biofiber, in armor? |
biofiber, in armor? |
May 24 2007, 06:41 PM
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#1
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 168 Joined: 23-April 07 From: Aurora, CO Member No.: 11,514 |
I had a player in my group suggest using biofiber as an armor modification. My search fu did not turn up too much other than other people had ideas for the same thing.
So how much do you think it would cost to implement such a system into a decent suit of armor (like full body armor?) What we had come up with was basically you buy the biofiber at the force you want and get enough to cover your armor (from the inside if you are smart) and then have to buy a nutrient package and keep that attached to it. The cost for biofiber is force*100 per sq meter with a max of 10 force. Now.... How many sq meters of biofiber would it take to be effective? Also how much would a nutrition system cost for upkeep? Would it be force dependent? We wanted to know because we wanted a chance to be survivable against a mage without having to have magical backup all the time (our group does not always like to play mages and it helps with the rarity factor.) |
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May 24 2007, 06:49 PM
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#2
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 906 Joined: 16-October 06 Member No.: 9,630 |
First off Biofiber is only a protection against astral forms, not spells.
Remember spells cast on the astral plane NEVER EVER pass over into the physical plane. It is not possible. Secondly the book says "Biofiber is notoriously sensitive and difficult to maintain" So I don't think it stand up to armor. You could say line the inside of a truck but all it really does is act as a wall to stop them from entering |
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May 24 2007, 06:50 PM
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#3
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
<cough> I hate to burst your bubble, man, but biofiber hasnae been introduced in SR4 just yet.
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May 24 2007, 06:54 PM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 168 Joined: 23-April 07 From: Aurora, CO Member No.: 11,514 |
Yeah I read the physical ones... oops. O well. Was worth a shot I suppose. |
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May 24 2007, 07:15 PM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 906 Joined: 16-October 06 Member No.: 9,630 |
*cough, cough* Really then was the stuff on biofiber on pages 256 and 340 in the SR4 book just a typo? |
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May 24 2007, 07:19 PM
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#6
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
This is not the biofiber you are looking for.
Seriously, color my face red. I completely blanked on that. Good catch. |
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May 24 2007, 07:25 PM
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#7
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Better get a ghillie suit made of awakened ivy.
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May 24 2007, 07:39 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 941 Joined: 25-January 07 Member No.: 10,765 |
Y'know, when I saw the title of thi thread the only thing I could think of was...
"What, you mean, like... Cotton? Linen? Any cloth woven from once living stuff... silk even? What are we excluding here, rayon and nylon and the like?' Silly me, I forgot about the awakened plants or whatever to keep astral forms at bay.... :oops: |
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May 24 2007, 11:46 PM
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#9
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,537 Joined: 27-August 06 From: Albuquerque NM Member No.: 9,234 |
He'd be better off pursuing wards. They won't work either, but it's a lot less expensive to experiment. |
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May 25 2007, 12:06 AM
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#10
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 7,089 Joined: 4-October 05 Member No.: 7,813 |
you might be able to pull off a biofiber shield... not as much flexibility required for that. fairly uniform shape and all.
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May 26 2007, 06:17 AM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 113 Joined: 5-January 03 From: Butte County, CA Member No.: 3,836 |
I dunno. It's not about casting spells at a person, but casting spells at a person's aura. That extends about an inch (maybe an inch or two, I forget) around the body, regardless of body armor. I don't think biofiber would prevent a properly targeted spell from hitting the person, though it might make his aura harder to target.
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May 26 2007, 06:26 AM
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#12
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 113 Joined: 11-July 06 Member No.: 8,863 |
but your astral would be through the roof, which is useless. then again since biofiber is always astrally active, couldnt a mage just target it with say a ignite and then light you on fire? seemws like it does more harm then good.
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May 26 2007, 06:57 AM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 906 Joined: 16-October 06 Member No.: 9,630 |
if biofiber was that easy for mages to get rid of with magic corps wouldn't use it. |
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May 26 2007, 05:21 PM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 101 Joined: 29-October 05 Member No.: 7,908 |
If biofiber is defeated by ignite (which I argue it can be) then it has served its purpose for detecting astral intrusion. Mind you the ignite would be in astral space, and thus not affect anything that was not dual natured.
I'd also say that corps, like their real modern day counterparts, do lots of stupid stuff because they believe it works regardless of whether it actually does. |
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May 26 2007, 05:37 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 269 Joined: 8-November 04 Member No.: 6,817 |
I agree. If the dual-natured plants in some compound start burning, someones bound to notice and come to the conclusion that there is some astral threat there. Even though they might be easy to astrally defeat, they're a bit harder to defeat without anyone noticing. It's like a wire fence, cutting a hole in it is quick and simple, but someone will notice the hole and know there's an intruder somewhere. Now, since biofiber is dualnatured, can it be manipulated by an astrally projecting mage? Could a projecting mage for example use a dual-natured cord of biofiber to strangle a mundane? |
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May 27 2007, 02:56 AM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 101 Joined: 29-October 05 Member No.: 7,908 |
Who knows? We don't have any stats or properties on the strength of biofiber in the physical sense. It could be a delicate thing, or tough as rope. But I think there is a deeper theoretical problem. Can astral entities can move dual natured bodies? Astral combat can certainly kill dual natured critters, but I haven't seen any explicit text that says a projecting mages can move/lift/carry duals. If they could, I can forsee more bizarre interactions. Example: what is the damage on an astrally projecting elf shaman wielding the body of an unconscious ghoul? Can the projecting mage pull a dual natured body with him at the terrific "running" speeds of astral travel? I imagine the simplest answer is that they can harm/kill dual natured critters, they cannot move their physical bodies. That neatly solves the two problems and maintains the barrier between astral and physical. YMMV. |
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May 27 2007, 09:40 AM
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#17
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 269 Joined: 8-November 04 Member No.: 6,817 |
Yeah, it wasn't the physical nature of the biofiber I was interested in, as much as wether or not an astral being can move a dual natured being around. I guess it's not possible, since it would open up too many weird scenarios.
If interaction between dual-natured things and astral entities worked that way, that would enable a dual-natured bullet as well (like a capsule round filled with dual-natured bacteria or something). I'm definetly not going to include this in my campaign, but it's an interesting idea. (intersting because it would let astral beings move dual-natured stuff around like a poltergeist) |
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May 27 2007, 10:24 AM
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#18
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 171 Joined: 5-February 05 Member No.: 7,053 |
Should this actually somehow work, biofiber is extremely expensive. You'd be better off stapling kittens to your armour jacket. Might need a fair few, though.
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May 27 2007, 10:30 AM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 269 Joined: 8-November 04 Member No.: 6,817 |
Are you saying awakened kittens would be economically viable?
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May 27 2007, 10:40 AM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 171 Joined: 5-February 05 Member No.: 7,053 |
Well, the argument here was that biofiber would block astral sight and therefore spellcasting LOS. If you were entirely encased in kittens, their auras would probably do the job just as well.
If you need an astral form rather than just an aura, then you're going to be hunting pregnant blackberry cats for the next little while. |
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May 27 2007, 10:52 AM
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#21
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 269 Joined: 8-November 04 Member No.: 6,817 |
I think a devilrat-suit would be somewhat easier accomplished, what with devilrats being a more common pest in Seattle. It's probably not a good way of making new friends though.
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May 27 2007, 12:07 PM
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#22
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 113 Joined: 5-January 03 From: Butte County, CA Member No.: 3,836 |
Mammal armor? Ewww.
Look, they're vertebrates. Under enough stress, they'll die. Which will also be a gap in your armor. What you do is you make a large clear plastic/flexiglass/polymer suit that A: you can move around in somewhat freely and B: Can hold jello. Once you're completely satisfied with the suit you empty out the jello and fill it with a Slime Mold. Its fungi, it's living, no bones to break. Its in an airtight seal so no bad smell. You cast 'Nutrition' and 'Hydrate' on it every couple days, maybe 'Oxygenate' as well. You don't even have to drain it out of the suit to feed it. Need it dual-natured? Only one problem! There's an Awakened Slime Mold in the California Free State sourcebook. The problem is that it eats through most polymers and can dissolve human flesh. Never wear an Awakened Slime Mold if your suit might take melee damage! |
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May 27 2007, 12:26 PM
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#23
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 113 Joined: 5-January 03 From: Butte County, CA Member No.: 3,836 |
"Okay Monty Mage, why don't you stand in front of that plascrete wall and let me shoot your astrally projecting form with this dual-natured cannonball." "Absolutely!" *BANG* "AGH! The ball has imbedded itself in the wall and Monty Mage has disappeared!" "No, I'm okay! Let me stick my head back through. I just got forcibly pushed through the nonliving wall. No damage here whatsover! Maybe just a Knockback test to make sure I stayed on my 'feet'." "Good, well join us next time when I shoot Monty Mage while he's standing in front of a solid mass of Awakened Ivy." :eek: "Umm, I'm not sure that's that good of an idea..." EDIT: Replaced 'bullet' with 'cannonball' because it sounded cool :D This post has been edited by ShieldT: May 27 2007, 12:47 PM |
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May 27 2007, 12:34 PM
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#24
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
that's how we've handled it. the most memorable example was when we had a team flying around in a completely warded helicopter. an astral-form air spirit flew up to intercept and got caught in the blades. the spirit got whipped around a few times (ever see that video of the cat getting caught on the fan?) and then got tossed away, no harm done on either side.
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May 27 2007, 05:35 PM
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#25
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 403 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Kill Em All Member No.: 2,018 |
::SMACK:: Let the sleeping kitties lie... that awakened ones are dinner. |
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