Rusting Ability

[Anders]

I've always loved the sheer weirdness of the D&D Rust Monster. So I put together a rusting ability for DF. Something like this:

Rusting

7 points/level

Make a Melee attack with range C. If you hit or the opponent blocks or parries it, the opponents weapon, armor, shield or whatever turns to a pitted chunk of rust. Shields lose 1 DB, since they become unbalanced and difficult to use. Armor halve DR. Weapons become Cheap unless they already are, in which case they become Useless. This only affects the baser weapon metals (iron and copper) and alloys made primarily of these metals. Each use of this ability costs 1 FP.

Edit: Affects level squared x 10 lbs.

Ability: Create (Iron, Copper) with Transmutation to Rust (+50%), Transmutation Only (-100%), Melee Attack (Reach C, -30%), Cosmic: Block or Parry are useless (+50%). 7 points/level

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Neat. *borrows*

[Joel]

Wouldn't a melee corrosion attack (possibly partially with no wounding) with Accessibility: only against metal/iron and Destructive Parry (from powers) do pretty much the same thing?

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Ability: Create (Iron, Copper) with Transmutation to Rust (+50%), Transmutation Only (-100%), Melee Attack (Reach C, -30%), Cosmic: Block or Parry are useless (+50%). 7 points/level

Personally, I would build this ability as
Rusting Touch (Corrosion Attack, Partial Dice, 10 points of damage, equivalent to 2.95 dice of damage; Always On, -30%; Aura +80%; Melee Attack, reach C, -30%; Only against iron*, -20%; Symptom, Fragile (Brittle) at ⅔ HP, +15%) [34/level]

*Copper does rust, but only on the surface, as the oxidated copper protects the rest of the item from further contact with air and water

Anything that touches the possessor of this ability quickly becomes rusted. First, the surface loses it's shine, and then the rust goes deeper and deeper into the core of the item. Soon, the whole item is rusted, and becomes very easy to break.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

Personally, I would build this ability as
Corrosion Attack (Always On, -30%; Aura +80%; Melee Attack, reach C, -30%; Only against iron*, -20%; Symptom, Fragile (Brittle) at ⅔ HP, +15%) [11.5/level]

*Copper does rust, but only on the surface, as the oxidated copper protects the rest of the item from further contact with air and water.

The thing is, as the ability is described in classic D&D, the object just falls to pieces, instantly. That seems to be more a matter of Transmutation than of a Corrosive attack which may need multiple hits. Also, it's an attack, not a passive ability. And I included Copper because I wanted bronze weapons to be affected as well. Yes, in real life copper doesn't oxidates deeply, but in real life there aren't dragons...

Still it's good to know that the same ability can be built multiple ways in GURPS...

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

The thing is, as the ability is described in classic D&D, the object just falls to pieces, instantly. That seems to be more a matter of Transmutation than of a Corrosive attack which may need multiple hits. Also, it's an attack, not a passive ability. And I included Copper because I wanted bronze weapons to be affected as well. Yes, in real life copper doesn't oxidates deeply, but in real life there aren't dragons...

Still it's good to know that the same ability can be built multiple ways in GURPS...

Well, D&D operates on different premises than GURPS. If you need to turn things into rust faster, replace Fragile(Brittle) with Fragile (Unnatural), and/or add more points of damage. As for making it an activated attack, instead of an always on aura, remove Always On and Aura. I personally don't like that, as it's nonsensical IMHO. In fact, by the RAW (if I remember the RAW correctly) undead and other creatures that have energy drain abilities only apply them on specific attacks, so you could grapple it and as long as it did not hit you, it would not drain you, even if you were in full contact. These beings ought to be dangerous to touch!

Now, the thing about working instantly, if there was an iron castle, the size of an US navy carrier, would they rust it instantly? (I know that your build is limited by the level of create) Mine would slowly erode it, until it fell to pieces.

Oh, and check the edited version, that always does 10 points of corrosion damage. It will always reduce DR by 1.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

Now, the thing about working instantly, if there was an iron castle, the size of an US navy carrier, would they rust it instantly? (I know that your build is limited by the level of create) Mine would slowly erode it, until it fell to pieces.

Oh, and check the edited version, that always does 10 points of corrosion damage. It will always reduce DR by 1.

IDHMBWM... Could you tweak a Cyclic attack for this, or are those the ones limited to Tox or Fat?

[lexington]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

IDHMBWM... Could you tweak a Cyclic attack for this, or are those the ones limited to Tox or Fat?

Corrosion is one of the damage types specifically allowed with Cyclic.

[Flyndaran]

I always loved that monster.
Stand back Beefy McFighter, let the skinny guy with the wooden staff defeat this monster. :)

[Bruno]

Depending on the edition, the Rust Monster doesn't respect things like your paltry science and "rusts" any metal, including gold. I like that version actually, as it's thrown itself into the bizarreness of the situation with full abandon, but they're even more annoying to players because they don't have hoards of "inedibles" like gold coins :D