Tunnel Rat

The first step was looking at what he'd already earned:

Smugglers Stash 3

Invisible Tail.

Jumping Jack 1

Slashing Tail 1

Weak Poison Resistance

Weak Disease Resistance

Not-so-good Regeneration

Breathless 2

Skilled Provider 1

Extra Health 2

Fiendish Traps 2

There was nothing on his list that hadn't either been useful or saved his life. It was amazing how many times being able to hold his breath had come in handy. Working on machinery that belched toxic fumes was an occupational hazard for Engineers. And it was worse because the dwarves hardly seemed to notice!

The list of Tier Two Enhancements was similar to Tier One. More levels were revealed as he bought abilities and the cost of buying additional stat points looked like it went up each Tier. Options he'd already bought were crossed out. Even with the big chunk of points he'd just earned, there were hard decisions to make.

Generic Enhancements:

Increased Health 3: Gain +250 Health for the cost of 10 enhancement points.

Increased Stamina 1: Gain +50 Stamina for the cost of 2 enhancement points.

Increased Stamina 2: Gain +100 Stamina for the cost of 5 enhancement points.

Increased Stamina 3: Gain +250 Stamina for the cost of 10 enhancement points.

Increased Mana 1: Gain +50 Mana for the cost of 2 enhancement points.

Increased Mana 2: Gain +100 Mana for the cost of 5 enhancement points.

Increased Mana 3: Gain +250 Mana for the cost of 10 enhancement points.

Spirit of the Ox2: Gain +1 STR for a cost of 4 enhancement points.

Spirit of the Bear2: Gain +1 CON for a cost of 4 enhancement points.

Spirit of the Monkey2: Gain +1 Dex for a cost of 4 enhancement points.

Spirit of the Owl2: Gain +1 INT for a cost of 4 enhancement points.

Spirit of the Cheeta2: Gain +1 AGI for a cost of 4 enhancement points.

Spirit of the Pig2: Gain +1 WIS for a cost of 4 enhancement points.

Spirit of the Hawk2: Gain +1 PER for a cost of 4 enhancement points.

Spirit of the Swan2: Gain +1 CHA for a cost of 4 enhancement points.

Second Wind 1: Once per day, regain 20 Health/Mana/Stamina. Cost = 1 enhancement point.

Second Wind 1: Once per day, regain 50 Health/Mana/Stamina. Cost = 3 enhancement points.

Second Wind 1: Once per day, regain 100 Health/Mana/Stamina. Cost = 5 enhancement points.

Scout Enhancements:

Smugglers Stash 4 (54 Cubic Feet of Space

Storage Skill. Summons/Dispels a magical chest. Size increases with rank. Rank 4 cost: 20 points.

Skilled Provider

Your gathering skills have an increased chance of finding better quality items. The cost is three points per level, for levels 1/2/3.

Abundance

Your gathering skills are more efficient, giving a higher yield.

(+10%/+25%/+50%/+75%/+100%) The cost is 1/2/3/4/5 for the five levels.

Unlimited Dark Vision

You see in Darkness and Magical Darkness as if it were a cloudy day but in shades of gray. No limitations on distance.

Jumping Jack2

You may leap three times as far as normal. The cost is two enhancement points.

Never Lost

You gain a better memory of the routes you take, giving you mental maps to track where you have been. Cost: 10 points.

Wererat Enhancements:

Strong Claws

Increased Claw Damage. The amount increases with rank.

(+10/+20/+40) Rank one has a cost of two points, five points for rank two, and ten points for rank three. Damage is additive: Taking all three ranks will add +70 to the damage you do with your claws.

Totally Normal Human

Improved Disguise/Illusion in Were form (Upgrade to the Invisible Tail.)

You may openly walk among humans even in were-form, and pass for one of them. Creatures much above your level, or with a good sense of smell, or who can see through illusions may not be affected. Cost: 10 points.

Slashing Tail

Your tail does increased damage and can slashat your foes like a whip. Damage is increased each rank (+10/+20/+40.) Rank one has a cost of two points, five points for rank two, and ten points for rank three. Damage is additive: Taking all three ranks will add +70 to the damage you do with your tail. Cost = Two enhancement points for rank 1, five for rank 2, and 10 for rank three.

See through Small Eyes

Make friends with local rats who will (maybe) do some scouting for you. Cost = 2 Enhancement points.

Many Small Eyes

Increased control of your small scouts, and you can use their eyes instead of your own. Cost = Five Enhancement points.

Cheesemaking (Crafting Skill)

An honorable tradition! So tasty! INT crafting skill. Cost = One enhancement point.

Strong Poison Resistance (Resistance Skill)

Upgrade the Primary CON skill: Weak Poison Resistance to Stong Poison Resistance. Cost = 10 enhancement points.

Strong Disease Resistance (Resistance Skill)

Upgrade the Primary CON skill: Weak Disease Resistance to Stong Disease Resistance. Cost = 10 enhancement points.

Extra Stabby!

All of your attacks have an increased chance of a critical hit. The chance increases with each level of the skill. Cost = Two enhancement points for rank 1, five for rank 2, and 10 for rank three.

Fiendish Traps!

Your traps and machinery almost always work and in fiendish ways no one suspected. Even you are surprised at times. This Enhancement affects Mechanics, Trap-Maker, and other such skills.

Machine efficiency and Trap damage increase with rank. Cost = Three enhancement points for rank 1, six for rank 2, and nine for rank three.

Pretty Good Regeneration

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Mutant Regeneration

Grants increased (x12), health recovery. Regenerate scar tissue and missing body parts in less than a day. A steady diet of cheese speeds up the process. Cost = 20 enhancement points.

Warning: As with all mutations, there can be significant side effects.

Ratkin have an affinity for certain types of magic. Magical Aspects open up options to learn more mage skills. Each additional aspect has an increased cost. Each magical aspect purchased will increase the cost of further aspects. The first aspect purchased has a cost of five enhancement points, increasing to ten for the second and 15 for the third.

Chill of the Grave

You have a high affinity for Death-Aspected Mana. Training will let you learn Death and Necromantic spells. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease the mana costs of casting spells.

Deeds in the Dark

You have a high affinity for Darkness-Aspected Mana. Training will let you learn dark magic spells. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Increase your Corruption by +1. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease the mana costs of casting spells.

Storm Born

You have a high affinity for Storm-Aspected Mana. Training will let you learn Storm magic spells. Increasing cost with additional aspects. Opens more options for mage abilities. Increased ranks decrease the mana costs of casting spells.

Individual Enhancements: You have earned these through quests or adventuring.

Spirit of Durgi Forefather (Dwarves Only): Gain +1 Toughness. Cost: 4 points.

Blessing of Hecate (Canine Speech): You can almost understand dogs, and they understand you. Cost: 2 points.

Guardian Pet 1: Who's the Big Dog? Your pet increases in both size and intelligence. Cost: 2 points.

Guardian Pet 2: Your pet gains attack skills and double health and mitigation. Cost 5 points.

It would be easy to spend his points since he wanted everything. But just as he couldn't upgrade every bit of broken machinery in the Habitat, he couldn't take everything on his list. He needed to decide on goals and that would help him decide on what to buy. From what he had read on various gaming forums, Players concentrated on doing damage first. They spent a lot of time killing monsters for experience and profit. Next was their role in a group: Anyone casting spells wanted more mana, warriors wanted more armor, and rogues wanted stealth abilities. But those were people in groups and raids. They could count on each other. He wanted to get away from people and explore. That would take a different set of skills.

He saw more and more talk about increasing stats when Players went to the second tier. Finding out that STR and CON now gave more health and stamina meant that every stat point would keep increasing in value. That made the abilities that gave extra health or mana less desirable in the short run, but only if you couldn't afford both. A wizard who maximized their WIS, INT, and CHA would then benefit from buying the levels of Increased Mana. As far as stats went, Toughness was the best. It gave him extra health and increased his resistance. Perception would help with exploring. Seeing trouble coming would let him avoid it. Everything else helped, but he could also earn a lot of those points by doing things and increasing his skills.

Better regeneration seemed like a good choice. He could make Myconic Healing potions if he had the ingredients, but his healing was limited. Healing faster would let him waste less time sitting around in dark caverns, and there was no guarantee that you'd heal before something came to eat you. The three points of TOU and Pretty Good Regeneration would cost him 22 of his points. Those went on the list. He was acutely aware that he had something inside him just waiting for a chance to dissolve him down to goo. He didn't like the wording on Mutant Regeneration and was very worried about taking the third level of regeneration, but as soon as he spent the points, a new option showed up. Strong Regeneration cost the same as Mutant Regeneration but wasn't as good at x8 vs. x12. But also didn't have the implied implication of something bad happening. He put that on his 'maybe' list.

Next up, he considered Never Lost. His memory was exceptional, but the twists and turns of the caverns were confusing. This skill implied he'd know where he was in relation to where he'd been, and be able to choose the best routes with only a little exploring. For a solo adventurer in the Deep Dark, it seemed essential and a good buy for 10 points.

Unlimited Dark Vision was next. He could already see in the dark a little and had a sense of the stone around him. And in many caverns, he was aided by glowing lichen and mushrooms that seemed to be everywhere. But there would be dark places in the world where no light would touch. At least he hoped so. Another ten points for that.

He considered Strong Claws and Slashing Tail. He had the first level of damage for his tail, but not his claws. Shadowblight had made them somewhat irrelevant since the powerful weapon hit so hard. But with the upgrade from Alta-Viatar and his spikey stick still being stubborn, he'd be needing his claws if he ran into anything. The first two ranks of Strong Claws would add +30 damage and only cost 7 points. Slashing Tail 2 would be another 5 points.

If he bought everything on his list, he was spending 52 points and had 38 left to spend. He could afford three points of Perception, another level of regeneration. The last 8 points could go to Jumpingjack2, Guardian Pet 1, Extra Mana1, and Extra Stamina1.

Georgie made a sound of surprise as he grew to twice his normal size, but seemed very happy about it. He immediately demanded extra playtime in their private playground. At one point Milo leaped to avoid his pet during a game of tag. His head slammed into the ceiling, reminding him that he'd increased his leaping ability. Luckily, he also had better regeneration to deal with his sore head. Georgie was inclined to consider himself the winner after that and sat panting by the fondue pot, waiting for more snacks to appear. Milo realized his camping trip might be cut short when he ran out of food to feed his larger pet. That was fine. He only needed to assign the experience points he'd earned and then he could take a long nap.