kheldians The (Almost) Complete guide to Kheldians

[Laucianna]

16 hours ago, HachiMan2015 said:

So trying the changeling schtick with the general build is 450 dps? 

Yep on average 💛 Granted this is with being super tanky still

[HachiMan2015]

I'm from Canada so the moose was a big honour to bestow 😀

[Laucianna]

Updated - 11/03/2025 - Updated Human only Peacebringer build, and added a general build for Warshade that can be used as Tri Form and normal changeling

[Knightbrace]

I just started building a Peacebringer. I’m aiming for human form with the other two single slotted for solving problems. Will see how it works out. 
 

Quantum Chicken lives

[bdick99]

was trying to look through feed and maybe I missed but was looking at incarnates and wonder what incarnates are best for PB?

[SeraphimKensai]

3 hours ago, bdick99 said:

was trying to look through feed and maybe I missed but was looking at incarnates and wonder what incarnates are best for PB?

Alpha: Intuition Radial or Musculature
Interface: Degen or Reactive
Judgement: Dealer's Choice
Destiny: Barrier, Clarion, or Ageless Radial (for slow res and more recharge)
Lore: Dealer's Choice, but something with -res can be nice.
Hybrid: Assault Radial

All my opinion, so some others may vary on it.

[Laucianna]

21 hours ago, bdick99 said:

was trying to look through feed and maybe I missed but was looking at incarnates and wonder what incarnates are best for PB?

I personally run:

Cardiac Core
Reactive Radial
Ageless Radial
Assault Hybrid

(Lore and Judgement are up to personal preference)

[Zombra]

Hi!  I have a couple lore type questions about merging/unmerging I'd like some feedback on.

 

1) Both this thread and @Greycat's excellent Lore and Backstory thread mention that both PBs and WSs can voluntarily separate.  Is separation a thunderous, high-effort, stressful process that takes hours (or longer)?  Is it as simple as stepping out of a room and stepping back in?  Somewhere in between?  Do we know of canon on what this looks like?  If not, what's your personal take?

 

I'm kind of thinking I like the idea of my character valuing their human perspective, and wanting to spend time apart, perhaps even on a daily or weekly basis.  Would this be consistent with what we know?

 

2) Regarding "duplicates", it's interesting to read that Nova and Dwarf forms are no longer merged with a given Kheldian PC - they were merged at some point in the past but I guess the hosts either died or were separated before the pure energy form came to Earth.  And now the Kheldian can turn into a "duplicate" of the former host's body, perhaps using the biomass of the human host.  Do I have this right?  I guess it makes sense that you can only have one physical host at a time and can't just turn into pure energy while merged.  Although wait, Light Form contradicts this.

 

What about the personality?  Does a Kheldian still retain memories and personality when separated?  I guess it would be kind of weird if they did - imagine separating willingly and then talking to an alien who was still 1/2 your personality.  So I feel like they "remember" the bodies but not the minds, which all seems strange - how would a Kheldian even know how to shoot a Gleaming Bolt out of its tentacle if it didn't retain at least some of the mind?  Either way it's weird.  Also it seems like if the human voluntarily separates (or dies), the Kheldian should now be able to "remember" the human body too - though I guess they wouldn't have the biomass to actually manifest it.

 

I don't really have a question so I guess I'll just ask, does my take on all this stuff make sense to you?  Is there lore that says different?  Do you have your own take you'd like to share?

 

Thanks in advance for any perspectives.  Particularly hoping to hear from @Laucianna and @Greycat but all feedback welcome 🙂

 

 

Edited April 14 by Zombra

[Laucianna]

1 hour ago, Zombra said:

Hi!  I have a couple lore type questions about merging/unmerging I'd like some feedback on.

 

1) Both this thread and @Greycat's excellent Lore and Backstory thread mention that both PBs and WSs can voluntarily separate.  Is separation a thunderous, high-effort, stressful process that takes hours (or longer)?  Is it as simple as stepping out of a room and stepping back in?  Somewhere in between?  Do we know of canon on what this looks like?  If not, what's your personal take?

 

I'm kind of thinking I like the idea of my character valuing their human perspective, and wanting to spend time apart, perhaps even on a daily or weekly basis.  Would this be consistent with what we know?

 

2) Regarding "duplicates", it's interesting to read that Nova and Dwarf forms are no longer merged with a given Kheldian PC - they were merged at some point in the past but I guess the hosts either died or were separated before the pure energy form came to Earth.  And now the Kheldian can turn into a "duplicate" of the former host's body, perhaps using the biomass of the human host.  Do I have this right?  I guess it makes sense that you can only have one physical host at a time and can't just turn into pure energy while merged.  Although wait, Light Form contradicts this.

 

What about the personality?  Does a Kheldian still retain memories and personality when separated?  I guess it would be kind of weird if they did - imagine separating willingly and then talking to an alien who was still 1/2 your personality.  So I feel like they "remember" the bodies but not the minds, which all seems strange - how would a Kheldian even know how to shoot a Gleaming Bolt out of its tentacle if it didn't retain at least some of the mind?  Either way it's weird.  Also it seems like if the human voluntarily separates (or dies), the Kheldian should now be able to "remember" the human body too - though I guess they wouldn't have the biomass to actually manifest it.

 

I don't really have a question so I guess I'll just ask, does my take on all this stuff make sense to you?  Is there lore that says different?  Do you have your own take you'd like to share?

 

Thanks in advance for any perspectives.  Particularly hoping to hear from @Laucianna and @Greycat but all feedback welcome 🙂

 

 

I can't remember any instances of a willing separation between host and Kheldian though it has been a while since I delved into the lore, however the process of forced separation is well documented both in the case of Lars Mendelson and even with the player character when attacked with Quantum weaponry as that is meant to tear the Kheldian from the host body (Which if we go by game mechanics is so painful it can cause death)

Though how I would imagine the situation being if you want to do that with your character is liking being married for 50 years, where your own life and personality is so intertwined with another's, so much so that when they are not there you constantly forget certain things (Like having to take out the trash, pay bills etc) and that deep sense of longing for them to be back. Then depending on how much your Host or Kheldian knows that they will be reunited will change how they act as it would be like knowing your other half will be back on the weekend or not knowing if they will ever be back 💛


As for point 2 I don't believe it uses the biomass of the human host but instead makes the energy stored within them take physical form hence why they are normally coloured the same as the rest of your energy attacks, similar to hard light things in other sci fi settings where it's just light energy but made able to interact with the world around it. Light Form (Wisp form) itself is the natural state of a Kheldian, a being of pure energy that isn't even able to be physically manipulated hence why when activated you are able to walk through any players or NPCs similar to being phase shifted, difference is we can still attack in light form so it's not a case of we phase to another plane of existence.

For the memory and personality both still retain memories both when first joining together and when separated (Again see marriage analogy where after the split you will still have your personality but a big chunk of it feel like it's missing). With remembering past human hosts I do not believe it is ever seen in game but there is nothing saying you can not take the form of a previous host and can lead to some good roleplay with the different costumes you could have and aether costumes (Such as having Rikti or Devouring earth as previous host bodies)

However saying all that, at the end of the day this is YOUR character and the lore can be whatever you want it to be for that character, if you want to roleplay as Venom with the Kheldian talking to you then do that! If you want to roleplay as a Nictus going around collecting host bodies to later transform into then do that 😄 The actual lore of the game constantly contradicts itself and changes itself so there is no harm in you doing it for your character if it means you enjoy playing them more! 💛

[Greycat]

On 4/14/2025 at 2:18 AM, Zombra said:

Hi!  I have a couple lore type questions about merging/unmerging I'd like some feedback on.

 

1) Both this thread and @Greycat's excellent Lore and Backstory thread mention that both PBs and WSs can voluntarily separate.  Is separation a thunderous, high-effort, stressful process that takes hours (or longer)?  Is it as simple as stepping out of a room and stepping back in?  Somewhere in between?  Do we know of canon on what this looks like?  If not, what's your personal take?

 

I'm kind of thinking I like the idea of my character valuing their human perspective, and wanting to spend time apart, perhaps even on a daily or weekly basis.  Would this be consistent with what we know?

 

2) Regarding "duplicates", it's interesting to read that Nova and Dwarf forms are no longer merged with a given Kheldian PC - they were merged at some point in the past but I guess the hosts either died or were separated before the pure energy form came to Earth.  And now the Kheldian can turn into a "duplicate" of the former host's body, perhaps using the biomass of the human host.  Do I have this right?  I guess it makes sense that you can only have one physical host at a time and can't just turn into pure energy while merged.  Although wait, Light Form contradicts this.

 

What about the personality?  Does a Kheldian still retain memories and personality when separated?  I guess it would be kind of weird if they did - imagine separating willingly and then talking to an alien who was still 1/2 your personality.  So I feel like they "remember" the bodies but not the minds, which all seems strange - how would a Kheldian even know how to shoot a Gleaming Bolt out of its tentacle if it didn't retain at least some of the mind?  Either way it's weird.  Also it seems like if the human voluntarily separates (or dies), the Kheldian should now be able to "remember" the human body too - though I guess they wouldn't have the biomass to actually manifest it.

 

I don't really have a question so I guess I'll just ask, does my take on all this stuff make sense to you?  Is there lore that says different?  Do you have your own take you'd like to share?

 

Thanks in advance for any perspectives.  Particularly hoping to hear from @Laucianna and @Greycat but all feedback welcome 🙂

 

 

 

Sorry, hadn't looked in for a bit.

 

As far as willing seperation? Shadowstar's been passed down since Ancient Egypt. She talks about passing the mantle (and Kheldian half, after all) on to her daughter. Also, to combat the Nictus plan to forcibly take over the bodies of various people (politicians, the "elite," etc.) the Peacebringers merged with them, specifically to fight the Nictus - and the Nictus could not merge at that point, being surprised to find the PBs there. There's nothing there saying they were permanently merged. After all, even if it were to protect the would-be victims, that wouldn't make them *much* better than the Nictus themselves.

 

And while it might stretch the definition of "willing," if we're looking past "and the host died," it's also mentioned the host *can* push out the Kheldian (well, the Nictus) with enough willpower. They wouldn't retain part of the Nictus. From the other side? The Council were using weakened captives as.. for lack of a better way of putting it, bed-and-breakfasts for the Nictus who came through the Cysts (mentioned in at least one story arc.) So the Nictus would also split willingly - or there'd be a *lot* more missing people serving like this.

 

Shapeshifting - is a little weird, granted, as mass *does* change - but consider it basically comic-book-back-of-envelope understanding of energy/mass equivalence. The "Given by a live dev answer" to how Khelds travel interstellar distances, even with being energy (limited to the speed of light after all) and only a 10 year lifespan, involves mass change - they accelerate to near light speed in light form, then shift to Dwarf and have the sudden serious increase in mass basically punch them through a wormhole that gets created to get to where they need to be.

 

Forms: No, they don't need to stay merged, they do remember the pattern. Yes, I expect this means Shadowstar could, theoretically, shift into hundreds of different prior hosts. (And maybe she does. Hard to "keep an eye out for a woman with dark hair" if you slip behind a building and come out as a tall man with blonde hair, after all.) Is there an upper limit to this? Unknown. (Personally, I'd say "probably likely," but where it is and if the complexity of the hosts comes into play... like it would take less "storage" to merge with and copy the shape of a sea sponge than an elephant. But that's 100% my supposition.)

 

(And as far as "remembering how to shoot a blast from a tentacle," I'd call that less personalty and memory than... instinct that goes with the form? Otherwise they'd have to learn new ways to breathe in a radically different host, for instance.)

 

Personality: There's some leeway here one way or the other. Yes, the Kheldians we meet do tend to merge their personalities - Sunstorm's human half tempered his Kheldian half, for instance. BUT. We don't know if this is a result of how long they've been merged, "conversations" between the two, etc. Going back to the people temporarily merged with to keep the Nictus from forcing themselves on it - having a bunch of powerful people undergo a sudden, possibly dramatic personality shift would be more than a little worrying. Again, personal view here, is that for them there wasn't as much of a personality shift as a "Guess what happened to me last Saturday" story.

 

We *do* see that if a Kheldian and host are forcibly separated, it ... how can I put it - shatters the shared personality and leaves the host (and Kheldian, it seems) confused - the person we rescue in the Kheld arcs even says (paraphrased) "I'm not them, I'm not me, I don't know who I am."

 

Once separated? You ask about an alien "taking" half the host's personality - they wouldn't be taking anything. They don't *remove* part of someone's personality - they're not running off having removed part of the host's brain. They *would* quite likely be changed by it. It's ... essentially the same way that if you live with someone for a while, you *will* change, like it or not - maybe something will make you more short tempered, maybe you'll have new interests, maybe you'll walk away knowing how to make a mean pasta primavera, but you will be changed. Same here with the host and Kheld (though the kheld, again, would have the hots's "pattern" if needed to shift into.)

 

Does it make sense... It's internally reasonably consistent, and past that it's all comic book logic. *shrug* I like it though.

[Zombra]

@Laucianna @Greycat

 

Thank you both for taking the time to share your perspectives.  This all appears consistent, sensible, and most importantly, COOL!  My Kheldian characters have gained a lot of dimension because of your help and expertise.

 

 

Edited April 25 by Zombra

[Laucianna]

Updated - 06/07/2025 - Added a section for Incarnates

[DarknessEternal]

Right thread this time:

Is there a method to the madness of the infinity changeling power rotation?  Or am I just supposed to be mashing buttons?

[Laucianna]

On 7/31/2025 at 2:50 AM, DarknessEternal said:

Right thread this time:

Is there a method to the madness of the infinity changeling power rotation?  Or am I just supposed to be mashing buttons?

Same as what @Black_Assassin posted on the other one 💛 Pretty much mash attacks focusing on your highest DPA ones (Like Smite/Blast)

[Xavek1]

First, I want to thank you for the Infinite Shifting build, I have been having an absolute blast playing it, but every time I join a pug for something, there is always at least 1 person or a few people that will start laying into me for "exploiting" or "hacking" because of the playstyle.  I know that the Devs know about this, but I am not sure what their stance is on it. Is Shifting an exploit? Is there a post somewhere where a Dev has either confirmed or denied this? As much fun as I am having playing it, I'm not sure I want to be known as an exploiter, and to have some proof to back it up would be nice to throw at the naysayers. I'm going to play it anyway, but I would like some ammunition.

[Black_Assassin]

24 minutes ago, Xavek1 said:

First, I want to thank you for the Infinite Shifting build, I have been having an absolute blast playing it, but every time I join a pug for something, there is always at least 1 person or a few people that will start laying into me for "exploiting" or "hacking" because of the playstyle.  I know that the Devs know about this, but I am not sure what their stance is on it. Is Shifting an exploit? Is there a post somewhere where a Dev has either confirmed or denied this? As much fun as I am having playing it, I'm not sure I want to be known as an exploiter, and to have some proof to back it up would be nice to throw at the naysayers. I'm going to play it anyway, but I would like some ammunition.

 

 

Its currently in the game, they haven't removed it. Who cares what others say about how you play? You aren't cheating or adding anything extra, no scripts or bots etc. Just play, mash buttons and blast away.

[Maelwys]

 

[Xavek1]

Thank you both. I suppose I will just have to start /ignoring accounts then. The less I interact with those players, the better my experience is going to be for me on homecoming. 

Edited Friday at 09:39 PM by Xavek1
I will say this, the negativity from the naysayers is kind of layered. Was watching a streamer last night who said he would just strait up ignorelist any shifter he sees. That prompted the post. So I guess I will just /ignore /ban them first xD

[Zombra]

The ignore function is a beautiful thing.

[Thraxen]

YES!!!!   The revolution has started!!!  Do not play with changelings!!!