Life-Linked Equipment (5th Edition Fantasy)

[Sorloc]

Hive-Mind, I have a group of bad guys who distribute suits of leather armor as a recruitment tool.

The pitch is, join us, you get this armor, you get super strong and tough, and immortal.

The truth is, there is a demon bound in the armor who influences the wearer. 

Strength and toughness are conferred, but the wearer's psyche / soul is eventually completely subverted by the demon.

Separating the armor from the wearer is typically fatal to the wearer and releases the demon to its home plane.

This is easy as pie in a system where you don't really have to define anything (dnd, RoleMaster), but I'm having some trouble, and don't want to fall back to, "I'm the gM, and that's how I say it works"

 

Is this a package deal?

[Lucius]

Demon Hide Armor:  (Total: 52 Active Cost, 11 Real Cost) Life Support  (Eating: Character does not eat; Longevity: Immortal; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Self-Contained Breathing) (22 Active Points); Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect always occurs whenever the character does some specific act (armor comes off); 10d6 Killing ; -1 1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect does a predefined amount of damage; 2d6 Severe Transform: into possessed host for demon; -1 1/2), OIF Durable (-1/2) (Real Cost: 5) <b>plus</b> +10 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (15 Active Points); Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect always occurs whenever the character does some specific act (armor comes off); 10d6 Killing ; -1 1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect does a predefined amount of damage; 2d6 Severe Transform: into possessed host for demon; -1 1/2), OIF Durable (-1/2) (Real Cost: 3) <b>plus</b> Resistant Protection (5 PD/5 ED) (Impermeable) (15 Active Points); Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect always occurs whenever the character does some specific act (armor comes off); 10d6 Killing ; -1 1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect does a predefined amount of damage; 2d6 Severe Transform: into possessed host for demon; -1 1/2), OIF Durable (-1/2) (Real Cost: 3) <b>plus</b> Named not for being made of a demon's hide, but because it hides a demon (Real Cost: 0)

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Hiding behind a palindromedary

[Sorloc]

I had to break this out to try to understand everything you've got here...

Three Powers: Life Support, +10 STR, +5 PD/+5 ED, each with paired side effects, using a focus.

Certainly more concise than what I was doing.

 

Quote

 

Demon Hide Armor:  (Total: 52 Active Cost, 11 Real Cost)

 

Life Support  (Eating: Character does not eat; Longevity: Immortal; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Self-Contained Breathing) (22 Active Points);

Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect always occurs whenever the character does some specific act (armor comes off); 10d6 Killing ; -1 1/2),

Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect does a predefined amount of damage; 2d6 Severe Transform: into possessed host for demon; -1 1/2),

OIF Durable (-1/2) (Real Cost: 5)

<b>plus</b> +10 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (15 Active Points);

Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect always occurs whenever the character does some specific act (armor comes off); 10d6 Killing ; -1 1/2),

Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect does a predefined amount of damage; 2d6 Severe Transform: into possessed host for demon; -1 1/2),

OIF Durable (-1/2) (Real Cost: 3)

<b>plus</b> Resistant Protection (5 PD/5 ED) (Impermeable) (15 Active Points);

Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect always occurs whenever the character does some specific act (armor comes off); 10d6 Killing ; -1 1/2),

Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect does a predefined amount of damage; 2d6 Severe Transform: into possessed host for demon; -1 1/2),

OIF Durable (-1/2) (Real Cost: 3)

<b>plus</b> Named not for being made of a demon's hide, but because it hides a demon (Real Cost: 0)

 

 

[unclevlad]

Yeah, ultimately it's a wonkin' big Side Effect.  I'd throw in +10 CON too.

 

I"d not use a 10d killing attack, as that's overkill.  Unless the intent's to just flat-out kill the person and there won't be a chance for a healer to save his butt...then 10d is fine.

 

I wouldn't use a Transform;  it says subvert, not becomes.  So it's more like Mind Control.

 

Last, these both have their own conditionals.  The killing attack may not be active until the armor's worn in combat (read:  absorbs some of the damage from a blow) or maybe after 24 hours of total wear.  The mind control or transform, from what you said, is more like weeks to months.  Which maybe says, do it as a Mental Transform, and set a VERY long Recovery Time.  Like a year.  (If the mind transform is once a month, then recovering 5/year means never, without taking the armor off.)

 

There's a logical downside here.  You are saying the individual quite literally NEVER takes the armor off, or it kills him.  So he's wearing it in the shower?  In bed?  That suggests a different route:  a Dependence (armor must be worn).  Separate staging...the dependence doesn't kick in for 4-6 hours, but once it does...it's once a turn.  At least the 3d6, and I'd have no issue if you said it's 3d6 doing Body from the get-go (not just after going unconscious).  

 

Dependence

--extremely difficult to obtain dependent substance (well, ok, here that's saying it's hosing you, and there's no other way around it)

--3d6 does Body (+30 points)

--6 hours before initial effect, but 1 turn afterward.  Call this a -5 overall.

 

And the demon subversion thing could also justify tossing in an Addiction.

 

The damage starts when the demon feels pain on its own, as he's being pulled back to his home.  It ends when that happens...perhaps 5 minutes.  Another aspect is, doing it like this allows the creation of an obsessive/addictive behavior...the wearer likes to take it off to clean and inspect his armor, which is like petting the belly of the puppy to the demon.

[unclevlad]

Sidebar.

 

In a fantasy campaign...change it from being armor to being defensive bracers.  These *can* be worn 24/7 without the onset of Odious Personal Habits.

 

edit:  secondary thought, defensive bracers are quite appealing for many types.  No weight, not as obvious, no movement restrictions.  Even if these aren't codified as game hindrances, it's still the kind of thing that should be appealing to a character.

[dsatow]

I was just thinking instead of 10d6 KA, the side effect would be all the effects that the armor prevented being put on the person.  So if worn for a day or two, it isn't too bad, they'd just be hungry and tired.  But if worn for an extended campaign, the armor being removed would make the target suddenly develop wounds all over their body and eventually dying of starvation, thirst, sleep deprivation, and aging.

[unclevlad]

20 hours ago, dsatow said:

I was just thinking instead of 10d6 KA, the side effect would be all the effects that the armor prevented being put on the person.  So if worn for a day or two, it isn't too bad, they'd just be hungry and tired.  But if worn for an extended campaign, the armor being removed would make the target suddenly develop wounds all over their body and eventually dying of starvation, thirst, sleep deprivation, and aging.

 

 

I like the style of how the victim dies...slowly.   Gives the demon time to enjoy it;  why kill fast when you can play?  Unable to Sleep, or Unable to Eat/Drink...the aging side would have to be awfully fast for it to matter.  But whatever.   The point is it's a vicious side effect no matter what.  And yes, I always prefer that these don't happen immediately.  Should be an "OH WOW THIS STUFF IS AWESOME".....then drop the hammer.