Lycanthropy as a disadvantage

[Nexahs]

About to start a Monster Hunters campaign (400 point characters, using the templates from MH1), and one of my players is going to be a werewolf (again, using the template from MH1 as much as is possible). In this world though werewolves are actually created by demons to hunt down psis, so when he's in the presence of a psi he'll be forced to change form and kill the psi to the best of his ability. So I'm trying to make a disad that'll force him to change, as well as a special Detect (Psis). Problems I'm facing:

1. I want Detect (Psis) to be sense-based, specifically smell-based, but the actual Sense-Based limitation doesn't really work with Detect.

2. I'm not sure where to begin making a disad that forces him to change.

Appreciate the helps in advance!

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Nexahs

About to start a Monster Hunters campaign (400 point characters, using the templates from MH1), and one of my players is going to be a werewolf (again, using the template from MH1 as much as is possible). In this world though werewolves are actually created by demons to hunt down psis, so when he's in the presence of a psi he'll be forced to change form and kill the psi to the best of his ability. So I'm trying to make a disad that'll force him to change, as well as a special Detect (Psis). Problems I'm facing:

Neat!

Originally Posted by Nexahs

1. I want Detect (Psis) to be sense-based, specifically smell-based, but the actual Sense-Based limitation doesn't really work with Detect.

Add Smell-Based, Reversed (-20%) to channel it through the wolf's Sense of smell. See GURPS Powers (p. 105) for a full-explanation of how that works.

Originally Posted by Nexahs

2. I'm not sure where to begin making a disad that forces him to change.

Add "Uncontrollable Trigger, Psis, -5%" and maybe "Temporary Disadvantage, Berserk (Accessibility, Only in the presence of psis, -40%), -15%" to Alternate Form. See GURPS Powers (p. 106) for Uncontrollable Trigger. Limiting limitations isn't exactly RAW - but lots of GMs do it - including myself.

[Flyndaran]

Berserk alone isn't enough to induce murderous hatred, though.

What's to keep the character from just walking around with a clothespin on his nose?

[Bruno]

Temporary disadvantage: obsession, kill psis. Temporary disadvantage: Fanatacism, my demon creators. Involuntary Duty. There's a few ways you can go about that sort of thing.

The clothespin issue is separate: people think you're a weirdo if you do that, and never being able to breathe through your nose is pretty dang unpleasant. But he could do that - voluntarily giving up all smell based advantages and giving yourself technology-based Anosmia is possible. Sounds like a fair tradeoff.

[johndallman]

Nostril plugs that are less obvious than a clothespin are easily possible, although still pretty unpleasant to wear. People might notice that you always breathe through your mouth, but are unlikely to make anything of it.

[Flyndaran]

Mouth breathing can easily be an O.P.H. even when for legitimate physical reasons.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Mouth breathing can easily be an O.P.H. even when for legitimate physical reasons.

Hum, yes. Now you remind me, I've seen it described as such, but never run into it in real life. What's actually objectionable about it? Noise? People leaving their mouths hanging wide open? You don't need to open very wide to get as much air as nostrils allow, and mouth-breathing when you are winded and need the air doesn't seem to be objectionable.

[Flyndaran]

What's objectionable about any O.P.H.? It's all just personal disgust and irritation, and rarely logical avoidance of dangers.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by johndallman

You don't need to open very wide to get as much air as nostrils allow, and mouth-breathing when you are winded and need the air doesn't seem to be objectionable.

It takes physical effort to keep your mouth partly open. If it's open all day (say, because your sinuses are massively congested, been there) your jaw gets tired and you just stop that and give up. [1]

It's not a pretty habit. The inside of your mouth beyond the front of your teeth is a pretty private area. There's a reason so many childish faces involve doing goofy things with your mouth.
It also tends to end up with funny breathing noises, as most people who are mouth breathing have some sort of breathing problem.
Finally, there's a bit of a social stigma problem, in that it's culturally associated with low intelligence.

Regardless, the werewolf would have the option of not doing this; it's controllable. But it's going to be a lot harder to find nose plugs or clothes pegs that work for a wolf nose, and the wolf's sense of smell is a big part of the usefulness of the werewolf template in Monster Hunters.

[1] If you've got sinusitis that bad, go see your doctor. Been there, wasn't nice.

[RogerBW]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Finally, there's a bit of a social stigma problem, in that it's culturally associated with low intelligence.

And with being more likely to catch any droplet-borne diseases that are going, since all the nasal filtering is taken out of the loop.