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Old 05-10-2018, 04:51 PM   #1
AlexanderHowl
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default The Impact of ST and HT 0

So, let us say that I have a character with the following ability: Dirge of Infirmity. Dirge of Infirmity is Affliction 1 (Attribute Penalty, ST-10 and HT-10, +100%; Cone, 20 yards, +250%; Extended Duration, Permanent, Until target's next birthday, +150%; Malediction 3, +200%; Sense-Base, Hearing, -20%; Selective Area, +20%) [80]. On a successful contest of Will versus HT, the character reduces the ST and HT of any target he or she chooses that can hear him or her by 10 until the target's next birthday.

What is the consequence of reducing targets to 0-4 ST and 0-4 HT for an average of six months (assuming that the targets have an average ST and HT between 10 to 14)? Would targets be functional with such low ST and HT or would they have to be the Boy in the Plastic Bubble? Would PCs so afflicted be functional, or would they be effectively disabled for an average of six months?
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Old 05-10-2018, 05:06 PM   #2
roguebfl
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Default Re: The Impact of ST and HT 0

All the below is from HT 0:

For HT 0

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
What HT 0 means is that your HT roll is against 0. Almost all crippling injuries will be "lasting," and about half will be "permanent"; any major wound in combat is likely to knock you out (failing "0 or less" by five or more is about 98% likely); any lethal wound in combat will kill you (you can't fail "0 or less" by the one or two points needed merely to suffer a mortal wound); and afflictions, diseases, poisons, etc., will have their way with you. If you're at HT 0 for a long time, failed HT rolls to recover HP and resist the ravages of aging will kill you eventually. However, HT 0 doesn't mean instant death or even an instant coma . . . it just means inevitable infirmity, illness, decrepitude, and death unless you live in a bubble.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikolai View Post
Nitpick: According to FAQ 3.1.3 you wouldn't die (nor suffer a mortal wound) on a roll of 3 or 4 even against HT 0.
1.85 %, so fat chance, but better than nothing... ;-)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
This is true. I still wouldn't want HT 0, though. It's bad in far too many ways.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoelSammallahti View Post
Ok. So machines don't go boom because of missing maintenance, they just become so decrepit that any kind of strain will put them out of order. Makes sense, thanks everybody!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
Yes. Numerous rules say, "Roll vs. HT or bust!" If a machine suffers enough damage to break down (p. B483) or fall apart (p. B484), is exposed to harsh conditions that could foul it (p. B485), is cinematically redlined (the "extra effort" option on p. 160 of Powers), is Fragile (esp. combustible, explosive, or flammable, p. B136) and exposed to damage that can trigger special injury effects, is Electrical and receives a dose of radiation (p. B436) or an electrical surge (p. 102 of Powers), is a vehicle that suffers a severe body hit that can cause power failure (p. B554), or needs to make a "structural integrity check" for any reason (to see if a rope snaps, a seal holds, etc.), then HT 0 means that, except by blind luck (a roll of 3-4), it is doomed to fail and come apart like a cheap toy.
and for ST 0
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
ST 0 means you have Basic Lift 0 and can pick up nothing. If you have any encumbrance at all, even a gum wrapper, you collapse under its weight. You also have 0 damage, and can't even shove a door open or push aside a cobweb. However, you can walk and act, as long as your walking and acting doesn't involve doing anything other than moving your own body weight from A to B. Thus, air and fire elementals (p. B262) can have ST 0 without being immobilized, but can also be kept out by any barrier they can't penetrate by seeping around or burning.

IQ 0 means you're a rutabaga. Per p. B15, at IQ 0, you're mindless and unable to act without somebody possessing you and operating you via remote control. You need at least IQ 1 to have a self and be able to perceive and act at all, which includes grunting and making gestures. You need at least IQ 6 to use tools and language -- that is, to talk, wield weapons, etc. A human afflicted with -5 to IQ (making him IQ 5) is essentially a gorilla. A human hit with -10 to IQ (making him IQ 0) is essentially a mindless clone body waiting to be possessed.
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Old 05-10-2018, 05:17 PM   #3
AlexanderHowl
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default Re: The Impact of ST and HT 0

Since the effect is 'permanent' (even if it does fade with the target's next birthday), would we recalculate secondary characteristics as per Campaigns (p. 421)? Would a character with ST 0-4 and HT 0-4 for six months suffer from withering on their HP and FP?
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