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> Allergies, ... Scratching that itch
Fortune
post Jan 3 2008, 12:18 AM
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Ok, so there are a number of people that bitch about gold or silver being a valid material for this Quality. Of course, there will always be someone that bitches about any material ... :D

That being said, I am quite interested in hearing about some of the other Allergies that people have used for their characters, and possibly any consequences or subsequent house rulings that may have arisen due to those choices.
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kzt
post Jan 3 2008, 12:25 AM
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Sawdust, synthetic alcohol, dust, and sulfites are what I remember. I don't remember anything special ever happening in game.
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Jhaiisiin
post Jan 3 2008, 12:34 AM
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I know I took a character with fairly hefty Allergy: Pollutants that I had subsequently take the Sterilize spell and kept an Air Spirit on tap at all times to keep him clear of all the offending particles. It was a nice way of avoiding it, but at a pretty hefty cost.

I know another player once had an allergy to Natural: Oak. Guy was happy as a clam with the "useless" allergy until a grenade detonated part of a nearby tree on an encounter in the wilderness and set him up with a few more modifiers than would have usually shown up due to just shrapnel.

Those are the only two that've stuck out for me off the top of my head.

EDIT: Had another character with an allergy to Natural leather, a different one with the same to synthetic leather. The latter of course had so much fun when their friends hugged them. "Hey man, how's it going?" *character puffs up* "Oops. forgot!"
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Dashifen
post Jan 3 2008, 12:36 AM
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My wife is allergic to nickel, so I don't see why gold or silver couldn't be a possibility. Regardless, I always hated the sunlight allergy until I found out that it actually exists.

Allergies haven't been as prevelant in my games as Addictions and, since Augmentation, Phobias. I guess people are always afraid that I can work in an allergy regardless of how careful they are to avoid the allergen.
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Momijizukamori
post Jan 3 2008, 12:39 AM
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Nuts, which thus far hasn't come up (ah, the wonders of a soy and krill diet). I think a lot of the problems with this quality come from the fact that the rules don't always reflect the way allergies work IRL - I know nickel came up in the Sample Characters thread as being way too harsh, but nickel allergies are pretty common (as is gold, according to Wiki). The thing is, contact allergies, which nickel and gold usually are, don't usually work the same way as say, food allergies, which seems to be more what the rules model, and generally aren't nearly as harsh (ie, I've got a mild nickel allergy - I get a rash, which is annoying, but not really detrimental at all)
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Jaid
post Jan 3 2008, 12:40 AM
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i always figured the allergy is gonna come up anyways... i mean, honestly, i wouldn't make an *uncouth character and expect the GM to make sure i never have to make any social checks.

negative qualities return BP to you for taking them because they are supposed to be drawbacks. as far as it goes, the drawback for an allergy is nowhere near as bad as the drawbacks of some of the other negative qualities anyways (some of which basically may as well have as their text: 'you fail shadowrun. please destroy your character sheet and try again.')



*actually, i just wouldn't make an uncouth character, but that's beside the point ;)
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hyzmarca
post Jan 3 2008, 12:51 AM
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http://coolnurse.healthology.com/sexual-he...article1664.htm

It's either the perfect free points Allergy or a one way trip to the creepiest and most uncomfortable gaming session that you have ever had.
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Karaden
post Jan 3 2008, 02:07 AM
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QUOTE (Dashifen)
My wife is allergic to nickel, so I don't see why gold or silver couldn't be a possibility. Regardless, I always hated the sunlight allergy until I found out that it actually exists.

Allergies haven't been as prevelant in my games as Addictions and, since Augmentation, Phobias. I guess people are always afraid that I can work in an allergy regardless of how careful they are to avoid the allergen.

You didn't know about that? Besides that there are also albinos, who have no skin or eye pigmintation, so sunlight hurts their eyes and they get sunburns in about 3 seconds of exposure. Now, which it is for any given character is up for grabs.

As an interesting note, I personally have a sunlight allergy (Or just extra sensitive to it, whatever), though it wouldn't even net me BP, as I just sneeze alot when I'm subjected to it, and it hurts my eyes more then most people. Maybe like a 2 pointer with -1 DPs but that is about it.

P.S. Phobia's are -technically- only for cyberzombies and the other guys, though why I'm not sure, so I think most GMs just rule it that anyone can take them (makes plenty of sense). But you know, I think part of the reason addictions and phobias are more common is because they actually build the character some. X is afraid of blood because his mom was brutally murdered in front of him or something like that is much cooler then 'he is allergic to gold...'
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Fortune
post Jan 3 2008, 02:20 AM
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QUOTE (Karaden)
P.S. Phobia's are -technically- only for cyberzombies and the other guys, though why I'm not sure, so I think most GMs just rule it that anyone can take them (makes plenty of sense).

QUOTE (Augmentation pg. 163)
Some of the following qualities may also be applicable to non-cyborg or cyberzombie characters, though the gamemaster should use his discretion on which to allow in his game.
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Glyph
post Jan 3 2008, 03:07 AM
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QUOTE (Dashifen)
Allergies haven't been as prevelant in my games as Addictions and, since Augmentation, Phobias.  I guess people are always afraid that I can work in an allergy regardless of how careful they are to avoid the allergen.

If I take an allergy, I will take it for something like silver or seawater that the character will run into occasionally, without the GM having to make an extra effort to have it show up.

People who take really rare or obscure allergies, hoping for free points, are only shooting themselves in the foot. That kind of thing encourages the GM to find a way to mess up the character with that allergy.
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Nasrudith
post Jan 3 2008, 03:20 AM
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I made an elven face with a soy allergy. I chose moderate level because I didn't want to die from an accidental soycaf or soypie to the face.
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DTFarstar
post Jan 3 2008, 07:33 AM
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Ork Hedge Witch with Allergy: Soy Moderate.

MY problem with the gold allergy is that gold is non-reactive. Most gold contact allergies are actually allergies to nickel or some other impurity often found in gold. Generally if you took the gold and completely purified it then that person would no long react to it.

Chris
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Inu
post Jan 3 2008, 08:19 AM
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No reason allergies can't be mystical in origin. Gold and silver have all kinds of magical connotations that could explain allergies in individuals (particularly awakened humans or metas).
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DTFarstar
post Jan 3 2008, 09:51 AM
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I realize that, which is why I do let my players take it, but it still just bothers me for some reason.

Chris
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Stahlseele
post Jan 3 2008, 10:17 AM
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most(if not all of my characters) get the common moderate allergy against Dog(hair) and the subsequent phobia on light, because i HATE dogs in real life <.<. .
if i have to stay stealthy in character with dogs around you'll see a 3m tall troll backing off from a little chihauhauhau(no idea how those abominations are spelled) . . if i am not needed to keep queit i will most likely unload one Burst from either Viper slivergun, Savalette Guardian or Franchi SPAS-22 into the unlucky critter *g*
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FrankTrollman
post Jan 3 2008, 05:20 PM
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Silver Allergies I have no problem with. But people seriously should put Nickel Allergy instead of "Gold Allergy". While surgical steel contains nickel, it is sufficiently tightly bound that allergies to surgical steel are different. This doesn't mean that they aren't real - they totally are, it's just extremely rare.

-Frank
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CircuitBoyBlue
post Jan 3 2008, 06:26 PM
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QUOTE (Glyph)
People who take really rare or obscure allergies, hoping for free points, are only shooting themselves in the foot. That kind of thing encourages the GM to find a way to mess up the character with that allergy.

The reaction of about 90% of people upon hearing that I have a peanut allergy is: "So if I ever want to kill you, I should force feed you peanut butter sandwiches?" And of course, no. If you want to kill me, you should slit my throat or something. I'm a person, not James Bond. Plots to kill me don't need to involve strapping me to a chair and force feeding things.

So yes, I think that's most people's first reaction, including a lot of GMs, probably. But I don't think that's really shooting yourself in the foot. As a shadowrunner, I would much rather worry about avoiding corporate goons trying to force feed me peanut butter than worry about them whipping out guns and shooting me in the head.
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Jaid
post Jan 3 2008, 09:26 PM
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QUOTE (CircuitBoyBlue)
QUOTE (Glyph @ Jan 2 2008, 10:07 PM)
People who take really rare or obscure allergies, hoping for free points, are only shooting themselves in the foot.  That kind of thing encourages the GM to find a way to mess up the character with that allergy.

The reaction of about 90% of people upon hearing that I have a peanut allergy is: "So if I ever want to kill you, I should force feed you peanut butter sandwiches?"

90% of the people who find out about your allergy immediately plot your demise when they find out your weakness?

maybe you should stop telling those people about it, and find other people to hang around =P

either that, or stop doing whatever it is that's making 90% of those people want to kill you ;)
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CircuitBoyBlue
post Jan 3 2008, 10:01 PM
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QUOTE (Jaid @ Jan 3 2008, 04:26 PM)
90% of the people who find out about your allergy immediately plot your demise when they find out your weakness?

Yeah, I get pissed off about it, too.

QUOTE
maybe you should stop telling those people about it, and find other people to hang around =P


I've tried, but it comes up surprisingly often. Like when a pretty lady eats a peanut butter sandwich and then wants to make out with me, and I don't want to be all rude and make her think I hate her. (ok, so women rarely want anything to do with me, but in the past, EVERY time they have, they just happen to have peanut butter on their breath--maybe that's just me being subconsciously attracted to my own demise, but whatever--write SR rules for THAT)

QUOTE
either that, or stop doing whatever it is that's making 90% of those people want to kill you ;)


What are you, a square? I've just got to be me!
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Riley37
post Jan 3 2008, 10:06 PM
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Some GMs allow broadly defined allergies: anything that will result in you taking the appropriate penalties. I'm writing an illusionist who has Simsense Vertigo and also Allergy to Sensory Overload; if he walks down the street in Vega$, all the bright flashing lights and noises will give him penalties, because his senses are geared for a much sublter level and it *hurts*. Even after he gets to someplace quieter, he'll still have a headache for a while.

A technomage could have an Allergy to Jamming. When you turn on that R10 signal jammer, the headache could drop her to the floor.

Magical allergies are good fluff. A druid type (nature shaman) could be allergic to toxic aspect... and a toxic entity could be allergic to clean runnning water. Vampires classically have several allergies: sunlight, garlic, and manifestations of the Redeeming Lord (that's how Bram Stoker wrote it, his conception of holiness was quite specific, mine is much broader).

Back to chemical reactions, Wikipedia article says formaldehyde is a common allergen, which could come up in medical labs and hospitals, and it's in other industrial chemicals.

There's a Gibson short story in which parents have their daughter subjected to a conditioning process that makes her painfully averse to touch, especially sexual touch. Yuck. But it could count, for those corp-raised characters: you'd reflexively struggle against being carried over your teammate's shoulder when they're lugging your wounded ass out of a firefight, and good luck getting through the day in Latino culture without offending someone by flinching from a hug, or Quebec culture if you won't kiss your friend's cheek. (face cheek, that is) Same process could give someone a bad reaction to any of the recreational drugs, and that might make it hard to benefit from Cram, Jazz, Nitro, Deepweed, etc. "Just Say No - Or Else".
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Stahlseele
post Jan 3 2008, 10:09 PM
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QUOTE
EVERY time they have, they just happen to have peanut butter on their breath--maybe that's just me being subconsciously attracted to my own demise

or they REALLY are out for you . . dunn dunn duunn!!! *g*
people are funny like that . . i have the same with a budy of mine, he's allergic to . . heck if i can remember that, but it is something more or less common . . and the first time i heard about it i thought of ways how to use that against him somehow . . and i LIKE him x.x . .
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hyzmarca
post Jan 4 2008, 02:44 AM
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The fun thing about the peanut allergy is that the GM can suddenly decide to give you a campaign in the CAS, more specifically the peanut belt. And while your initial Shadowrun against the University of Georgia Center for Peanut Competitiveness seems odd but plausible, the campaign's climax takes place in a Willy Wonka style peanut factory with rivers of peanut oil, walls and doors made of peanuts, and carnivorous orange midgets slathered in peanut butter - all commanded by a Master Shedim inhabiting the remains of George Washington Carver: a Master Shedim who wields a molten peanut-butter cannon in a battle on a peanut-brittle bridge over a perfect peanut replica of Reichenbach Falls.
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Cthulhudreams
post Jan 4 2008, 02:55 AM
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QUOTE (hyzmarca)
The fun thing about the peanut allergy is that the GM can suddenly decide to give you a campaign in the CAS, more specifically the peanut belt. And while your initial Shadowrun against the University of Georgia Center for Peanut Competitiveness seems odd but plausible the campaign's climax takes place in a Willy Wonka style peanut factory with rivers of peanut oil walls and doors made of peanuts and carnivorous orange midgets slathered in peanut butter all commanded by a Master Shedim inhabitating the remains of George Washington Carver who wields a molten peanut-butter cannon in a battle on a peanut-brittle bridge over a perfect peanut replica of Reichenbach Falls.

Awesome
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toturi
post Jan 4 2008, 03:54 AM
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QUOTE (Cthulhudreams)
QUOTE (hyzmarca @ Jan 3 2008, 09:44 PM)
The fun thing about the peanut allergy is that the GM can suddenly decide to give you a campaign in the CAS, more specifically the peanut belt.  And while your initial Shadowrun against the University of Georgia Center for Peanut Competitiveness seems odd but plausible the campaign's climax takes place in a Willy Wonka style peanut factory with rivers of peanut oil walls and doors made of peanuts and carnivorous orange midgets slathered in peanut butter all commanded by a Master Shedim inhabitating the remains of George Washington Carver who wields a molten peanut-butter cannon in a battle on a peanut-brittle bridge over a perfect peanut replica of Reichenbach Falls.

Awesome

QFT.
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CircuitBoyBlue
post Jan 4 2008, 02:35 PM
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Actually, I can sort of see this happening. In 2070, peanuts will probably be almost non-existant in commercial food, because everybody's going to be allergic to them. I remember when I was a little kid, nobody'd heard of food allergies in general (I'm amazed I survived, because in kindergarten they were always trying to tell us to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and I used to get in trouble for refusing--the teacher thought "allergic" was a fancy word my parents had taught me for "I don't like this"). But then people started dying eating Skyline chilli. And now, crap tons of people have the allergy. My allergist says it's something to do with the way we process them here that makes them extra allergenic. The point is, the percentage of people with the allergy is rapidly increasing.

Anyway, I can imagine peanuts being almost completely off the market, but I bet there will always be die-hard peanut enthusiasts. And I bet they're the type of eccentric that would build a Peanut Palace. I just wouldn't want to do a smash and grab there :)
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