Sanguophages

Sanguophages are an exceptionally rare and powerful xenotype with a deathly intolerance to heat and sunlight. They use their superhuman powers to satiate their genetic need for human blood.

Lore

"The first sanguophage appeared thousands of years ago when the lord-explorer Varan-Dur sought to control a hyperintelligent archotech and found himself transformed by it instead. Every sanguophage is descended from him. Since then, sanguophages have often been hunted because of their destabilizing power and their need for blood. Since they can pass for baseliners, many live in hiding among typical humans.
Their numbers are unknown. Some think they are legends or rare irrelevancies. Some believe sanguophages secretly direct entire human civilizations. The stories speak of eternal lords ruling billions from slate-black space stations, or directing blood sacrifices at conferences in the underlayers of the deepest urbworlds."

— Biotech preview #4: Xenotypes, world factions, and the dark blood-drinkers

Summary

Sanguophages are a mysterious but powerful group of xenohumans. They have no distinguishing looks from other xenohumans, so they blend in at first glance. Once selected, their differences are immediately apparent, from their hemogen and deathrest trackers at the bottom of the screen, to their unique abilities and immense genetic differences. Sanguophages have a genetic complexity of 57 and their xenogerm contains 8 archite capsules, while other xenohumans have far less complexity and don't require any capsules. Sanguophage metabolic efficiency is 0, not affecting their hunger rate in any way.

Genes

Sanguophage genes are xenogenes and are only obtainable through genetic implantation, either through their gene implanter ability or through gene extractors.

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Name	Description			Exclude
Bloodfeeder	Carriers of this gene have small retractable fangs and an organ on the roof of the mouth which can extract hemogen from fresh warm blood. They can bite an unresisting person, suck the blood, and gain hemogen directly. Adds ability: Bloodfeed Bite the target and extract hemogen directly from their blood. The target will lose blood and will be horrified by the interaction, but will be otherwise unharmed. A fast-acting coagulant will seal the wound to prevent bleeding. Can only target non-hemogenic humans. Hemogen gain is affected by the target’s body size. Feed on a pawn to gain up to +20 Hemogen, which scales with target body size, but not the user's. Target will gain +45% blood loss and the −5 Fed on moodlet (5 days, doesn't stack, negated by Bloodfeeders precept.). Also gains a bloodfeeder mark on the neck (+1% pain). If the target does not have enough blood, hemogen gain will be reduced accordingly.[Detail] Bloodfeeder must have a non-0% Eating capacity. Target: Single non-Hemogenic[Verify] human target. Must be downed or a colonist, slave, or prisoner not on a mental break. A warning will be given if it would kill the target or render them unconscious, but it will not account for continuing blood loss. +2 mood when near a blood torch. Interaction with Bloodfeeders precept. Bloodfeeders: Revered - Believers have a higher opinion towards bloodfeeders, negates moodlet for being fed on, mood bonus when bloodfeeders are in the colony or are the Leader, and mood penalty when they die. Bloodfeeders: Reviled. - Believers have a lower opinion towards bloodfeeders, mood penalty when bloodfeeders are in the colony or when they are bloodfeeder, and mood bonus when they die.	−1	1	-
Coagulate	Carriers of this gene have special glands on their hands and wrists, as well as a unique salivary compound that they can use to rapidly tend wounds. Adds ability: Coagulate Use special glands in the wrists to quickly tend someone's wounds. ? [Detail] Target: Single target in LoS Range: 3.9 tiles Warmup Time: 60 ticks (1 sec) Hemogen Cost: 20 AI Can Use: ?	−1	1	-
Gene implanter	Carriers of this gene can implant a copy of their xenogerm into another person through a somewhat gross-looking injector organ. Their own genetic material will then regrow very slowly. If they implant while their genes are regrowing, they will die. Adds ability: Implant Genes Implant this person's xenogenes into a willing subject using a special injector organ. If this person's genes are currently regrowing, they will implant their xenogerm and die in the process.\n\nWhen implanted, a xenogerm will overwrite the target's xenogenes. Germline genes will be unaffected. Passes on a copy of all xenogenes to a target. Causes genes to regrow for 2 years afterwards. Using this ability while genes are regrowing kills the pawn. If using this ability is lethal, then the caster will lose all of their xenogenes upon death.	0	3	-
Longjump legs	Carriers have special hemogen-powered muscle fibers in their legs which allow them to jump great distances. Adds ability: Longjump Jump to a distant location using super-strong hemogen-powered legs. Jump to the selected location, over non-LoS blocking objects, quickly but not instantly. Immune to all damage during the jump. Target: Location in LoS Range: 19.9 tiles Warmup Time: 30 ticks (0.5 secs) Hemogen Cost: 5 AI Can Use: False	−2	1	-
Piercing Spine	Carriers grow an opening in their upper chest along with a quiver of keratin spines. Using a hemogen-powered chemical reaction, they can fire these spines at high speed at nearby targets with surprising accuracy. Adds ability: Piercing spine Use a hemogenic chemical reaction to launch a bony spine at the target. The spine exits through the skin from an opening between the collarbones. Given the method of launch, it is surprisingly easy to aim. Launches an unerring spine at the target, dealing 30 RangedStab damage, with an AP of 100% and a stopping power of 1. Target: Single target in LoS Range: 3.9 tiles Warmup Time: 30 ticks (0.5 secs) Cooldown Time: 60 ticks (1 sec) Hemogen Cost: 20 AI Can Use: True Market value of genepacks containing this gene: ×150%	−1	1	-
Ageless	Carriers of this gene have archites in the bloodstream which continuously reverse the process of aging. Starting at the age of 13, carriers begin to biologically age slower. By 18, the aging process stops completely. Aging ×1 at age 13. Rate linearly slows as the pawn gets older. Aging ×0 at age 18.	0	3	-
Archite metabolism	Carriers of this gene have special archites in their cells that facilitate and optimize metabolism. This improves overall genetic and metabolic quality. Increases metabolic efficiency. No other effect. Market value of genepacks containing this gene: ×150% (also multiplied by ×700% for 2 Archite capsules)	+6	6	-
Deathless	Carriers of this gene have archites in the blood which will sustain their life processes no matter what. As long as the brain remains intact, a carrier of this gene will never die. If a pawn would've died, but the brain (or head/neck) is not directly destroyed, they enter into a regenerative coma. This coma lasts until otherwise fatal conditions are removed, then 7 days after that. Does not regenerate limbs or organs, except for the torso. Pawns with the Deathrest gene too instead enter deathrest, and lose all Hemogen. After lethality is removed, the usual deathrest mechanics take place. Market value of genepacks containing this gene: ×200% (also multiplied by the usual ×400% for 1 Archite capsule)	0	7	-
Non-senescent	Carriers of this gene do not go through senescence in the normal way. They never get chronic age-related diseases like cancer, bad back, cataracts, or dementia. Total immunity to carcinoma, heart attack, and chronic conditions (Alzheimer's, Asthma, Artery blockage, Cataracts, Dementia, Frail, but not Hearing Loss). Prevents these conditions from any source, not just aging. (e.g. nuclear stomach, toxic buildup) Does not affect pre-existing conditions.	0	3	-
Perfect immunity	Carriers of this gene have archite-enhanced immune systems which intelligently destroy invaders. They are totally immune to most normal illnesses. Immune to Flu, Malaria, Sleeping sickness, Plague, Infection, and Lung rot. These are all the diseases that are fatal and that adult colonists can acquire. Does not affect pre-existing conditions. Only prevents new illnesses.	0	3	-
Scarless	Carriers of this gene have a special type of regenerator cell which can heal old wounds and chronic illnesses like bad back. Heals 1 scar, permanent injury, or chronic condition (Alzheimer's, Asthma, Cataracts, Carcinoma, Dementia, Frail, Hearing Loss and Blindness) every 15-30 days, akin to (and alongside) luciferium.	0	4	-
Hemogenic	Carriers of this gene have a reserve of biological strength powered by a resource called hemogen. The resource can be gained and spent in various ways, all of which are unlocked by other genes. Carriers lose 2 hemogen per day from biological entropy. Creates a Hemogen need, which decreases by −2 per day. Increases by +20 per hemogen pack or Bloodfeed. Receive −20 mood penalty if Hemogen hits 0.	+1	1	-
Hemogen drain	Carriers lose an additional 8 hemogen per day from biological entropy. −8 Hemogen per day.	+6	1	-
Deathrest	Carriers of this gene must periodically regenerate themselves in a special coma called deathrest. Deathrest takes days, but can confer substantial bonuses. Deathrest can be accelerated and its effects enhanced by the use of a variety of special buildings and technologies. Those who put off deathresting will suffer from deathrest exhaustion. Creates a need for deathrest roughly every 30 days. Deathrest is initated at a bed or deathrest casket and prevents action. It lasts for 4 days by default (3.6 days in casket), which can be interrupted for a stat penalty. If need hits 0, maximum Consciousness set to 50% and Psychic Sensitivity −100%. See the deathrest article for more details.	+6	1	-
Superfast wound healing	Carriers of this gene heal from wounds four times as fast as normal. Injury healing factor ×400% Market value of genepacks containing this gene: ×125%	−3	1	WoundHealingRate
Psy-sensitive	Carriers of this gene are more psychically-sensitive than average. Psychic Sensitivity +20% Meditation psyfocus gain +10% / day [Verify] +0.1 Neural Heat Recovery per second base. Effectively 0.163 Heat/s recovery at Level 6 psylink.	−2	1	PsychicAbility
Fast runner	Carriers of this gene move more quickly than normal. Move Speed: +0.2 c/s	−3	1	MoveSpeed
Tox immunity	Carriers of this gene are totally immune to toxic buildup from all sources including polluted terrain, toxic fallout, tox gas, and direct attacks with venom or injected poison. They are also not bothered by acidic smog. The carrier's biochemical pathways are modified to route around interference from nearly all known toxins. Along with enhancements to the kidneys and liver, this keeps carriers comfortable in even the most toxic of environments. Toxic Resistance: +100% Tox gas immunity Removes mood: Toxic fallout: -5 Removes mood: Acidic smog: -5	−4	2	ToxResistance
Mild UV sensitivity	Carriers of this gene have biological compounds in their skin that react painfully to UV radiation. They are unusually sensitive to sunlight. When in sunlight (when on an unroofed tile while light levels from natural sunlight are 11% or more): Move Speed ×90% Mood: Sunlight Sensitivity: −6 Does not cause pain, despite the description.	+3	1	UVSensitivity
Tinderskin	Carriers have dry, thin skin which burns easily from fire, and their immune systems react very poorly to this kind of threat. Damage from fire is multiplied by 4. Flame damage ×400%[Heat/vaporize?]	+2	1	FireDamage
Pyrophobia	Carriers of this gene have an intense fear of fire. When fires are close, there is a chance they will have a mental breakdown at any moment. −10 Afraid of fire moodlet when within 20.9[?] tiles of fire 0.1 day mtb chance of "Fleeing fire" mental break, presumably[?] also when within 20.9 tiles of fire Suppresses Pyromaniac trait	+4	1	-
Aggressive	Carriers of this gene are quick to anger. They are twice as likely to start social fights. When they have mental breaks, they are twice as likely to choose an aggressive kind of break. Effects: Social fight chance factor ×200% Chance mental break is violent ×200% Prison break interval factor ×60%	+2	1	Aggression Aggressive
Strong melee damage	Carriers of this gene do more damage in close-quarters combat. Extra-strong fast-twitch muscle fibers make their strikes accurate and powerful. Melee damage factor ×150% This also affects melee AP when calculated from damage. It does not affect weapons whose AP has been set independently of damage. Examples include: Spears, Monoswords, Persona monoswords, Knee spikes, Hand talons, and Venom talons.	−2	1	MeleeDamage
Low sleep	Carriers of this gene get tired less quickly than others. Sleep fall rate ×40%	−4	2	Sleep
Robust	Carriers of this gene take less injuries than others from the same damage. They have thickened, densified bones, nearly-solid ribcages, and strengthened binding factors in joints and flesh. Incoming damage multiplier ×75%	−2	1	Toughness
Attractive	Carriers of this gene have unusually symmetrical, balanced facial features and extra-clear skin which gives them a pleasing appearance. Beauty (Pawn): +1 Market Value: +350	−1	1	Beauty
Dark vision	Carriers of this gene see well in low light and are unaffected by mood penalties related to darkness. They have a reflective layer behind the retina that amplifies their ability to see in the dark. Work speed is unaffected by darkness. Movement speed is also unaffected by darkness (not mentioned by the in-game description). Removes mood: Darkness: -5	−1	1	-
Strong Melee	The carrier's aptitude in Melee is increased by 4. Aptitude acts like an offset on skill level. Melee: +4. Note: Experience gain and decay applies as if this offset did not exist.	−1	2	-
Strong Social	The carrier's aptitude in Social is increased by 4. Aptitude acts like an offset on skill level. Social: +4. Note: Experience gain and decay applies as if this offset did not exist.	−1	2	-
Great Intellectual	The carrier's aptitude in Intellectual is increased by 8. Aptitude acts like an offset on skill level. Additionally, one level of passion is added to Intellectual. Intellectual: +8. Note: Experience gain and decay applies as if this offset did not exist. Adds one additional passion for Intellectual	+2	1	-

Origins

Sanguophages can be obtained in multiple ways.

• Sanguophage scenario : You start the game with a Sanguophage.
• Recruitment: You capture and recruit a Sanguophage, or one joins as a wanderer.
• Gene implant : You can force Sanguophages to use their gene implant ability on one of your pawns if they are captured or downed. Select the desired pawn to gain these abilities, and then right-click on the sanguophage and choose the "Absorb xenogerm" option. If the sanguophage's genes are currently regrowing, this will kill them.
• Quest : You allow 2 or more Sanguophages hold a meeting at your colony. One of the quest rewards will allow you to choose a pawn to be implanted with Sanguophage genes.
• Quest : You get word that a sanguophage and his thralls are about to crash, and you can signal them to land at your colony (or nearby). You are advised that if you capture the sanguophage you can force them to implant a xenogerm in one of your colonists.

Analysis

Becoming a sanguophage has a variety of pros and cons, that are generally worth the implantation.

Access to Low Sleep means that, even when considering deathrest, a sanguophage will have more hours of work every day. The archite genes provide eternal youth and health, and cure scars akin to luciferium. Fast walker and Robust are useful to just about any colonist. Finally, their hemogen abilities are all useful in their own way.

However, being a blood drinker does come with costs - a need for hemogen and a need for deathrest. While they are not deal-breakers, you should consider them whenever playing with a sanguophage. These are detailed below.

Sanguophage needs

• Hemogen

Sanguophages can store 100 hemogen, which can be increased by deathresting with attached hemopumps. A sanguophage consumes 10 of their stored hemogen per day, equivalent to a bloodfeed every 2 days. Hemogen reaching 0 is not fatal, but will inflict a gradually increasing penalty that eventually reaches ×50% Consciousness, +15% pain and a −20 moodlet. Hemogen is also required, and consumed by, the Longjump, Piercing spine, and Coagulate abilities.

As a rough measure, each regular humans can meet 1.48 sanguophages' needs for blood indefinitely, assuming no hemogenic abilities are used. Extracting hemogen packs and consuming them is exactly as efficient as blood feeding in terms of hemogen per prisoner per day. Packs require storage space and additional pawn work, but do not inflict a painful bite or a −5 moodlet, and extracting them slowly trains the medical skill.

Prisoners are preferred over colonists because the blood loss will reduce the ability to work for a short time. You can give prisoners the Dead calm gene to make sure they don't escape while still remaining able to feed themselves from nutrient paste dispensers or meals left in their prison. Alternatively, the leg treatment will also prevent escapes and reduce their Market Value, but they will need to be manually fed by colonists. You can also give them negative genes like Very unattractive to reduce food upkeep.

• Deathrest

Main article: Deathrest

Sanguophages need to deathrest once every ~30 days. This will last from 4 days (regular bed) to 2.5 days (deathrest casket + 2 deathrest accelerators). During this time, the pawn will have their needs frozen. Lacking deathrest is like lacking hemogen - it isn't fatal, but comes with major Consciousness and mood penalties.

The main cost of deathrest is that your sanguophage might be stuck sleeping whenever a raid arrives. Cassandra Classic and Phoebe Chillax both have defined cooldowns between sets of raids, but Randy Random won't give you that mercy. They can wake up at will, but this results in the Interrupted deathrest hediff, reducing their stats for 5 days.

Note that deathrest comes with some benefit. You can connect with deathrest buildings like the glucosoid pump to improve post-deathrest condition. Psycasters will appreciate using psychofluid pumps to improve their psychic abilities. However, deathrest building capacity is limited. It must be increased one at a time by the expensive and somewhat rare deathrest capacity serum.

• Miscellaneous

Sanguophages have Pyrophobia, which can cause Fleeing Fire mental break if near fire. This makes it more difficult when fighting fire-based enemies like the tesseron and diabolus. In addition, they are damaged more by fire. A firefoam pop pack can be handy.

Sanguophages also have minor UV sensitivity, giving −6 mood and ×90% move speed during the sunlight. Ultimately, this is a minor penalty, but one worth noting. A sanguophage is slightly slower than a base human in the day, but faster at night.

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Choosing a host

Because each xenogerm implantation has a cooldown of 2 years, not all your colonists can become a sanguophage right away. There are 2 types of colonist that deserve special mention:

• Colonists with brain damage, or colonists with chronic conditions like frail. These conditions would otherwise require luciferium, healer mech serum, or the biosculpter pod to treat. In a similar vein, older colonists are vulnerable to disease and said chronic conditions. Being a sanguophage renders full proactive immunity to both issues.

• Colonists who would appreciate access to the various genes. Melee fighters will gain access to many good vampire genes, like Strong melee (skill), Strong melee damage, Robust, and Longjump, as well as all the Archite genes. Any colonist will appreciate the powers of Deathless and Scarless. Also, their pyrophobia will negate the Pyromaniac trait. Pawns with Transhumanist ideologies can also go without mandatory age reversals.

Remember that Sanguophage implantation replaces all xenogenes. Your genies, hussars, and highmates will lose all of their respective genes, while any xenogerms you've implanted will be replaced. In addition, placing any xenogerm will erase all the Sanguophage genes. Don't give them Great Melee thinking it'll just improve your sanguophage abilities.

Version history

• 1.4.3534 - Fix: Error on drafting pawn with hemogenic ability gene with no hemogen gene.

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Biotech (DLC)

Families

Relationships (Reproduction • Children)
Life stages (Babies • Children • Adults)
Furniture (Crib • Baby sleeping spot • Growth vat • Toy box • Baby decoration • School desk • Blackboard)

Mechanoids

Laborers (Agrihand • Cleansweeper • Constructoid • Fabricor • Lifter • Paramedic • Tunneler)
Combatants (Centurion • Legionary • Militor • Scorcher • Tesseron)
Commanders (Apocriton • Diabolus • War queen • War urchin)

Mechanitors

Control (Mechlink • Band node • Mech boosters • Mech signallers • Control pack • Airwire headset)
Mechanoid creation (Basic subcore • Standard subcore • High subcore • Subcore encoder • Subcore softscanner • Subcore ripscanner • Mech gestator)
Maintenance (Mech recharger)

Genetics

Xenohumans (Dirtmoles • Genies • Highmates • Hussars • Impids • Neanderthals • Pigskins • Sanguophages • Wasters • Yttakin)
Genes Germline • Xenogene • Metabolic efficiency
Genetic Modification Genepack • Gene extractor • Gene bank • Gene assembler • Gene processor • Xenogerm • Archite capsules
Deathrest (Deathrest accelerator • Deathrest capacity serum • Deathrest casket • Glucosoid pump • Hemogen amplifier • Hemopump • Psychofluid pump)

Pollution

Nature (Toxalope • Toxipotato plant • Waste rat • Gray pine tree • Pebble cactus • Rat palm tree • Witchwood tree • Stasis cocoon)
Mitigation (Wastepacks • Atomizers • Pollution pumps • Polux trees)
Adaptation Face mask • Gas mask • Tox grenades • Tox pack • Tox shell • Toxic needle gun • Toxbomb launcher • Detoxifier kidney • Detoxifier lung
Nonchalance Toxifier generator