Tortle (starting race)
The Tortle is a starting race that is introduced in EvilHack, and also appears in Hack'EM.
Tortles are a humanoid reptilian race that resemble an upright tortoise, complete with a large protective shell on their back.
Racial benefits and restrictions
Tortles start with a natural AC of 0 due to their shells, but are extremely limited in what kind of armor they can wear. They are restricted to hats, gloves and shields only; hats and gloves made of any kind of hard or rigid material interfere with their ability to retreat into their shell (the Mitre of Holiness for tortle priests is an exception to this rule). In Hack'EM tortles can wear mummy wrappings (since they can stay wrapped while in their shell), giving them one more valuable armor slot.
As a tortle 'grows up' and gains experience, their shells grow thicker and become better able to repel attacks, giving the tortle an extra point of AC every three levels - this caps off at 10 points total for experience level 30.
Tortles have a unique ability - they can hide inside their shell for up to 200 turns at a time, using the #monster command. While inside their shell, they are blind, cannot move or attack, and are unable to perform most other actions beyond passively regenerate hit points/power and praying. Hiding in their shell confers the following boons:
- They receive a massive 40-point boost to their AC and gain half physical damage.
- Sting and bite attacks from monsters that are large or smaller deal no damage,
- They are impervious to stinger attacks, being grabbed and crushed, or being decapitated.
- They can come out of their shell early if they so chose (same command used to enter), and will have to wait 300-400 turns before being able to hide in their shell again.
Attribute caps
| Character Race |
Strength | Dexterity | Constitution | Intelligence | Wisdom | Charisma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tortle | 19 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 14 |
Tortles are wise and quite stronger than most races, but move much slower and aren't quite so nimble.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, Tortles can play as either an Archeologist, Barbarian, Healer, Monk, Priest, Tourist, or Wizard. and can be lawful or neutral. They start with a natural ability to swim, allowing them to breathe underwater and inside water elementals and sea dragons (they can still be strangled by other means, though). They gain intrinsic warning at experience level 5, and hungerless regeneration at experience level 12.
Hack'EM
Teenage Mutant Ninja Tortles! These turtles, err, tortles... are a tanky new addition from EvilHack. Tortles are a humanoid reptilian race that resembles an upright tortoise, complete with a large protective shell on their back. They are larger than humans, and a bit stronger and wiser, but move slower and aren't quite so nimble. Tortles are typically of lawful alignment, but can be neutral as well if the role they chose allows it.
For Tortles that start with a trident, it is rustproofed.
Strength can get as high as 19 naturally, and they have a slightly increased weight carrying cap. Wisdom can go as high as 20, with dexterity capped at 10, and charisma capped at 14.
Racial abilities:
| Level 1: | Swimming |
|---|---|
| Level 1: | Magical Breathing |
| Level 5: | Warning |
| Level 12: | hungerless regeneration |
Tortles have a unique ability - they can hide inside their shell for up to 200 turns at a time, using the #monster command. While inside their shell, they are blind, cannot move or attack, and basically can't do much of anything except regenerate hit points/power and pray. But, while in their shell:
- they receive a massive 40 point boost to their AC, and only take half physical damage.
- the bite attacks of monsters that are large or smaller won't do any damage.
- they are impervious to stinger attacks, and being grabbed and crushed.
- They can come out of their shell early if they so chose (same command used to enter), and will have to wait 300-400 turns before being able to hide in their shell again.
Tortles start with a natural AC of 0 due to their shells, but are extremely limited in what kind of armor they can wear. They are restricted to hats, gloves and shields only; hats and gloves made of any kind of hard or rigid material interfere with their ability to retreat into their shell (the Mitre of Holiness for tortle priests is an exception to this rule). As a tortle 'grows up' and gains experience, their shells grow thicker and become better able to repel attacks, giving the tortle an extra point of AC every three levels - this caps off at 10 points total for experience level 30.
Note: In Hack'EM tortles can wear mummy wrappings (since they can stay wrapped while in their shell), giving them one more valuable armor slot.
Techniques:
| Level | Technique Gained |
|---|---|
| XP 1 | shell |
Origin
Tortles are creatures that originate from Dungeons & Dragons, where they debut in the 1986 Creature Catalogue.
