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Old 03-14-2016, 05:39 AM   #1
scc
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Default Converting Eberron Symbionts to GURPS

OK the books Eberron Campaign Setting and Magic of Eberron for D&D 3.5 both had Symbionts, something of a cross between a parasite a biological cyberware, created by the Daelkyr, the Eldest of Elder Things, the make their servants, the other Elder Things, more useful. This makes them a natural candiate for use in DF games both to increase the threat of various Elder Things the party encounters and as a form of loot.

While a Symbiont with no host will seek out a willing or helpless host if they don't currently have a host GMs and Players should keep in mind that they are Elder Things and should treat them as such. A Symbiont will try and further the aims of whatever Elder Things created them and will fight a host for control of their body if the host takes actions contrary to this. Possessing a Symbiont is also likely to bring a Player to the attention of Elder Things, particularly if either of them uses Psi Powers.

Notes:
Attaching or detaching one of these from a person causes them to suffer 2 points of cutting damage, if for some reason they don't take this damage (Natural DR, Immunity) it can not be attached or detached, in such cases an injury great enough to actually damage must be done first in order to perform the action.
How people react to someone using Symbionts is left up to the GM, but it is likely to garner a negative reaction even in the most tolerant communities.
It may be possible to commission armor tailored to include space for any Symbionts the purchaser has at the time of commissioning, armor must be of Fine quality and likely losses the weight reduction, as material must be used to allow for the Symbionts, granting them the protection of the armor, how this effects the Symbionts Can Be Stolen Limitation is up to the GM. Not all armor smiths are likely to perform this service but.
All Symbionts have ST 1, DX 10, IQ 6, HT 12 and HP 5 when not attached to a host, with DR equal to the value in their Gadget Limitation and Basic Move and Speed of 1.
Points prices are provided in case for some reason PCs have a chance to purchase them that way, otherwise they don't normally apply. Market prices probably don't apply, it's unlikely anyone carries them. GMs should apply weights of no more then 10 pounds each to these.
And the Spellwurm hasn't been converted because Psionics–Magic Transparency, so something with a Psionic origin providing spells is a bit weird.

Breed Leach 4 points
Breed Leach's are sent out into the world to attach themselves to pregnant women, corrupting the pregnancy causing them to give birth to a half-breed.
Vitality Reserve 5 (Gadget, Breakable, DR 2, -20%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-6, -10%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest, DX, -30%;) [4];
Note: If stolen the thief does not immediately gain the points in the VR, he must recover them from 0 first.

Crawling Gauntlet 9 Points
Looking like a cross between the glove of a suit of armor and some sort of insect Crawling Gauntlet's are used to give creatures claws that normally lack them, generally because such features would get in the way of them using tools.
Talons (Gadget, Breakable, DR 5, -15%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-5, -10%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest, DX, -30%;) [3.2] + DR 5 (Gadget, Breakable, DR 2, -20%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-6, -10%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest, DX, -30%; Partial, One Hand Only, -80%) [5];
Notes: Can not be hidden under armor as the resulting combination is too bulky to avoid attracting attention. When under armor, armor must have holes or talons.

Living Breastplate 20 points
A major piece of armor designed to further protect the already formidable monsters the Hidden Masters create.
DR 5 (Gadget, Breakable, DR 5, -15%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-1, -20%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Must be forcefully removed, -10%; Flexible, -20%; Partial, Torso Only, -10%) [6.25] + Hard to Kill 5 (Gadget, Breakable, DR 5, -15%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-1, -20%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Must be forcefully removed, -10%;) [6.5] + Hard to Subdue 5 (Gadget, Breakable, DR 5, -15%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-1, -20%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Must be forcefully removed, -10%;) [6.5]
Note: Converting armor between D&D and GURPS is a bit tricky, more so when it also grants D&D damage reduction, especially when the damage reduction is setting dependent, so for now I've simply settled on giving it the same DR as must steel armor in GURPS, but adding more DR that doesn't work against some material that damages Elder Things would not be out of the question. The Stabilize Host ability is also tricky, for now I've represented it with both Hard to Kill and Hard to Subdue, it's supposed to sap the hosts strength every time it's used, but GURPS characters make those sorts of rolls far more often then D&D characters do. And I've no idea how to convert the Light Fortification ability, there's no parallel.

Stormstalk 5 points
A Stormstalk is used to grant creatures that do not have innate ranged attacks or manipulators to manufactured ones the ability to strike at range.
Burning Attack 1 (Gadget, Breakable, DR 2, -20%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-6, -10%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest, DX, -30%; No Incendiary Effect, -10%; Side Effect, Attribute Penalty, DX-1, +60%, Surge, +20%; PM, -10%) [5];
Notes: Attack is electrical and may pass through metal armor at GMs discretion, like the Lightning Bolt spell, if so Malediction should be added. Needs hole in armor to fire out of.

Tentacle Whip 9 points
An organic whip with a poison stinger, probably more useful for looking mean and nasty then anything else. Use Whip skill to attack.
Crushing Attack 1 (Armor Divisor, 0.5, -30%; Gadget, Breakable, DR 2, -20%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest, DX, -30%; Melee Attack, Can Not Parry, -20%; ; Side Effect, Attribute Penalty, DX-2, +70%; ST-based +100%;) [8.5]

Throwing Scarab [22]
A combination of the Crawling Gauntlet and the Stormstalk, the Throwing Scarb fits over the hand like the Crawling Gauntlet but lets you make ranged attacks like the Stormstalk. Each turn the Scarab generates a crystal shard, which you may draw and then throw with Thrown Weapon (Crystal Shard) on the next turn, or this turn with a Fast Draw roll. Shard remain in existence for 1d turns after created.
Impaling Attack 1 (Gadget, Breakable, DR 5, -15%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-5, -10%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest, DX, -30%; ST-based +100%) [11.6] + Corrosion Attack 1 (Gadget, Breakable, DR 5, -15%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-5, -10%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest, DX, -30%; Follow-up, 0%) [4.5] + DR 5 (Gadget, Breakable, DR 2, -20%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-6, -10%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest, DX, -30%; Partial, One Hand Only, -80%) [5];

Tounge Worm 26 points
Probably found more often on bestial servants, allowing them to subdue targets for live capture.
Sharp Teeth [1] + Affliction 1 (Incapacitation, Paralysis, +150%; Follow-up, Sharp Teeth, +0%) [25]

Winter Cyst
A variant of the Stormstalk, the Winter Cyst Freezing the target instead of shocking them.
Burning Attack 1 (Gadget, Breakable, DR 2, -20%; Gadget, Breakable, SM-6, -10%; Gadget, Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest, DX, -30%; No Incendiary Effect, -10%; Side Effect, Attribute Penalty, ST-2, +60%, PM, -10%) [4];
Note: Needs hole in armor to fire out of.
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Old 03-16-2016, 04:25 AM   #2
scc
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Default Re: Converting Eberron Symbionts to GURPS

I Hinted at this in a previous post and now I've completed it, my Half-Breed template, or what happens when a pregnancy is corrupted by the Elder Things via a Breed-Leach:

Half-Breed 25 points
Half-Breeds are born when a Breed Leach attachs itself to a pregant women and remains undetected long enough to corrupt the pregancy before detaching itself and going off to find a new target. Note that the corruption is NEVER the same and the idea that any two Half-Breeds get the same benefits from their hertiage is laughable, note that this means some may have more disadvantages then those listed here, mental problems produced by a combination bad childhoods and connections to the the Others are rampent.
Advantages: Kiss of the Hidden Ones 1* [10]; Night Vision 3 [3]; And 60 points on Half-Breed Abilities;
Perks: Bizare Biologgly [1]**
Disadvantages: Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]; Frightens Animals [-10]; Social Stigma (Abomination) [-20]; Weirdness Magnet [-15].

* Kiss of the Hidden Ones: Your hertiage means you are at a descint advantage when dealing with Things Best Left Unmentioned and their works. This Talents counts as Psi Telant, whilest adding to Hidden Lore (Elder Things, Psi and any related) and any other skill relating to Psi or Biology, including engineering. You may take up to 4 levels, none of which count against the cap on Psi Talent

** Bizare Biologgly: Your body is capable of growing Symbionts, for these Symbionts you are their creator and so they will act in your best interests. Growing one requires spending one week in isolation per point in the Symbiont's cost and eating a deit twice as large as normal with many unusual componets, this at least doubles how much you spend on food for that peroid. Any major activity during this time upsets the process and you have to start over again.

Half-Breed Abilities
The following is merely a partial list of observed and documented abilities of Half-Breeds, not listed are the unusual Psi Abilities Half-Breeds have been known to manifest
ST +1 or +2 [10 or 20], DX +1 or +2 [20 or 40], IQ +1 or +2 [20 or 40], HT +1 or +2 [10 or 20], Per +1 to +3 [5/level], Will +1 to +3 [5/level], Doesn’t Breathe (Gills, Oxygen Absorption, or Oxygen Storage) [Varies], Doesn’t Eat or Drink (Storage) [Varies], DR 1 to 4 [5/level], Flight (Winged, -25%) [30], Night Vision 3+ [1/level] or Dark Vision [22], Symbionts [Varies], Resistant to Psionics (Improved, +150%) [5/level]
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Old 03-16-2016, 10:40 AM   #3
Varyon
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Default Re: Converting Eberron Symbionts to GURPS

Instead of Gadgets, I'd be strongly tempted to build these things as Allies, with the granted abilities having Granted by Ally*. This has the added advantage that you can apply appropriate modifiers to account for the fact the symbiotes are loyal to their maker, not the PC. You could probably come up with a Limitation to account for the fact that they'll switch sides if "kidnapped" (although honestly, the fact it's easier to kill them than steal them makes this a Feature - yeah, sucks that enemies can use them, but you're more likely to have your Ally survive - thus allowing a rescue - than slain).

*The fact the Ally must be in physical contact with you, rather than just "around," would probably increase the value of the Limitation.
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Old 03-16-2016, 04:13 PM   #4
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Default Re: Converting Eberron Symbionts to GURPS

The fact that they're intelligent enough to further their masters goals, and can mind control their hosts says they should be NPCs - Ally (unwilling) combined with Enemy (Watcher) probably, and the graft has a Duty too. I think unwilling Ally is closest to the idea of an Ally that would desert you if taken.
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