Player Character
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The Player Character refers to the character which the player controls in Caves of Qud.
They can be extensively customized both during character creation and throughout one's playthrough with skills, attributes, mutations, cybernetics, and more.
Characters can be almost anything: From 4-armed, axe-wielding chimeras wading through the severed limbs of their enemies, to cybernetically-augmented true kin gunslingers unloading their pistols faster than flesh can allow, to psychically-gifted espers fighting off interdimensional beings drawn to the light of their awakened mind.
Character Creation
At the beginning of a playthrough, the player can choose to create a new character, which starts the process of character creation.
The player must first choose to play a mutant or true kin, then makes additional choices accordingly:
Mutant
- Choose a calling, which grants attribute bonuses, starting items, skills, bonus starting reputation, etc.
- Choose up to 12 points of mutations, and up to 1 defect.
- Allocate up to 44 points of attributes.
Note: For mutants, attribute scores start at 10 before points are invested. - Name your character, or have one randomly generated.
True Kin
- Choose a caste, which grants attribute bonuses, starting items, skills, etc.
- Allocate up to 38 points of attributes.
Note: For true kin, attribute scores start at 12 before points are invested. - Choose 1 cybernetic implant to start with from the list of starting cybernetics. (The player can also choose to start without an implant for a Toughness bonus.)
- Name your character, or have one randomly generated.
Skills
The player can invest the skill points which they gain on level-up into various skills. These skills benefit the player in various ways, such as making the player character more effective in combat, granting activated abilities, allowing them to construct artifacts, letting them cook food, etc.
Reputation
The player character starts with a certain reputation with each of the factions present in Caves of Qud. Among other things, reputation determines which creatures are hostile to the player and can be used as a currency in the water ritual. The player's reputation with various factions can be raised or lowered throughout a playthrough in various ways, including the water ritual and by killing legendary creatures which that faction likes or dislikes.
Limbs
The player character, like all creatures in Caves of Qud, has a body made up of various "limbs" (a term which includes all body parts, including those not generally thought of as limbs, such as one's face, back, and head). A character's limbs can be gained, lost, or altered in various ways throughout a playthrough.
Permadeath
In Classic and Daily mode playthroughs of Caves of Qud, once a character dies, it is lost forever and a new one must be created. This can be avoided by playing other modes, such as Wander or Roleplay.