Spells that work against pain

[Michael Hopcroft]

There is no real mechanic for pain in the HERO System. It is a concept that no RPG system can adequately measure because each person feels pain differently. Still, in the real woprld, and in fantasy worlds, pain is a fact of life and people are hindered by it.

 

In worlds where magic is used for medical purpsoes, one of those purposes would logically be the control of pain. There are several circumstances in which magical anesthesia would be very useful, from surgery to childbirth. It's the sort of spell a cleric or healer would logically want to learn. But how do you measure something so subjective in an effects-based system? is it even possible to create magics that deal essentially with the control of pain?

 

Inflicting pain is easy to model -- it's a form of attack, NND, STUN only, designed to make the target incapable of functioning (he blacks out or is otherwise incapaticated from an overload of pain). But SUPRESSING pain -- what agme effect do you ahve for that?

[Outsider]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

If pain is represented by the STN stat, it would seem that supressing pain would be represented by either reducing STN loss, or increasing STN taking capacity.

 

You could model pain supression as :

 

1) Aid PD/ED, only vs STN damage. (cheap, but doesnt really effect NND pain attacks)

 

2) Aid STN & CON (CON aid only to prevent phase loss die to STN damage)

 

3) Damage Reduction only vs STN damage. (probably the best way to construct it, as it works against everything, even NNDs

[Markdoc]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

If pain comes into play at all, I usually deal with it by requiring an Ego roll - or a resistance roll in some cases. You could therefore look at an AID that boosts those rolls, allowing someone to "ignore" the pain, but not repairing any damage.

 

cheers, Mark

[Yesman]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

I think there's an optional rule somewhere that gives a penalty to actions when a character has been wounded (the penalties due to pain and shock), unless that character can make an EGO roll to offset the penalties. If that optional rule is in effect; A reduce pain spell could be bought as EGO limited to only effect the outcome of the 'resist pain' roll or as PSLs vs. the pain induced penalty.

[Yesman]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

maybe bonus levels of CON (only to avoid con-stun -1) ?

[Nuke]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

Also, to me there are two concepts to consider: enduring pain and reducing pain. Enduring pain feels to me like the EGO roll, where you use your willpower to overcome the effects of feeling the pain. On the otherhand, reducing pain would be eliminating the feeling of pain, which could be both useful and dangerous.

 

I'd say if you implemented the optional rules somebody mentioned, an "endure pain" spell seems easy to write, it would be +EGO levels, only to resist pain effects. Eliminating pain would be more difficult to write, unless you have a standardized AP rule for pain. The damage reduction method somebody suggested seems to work fairly well, because that will work regardless of the implementation of the pain inflictor.

 

I could easily argue that eliminating pain would be like inflicting a physical limitation on a character as well!

 

-- Nuke

[Rapier]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

Also, to me there are two concepts to consider: enduring pain and reducing pain. Enduring pain feels to me like the EGO roll, where you use your willpower to overcome the effects of feeling the pain. On the otherhand, reducing pain would be eliminating the feeling of pain, which could be both useful and dangerous.

 

I'd say if you implemented the optional rules somebody mentioned, an "endure pain" spell seems easy to write, it would be +EGO levels, only to resist pain effects. Eliminating pain would be more difficult to write, unless you have a standardized AP rule for pain. The damage reduction method somebody suggested seems to work fairly well, because that will work regardless of the implementation of the pain inflictor.

 

I could easily argue that eliminating pain would be like inflicting a physical limitation on a character as well!

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!! That was, almost to the letter, the exact thing I was going to post. FREAK!

[keithcurtis]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

1) Aid PD/ED' date=' only vs STN damage. (cheap, but doesnt really effect NND pain attacks)[/quote']

 

I think most GMs would rule that possessing this power was enough to provide a defense against an NND defined as "causing pain", even if it were not expressly defined as the NND's defense.

 

Keith "Reasoning from special effect" Curtis

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

Also, to me there are two concepts to consider: enduring pain and reducing pain. Enduring pain feels to me like the EGO roll, where you use your willpower to overcome the effects of feeling the pain. On the otherhand, reducing pain would be eliminating the feeling of pain, which could be both useful and dangerous.

 

I'd say if you implemented the optional rules somebody mentioned, an "endure pain" spell seems easy to write, it would be +EGO levels, only to resist pain effects. Eliminating pain would be more difficult to write, unless you have a standardized AP rule for pain. The damage reduction method somebody suggested seems to work fairly well, because that will work regardless of the implementation of the pain inflictor.

 

I could easily argue that eliminating pain would be like inflicting a physical limitation on a character as well!

 

It would be an interesting argument. I can undertsand pain as a sign that something is wrong with your body being a good thing, and how not being able to feel pain at all could be a nasty Phsycal Lim (especially if ti means the GM doesn't have to tell you how much damage you take from attacks, or if you can;t feel pleasurable sensations from touch as well). But I fail to see the benefit to the sufferer of things like birthing pains or migranes.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

Why not Life Support? It wouldn't directly protect you from attacks (though there could be NND attacks against Life Support vs. Pain).

[Rapier]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

On the high end, and with mucho GM approval,

 

Takes No STUN, UaA?

[Nuke]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!! That was' date=' almost to the letter, the exact thing I was going to post. FREAK![/quote']

 

Ah, thanks for the strong emotions. That opens the door to reading more vital information like credit card numbers...

 

*grin*

 

In regards to the other responses, on day to day life, being able to feel pain is a good thing, protecting us from many minor injuries. But you're right, in the circumstances listed, it would definitely be a useful power.

 

-- Nuke

[The Mad GM]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

The main disadvantage to not feeling pain in the real world is not tending to wounds, not realizing when you're bleeding, or when your doing irreparable damage to yourself.

 

There was a recent article about a girl who can't feel pain, and its consequences are pretty horrific. She can feel other things, by the way, just not pain.

 

In a gaming situation, it would be like handing over all the numbers to the GM, who would eventually turn to the player and say, "You drop dead."

 

Player: "But this guy hit me once with a dagger. What gives?"

 

GM: "You took three arrows yesterday, a falling rock this morning, and a mace to your ribs just after lunch."

 

Player: "Oh woe, I shall repent of taking obscure physical limitations just for the points ever again."

 

Actually this would just start an argument about noticing how much blood was lost, shortness of breath, and all that other stuff.

 

But back on topic, I've always thought there should be a power that requires a target to make a stat/skill based roll to escape, like a cross between an entangle and change environment: DEX roll for a dizzyness spell, EGO for pain, PRS for courage, INT for forgetfullness, CON for nausea etc. Change environment might stretch that far, but maybe not.

[Frenchman]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

Also, to me there are two concepts to consider: enduring pain and reducing pain. Enduring pain feels to me like the EGO roll, where you use your willpower to overcome the effects of feeling the pain. On the otherhand, reducing pain would be eliminating the feeling of pain, which could be both useful and dangerous.

 

I'd say if you implemented the optional rules somebody mentioned, an "endure pain" spell seems easy to write, it would be +EGO levels, only to resist pain effects. Eliminating pain would be more difficult to write, unless you have a standardized AP rule for pain. The damage reduction method somebody suggested seems to work fairly well, because that will work regardless of the implementation of the pain inflictor.

 

I could easily argue that eliminating pain would be like inflicting a physical limitation on a character as well!

 

-- Nuke

Actually there is a rules mechanic (page 276) for resisting pain allready, it's called wounding. It's like getting stunned by taking body damage, but only if you fail an EGO roll.

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

Hmm, I thought I would write up some spells based on the comments here. They can also be written as potions.

 

Ease Pain

Description: With but a word and a soothing touch, the target still feels pain, but is less aware of it.

Game Effect: 6D6 AID to EGO (or +2 to EGO roll with Standard Effect), -1/4 Incantations, -1/4 Gestures, -2 Lim: Increased EGO only to withstand pain (8 Real Points)

 

Endure Abuse I

Description: Target takes the same amount of abuse, but removes some of the sting out of it.

Game Effect: +5 PD & +5 ED, -1/2 Lim: STUN Damage only

AND 2D6 Heal, STUN Only (Removal of past pain)

 

Endure Abuse II

Description: Target takes the same amount of abuse, but removes more of the sting out of it.

Game Effect: +10 PD & +10 ED, -1/2 Lim:STUN Damage only, -1/4 Side Effect: Target Player is less aware of taking BODY damage, INT Roll with a bonus +1 for every BODY taken to notice that damage has occured, unless the character is not in combat and being mindful. STUN effects are still noticed when the occur.

AND 3D6 Heal, STUN Only (Removal of past pain)

 

Endure Abuse III

Description: Target takes the same amount of abuse, but removes more of the sting out of it.

Game Effect: +15 PD & +15 ED, -1/2 Lim:STUN Damage only, -1/2 Side Effect: Target Player is less aware of taking BODY damage, INT Roll with a bonus +1 for every 2 BODY taken to notice that damage has occured, unless the character is not in combat and being mindful. STUN effects are still noticed if the occur.

AND 4D6 Heal, STUN Only (Removal of past pain)

 

Painless Scalpel

Description: Originally designed to allow chirurgeons to work without a screaming and unhelpful patient. This spell has since found its use in more diabolical assassin work. Target might feel a slight (or not so slight) pushing sensation.

Game Effect: +1/2 Naked Advantage - Invisible Power Effects on 2D6 HKA (15 Active Points), Only to remove the pain and STUN effect of the blow, wounds still bleed, weapon still visible (unless other methods are used). Lim: Weapon does no STUN

[The Mad GM]

Re: Spells that work against pain

 

Those would be handy for a sneaky evil spellcaster to hand out to the heroes seeming to help them. Of course, he wouldn't mention the drawbacks. Even better (worse), he could add illusions to cover the bleeding. Especially efffective if the heroes are on water and hesitate to wear heavy armor.