Darkspawn
EXTRATERRESTRIAL STAFF | |
Darkspawn |
Access: Wherever your job has access to Additional Access: Anywhere you can break or sneak into Difficulty: Medium - High Supervisors: None Duties: Consume people's will and turn into a screamy-monster-thing Guides: This is the guide |
Gamemode in rotation
Darkspawn begins disguised as a normal crewmember with the ability to reveal their true form. If they refuse to do so within 25 minutes, the Darkspawn will be forced to reveal themselves.
Before divulging, the Darkspawn will need to select one of three classes, Warlock, Fighter, or Scout. Selecting a class will grant access to the basic abilities of the class. If a class is not selected before 25 minute passes, one is selected at random before the forced reveal happens.
After divulging, the Darkspawn get access to the Psi web tab of the antag menu, as well as 6 starting willpower that can be used to purchase upgrades and abilities from the Psi web. To gain more willpower, using the Devour Will ability on a humanoid will grants 2 points the first time and 1 point for every following time.
The win-goal of the Darkspawn is to use the Devour Will ability on 5-25 unique individuals (scaling with population), and use the Sacrament ability.
If the darkspawns have neither died nor won by the 75 minute mark, an announcement will sound and it will trigger Gamma alert, this allows all players to freely join the fight to oppose the darkspawn.
Use .w to communicate with other Darkspawn.
The Sacrament
After devouring enough individuals, the Sacrament ability will be enabled. Upon using the sacrament ability, the Darkspawn is trapped in a 5x5 square and a global sound starts to alert the crew. After approximately 30 seconds the Darkspawn will turn into a progenitor and the emergency shuttle will be called with a 1 minute timer that cannot be recalled.
Progression abilities
A darkspawn that has selected a class will receive these abilities regardless of which class they have selected.
Fighter
Stat Differences:
- 30% reduced brute damage
- 25% increased base darkness healingInnate Abilities:
Pros:
- Easy to learn
- High durability
- High kill potential
Cons:
- Low skill ceiling
- Can struggle to restrain crewmembers for devouring will
- Can struggle to escape encounters
Tips:
- Shadow crash can provide much needed mobility for closing on targets, and at only 1 willpower to unlock, it's always a decent first purchase.
- Lightblind sigils provide immunity to flashes and flashbangs, depending on how coordinated the security team is, this can prove to be a vital upgrade.
- Duality sigils are strong. Not only does you tendril's projectile attack now knock down, but it also pulls them closer, within attacking range. It also greatly increases your melee damage output.
- Cleaving sigils provide considerable power if you're outnumbered, being able to attack several security members at once can be the difference between winning, and being overwhelmed.
- Undying sigil grants the ability to revive if your corpse is left in the dark for long enough, this can make all the difference sometimes. Though it isn't uncommon to be immediately cremated if you don't have an ally to extract your corpse.
Scout
Stat Differences:
- NoneInnate Abilities:
Pros:
- Easy to learn
- Very high mobility
- High synergy with other clases
Cons:
- Low kill potential
- Vulnerable
Tips:
- Shadowwalk sigils provide unmatched mobility while in the dark, though at 3 willpower to unlock it might be worth leaving until you've drained a bit of extra willpower.
- Traps have a fairly short cooldown and are permanent until they are triggered, so make sure to regularly place them in key choke points like maintenance airlocks.
- Traps can't be stacked, but they're hard to see, and even harder while hidden in the dark. Allies don't trigger them, and can identify what a trap does by examining it.
- The shadow caster can be used to shoot out lights from a distance, this also includes lights held by players.
Warlock
Stat differences:
- Doubled Psi cap
- Doubled Psi regenerationInnate Abilities:
Icon | Name | Psi Cost | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Channeling Staff | 0 | Summons a staff that consumes psi to shoot projectiles. Starts out being roughly equivalent to a disabler. Can be improved with additional effects by purchasing certain upgrades. | |
File:Veil mind.png | Thrall Mind | 100 | A touch attack spell. Consume 1 willpower to thrall the mind of someone that recently had their will devoured. Can only thrall people up to the cap determined by the darkspawn team. Can also be used to revive dead thralls. |
Release Thrall | 0 | Using this brings up a menu of all your thralls. Selecting one will release them from your control, allowing you to thrall additional people. | |
Panopticon | 35 | Places a reskinned camera console that shows all darkspawn and thralls as well as any eyes placed by a warlock or thralls. | |
Opticial | 20 | Places a reskinned camera that is used by the camera console. Also given to thralls. |
Pros:
- High skill ceiling
- Global abilities
- Ability to buff allies
Cons:
- Difficult to learn
- Can struggle to escape encounters
- Can be caught unaware while using panopticon
- Weak without allies to rely on
Tips:
- Despite having lots of thrall based upgrades, warlock still has plenty of abilities to do damage directly like abyssal call, extract, or mind blast. Upgrading their staff can also make it apply debilitating effects to enemies hit by a projectile.
- If you get thralls, give them any weapons you pick up. You don't need a stunbaton or cuffs to keep anyone down (Restrain Body), you can't shoot guns, and you probably don't have room to carry a spear. They can use all of these to bring you more prey.
- Because the only tell that thralls have requires them to strip, plasmamen thralls effectively have no tells as no reasonable person should expect them to strip.
- Thralls can be decoverted by removing the tumor in their head, however this will only work if the thrall is unconscious, as otherwise they will knockback anyone nearby when the removal is attempted.
- Thralls are granted a version of Opticial that doesn't cost psi to use, this can allow them to spread your vision network while you sit safely in maints.
- Stealing a handheld crew monitor can be valuable as if your thralls set their sensors to exact vitals (not tracking beacon), it can allow you to more accurately gauge who is in need of support at any given time.
Psi web Upgrades
Once divulged, the Psi web will become available through the antag menu. Spend willpower gained through devour will to purchase upgrades via the Psi web.
Offensive Abilities
Icon | Name | Classes | Willpower Cost | Psi Cost | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shadow Crash | Fighter | 1 | 20 | Charge in a direction, knock back and briefly paralyze anyone you collide with. | |
Demented Outburst | Fighter | 2 | 50 | Deafens and confuses listeners after a five-second charge period, knocking away everyone nearby. | |
Incite | Fighter | 2 | 15 | Force everyone nearby to walk towards you, but disables your ability to attack for a time. | |
Duality Sigils | Fighter | 4 | N/A | Causes umbral tendrils ability to spawn tendrils in both hands if possible, empowering both. | |
Cleaving Sigils | Fighter | 2 | N/A | Causes umbral tendrils to cleave | |
Permafrost | Scout | 3 | 65 | Freezes the ground is a 7x7 area and extinguishes the user if they are on fire. | |
Shadow Caster | Scout | 4 | N/A | Twists an active arm into a bow that shoots arrows made of solid darkness. | |
Psi Trap (Damage) | Scout | 2 | 35 | Place a trap that deals damage to non-ally that crosses it. | |
Psi Trap (Restrain) | Scout | 2 | 35 | Place a trap that restrains the legs of any non-ally that crosses it. | |
Psi Trap (Nausea) | Scout | 2 | 35 | Place a trap that makes any non-ally that crosses it sick to their stomach. | |
Psi Trap (Teleport) | Scout | 2 | 35 | Place a trap that teleports any non-ally to a random location on the station. | |
Seize | Warlock | 2 | 35 | Restrain a target's mental faculties, preventing speech and actions of any kind for a moderate duration.
Has reduced effect at range. | |
Confusion Sign | Warlock | 1 | N/A | Empower your staff with the ability to confuse any enemy shot. | |
Light Eater Sign | Warlock | 2 | N/A | Empower your staff with the ability to consume the light of anything shot. | |
Mass Hallucination | Warlock | 2 | 30 | Forces nearby enemies to experience hallucinations. | |
Mind Blast | Warlock | 2 | 40 | Focus your psionic energy into a blast that deals physical damage. Can also be projected from the minds of allies. | |
Extract | Warlock | 2 | 10/s | Channel to drain a target's life force or bestow it to an ally. | |
Abyssal Call | Warlock | 2 | 35 | Call a tendril at a targeted location to grasp an enemy. | |
Void Beam | Warlock | 3 | 100 | After a short delay, fire a huge beam of void terrain across the entire station. | |
Null Burst | Warlock | 3 | 100 | After a short delay, create an explosion of void terrain at the targeted location. | |
Icy Veins | Warlock
Scout |
2 | 30 | Instantly freezes the blood of nearby people, slowing them and rapidly chilling their body. |
Utility Abilities
Icon | Name | Classes | Willpower Cost | Psi Cost | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Deluge | Fighter | 2 | 25 | Douses all nearby creatures with water, extinguishing them and protecting from fire. | |
Encroach | Fighter | 2 | 5/s | Grants immunity to lightburn while active. Can be toggled on and off. | |
Time Dilation | Fighter | 4 | 75 | Greatly increases reaction times and action speed, and provides immunity to slowdown. | |
Indomitable | Fighter | 2 | 5/s | Grants immunity to all CC effects, but locks the user into walking. | |
Void Jump | Scout | 2 | 20 | A short range targeted teleport. | |
Void Jaunt | Scout | 3 | 70 | Move through the veil for a time, avoiding mortal eyes and lights. | |
Blinding Miasma | Scout | 3 | 35 | Spews a cloud of smoke which will blind enemies and provide cover from light. | |
Efficiency Sign | Warlock | 2 | N/A | Optimize your staff to reduce the Psi cost to shoot. | |
Recovery Sign | Warlock | 2 | N/A | Empower your staff with the ability to heal allies shot. | |
Stifle Sign | Warlock | 1 | N/A | Empower your staff with the ability to extinguish the fire on allies shot. | |
Extinguish | Warlock | 3 | 60 | Extinguish all light around you. | |
Thrall Recovery | Warlock | 1 | 50 | Heals all thralls for an amount of brute and burn. | |
Thrall Envigorate | Warlock | 1 | 50 | Give all thralls a temporary movespeed bonus. | |
Elucidate | Warlock | 2 | 100 | Channel significant power through an ally, greatly healing them, cleansing all CC and providing a speed boost. | |
Null Charge | Warlock | 3 | 200 | Meddle with the powergrid via a functioning APC, causing a temporary stationwide power outage. Breaks the APC in the process. | |
Quantum Disruption | Warlock | 3 | 80 | Bend the laws of reality to allow free passage all through-out spacetime for a short duration. | |
Fray Self | Warlock | 3 | 100 | Attemps to split a piece of your psyche into a sentient copy of yourself that lasts until destroyed. | |
Umbral Trespass | All | 2 | 30 | Melds with a target's shadow, causing you to invisibly follow them. | |
Simulacrum | All | 2 | 40 | Creates an illusion that closely resembles you. The illusion will fight nearby enemies in your stead for 10 seconds. | |
Crawling Shadows | All | 3 | 55 | Assumes a shadowy form that can crawl through vents and squeeze through the cracks in doors. | |
Silver Tongue | All | 2 | 60 | When used near a communications console, allows you to forcefully transmit a message to Central Command, initiating a shuttle recall. |
Passive Abilities
Icon | Name | Classes | Willpower Cost | Effect |
---|---|---|---|---|
Medical Sigil | All | 1 | Provides you with a medhud | |
X-Ray Sigil | All | 3 | Grants X-Ray vision | |
Psionic Reserve Sigils | All | 2 | Increases the psi cap by 100. Can be purchased an infinite number of times. | |
Vigor Sigils | Scout
Fighter |
2 | Cuts stamina damage in half. | |
Mending Sigil | Scout
Fighter |
2 | Increases darkness healing by 25%. Can be purchased an infinite number of times. | |
Lightward Sigil | Scout
Fighter |
2 | Prevents taking damage in low light. | |
Stability Sigil | Scout
Fighter |
1 | Prevents slipping. | |
Storm Sigil | Warlock
Scout |
2 | Reduces ability cooldowns by 25%. | |
Lightblind Sigil | Fighter | 1 | Grants immunity to flashes. | |
Shadowskin Sigil | Fighter | 2 | Reduces light damage taken by 20%. Can be purchased an infinite number of times. Stacks Multiplicatively. | |
Callous Sigil | Fighter | 2 | Reduces brute damage taken by 20%. Can be purchased an infinite number of times. Stacks Multiplicatively. | |
Stifle Sigil | Fighter | 2 | Reduces burn damage taken by 15%. Can be purchased an infinite number of times. Stacks Multiplicatively. | |
Undying Sigil | Fighter | 2 | Grants the ability to revive if your corpse is left in the dark for some time. | |
Shadowwalk Sigils | Scout | 3 | Grants incredible speed while in the dark. | |
Psionic Relief Sigil | Warlock | 2 | Reduces the delay to regenerate psi by 5 seconds. | |
Psionic Recovery Sigil | Warlock | 1 | Doubles the speed at which psi regenerates. Can be Purchased an infinite number of times. | |
Control Sigil | Warlock | 3 | Allows for the control of two additional thralls. | |
Unity Sigil | Warlock | 1 | Allows your veil buffing spells to affect allied darkspawns too. Does not allow for self buffs. |
General Tips
- Get together, stay together! People will arm up and travel in groups to fight darkspawn, and one darkspawn is never strong enough to fight a coordinated security force with armory gear.
- If you can wipe out security, you're in the clear for the rest of the round. All the more reason to be ready and in force when they come hunting. Of course, picking them off one by one would be ideal, but you can't always rely on them splitting up.
- Incendiary weapons are your bane. Not only do you take additional damage from heat and burn, but fire glows dealing additional damage because of the light. This is especially bad if you're grouped up with friends, as the fire will spread among you: so, get a fire extinguisher before you divulge or purchase fire mitigation abilities afterwards.
- Try to get maintenance access before you divulge. Hacking and class specific tools are good and all, but maintenance access means you can move through and between hideouts stealthily and under time pressure. If security is searching your maint, just run across the hall into the next one over!
- Darkspawn don't have hearts and don't passively revive in the dark light Nightmares do. If they die, the only ways to revive them are cloning or revival surgery, both of which require a fairly heavy hold on medbay. Thrall Mind is helpful for this, too.
- Knocking out lights all throughout the station can provide more space for a warlock to hide, and more space to roam for the scout.
- Crawling shadows can be used to get around the station smoothly as it provides both vent crawling and the ability to pass through doors.
- Encroach is good for safely passing through lit areas, making it far safer to enter a room and break the lights without taking damage. Can also be used to mitigate the light damage from fire if you're rushing to get a fire extinguisher.
- Umbral trespass can be quite versatile. Can be used on thralls to get around the station quietly and "safely". Can be used on security to briefly escape a fight. Forces you out of the target if they enter the dark, good for espionage.
- Silver tongue allows the darkspawn to recall the shuttle no matter what time it is at making this a very powerful ability especially if you start overwhelming the station.
- Purchasing the medical sigil early can ensure that you don't accidentally kill people you're trying to capture.