Thread: Vampire Virus
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Old 12-08-2017, 03:11 AM   #30
Otaku
 
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Join Date: Nov 2011
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Default Re: Vampire Virus

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jinumon View Post
I'm more of a "less-is-more" kind of guy when it comes to templates. I think they should change how a person plays rather than giving them a distinct advantage or disadvantage. I'm also a big fan of 0-point, transformative templates, so that characters can become afflicted in play without having to worry about shuffling points around. This is probably something close to what I'd do:

Vampire [0 points]
Attributes: ST+2 [20].
Secondary Characteristics: Basic Speed+0.25 [5].
Advantages: Discriminatory Smell [15]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Night Vision 5 [5]; Rapid Healing (Very) [15]; Unaging [15].
Disadvantages: Infectious Attack [-5]; Restricted Diet (Human Blood) [-10]; Social Stigma (Monster) [-15]; Uncontrollable Appetite (12 or less) [-15]; Weakness (Sunlight, 1d/minute) [-60].

Notably, but not unbelievably stronger than humans, Discriminatory Smell and Night Vision to allow them to stalk prey, Immunity to Metabolic Hazards as the Virus burns away all other bodily invaders, Very Rapid Healing and Unaging to assist in maintaining the host's life, Infectious Attack/Restricted Diet/Uncontrollable Appetite to allow and encourage the Virus to propagate itself, and Weakness to Sunlight because, well, they aren't really "Vampires" without it.

Jinumon
I'm also fond of keeping template costs down. Besides making it more accessible during character creation or less problematic when gained during play, I find it also makes me a little less likely to ask "If these guys are so great (and thus so pricey), why aren't they in charge?" I mean, unless they are in charge. ;) Of course, I've got some suggested tweaks for the template, or bits that I question. I wouldn't mind another level or two of Strength, or some more HP so that the vampires could take more of a beating. Very Rapid Healing requires HT 12+... so was HT+2 supposed to be included in the template?

Even HT+2 was intended, I'd recommend Regeneration (Slow) instead. For 10 CP, you still get all the goodies you would get from the 5 CP version of Rapid Healing, so you're only skipping the HT 12+ requirement and "regular" healing rolls healing 2 HP instead of one. Regeneration (Slow) means the vampire will regain 1 HP every 12 hours in addition to natural healing. With that +5 to the healing roll - again, Regeneration includes the benefits of Rapid Healing - a vampire with HT 10 is going to recover up to three HP per day (two from Regeneration, 1 with a HT+5 roll under the usual healing restrictions). This gives us a nicely durable but still mortal vampire, I think. Such a vampire, even with just HT 10, could be wounded to nearly automatic death, but still be fully recovered in three weeks with proper bed rest. A vampire just as injured but unable to rest would still be fully healed after a month. Plenty of things the template could use that cost 5 (or less) CP. The shortlist (to me) would include Claws (Blunt), Teeth (Sharp), Hard To Kill (one or two levels), and Hard to Subdue (one or two levels).

Of course, I'd like to lose the "Uncontrollable Appetite" Disadvantage; it just doesn't seem to fit a toned down, biological vampire that well. Unusual Biochemistry is only worth -5 CP but seems to fit. I'm trying to remember if there is a trait that could represent a vampire's classic issue with garlic... but instead of being something supernatural, it's just strong smelling foods that they can no longer eat make them nauseous (or something to that effect). Something not typical of vampires, but which might work for victims of a "vampire virus" is Maintenance. They are humans with a rare disease, after all.
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