What Downtrodden Does
Downtrodden is a flat Defense -10% — the milder version of
Brittle
(-20%) and the mirror of
Hard Skin
(+10%). It has no niche: the penalty only shows when the Pal takes
hits, so a sheltered base worker barely notices it, but that's an argument for replacing it with something useful,
not for keeping it.
How to Get Rid of It
Overwrite it at the
Pal Surgery Table
with any
unlocked passive — even the 10,000-gold default
Hard Skin
turns the slot from
-10% into +10% defense, a 20-point swing. Downtrodden isn't on the surgery menu, so once it's overwritten it's gone
for good; see the implants guide for every replacement option.
When breeding, cull carriers or fix the finished Pal with one cheap surgery at the end.