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Old 06-22-2021, 05:04 AM   #1
scc
 
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Default Unusual Biochemistry In DF

How do people handle, or suggest how to handle, Unusual Biochemistry in DF? Like does a character who has it for one reason or another have to roll that d6 every time they use a potion or what?
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Old 06-22-2021, 06:13 AM   #2
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Default Re: Unusual Biochemistry In DF

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Originally Posted by scc View Post
How do people handle, or suggest how to handle, Unusual Biochemistry in DF? Like does a character who has it for one reason or another have to roll that d6 every time they use a potion or what?
If you are going to allow it at all (I wouldn't myself, it's out of genre) then I'd say yes, you should roll for any consumable that isn't food. Personally I'd even roll for poisons, which might even occasionally be helpful when the result comes up 6 for no effect.
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Old 06-22-2021, 07:17 AM   #3
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Default Re: Unusual Biochemistry In DF

Pyramid #3/72 has the Imitator template in "Dungeon Fantasy Video Gaming," who amongst other traits has Unusual Biochemistry. There it's noted "In addition to drugs and other chemical concoctions, this includes alchemical potions, strange alcoholic brews, etc."
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Old 06-22-2021, 10:08 AM   #4
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Default Re: Unusual Biochemistry In DF

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If you are going to allow it at all (I wouldn't myself, it's out of genre) then I'd say yes, you should roll for any consumable that isn't food. Personally I'd even roll for poisons, which might even occasionally be helpful when the result comes up 6 for no effect.
It's out-of-genre as unusual biochemistry, but maybe your "personal mana field" is warped so magic potions and elixirs work in weird ways.
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Old 06-22-2021, 10:17 AM   #5
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Default Re: Unusual Biochemistry In DF

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Originally Posted by Varyon View Post
Pyramid #3/72 has the Imitator template in "Dungeon Fantasy Video Gaming," who amongst other traits has Unusual Biochemistry. There it's noted "In addition to drugs and other chemical concoctions, this includes alchemical potions, strange alcoholic brews, etc."
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It's out-of-genre as unusual biochemistry, but maybe your "personal mana field" is warped so magic potions and elixirs work in weird ways.

This is how I would lean: potions and elixirs are effected by the disadvantage. Which is a valid and disadvantageous effect in dungeon fantasy. Might even be a poor choice because DF uses potions so much.
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Old 06-23-2021, 04:30 AM   #6
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Default Re: Unusual Biochemistry In DF

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This is how I would lean: potions and elixirs are effected by the disadvantage. Which is a valid and disadvantageous effect in dungeon fantasy. Might even be a poor choice because DF uses potions so much.
The issue I have with this it that it is a MASSIVE disadvantage,, likely worth far more then a mere 5 points given how often potions are, or could be used, in DF.
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Old 06-23-2021, 04:52 AM   #7
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Default Re: Unusual Biochemistry In DF

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The issue I have with this it that it is a MASSIVE disadvantage,, likely worth far more then a mere 5 points given how often potions are, or could be used, in DF.
Just based off reading session reports and from my own experience in dungeon crawling, potions are pretty ubiquitous within the genre. I recall reading something Kromm may of wrote about what media inspired DF, and the Diablo video games was mentioned. In those games you're chugging potions like you might as well have a helmet with potions strapped to it and straws from each for you to sip as you please (at least that's what I remember of my experience playing Diablo). Hehe, makes me wonder if anyone has bothered to stat such an item... anyways, I don't think potion use in DF is meant to be that silly but it seems that PCs are expected to pick up healing potions to top off their HP after fights to keep on keepin' on, and for the Wizards to have some Paut to quaff.

Unusual Biochemistry in a game where you're expected to stock up on potions whenever you happen to swing by Town? That should easily warrant at least doubling the point value of it.
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Old 06-23-2021, 05:53 AM   #8
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Default Re: Unusual Biochemistry In DF

Unless your character's Unusual Biochemistry is extremely rare, there are probably potions available that do work for you - they just may be a bit harder to find (if finding a potion-seller calls for a roll) and/or more expensive. Such potions would treat you as a normal user, and everyone else as having Unusual Biochemistry (so they're harder to share amongst the party) There may also be more-expensive "universal" potions available that work for everybody, allowing the party to share such potions around as needed. Characters suggests drugs that are designed for your biochemistry should be 10x as expensive; for DF potions I'd be tempted to adjust that down to around 2x, with universal potions being 3x.

I also feel people are overstating what Unusual Biochemistry does. There's a 50% chance (roll of 1-3) that the drug (potion in our case) simply works as normal, a ~33% chance (roll of 4-5) it works as normal but also has a negative side-effect (Characters suggests loss of 1d FP, which works well for DF potions - taking the wrong kind will still heal you, but risks leaving you tired and in need of a rest), and a ~17% chance (roll of 6) it simply does nothing (which means a waste of a potion, but no ill effects beyond that). So, if you typically carry 6 potions, carry a 7th (to offset that 1/6 "No Effect"), and sometimes you'll need to rest a bit longer after a fight (an average of +35 minutes for characters without Fit, +17.5 minutes for characters with Fit). Probably not a great fit for whichever character in the party tends to use the most FP in a fight, but for everyone else at least part of the additional rest time is essentially "free" as you need to wait on the high-FP-use character to rest anyway.

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Originally Posted by Tymathee View Post
In those games you're chugging potions like you might as well have a helmet with potions strapped to it and straws from each for you to sip as you please (at least that's what I remember of my experience playing Diablo). Hehe, makes me wonder if anyone has bothered to stat such an item...
ISTR just such an item in one of the gear books for That Other Game; I believe it was a dwarven design and originally intended for beer/ale, but had been converted by adventurers for potions. For something less silly, a CamelBak-type design could be an option. Note it doesn't need a lot of volume - DF potions are pretty small (I believe Kromm has likened them to 5-Hour Energy shots in the past).
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Old 06-24-2021, 08:51 PM   #9
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Default Re: Unusual Biochemistry In DF

I'd allow variants of Unusual Biochemistry in Fantasy campaigns which just affect magic elixirs and whatnot.

If the disadvantage affects everything from ultratech drugs to mystical herbal concoctions it should have some sort of enhancement.
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Old 06-24-2021, 09:44 PM   #10
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Default Re: Unusual Biochemistry In DF

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Hehe, makes me wonder if anyone has bothered to stat such an item...
Sounds like fun . . .

Here's my take on a modified low-tech fantasy Water Pack (based on the water pack described in High Tech, p. 53). I think that it is appropriately "Munchkiny" for DF.

Delver's Water Pack (TL3): A 2-quart watertight leather satchel lined with non-reactive material designed to be worn on the back. A thin, wax-lined leather hose extends over the shoulder allowing the wearer to sip from the pack. The flow is controlled by a small ballcock valve mounted at the base of the hose. Instead of ordinary water, it can also be filled with other non-caustic liquids such as alcoholic beverages, holy water, oil, or potions.

Custom versions can have two 1-quart or four 1-pint compartments, each with its own hose, giving the wearer a choice of beverages. The hoses are arranged so that the user can drink hands-free, identifying the different nozzles by their location and feel.

It takes about 30 seconds to fill each compartment if a suitable container of liquid is handy. Draining a compartment takes about half as long. It takes (20-HT)/2 seconds to suck a pint of liquid through the hose, minimum 1 second. The GM can require a DX roll to drink if the wearer is lying down or is in an unusual position, such as hanging upside down.

Attacks to the wearer's helmet or face which inflict at least 1 HP of Corrosive, Crushing, or Cutting damage will damage the hose nozzle on a roll of 1 on 1d, while any sort of damage to the back will damage the hoses or the water pack itself on a roll of 1-3 on 1d. Damage sufficient to destroy the pack will cause the contents to leak.

The water pack is designed so that it can fit under a full-sized backpack, but if the user wears both a pack and a water pack they must remove the backpack before they can remove the water pack. Takes approximately (20-DX) seconds to don a water pack, half that amount of time to remove it. The pack is designed so that its contents don't squirt out if it is squeezed. This allows it to be worn under a soft pack but also prevents it from being used as an improvised squirt gun. The user can always spit the liquid after they've sucked it into their mouth, however.

Custom armored versions cover the bladder with a sheet of hardened leather or thin metal, giving it DR 2 vs. attacks from behind. This adds $20 to cost and 1 lb. to weight. Armored or not, the hoses and nozzles have DR 0 and HP 1 and can be targeted from the wearer's front at -12 to hit.

Custom versions made from non-reactive materials might be available for 10 times the normal cost. Weight is increased by 25%. This allows appropriately-protected users to fill the pack with caustic liquids which they can then spit from their mouths. Treat this as an attack based on Brawling with 1/2D 0, Max 1. Damage is based on the nature of the caustic liquid. One attack is allowed every 10 seconds.

2-Quart Delver's Water Pack: $35, 2 lb. (empty), 6 lbs. (full), LC4.
Custom 2-Bladder Delver's Water Pack (two 1-quart bladders): $50, 2.25 lbs. (empty), 6.25 lbs. (full), LC4.
Custom 4-Bladder Delver's Water Pack (four 1-pint bladders): $75, 2.5 lbs. (empty), 6.5 lbs. (full), LC4.
Custom Armored Delver's Water Pack: Add $30 to cost and 1 lb. to weight. LC4.
Custom Non-Reactive Delver's "Water" Pack: Multiply base cost by 10. Increase weight by 25%. LC4.

Last edited by Pursuivant; 06-24-2021 at 10:01 PM.
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