Adrenaline pump, advice needed., Making a character with it work. Options

[Squinky]

First off, hi all, been a bit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Here's my dilema:

I've always loved the adrenaline pump, but the rules scare me. I understand its potential power, but have never tried it on a character because:

1: It takes ten minutes to "reload" and be used again. This could be troublesome, might as well just buy a permanent upgrade for that essence. But I can live with this.

2: The stun damage you take for it is too much possibly. You roll 1d6 per rating, and when things are done you take that in stun unresisted. Things can get pretty hardcore. A rating three pump can get you up to 18 stun, and then ten minutes later when your buddy spooks you......the pump comes on again and kills you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


So, I'm still thinking of trying it, at level two. I'm looking for ways to make it work without houserules. Kinda like a dedicated build that focuses on this element. Some way to control it or make the stun more manageable?

Oh, and I can only use stuff from SR4A (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Any ideas?

[Neraph]

Ask if your GM would allow you to spend Edge to reroll the damage when you come down off of it. Put as many points into Edge as possible. Same with Willpower + Body (?), or whichever two the Test is for remaining calm.

EDIT: Wil + Cha, Composure Test.

[Angelone]

I'm in he same boat as Squinky, I think it's an interesting piece of ware, but the downsides are pretty harsh. I was thinking about getting it for a bioadept but when I reread the rules I was like umm... no.

I actually started a topic on the offical forums. Link

[Traul]

I think you can put the pump under chemical control: IIRC, there is a drug that triggers the pump and another one that negates the adrenaline effect. So you can get an auto-injector and stop the pump before it deals too much damage. A trauma damper or pain editor should also help you with the damage.

[Summerstorm]

Aye... one can control the damn thing with some drugs... cheap ones, even. But also: Yeah, as written the damn thing is near-unusable. First of: "Unresistable" doesn't belong in this game, in my opinion. Some people just have better bodies and can take more.

I would advise the gm to lower the possible stun and maybe even lower the variation. Maybe make it (Rating +1W6) Stun. Can be dangerous, still unpredictable. But manageable. And let them roll defensive against it. Just like toxins: Just Body (If he had systems to clear the adrenaline it would take down the effectiveness of the pump).

So the damn thing is at least usable with slight loss of stun over the course of a evening fighting and killing.

[Aerospider]

First of: "Unresistable" doesn't belong in this game, in my opinion. Some people just have better bodies and can take more.

Better body/mind => bigger condition monitor => can take more

[Angelone]

I think you can put the pump under chemical control: IIRC, there is a drug that triggers the pump and another one that negates the adrenaline effect. So you can get an auto-injector and stop the pump before it deals too much damage. A trauma damper or pain editor should also help you with the damage.

I know in 3rd you could stop it with the drug MAO not sure about starting it up. Not sure about 4th afb atm.

[sabs]

wow adrenaline pump sucks.

for .75 x rating you get +str, reaction, agility, body, willpower for Ratingx1d6 turns with a serious chance of killing yourself.

for .9 x rating you get +str, +agility, +reaction, +initiative
for 1.2 x rating you get all that and +body (bone density)

The stun should be 1/2 of your roll, or at least partially mitigatable.

[CanRay]

On the bright side, it's only psychologically addictive. And the doses are free. Pretty good for a "Drug".

[sabs]

Why is adrenaline not physically addictive (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[CanRay]

There'd be a lot more adrenaline junkies in the world if it was. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[sabs]

How is the adrenaline pump better than say K-10?

Especially K-10/dopadrine cocktail?

I mean okay it's guaranteed 18S at the end, that sucks.
But the benefits are SO much better.

[Neurosis]

K-10 costs 900 Nuyen a DOSE. I mean besides the fact that it's guaranteed to "roll" MAXIMUM on 3d6 every time.

Dopadrine/K-10 Cocktail is a veyr interesting idea because it negates the negative, balancing effects of a 16F drug for the cost of 15 Nuyen and an Availability 2 drug. I wonder if other GMs feel that's legit. I personally would have a problem with it. I've taken two "conflicting" drugs in real life and they don't just balance each other out like that. There are horrible side effects. And obviously none of the drugs I took was even close to being the equivalent of K-10.

[CanRay]

Speedballing. Not a good idea at all.

Just ask John Belushi.

[sabs]

John thought it was a great idea..

right until the day he died (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Marcus]

How is the adrenaline pump better than say K-10?

Especially K-10/dopadrine cocktail?

I mean okay it's guaranteed 18S at the end, that sucks.
But the benefits are SO much better.

the AP is 100 times better then k10 Alone. Why? Because it has no chance of putting your character into Endless Berserk. `
Now AP vs the K-10 Dopadrine Cocktail is another matter but still AP is better. The cocktail question will come down to your GM thought on it (Little matters like Addiction, and tolerance (aka don't mess up that dosage!)). Further Laying aside the legality factors. No matter what your gm thinks on how that should work 18S unresisted damage is way worse then a couple d6 resistible damage.

[Neurosis]

The damage from Adrenaline Pump is unresisted, but you're still right.

[sabs]

The adrenal pump is dubious.. especially given it's. availability and legality
If it was easy to get, then I could see it being sort of a poor man's combat implant.

But it's not.. it's price/avail ratio make it seem.. just a little strange.

[Neraph]

K-10 costs 900 Nuyen a DOSE. I mean besides the fact that it's guaranteed to "roll" MAXIMUM on 3d6 every time.

Dopadrine/K-10 Cocktail is a veyr interesting idea because it negates the negative, balancing effects of a 16F drug for the cost of 15 Nuyen and an Availability 2 drug. I wonder if other GMs feel that's legit. I personally would have a problem with it. I've taken two "conflicting" drugs in real life and they don't just balance each other out like that. There are horrible side effects. And obviously none of the drugs I took was even close to being the equivalent of K-10.

Of course it works, and I've mentioned it before.

And of course there's a downside; two actually:

1) 18S damage, unresisted at the end of the duration.

2) The fact that you speedballed increases the threshold for Addiction Tests. If you survive, you're almost guaranteed to become addicted (you'd need about 5 Successes to not become addicted [4 from K-10, +1 Speedball]) - and you won't survive long addicted to that.

[Smokeskin]

How about roll a number of dice equal to duration, each hit gives 1 point of stun dmg?

[Shinobi Killfist]

Given that you have to get it activated and its on a cooldown, it would probably be balanced if the stun damage was removed entirely. Or reduce it to a flat low # like 2 unresisted stun per level of AP.

[sabs]

You cant' even chose when to activate it.
Which seems weird, how hard would it be to link it to your DNI

[Thanee]

The Adrenaline Pump becomes a lot more useful, if you allow the damage to be resisted. Even then it's not exactly great.

Bye
Thanee

[Traul]

You cant' even chose when to activate it.
Which seems weird, how hard would it be to link it to your DNI

Pretty hard, given it's bioware.

[Squinky]

Well, it seems there is only houserules for me then.

I thought about it and I thought a fair ruling would be to allow more control over it. For every level of it you can use it for 6 combat turns (that 1d6 maxed) and can end it when you want. That way you have some control maybe?

Other than that the simple ability to roll to resist would be nice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I don't know though, I proposed this to my GM today. I just have fears of it being overpowered if it is tinkered with.