s, [[battleaxe]]s,  [[executioner's axe]]s, [[halberd]]s, [[scythe]]s, [[glaive]]s, [[bardiche]]s, [[longbow]]s, [[triple crossbow]]s, [[javelin]]s, and anything medium-sized species can't wield.  
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*[[Bad_mutations#Herbivorous|Herbivore 3]]: Spriggans gain more [[satiation]] from non-meat food, but they cannot eat meat, including chunks from [[corpse]]s.
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**Large one-handed weapons: [[magical staves]], [[double sword]]s, [[trident]]s, [[demon trident]]s, and [[broad axe]]s, are two-handed weapons to them.
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*[[Good_mutations#Speed|Speed 3]]: Spriggans cover ground extremely quickly during [[movement]].
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**In addition, spriggans are unable to wear the following types of armour: [[kite shield]]s, [[tower shield]]s, [[gloves]], [[boots]], [[helmet]]s, and any type of body armour apart from [[robe]]s or hide-based armour ([[animal skin]], [[troll leather armour]], and [[dragon scales]]).
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*Spriggans are tiny and cannot use many weapons and armour.
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*'''[[Good mutations#Acute Vision|Acute Vision]]''': Spriggans can [[see invisible]].
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*'''[[Fast|Fast 3]]''': Spriggans cover ground extremely quickly during [[movement]]. Each move takes 0.6 [[decaAut]] (which is as fast as a 167% speed monster).
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Spriggans have a base [[Strength]] of 4, [[Intelligence]] of 9 and [[Dexterity]] of 10 (before Background modifiers). They have +1 to base [[magic points]].
  
 
==Preferred Backgrounds==
 
==Preferred Backgrounds==
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Spriggans are among the least versatile races in the game. They usually become [[Assassin]]s, [[Abyssal Knight]]s, [[Transmuter]]s, [[Warper]]s, [[Enchanter]]s, [[Stalker]]s, [[Wizard]]s, [[Necromancer]]s, [[Air Elementalist]]s, [[Earth Elementalist]]s, [[Venom Mage]]s, and [[Artificer]]s.
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*'''Warriors:''' [[Brigand]]
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*'''Warrior-mages:''' [[Warper]], [[Enchanter]]
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*'''Mages:''' [[Conjurer]], [[Earth Elementalist]], [[Venom Mage]]
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*'''Adventurers:''' [[Artificer]]
  
 
==Level Bonuses==
 
==Level Bonuses==
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*Spriggans get an Intelligence or Dexterity (equal chance) increase every 5 levels starting at level 5.
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*+1 [[intelligence]] or [[dexterity]] (equal chance) every 5th level.
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*Spriggans gain 30% less HP than [[Human|average]]
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*30% less [[HP]] than average.
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*Spriggans gain 30% more MP than average
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*+7 [[willpower]] per level.
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*Spriggans gain 7 magic resistance per level
 
  
 
==Starting Skills and Equipment==
 
==Starting Skills and Equipment==
 
Spriggans start with the skills and equipment listed for their background, with the following exceptions.
 
Spriggans start with the skills and equipment listed for their background, with the following exceptions.
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*Incompatible body armour is replaced with an [[animal skin]] or [[robe]].
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*[[Javelin]]s are replaced with [[boomerang]]s.
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==Difficulty of Play==
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{{Moderate}}
  
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*[[Potions of porridge]] replace [[bread ration]]s.
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Spriggans are fairly easy to play, mostly due to their fast movement speed. Where a normal species would need to fight or expend resources, a Spriggan might be able to just run away. They also have high [[evasion]], a massive [[Stealth]] aptitude, and are good with a few types of magic. High willpower is a nice bonus on top.
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*[[Stone]]s replace [[throwing net]]s.
 
  
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==Difficulty of Play==
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However, they have very low HP, and are too tiny for most armour. Always keep this in mind, even when you have huge EV and feel that nothing can touch you. A few bad rolls — or a few evasion-ignoring attacks — can be fatal. Fortunately, Spriggans' high speed makes it easy to remain in control and fight or flee from battles on your own terms. 
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{{Beginner}}
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{{species_aptitudes|Spriggan}}
  
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Spriggans are a fairly easy race to play, because the early game is a breeze and they are able to rely on their great speed and magic resistance the whole game. They are also the only race with a "tiny" body, giving them great [[Dodging]] ability complemented by their excellent aptitude for it. They are not as effective with [[Short Blades]] and ranged weapons as [[Kobold]]s or [[Halfling]]s, and have lower HP, as well as a worse aptitude for [[Fighting]].  
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==Strategy==
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In the early game, the main threats to a Spriggan are:
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*Getting trapped between monsters. Careful exploration - so that you don't have to retreat towards unexplored areas - is nearly essential to avoid the possibility of being trapped.
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*Scary ranged attackers. An early [[orc priest]] can one-shot you, for instance. Spriggans have two defenses against this. The first is speed - in many cases, you can run away, and enter from a different staircase. The second is their great [[Stealth]], which lets you dodge enemies. Considering that many Spriggans stay in light armour for the entire game, training some stealth costs little and helps a lot.
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**Note that monsters can't attack outside [[line of sight]]. If both you and the monster have a ranged attack, then keep monsters at the edge of LOS (7 tiles away). If you take too much damage, step away to force the monster outside LOS, allowing you to make a getaway.
  
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Spriggans also have tremendous spellcasting aptitudes, but this is where they run into trouble. Since they cannot eat [[chunk]]s, [[spell hunger]] is a substantial limitation for Spriggan spellcasters – especially with the removal of [[The Hive]] in [[0.10]], formerly a source of large amounts of herbivore-friendly food.
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While spells like [[Blink]] and [[Iskenderun's Mystic Blast]] can negate the former threat, ranged attacks will always remain a problem. Also, certain monsters (such as [[killer bee]]s and [[black mamba]]s) are even faster than you, so you can't just run away.
  
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When playing a Spriggan, you should avoid casting most spells until you can bring their hunger cost down to zero; otherwise, you will burn through your limited food supplies and starve. To bring spell hunger costs down, focus on raising the [[Spellcasting]] skill and your Int.
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With the speed to [[kite]], high [[dexterity]] and a tendency for light armour, Spriggans can be good at [[Ranged Weapons]]. Note, however, that they can't use [[longbow]]s and [[triple crossbow]]s. Kiting is powerful, but not the be all, end all: your fragility is still noticeable in a ranged fight.
  
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Even without spell hunger to contend with, Spriggans must carefully manage their permafood, as the only infinite sources in the game are raids on [[the Abyss]] or [[Pandemonium]], and those are by no means guaranteed. If they are lucky, they find a [[staff of energy]].
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Spriggans have a high aptitude in [[Shapeshifting]], but note that entering [[Serpent Form|Serpent]], [[Statue Form|Statue]], [[Dragon Form|Dragon]], or [[Storm Form]] will negate your fast movement speed. However, due to the HP and defenses these forms provide, you may want to use them anyways.
  
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<!-- up to date for 0.9 -->
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===Background Choice===
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{{aptitudes
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Spriggans' innate abilities make them well-suited to a few particular classes:
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|arm = -3
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*[[Enchanter]]s: Spriggans' aptitudes heavily favour [[stabbing]], as they are quite talented in Stealth, [[Short Blades]], and [[Hexes]]. Moreover, their high speed works very well for a stabber: unlike normal speed races, a few bad rolls of the dice will not leave a Spriggan with an angry ogre sticking to them like glue.
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|ddg = +4
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*[[Alchemist]]s and [[Brigand]]s: Both of these builds rely (early on, at least) upon inflicting high levels of poison on monsters from a distance. Spriggans' speed allows them to maintain that distance, allowing them deal with many threats without ever letting them into melee range.
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|sth = +4
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*[[Necromancer]]s: Spriggans have passable aptitude with Necromancy, and the ability to raise several meat shields for yourself is always helpful.
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|stb = +4
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*Conjurer and Summoner types in general: Being able to maintain distance while blasting is a great thing. Unfortunately, Spriggans' aptitudes for such magic are rather terrible, but spells like [[Fulminant Prism]] (Conjurer) and [[Summon Forest]] (later on) also use your greater aptitudes.
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|shd = -3
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*[[Hunter]]: As mentioned in the main strategy section, Spriggan hunters are able to continuously kite melee enemies and maintain distance.
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|t&d = +3
 
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|inv = -1
 
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|evo = +3
 
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|exp = 130
 
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|fgt = -2
 
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|sbl = +1
 
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|lbl = -2
 
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|axs = -2
 
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|m&f = -3
 
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|pla = -3
 
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|stv = -3
 
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|u_c = -2
 
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|thr = +1
 
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|slg = +2
 
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|bws = +2
 
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|crb = 0
 
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|spc = +3
 
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|coj = -3
 
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|hex = +2
 
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|cha = +4
 
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|sum = -2
 
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|nec = -1
 
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|trl = +4
 
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|trm = +3
 
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|fir = -2
 
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|ice = -2
 
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|air = -1
 
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|ear = -1
 
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|poi = 0
 
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}}
 
  
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==Strategy==
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===God Choice===
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<!-- taken in part from http://www.thewholeclan.com/will/crawl/index.php/Spriggan -->
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Spriggans are reasonably good with most gods, but a few stand out (in no particular order):
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Spriggans make excellent [[Enchanter]]s and [[Transmuter]]s, and generally have a very easy time in the early game thanks to their blazing speed (and unlike [[Centaur]]s, they don't need to eat all the time). The middle game is where things begin to get tough for Spriggans, as more enemies have decent ranged attacks, and their speed/dodging is no longer so insurmountable an advantage. Spriggans are also among the most frail races in ''[[Crawl]]''; they have very low HP, compounded by the severe restrictions on the [[armour]] they can wear.  
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*[[Kikubaaqudgha]]: Goes well with a necromancer build. The torment ability is a bit more useful for Spriggans than most races, since their speed provides a powerful escape option.
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*[[Trog]]: A somewhat paradoxical choice, but actually pretty strong. Spriggans' intrinsic speed makes post-berserk slowing noticeably less dangerous, as you remain faster than regular speed enemies. Trog's Hand helps out with their low HP, and Brothers in Arms is a powerful panic button in general.
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*[[Ashenzari]]: Complements a stabbing build very nicely. The detection and scrying can be good for avoiding danger, particularly around corners.
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*[[Okawaru]]: The armour gift can be useful for Spriggans, since they are guaranteed to be wearable. Also boosts and gifts ranged weapons.
  
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Spriggans have several tools for dealing with this, however. Their Spellcasting is keen enough that in practice, they have little trouble with attack spells, despite low aptitudes for [[Conjurations]] and elemental magics. They are also bar none the best sneaky assassins in the game. Aside from their uber [[Stealth]] and speed, their [[Hexes]] aptitude makes them great with invisibility, confusion, and other magical means of making enemies vulnerable to [[Stabbing]] (which they also excel at).
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[[Cheibriados]] is considerably more difficult, since this god removes one of Spriggans' primary advantages (speed).
  
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Spriggans also have tremendous ability at [[Evocation]]. A Spriggan with a [[rod of destruction]] is nigh unstoppable, at least by monsters. The problem is to survive until you can [[Scroll of acquirement|acquire]] or find (good luck with that!) one, and then to survive the hunger from the rod (Int and spellcasting skill help with spellcasting hunger, slow metabolism 3 helps with walking about, but NOTHING in the game mitigates Evocations hunger at all.).  
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==History==
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*Prior to [[0.29]], Spriggans could wield [[triple crossbow]]s, and had a +2 aptitude to [[Slings (skill)|Slings]] and [[Bows (skill)|Bows]].
 +
*Prior to [[0.27]], Spriggans had a +4 Dodging aptitude and started with base 11 Dexterity, but EV had a hidden stepdown.
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*Prior to the removal of the hunger system in [[0.26]], spriggans had [[Slow Metabolism]] 2 and were [[Herbivorous]], meaning they required very little food, but could only eat [[ration]]s.
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*In [[0.20]], [[demon trident]]s became two handed for spriggans again.
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*Prior to [[0.19]], Spriggans could not use [[triple crossbow]]s. Also, [[morningstar]]s, [[eveningstar]]s, [[long sword]]s, [[scimitar]]s, [[demon blade]]s, [[war axe]]s, [[spear]]s, [[demon trident]]s, and [[greatsling]]s were two handed for them.
 +
*Prior to [[0.16]], Spriggans began play with a [[potion of porridge]] in place of a bread ration.
  
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Finally, they can get a lot of mileage out of [[god]]s who grant allies ([[Yredelemnul]], [[Makhleb]], [[Fedhas]], or - for an offbeat choice - [[Trog]]), as they can happily use all the meatshields they can get. Even better, all of these gods accept blood sacrifices or have other uses for corpses, which is great for Spriggans who don't need meat anyway. On the other hand, [[Sif Muna]] or [[Vehumet]] could add a lot to a Spriggan's already great magic game. [[Zin]] can help compensate for the Spriggan's picky diet through his Sustenance ability, and Spriggan are utterly unaffected by his dietary restrictions as theirs are already more severe.
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[[Category:Spriggan]]
  
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This wiki also contains a [[Spriggan Enchanter Guide]].
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{{species}}
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[[Category:Species]] [[Category:Spriggan]]
 

Latest revision as of 07:52, 19 February 2024

Version 0.31: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.
This page is about the player species. For the monster, see Spriggan (monster).
Spriggans are small magical creatures distantly related to Elves. They love to frolic and cast mischievous spells.

They are poor fighters and have little physical resilience, though they are incredibly skilled at dodging attacks. They are terrible at destructive magic - conjurations, summonings, necromancy and elemental spells. On the other hand, they are excellent at other forms of magic, and are very good at moving silently and quickly. So great is their speed that a Spriggan can overtake a Centaur. Their size makes them unable to wear most armour. They cannot wield large weapons, and even most smaller weapons require both hands to be wielded by a Spriggan.

Innate abilities

Spriggans have a base Strength of 4, Intelligence of 9 and Dexterity of 10 (before Background modifiers). They have +1 to base magic points.

Preferred Backgrounds

Level Bonuses

Starting Skills and Equipment

Spriggans start with the skills and equipment listed for their background, with the following exceptions.

Difficulty of Play

Simple • Intermediate • Advanced

Spriggans are fairly easy to play, mostly due to their fast movement speed. Where a normal species would need to fight or expend resources, a Spriggan might be able to just run away. They also have high evasion, a massive Stealth aptitude, and are good with a few types of magic. High willpower is a nice bonus on top.

However, they have very low HP, and are too tiny for most armour. Always keep this in mind, even when you have huge EV and feel that nothing can touch you. A few bad rolls — or a few evasion-ignoring attacks — can be fatal. Fortunately, Spriggans' high speed makes it easy to remain in control and fight or flee from battles on your own terms.

Skill aptitudes

The higher the value, the better the aptitude.

Skill Aptitude Skill Aptitude Skill Aptitude
Attack Miscellaneous Magic
Fighting -2 Armour -3 Spellcasting 2
Dodging 3
Maces & Flails -3 Shields -3 Conjurations -3
Axes -2 Stealth 5 Hexes 2
Polearms -3 Summonings -2
Staves -3 Invocations 0 Necromancy -1
Unarmed Combat -2 Evocations 3 Translocations 4
Throwing 0 Shapeshifting 2 Alchemy 1
Fire Magic -2
Short Blades 1 Ice Magic -2
Long Blades -2 Air Magic -1
Ranged Weapons 0 Experience -1 Earth Magic -1

Strategy

In the early game, the main threats to a Spriggan are:

  • Getting trapped between monsters. Careful exploration - so that you don't have to retreat towards unexplored areas - is nearly essential to avoid the possibility of being trapped.
  • Scary ranged attackers. An early orc priest can one-shot you, for instance. Spriggans have two defenses against this. The first is speed - in many cases, you can run away, and enter from a different staircase. The second is their great Stealth, which lets you dodge enemies. Considering that many Spriggans stay in light armour for the entire game, training some stealth costs little and helps a lot.
    • Note that monsters can't attack outside line of sight. If both you and the monster have a ranged attack, then keep monsters at the edge of LOS (7 tiles away). If you take too much damage, step away to force the monster outside LOS, allowing you to make a getaway.

While spells like Blink and Iskenderun's Mystic Blast can negate the former threat, ranged attacks will always remain a problem. Also, certain monsters (such as killer bees and black mambas) are even faster than you, so you can't just run away.

With the speed to kite, high dexterity and a tendency for light armour, Spriggans can be good at Ranged Weapons. Note, however, that they can't use longbows and triple crossbows. Kiting is powerful, but not the be all, end all: your fragility is still noticeable in a ranged fight.

Spriggans have a high aptitude in Shapeshifting, but note that entering Serpent, Statue, Dragon, or Storm Form will negate your fast movement speed. However, due to the HP and defenses these forms provide, you may want to use them anyways.

Background Choice

Spriggans' innate abilities make them well-suited to a few particular classes:

  • Enchanters: Spriggans' aptitudes heavily favour stabbing, as they are quite talented in Stealth, Short Blades, and Hexes. Moreover, their high speed works very well for a stabber: unlike normal speed races, a few bad rolls of the dice will not leave a Spriggan with an angry ogre sticking to them like glue.
  • Alchemists and Brigands: Both of these builds rely (early on, at least) upon inflicting high levels of poison on monsters from a distance. Spriggans' speed allows them to maintain that distance, allowing them deal with many threats without ever letting them into melee range.
  • Necromancers: Spriggans have passable aptitude with Necromancy, and the ability to raise several meat shields for yourself is always helpful.
  • Conjurer and Summoner types in general: Being able to maintain distance while blasting is a great thing. Unfortunately, Spriggans' aptitudes for such magic are rather terrible, but spells like Fulminant Prism (Conjurer) and Summon Forest (later on) also use your greater aptitudes.
  • Hunter: As mentioned in the main strategy section, Spriggan hunters are able to continuously kite melee enemies and maintain distance.

God Choice

Spriggans are reasonably good with most gods, but a few stand out (in no particular order):

  • Kikubaaqudgha: Goes well with a necromancer build. The torment ability is a bit more useful for Spriggans than most races, since their speed provides a powerful escape option.
  • Trog: A somewhat paradoxical choice, but actually pretty strong. Spriggans' intrinsic speed makes post-berserk slowing noticeably less dangerous, as you remain faster than regular speed enemies. Trog's Hand helps out with their low HP, and Brothers in Arms is a powerful panic button in general.
  • Ashenzari: Complements a stabbing build very nicely. The detection and scrying can be good for avoiding danger, particularly around corners.
  • Okawaru: The armour gift can be useful for Spriggans, since they are guaranteed to be wearable. Also boosts and gifts ranged weapons.

Cheibriados is considerably more difficult, since this god removes one of Spriggans' primary advantages (speed).

History

Species
Simple Hill Orc • Minotaur • Merfolk • Gargoyle • Draconian • Troll • Deep Elf • Armataur • Gnoll
Intermediate Human • Kobold • Demonspawn • Djinni • Spriggan • Ghoul • Tengu • Oni • Barachi
Advanced Vine Stalker • Vampire • Demigod • Formicid • Naga • Octopode • Felid • Mummy
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