Inflict Disease?

[Elysea]

Another how-to question for the panel of experts at large...

How to build the power to inflict disease on someone? I'm more interested in inflicting CV penalties (coughing, watering eyes) than inflicted short or long term damage - maybe just 1d6 of NND, if that. The NND Advantage (Defense being Disease Immunity) is obviously involved here, but I'm not sure how to build a CV penalty attack. A targeted Change Environment? Some kind of Drain or Suppress?

Thanks in advance for suggestions.

[Tech]

A Drain or Suppress vs Dexterity and Stun (I favor the Drain), with a delay of days or weeks will work. Unless mistaken, I think the 5th ed mentions something about using negative Combat Levels and using them against others but I'd go with the Drain.

ex. 4d6 Dex Drain, 1d6 Stun Drain, delay 1 week. Add 'Range' if concept fits.

Depending on the disease, you might want to add:
3d6 Int Drain, delay 1 week, only to lower skill rolls, to represent the increased difficulty in thinking.

[Chris Goodwin]

Flash is an attack whose primary effect is CV penalties and could easily represent someone coughing with watering eyes, etc.

[Tech]

Originally posted by archer
Flash is an attack whose primary effect is CV penalties and could easily represent someone coughing with watering eyes, etc.

This is an interesting way of doing it, although it wouldn't last too long. I don't know how long the effect is being looked at but for a long-term effect, I think my suggestion works. For a short-term effect, your way looks good.

[Arthur]

Originally posted by Tech
4d6 Dex Drain, 1d6 Stun Drain, delay 1 week. Add 'Range' if concept fits.[/i]

Depending on the disease, you might want to add:
3d6 Int Drain, delay 1 week, only to lower skill rolls, to represent the increased difficulty in thinking.

Is this based on Infectious Lass from the Legion of Substitute Heroes? (Polar Boy and Color Kid, anyone?).

'only to lower skill rolls'??? If 'difficulty thinking' isn't an all-purpose INT Drain, I dunno what is. Drop that Lim.

[Tech]

Originally posted by Arthur
Is this based on Infectious Lass from the Legion of Substitute Heroes? (Polar Boy and Color Kid, anyone?).

'only to lower skill rolls'??? If 'difficulty thinking' isn't an all-purpose INT Drain, I dunno what is. Drop that Lim.

I rather like it. Even if your head hurts to the point where you really can't concentrate on anything (I've easily been that sick before), that doesn't mean your illness turns you into a vegetable. Still, to each their own.

[Old Man]

I'd go with some sort of Drain - CON, DEX, and or STUN

or

Negative Skill Lvls. -2 OCV / - 2 DCV, Coughing, and Watery Eyes.

or

Change Environment: Sickness Field.

[DoctorItron]

My vote for CV penalties goes to the DEX Drain. You can easily customize the recovery rate to match the disease. Power Defense certainly seems like an appropriate defense to resist disease, reinforcing my belief that Drain simulates the intended effect.

Flash heals too quickly. Plus, Flash Defense seems like a goofy protection from disease: "Fortunately, my cool sunglasses protected me from Dr. Disease's deadly plague" :)

Change Environment, or CV penalties usable against others, could do it, but I believe each of these alternatives is more complex than a good old-fashioned drain.

[Arthur]

Should be a Drain NND with the defense being Life Support: Immunity to appropriate disease. Expensive, but it finally makes those points spent on Immunities useful.

Anybody besides me think that general immunity to disease and poison is WAY too expensive now? I figured 5 points each, max.

[Snarf]

I think the drain vs. a couple characteristics sounds good.

I Sneeze On You: Drain DEX, CON, INT, and STR 1d6, NND (defense is immunity to disease, +1), Varying Effect (+1), Delayed Return Rate (1 week, +1 3/4), (AP 47); (RC 47).

Fever, runny nose, watery eyes, and tiredness, and so on. It's awfully expensive for such a minor nuisance effect. Maybe there could be a limitation if the symptoms were controllable with medication.

If it's highly contagious, you could make the power sticky.

I Sneeze On You: Drain DEX, CON, INT, and STR 1d6, NND (defense is immunity to disease, +1), Varying Effect (+1), Delayed Return Rate (1 week, +1 3/4), Sticky (+1/2), (AP 52); (RC 52).

[GamePhil]

Originally posted by Arthur
Should be a Drain NND with the defense being Life Support: Immunity to appropriate disease. Expensive, but it finally makes those points spent on Immunities useful.


Actually, I tend to go the opposite way: Drain (or for that matter other attacks with special defenses), Not Vs. Target With Appropriate Life Support. Inexpensive, while still making the points in Immunities useful.

In point of fact, when compared with 4th Ed, it is significantly cheaper to be immune to all Poisons and Diseases. This is because back then you couldn't take immunity to Poisons, you had to take them one at a time (you could take Diseases, though).

[GamePhil]

If you really just want straight penalties to CV and skills, you should probably use Negative Levels, which can be found under Skill Levels and Combat Skill Levels. They'd need to be made Uncontrolled and 0 END. Straight penalty as you ask, no re-figuring things from draining stats.

In general, Drain is at least as valid a solution, depending on what you want. But it can be more or less complex, which also depends.

[Tech]

Originally posted by GamePhil
If you really just want straight penalties to CV and skills, you should probably use Negative Levels, which can be found under Skill Levels and Combat Skill Levels. They'd need to be made Uncontrolled and 0 END. Straight penalty as you ask, no re-figuring things from draining stats.

In general, Drain is at least as valid a solution, depending on what you want. But it can be more or less complex, which also depends.

When using Negative Levels, do they automatically cost END? I haven't read that part of the book, partly 'cause it's hard to find. Sorry people but this is one person who thinks the layout of the 5th ed is harder to find stuff.

[GamePhil]

Negative Skill Levels: page 49, a few paragraphs below the Skill Level Table.

"This 'Power' is No Range, Constant, and costs END."

There's a similar description under Combat Skill Levels.

[Kristopher]

Originally posted by GamePhil
In point of fact, when compared with 4th Ed, it is significantly cheaper to be immune to all Poisons and Diseases. This is because back then you couldn't take immunity to Poisons, you had to take them one at a time (you could take Diseases, though).

Immunity to all diseases cost a lot less, though, and I know that a lot of GMs house-ruled an Immunity to all poisons for the same cost.

[Kristopher]

Originally posted by Elysea
Another how-to question for the panel of experts at large...

How to build the power to inflict disease on someone? I'm more interested in inflicting CV penalties (coughing, watering eyes) than inflicted short or long term damage - maybe just 1d6 of NND, if that. The NND Advantage (Defense being Disease Immunity) is obviously involved here, but I'm not sure how to build a CV penalty attack. A targeted Change Environment? Some kind of Drain or Suppress?

Thanks in advance for suggestions.

Check this thread...

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5650