Is Regeneration a Disadvantage?

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by cptbutton

So there is a need for a drug to suppress Regeneration?

It's probably not absolutely necessary, but if you need to do surgery on such a character, yes, such a drug would be useful (at least if they have Fast or better regen, and Fast probably isn't terribly difficult to work around). Also, of course, useful for keeping a regenerator restrained.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Retractors would probably do the trick well enough in the unlikely event that a regenerator actually needed surgery. Foreign objects would probably just be pushed out by the regeneration anyway.

Those are what I had in mind, yes, although I wasn't aware of the proper term for them. You're basically making use of the GM ruling that regen won't expel foreign materials by having this work in your favor (in other settings, retractors may well not work, as the regen will push them out as the character heals).

[AlexanderHowl]

One thing to consider is that someone with Regeneration would not accept implants (bionics, as they replace missing sensory organs, limbs, and extremities, would be fine unless the character also had Regrowth). In my games, Regeneration always expels foreign matter as part of the healing process (the body does not completely heal if foreign matter remains, the effects are just below the resolution of the system).

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

One thing to consider is that someone with Regeneration would not accept implants (bionics, as they replace missing sensory organs, limbs, and extremities, would be fine unless the character also had Regrowth). In my games, Regeneration always expels foreign matter as part of the healing process (the body does not completely heal if foreign matter remains, the effects are just below the resolution of the system).

By comparison, GURPS Magic has an option for Cleansing (p. 94); so perhaps something like it could be an option for Regeneration. Before removing "foreign matter," it allows the caster to specify that something that's integral to the subject such as cyberwear, gold teeth, etc. is not affected by the spell.

[corwyn]

Originally Posted by MIB.6361

If you apply that concept to other Advantages, the logic starts breaking down.

"Because of your Acute Vision, the flash of light blinds you twice as long."

That one is particularly bad since someone with IQ 10, Acute Vision 1 gets treated worse than someone with IQ 16 who has the higher visual perception.

OTOH, Night Vision does actually work this way in some cases.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by MIB.6361

If you apply that concept to other Advantages, the logic starts breaking down.

"Because of your Acute Vision, the flash of light blinds you twice as long."
"Because of your High Pain Threshold, you didn't notice the sword severed your femoral artery."

That isn't really the same concept apply in in the same way, however.

If we apply the kind of logic that says Acute Vision means being blinded by a strong light source lasts twice as long, or that you won't notice how badly you're injured due to your High Pain Threshold, that is more in line with "Because of how many times your Regeneration has healed your cells in this area of your body, you developed cancer."

We're questioning how many of the real-world or game RAW concerns involved with mundane healing apply and do not apply to Regeneration. If I wanted to compare it so something, it might Damage Resistance. It can still inconvenience you even if it doesn't have crippling bulk or cause appearance issues. Or am I misunderstanding the uFAQ entry again? ^^'

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

One thing to consider is that someone with Regeneration would not accept implants (bionics, as they replace missing sensory organs, limbs, and extremities, would be fine unless the character also had Regrowth).

Wolverine, Cyborg and many others might have different ideas on this.

[Rhyzvhanic]

Regeneration is supernatural healing and thus heals supernaturally. It wouldn't "heal improperly", the power is that all wounds heal properly at amazing speeds. Saying otherwise is just trying to pull one over your players. Ban the advantage and have a spine if you don't want it in use.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Rhyzvhanic

Regeneration is supernatural healing and thus heals supernaturally. It wouldn't "heal improperly", the power is that all wounds heal properly at amazing speeds. Saying otherwise is just trying to pull one over your players. Ban the advantage and have a spine if you don't want it in use.

Regeneration doesn't have to be supernatural. It exceeds human limits, but could be a product of technology, superscience, or just nonhuman physiology. Admittedly the higher levels tend to strain any kind of physical plausibility, but even so.

There are certainly settings where 'heal super fast but with nasty potential complications' is an appropriate trait. I've been reading a bunch of Worm fanfic recently, for instance... I'd certainly agree that trying to impose such complications on stock Regeneration is wrong, but the concept of the complications isn't.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by Rhyzvhanic

Regeneration is supernatural healing and thus heals supernaturally. It wouldn't "heal improperly", the power is that all wounds heal properly at amazing speeds. Saying otherwise is just trying to pull one over your players. Ban the advantage and have a spine if you don't want it in use.

Just because an element is fantastic doesn't guarantee it avoids all drawbacks.

That is why I linked to that post about DR. I was on the side that thought unmodified DR affected appearance, and it needed a modifier to be the "invisible" DR of many comic book heroes. I was wrong. That doesn't mean that the DR, which is "Always on" by default, cannot ever cause complications. For more detail, check the link to the uFAQ.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Otaku

Just because an element is fantastic doesn't guarantee it avoids all drawbacks.

.

However, the default version of any Power probably should be free of inherent defects. Of course, I know of RAW examples where this isn't true. See single-Minded and Invisible as examples.

I hope to see those re-written if there ever is a Gurps 5e. It would be so much clearer if the "default" version of any Power didn't have built-in defects and if your version does it would be because you put them there.