Disease and Poison

[kirbwarrior]

So I noticed that many things that are priced on Poison are more expensive than disease. Which made me think to look it up online. Apparently disease is considered a type of poison. Is this assumed in GURPS?

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by kirbwarrior

So I noticed that many things that are priced on Poison are more expensive than disease. Which made me think to look it up online. Apparently disease is considered a type of poison. Is this assumed in GURPS?

I don't think so. Even if one is defined as a subset of the other in the real world (I wasn't aware of anything like that) in GURPS they are separate phenomenon, only linked by being subsets of Metabolic Hazard. I think the pricing difference may be due to the assumption that Disease is a passive hazard, existing in the environment, and proper precaution can defend against it. Poisons tend to be hazards used actively as part of an attack.

[kirbwarrior]

Okay, that makes perfect sense. Thank you. On that note, how much would Immune to both be?

[rishi]

I'd say 25 points. One each of Immunity (Poison) [15] and Immunity (Disease) [10], pp. B80-81.

Edit: or 30 points, with Immunity (Sickness), so even non-environmental biological hazards are avoided. Not sure what else this covers, but it'd help a hypochondriac :P

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by rishi

IEdit: or 30 points, with Immunity (Sickness), so even non-environmental biological hazards are avoided. Not sure what else this covers, but it'd help a hypochondriac :P

I think the RAW name for that is Immunity to Metabolic Hazards.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

I don't think so. Even if one is defined as a subset of the other in the real world (I wasn't aware of anything like that) in GURPS they are separate phenomenon, only linked by being subsets of Metabolic Hazard. I think the pricing difference may be due to the assumption that Disease is a passive hazard, existing in the environment, and proper precaution can defend against it. Poisons tend to be hazards used actively as part of an attack.

Both are subsets of Metabolic Hazards. Poison is a direct subset, and Disease is a subset of Sickness which is itself a direct subset of Metabolic Hazards.

Although the frustrating thing is that they're placed on the same level for the purposes of Susceptible. That is, for that disadvantage, Poison and Disease are both listed as "Very Common". What that means for pricing of Susceptible to Sickness, or Susceptible to Metabolic Hazards is... unclear.

I believe this is the one place in the system where the two are priced on the same level (Susceptible). I've always suspected it was an error.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

I don't think so. Even if one is defined as a subset of the other in the real world (I wasn't aware of anything like that) in GURPS they are separate phenomenon, only linked by being subsets of Metabolic Hazard. I think the pricing difference may be due to the assumption that Disease is a passive hazard, existing in the environment, and proper precaution can defend against it. Poisons tend to be hazards used actively as part of an attack.

That's my thinking too.

Another is that poisons tend to work faster, on the scale of minutes, whereas diseases work on the scale of days.

The OP might also benefit from being told that GURPS in some cases operates with a "mixed" category called sickness, which I can't remember exactly what is. It's used in MH1, but I'm sure I've also seen it before in another supplement (or possibly the core book?).`

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Basic, pg 81

Sickness (all diseases and environmental syndromes) is a Common Resistance. [15*]
Poison (all toxins, but not asphyxiants or corrosives) is also a Common Resistance. [15*]
Disease (all bacteria, viruses, fungus infections, etc) is an Occasional Resistance. [10*]

[Fwibos]

I've got rules for a bunch of diseases and parasites for my Low tech realistic campaign. I'll post them some day if you'd like.

[BaHalus]

That's interesting. I remember to find malaria as a disadvantage in swashbucklers in 3ed. I was thinking about how to model other chronical diseases in a disadvantage system.

but these are obviously tech dependent disadvantages.

Non chronical diseases for in game would be interesting too.