Infected, Starting Essence Options

[ShaunClinton]

So it seems that all infected start with essence 5 - is there a way to buy that up dring chargen? It seems a little pointless limiting it to 5 as it can be easily increased as soon as play begins.

Does anyone have any good infected builds out there? I'm looking to put together a Nosferatu mage who can disguise himself as a regular joe.

[Ancient History]

So it seems that all infected start with essence 5 - is there a way to buy that up dring chargen?

No.

It seems a little pointless limiting it to 5 as it can be easily increased as soon as play begins.

Gotta draw the line somewhere.

[Totentanz]

By RAW, no. Your GM of course might agree with your argument and let you start full. On the other hand, he might smack you upside the head with a dice bag.

Looking human is the least of your worries. That allergy to sunlight is pretty nasty.

[Neraph]

Here's my Nosferatu build:

Male Nosferatu Mage - Prince Arthas/Lich King Clone:

[ Spoiler ]

Nosferatu (150 BP)

Attributes (80 BP)
Bod - 4
Agi - 2
Rea - 3
Str - 2
Cha - 4
Int - 3
Log - 3
Wil - 4
Edge - 2
Ess - 5
Mag - 4

Qualities (+15 BP)
Magician 15
Restricted Gear 5
Vendetta +5
Enemy +15
Carrier (Ghoul) +5
Carrier (Dzoo-noo-qua) +5
Carrier (Banshee) +5

Skills (130 BP)
Spellcasting 5
Blades (Swords) 5
Dodge (Ranged) 2
Counterspelling (Combat) 4
Astral Combat 3
Assensing 3
Conjuring 3
Perception 2

Spells (15 BP)
Manaball
Manabolt
Frostbolt
Combat Sense
Nutrition

Foci (8 BP)
R4 Power/R4 Weapon Focus

Equipment (28 BP)
Monofilament Sword (R4 Power Focus, R4 Weapon Focus) (Bound)*

4 BP left for other gear and contacts.

*This weapon is not correct, to the best of my knowledge. It counts as a R8 Focus, which is beyond the ability of a starting character to aquire, being a 40R Availability item. At the time I made this character, I thought it worked differently. My character in-game ended up having his power sword destroyed in a building explosion. You can drop it to a R2/R2, get 4 BP back from the binding, and an additional 70,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) (14 BP) worth of gear.

This character has been used successfully using the method I detail in the link in my signature. I have obtained a Force 8 Ally Spirit with Inhabitation and have gone from "Prince Arthas" to "The Lich King." We're about to retire the campaign (I'm going to remake my Runeblade - a Frostmourne clone [F6 Weapon/F6 Power Stacked Focus Claymore]), and the next campaign will be entirely devoted to destroying this character and the Ghoul army (and other special Infected Generals) he has been raising in a Z-zone.

Not exactly "blend in," but very effective.

Don't forget to drain 6 Essence twice a day and boost your Magic by 6. Think of them like pills: drain one metahuman twice daily at 8 AM and 8 PM.

[Neraph]

That allergy to sunlight is pretty nasty.

Alleviate Allergy makes that all better.

[McAllister]

Is there any reason not to make a permanent version of that? Here's what Street Magic has to say about what spells can be made permanent.

Permanent spells must be maintained for a time, then they become permanent. Only spells that restore the target to its original, natural, unaltered state should be permanent in duration. Spells that heal or repair damage, disease, the effects of drugs, poisons, and so on, for example, are all good candidates. If the spell provides some sort of game bonus (other than restorative), the effect should not be permanent. The gamemaster has the final say on whether it is possible to create a permanent version of a spell.

Restoring you to your original state? Check, as long as you weren't allergic to sunlight pre-HMHVV.
Repairs the effect of disease? Check.
Does not provide any sort of game bonus (other than restorative)? Check.

So why not sustain it for a minute or two and have done with it?

[Zormal]

You'd better talk with your GM about that. Personally, I'd say that the allergy is an innate condition (a part of being who you are), and can't be cured. A Vampire 'reverting to his natural state' would also 'cure' all other abilities and return to being a human. As there is no such cure, it would seem that being Infected is now your natural state. Also, it wouldn't feel balanced if you could permanently get rid of your flaws like that.

So quickening and sustaining foci would be the way to go, unless you make your own arrangements. I've also resurrected the old style of sustaining spells through ritual magic, as a houserule, for just this kind of spells.

[siel]

Agreed.

I would think that the post HMHVV is the new original state, so the spells can't be made permanent.




Hmm, if your arm is chopped off and you lost the chopped off arm for whatever reason, would lacking an arm be your new state? Would you be able to grow the arm back with a heal spell? 

[Zormal]

Don't see why not.

HMHVV is a retrovirus that changes pretty much your whole being, so I've always seen the changes happening on a genetic level (might be wrong, but I think that's how it goes). Plus there's the whole thing of it being magical. At least it changes your aura, so I think it's justifiable to see it changing you as a whole.

Losing an arm doesn't change you in the same way. While there are no specific rules for an injury that severe, you don't seem to even lose any essence until you replace the lost limb with something that has a metallic glint.

From a fluff/balance perspective, I wouldn't make it too easy. Medicine can attach a separated limb quite easily, but regrowing it needs a lot of work and money. I say let the mage at least sweat a bit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Starmage21]

Don't see why not.

HMHVV is a retrovirus that changes pretty much your whole being, so I've always seen the changes happening on a genetic level (might be wrong, but I think that's how it goes). Plus there's the whole thing of it being magical. At least it changes your aura, so I think it's justifiable to see it changing you as a whole.

Losing an arm doesn't change you in the same way. While there are no specific rules for an injury that severe, you don't seem to even lose any essence until you replace the lost limb with something that has a metallic glint.

From a fluff/balance perspective, I wouldn't make it too easy. Medicine can attach a separated limb quite easily, but regrowing it needs a lot of work and money. I say let the mage at least sweat a bit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Its a magical virus too. It probobly makes meta-genetic changes as well.

[Neraph]

Recently I've been thinking about a permanent version of Increased Reflexes...

[Dragnar]

The "natural state" of a nosferatu is being a nosferatu, even if he was a human before. That was the past, you shouldn't argue on that account.
Otherwise, I insist on a permanent spell that changes people into a single cell, as that was their "natural state" shortly after being conceived. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Neraph]

Just take Quickening and be done with it.

[Patrick Goodman]

Its a magical virus too. It probobly makes meta-genetic changes as well.

Ooooooooooooooooooh yeah.