Dirtmoles

Dirtmoles are a xenotype, genetically engineered to live underground.

Lore

After the first tunnel colonies failed due to the stress of confinement, colonization agencies began genetically altering colonists to live without open space or sunlight. This xenotype is known colloquially as the dirtmoles. Today, dirtmoles have expanded out of their original tunnel homes and rule many confined spaces in the anthrosphere. They can be found in deep mines, cramped low-tech spacecraft, and teeming by the billions in the dark underlayers of countless urbworlds.

With gray skin adapted to artificial light, they thrive in cramped and dark spaces where combat and travel happen over short distances. They are extremely capable at digging, mining tasks, and navigating complex tunnel structures. In the open, however, they suffer from a sensitivity to light, slow speed and poor eyesight at distance.^[1]

Occurrence

The table below describes the chance for a given pawn from each faction being a dirtmole. Note that this value does not account for chances in xenotype chance from ideoligion or from pawn kind, it only shows the base value before those factors.

Faction		Chance
	Gentle tribe	0%
	Fierce tribe	0%
	Savage tribe	0%
	Cannibal tribe	0%
	Nudist tribe	0%
	Fierce neanderthal tribe	0%
	Savage impid tribe	0%
	Civil outlander union	5%
	Rough outlander union	5%
	Rough pig union	0%
	Pirate gang	10%
	Cannibal pirate gang	10%
	Yttakin pirates	0%
	Waster pirates	5%
	Shattered empire	0%

Genes

Dirtmoles have a gene complexity of 9 complexity. With a +1 metabolic efficiency, they have a hunger rate of ×90%.

All dirtmoles have these germline genes:

Assorted:


Fast wound healing	Slow runner	Intense UV sensitivity	Strong melee damage	Nearsighted	Dark vision

Cosmetic:


Gray eyes	Light gray skin

Skills:


Great Mining

Analysis

Dirtmoles are a simple xenotype, with well-defined strengths and weaknesses suited for mountain life. A combination of great mining, dark vision, and intense UV sensitivity all support this fact. A compact mountain base can mitigate the impact of nearsighted and slow runner. Strong melee is useful when fighting against infestations.

However, dirtmoles are not limited to the mountains. They can do any indoors task reasonably well, in any type of colony. Beyond slow runner and UV sensitivity, dirtmoles have no real work-related weaknesses. In combat, they can serve a melee role quite well. Their sight based penalty only impacts long range weapons as well, meaning they can wield shotguns without penalty. If so desired, you can place some roof outdoors to keep the sun out.

Dirtmoles synergize well with the tunneler meme, for rather obvious reasons. Tunneler allows dirtmoles to ignore cramped spaces and grow nutrifungus in a cave, while dirtmoles are great at mining and melee combat.

Note that, as dirtmoles have no faction dedicated to them, opportunities to recruit dirtmoles are somewhat uncommon.

Version history

1.4.3682 - Fix: Awkward wording in dirtmole description. This xenotype are known colloquially as dirtmoles -> This xenotype is known colloquially as the dirtmoles

Biotech (DLC)