Life Support: Immunity To Sexually-Transmitted Diseases (5th Ed)

[Marcus Impudite]

A while ago, I built an NPC who has Life Support (Immunity: Sexually-Transmitted Diseases) on his sheet. I chose to price it at 5 points at the time since that's what seemed reasonable based on the section in FRED on the Life Support power. Is 5 points a fair price? Should it be higher? Lower?. Your thoughts?

[pinecone]

I think lower...10 points covers all disease, and more! STD's are a sub group by a good bit. I think I'd look at 1 to 3 points tops.

[Hyper-Man]

More importantly is this for STD's of Terrestial or Extraterrestial origin?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Why does asking that question sound like a Monty Python bit?)

HM

[IndianaJoe3]

3 points if risky sexual activity is a big part of the campaign, 1 point otherwise. 

[bigbywolfe]

What IndianaJoe said.

[megaplayboy]

If you throw in a protection against pregnancy/accidental impregnation, the combo is worth 3-5 points, imo, since it affords blanket protection from any (physical) adverse consequences of sexual activity, licit or otherwise. Legally, and emotionally, of course, not covered...

[Lucius]

If you throw in a protection against pregnancy/accidental impregnation, the combo is worth 3-5 points, imo, since it affords blanket protection from any (physical) adverse consequences of sexual activity, licit or otherwise. Legally, and emotionally, of course, not covered...

Teflon Don Juan

 

Sex is for Fun: (Total: 4 Active Cost, 2 Real Cost) Change Environment (-1m of any mode of Movement), Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4), Persistent (+1/4), Inherent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2), Sticky (+1/2) (3 Active Points); Limited Power Only vs Spermatazoa (-2), No Range (-1/2), Always On (-1/2) (Real Cost: 1) <b>plus</b> Life Support (Immunity: Venereal Disease), Sticky (+1/2) (Real Cost: 1)

 

They Can't Make it Stick: (Total: 5 Active Cost, 2 Real Cost) Fringe Benefit: Diplomatic Immunity (5 Active Points); Limited Power Only as pertains to ethical consensual erotic activities (-1 1/2) (Real Cost: 2)

 

Resist Romantic Entanglements: (Total: 12 Active Cost, 5 Real Cost) +6 with EGO Roll (12 Active Points); Limited Power Only to resist Charm (-1), Conditional Power Only in romantic context (-1/2) (Real Cost: 5)

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Don't try to explain it to the palindromedary

[Lucius]

Oh, and

 

Discretion Assured: (Total: 5 Active Cost, 5 Real Cost) Anonymity (Don't kiss and tell your spouse/old sibling/other possessive or protective person) (Real Cost: 3) <b>plus</b> Positive Reputation (A small to medium sized group) 14-, +2/+2d6 (DO tell your friends: For a Good Time, Call....) (Real Cost: 2)

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Again, don't tell the palindromedary

[薔薇語]

IndianaJoe got it. For me, I can't see myself running an explicit enough Supers game for that to come about. I'd even avoid it in other genres, too. So, unless the player is insistant on it and wants the power to have effects outside of the normal run of Hep, Warts, HIV, etc, or has some very odd biological basis for it that somehow doesn't affect other kinds of transmitions, I'd say he could have it for free. If he did have special reasons for it that seem like they could ever actually come up, I might charge him a point.

 

 

As a general rule of thumb, if a player's hand for something then that something should be used in the game. It should not be left off screen and it should not wither away never to see the light of day. if they pay points it should be something show. GM has no way or desire to showcase it then GM should not charge that player for that power.

 

Foreign Orchid.

[Ragitsu]

Huh. So, like Regeneration, the GM should showcase the PC's special ability by hitting them with attacks/penalties that would otherwise be permanently detrimental to any other character?

 

Does this mean that the entire party sans the PC in question gets "the clap" after a...um...team building exercise...at the local harem?

[massey]

I've never had a character get an STD in any game I've ever played.  It has never come up, even once.  What kind of game are you running where that is worth points?  It's not something I want to roleplay.  Do female characters worry about getting pregnant?  That's like roleplaying going to the bathroom.  Don't really want to do that.

[Ragitsu]

Yeah: we have people to kill. None of that icky sexuality in MY games!

[massey]

Yeah: we have people to kill. None of that icky sexuality in MY games!

 

Our gaming group is all men, and most of us are very fat.

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Since an STD can be viral, bacteriological, or fungal, 5 points really isn't enough.  And, when it gets down to it, STDs are the diseases least capable of being transferred; only blood-required pathogens are more fragile, and there are few enough of them.  (Not sure if there are any, actually.)  Which means that if you're immune to STDs, you are - or should be - functionally immune to every other disease out there.  Call it 9 points, or just spend the last point and, y'know, not go there.

 

Otherwise, really, you're going to a strange place.  No stranger, on the other hand, then the immortal character I saw who transferred youth, disease resistance, and a bunch of other benefits to his sexual partners - for an entire year if they coupled.  (Plus there was a high chance of impregnation, etc. etc. ...)  It, too, went to that strange place.

[Lucius]

All places are strange, when you're a stranger to them.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary claims to find people strange no matter how much time it spends with them.

[Markdoc]

Since an STD can be viral, bacteriological, or fungal, 5 points really isn't enough.  And, when it gets down to it, STDs are the diseases least capable of being transferred; only blood-required pathogens are more fragile, and there are few enough of them.  (Not sure if there are any, actually.)  Which means that if you're immune to STDs, you are - or should be - functionally immune to every other disease out there.

Speaking as a Professor of Medicine and specialist in infectious disease, there is no biological or medical basis for this claim. Diseases can be bloodborne, highly infectious and able to survive in the environment (hepatitis B is a good example) ..... or not. The same is true for airborne diseases. The mode of infection tells you precisely nothing about how virulent and potentially infectious a disease is. Likewise, immunity to one pathogen does not seem to imply any immunity to other, unrelated pathogens.

 

What mode of infection does tell you is how likely you are to be exposed, and on that basis, immunity to STDs in-game is likely to be overpriced at 3 points. Immunity to a disease you are unlikely to ever encounter, for example, should be worth nothing. After all, how many points is a susceptibility to radio waves worth, in your standard fantasy campaign?

 

Cheers, Mark

[massey]

Speaking as a Professor of Medicine and specialist in infectious disease, there is no biological or medical basis for this claim. Diseases can be bloodborne, highly infectious and able to survive in the environment (hepatitis B is a good example) ..... or not. The same is true for airborne diseases. The mode of infection tells you precisely nothing about how virulent and potentially infectious a disease is. Likewise, immunity to one pathogen does not seem to imply any immunity to other, unrelated pathogens.

 

What mode of infection does tell you is how likely you are to be exposed, and on that basis, immunity to STDs in-game is likely to be overpriced at 3 points. Immunity to a disease you are unlikely to ever encounter, for example, should be worth nothing. After all, how many points is a susceptibility to radio waves worth, in your standard fantasy campaign?

 

Cheers, Mark

 

Exactly.

 

I remember ages ago, finding some text file called "the D&D Handbook of Sex" or something like that.  It was on the internet somewhere, and I was probably 16 or 17 and had zero actual experience with sex.  I haven't thought about this thing in almost 20 years, wow.  Looking back, it was one of the most ridiculous things I'd ever seen.  You had to make Con checks every round you had sex, with progressively larger penalties, or you could like hurt yourself and be knocked unconscious.  You had to be a high level character with like an 18 Con to have sex for more than like 5 minutes.  And I remember that it had rules for STDs.  I don't remember what they were, but it was probably something equally ridiculous.  Anyway, I think that was the last time I ever saw rules for STDs in an RPG.

 

Immunity to STDs is the sort of thing that is useful in such rare circumstances, and circumstances that are virtually entirely player action dependent, that it's probably only worth a point or two, if that.  Your character does not have sexual urges.  Your character isn't going to get drunk and go home with someone they shouldn't unless you decide to roleplay that.

[Lucius]

Let's invite the whole world to the orgy

 

Free Love Now!: (Total: 5 Active Cost, 1 Real Cost) Life Support (Immunity: Venereal Disease), Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4), Persistent (+1/4), Inherent (+1/4), Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2), Usable Nearby (+1), MegaScale (1m = 10,000 km; +2), Cannot alter scale (-1/4) (5 Active Points); Extra Time (5 Minutes, Only to Activate, Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 1/4), Required Multiple Users (2 people; -1/4), Requires A Roll (in the Hay) (14- roll; -1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Incantations ("Free Love Now! Free Love Forever! Free Love for You and Me and for Everyone!"; -1/4) (Real Cost: 1)

 

Lucius Alexander

 

the palindromedary is already immune to sexual diseases by virtue of being immune to sex

[Ragitsu]

If your character is some sort of sex god (an actual sex god), sex demigod, embodiment of hedonism/revelry (such as a satyr), or a real player with the ladies/gentlemen, the trait could come in handy by virtue of the GM setting up encounters that are likely to turn steamy right quick.

[Tasha]

I still think we should change poisons/Diseases to not be NND vs Life Support. Just keep them as Drains and use Power Defense as immunity. That way you can vary the amount of immunity someone has by varying the amount of PwrDef a PC has. Add penetrating and or Armor Piercing for more scary germs, or even make the disease need Resistant PwrDef. So many ways to make disease more interesting and remove nearly all of the guesswork from Life Support.

I really have always disliked all or nothing defenses.

[薔薇語]

Wow. I had never thought of that Tasha. Great Idea!

 

Foreign Orchid.

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

I have, but you wind up requiring things that would not cause one to be resistant to disease to put in a disad to indicate that their version of Power Defense, though it works fine against other things, ain't gonna do diddly against that little bug. Otherwise, well, if Power Suit Guy's non-sealed suit has backup batteries or surge protectors - bought as Power Defense - then why should he be resistant to diseases?

[Christopher]

Exactly.

 

I remember ages ago, finding some text file called "the D&D Handbook of Sex" or something like that.  It was on the internet somewhere, and I was probably 16 or 17 and had zero actual experience with sex.  I haven't thought about this thing in almost 20 years, wow.  Looking back, it was one of the most ridiculous things I'd ever seen.  You had to make Con checks every round you had sex, with progressively larger penalties, or you could like hurt yourself and be knocked unconscious.  You had to be a high level character with like an 18 Con to have sex for more than like 5 minutes.  And I remember that it had rules for STDs.  I don't remember what they were, but it was probably something equally ridiculous.  Anyway, I think that was the last time I ever saw rules for STDs in an RPG.

Those Con checks explain why the high level heroes never have issues finding a girl. They just can go longer and longer...

 

Regarding "last time you saw it covered", aren't you forgetting a certain Hero suplement:

New Product: Sex and Sorcery [rpg supplement]

Not that I own it so I can't say if it contaisn rules for STD.

 

I still think we should change poisons/Diseases to not be NND vs Life Support. Just keep them as Drains and use Power Defense as immunity. That way you can vary the amount of immunity someone has by varying the amount of PwrDef a PC has. Add penetrating and or Armor Piercing for more scary germs, or even make the disease need Resistant PwrDef. So many ways to make disease more interesting and remove nearly all of the guesswork from Life Support.

 

I really have always disliked all or nothing defenses.

I think it depends on the setting. I heard this approach to all LS things being used for Fantasy Campaigns. And it makes a lot of sense for those. It certaily allows a more granular resistance.

 

But should a superman clone pay 20 points just to be immune to the common cold?

And superhuman attackers always have the option to not use NND in thier "Disease" attack. The same way they choose to use it because they want it to run into LS.

The pricing seems fair for most settings.

 

 

And I am already half in the topic. Pricing for any LS is heavily dependant on the Campaign and how often it will mater.

LS: All Disesaes can be worth 0 points, because common infections won't play a role and nearly no one has NND: Desease Resitance on thier Attacks.

Or it can be worth 20-100 points (or be replaced with a much more granular Power Defense mechanic) in another Campaign (like one where you fight the 4 Horsemen, inlcuding Pestilence).

 

STD aren't exactly a common vector of problem for Superheroes. Or Heroes.

I know of maybe two cases in source material (Marvel Universe and Farscape) where female characters had been infected with Mind Control STD by thier respecitve Government. Wich was a fun way to catch it, but overall played not such a big role in the adventure that fact was introduced as plot of the week.*

 

Moreover, how much actuall effect can they have on adventuring?

People can live quite well with AIDS/HI-Virus. They just have to look out with thier blood and oher fluids. That sounds like a Complication maybe.

I try to avoid experience with STD's, but how annoying can it really be for a person that can fly or shoot lasers from his eyes? It sounds like thier powers have more discomfort potential then a rash.

 

In what wierd setting are you playing in that catching STD is a common occurence for Hero Character? Don't they know how to use Condoms? Much less an ability that is worth 3 whole points? Just ask what you can buy for 3 points that actually will mater and has "Immunity to STD" anywhere near that unsefullness?

 

 

*Well in the MU it was actually kind of easy to catch "it". Considering how the characers of both genders slept around. Specifically Black Widow had been infected. However it was who she slept with (Iron Man and Hercules in particular) that made the whole thing go viral.

[Tasha]

I have, but you wind up requiring things that would not cause one to be resistant to disease to put in a disad to indicate that their version of Power Defense, though it works fine against other things, ain't gonna do diddly against that little bug. Otherwise, well, if Power Suit Guy's non-sealed suit has backup batteries or surge protectors - bought as Power Defense - then why should he be resistant to diseases?

Then if that comes up often enough in the campaign, PowerSuit person takes "not vs Diseases/Poisons" -1/4 to -1 depending on how often disease and Poison powers appear in the campaign.

 

Yes, this works much better in Heroic (non Supers) games, but the rules tend to be more Supercentric without taking heroic games into account much.