[Basic] Advantage of the Week: Resistant

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Immunity to Metabolic Hazards is a standard Gurps trait that is never properly explained. You can pull together stuff from these forums, and from various books (I think zombies has rules for what zombies do when heated up, and bases it on Metabolic hazards), but there isn't a single description in the books of what this advantage is, and it appears everywhere.

The reason for that, and one intensely hated by rules lawyers, is that it doesn't always do the same thing. It's a trait you put on a template because the thing lacks a human-like physiology and hence is ignores a lot of rules for things humans can suffer from, but it doesn't tell you what if any rules [replace] those.

Essentially it doesn't define exactly what you can suffer from instead. Notionally there should get a discount for those (and in some cases, like Electrical, there is), but in others like the effect of really high levels of radiation on electronics, or extreme heat or cold or pressure or gravity or whatever that aren't defined as actually damaging attacks, the effects are unaccounted and basically up to the GM depending on the "fluff" of the thing that is "immune".

[malloyd]

On other resistances, you seem to have omitted several of from Dungeon Fantasy that I've seen getting a fair amount of play lately. Resistant to Evil Supernatural Powers and Resistant to Death Effects.

Resistant to Mind Control has turned up a lot in some of my games, though its usual effect is just the mind controllers target a different party member. As for other supernatural variants I've had Transformations (Shapechange etc.) on offer at [10] but I don't think anybody took it. Curses [15] works, but expect argument about what is and isn't a curse.

Immunity to Harmful Effects of Recreational Drugs [5] is a not particularly realistic ability but one I'm more than willing to allow for PCs who really want to play a druggy without being debilitated.


Edit: Oh, and one big one Immunity to [one specific drug or poison] [1]. Ethanol and cinematic truth or sleep drug are popular, but I can recall capsicum, ecstacy, urushiol, and rattlesnake venom being taken too.

I've allowed Resistant to [one skill] [5] several times - mostly for Detect Lies, though I play that a bit differently from the RAW in the first place. Likewise to one monster special ability, IIRC I've seen Medusa Gaze [5] is something official even.

Immunity to Pain [30] as a major upgrade to High Pain Threshold, has been taken once or twice.

I've tried Resistant to Deception, but never quite gotten a clear handle on what it would represent and what it should and shouldn't do.

Resistances are great traits for players who aren't rules experts because they are so simple - if there is a bad thing you can make a roll to avoid you can buy a resistance to add to the roll. And you don't need to think about when to use them, the GM reminds you by asking you to make the defensive roll.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Immunity to Metabolic Hazards is included in the Machine meta-trait, and I think that's indicative. A machine doesn't HAVE a metabolism, and thus can't be affected by poisons, diseases, or the like.

Well, unless you pour Mountain Dew (or similar sugar-water mixture) into the gas tank, which has an effect somewhat like an ingested poison. Honestly, Immunity to Metabolic Hazards sort of breaks down if you think about it too hard... and I would count the interpretation (official though it may be) that it doesn't apply to general heat/cold and ionizing radiation (heat/cold/radiation intense enough to cause outright damage it obviously doesn't defend against) as "thinking about it too hard."

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Varyon

I would count the interpretation (official though it may be) that it doesn't apply to general heat/cold and ionizing radiation (heat/cold/radiation intense enough to cause outright damage it obviously doesn't defend against) as "thinking about it too hard."

I'd agree there, though I think more because those really [should] have been simple outright damage in the first place.

Radiation in particular I think is vastly overcomplicated for no good reason, probably just because it is has clearer measuring units than most kinds of damage. I half expect somebody to publish a similar complex system for percentage burn coverage, the other sort of measurable injury out there but so far GURPS has resisted that.

Seriously establish a rads to HP ratio and define some radiation flavored special effects for being reduced to HP/3 or suffering a crippling injury or mortal wound from it and be done with it.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by malloyd

I half expect somebody to publish a similar complex system for percentage burn coverage, the other sort of measurable injury out there but so far GURPS has resisted that.

Not burn damage, but I did come up with an alternative system to handle bleeding, based on the four classes of hemorrhages. The most complete version of the system is here. But "overthinking things" is something of a weakness of mine...

[Varyon]

Apologies for the double post, I had originally intended to respond to this part in my original one but forgot.

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

* At some point, it becomes cheaper to buy Resistant/Immunity (Metabolic Hazards) for characters who should only be immune to some metabolic problems. A 25-point level ("Everything except one Rare problem") or 20-point level ("Everything except one Uncommon or a few Rare problems") would fill that gap.

Injury Tolerance: Damage Reduction has a similar issue (as does Damage Resistance when you apply Limited Defenses). Personally, I feel you can generally handle such situations by working out what all you need, paying full price for the most expensive version, and then 1/5th price for the others.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by RogerBW

In the case of Aging, I think the problem is how useful it is in the game

There's also two aspects to aging: natural aging (people get old, machines wear out) and unnatural aging (exposed to death spells or strange energies that artificially age the victim). Included in the latter is resistance to artificial age reduction, like accidentally falling into the Fountain of Youth and reverting to a zygote.

Resistant (Natural Aging) is modeled by Longevity.

Extended Lifespan effectively gives you more "hit points" vs. both natural and unnatural aging. ("My elf with Extended Lifespan 5 laughs at your puny Steal Youth spell.") It's not dissimilar to the relationship between Temperature Tolerance and Resistant (Cold/Heat Injury).

Unaging is Immunity (Natural Aging & "Physical Chronomanipulation").

Assuming that Resistant (+3, Natural Aging) is worth 1 point, Resistant (+8, Natural Aging) is worth 2 points, and Immunity (Natural Aging) 5 points, that makes Immunity (Unnatural Aging, etc.) worth 10 points, so Resistant (+3, Unnatural Aging, etc.) is worth 3 points, and +8 is worth 5 points.

Resistant (+3, All Types of Aging) is 4 points, +8 is 7 points, and Immunity (AKA Unaging) is 15 points.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

T

Resistant (Natural Aging) is modeled by Longevity.

E.

Except in terms of game mechanics. The current mechanics for Longevity give much better benefits than+3 or +8. Even +8 doesn't give you the Crit Fail manipulalion.

Also, there's the issue that at higher TLs everyone is already getting very substantial benefits from TL (+5 at TL8).

People already seldom buy Longevity. It just ends up on some Racial Templates because it "should" be there. Weaken it and you'll see even less use.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

There's also two aspects to aging: natural aging (people get old, machines wear out) and unnatural aging (exposed to death spells or strange energies that artificially age the victim).

You can subdivide anything if you really want. Heat could be direct, indirect, magical, normal, above a certain temperature, on even days of the week, or anything else you want.

As it is, aging hardly has enough game impact to justify it as a perk in most game. The only games where it's really come up in the dozens I've played in were time travel and as an attack. I'd suggest any potential GM price it accordingly for the campaign based on how useful it will be (as an unusual background, preventing attacks, avoiding rolls).

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

* It's not clearly stated that Immunity (Metabolic Hazards) doesn't protect vs. ionizing radiation and that you need to buy Radiation Resistance if you want to be truly immune to all metabolic problems.

That would be because ionising radiation is not merely a metabolic hazard. Radiation kills electronics quite handily too.