How to Build a Hypersleep Chamber as that on Prometheus/Alien Franchise?

[Jujitsuguy]

All:

 

I'm trying to figure out which is the most effective, yet lowest cost implementation to create a Hypersleep Chamber as that in the Prometheus/Alien Franchise.

 

I'm thinking using a Major Transform to take a person and change them into a Suspended Animation State in a compound power then to use life support to keep them from starving, getting old, etc.

 

However, I'm stuck on AFTER putting them into this state, I don't see a greatly reduced healing--i.e., up to X amount of Years.  Also, when to bring them back w/in like 1 turn or more back to normal status.

 

Here is a link on the fan page that describes the Hypersleep Chamber

This is not an attempt on infringement, only to emulate the behavior.

 

Any takers?

 

Chuck D. aka "Jujitsuguy"

[Ninja-Bear]

If you don’t want to go into the weeds with a “proper” build, I’ll go with the sometimes cheesy Extra Dimension Movement (EDM)  Power as a base. The EDM is really the Cyrosleep. As a GM you define what happens in a new dimension. So really you can define that this “dimension” nothing happens to the person. You can tack on Focus and other limitations to suit.

[unclevlad]

I'd just keep it simple.  Character does not eat, self contained breathing, character does not age.  I don't think you need anything else, functionally.  Then:  no conscious control..the *character* can't turn it OFF.

 

If it's defined as part of a ship?  No Conscious doesn't apply, but you're spending base points.

 

Either way, there's Immobile Focus aspects if you want them, too, but that LS isn't exactly expensive, particularly as part of a vehicle build.

 

There's no need for any Transform that I can see.  That's just SFX explanation stuff.  

[Christopher R Taylor]

Some life support if you absolutely MUST build it, but I wouldn't bother.  Put a stun suppress on it if you feel you need the sleep factor built in.

[Jujitsuguy]

52 minutes ago, Ninja-Bear said:

If you don’t want to go into the weeds with a “proper” build, I’ll go with the sometimes cheesy Extra Dimension Movement (EDM)  Power as a base. The EDM is really the Cyrosleep. As a GM you define what happens in a new dimension. So really you can define that this “dimension” nothing happens to the person. You can tack on Focus and other limitations to suit.

So...make this an EDM transport for their consciousness into a Cryosleep realm.
Associate LS to not have to eat, breathe, age, etc. until the opposite which is transport them back into this realm.

Correct?

[LoneWolf]

I have to agree with using LS on this.  In addition to the focus add Concentration O DCV character totally unaware and must concentration throughout use of constant power.  

 

Transformation is not needed. 

Edited August 31, 2023 by LoneWolf

[Doc Democracy]

6 hours ago, LoneWolf said:

I have to agree with using LS on this.  In addition to the focus add Concentration O DCV character totally unaware and must concentration throughout use of constant power.  

 

Transformation is not needed. 

 

I am in the life support camp.  However, I would not use concentration etc, I would simply have the limitation "Character in catatonic state while power in use".  You can cost that however you want but, as already pointed out, this is not something expensive for a base unless you begin adding in significant numbers of chambers for LOTS of people.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Side Effect of Stun suppress while in use (always takes effect) would simulate the sleeping.

[Chris Goodwin]

13 hours ago, Jujitsuguy said:

So...make this an EDM transport for their consciousness into a Cryosleep realm.
Associate LS to not have to eat, breathe, age, etc. until the opposite which is transport them back into this realm.

Correct?

 

I would make it EDM: time travel to an indeterminate time in the future.  With Must Cross Intervening Space/Time. 

[Ninja-Bear]

13 hours ago, Jujitsuguy said:

So...make this an EDM transport for their consciousness into a Cryosleep realm.
Associate LS to not have to eat, breathe, age, etc. until the opposite which is transport them back into this realm.

Correct?

Not for their conscience only. I mean body and all. The cyrosleep dimension can act however you want. You need to designate a way that the character comes “back”. 

[Christopher R Taylor]

I have never liked the extradimensional movement thing because you necessarily leave the rest of the universe behind.

[Grailknight]

5 hours ago, Doc Democracy said:

 

I am in the life support camp.  However, I would not use concentration etc, I would simply have the limitation "Character in catatonic state while power in use".  You can cost that however you want but, as already pointed out, this is not something expensive for a base unless you begin adding in significant numbers of chambers for LOTS of people.

 

Why make a new Limitation when Concentrate at this level does exactly what you want? The costing seems to be appropriate so just use it and move on.

 

Life Support  (Longevity: Immortal; Self-Contained Breathing), Usable Nearby (+1/2), Grantor can take back power at any time, Grantor pays the END whenever the power is used, Grantor can only grant the power to others (22 Active Points); Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (0 DCV; Character is totally unaware of nearby events; -1 1/2), OAF (-1) Cost: 6 Real Points

[unclevlad]

I dislike the EDM as well, as it's just making things complicated IMO.  There's no travel.  A serious risk with coldsleep is that the cryochamber is vulnerable...it's just sitting there.

 

The simple LS describes exactly what the chamber does.  

 

I also agree with CRT:  this is nothing but a plot device/facilitator.  It doesn't need to be built in detail.

[Ninja-Bear]

1 hour ago, Christopher R Taylor said:

I have never liked the extradimensional movement thing because you necessarily leave the rest of the universe behind.

That’s why I’m this case I think for an easy build it suits. FWIW it should be -0 limitation, GM plot device.

[Doc Democracy]

1 hour ago, Grailknight said:

 

Why make a new Limitation when Concentrate at this level does exactly what you want? The costing seems to be appropriate so just use it and move on.

 

Life Support  (Longevity: Immortal; Self-Contained Breathing), Usable Nearby (+1/2), Grantor can take back power at any time, Grantor pays the END whenever the power is used, Grantor can only grant the power to others (22 Active Points); Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (0 DCV; Character is totally unaware of nearby events; -1 1/2), OAF (-1) Cost: 6 Real Points

 

Well, you are using 15 words to do what 8 words in natural language covers. 

 

If I was going to be pedantic then I would question whether someone in cryo-sleep was concentrating and ask whether the character was aware of events further away.  But I won't do that, I understand they are game mechanical effects regardless of the word used.

 

As a GM, I think I could police the custom limitation more easily.  I do think that, even allowing for a liberal interpretation of what is meant by concentration, it leaves things a bit open.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah I don't really like the concentration idea because it has a totally different connotation than unconsciousness.  You're blacked out to your surroundings, but not asleep, you are thinking and aware.

[unclevlad]

Plus, it totally smacks of a limitation designed to squeeze point costs down to me, since it *is* misdirected when you say it's UOO.  Grantor would be the person forced to concentrate...not recipient.  

 

CRT:  if you were actually aware for the whole time, it'd be like being in a sensory deprivation chamber.  Long term, that isn't a great idea.

[Jujitsuguy]

7 hours ago, Grailknight said:

 

Why make a new Limitation when Concentrate at this level does exactly what you want? The costing seems to be appropriate so just use it and move on.

 

Life Support  (Longevity: Immortal; Self-Contained Breathing), Usable Nearby (+1/2), Grantor can take back power at any time, Grantor pays the END whenever the power is used, Grantor can only grant the power to others (22 Active Points); Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (0 DCV; Character is totally unaware of nearby events; -1 1/2), OAF (-1) Cost: 6 Real Points

I initially looked at this...this ONLY applies AFTER the target is put in stasis...the question is HOW to put them in stasis PRIOR to the LS.

 

EDM seems a long stretch although it is an option...

[LoneWolf]

Putting them in stasis is the special effect of the LS.  You don’t need to purchases anything to do this.  Just like when you build a bow and arrow you don’t need anything more than the RKA.  The concentration limitation represents the fact they are unconscious the entire time.   It really does not matter if you use concentration or a custom limitation.  The custom limitation should be worth the same amount as it is essentially the same thing.  

 

You don’t need the UOO advantage.  The focus would be considered a universal focus so anyone could use it.  

Edited September 1, 2023 by LoneWolf

[unclevlad]

Good point on the focus.

 

Yeah, push comes to shove...who cares how they go into stasis?  Seriously.  It's voluntary.  It never happens in combat time.  It's completely handed by people completely off-screen.  It doesn't matter.  Wanna worry about cryosleep accidents?  It's still probably nothing anyone could identify, WRT to subject...things just happen.  Define a rule for the roll...preferably VERY rare...like roll 5 dice and if they're all 6's?  Oops.  

 

Why does any of this need formal definition?  It's like asking how Star Trek transporters work...and one of the major gaffes in TOS was the stupid buffering thing, saying the body image is maintained.  THAT has implications for immortality they never realized, as well as cloning.  Any explanation is gonna be nothing but technobabble anyway.  Here, the What...what is the effect, what does it do? is important, but the How is irrelevant.  Also note the Why...why do you have these?  Because your space travel is SLOW.  So its use?  Just to avoid the BOREDOM of spending years doing nothing...as well as the aging issues and the food consumption issues.

 

Plot device, pure and simple.  Feel free to correct me if I'm misreading the setup, but cold sleep like this simply won't be used when travel demands can be met without it.  Other forms?  Carbonite...that's an attack.  I'm fine defining that as a massive Transform.  Bujold, in the Vorkosigan saga, has a short-term, battlefield cryonic statis prep device;  it's a huge plot element at one point.  But all I need there is, it's HIGHLY!!!! expensive and specialized, needing professional reconditioning and special training to be used...botch the prep, and the subject won't survive the thawing process.  Ice crystals...water *expands* at the freezing point.  Cells get ripped apart.  

 

 

[Duke Bushido]

Okay...

 

If I was going to build this-  and that is an "if" written in a font size generally reserved dor the sighting od actual gods, because dor my game, there is absolutely no way I would build this: it just _is_, and this is what it does, now in or out; I have things to do.....

 

But _if_ I was foinf to build this--  and again, I don't build plot devices because they are plot devices, and since the GM has infinite plot points, it seems silly to waste prexious rime tracking each and every one of them-

 

If I recall, they stepped into a chamber of some sort, did they not?

 

OAF, Immobile, and whatever is the current version of "real weapon" ir "independent" or "universal focus" or whatever it is that means pretty much anyone can use it--

 

Then build it as Life Support with appropriate limitations: must remain unconscious and inside machine are pretty- ha!  Autocorrect made that "Maxine' for some reason, but as hillarious as that is, that is not really the direction I want to take my game....

 

Anyway, those are some big limitations, in my opinion, to tack onto Life Support, making it reasonably inexoensive to build but again: why bother?  It was absolutely just an enabling device for the next dew bits od the story, and not something that brought actual recurring advantage to the party; it just moved them from one part of the story to the next, and in that regard, building it is akin to statting out a bus pass.

 

 

Now id you want to build a starship that has a bank of these in lieu of hospital beds, that is marginally something else.

 

 

[Jujitsuguy]

2 hours ago, unclevlad said:

Good point on the focus.

 

Yeah, push comes to shove...who cares how they go into stasis?  Seriously.  It's voluntary.  It never happens in combat time.  It's completely handed by people completely off-screen.  It doesn't matter.  Wanna worry about cryosleep accidents?  It's still probably nothing anyone could identify, WRT to subject...things just happen.  Define a rule for the roll...preferably VERY rare...like roll 5 dice and if they're all 6's?  Oops.  

 

Why does any of this need formal definition?  It's like asking how Star Trek transporters work...and one of the major gaffes in TOS was the stupid buffering thing, saying the body image is maintained.  THAT has implications for immortality they never realized, as well as cloning.  Any explanation is gonna be nothing but technobabble anyway.  Here, the What...what is the effect, what does it do? is important, but the How is irrelevant.  Also note the Why...why do you have these?  Because your space travel is SLOW.  So its use?  Just to avoid the BOREDOM of spending years doing nothing...as well as the aging issues and the food consumption issues.

 

Plot device, pure and simple.  Feel free to correct me if I'm misreading the setup, but cold sleep like this simply won't be used when travel demands can be met without it.  Other forms?  Carbonite...that's an attack.  I'm fine defining that as a massive Transform.  Bujold, in the Vorkosigan saga, has a short-term, battlefield cryonic statis prep device;  it's a huge plot element at one point.  But all I need there is, it's HIGHLY!!!! expensive and specialized, needing professional reconditioning and special training to be used...botch the prep, and the subject won't survive the thawing process.  Ice crystals...water *expands* at the freezing point.  Cells get ripped apart.  

 

 

You do have a point on the "how" to stasis....I can just indicate it is voluntary and they program the unit.  I will also put in emergency triggers for the ship to do a wake-up in emergency scenarios, like a trigger.  LS will keep the body from starving, getting old, etc.  Also, there is another trigger...if the unit gets near it's battery limit, it automagically brings the person out of stasis after in my case 10 years, as my genre is earlier than the Prometheus franchise by roughly 15 years, circa 2075.
The Hypersleep chambers are voluntary and are used if the trip is over 3months...also, in my genre, as the technology is relatively new, after each month, the passenger(s) MUST be awake for a week before going into Hypersleep again.  I put this in my game for a reason...

All:

This is NOT a weapon or prison...it is a voluntary chamber for long-term interstellar travel to save on resources--air, food, water--as well as the crew's sanity...long-term trips tend to drive people batty if they are limited in a ship.

Hope this makes sense...

[dmjalund]

some people might use one to hold a problem person.

[Duke Bushido]

4 hours ago, dmjalund said:

some people might use one to hold a problem person.

 

 

Man, I _wish_!

 

I could use the downtime....

 

 

[Doc Democracy]

2 hours ago, Duke Bushido said:

I could use the downtime....

 

I think you need to be thinking about a different machine for that.  Possibly just a good bed away from all commitments...