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Regeneration and Endurance


BlindGuyNW

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As an experiment, I'm trying to stat up a character from one of my favorite David Weber novels, The Apocalypse Troll. She has a regeneration power which takes endurance and behaves quite a bit slower than the typical, "once per turn," speed of recoveries. It represents a symbiotic creature that might eventually kill her if she isn't properly fed/given nutrients, but which can basically bring her back from otherwise mortal wounds.

 

I'm wondering how I might want to model this in Hero terms? Regeneration seems like the obvious choice, but I don't know how I feel about recovery going relatively quickly. Do you guys have any thoughts?

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Hi BlindGuyNW.

 

I did something like this a while ago.  I may have even gotten some of the ideas from the The Apocalypse Troll.  It has been a long time since I read the book.  But maybe you can use some of the ideas.  I may have even grabbed this from the boards a long, long, time ago. This was also back when I was playing 5E.  I found an old html export from 2013 on my computer:

  • Can't poison me: Life Support (Immunity All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Immunity All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents); (Side effedt: Only on dangerous poisons; -3/4)
    • Side Effect - Body Slow Down: Drain STR and CON 2d6, Side Effect, Two Powers Simultaneously (+1/2), Delayed Return Rate (5 pts per Day; +1 1/2)
  • Long-lived: Life Support (Extended Breathing 1 END per Turn; Longevity Immortal)
  • Fast Healing: Healing 1 BODY, Can Heal Limbs, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Day (-2 3/4), Self Only (-1/2)
  • Toughened Body: +6 BODY; Side Falls into death-like sleep, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-1), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only to stave off Death (Not figured in any roles) (-1/4) 
    • Side Effect - Death-like Sleep: Invisibility to Detect Life Signs/Paramedics and Mental Groups , Infravision, No Fringe, Side Effect; Linked (???; -1/2) plus Healing 1 BODY, Side Effect; Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Hour (-2 1/4), Must eat 1 meal/body when awakened, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-1/2) 

 

I am not sure if even half of it is legal.  I did not try to link it as a focus (Symbiot).

 

Basically, I played the toughened body that it kicked in when the character 'died' when they lost their normal body.  I figured that having 12 extra body to prevent true death was enough in the game.  If they needed more than there, there were other problems.  I think that I also played it that the 1BODY/hr healing stayed on until they were at 1 Body.  That was when the Fast Healing would kick in.

 

Good luck.

 

Norm.

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For the benefit of those of us that have not read the Apocalypse Troll, could you elaborate on what the symbiote can do, the constraints and the potential downside of the symbiote.

 

If you want regeneration to act slowly, then Norm has given you a great start on a range of powers that you might want in a suite of things.  The side effects that are in Norm's description are I think meant to reflect some of the impacts of the symbiote but, from a quick reading, I cannot parse the side effect of the toughened BODY, difficult to see when the BODY would stop being used and the character emerge from the death-like sleep and not sure I agree that it is all side effect etc.  All good grist for the mill though.

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That does look like a great start. :) Let me see what other info I can provide.

 

The basic benefits are functional immortality, excepting something truly catastrophic, like being blown up with your starfighter. The thing provides immunity from disease, poisons, even aging—in the words of the character in question, it just treats old age like any other disease. It provides regeneration, able to bring you back from the brink of death within, say, a week, healing wounds within a matter of hours. It even restores things like pulled wisdom teeth, which suggests it could do the same for limbs and such, given time.

 

The main downsides are that it requires energy to power it, and if you don't give it some, it will gradually begin to "eat," the host body for sustenance until it eventually kills both. he other main character has to feed his companion cans upon cans of soup, stew, etc, which it somehow can metabolize even while the host is otherwise unaware.

 

The host in question also has superb reflexes and high-tech gear, but that isn't directly related to her symbiote as such.

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