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Old 06-15-2006, 06:42 PM   #11
GnomesofZurich
 
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Default Re: Chemically Augmented Super Soldier

True, it's just the accelerated aging aspect of the Dependency seems a little...clumsy(?) to work with. I had also considered using Terminal Illness (one month) with a drug mitigator, or something like that.

Honestly, I'm not completely satisfied with any of the ways of simulating the dependency/addiction that I've found, but I'm open to suggestions.
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Old 06-15-2006, 11:19 PM   #12
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Default Re: Chemically Augmented Super Soldier

A slight variation: Instead of the soldiers being on a constant regime of nano/drugs/brainwashing in order to maintain their performance profile, make the super soldier their base state and apply a mitigator (suppressants) to it, making them average joes until they go off their meds/protocols re-engage/etc.
This would probably be most useful in modeling veterans who might be reactivated someday but don't need to be benchpressing cars in their civilian life and don't need to be dying like flies.
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Old 06-16-2006, 05:14 AM   #13
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Default Re: Chemically Augmented Super Soldier

Quote:
Originally Posted by GnomesofZurich
Honestly, I'm not completely satisfied with any of the ways of simulating the dependency/addiction that I've found, but I'm open to suggestions.
Another way - which would really be lethal - would be use a Resistible Backlash: Heart Attack -150%, or not quite as dangerous a RB: Coma -125%. That way, the early death part would not come from aging or Terminal Illnness, but from a sudden heart attack (which would fit the description of some fictional inspirations quite well, btw).

In order to both reduce the percentage break a little (anything over net -80% is wasted), and to increase survivability, one could add Reliable +5%/level, only to give a bonus to resist the Backlash.

Like this (may need twinking):

ATR 1 (RB: Coma -125%; Reliable 5 +25%; Switchable +10%; Link +10%) [+20]
ETS (RB: Coma -125%; Reliable 5 +25%; Switchable +10%; Link +10%) [+9]

Now, in order for the limitation to make sense, one would have to require a Backlash-Roll each turn (in fact, two such rolls - one for each advantage). This would require two rolls vs HT+5, failure on each would result in a coma. Deadly, yes. But it would simulate that this awesome power (ATR + ETS for 29 CP) comes at a price.
Rules-wise, one could argue about Switchable, I mainly added it to get some Enhancement. One could also increase Reliable (if the use of Reliable is kosher at all in this way).
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Old 06-16-2006, 07:21 AM   #14
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Default Re: Chemically Augmented Super Soldier

The Resistible Backlash (whatever) is an interesting way to go about this, but the question is whether anyone is willing to play someone like this.

Khaoticphury: It's an interesting suggestion, but how do you propose simulating the strain on the human body that constant drug use has?

I'm kind of leaning towards Dependency: Daily (x3), possibly with the aging modifier. This would be [-39], add in Self Destruct for [-10], and you get a comparable value to the Terminal Illness I had used. Then, as Fnordianslip had it originally, use 2 levels of Short Lifespan [-20], and it's comparable to the Addiction/Terminal Illness way of modeling it.

Perhaps we could set up several disadvantage lenses, so that people could pick whichever one was appropriate for their campaign.
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Old 06-16-2006, 07:29 AM   #15
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Default Re: Chemically Augmented Super Soldier

Quote:
Originally Posted by GnomesofZurich
The Resistible Backlash (whatever) is an interesting way to go about this, but the question is whether anyone is willing to play someone like this.
That's exactly what I thought when I wrote it up. otoh, this would be a conversion that, if real, only very few people would be willing to use. That would certainly be simulated this way.

One could add Luck (Aspected: Backlash rolls Only -20%) to increase survivability, and remove the Backlash from the ETS. Still, I very much see your point.

What disad options do we have now, btw?
#) RB: Something Nasty
#) Dependency with Aging + Self-Destruct
#) Addiction + Terminally Ill

That's it, right?
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Old 06-17-2006, 02:25 PM   #16
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Default Re: Chemically Augmented Super Soldier

Quote:
Originally Posted by GnomesofZurich
Khaoticphury: It's an interesting suggestion, but how do you propose simulating the strain on the human body that constant drug use has?.
I'd make it worse BECAUSE there's no constant drug use.
The suppressant itself should have virtually no effect. Think of it as a speed governor or a pacemaker. It would keep your nanites/neurotransmitters/endocrine system/however you made them badass within a nonfatal and not as usable parameter.
Circumventing your controls or activating it outside of an area where you're receiving immediate feedback and medical support should be very, very bad.

Example 1: A squad of 82nd Airborne Fnordianslip-brand super soldiers are practicing manuvers at Fort Bragg. As they wake up in the morning, their medical bracelets review their vitals and transmit the stats to their medic. Then they eat their Wheaties, laced with every supplement their bodies will need to get by without resorting to cannibalizing resources. Later that day, after a particularly brutal and realistic combat scenario, one of the soldiers busts a blood vessel in his brain.
Immediately, his onboard nanites start damage control, his metabolism throttles down and the team medic stabilizes his condition with a specially prepared kit. An airlift later, the doctors do non invasive surgery to repair the vessel. While they are at it, they repair some damage to his heart, correct some chemical imbalances and deploy stem cells to repair skeletal defects caused by moving too fast or too hard. They tally up the damage, estimate his revised lifespan, move his end-of-service date correspondingly closer and he's back in the field by next week.

Example 2: Years later, our ex-soldier is out and about. The suppressant is a combo of cybernetic and genetic dampers that keep his super-soldier aspects (and their nasty side effects) to a mimimum. It's too difficult to remove the mods, so he's issued a genetic conceal and carry permit and told to behave, plus check in with authority figures every so often, as they're still conducting surveys on returning these guys to civilian life.
One night he's jumped in an alley by many opponents. His mods acknowledge this as a clear and present danger and disengage the safety. Several combat rounds later, his opponents are laid out, but our boy is in danger. His temperature is drastically elevated, his brain is awash in neurotransmitters, his adrenal gland has been all but emptied. Without the steady regimen of military supplements, his body is rapidly tearing apart while the system works to keep him alive from all the damage he just did to himself.
Seconds later he goes into cardiac arrest as his body fails completely. Turns out our boy relied on the system to keep him Very Fit and didn't exercise or diet very well. Good thing his medical bracelet sent a request for medical aid as he released the safety, it means the ambulance might get here in time to resuscitate him.
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Old 06-17-2006, 09:29 PM   #17
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Default Re: Chemically Augmented Super Soldier

That's actually a pretty cool idea. I wonder how you would point that out. Could you design powers with limitations with mitigators? Something like, Backlash heart attack with the heart attack's percentage determined by adding a -40% mitagator, tailored diet and military supplements? That would be a pretty sweet way to run almost all of their powers. As long as they're amped and receiving proper medical/nutritional care, they're fine. The system works as specified. However, if behind enemy lines, alone, with no access to TL 9 medical facilities, they're gonna have to use their powers sparingly.
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Old 06-18-2006, 12:10 PM   #18
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Default Re: Chemically Augmented Super Soldier

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fnordianslip
Could you design powers with limitations with mitigators? Something like, Backlash heart attack with the heart attack's percentage determined by adding a -40% mitagator, tailored diet and military supplements?
That's nice. I'm not sure whether it's strictly canon, but it's an interesting idea.

Power (Resistible Backlash: Heart Attack (Mitigator: monthly treatment, expensive -65%) -97%; Reliable 4 +20%) [Total Modifier: -77%]

Again, I assume that Reliable helps to resist the Backlash (I needed to add some Enhancement to stay within the 80% limit). This would give ATR for 23 CP.
However, one could argue that this is too cheap, seeing that the Heart Attack is avoidable without too much trouble.
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Old 06-18-2006, 08:06 PM   #19
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Default Re: Chemically Augmented Super Soldier

I brought up the vet-model variation more for roleplaying (and preserving the GM's sanity) than to stat it (I suck at 4e still). Basically, what I was gunning for was not a current super soldier who will immediately recourse to being fast and lethal, but for someone who has some chips to play when all else fails (and may have to sacrifice themselves in the process.)
Back in the day, I had a Shadowrun character who used to move at 35+5D6. (I requested permission to parry bullets, but I was denied.) Naturally, my first response to any given situation was to fill it full of holes. Had she risked spontaneous combustion or whiplash for being greased lightning, I might have spent more time talking...
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Old 06-19-2006, 12:00 PM   #20
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Default Re: Chemically Augmented Super Soldier

Quote:
Originally Posted by zorg
...to increase survivability, one could add Reliable +5%/level, only to give a bonus to resist the Backlash.
I gave this some thought.

Reliable is supposed to benefit the same rolls Talent does. Talent specifically does not help with Limitations (such as Unreliable), as per Powers29. Therefore, with the RAW, this use of Reliable to help with Backlash isn't legal.

However.

One has to consider that the use of Reliable (Backlash only) prevents Reliable from helping with other rolls. Also, by adding Reliable, the Limitation value is effectively reduced. Therefore, I consider this to be a fair tradeoff. Even with, say, HT12 and Reliable+6, a natural 18 would still be a Failure.

Thoughts?
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