Changeling
WARNING: Changelings are still in development, and are subject to change.
Antagonist Type: Solo Antagonist
You are a changeling, a highly intelligent predator.
Your primary goal is to escape the station alive via assuming the identities of the denizens of this station.
You are hungry and will not make it long without sustenance...
Kill. Consume. Hide. Survive.
Lore:
Changelings are highly invasive intelligent predators, native to nowhere, but present anywhere. Considered long extinct, an asteroid containing a single dormant changeling embryo was mined out by a private mining corporation. After only 5 days, every crewmember was bloated and rotting, brutally murdered in their own ship, and yet the captain continued to walk among the living. Now sometimes, rarely, nanotrasen will hire a crewmember who's corpse rots in a locker lightyears away, and have no idea that what they talked to wasn't who they thought. For We kill, We consume, and We hide, and We survive, glory to The Hive.
Unlike normal lifeforms, changelings do not grow via nutrients, proteins, and minerals; but instead their bodies are capable of deconstructing and reorganizing DNA, evolving in real time, developing glands and chemical processes. They do not use ATP like normal organisms, although still undergo cellulaur respiration, producing a strange mix of various chemicals, all of which would usually kill a living organism, but somehow they are able to use them to undergo rapid bursts of energy, capable of creating muscle, bones, and tendons, reshaping their flesh to suit their purposes.
The changeling is commonly considered a perfected organism, investigations of tissue samples from captured and sedated changelings has revealed their tissue never truly dies, but just goes dormant. The only way to kill a changeling is through incineration, immolation, or deconstructing the molecular bonds that hold their tissue together.
Gameplay:
Changelings possess a multitude of abilities, most being dedicated to either disguising as the crew, or hiding amongst them. They are capable of synthesising chemicals using glands within their body, although they require DNA of crewmembers to create these glands, which they get from absorbing crewmembers. Crewmembers are not rendered unrevivable by this process, but will likely be scarred for life, physically and mentally.
Changelings have 3 goals, absorb 3-5 crewmembers, absorb more crewmembers than other lings, and to survive (alive, as not RR'd and not in stasis). (This may be subject to change). They have a variety of abilities to achieve these goals with, but require DNA from absorbing crewmembers to unlock them, although they start with a small stockpile of DNA to get their starting abilities
ABILITIES
| Name | Effects (as ability describes) | DNA Cost | Chemical Cost | Active/Passive | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | INATE | ABILITIES | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Enter Stasis | Enter a regenerative stasis, faking death and
allowing to regenerate all damage |
INATE | UNKNOWN | Active | Stasis time scales with amount of damage |
| Transform | Transform and assume the identities of those
you have devoured |
INATE | UNKNOWN | Active | Does not copy clothes of person (unless you
have the "flesh clothing" ability. Has a long (and loud) do-after. |
| Devour | Consume the essence of your victims and
subsume their identity and mind into your own |
INATE | UNKNOWN | Active | Has a long (and loud) do-after, this is how you
absorb people for DNA |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | STEALTH | ABILITIES | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Fake Mindshield | Modify your neurons natural waves to copy those
produced by NanoTrasen mindshield implants, making you look mindshielded to security members. |
10 | Free | Passive | Can be toggled, identical to fake mindshield
implant. |
| Extract DNA | Learn to utilize your stinger to absorb the identity of
unsuspecting victims. |
10 | 50 | Active | Does not count towards objectives and does
not grant DNA for DNA store |
| Flesh Clothing | Your body's surface will adapt to mirror the clothing
of any person you are transforming into. |
20 | Free | Passive | Can be toggled. However, these clothing items
are non-functional and will easily out you as a changeling if anyone tries to remove them. Only puts fake clothing in empty clothing slots, strip down before transforming if you have this on. |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | UTILITY | ABILITIES | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Night Vision | You modify your photoreceptors and heighten your
senses to be able to see in complete darkness. |
5 | Free | Passive | Can be toggled. |
| Biodegrade | You learn to utilize acid glands within your body to
vomit acid over your restraints, setting yourself free |
10 | UNKNOWN | Active | Downs and flashes anyone dragging you,
regardless of eye protection. |
| Hallucinogenic
Sting |
Causes the target to get high and have difficulty
speaking. Causes confusion among the crew. |
10 | UNKNOWN | Active | Can be used on self. |
| Lethal Sting | Causes very slow damage to the target. Useless
in combat, but ensures they will require medical attention. |
10 | UNKNOWN | Active | Can be used on self. Useless in combat, as it
does slow damage over time, like lead. |
| Voice Mimicry | Change your vocal cords to imitate existing (and
imaginary) crew members. Useful for luring in prey. |
10 | Free | Passive | Voice mask if it was an implant. |
| Last Resort | Gib your current body and escape as a weak
headslug. If you infest a humanoid corpse you can return as a full changeling body |
20 | Free | Active | Only purchasable if you've absorbed => 1 crew
member. Warning: you lose all of your DNA, objective progress, bought abilities, and stored identities. The corpse you enter is still dead, and as such you must enter stasis upon burrowing. Burrowing has a short do-after, but is very loud. (I don't know if body must be preserved to infest, someone edit this page if you know) |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | COMBAT | ABILITIES | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Cryogenic Sting | Causes movement slowdown in the target. Perfect
for keeping prey from running away. |
15 | UNKNOWN | Active | Can be used on self. |
| Blind Sting | Causes temporary blindness in the target. Good to
escape or initiate a fight. |
15 | UNKNOWN | Active | Can be used on self. |
| Screech | We let out a powerful screech that disarms people
who hear it without adequate ear protection |
20 | UNKNOWN | Active | THIS ACTION WILL BE MOVED TO THE
HORROR FORM WHEN IT IS IMPLEMENTED. |
| Arm Blade | Transform your arm into a terrifying flesh blade. | 30 | UNKNOWN | Active | Can be toggled. This is your strongest weapon,
but immediately outs you as a changeling. |
Extra Notes:
- Upon devouring a body, it will create a small amount of living tissue, which is used to create an anti-changeling chemical, which is harmless to crew but causes screaming and shaking in changelings. It is recommended to clean up the crime scene as soon as possible, bring your own cleaning supplies if possible.
- Last resort will gib your body, leaving a pile of organs (besides your brain) and all of your shit. It can be used while cuffed or dead.