Chilling touch attack for undead idea

[Plane]

Originally Posted by b-dog

I am thinking of a power that ghosts and other undead might possess where the ghost strikes a PC and then it does damage as normal but then the PC suffers a penalty to all rolls of the same amount as the damage done by the ghost. So a ghost or vampire strikes a PC and damages him for 8 points of damage them all of the PCs rolls are at -8 until the wound is healed. Holy water can also be used to cleanse the wound and remove the penalty to skill rolls but does not heal the physical damage.

The closest I can think of would be Symptoms (DX Penalty) but that can't be "per damage" it has to be "when you've lost a % of HP" (either 1/3 or 1/2 or 2/3)

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Plane

The closest I can think of would be Symptoms (DX Penalty) but that can't be "per damage" it has to be "when you've lost a % of HP" (either 1/3 or 1/2 or 2/3)

Well, Symptoms exists in GURPS but not in the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game. Even in GURPS, though, nothing prevents monsters from working however they work . . . they are not (and should not) be built on character points, so you can just say "every N HP lost causes effect X," where X can be a penalty to something, energy points toward a curse (as in my example), or whatever you like. For hack 'n' slash monsters, the question isn't whether you can build it using full-on, complicated GURPS, but only whether it's fun.

[b-dog]

How about this as an idea for vampire charm that does not totally stink? Instead of the PC rolling and then if he fails is under the control of the vampire. Instead the vampire puts say a -5 penalty to the PCs skill roll and if the PC rolls below the penalty then he gets to do what he wants. But if not he does what the vampire wants. So maybe the PC has has a Will of 16 and the vampire is using charm gaze at -6 penalty power. So if the PC want to use his sword to attack he must first roll he Will and he must roll 10 or lower to use his sword but if he gets 11 or higher he does what the vampire wants.

[b-dog]

Anyway, the idea with the above system is that the PC has a chance to do something if he rolls successfully but he also has a chance to be controlled by the vampire and do what the vampire wants. So the PC is not completely sidelined as with the regular charm spell or power. This keeps the PC active in the game and maybe the PC could spend some fatigue to increase his odds of succeeding

[ArchonShiva]

Shock offers a precedent for harsh (though short-lived) penalties. Double shock is a [-10] Disadvantage, so not insane either. What you could do is have monsters that inflict a major penalty (here, up to -8) through a new mechanic similar to shock but based on... necrotic energy, rather than pain (so neither modifier applies). The attack might do no actual damage.
I would suggest making these penalties more focused than Shock: -4 to DX-based rolls with the affected limb, which includes -1 Dodge for a leg or -2 parry for an arm; -4 IQ-based rolls when the head is hit; -4 to HT-based rolls except death or limb major wounds/crippling on a torso hit. Double penalties if the hit is to an extremity, the skull, or vitals.
The penalties last until the end of your next turn, so these monsters would be very good at opening you up for further attacks.
I would pore through Advantages and Disadvantages to find something appropriate to halve the penalty, as well as something that would always use the 08 (but not double on extremity etc.)