Let's make a mentalist virus!

[Jhereg]

I’m planning on constructing a Psionic Virus for my STAR HERO campaign that is designed to destroy mentalists. It would be transmitted by mental contact (any ECV contact would do). It begins with flu-like symptoms. Eventually it would cause mentalists to gradually lose control of their powers. If allowed to continue, it would lead to insanity, and then death.

 

A non-Psionic could contract the virus, but would not be adversely affected by it. They would; however, become a carrier and can transmit it to another psionic who makes an ECV roll on them.

 

Here’s some of what I’m thinking so far:

- 3d6 RKA; NND (Defense is not being a Mentalist), Does BODY, Gradual Effect (1 week)

- 3d6 EGO Drain (Return rate: 5 pts per Month); Gradual Effect (1 week)

- 1d6 Major Transform (Effect: Adds No Conscious Control to target’s powers); Cumulative, Continuous, Extra Time (1 Day)

- Possibly all bought w/ Mental Damage Shield and Sticky

 

I’d like to see how some of y’all (or “you’s guys†for the latitudinally impaired) would go about it. More importantly, do you have any other deliciously devious affects I might want to tack on?

[Ghost who Walks]

Well, assuming that someone made this virus to kill mentalists:

 

~A scanner, that is able to detect mentalists when they use their powers.

 

~A Missile system, connected to the scanner, that fires at the location of the mentalist.

 

~A horde of terminator-style robots, with scanners of their own, that move in after the missile hits.

[BobGreenwade]

"It begins with flu-like symptoms." Wow, this is truly an evil plot.

 

Seriously, I'd do the following:

 

1) Change the RKA from NND to BOECV.

2) Add a No Direct Effect On Non-Mentalists Limitation. The value would depend on the origin of the virus; -1/4 if it was engineered to target mentalists, -1 if it's natural.

3) Add a Transform and/or Drain to create the flu-like symptoms.

4) Don't forget the Major Transform to create the Psychological Limitation(s) representing the insanity.

 

Also a couple of rules checks:

5) Sticky, per the new rules, only affects the "first wave" of people who touch the original target. Someone not too long ago developed an extended version of it, which I think was called Contagious, for +1; this would just keep going and going like the Energizer Bunny.

6) Transform is already Cumulative, so that Advantage is not necessary for the Power.

[Jhereg]

Originally posted by BobGreenwade

1) Change the RKA from NND to BOECV.

2) Add a No Direct Effect On Non-Mentalists Limitation. The value would depend on the origin of the virus; -1/4 if it was engineered to target mentalists, -1 if it's natural.

3) Add a Transform and/or Drain to create the flu-like symptoms.

4) Don't forget the Major Transform to create the Psychological Limitation(s) representing the insanity.

 

Also a couple of rules checks:

5) Sticky, per the new rules, only affects the "first wave" of people who touch the original target. Someone not too long ago developed an extended version of it, which I think was called Contagious, for +1; this would just keep going and going like the Energizer Bunny.

6) Transform is already Cumulative, so that Advantage is not necessary for the Power.

 

 

1) BOECV Done, but I may keep the NND to ensure Mental Defense (which most mentalists have) would not protect them.

2) Check

3) I think I'll go with a Con Drain, combined with the gradual effect damage, would create the flu-like symptoms.

4) I use the severe EGO drain to do the Insanity for me. We use the old Horror Hero rules for EGO as a Psychological Adjustment marker.

5)That Contagious sounds like what I'm looking for.

6)Check

 

 

Thanks for your help.

[austenandrews]

Sounds to me like what you need is an Uncontrolled EGO Damage Shield, the attack for which includes a UAA version of itself. I shudder to think of the recursive nature of the Advantages, though. I agree, a house-rule Contagious is probably much easier.

 

-AA

[Jhereg]

Originally posted by austenandrews

Sounds to me like what you need is an Uncontrolled EGO Damage Shield, the attack for which includes a UAA version of itself. I shudder to think of the recursive nature of the Advantages, though. I agree, a house-rule Contagious is probably much easier.

 

-AA

 

That's along the lines of what I was originally thinking. However, I may just be overcomplicating things (like I laways do), as this is most likley going to be a plot device rather than anything PC's will actually have to suffer from. But then again, we like HERO System for a reason: because you CAN make things like this.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Ooh! I like it! You've created....

 

PsARS.

 

Psionic Accute Respiration Syndrome

 

 

I like the Ego Drain and the Mental Transform. Not only does it make the mentalist sick, slowly killing them, but they lose control of their powers as well...that sounds...DANGEROUS! Think about a planet or facility with a high Mentalist population, TeKe's loosing control over their powers, crushing peoples heads and Pyro's blowing up buildings at random.

 

Such CHAOS!

 

What I might add to the mix is some Con Drain or possibly some REC Drain so that even the most healthy Psionic can be laid low by this disease.

 

Also, you might want to consider a Standard Effect on the RKA. I'd probably drop the RKA to 2D6, and with a Standard effect (3 body per die for 6 body per week) a person with an average Body and REC could last 1 month before sucumbing to a painful death via fluid-filled lungs and deterioration of mental faculties.

[Jhereg]

PsARS. I like it. You may have named my disease.

 

I’ve added a CON Drain (that’s how I think of weakness).

 

One thing I can’t decide on is whether it will be a continuing malady, having a set time in which it runs its course, in which case some of the lucky ones could survive it. Perhaps a continuing charge?

 

I have a Rules question in that vein. If I assign the RKA a Continuing charge (building it very much like a poison), would that negate its contagion effect (the EGO Damage Shield)?

 

If I set a limited time for it to run its course, I’ll stick with the 3d6 RKA, but if I decide to go continuous, I’ll probably drop it to 2d6.

 

As a matter of taste, I usually avoid Standard Effect. I like the randomness of the rolls. It will help simulate that with disease, just like dice, some are more fortunate than others.

 

Heh. PsARS.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Sounds like something someone would cook up in the lab if he wanted to slay every psi in the world with impunity and make it look like a natural effect (or even "divine judgment").

[Jhereg]

Originally posted by Michael Hopcroft

Sounds like something someone would cook up in the lab if he wanted to slay every psi in the world with impunity and make it look like a natural effect (or even "divine judgment").

 

That's pretty much its role in the campaign.

 

I have a rough framework built, which I will post soon for the rules-meisters to verify.

[Jhereg]

Ok, here's roughly what I have so far.

 

All Powers: Fully Invisible Power Effects, BOECV, Continuous, Uncontrolled, EGO Damage Shield (Offensive), Contagious, Gradual Effect (1 Day), Only vs Mentalists

 

1) 1d6 Major Transform (Adds No Conscious Control to Victim’s Powers), Trigger (Begins 1 Day after infection)

 

2) 1d6 CON Drain, Trigger (Begins 5 days after infection)

 

3) 1d6 EGO Drain, Trigger (Begins 5 Days after infection)

 

4) 1d6 RKA, Trigger (Begins 10 Days after infection), Does BODY