Malaria as a disadvantage

[Adina]

One of my players wants to take this. The campaign is set in 1946 and his character was a Marine in the Pacific during WW2.

I see two options, either Chronic Pain or a Dependency on Cloroquine.
Thoughts?

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by jmurrell

One of my players wants to take this. The campaign is set in 1946 and his character was a Marine in the Pacific during WW2.

I see two options, either Chronic Pain or a Dependency on Cloroquine.
Thoughts?

3rd Edition said -5 points:

Originally Posted by Cliffhangers page 87

Malaria -5 points

You have malaria and regularly suffer from attacks of the disease (see details on p. CII170). Roll vs. HT+2 each week while under mental or physical stress; roll vs. HT+4 at other times. A failed HT roll brings on an attack. There is a +1 to HT rolls if the character takes a daily prophylactic dose of quinine (roll vs. HT+2 or suffer mild nausea and/or vomiting from the drug).
Characters with Immunity to Disease are immune to malaria and cannot take this disadvantage.

Originally Posted by Compendium II page 170

Malaria
Malaria was once endemic among adventurers; a man without malaria was obviously a stay-at-home.

Anyone traveling in tropical and subtropical areas (Egypt, the Mediterranean, Africa, Central or South America, the wetter parts of southern North America, southern China, Indochina) may be stricken with malaria, a protozoan disease spread by over 100 species of mosquito. Roll three dice once for each week spent in a malaria infested region. A roll of 6 or less means the victim has contracted the disease and symptoms will show in 3d+54 hours. High health gives no resistance to malaria; the protozoa prefer a healthy host.

Modifiers: +1 if insect repellents are used regularly; +1 if the victim uses mosquito netting at night; +2 if he takes a prophylactic dose of quinine every day; -1 to -3 (GM’s discretion) if the traveler is in mosquito-infested swamps.

A malarial attack lasts 1d+6 hours. Symptoms include chills and a high fever followed by headaches, nausea and profuse sweating. After each attack the victim will return to normal for 48 to 72 hours, then another attack will occur. The sufferer is incapacitated (delirious, unable to move or fight and alternately burning with fever and racked with tooth-chattering chills) during these attacks. Between attacks the victim is weak (-2 to ST) and has little endurance (double all fatigue costs).
Malaria is treated with quinine. Roll against HT-2 each day that quinine is administered; on a success, the series of attacks stops. If no quinine is available, roll every day against HT-8. Untreated malaria will prove fatal on a natural 18.

Malaria can incubate for years in an apparently healthy individual. Anyone who has ever had malaria can have another attack at the GM’s discretion. Malarial attacks always seem to happen at the most embarrassing time. There is no immunization for malaria.

[Anders]

I'd go with a meta-trait of Chronic Pain, reduced HT and probably Very Unfit with Mitigator (-60% -70%?). Something like that.

[Flyndaran]

My father contracted malaria in the American-Vietnam war. But he never had an attack as long as my mother knew him until the day he died in 88.
So the point value would really depend on the frequency of attacks which will vary drastically between strains and individuals.

[Gollum]

The Frequency of Appearance Table (Basic Set, Characters, page 36) could be used, then.

[Donny Brook]

Alright, so now what about malaria as an Advantage?.

[ravenfish]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Alright, so now what about malaria as an Advantage?.

What's the benefit you're trying to get from it? I suppose that, "my various disadvantages already include the effects of malaria, so being further exposed to malaria won't make it any worse" could conceivably be interpreted as an "immunity to one specific disease" perk....

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by ravenfish

What's the benefit you're trying to get from it? I suppose that, "my various disadvantages already include the effects of malaria, so being further exposed to malaria won't make it any worse" could conceivably be interpreted as an "immunity to one specific disease" perk....

I think it's just a joke about the title.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Alright, so now what about malaria as an Advantage?.

Like a mutant strain that grants enhanced abilities or superpowers? A psionic catalyst bug, perhaps?