Changeling: Difference between revisions

|duties = Drink people's DNA, fool people.

|guides = This is the guide

}}

A changeling is a highly intelligent alien predator that is capable of altering their shape to flawlessly resemble a human. They are typically deployed in simple social groupings, although they maintain total autonomy and act individually, so long as they do not have a team objective. As a result of their expertise in infiltration, the Syndicate often hires Changelings to steal high-risk items from Nanotrasen. The Changeling hunts with its ability to synthesize deadly chemicals internally, adopt the form of it's past victims, and even directly alter its form to be more suited to the task at hand.

==The Thing From Spaaaaaaaace!==

A changeling has boarded the station! It has had time to "familiarize" itself with the ins and outs of its primary victim's identity, ready to take anything it desires -- be it your equipment, your faces, or your lives!

Even if a changeling has not attacked any other crew members, it is highly likely it has attacked or killed others in its infiltration.

==Ok, now what do?==

Important: Changelings can anonymously communicate with one another over a special channel by using '<nowiki/>'''say :g'''' before their speech. Use alt+click or middle mouse button to sting someone.

First:

#Learn about your available abilities

#Use them to absorb people

#???

Your goals:

#Absorb 3-7 DNA's

#???

===[[File:choke.png]] DNA Absorption===

The goal of many changelings is to absorb 5-7 DNA strains, for some unknown and alien reason. To do this, it must take ANY human, living or dead (even thrown away bodies from cloning), and acquire their DNA. You can only have a maximum of 5 DNA strands at a time, and must transform to obtain more.

DNA can be acquired in one way:

*'''Absorbing''' the victim, which results in a gruesome husk.

*Absorbing a victim will give you their DNA and let you re choose your abilities.

*Absorbing another changeling gives you about 35 extra max chemicals and 5 additional ability points in the cellular emporium.

*Victims who are husked cannot be absorbed.

*Absorbed victims '''cannot be cloned''' unless genetics uses a monkey creatively. They can still be turned into cyborgs because the brain is fine.

==="No, I'm the real one!"===

Changelings are limited, however, to how much DNA they can absorb at once! If a changeling has 5 DNAs stored and attempts to gain another, they must purge the older DNA by transforming. Eventually, any changeling will have to be a twin of someone else on the station, living or dead.

===Transforming===

The changeling can shift its appearance, making them look and sound exactly like a victim of which they have absorbed.

Transforming is subtle and does not give a message in chat, though an observant crewmember may notice that you're suddenly someone else entirely.

===Regeneration===

Also known as Regenerative Stasis, changelings have the ability to 'kill' themselves, and appear dead for two minutes. After this period is over, the changeling can revive at will, fully healed of all injuries and illness. Both entering stasis and leaving it cost 10 chemicals, so make sure you have at least 20 before you are slain and must activate it.

This makes them nigh-unkillable, as they can fully regenerate themselves <b>even from death</b> if their bodies are intact and they have enough chemicals. Spaced changelings may also be able to make it back on station given enough time. The best way to permanently deal with a changeling is to gib it or cremate it in the chapel.

===Objective===

Changelings may have the following objectives, Be aware that some objectives may not show up depending on what type of Team Objective the changelings have:

:'''1. Absorb 5-7 DNA stands:''' You just need to get DNA, easiest way is to mute sting and then armblade random people in maint/near maint and then absorb them.

:'''5b. Escape with identity:''' In addition to escaping alive, the changeling must have transformed to the target person and wear an ID card with the target's name on it to succeed.

===Team Objective===

Changelings may have one special Team Objective that is given to all changelings in the round, these are generally too hard or impossible for one changeling to complete alone.

:'''1. Impersonate Department:''' A department is chosen '''(Security, Medical, Engineering or Science)'''. As many staff members from this department as logically possible (Based on the number of changelings in the round, the number of staff members in the department, etc.) are chosen as targets that the changelings must kill, transform into and escape as. This objective ignores the head(s) of that department. A Changeling does NOT need to personally be one of the targets to succeed. '''This objective requires 3 changelings to be chosen for a round.'''

:'''2. Impersonate Heads:''' Like Impersonate Department, except the "department" is always the '''Heads of Staff (Captain, Head of Personnel, Head of Security, Research Director, Chief Engineer and Chief Medical Officer)'''. The changelings must kill, transform into and escape as the specified heads of staff. '''This objective requires 3 changelings to be chosen for a round.'''

===Going Solo or Teaming Up===

If the changelings have a Team Objective they should be treated as any other team antag, this means they are '''NOT''' allowed to betray the other changelings.

Regardless of Team Objectives, changelings can share absorbed genomes via hivemind. DNA shared in this manner does <i>not count towards your personal absorption count.</i>

==Changeling Abilities==

The changeling possesses other dangerous abilities including precooked stinger abilities, which it can fire out of a crafted dart at a moments notice! Their stored chemicals regenerate quickly at a rough set rate of half a chemical per second.

Changelings can store up to 6 DNA strands, acquiring them either by husking or DNA stinging people; if they acquire more, the oldest will be overwritten.

===Starting Set===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Icon!!Name!! class="unsortable" |Description!!Chemical Cost!!Required DNA

|[[File:Hivemind_link.png|64px]]||'''Hivemind Link'''||Allows you to connect a non-changeling to the Hivemind. Has the same requirements as Absorb DNA: needs a kill-level grab and a short channel. The victim will be kept stabilized while linked to the hivemind; so don't worry about time constraints.||0||0

|}

===Abilities Available via Evolution Menu===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|[[File:Sting_transform.png|64px]]||'''Transformation Sting'''||The changeling injects a retrovirus that forces their human victim to transform into another. When extracting the sting the changeling can choose which of the DNAs in storage it wishes to use.||50||3

|}

==Tips==

*As a changeling, the absolute best item for you to get is a wallet (From the crew quarters, in either cabin's personal closet, in the leather satchel.) It goes in your ID slot and holds up to 4 ids, all of which work for automatic access and none of which change your mouse over identity.

*Only take a few abilities at round start! Once you take an ability, it is locked in unless you absorb someone.Absorbing someone is time-consuming, leaves obvious evidence, sort of dickish, and if anyone interrupts you then you're boned. If you leave a few slots open, though, you can easily adapt to whatever shit you find yourself in.

*Mute Sting + Cryo Sting + Blind Sting + Stun Prod, applied directly to forehead = easy, unrobust kill

*Don't be the person who goes ";g absorbing captain in maint" USE YOUR PERIODS

===Tips for Fighting Against Changelings===

*Changelings do not need heads, and brains are therefore vestigial. Don't debrain a changeling while the body walks out of the door behind you.

*As long as you can talk and you're within 1 tile of an intercom, you can type :i in front of what you say to say it over the intercom. Even when you're stunned and/or on the ground.

*A 100 potassium/water explosive lance has a one-tile gibbing radius, useful for permanently taking out changelings without too much collateral damage.

*Gibber machines are easy to construct, and if you leave one in a well trafficked area, its hard to take one out without any witnesses. Even then, they're easy to replace and somewhat expendable.

{{Antagonists}}

{{Game modes}}

[[Category:Guides]]