Radioactive Sponge, Is it actually useful? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Switch to: Outline Standard Switch to: Linear+

[BlackJaw]

I'm curious if the Radioactive Sponge positive quality is worth making a character with. It's a quality in the hazardous environment section of Run Faster, and it has two effects: First, radiation hazard levels are one less for the character, so they are never in a lethal environment due to radiation (they do get sick). Second, they absorb that environment and spit it back out again for a while after being in it.

Can a decent character be built with this idea? I imagine you could get a radiation shielded set of clothes to contain your radiation, and they take it off when you want to be hazardous, but I can't imagine it would be effective on a scale fast enough to aid runners outside of very specific situations where you want to freak out people with radiation detectors. Even then you are likely to get a dedicated anti-terrorist squad or worse involved if they think a dirty bomb or nuke is involved.

Outside of using the quality with NPCs for a nasty twist on a mission (extraction or capture of a radioactive target)... what good is it?

[Mantis]

It seems like one of those niche qualities that really is better off reserved for NPCs. As a player, you can and do see your character in all sorts of environments and while it might be nice to have some level of immunity to the bad parts of a given environment, that always seems to come with a load of penalties in every other environment.
You listed some of the big ones already, like the fact that you are setting off rad-meters everywhere you go. This quality on a PC would be fine if you were only playing in the barrens and around places where radiation was a large factor. Otherwise it seems more of a hindrance than a boon as you have to deal with the down sides and would rarely get to use the bonuses.

[Sengir]

Well, as written the extra duration for your personal radioactive contamination only applies in Deadly-rated areas. So if your character regularly spends time in radioactive area, but stays out of Deadly environments like everybody else, it's a clear win for just 5 Karma.

[pbangarth]

Sounds like something for runners in Los Angeles, no?

[Iduno]

Sounds good for someone from SOX or the Glow in Seattle. Especially nice for a toxic mage NPC.