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Old 11-25-2020, 07:25 AM   #1
PiperHolmes
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Default Question on Contagion

Hey all:

Reading pg 443 of the corebooks has left me with a question.

is the default assumption of GURPs that somebody who makes their save/is immune by default a carrier or a non carrier? The Contagion table specifies 'victim', which makes me think that means only somebody who fails the HT roll is a carrier.
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Old 11-25-2020, 07:55 AM   #2
AlexanderHowl
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default Re: Question on Contagion

Not a carrier, as success means no infection (immunity usually only occurs on a critical success or due to recovery). Failure usually means that the individual is a carrier until they manifest symptoms.
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Old 11-25-2020, 08:25 AM   #3
Kromm
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Default Re: Question on Contagion

This depends on the disease. The Basic Set rules paint in broad strokes. The only consistent factor is that if you resist by making the HT roll, you don't exhibit symptoms: injury, fatigue, afflictions, etc.

A number of realistic diseases would fit the pattern "Any failure means you're both sick and a carrier, regular success means you're not sick but still a carrier, and only critical success means you're neither sick nor a carrier." That is, just about all people exposed become carriers, even if they resist getting sick themselves.

Most diseases are closer to "Any failure means you're both sick and a carrier, while any success means you're neither." That is, if you're carrying the disease, it's making you sick.

And there are even a few diseases which would be something like "Critical failure means you're both sick and a carrier, regular failure means you're just sick, and any success means you're neither." That is, the disease makes you sick but isn't particularly contagious.
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Old 11-25-2020, 12:26 PM   #4
ravenfish
 
Join Date: May 2007
Default Re: Question on Contagion

Adding to the complications, for some diseases, the period of high transmission and the period of severe symptoms may not line up, so, even if a failure means you are both sick and a carrier, these may not happen at the same time.
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Old 11-25-2020, 02:25 PM   #5
David Johnston2
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Question on Contagion

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
This depends on the disease. The Basic Set rules paint in broad strokes. The only consistent factor is that if you resist by making the HT roll, you don't exhibit symptoms: injury, fatigue, afflictions, etc.

A number of realistic diseases would fit the pattern "Any failure means you're both sick and a carrier, regular success means you're not sick but still a carrier, and only critical success means you're neither sick nor a carrier." That is, just about all people exposed become carriers, even if they resist getting sick themselves..
I would actually suggest that for a disease that has a significant number of asymptomatic carriers that two health rolls should be required, and success at both means complete success at fighting off contagion and you aren't a carrier.
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Old 11-25-2020, 02:28 PM   #6
Kromm
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Default Re: Question on Contagion

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Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post

I would actually suggest that for a disease that has a significant number of asymptomatic carriers that two health rolls should be required, and success at both means complete success at fighting off contagion and you aren't a carrier.
That's a quick hack, sure. The trick being that there are diseases you can carry regardless of your immune function, which is what your HT roll represents. Just about anybody can convey a dose of virus from A to B on their skin, for instance, where it'll remain out of reach of your immune system for at least long enough to infect others. That's more an IQ roll for personal hygiene than a HT roll.
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Old 11-25-2020, 02:31 PM   #7
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Question on Contagion

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Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
That's a quick hack, sure. The trick being that there are diseases you can carry regardless of your immune function, which is what your HT roll represents. Just about anybody can convey a dose of virus from A to B on their skin, for instance, where it'll remain out of reach of your immune system for at least long enough to infect others. That's more an IQ roll for personal hygiene than a HT roll.
Well you're not really a carrier in that case. The disease isn't in your system. You're just a vector.
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