Aborigine
by Charis

Class: Warrior
Tag: ABR

Introduction

Cousins to the Barbarians, the Southern Aborigines have through their isolation developed several skills and traits that help them in combat.

Items

Armor/Helm/Shield/Weapon
Any non-magical.

Enchantments
For non-weapons, Stability, Frog's, Hyena's, Snake's, Piercing, Puncturing, Topaz, Sturdiness and Craftsmanship are special.
For weapons, metal prefixes, Soldier and Knight are special.

With combat experience, the Aborigine learns to recover just a tad faster (Stability), gains an inane minor resistance to magic, and learns to pierce and puncture armor (never bash). They also eventually may craft better weapons from precious metals. These are rewards for completing quests and getting dots.

Bronze through Platinum are quality metals used to make better weapons when treated by the Aborigines. Such a weapon, when found, must be repaired by an ABR before use. Metal rings which magically enhance to-hit are juju and NEVER used! (Exception: see Legendary ABR. Champion, below)

Unfortunately, lack of a skill tree means that quick recovery and innate magic resistance must come from an item (and gives the ABR something to worry about recovering). A single stability item and low-end resist item may be worn when that right is earned.

The +20 dex bonus at the highest lvls is a kludge bug fix in that Warriors are *supposed* to get a 20% blocking bonus. Use a helm or crown of dex/acc/precis to give this skill.

If an Aborigine is beat up so bad he can't recover his gear, he must recover for 1 week (real time) before he recovers his natural abilities.

A little magic resist is a dangerous thing. Non-zero resistance means you won't get stunned or have gear damaged by magic attacks, *but* you'll no longer block them, and take 80-95% damage. ABR's can choose whether they want to block or resist, once they have this skill.

Highest lvl ABR's can use a swiftness weapon. This does NOT let him stun any new creatures, just a drop from 0.45 to 0.40 sec swing time. Why swing slower than a hasted rogue?! :) They also may use a poisoned blade (flaming weapon - lack of to hit may make this impractical). Knight's is allowed after a solo in H/H. Its max +to hit is 40%, so tough choice vs. Mithril.

Those who laugh at juju and find Frogs or Hyena jewels in NM may wear them. (balance, stability, or a cursed suffix ok) They are a superstitious people, considering Snake charms to be extremely good luck (Snake, not Serpent).

Aborigine's blocking is marginally better than BARs. For the true veteran, there is the quest to become the Aborigine Champion.

Uniques
UNID'd light unique body armor and medium weight shields may be worn by superstitious Aborigines. (All but DSC, Gotter, RC, Stormie)

Spells

The Aborigines know how to Repair armor and weapons,move through secret passages (Town Portal), and use a lasso to grab items (Telekinesis). Some have learned to use a bolo (thrown net) to hinder opponents briefly (lvl ONE stone curse only, which can't be repeated on an opponent). They have cultivated herbs which can revive (Res scrolls).

Quests

Essentially, the Barbarian Quests are used, and the special abilities gained as follows.

1. Aborigine
No titles or special abilities.

2. Pillager
Walk levels 1-4 and walk out exit on level 5 without returning to town. Levels do not have to be cleared.
--> Piercing allowed

3. Vanquisher
Going toe to toe with Leoric and winning
--> Town portal, Sturdiness and Bronze allowed

4. Destroyer
Walking levels 5-8 and walking out exit on level 9 without returning to town (like pillager, for cats)
--> Piercing and Iron allowed

5. Defiler
Start at level 1 and walk through level 8. Drop one mana potion at every shrine as you clear the level. Walk up the stairs on level 9.
--> Shrines and Craftsmanship allowed

6. Conqueror
Running the caves in one try and exiting on foot through hell 13(like pillager for caves)
--> Puncturing and Balance allowed, +5 dex allowed

7. Ravager
Killing all the witches in hell barehanded. You may return to town.
--> Innate Magic resistance gained - 10% (minimal Topaz)

First Dot Solo
Title: Aborigine Slayer
--> Steel and Telekinesis allowed, MR 12%, +10 dex allowed

8. Aborigine Lord
Starting on level 13 and without returning to surface killing Diablo (you don't have to kill everything)
--> Silver and Bolo allowed, MR 15% (max Topaz)

To proceed further, their mastery of metal working requires basic familiarity with two other metals: tin and brass. Items made of tin and brass must be FOUND by the ABR before he is eligible to become King or Champion.

Second Dot Solo
--> Gold, Soldiers, Stability allowed, MR 17% (low end Amber), +15 dex allowed

9. Aborigine King
Full clear of the game without returning to town.
--> Platinum and Knights allowed, MR 19%

Third Dot Solo AND King
--> Mithril allowed, innate resistance up to 20% (max Amber), +20 dex allowed, and flaming and swiftness weapons allowed (this still won't let you stunlock mages)

The Legendary Aborigine Champion
(extra and optional)

Those who have purified their bodies totally from the essence of juju (Base Magic = 0, and have found an item of corruption) may claim the title Champion, with the right to bear weapons of that name, and with innate resistance up to 40%.

To prove their worthiness and receive the title, the Aborigine must first be king, 35th lvl, and must slay Diablo solo in H/H using their corruption weapon! One last bonus for the Champion candidate- they may wear a set of metal talismans which they have fashioned (found) themselves - two or three different metals, of his choice, Gold/Silver/Steel/Iron/Bronze/Brass/Tin as long as their combined plus is <= 60. These must be plain or with a balance/stability/harmony suffix only.

So we're talking for the run: Amber Crown Precision, some well built armor and shield, gold/harmony amulet, plain silver ring, iron/stability, and his sword of corruption. Should he succeed, he becomes a Champion, the only one in his tribe worthy to wield Champion gear, a single metal talisman (+to hit <=25), and the speed of harmony and speed weapons. Should he fail, he is stripped of the title of king. He may wear Valiant Armor and Glorious shield (only +dur suffix, if any), *or* any UNID'd unique body armor and shield (i.e. Demonspike Coat and Stormshield OK for Champion only).

Dual Classes

ABR-SNOB
In addition to the already legal light armor and shield (remember, all UNID'd), all UNID'd helms and weapons are allowed, as are the special DSC, Gotter, RC and SS, for those who find them themselves or are 25th lvl or higher for a gift. The allowed Stability, light magic resist, and blocking bonus have few slots left. So UNID'd uniq rings, and perfect Amu's of Topaz, Amber, Precision, Stability, etc., are allowed when that quality is allowed for ABR. For the Champion quest, substitute Doombringer or Shadowhawk as the Corruption weapon (must be FOUND), the Grandfather as a Champion weapon, and a perfect Gold Amu is suggested if available. ABR-SNOBs by tradition become engaged before taking on the Champion quest, and may wear *ID'd* ROE's when they decide to go for the title. (+20 of sword, +30 AMU, +15 from ROE pair, on avg= +65 to hit)

ABR-GOTH
Follows Goth ideals and rules, with the exception of quests requiring heavy magic use. At higher lvls they may not use Full Plate or Tower shields, only Gothic Plate and Shield, however, a Holy Gothic Shield (of Ages optional) is allowed. They are not allowed Lord's or Master's weapons are normal Goths are. ABR-Goth Kings may wear the UNID Gotter (Vizigoth) or RC (Ostrogoth)

Savage Aborigine
Yikes. Follow Savage rules of Mastering weapons, they are allowed (encouraged) to use Savage weapons.

Comments

More coop friendly than a BAR (can take and cast portals), and not as likely to retire prematurely. There's still plenty of challenge in NM and Hell. I've tried naked warrior with various metals in H/H. You can kill *one*, drinking a full belt, with about +30% to hit; with about two pots for +50% and taking on two BKs without dying with a good Mithril. Mages AC is so poor that even in H/H you can hit regularly with your fists on those you corner.