With a tough exterior that hides a very complex world with a ton of content, Caves of Qud is a dream game for fans of roguelikes.
Caves of Qud is an extremely intricate and complex turn-based roguelike. It is set on an alien planet that has been through a lot of turmoil throughout its history. After the human civilization on this planet evolved into a Sci-Fi Sultanate that controlled immense scientific prowess, which included cybernetic implants, something went wrong. A plague was set loose upon the planet, quickly ravaging the population and turning everything upside down. Hundreds of years later, the world of Qud has been changed irrevocably. Horrible mutated creatures wander the wastes looking for their next meal. Every square meter of the planet has been salted, making drinking water one of the most valuable resources.
This is the harsh world that your character will be thrown into, with complete freedom in how you want to approach any situation. Befriend or become hated by various factions and characters, turn your character into a melee monster or a skilled ranged combatant, the choice is yours. And since no game of this type would be complete without classes
There are two main types of “classes” in Caves of Qud, called Callings and Castes. The main difference between them is that Callings are Mutated Humans that can choose from a wide plethora of mutations that will give you new abilities. Castes, on the other hand, are True Kin (a sort of aristocracy) that don’t have access to mutations, instead making use of Cybernetic Implants to advance their abilities.
Callings
- Apostle: Apostles receive a +2 bonus to Ego, which is the stat that dictates merchant prices and the effectiveness of mental mutations. They also get the Customs and Folklore, Intimidate, and Proselytize skills. While not too great when it comes to combat capabilities, the Apostle can be a great start if you’re interested in trying out mental mutations.
- Arconaut: A pretty interesting class, the Arconaut has a +2 bonus to Agility and the Short Blade, Tinkering, Scavenger, Acrobatics, and Spry skills. But besides this, the greatest bonus that the Arconaut gets is a random assortment of junk and artifacts at every start. Get lucky, and you might land a potent tech weapon from the get-go, making the early game a breeze.
- Greybeard: This Calling gets +3 Willpower and -1 to Strength, as well as the Cudgel, Berate, and Calloused skills. As an added bonus you also get +100 reputation with bears, which can be quite dangerous enemies when starting out. This is a rather weird Calling, since Strength is a pretty important stat, especially in the early game when carry capacity is a serious issue.
- Gunslinger: For fans of westerns, the Gunslinger is a pretty powerful class that caters to ranged combat. It gets +2 Agility and the Pistol, Steady Hand, and Akimbo skills. The only real problem when starting out is the lack of a melee weapon. Instead, you get two chrome revolvers, which are great weapons but they eat up ammo pretty fast. An easy trick to conserve ammo is to unequip one of your revolvers. If you can get past the early portion of the game and reach the first traders who have hundreds of lead slugs on offer, you should be good.
- Marauder: As the name would imply, the Marauder thrives in melee combat. To help out with this he gets a +2 Strength bonus and the Axe, Dismember, Charge, and Butchery skills. Charge is one of the most important skills for any melee class, allowing you to quickly close the gap with enemies, which is extremely important when dealing with enemies that favor ranged combat. Just make sure to always be on the lookout for a better Axe and you should be fine.
- Pilgrim: This is a rather difficult Calling to play as. You get a +2 bonus to Willpower and the Self-Discipline, Fasting Way, Iron Mind, and Wayfaring skills. While these skills are pretty helpful in the long run, they make for an abysmal start when it comes to combat. You can probably compensate for this with some well picked Mutations, but generally you’d be better off with another Calling.
- Nomad: Even though it doesn’t look impressive on the surface, the Nomad is a pretty great Calling. Besides the +2 Toughness and Wayfaring, Wilderness Lore: Salt Pans, Harvestry, and Weathered skills, you also get +200 reputation with the Issachari tribe, which can come in handy if you encounter one of their caravans. But the greatest boon that this Calling offers is that you start the game with a Recycling Suit. This is a decent armor as well as giving you some drams of water back every few days. If you can land some good weapons you’re pretty much set for the early game.
- Scholar: This Calling receives a +2 bonus to Intelligence as well as the Tinkering, First Aid, Heal, Tactics, Customs and Folklore, Harvestry, and two random Wilderness Lore skills. It would be best if you generally tried to compensate for the lack of combat skills with some combat-oriented mutations to help you out through the early game. Starting out with tinkering though can be quite useful, and you can try buffing your Intelligence to gain access to Tinkering 2 to get your hands on some truly great artifacts potentially.
- Tinker: If you’re a fan of the Tinkering skill, then this Calling can be a great start. You get +2 to Intelligence as well as the Tinkering, Lay Mine/ Set Bomb, Disassemble, Repair, and Tinker 1 skills. Pair this up with some randomly generated Tinkering recipes at one of the early game vendors and you can quickly get your hands on some decent artifacts. This can include healing items and some basic grenades, which can help out a lot when facing the early game portion of the game.
- Warden: A great melee class, the Warden starts out with +2 to Strength and the Long Blade, Shield, Shield Slam, Bow and Rifle, and Pistol skills. As long as you know what enemies to avoid or simply run away from, the early game can be a breeze with this Calling. Your main goal should be to get your hands on a ranged weapon as soon as possible to be able to handle enemies that are a problem in melee.
- Water Merchant: For people who like the trading part of the game, the Water Merchant is an ideal start. You get a +2 bonus to Ego and the Short Blade and Snake Oiler skills. But the true power of this Calling is the +200 reputation you get with the Water Barons faction and the fact that you can enter any settlement for purposes of trade. This includes areas that would otherwise be off-limits for you until you reach a certain part of the game. For example, Grit Gate is where you will first encounter the Barathrumites faction, which are an important part of the main quest. But until you finish a particular quest, you can’t enter their base. If you’re a Water Merchant though, a side passage will be open by default for you, giving you access to a merchant.
- Watervine Farmer: Sometimes the simple life is ideal, and the Watervine Farmer is as simple as it gets in the world of Qud. Starting out with +2 to Toughness and the Cooking and Gathering, Harvestry, Axe, and Wilderness Lore: Marshes skills, this Calling will struggle at the start of the game. I recommend you focus on farming some easy enemies at the start of the game to get a few levels and some extra HP under your belt. If you come across some Snapjaws and can get your hands on some early armor items and a better weapon you should be set. As an added bonus this Calling does get some starting items to cook with, which could net you some great bonuses that can be extremely helpful in your first few encounters.
Even though not all Callings are created equal, with enough experience under your belt any of them can be turned into a late-game monster. Alongside the RNG factor of getting good equipment, there is a lot of skill in fully understanding how mutations work and how to best maximize their effects. This is why you should think clearly about what you want out of your character and choose accordingly. It is generally advised to not focus on one mutation or skillset, since having more options available to you can help in tricky situations. Always make sure that you have an escape mechanic besides Sprint and don’t forget that running away from a tough engagement is never a bad option.
