Insubstantial Ecosystems [Horror/Powers]

[AlexanderHowl]

In many settings, entire insubstantial ecosystems, with the equivalent of flora and fauna, exist beside the substantial world. While they are not a threat to substantial characters, they are a potential threat to any characters with Insubstantiality, as they might not necessarily have Doesn't Eat or Drink. For example, insubstantial autotropes may gather corruption, emotions, mana, etc., insubstantial herbivores may feed on the insubstantial autotropes, etc. Since characters do not necessarily need Immunity (Metabolic Hazards) to possess Insubstantiality, there may even be insubstantial diseases and poisons that continue to afflict characters after they become substantial.

In general, insubstantial ecosystems would probably be filled with entities that possess the following traits: Blindness (Substantial Only, -10%) [-45], Deaf (Substantial Only, -10%) [-18], Insubstantiality (Always On, -50%; Ghost Air, +10%) [48], Invisibility (Affects Machines, +50%; Substantial Only, -10%) [56], Mute (Substantial Only, -10%) [-22], and No Sense of Smell/Taste (Substantial Only, -10%) [-4] (for a total of 15 CP). Insubstantiality, Invisibility, and Mute would allow us to be ignorant of them while Blindness, Deaf, and No Sense of Smell/Taste would allow them to be ignorant of us.

Of course, an insubstantial ecosystem may be a very good reason why there are not that many ghosts, as ghosts would likely be quite ignorant and vulnerable right after death. Hospitals and nursing homes could be the hunting grounds of choice for any number of insubstantial predators and battlefields would likely draw them for miles around as they detected new ghosts popping into existence. Even if ghosts wee hypothetically immortal, many of them might die within their first day of existence because they would be consumed by insubstantial predators.

Have you ever explored the idea of insubstantial ecosystems within your settings? If not, would you consider exploring that idea? Have any of your characters ever encountered insubstantial predators that attacked them? If so, what were they like?

[Tyneras]

Interesting build. Funny thing is it works out to the same cost as Flight (-5 move, -10pts, insubstantial dimension only, -50%) [15] assuming I did that right.

I can't say I've ever done anything with an insubstantial realm. It always felt like less of a hassle to have a parallel dimension you either projected or warped to, from a GM work POV. The idea fits well with a lot of Lovecraft, and I like your build, but just the thought of having to manage characters straddling both Substantial and Insubstantial worlds at once gives me a headache.

[AlexanderHowl]

Well, alternate dimensions work as well, though the insubstantial realm exists in most settings with the paranormal and/or supernatural. Insubstantial ecosystems works well in secret supernatural settings where everyone leaves a ghost behind after they die. The reason why the supernatural is secret in such settings is because most ghosts are consumed before they can figure out how to communicate with the living (which would require them buying a minimum of Switchable for Invisibility).

[Say, it isn't that bad!]

...It makes a lot of sense for the afterlife to be a series of protected fortress bastions and fortified cities in such a setting.

Some ghosts would survive, and those who did, would be very survival-oriented.

And angry humans conquered much of a planet with nothing better than sharp sticks, sharp rocks, and sticks with a sharp rock tied to the top.

[Ulzgoroth]

It's interesting to presume that the insubstantial realm is densely populated with large aggressive predators. Real biomes generally aren't packed full of things that consider a human obvious prey, even a TL 0 human...though fantasy biomes often are, admittedly.

If you randomly drop unequipped humans into a wilderness lots of them will die, but more due to issues of subsistence, disease, and some poison than to being mobbed by wolf-analogues while they're trying to figure out what happened to their pants.

Predators swarming to a battlefield full of freshly-ghosted soldiers would be begging for a vicious turnabout unless they're more individually powerful than any terrestrial predators on Earth - even a tiger or a large bear doesn't want to attack into an opposing force that out-masses it by an order of magnitude.

[AlexanderHowl]

Predators swarming a battlefield of newly formed ghosts without weapons, armor, or even clothing. After all, you cannot take it with you (Signature Gear would be an exception, as you would presumably have an insubstantial version of the items in question).

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Predators swarming a battlefield of newly formed ghosts without weapons, armor, or even clothing. After all, you cannot take it with you (Signature Gear would be an exception, as you would presumably have an insubstantial version of the items in question).

Yes...and a stark naked barehanded human is still a fairly large and powerful animal. Large or organized predators could still consider one human or a small group to be vulnerable. But dozens, hundreds, or thousands all in one place, herding together as humans do? That's a threat more than a resource.

[Tyneras]

If not just humans, but all animals have ghosts that appear in the insubstantial dimension, then I could see a very top heavy ecosystem. Super aggressive predators might be that way just due to competition, trying to make a meal of the new ghost while it's still disoriented before anyone else does.

[AlexanderHowl]

My thinking is that all living things would leave ghosts when they died (as well as native species existing). If ghosts are otherwise unaging (+15 CP to the above template), then you could have some very ancient and very deadly predators. Since their intelligence and their physicality would no longer be limited by biology, they could reach or even exceed human intelligence and for exceed their species limitation. Imagine a ghost tiger that survived long enough to become the equivalent of a human genius or that became as large as an elephant.

[Gumby Bush]

Originally Posted by Tyneras

If not just humans, but all animals have ghosts that appear in the insubstantial dimension, then I could see a very top heavy ecosystem. Super aggressive predators might be that way just due to competition, trying to make a meal of the new ghost while it's still disoriented before anyone else does.

Oh my... all those now unaging insects!