Jungle Caste Challenge

[Chiyanna]

Setup:

Ideally you would start this challenge on a jungle island, but it doesn't have to be. (It's just named that for lack of a better name lol)

Start out with 1-2 females and 4-6 males. Randomize their genes.

Lifespan:

Baby: 2 day

Child: 3 days

Teenager: 12 days

Adult: 53 days

Elder: 8 days at the end of adult lifespan, from day 62 onward (explained below)

Set damage multipliers to 3X hunger, 2X environmental damage, 3X predator damage, 2X healing

Basic rules:

This challenge is based upon the roles of nicheling. Most the time a nicheling cannot do something outside the perview of their role.

The tribe is ruled by a council made up of each of the head nichelings for the roles. For instance, the head breeding female, the head food collector, the head warrior, etc. If the council cannot agree on a course of action, the council will vote. You can roll dice/randomize the outcome, or for a more story-based playthrough you can have your head nichelings vote in ways that make sense with their personality.

Head nichelings are chosen based on experience (how long they've been alive/in that role), skill (in the relevant skill for that role), and dedication/success (how many berries they've picked, bearyena they've killed, etc, whatever makes sense for that role). If a nicheling has all three or even two over their fellows in that role they are the obvious choice and are automatically chosen. Should there be some sort of tie, the council decides. Head nichelings keep their status until they die, retire, or are exiled, regardless of whether a more suitable nicheling of their role is around.

At least 2 council members have to agree for a wanderer to join.

Nichelings may have both primary and secondary roles to make this a bit easier. Their middle gem will display their secondary role, which will allow them to perform the functions of that role as well. They can't be the head nicheling of their secondary role. Only of their primary.

Non-breeding females can only have one child in their life. If it is a rogue's baby, too bad. If this rule is broken, the council will decide whether the child will be killed or banished.

Nichelings can only change their role(s) once in their life. They can also switch around primary and secondary roles once.

All heads are set to alpha, unless they wish to not eat food that turn in order to give food to others for story reasons. Most other nichelings you can change rank in order to distribute food as you see fit.

You may need custom gem colors for this.

Roles:

Breeding Female:

This is considered one of the most important of the roles. Their job is to have children for the continuation of the tribe. They also raise and watch the children. 

The area around the breeding female's nest is considered a nursery. Nurseries are usually at least a 3 by 3 hex area. The nursery is considered the property of the female that founded it (first used/built the nest). She may want it all to herself, or may choose to let other females build nests there or borrow her own. 

If there are any disputes between the breeding females (and any other females with/expecting children) the head breeding female settles it. 

Breeding females may collect from any food sources within the nursery area, but not from any outside. They also may clear grass within their nursery, but not outside.

Breeding females may have as many children as they choose until they become elders. Then they may continue to watch over and take care of children, but can no longer have any themself.

Breeding females may only attack predators that are threatening the children. And any teens within their nursery.

This role has to be set manually.

Gem color: Regular: pink Head: purple

Skill (for purposes of head selection): Fertility

Food collector:

This role's job is to collect food. They are the only role that can collect berries or other fruits. They are (mostly) the only ones who can perform the collection action. They can also dig up roots, crack nuts and clams, collect insects, hunt rabbits and  other passive animals, fish, and attack green carnivorous plants. Pretty much anything food related that doesn't relate to fighting anything dangerous.

Many food collectors may spend most of their life at an outpost (an area of food producing plants or other sources within the territory, connected to nurseries and other territory areas by a path of cleared grass). Most food gatherers do not venture beyond the territory.

For a food gatherer to venture beyond the territory they must be accompanied by two explorers or an explorer and a sentry. Or have explorer as their secondary role. They will likely only do this in search of a food source, probably one already discovered.

Whenever an adult who hasn't yet gotten a role performs the collect action on anything other than meat, the nicheling is automatically set to a food gatherer on either their primary or secondary role.

Gem color: regular: green head: dark green

Explorer:

An explorer's job is to go beyond the confines of the territory to find new resources. Explorers find new resources and either expand the territory and create paths to them, or report their findings and try and get others to come with them to make said resources used by the tribe.

Explorers can clear grass, though they prefer not to if they don't have to. They may clear grass to make paths to things they find, or to uncover said things to make them easy to find later. But keeping the camp tidy is boring, so they don't tend to do that.

Explorers can also hunt creatures they come across on their journey. And may they their hand at some fishing. They might even try and eat something they've never seen before to see if it's safe. But they can't collect berries or other mundane resources. Once an explorer has run into something before, they generally lose interest and won't collect it again.

Explorers are allowed to hunt both passive and non-passive creatures, but won't tangle with a bearyena, balance bear, or ape.

Any adult nicheling who ventures beyond the confines of the territory will be set to explorer in primary or secondary role.

Gem colors: regular: white head: grey

Skill: speed

Warrior:

A warrior's job is to protect the tribe from any and all threats. Warriors will fight any bearyena, ram fox, ape, rogue, unwanted wanderer, and carnivorous plant within the tribe's territory.

Warriors are allowed to use the attack action at any time. Though they are not ever allowed to use the collect action. They also are never allowed to clear grass. They can, however, attack bushes and thorns.

They cannot hunt small passive animals such as rabbils, dodomingos, stagmoles, and fish. But they can hunt bearyena and bigger game animals (such as walrus deer and ram foxes) if the tribe gets desperate. Unless the tribe is low on food, they will stick to guarding the territory from any threats.

Warriors will be the ones to chase of rogues and wanderers, nobody else. They also will make up the bulk of the fighting force in case of war with another tribe (storywise, unless you're on Home Island lol). They will be the ones to perform any executions or lead any banished creatures out of the territory, as ordered by the council.

Any adult nicheling without a role will be assigned to warrior if they attack a bearyena or other threat.

Gem colors: regular: orange head: red

Healer:

This nicheling's job is to heal their tribe mates. Their tasks include picking off leeches, licking bleeding wounds, eating sleeping sickness bug swarms, guiding nichelings to healing fruits, and, storywise, helping with births and trying to cure sick nichelings.

The head healer cannot have a secondary role. The head healer is the one who has been at it the longest, unless another candidate has either bat head or purrface. 

If your tribe doesn't have at least one healer, healing fruits cannot be used.

Healers and food gatherers are the only ones who can pull out leaches. Healers can lick the wounds of any nicheling. If there is no healer nearby, a nicheling closely related to that nicheling (parent, child, or sibling) can also.

You must assign this role manually.

Gem colors: regular: blue head: dark blue

Skill: purr or insect collecting

Sentry:

A sentry's job is to warn the tribe of dangers. Most sentries stay around the edges of the tribe's territory in order to detect threats before they're a problem. Some may also be stationed in nurseries or outposts.

Sentries can't do too much, mainly patrol the territory. They can clear grass around their post in order to pass the time.

Sentries can also help an explorer escort a food gatherer or other nicheling to a resource or new outpost. Sentries also help escort breeding females to a new nursery spot. This is because they can hear and smell potential dangers more than other nichelings.

A sentry may once attack a predator that appears in their face, but then will go warn the tribe after. Sentries report to the warriors of the tribe, specifically the head warrior.

Sentries do not have a head nicheling.

Sentries may often be blind, due to heightened senses.

If there is no sentry in the tribe, you cannot use hearing or smelling view.

You must assign this role manually.

Gem color: yellow

Skill: smelling and hearing

Teenagers:

Teenagers can have roles, but it is better not to set them yet. Teens are experimenting, which means they can do anything and don't have to be confined by any particular role.

They don't have any special abilities of the roles, but can perform any action.

Gem color: aqua (blue-green)

Unassigned nichelings:

They can't do much of anything. They may gain a role by doing a certain action. Or they may be assigned one by the council (you). You can role dice for roles for more challenge, or assign them based on the needs of your tribe.

Unassigned nichelings may breed for their one child allowed. They may move. They may not collect, attack, or clear anything. They have no special roles.

Gem color: aqua (blue-green)

Elders:

When a nicheling is 62 days old, they become an elder. Elders cannot breed.

Most elders retire from their roles and stay in nurseries or other places secure in the territory. But in case they want to keep going there are additional rules:

Elder warriors can only attack threats once a turn (one action point). Elder breeding females watch children. Elder sentries can no longer escort, and don't patrol the territory, but may keep their post if they prefer. Elder food gatherers can gather food within nurseries and outposts if another nicheling is there with them, but can't found new outposts or collect food out of such places. Elder explorers can clear grass and make paths, but not much else. Elder healers can continue assisting their tribemates by picking leeches and licking wounds, but don't count toward the healing plant rule anymore.

Elders lose their secondary role, as elder becomes their primary role and their primary becomes their secondary.

Gem color: brown

Omegas:

Omegas are slaves of the tribe. Perhaps they were captured from another tribe, or rogue children, or wanderers not allowed to join on the same footing as native-born members, or even those who are being punished for a breaking of tribe law.

However they got there, it's not a pleasant role to have. They are ordered around by any tribe member, especially the heads of the roles. They must do whatever the council decides. 

They are given odd tasks, like clearing grass, picking berries from cactuses, getting eaten by carnivorous plants, etc. Their life is unpleasant, and they do whatever the free nichelings don't want to. 

Though they may be sacrificed to bearyena, they often will not be allowed to fight one or lead it away from the tribe because they may take the chance to run away. 

Omegas can do pretty much any action, but they cannot make nests. They can repair them, and often do so. They also cannot venture beyond the territory without a sentry, a warrior, and an explorer escorting them. Omegas cannot eat healing fruits unless nobody else needs it more and the head healer and the nicheling in charge of the omega agrees.

Generally, the council assigns a tribe member to be in charge of the omega. To keep an eye on them and direct them on a day to day basis. That tribe member has to near the omega most the time.

Omegas die early at 60 days because of the grueling life they lead. They never become elders. Even if they are not yet 60 days old, if they have 5 days left on their lifespan they will die.

Omegas cannot have children. Omegas cannot be set to any other rank other than omega, so always eat last.

For an omega to become a regular tribe member, the whole council unanimously must agree, along with the tribe member in charge of them. Though if they disagree with the council, three other tribe members may vouch for the omega in order for them to be freed.

Gem colors: black

That's about it! Feel free to ask any questions or suggest anything be added.

 

 

 

 

 

[LocalBullAlligator]

I love this Challenge idea so much!! Loading up Niche to give it a spin! 🤩

[Chiyanna]

On 1/9/2023 at 6:54 AM, LocalBullAlligator said:

I love this Challenge idea so much!! Loading up Niche to give it a spin! 🤩

Yay! Let me know how it goes. I have a playthrough of this myself in the playthroughs section. Would love to see one joining it, or just an update on how the challenge went

[LocalBullAlligator]

On 1/11/2023 at 5:12 PM, Chiyanna said:

I have a playthrough of this myself in the playthroughs section. Would love to see one joining it, or just an update on how the challenge went

Photos of the Day! (Jungle Gate - I tried Killer Jungle but died instantly, so I just hiked up the Bearyena and Ape spawns to give myself a bigger challenge) (I've given Head Nichelings white centre gems because I forgot to insert the needed Colour Tags in the Action Points file 😅 I might make a Playthrough after I've gotten the hang of the rules, as I find myself forgetting who is who. Of course, with a new Save File