Malloy Syndrome

[RJB]

Also known as Rasputinism, this extremely rare medical condition makes those who aquire it virtually impossible to kill by normal means. It is named after the two best know cases, Michael Malloy and Gregory Rasputin.

 

Michael Malloy was a drunk who survived six murder attempts by the 'Murder Trust', a gang that killed drunks for insurance money. These attempts included:

alcohol laced with antifreeze, horse linement, and rat poison

oysters soaked in wood alcohol

rotton sardines laced with metal shavings

being soaked in water and left unconscious to freeze on a winter night of -20F

being hit by a taxicab at 40mph

and, finally, asphyxiated with a hose attached to a gas line.

 

Rasputin's case is well known, and although it has been claimed that the manner of his death was merely exaggeration, no one has ever explained why it was neccessary to chain him up before throwing him in the river.

 

It should be noted that this is not neccessarily a desirable condition to have, as it only seems to afflict a small percentage of severe alcoholics.

 

Hero Terms: +10 Bod (only for determining death. That is, someone with 10 body and this would die at -20bod not -10) Regeneration 1bod/5min if at negative body, otherwise 1bod/day Immunity to alcohol and toxins

 

Limits: Power doesn't work against suffocation, drowning. Requires disadvantage Dependence- Alcohol (severe, 5 hours)

[Guest Major Tom]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Except for the bit about alcoholics, this sounds like it could very well have been

a possible inspiration for the movie Unbreakable.

 

 

Major Tom

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Right off the top of my head....

 

Marv from Sin City

 

Edward "Blackbeard" Teach (took what? 5 bullets and some 20 odd sword wounds before succumbing to blood loss from the cutlass that was hacked into the base of his neck)

 

Both likely candidates

[RJB]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Right off the top of my head....

 

Marv from Sin City

 

Edward "Blackbeard" Teach (took what? 5 bullets and some 20 odd sword wounds before succumbing to blood loss from the cutlass that was hacked into the base of his neck)

 

Both likely candidates

 

Wow! You're right. I had completely forgotten about Blackbeard. And if memory serves, he liked to get roaring drunk too.

 

I wouldn't be at all surprised if these were inspirations for unbreakable.

[Inu]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

I thought Superman was the inspiration for Unbreakable?

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Right off the top of my head....

 

Edward "Blackbeard" Teach (took what? 5 bullets and some 20 odd sword wounds before succumbing to blood loss from the cutlass that was hacked into the base of his neck)

 

Both likely candidates

 

Oh, no, no, no.

 

Blackbeard was a bokor devoted to Ogoun and Baron Samedi. They used their powers over (gun)fire, iron, and death to protect their most favored serviteur from his enemies. That is, until he made the trip to the Fountain of Youth and learned how to reincarnate himself from a drop of blood, at which point he stashed his loot where only he could find it and allowed the law to catch up with and 'kill' him.

 

See what you miss when you don't read Tim Powers books like On Stranger Tides?

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Oh, no, no, no.

 

Blackbeard was a bokor devoted to Ogoun and Baron Samedi. They used their powers over (gun)fire, iron, and death to protect their most favored serviteur from his enemies. That is, until he made the trip to the Fountain of Youth and learned how to reincarnate himself from a drop of blood, at which point he stashed his loot where only he could find it and allowed the law to catch up with and 'kill' him.

 

See what you miss when you don't read Tim Powers books like On Stranger Tides?

 

Actually, I have the book darn near memorized.

I've worn out three copies myself, not counting all the ones I've picked up at used bookstores and given away to friends.

 

One of my top 10 favorite books of all time.

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Actually, I have the book darn near memorized.

I've worn out three copies myself, not counting all the ones I've picked up at used bookstores and given away to friends.

 

One of my top 10 favorite books of all time.

 

It so desperately needs to be reprinted.

[Susano]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

It so desperately needs to be reprinted.

 

Ta-da!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Tides-Tim-Powers/dp/1930235321/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195512084&sr=8-1

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Good news!

 

Now I just need to see reprints of The Stress of Her Regard and Earthquake Weather and I'll be set.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Good news!

 

Now I just need to see reprints of The Stress of Her Regard and Earthquake Weather and I'll be set.

 

And Vampire$, by John Steakley, a fantastic book made into a mediocre at best movie

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Is that out of print? I could swear I've seen Vampire$ for sale in local bookstores.

 

BTW, would you agree with Ken Hite's description of the book as being "the best adrenaline-drenched fearless vampire hunter action ever done in literature"?

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Also known as Rasputinism, this extremely rare medical condition makes those who aquire it virtually impossible to kill by normal means. It is named after the two best know cases, Michael Malloy and Gregory Rasputin.

 

Michael Malloy was a drunk who survived six murder attempts by the 'Murder Trust', a gang that killed drunks for insurance money. These attempts included:

alcohol laced with antifreeze, horse linement, and rat poison

oysters soaked in wood alcohol

rotton sardines laced with metal shavings

being soaked in water and left unconscious to freeze on a winter night of -20F

being hit by a taxicab at 40mph

and, finally, asphyxiated with a hose attached to a gas line.

 

Rasputin's case is well known, and although it has been claimed that the manner of his death was merely exaggeration, no one has ever explained why it was neccessary to chain him up before throwing him in the river.

 

It should be noted that this is not neccessarily a desirable condition to have, as it only seems to afflict a small percentage of severe alcoholics.

 

Hero Terms: +10 Bod (only for determining death. That is, someone with 10 body and this would die at -20bod not -10) Regeneration 1bod/5min if at negative body, otherwise 1bod/day Immunity to alcohol and toxins

 

Limits: Power doesn't work against suffocation, drowning. Requires disadvantage Dependence- Alcohol (severe, 5 hours)

 

What limit did you give "Only for Determining Death"?

I did this for a character a while ago, and while contemplating it realized that you're effectively limiting half the Body you've paid for into nonexistence,

unless you change the way it's handled.

 

We went with a -2 (including No figured by default) for the way you did it, or -1 if you allow the full benefit of the Body purchased, but only on the "negative side" of the equation...

 

I.E.

normally someone with 10 body dies at -10 body (can take 20 body)

 

Someone who buys +10 body without a limit has 20 body and dies at -20 (can take 40 body)

 

Someone with +10 Body limited the way you did (what we called a -2) has 10 Body and dies at -20 (can take 30 body)

 

Someone with +10 body the alternate -1 I mentioned would have 10 body and dies at -30 (can take 40, same as guy #2, who bought the same amount of extra body)

 

Basically its just sliding the decimal point that way... you still get "all" the Body you paid for, it just doesn't do anything but keep you not-dead longer.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Is that out of print? I could swear I've seen Vampire$ for sale in local bookstores.

 

BTW, would you agree with Ken Hite's description of the book as being "the best adrenaline-drenched fearless vampire hunter action ever done in literature"?

 

I completely and totally agree.

Also on my all time top 10 list.

If it's back in print I need to hunt up quite a few copies for gifts.

 

Edit: Lets make it clear...it does for Vampire Hunters what On Stranger Tides does for pirates

[RJB]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

What limit did you give "Only for Determining Death"?

I did this for a character a while ago, and while contemplating it realized that you're effectively limiting half the Body you've paid for into nonexistence,

unless you change the way it's handled.

 

We went with a -2 (including No figured by default) for the way you did it, or -1 if you allow the full benefit of the Body purchased, but only on the "negative side" of the equation...

 

I.E.

normally someone with 10 body dies at -10 body (can take 20 body)

 

Someone who buys +10 body without a limit has 20 body and dies at -20 (can take 40 body)

 

Someone with +10 Body limited the way you did (what we called a -2) has 10 Body and dies at -20 (can take 30 body)

 

Someone with +10 body the alternate -1 I mentioned would have 10 body and dies at -30 (can take 40, same as guy #2, who bought the same amount of extra body)

 

Basically its just sliding the decimal point that way... you still get "all" the Body you paid for, it just doesn't do anything but keep you not-dead longer.

 

I leave it to the individual GM, though I was thinking of -2 myself. There is something to consider, namely do the players have any other way to heal? If yes, then make this cheap enough to be cost effective. If no, then make it expensive. Nobody is going to balk at a 20+ pt talent that can save their life. In fact, you might want to make it the same cost as the talent "Nobody Could Survive That!" as they both perform the same function, namely keeping the character alive.

[Susano]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

What limit did you give "Only for Determining Death"?

I did this for a character a while ago, and while contemplating it realized that you're effectively limiting half the Body you've paid for into nonexistence,

unless you change the way it's handled.

 

We went with a -2 (including No figured by default) for the way you did it, or -1 if you allow the full benefit of the Body purchased, but only on the "negative side" of the equation...

 

I.E.

normally someone with 10 body dies at -10 body (can take 20 body)

 

Someone who buys +10 body without a limit has 20 body and dies at -20 (can take 40 body)

 

Someone with +10 Body limited the way you did (what we called a -2) has 10 Body and dies at -20 (can take 30 body)

 

Someone with +10 body the alternate -1 I mentioned would have 10 body and dies at -30 (can take 40, same as guy #2, who bought the same amount of extra body)

 

Basically its just sliding the decimal point that way... you still get "all" the Body you paid for, it just doesn't do anything but keep you not-dead longer.

 

From Ninja Hero:

 

Martial artist heroes are an incredibly hardy lot (the villains even more so). In many cases, the heroes survive incredible amounts of physical abuse, and can keep fighting long after they should rightfully be dead. This effect can be simulated by buying extra Body with the Limitation of Only to Stave Off Point of Death (-2). Extra Body bought this way has no effect on the character other than to determine if the character is really dead or not.

[Susano]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

I completely and totally agree.

Also on my all time top 10 list.

If it's back in print I need to hunt up quite a few copies for gifts.

 

Edit: Lets make it clear...it does for Vampire Hunters what On Stranger Tides does for pirates

 

Sounds like I should get a copy.

 

Although it's going to have to be something special to top the antics seen in the vampire-hunting manga Hellsing.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

From Ninja Hero:

 

Doesn't surprise me you put in something of the sort. Which of the two ways I mentioned do you use to implement it?

[Susano]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Doesn't surprise me you put in something of the sort. Which of the two ways I mentioned do you use to implement it?

 

The one where it simply adds +X BODY to the point where you're actually dead. So I 10 BODY guy with this ability dies at -20, not -10.

[CorPse]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Cool idea, cool discussion...

 

Got to get On Stranger Tides for my Pops. (He doesn't just read stuff like that, he consumes it.)

[Dr. Hercules]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Wasn't there a new Twilight Zone or Amazing Stories episode based on the Malloy guy? I seem to rember seeing all that stuff played out some where.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Wikipedia on Michael Malloy

 

I've usually gone with the -1 myself, and assumed it "moved the decimal point" (i.e. 10 BODY, +10 with the -1, means you have 10 BODY and are dead at -30).

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Malloy Syndrome

 

Probably an alchemical function of accidentally hitting the right combos and amounts of various liquors to create the Formula of Fortitude within your body.