Farscape Hero

[dbcowboy]

Anyone looked at creating the races from Farscape, either for an actual Farscape campaign or for inclusion in a different setting?

[JohnOSpencer]

Isn't there a D20 Farscape book you can use for conversions?

 

John Spencer

[dbcowboy]

Oh, there's several different resources available. I looked through the d20 book and wasn't impressed. Thought it was pretty poor quality but can't say I looked through it extensivly.

 

Here's one question in particular: D'Argo's adaptive neuro-toxin. This is similar to a vulcan nerve pinch in that, if it hits, it incapacitates the target immediately for x amount of time.

 

I think this is a form of entangle, not an NND attack. That certainly makes it expensive but I think it better represents the power as displayed on the show. Just playing around, here's what I've come up with so far:

 

Adaptive Neuro-Toxin: Entangle 2d6, 0Def (stops all sense groups, cannot be escaped with teleport, no defense, takes no damage from all attacks, uncontrolled, 0 end, susceptible to successful first aid, restrainable, no range, requires skin contact (full body covering/force field negate attack), cannot form barriers, can be missile deflected, linked to tounge) - 247 active point, 43 real cost

Luxon Tounge: stretching 2", restrainable, cannot do damage, no noncombat stretching, limited body parts, always direct - 10 active points, 4 real cost

 

My question though is this: since I made that neuro-toxin uncontrolled and 0 end and doesn't take dmg, doesn't that mean that the person would be unconscious until someone else made a First Aid check? I'd like there to be some max time limit as well, say 10 minutes, maybe shorter if the individual has a good Con. Maybe that's just a -0 limitation.

 

Any comments or suggestions on this approach?

[AlHazred]

I don't know if I agree with that construction. In the pilot episode, D'Argo hits Crichton with it, he loses consciousness and comes to some time later in the cell with Aeryn. Entangles don't cause the character to lose consciousness. Second, the Entangle can still be targeted separately. This doesn't seem to represent the Stunning effect.

 

I'd do it as a Stun Only EB, probably NND, requiring the character to target naked flesh.

[dbcowboy]

Originally posted by AlHazred

I don't know if I agree with that construction. In the pilot episode, D'Argo hits Crichton with it, he loses consciousness and comes to some time later in the cell with Aeryn. Entangles don't cause the character to lose consciousness.

 

Second, the Entangle can still be targeted separately. This doesn't seem to represent the Stunning effect.

 

No, I agree entangles do not cause a loss of consciousness, hence the reason I had the entangle block all sense groups. The SFX of this is: target falls unconscious. If the target is completely unaware of everything going on around them, I think you could simply consider them unconscious.

 

This may still be a stretch though. I did include that the entangle could not be escaped by teleportation but there's not really anything to prevent other means of movement like inherent flight. That may not be very common though in heroic campaigns but I'll be the first to admit that this is not perfect.

 

I'd seen some examples of paralysis done as an entangle and I looked at this as being a form of paralysis with the addition of unconsciousness. With this approach, the targets stun cannot stop the attack, if they're skin is hit, they're entangled.

 

My hesitation with NNDs is that I figured average stun is around 30 points, so you'll need about a 10d6 NND to knock someone unconscious on an average roll. Maybe that's my mistake, p223 of the rule book lists the average person with 16 stun. Either way, with the entangle, it would only fail to generate any body if you rolled 1 on both die and you can basically call that a miss.

 

Here's another option: make the entangle 0d6 + 1 body (if that's legal, I haven't read anywhere that it's not). This drops the cost to 206 active, 36 real cost. In this case, there will always be at least 1 body, so no failure on a successful hit against the target's skin.

 

For an equivalent NND, I come up with: 10d6 EB vs ED Stun Only, NND - LS: Immunity to Neuro-Toxins, Requires Skin Contact, No Range, Can be missile deflected, No Knockback, Linked to Tounge, 0 End - 125 active, 45 real cost.

 

So, this should KO an average target half of the time, but between needing to hit bare skin (called shot) AND then roll over their stun, it starts to become difficult to get that immediate incapacitation protrayed in the shows. GMs option whether they get a post-12 recovery. However, there's certainly no question, if the target's below 0 stun they are definitely KO'd. (0 end may be wrong approach, changing to 6 recoverable charges drops cost to 100 active - 33 real)

 

Anyway, these are just some ideas I had. I suspect there are others here would could design this effect better than I. I'm still getting up to speed on the new rules and it's been a long time since I played 4th ed so I find these exercises helpful.

[JohnOSpencer]

Maybe try a Stun drain?

 

John Spencer

[Monolith]

You buy the attack as part of a Luxon Martial Arts Package. The Tongue Strike is just one maneuver.

 

Luxon Tongue Strike:

4 Nerve Strike

8 +4 Damage Classes (Never Strike Only: -1)

 

Luxon Tongue:

5 Extra Limb, Inherent, Limited Manipulation

5 2" Stretching, Always Direct, No Non-Combat, No Velocity Damage, Limited Body Part, Range Modifier Applies

 

Total Cost: 22 points.

 

Since it is a Heroic Level game I would use Hit Locations, and such D'Argo almost always hits the head/neck area (3-5) he is almost always guaranteed the x2 NSTUN modifier. When you factor in the Luxon Strength of 20 (?) and the extra Damage Classes D'Argo is doing a 6d6 NND attack, and then factor in the x2 NSTUN for a head shot and it is pretty easy to see that he will be dropping people like flies (42 STUN on average).

 

You would throw in a couple of other maneuvers such as Grab (he does a lot of grabs) and Martial Strike (he does a lot of punches) and you are covered. Cheap and easy.

[dbcowboy]

Originally posted by Monolith

...Since it is a Heroic Level game I would use Hit Locations, and such D'Argo almost always hits the head/neck area (3-5) he is almost always guaranteed the x2 NSTUN modifier. When you factor in the Luxon Strength of 20 (?) and the extra Damage Classes D'Argo is doing a 6d6 NND attack, and then factor in the x2 NSTUN for a head shot and it is pretty easy to see that he will be dropping people like flies (42 STUN on average).

 

Really good point on the head/neck hit location. I gave him the benfit of the doubt that if he hit elsewhere the effects would be the same. Might not be the case. Besides, this is cheaper and still provides the effect I'm looking for (cheapest I got the entangle approach was 35 pts for entangle,extra limb and stretching).

 

Right now I'm thinking 20-25 str for D'Argo. Was basing Luxon racial package off of the stats for the Ursoid Package Deal in Star Hero (don't have TE....yet).

 

So far I have (including Monolith's suggestions):

21 pts - +5 Str, +5 Con, +3 Body

10 pts - Tracking (Smell/Taste Group)

5 pts - Life Support: Extended Breathing (1 end/minute), Longevity 200 yrs, Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum

3 pts - +1 Per, all senses

5 pts - Tounge (extra limb, limited Manipulation)

5 pts - 2" Stretching, always direct, No Non-Combat, No Velocity Dmg, Limited Body Part (tounge), Range Mod Applies

4 pts - Nerve Strike (adaptive neuro-toxin)

8 pts - +4 DC (nerve strike only)

-------------------------------------

61 pts

 

Disads:

15 pts - Luxon Hyper-Rage: When angered/threatened (common) go 11-, recover 14-

10 pts - Reputation: Fierce Warriors/Strong, violent species 11-

-------------------------------------------

25 pts

 

Package cost: 36 pts

 

Have I forgotten/overdone anything?

[Lord Liaden]

Here's an earlier thread on the subject:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=975&highlight=farscape