Acid Damage, How does it work? Options

[FrighNaar]

Tonight my players will atempt to escape from an antspirit hive. Now the antspirits have this nasty thing that every (physical) attack does acid damage.
I looked at the rules on p.163 SR4A but am a bit confused.
On the one hand it says that acid poured over something (a PC for example) eats through it for turns equal to its rating (= DV).
On the other it says acid from spells deals damage only once.

Now my question:
What about critter powers? Treat them like a spell or like a glas of acid?

If it was like a spell I don't see the difference to a normal attack (except that chemical protection would help reduce the damage).
If it was like a glas of acid, it would be extremely deadly...

[Aerospider]

Treat it as normal, not as a spell. The reason acidic combat spells do not last is that combat spells do not create things (that's what manipulation spells are for) so the acid vanishes. AFAICT the acid from an insect spirit is real acid, albeit from a magical source.

But if deductive reasoning doesn't provide a satisfactory answer, just go literal and rule that critter powers are not spells, which they aren't – an important distinction that comes up elsewhere too (e.g. counterspelling).

[FrighNaar]

Ok, sounds reasonable. That's something I can work with.

Though applying the damage every round seems to be extremely deadly. I'll have to find a way to not instant kill my players.

Thanks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Aerospider]

Ok, sounds reasonable. That's something I can work with.

Though applying the damage every round seems to be extremely deadly. I'll have to find a way to not instant kill my players.

Thanks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Ever seen Aliens and what happens if you get sprayed with acid blood? Not pretty.
There should always be a limit though - a finite amount of acid won't devour forever. Maybe number of turns = Force?

[UmaroVI]

I agree that critter powers are not spells and that therefore, insect spirits do Acid damage for turns = base DV.

Do note that it is per turn not per pass so it's not quite as deadly as it seems. Players with multiple IPs can wash it off or apply a base. If players have appropriate knowledge skills or do or have done the appropriate research, you might want to warn them about this so they can be ready; having someone who isn't very good at fighting on standby to spray down anyone who gets bitten might be a good idea.

[NiL_FisK_Urd]

having someone who isn't very good at fighting on standby to spray down anyone who gets bitten might be a good idea.

sure, if you do not carefully apply the base to the acid, you get the damage from the base also XD

[UmaroVI]

The rules say you can wash Acid off, and I believe standard chemistry lab safety is to spray with water. I was actually just thinking of hosing down anyone who got bitten with water.

[Halinn]

Yeah, water is the go-to cure for getting bad stuff on you in a lab. The problem with trying to neutralize things with a base is that you have to be quite accurate with regards to the amounts to get the desired effect. And given that you're probably panicking because you got acid all over yourself, you likely won't be able to measure out exactly how much got on you and how much base to neutralize it with, when you also have to account for different concentrations and such.

[Stahlseele]

Neutralizing is only secondary in getting the stuff off of your body in terms of priority.
Who care if the stuff will start eating holes into the ground or assorted equipment in some minutes or hours?
It's not eating holes into YOU right this very second, that's what counts first and foremost.

[FrighNaar]

I went with the damage for force turns. Caused a near death experience for almost everyone since the spirits had a relatively high force.
But when they realised that the acid kept eating through the armor the mage got the smart idea of fireballing the sprinklers. That really saved their lives.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[The Jopp]

Shouldnt the strenght of the acid be diluted as it vaporizes/dilutes itself with the victims flesh/cloth/material? Force-1 per turn or so, making it slightly weaker per turn?