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# System prepended metadata

title: Corpora antagonist (BeeStation)

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# Corpora antagonist (BeeStation)

Corpora are a new antag I (Absolucy) have been designing.
In terms of gameplay, I'd call it a tech-themed mix between heretics and hivemind.

## Basics

Corpora need to expand their 'power' by assimilating machines. Only certain types of machines can be assimilated. Assimilating a machine is rather quick, and not suspicious unless you're looking closely at the process.

You have two different types of points:
 - EP (energy points) is passively gained from assimilated machines over time.
     - This actually draws power from the APC, and thus also offers a way to detect the presence of a corpora - a sharp-eyed engineer can notice unusual power draw from an area, and investigate.
 - AP (assimilation points) is gained for every new machine you assimilate.

Typically, AP is used to unlock abilities, while EP is used to use said abilities. However, if an assimilated machine is fixed, you will *lose AP*! If your current AP goes below the amount of AP you're using, you will be forced to remove abilities until you have enough!

## Corpora Hand

The corpora hand is the basic ability of all corpora - it's a multi-use tool, allowing you to assimilate machines, manage your abilities, and defend yourself from others. It's similar to a heretic's mansus grasp.

Using the hand on a (compatible) machine will assimilate it after around 10 seconds. This process can only be seen by others if they are standing right next to you, otherwise it'll just look like you're just using the machine normally.

Using the hand on a door will allow you to open it (similar to Jaws of Life) after a delay and some EP usage.

Using the hand on an assimilated *computer* (and only computers/consoles) will temporarily convert it into a Voltaic Terminal. The Voltaic Terminal is basically your heretic codex, it's where you buy/manage upgrades, check on your assimilated machines, et cetera.
Do note, Voltaic Terminals do have a unique sprite visible to others (although others can't actually use it), and the computer will automatically revert back to normal whenever you move away from it.

Using the corpora hand on a person with help intent will allow you to expend EP in order to heal them! This does not work on yourself, of course.

Using the corpora hand on a person (with non-help intent) will simply use some of your EP to electrocute and stun them.
This stun is _much_ more effective on cyborgs!

## True Form

Corpora have a "true form". This is a monstorous, eldritch form, which has the appearance of a cyborg that's been 'corrupted' by some sort of eldritch powers, with cybernetic "tentacles" coming out of their back, which are glowing with some sort of energy (the color of the glow changes based on path).

The true form has the following properties:
 * Full anti-magic.
 * Extremely resistant to damage.
     * However, EMPs can be used to knock them back into their original form.
 * Slower than a normal unencumbered human.
 * Cannot use guns, stunbatons, etc.
 * Melee attacks deal sharp, armor-piercing damage.
 * All grabs are instantly upgraded to aggressive.
 * Can rip off limbs of people in crit, although this has a cooldown.

In addition, whenever a corpora enters its true form, it lets out a horrible and unique scream, loud enough to be heard from several rooms away.

All corpora can enter their true form, regardless of path.

## Objectives

Corpora will typically have at least 4 objectives:
1. Either an assassinate or protect objective.
2. Assimilate at least [*number*] machines in [*randomly chosen area*].
    * The amount of machines will always be between 50 to 75% of the eligible machines in the chosen area.
    * The randomly chosen area will never be security, the bridge, maintenance, or any area with less than 10 eligible machines.
3. Above objective with a different area.
4. Ascend in [*either of three randomly chosen areas*]
    * The randomly chosen areas have the same criteria as the assimilation objectives, and will *never be the same as those objective's areas*

## Hands

Corpora can choose one of two "hands", basically paths, to go on. Each hand has a *drastically* different playstyle.

### Left Hand

The Left Hand focuses on being overwhelmingly powerful and brute forcing your way through situations. Most abilities here are about as subtle as a brick through a window to space, which is to say these abilities don't even *understand* the concept of subtley, but in exchange they are _very_ powerful.

#### Build Hellfire Reactor (10 AP)

This allows you to use scrap metal to build a hellfire reactor, which passively generates EP for you.

However, the reactor is big and makes quite a bit of noise, so you better hide it well.

Corpses (as long as they're not husks) can be fed to the reactor, which will cause it to *double* EP output for 10 minutes! The corpse will be ejected, husked from burning, afterwards (so this doesn't permanently round-remove people).
Also, you can only feed one corpse to a reactor at a time, and yes, you can use monkeymen/soulless corpses.

If the reactor is destroyed, you'll 'feel' it, causing you to double over and vomit.

#### Mark of Providence (8 AP)

Mark of Providence is your main destructive ability. It allows you to draw a sigil on things (or people), which after a short delay, blasts said thing to kingdom come with hellfire.

Drawing the sigil is instant, and can be reasonably done in combat, but it does not act instantly after drawn.

However, this ability uses a *lot* of EP, in addition to heating you up very quickly, and is also *very* loud.

The EP/heat cost is raised based on how "tough" the thing you're using the ability on is.

#### Coolant Shunt (6 AP)

Coolant Shunt allows you to use up EP in order to cool yourself down. However, EP costs exponentially rise over time, so you cannot use this to indefinently use high-heat abilities, and it will only cool you down to a certain point.

### Right Hand

The right hand is about gaining allies and flying under the radar. This path focuses around converting people into vessels for your power, turning them into your allies and gaining key abilities based on how many you convert. You won't see big, flashy abilities here - instead, you'll see sneaky, subtle things.

#### Spyware Gap (8 AP)

Spyware Gap allows you to hack the cameranet and spy on people, including being able to listen to them through the camera (similar to a malf AI).

#### Twisted Machine (8 AP)

Twisted Machine allows you to turn machines against people, in various unique ways.

 - Occupied sleepers will synthesize and inject harmful chemicals into the occupant.
 - Occupied stasis beds will turn off and electrocute the occupant.
 - Bots (cleanbots, beepsky, etc) will be emagged.
 - Chemical dispensers will spray harmful chemicals everywhere.
 - Vending machines will become electrified and start throwing items at people.
 - Clone pods will fail and eject the clone in a screwed-up state.
 - DNA scanners will trap people inside and irradiate them.
 - Any other machine will simply start zapping nearby people with electricity.

#### Digital Cloak (5 AP)

Digital Cloak allows you to be invisible to silicons (cyborgs and the AI) and cameras. Normal people can still see you fine, though. There's not much else to it.

Passive EP cost while active.
If Lost Mirror is active at the same time, both abilities will consume 45% more EP than usual.

#### Red Hot Jaunt (5 AP)

Red Hot Jaunt allows you to enter an APC and 'jaunt' into power cables, and crawl through them in a manner similar to ventcrawling. However, being in power cables has a passive EP cost (running out of EP will eject you out of the power cable and stun you), in addition to a time limit.

You can only enter and exit through APCs. Being forced out will just kick you out of the nearest APC.

This is meant to be an ability allowing for quick escapes and infiltration into areas which you don't have access to.

#### Lost Mirror (7 AP)

Lost Mirror allows you to turn invisible. Unlike chameleon, you turn invisible instantly, and can stay invisible while moving, although using any items will cancel the effect.

Silicons, however, can still see you normally.

Passive EP cost + time limit.
If Digital Cloak is active at the same time, both abilities will consume 45% more EP than usual.

#### Fantasy Veil (10 AP, 5 minute cooldown)

Fantasy Veil allows you to 'phase out of existence' temporarily. You become mostly invisible and intangible, however you cannot interact with the world either. It's basically the ultimate escape ability.

High initial EP cost, no passive EP cost, but it has a set time limit, and *you cannot cancel out of it early* - you have to wait out the full time limit, and you'll be stunned for a bit once you do exit out of it.

## Abilities (path-less)

#### Misfortune's Grasp (starting ability)

Misfortune's Grasp is your bread and butter for combat. It causes obvious energy "tentacles" to extend from your back - kinda like Doc Ock.

 - It can grab and restrain people. However, holding someone with the grasp will stop you from using its offensive capabilities!
 - You can easily pry doors and firelocks open.
 - When not holding someone, you can attack with it for high armor-piercing damage.
     - If the target is wearing cult or heretic armor, then attacks will additionally deal damage to the armor itself!
 - You can move easily over tables and railings, and in zero-gravity (as long as there's still ground below you).

![Random GIF I found](https://media.tenor.com/s-W2Ot4vnioAAAAd/spiderman-spectacular-spiderman.gif)

## Ascending the Abyss

Every corpora's goal is to cross a bluespace veil known as the Abyss. Luckily, Space Station 13 happens to exist in a one-of-a-kind area of space where the veil is at its weakest, making crossing the Abyss actually possible!

Once you are ready, you may build the Abyssal Breacher, a massive structure which will, when fed enough power and given the right 'vessel', bring forth and merge the corpora with the Abyss, granting it the knowledge all corpora seek.

There are several requirements to ascend:
 - 35 AP
 - [tbd] EP
 - The breacher can only be built in one of the areas given in your ascension objective.
 - All other objectives must be complete.
     - If your assassinate target is dead (and the corpse still exists on the station's Z-level), their corpse must be placed within the breacher.
     - If you have a protect objective, they must also be placed within the breacher, alive and well (and not in crit, either).
 - You must have assimilated at least half of the eligible machines in your ascension area.

Note that Abyssal Breachers take around 3 minutes to ascend you once activated, and they make an centcom announcement stating your location and name when activated. Also, you can only build a total of 3 breachers before you run out of them for good.

Once those criteria are met, you may ascend the abyss, and become an **ABYSSWALKER**.

Abysswalkers all have the following perks:
 - Massive amounts of passive EP generation.
 - X-ray + night vision
 - Cool looking halo above their head (appearance depends on path).
 - True form is buffed.
     - No longer slow.
     - Can freely enter/exit true form with no cooldown.
     - Passive EP generation surpasses EP consumption rate of true form.
 - Corpora hand heals better, and stuns for longer.

Abysswalkers are also their own species, although there will be 'variants' for each roundstart species, which eliminate many of the downsides of their precursor species.


| Original Species | Abysswalker Variant |
| -------- | -------- |
| Human, any not listed     | Abysswalker |
| Felinid | Feline Abysswalker |
| Ethereal | Stardust Abysswalker |
| Moth, Apid | Insectoid Abysswalker |
| Oozeling, Slimeperson, Luminescent, Stargazer | Ooze Abysswalker |
| Lizard, Ashwalker | Reptillian Abysswalker |


## Policy / Roleplaying

### The Crew

Regular crew should know little to nothing about corpora, aside from perhaps the fact they're a thing that possibly exists.

Security and Heads of Staff know about corpora, and can recognize several of their more obvious abilities (Most Raven abilities, Red Hot Jaunt).

If a regular crewmember catches someone assimilating a machine or using a Voltaic Terminal, it is 100% okay for them to view it as suspicious and report it to security, but they can't just yell "CORPORA!" as soon as they see it.

It should also be okay for engineers to investigate unusual amounts of power usage, and if they discovered an assimilated machine, report it to security.

Ascended/halo corpora are valid, though.

### Corpora

Corpora are *not* murderbone antags. Their goal is to complete their objectives, not to mow down everyone. However, they can (of course) defend themselves using their abilities.

### Cultists

Cultists (and Heretics) have a unique interaction with corpora - corpora are mostly immune to their magic, and will enrage if someone tries to use it on them.

As such, it should be understandable if cultists try to kill corpora rather than converting them, as well, you try converting something that tries to rip you from limb to limb whenever you try to stun-hand it.

Also, if there's both corpora and cultists, it'd probably be completely understandable if security decided to team up with the corpora against the cult, since even an ascended corpora is much less genocidal than Nar'Sie. Lesser of two evils, y'know.