Immunity to specific disadvantage

[bcd]

What would be a reasonable way to build something like "Immune to Low Pain Threshold, regardless of source"? (Substitute other undesirable disadvantages in the general case.)

The intent is for this immunity to completely negate any attempt to impose the Low Pain Threshold disadvantage on me, whether through spells (Sensitize, Magic p.39), afflictions, drugs, or otherwise.

Is this simply Immunity (Low Pain Threshold) priced for a very narrow group (Rare possibly, for 5 points total)? It doesn't seem quite right when held up against the text of the Resistant advantage, and it also seems a bit wrong to me for the cost of LPT itself not to influence the cost of immunity to it …

[vicky_molokh]

I'd say it's a rather rare condition. 1 to 3 points should suffice.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I'd say it's a rather rare condition. 1 to 3 points should suffice.

I'd say 1 point. For comparison Immunity to a Specific Poison is 1 point.

[munin]

Immunity to Specific Poison is an Exotic perk -- regular humans can only take the Resistant to Specific Poison (+3) perk.

Immunity to a specific disadvantage from one specific source (a drug, a spell, etc.) might be worth only a perk, but if it's immunity to all possible sources, then it's worth more. I'd call it Rare for [5].

[PK]

Perk. Compare some of the 5-point immunities, such as "Immunity to All Age-Based Attacks." Such things are clearly broader than "Immunity to Attacks That Inflict Low Pain Threshold." Once you've narrowed it down to just one specific disadvantage, you've gotten about as laser-focused as you reasonably can without entering the realm of parody.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by munin

Immunity to Specific Poison is an Exotic perk -- regular humans can only take the Resistant to Specific Poison (+3) perk.

Immunity to a specific disadvantage from one specific source (a drug, a spell, etc.) might be worth only a perk, but if it's immunity to all possible sources, then it's worth more. I'd call it Rare for [5].

If things like poison ivy/oak count as a poison, then real people can have immunity to it like my family.

[munin]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

Perk. Compare some of the 5-point immunities, such as "Immunity to All Age-Based Attacks." Such things are clearly broader than "Immunity to Attacks That Inflict Low Pain Threshold." ...

I'll accept it being a perk on authority, but I wouldn't say Immunity to All Age-Based Attacks is "clearly broader" than Immunity to LPT. LPT can be inflicted by a number of natural sources (radiation, drugs, even hangovers), whereas age-based attacks are limited to supernatural means or ultra-tech methods like a proteus nano-virus. So adventurers could encounter an infliction of LPT in any setting, whereas age-based attacks are much more limited.

There are also a number of disadvantages involving resistance rolls I would feel very uncomfortable about allowing characters to be immune to for just a perk. Can you take Immunity to Attacks That Inflict Blindness [1] so as to be immune to anything where you need to roll to resist blindness? Having immunity to attacks which inflict Infectious Attack basically grants immunity to all Infectious Attacks -- one specific Infectious Attack (e.g., the one specific zombie plague in a zombie setting) would be worth only a perk, but all of them? (vampires, lycanthropes, multiple kinds of zombies, etc.)

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

If things like poison ivy/oak count as a poison, then real people can have immunity to it like my family.

In terms of GURPS rules I think it makes sense to count such as poisons, but I think (and you may know more about this than I do) the jury is still out on whether people are actually immune or just need more exposure to develop a response (although that may be defined as losing your Immunity).

But also in terms of GURPS rules, people who haven't suffered any ill effects from poison ivy may simply be Resistant to it rather than immune (after all, effective HT 10 + Resistant +3 gives an 84% chance for no effects, though rolls against poison ivy may be at a penalty), so if one was trying to use the lack of response as evidence of a trait you would need many exposures to really rule out Resistant in favor of Immunity (or especially to differentiate Resistant +8 from Immunity).

Please don't conduct these tests! : )

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

If things like poison ivy/oak count as a poison, then real people can have immunity to it like my family.

Actually they're allergens, and yes, some people aren't allergic to it..