| From: | Doctor Doom <JCH8169@*****.TAMU.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Regeneration, Cyberware, & Shifters, OH MY!!! |
| Date: | Mon, 10 May 1993 21:59:04 -0500 |
I have actually spoken, rather queried the Dark Lord on High, Tom Dowd, on this
topic. The question being when "all wounds vanish" at the end of the turn,
does this healing process apply to mental damage as well?
Yes, it does. If a Vampire nearly causes himself to lose consciousness because
of drain, in 3 seconds, he is fully functional again. If a Wendigo was just
punched in the jaw, the bruises will heal at the end of the turn. Now, I hear
you say, this makes HMHVV and Shape-Shifting creatures particularly nasty, and
I (and Dowd, incidentally) would respond, you are correct.
One other aspect of this issue I might mention, for those campaigns which
permit Vampiric players (mind you, I do not mean to say I openly
endorse or vehemently oppose such activity--it is for the Game Master to decide
if he/she wishes to deal with it), an undead creature's Immunity to Poisons
also applies to other drugs. This translates to the fact that Stimulant
Patches do not affect Vampires (Imagine, a mage who you can slap a Level 10
Stimulant Patch on without having it affect them!), nor do Tranquilizer or
Trauma Patches function.
Regeneration and Cyberware...
This topic has been touched on before; however, as it has re-surfaced, I shall
once again state my position. Arguments of Munchkinism aside, as that is not
the issue I shall address, I should like to know how one proposes to install
said cyberware into a creature that Regenerates every 3 seconds? Make an
incision, and a moment later, it is sealed again. There have been no
indications there is any method to suppress this "reflex" of the body to
instantly repair itself, and therefore still leaves the question of
installation.
Assuming one may actually perform the operation, when the Shifter's body
regenerates due to damage received, there is the sticky possibility of the
intruding apparatus being expelled. Naturally, this could have very dire
consequences, especially in cases of such large systems as Wired II and III.
The interesting issue raised of when a Shifter alters his form, does the
cyberware follow suit is an interesting twist on the above inquiry. If it does
not, it shall accordingly shred the hapless Shifter as it no longer conforms to
the body in which it was installed. Or does the fact that the Shifter
exchanged Essence for the systems indicate it it enough a part of his being to
conform to the alterations in his shape?
As none of this is covered in the rules, I would be inclined to conclude it
either it does not happen (although, I do not dismiss the possibility) or the
designers did not conceive of Regenerating being having cybernetic
augmentation. In either case, I would still preclude Shifters and Vampires
from possessing cyberware.
Why? There has been no satisfactory method of performing the surgery necessary
to the implantation of the cybernetic systems. True, a player and Game Master
may decide to "hash out" an idea for it, but I would make argument it is not
necessary, nor should it be allowed. Vampires and Shifters are already
sufficiently potent without the addition of cybernetic augmentation, especially
if magically active.
Colonel Count von Hohenzollern und von Doom, DMSc, DSc, PhD.
Doom Technologies & Weapon Systems -- Dark Thought Publications
>>> Working on solutions best left in the dark.
<<<
[ Doctor Doom : jch8169@********.tamu.edu ]
