Ghouls noming my PCs!, Or how do I prevent that from happening? |
Ghouls noming my PCs!, Or how do I prevent that from happening? |
Mar 17 2011, 03:29 PM
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#1
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Target Group: Members Posts: 14 Joined: 5-September 09 Member No.: 17,601 |
Hi everyone
My players surprised me with a plan to infiltrate a facility that I haven't thought of and now I need a little help. I'm quite new to game-mastering and to SR4, so I hope my questions don't sound too stupid. So situation is this: The team wants to bypass some security by going through the sewers. They know the area is heavily infested with feral ghouls (I established that because I thought they would then look for a safer rout to the target). So they are armed to the teeth and ready to rock. My problem now is: From what I understand fluff wise ghouls are highly infectious. I want to give them a challenging fight. But I don't want to run the session after that with 4 ghoul characters. I could go the Resident Evil way and say 'You don't get infected even if you get bitten a bazillion times since you are the main characters' but that would be a bit cheap. Then again I don't want it like 'The ghoul sneezed in your direction, please make a new character for the next session'. So how could I handle this and get the characters through this without making it look cheap? If anyone had some advice, I'd be very thankfull p.s.: we only have the SR4 Core Book, Streetmagic, Augmentation, Arsenal and Unwired. So if there are any rules in other books how to handle this, we don't have them at hand |
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Mar 17 2011, 03:50 PM
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#2
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The back-up plan Group: Retired Admins Posts: 8,423 Joined: 15-January 03 From: San Diego Member No.: 3,910 |
The balanced technique that I've found is for the Infection to happen when the ghouls do physical damage with a melee attack, or if the PC glitches a damage soak test with the Ghoul in melee range.
Beyond that, if you want to reduce the infection rate--have the character make the resistance test: 3 Hits, they are fine; 2 Hits, they get a little sick but shake it off; 1 Hit, there is a lasting effect--light-sensitivity, carrier, etc.; 0 Hits, they are infected. (This is similar to how the infection process worked in SR3) These are all house rules, and not RAW. |
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Mar 17 2011, 04:10 PM
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#3
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,373 Joined: 14-January 10 From: Stuttgart, Germany Member No.: 18,036 |
have them buy Hazmat suits??!!
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Mar 17 2011, 04:40 PM
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#4
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,430 Joined: 10-January 05 From: Fort Worth, Texas Member No.: 6,957 |
Have it be a tribe of hereditary ghouls that were born infected and so are not contagious.
Runner's Companion, p. 77 Born Infected While most of the Infected are transformed later in life, the ghilani retroviruses can and do pass into the germ line, which means that the children of the Infected can be born with the Infected quality. Such “native” Infected characters are no different mechanically from any other Infected characters. They simply grow up afflicted by their condition. Only bandersnatchii, fomóraig, ghouls, and loup-garou can reproduce in this manner—banshees, dzoo-noo-qua, goblins, nosferatu, vampires, and wendigo pass the virus along in the germ line, and the fetus fails to develop properly. Characters that are born Infected are not carriers and cannot pass the virus on to others, though their children may still be born Infected. This can be represented by the Infertile Infected quality. |
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Mar 17 2011, 04:42 PM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 572 Joined: 6-February 09 From: London Uk Member No.: 16,848 |
AH, who wrote the bit that made them so annoying has admitted they went abit OTT, this being the case toning them down seems fair
My house rule is only bites count and only if they wound IE physical damage Please remember bite attacks suffer a -1 reach and damage of strength/2 no ap (or there abouts) so they are slightly less likely to do damage. |
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Mar 17 2011, 04:59 PM
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#6
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,373 Joined: 14-January 10 From: Stuttgart, Germany Member No.: 18,036 |
we houseruled the toxin vector from Contact to Injection. Very easy fix and very reasonable
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Mar 17 2011, 08:28 PM
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#7
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Target Group: Members Posts: 14 Joined: 5-September 09 Member No.: 17,601 |
Thanks everyone, those are some really usefull suggestions (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
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Mar 19 2011, 07:19 PM
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#8
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Target Group: Members Posts: 75 Joined: 8-March 11 From: Everywhere Member No.: 23,690 |
I say let the characters get chewed on. If they insist on taking the obviously dangerous route which I'm sure you over described as such, then let them meet the dire fate of their decision.
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Mar 19 2011, 07:29 PM
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#9
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Great, I'm a Dragon... Group: Retired Admins Posts: 6,699 Joined: 8-October 03 From: North Germany Member No.: 5,698 |
It has been stated by Ancient History (who wrote the entry on ghouls in Running Wild) that the RAW are too difficult and need to be changed/ adjusted.
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Mar 19 2011, 07:50 PM
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#10
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,748 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Good ol' Germany Member No.: 7,015 |
but Ancient History is not likely to change anything in SR4A anymore
not only does the vector need a change to Injection the Ghoul Strain needs a Power decrease to 6 (at least) HougH! Medicineman |
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Mar 19 2011, 08:32 PM
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#11
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Great, I'm a Dragon... Group: Retired Admins Posts: 6,699 Joined: 8-October 03 From: North Germany Member No.: 5,698 |
Yeah.
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Mar 19 2011, 09:06 PM
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#12
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Advocatus Diaboli Group: Members Posts: 13,994 Joined: 20-November 07 From: USA Member No.: 14,282 |
Right; changing to Injection isn't enough by itself, because a claw or bite *is* Injection. Alternatively, you could houserule that O-Cells apply to HMHVV and all the PCs just have to go get their 'ghoul vaccine' beforehand.
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Mar 19 2011, 09:37 PM
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#13
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,748 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Good ol' Germany Member No.: 7,015 |
O-Cells DO apply to HMHVV.They (and a genetic Immunisation treatment ) are the only protection (IIRC) against HMHVV
but its futile to try and get it once you're bitten/infected He who Dances in advance Medicineman |
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Mar 19 2011, 10:06 PM
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#14
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Advocatus Diaboli Group: Members Posts: 13,994 Joined: 20-November 07 From: USA Member No.: 14,282 |
I think they don't (which isn't the same as thinking they *shouldn't*). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) But there's already a huge thread about that. I suggested that the GM allow it, so we're already on the same side.
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Mar 20 2011, 01:28 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 252 Joined: 26-August 10 From: Greensboro, NC Member No.: 18,971 |
A quicker, and easier, way to solve the matter is to simply have the ghouls keep on chewing. If they eat the PC's they can't get infected, right? No need to worry about a ridiculously high chance of infection if all that's left are the bones!
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Mar 20 2011, 04:08 PM
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#16
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Immortal Elf Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,358 Joined: 2-December 07 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Member No.: 14,465 |
Drones are your friends when it comes to Ghouls. Especially if you have another drone ready to decontaminate them with C-Squared a half dozen times over.
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Mar 20 2011, 06:26 PM
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#17
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Target Group: Members Posts: 14 Joined: 5-September 09 Member No.: 17,601 |
I say let the characters get chewed on. If they insist on taking the obviously dangerous route which I'm sure you over described as such, then let them meet the dire fate of their decision. Oh they'll get a good fight. I just don't want the propability that they are infected should they make it through in a condition to complete the run / retreat be ~99% I think I'll make infection through bites only and decreasing the power of the disease Thanks again everyone |
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Mar 20 2011, 06:50 PM
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#18
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 19-March 11 Member No.: 24,929 |
A quicker, and easier, way to solve the matter is to simply have the ghouls keep on chewing. If they eat the PC's they can't get infected, right? No need to worry about a ridiculously high chance of infection if all that's left are the bones! What, they don't have gnawers with them to eat the bones? |
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Mar 20 2011, 06:50 PM
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#19
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Douche Group: Banned Posts: 1,584 Joined: 2-March 11 Member No.: 23,135 |
They bought their tickets. They knew what they were getting into. I say, let 'em crash!
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Mar 20 2011, 06:54 PM
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#20
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Immortal Elf Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,358 Joined: 2-December 07 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Member No.: 14,465 |
“Buy the ticket, take the ride.” - Hunter S. Thompson
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Mar 25 2011, 09:10 AM
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#21
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,705 Joined: 5-October 09 From: You are in a clearing Member No.: 17,722 |
Ghouls are also dual natured.
One astral mage. Several stunballs. No problems. |
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Mar 25 2011, 09:51 AM
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#22
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 973 Joined: 8-January 10 Member No.: 18,018 |
Hazmat Suits and plenty of Anti-Toxin ware?
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Mar 25 2011, 03:30 PM
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#23
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Target Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: 16-March 11 Member No.: 24,616 |
If you are nice, warn them on the hazards if they do a bit of legwork, and let them buy full body armour with chemical seals.
I second taking advantage of them being Dual Natured - mana barrier spell works nicely. You said sewers right? Cramped tight tunnels? Straight corridors? They can use it to their advantage with a well placed mana barrier, then have the team mow down the ghouls with guns. Grenades might work as well, but would be a bit more dangerous - they can throw it back if they can grab it, or use a long stick to putt it back to the PCs if near enough, also, there's the "blast within confined spaces" rule. Ghouls are also supposed to be blind. They rely on only hearing and smell. The players can either try to be very silent and mask their smells, or find a way to overwhelm the ghouls' hearing/sense of smell. |
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Mar 25 2011, 03:46 PM
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#24
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Target Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: 16-March 11 Member No.: 24,616 |
Alternatively, if you want to be evil, tell them they were bitten in the arm and they still have time to cut it off before being infected. Mwuahahahahah
Oh look, there's a discarded hacksaw in the corner... They can get the arm replaced with a cyberarm, or get a vat grown replacement if they don't want to lose essence. But they'll still need to get through the rest of the run first. It's a harsh lesson, but not something that cannot be fixed. And they'll learn better next time. |
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Mar 25 2011, 03:53 PM
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#25
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Moving Target Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 583 Joined: 1-October 09 From: France Member No.: 17,693 |
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