Changeling

Changeling
SUPERIORS:	Your hunger
CLASSIFICATION:	Solo Antagonist
RISK FACTOR:	Hard
CLEARANCE:	Depends on your job
"How mankind looks at cattle, you look at mankind: with hunger...".

A changeling is an alien creature which possesses the ability to morph into humanoids. The natural form of the changeling is a "headslug", a rather pathetic creature by itself. Fortunately for them, they were capable of killing a crew member before the start of the shift and has been imitating them since. The main weapons of the changeling are its ability to internally synthesize dangerous chemicals, morph into other creatures that it has absorbed, and disguise itself amongst the crew.

The changeling can be anyone it has absorbed and can switch identities instantaneously; only absorbing requires time and a place away from prying eyes. Unlike the Traitor, the changeling's only objective is to survive until the shuttle arrives and escape on it while disguised as someone else.

Remember that changelings are not obliged to work with each other, and some may go solo/rogue depending on the circumstances of the shift.

Help! I'm hungry and I don't know what to do!

Chemicals

Chemicals are your source of abilities; without them you won't be able to use your powers. They regenerate slowly over time, and the more people you absorb the higher your max capacity will be.

DNA Absorption

Your main weapon is deception: transform into other humanoid creatures to confuse the crew. To do this, it takes ANY humanoid, living or dead (even thrown away bodies from cloning), and absorb them using the "Absorb" ability or the "DNA Extraction" sting. You can only maintain a maximum of 5 DNA strands at a time, and you must transform in order to obtain more.

Acquiring DNA via absorption requires the victim's incapacitation, critical condition, or death.

• Absorbing someone takes a lot of time, so prepare a safe spot or do it somewhere with the lowest chance of being spotted
• Absorbing a victim will recover all of your biomass, increase your maximum chemical capacity, and give you bonus evolution points to buy new abilities.
• Absorbing another changeling will, on top of the previously mentioned improvements, increase your maximum biomass capacity, allowing you to stay alive for more time and give you even more chemicals and evolution points.
• Absorbed victims cannot be cloned. On the other hand, they can still be turned into cyborgs

I can only store so much!

Changelings are limited to how much DNA they can absorb at once. If a changeling has 5 DNA strands absorbed 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. This switching can cause a massive compromise in security, especially if command staff are absorbed and the changeling is able to imitate them. Changelings can also, via their lesser form ability, transform into monkeys.

Regeneration

Also known as "Regenerative Stasis", changelings have the ability to 'kill' themselves and appear dead. After an uncertain amount of time, the changeling can revive at will, fully healed of all injuries and illnesses. Entering stasis will start a timer that scales with damage taken, and leaving will cost 30 chemicals. Chemicals will still regenerate while a changeling is 'dead'.

Changelings can also choose to revive by defibrillator, making it even harder to tell if they are one or not.

This trait makes changelings nigh unkillable, as they can fully regenerate themselves even from death if they have enough chemicals. Spaced changelings may also be able to make it back on the station given enough time. The best way to permanently deal with a changeling is to cremate them, put them on mining colonies, or in solitary confinement.

Going Solo or Teaming Up

Like traitors, changelings operate individually and are in no way obligated to assist each other. It is not required for changelings to even reveal their identity to each other, as it's not uncommon for changelings to backstab each other to remove competition. Even so, a coordinated group of changelings is truly a terror to behold.

Identifying a Changeling

Changelings have a different have a different blood type. Even if a changeling is pretending to be a diona, vox, or moth person, they have one blood type. Also, when put in a centrifuge, the changeling's blood reacts violently. You cannot identify changelings in any other possible way, unless they're going loud. Once a changeling has been identified, then the best thing you can do to counter one is to: KILL IT WITH FIRE!

• While on fire, they are unable to use or toggle most of their combat, defensive, and utility-oriented abilities.

• Changelings also suffer a massive reduction to their chemical generation, being reduced to 1/4 of its current amount when on fire!

Changeling Abilities

Starting Abilities	Description
Absorb DNA	Allows you to slowly and noisily absorb a deal, crit, cuffed, or hard-grabbed crewmate. This adds their DNA to your pool, grants you 2 evolution points, and refills your biomass. If another changeling is absorbed, you instead get half of their total evolution points and half of their max chemicals. Targets must be in a HARD grab to use this ability. Can be used in lesser form. Cannot be used while on fire.
Extract DNA	Adds the stung player's DNA to your pool. Can be used while cuffed or while in a lesser form.
Cycle DNA	Changes the active DNA used for transform. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form.
Transform	Transforms you into the person whose DNA you currently have selected, consuming the DNA in the process Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form
Enter Regenerative Stasis	The changeling instantly dies, and the exit stasis ability is unlocked. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Can be used while on fire.
Exit Regenerative Stasis	The changeling instantly revives; all health is fully recovered. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Can be used while on fire. Can only be used after a set duration. This scales with damage taken prior to stasis, up to 180 seconds.

Combat Abilities

Dissonant Shriek	Changeling emits an EMP blast, disabling borgs, IPCs, suit coordinates, and other electronic equipment. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Can be used while on fire.
Resonant Shriek	Screeches, blinding anyone in the nearby area without flash protection, breaking nearby lights as well. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Can be used while on fire
Organic Shield	Grows one of its arms into a robust shield, absorbs 50% of incoming damage until destroyed.
Strained Muscles	Speeds the changeling up greatly but deals heavy stamina damage over time to self. Toggles on and off. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Can be used while on fire.
Bone Shard	The changeling forms a weapon capable of firing bone shards that hardstuns in two hits, with the shards dissolving after a while
Dart Gun	The changeling converts an arm into a dart gun. The dart gun fires any of the changeling's evolved stings, costing 1/3 the sting cost in chems per shot. Can shoot and select darts while on fire (if in use/toggled)
Arm Blade	The changeling forms an arm into a blade. Deals heavy limb damage on light attack when targeting a limb.
Arm Claw	The changeling forms an arm into a claw. Claws can grab organisms and prevent them from moving. The claw cannot be used to attack while grabbing something.
Arm Hammer	The changeling forms an arm into a hammer. The hammer deals blunt damage, knocks down and flings targets with light armor.
Chitinous Armor	The changeling manipulates its flesh into a resilient mass of armor, only usable when outerwear and head slots are empty. Chitinous Armor slows the Changeling by 15 percent. Chitinous Armor reduces all damage by 50 percent. Head armor reduces brute and burn damages by 10 percent. Offers decent protection against fires. Slows down chem regen rate by 25 percent.

Sting Abilities

Blind Sting	The changeling injects an organic target with 2 units of blind toxin, blinding the target for 12 seconds. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Can stack with itself.
Cryogenic Sting	The changeling injects an organic target with 10 units fresium, dropping their temperature to 0 degrees Celsius in most cases. Cold organics move far slower. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Can stack with itself.
Mute Sting	The changeling injects an organic target with 2 units of mute toxin, muting the target for 40 seconds. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Can stack with itself
Lethargic Sting	The changeling injects an organic target with 5 units of impredrezene and tirizene, causing numerous effects. Slows target by 35 percent. Deals 20 poison damage. Deals 15 stamina damage per second for ten seconds. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Can stack with itself
False Armblade Sting	The changeling injects an organic target with some of its genome, forcing the organic to grow a temporary useless armblade. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Lasts roughly 60 seconds

Utility Abilities

Awakened Instinct	Gain a flat 25 percent boost to chemical regeneration. The user will require biomass to sustain themselves. Biomass is replenished by absorbing compatible humanoids. Maximum biomass capacity can be increased by absorbing other changelings. Running out of biomass will cause the user to be absorbed and permanently killed.
Anatomic Panacea	Produces 10 units of 'Ling Panacea' within the changeling. Heals 60 genetic, radiation, and poison damage. Cures disabilities (permanent blindness, narcolepsy, paralysis, etc.) Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form
Last Resort	Explodes the changeling's current body and reverts the changeling into a headslug Headslugs are extremely fast, can ventcrawl, and can crawl under doors. This ability can be used while cuffed but cannot be used while in lesser form. While you are a headslug, you can infect a non-hollow corpse to turn into a lesser form changeling after a short delay If the infected body is destroyed, the headslug will not revive, and will be lost forever Can be activated while on fire
Lesser Form	The changeling turns into a monkey. Uncuffs changeling. The monkey form can ventcrawl, but loses access to some abilities that the ling would otherwise have.
Absorb Biomatter	Consuming meat products restores the changeling's chemical stores.
Biodegrade	Burns cuffs off the changeling. Uncuffs changeling. Splashes anyone grabbing the changeling with acid, doing slight caustic damage, blinding them, and knocking them down. Can be used while in lesser form. Can be used while on fire.
Chameleon skin	The changeling gains the ability to turn invisible. Invisibility increases while standing still. Invisibility rapidly decreases while moving Can be used while cuffed. Slows down chem regen rate by 25 percent.
Adrenaline Reserves	The changeling produces 5 units of Changeling Adrenaline. Deals 6.75 poison damage to changeling upon immediate second use. Removes stuns, knockdown times, and makes you impervious to most forms of fatigue. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form. Can be used while on fire.
Hivemind Access	Shows a symbol above all changelings with this ability. Togglable on and off. Grans access to the hivemind channel using ":g"
Void Adaption	Renders you immune to barotrauma (spacing) damage if active. Immune to freezing temperatures and its effects if active. Does not protect from cold damage. The changeling no longer needs to breathe while void adaption is active. Slows down chem regen rate by 25 percent.
Fleshmend	User is given the "Fleshmend" status effect, lasting for 10 seconds. Fleshmend's effects will temporarily cease while on fire. Heals 10 overall brute damage per tick (100 in total). Heals 5 overall burn damage per tick (50 in total). Heals 2 asphyxiation damage per tick (20 in total). Reduces bleeding severity by 2.5 per tick (25 in total). Restores roughly 3.5 percent blood level per tick (35 percent in total). Useable while in critical condition. Can be used while cuffed or in lesser form.