• Documentation
• Race modifiers

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Introduction

There are many different race modifiers from which you can choose in ToME. Each one adjusts a character's stats and abilities. Most also grant intrinsic abilities. Some modifiers are race-restricted. If you are not asked for a race modifier during character creation, it is because your race only supports the classical form. Likewise, some races do not support all modifiers.

Classical

Classical is the normal, classical character of your chosen race.

A classical character begins the game with:

• Some rations
• Some torches

Barbarian

Barbarians are hardy members of their race. They are fierce in combat, and their wrath is feared throughout the world. Combat is their life, and they learn to feel no fear. Barbarians are, however, suspicious of magic, which makes magic devices fairly hard for them to use, and also makes it impossible for them to play Mages.

A barbarian character begins the game with:

• Some rations
• Some torches

Hermit

Hermits live retired from the world. Spending long hours studying, they weaken their physical side while they strengthen their spiritual powers. Thus they get higher mana reserves but are much worse at physical combat.

A hermit begins the game with:

• Some rations
• Some torches

Lost Soul

This is a difficult modifier. Your character will almost always die quickly. It's probably best only to play it after you have some experience with normal characters.

There are haunting whispers of souls that have come back from the Halls of Mandos, for purposes unknown. These are called Lost Souls, for it is presumed that their real body died off long ago, leaving only a soul to wander forever... or until killed again.

Lost Souls start at level 98 of the Halls of Mandos. Very few ever make it out again. Those that do can continue as a fairly normal character, but with the advantage of any treasure and experience gained.

A Lost Soul starts the game with:

• Some torches.
• Over thirty scrolls of Identify.
• Over twenty scrolls of Satisfy Hunger.

Skeleton

As undead beings, skeletons need to worry very little about poison or attacks that can drain life. They do not really use eyes for perceiving things, and are thus not fooled by invisibility. Their bones are resistant to sharp shrapnels (not much to cut there), and they will quickly become resistant to cold.

It is very hard for skeletons to eat food or drink potions. Although the magical effects of these will affect the skeleton even without entering the skeleton's (non-existent) belly, the potion / food itself will fall through the skeleton's jaws, giving no nutritional benefit.

A skeletal character begins the game with:

• Some scrolls of satisfy hunger
• Some torches

Spectre

Another powerful undead creature: the spectre is a ghastly apparition, surrounded by an unearthly glow. They exist only partially on our plane of existence: half-corporeal, they can pass through walls, though this requires a sacrifice of some of their life-force. As a result they cannot rest whilst passing through a wall.

As undead, they have a firm hold on their life force, see invisible, and resist poison and cold. They also resist nether. Spectres make superb spellcasters, but their physical form is very weak. Like Zombies, Spectres gain almost no nutrition from ordinary food.

A spectral character begins the game with:

• Some scrolls of satisfy hunger
• Some torches

Zombie

Much like Skeletons, Zombies too are undead horrors: they are resistant to life-draining attacks, they become resistant to cold-based attacks (actually earlier than skeletons), resist poison and can see invisible, but are vulnerable to cuts (unlike skeletons). They gain very little nutrition from the food of mortals. However, Zombies are, as the name implies, practically mindless.

IMPORTANT: Zombies are NOT resistant to Nether as stated in 2.2.7!

A zombie character begins the game with:

• Some scrolls of satisfy hunger
• Some torches

Vampire

One of the mightier undead creatures, the Vampire is an awe-inspiring sight. Yet this mighty creature has a serious weakness: the bright rays of sun are its bane, and it will need to flee the surface to the deep recesses of the earth until the sun finally sets. Darkness, on the other hand, only makes the Vampire stronger.

As undead, the Vampire has a firm hold on its life force and resists nether attacks. The Vampire also resists cold and poison based attacks. It is, however, susceptible to its perpetual hunger for fresh blood, which can only be satiated by sucking the blood from a nearby monster, which is the Vampire's special power.

It should be noted that the vampires are so sensitive to daylight that even certain artifact light items which are filled with daylight will hurt them if they try to wield the items. Fortunately, the vampires do not really need these items, since they radiate an aura of 'dark light' of their own. Light resistance will, in any case, protect the vampire from the adverse effects of sunlight.