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farlanghn
I was reading on the internet about the HMHVV since there really isn't info in the 4th edition. I have some questions
1. does anyone know where the virus came from?
2. There are different types of strains. How do you infected by these. Does any body know what it does to the meta-human (for example loup-garou, what strengths and weakness' do they have?)
3. And Is there somewhere on the web that gives this info or maybe in a book that I over looked? Thanks for any help you can throw my way...
TBRMInsanity
It is unknown were the virus came from but most likely it is a awakened version of a modern day blood virus (the one responsible for the vampire myths). There are currently 4 strains of the virus. Only the first two strains effect all metahumans (creating Vampires, Wendigos, Doz No Que, Banshees, Goblins, and the 5 version of Ghouls). The last two strains only effect humans and some of the other metavariants (depending on the strain). All other metahumans will just die from the infection (usually from massive internal bleeding). Check out the SR3 Critters book and Paranormal Animals of Europe for the strengths and weaknesses of these creatures.
The ubbergeek
Judging by the myths, the virus may be ancient.... the dawn of metahumanity....
Ancient History
Uncle Ancient's Guide to the Infected
(To be updated to 4th Edition Real Soon Now™)
farlanghn
Okay I found a page that gave me the critters for the 3rd edition. http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:t-hkXI...us&ct=clnk&cd=3 But now my question is what if I wanted to add the HMHVV virus to a character?
It gives examples of a vampires, ghouls, and Loup-Garous but none say what happens if a character is taken over by this.
For example a vampire in the 3rd ed has this:
B-3
Q-5x5
S-3
C-5
I-4
W-4
E-2d6
R-4
But does the character change his attributes to this? Or instead does he get a bonus to his own. If someone could help me out and explain this I would appreciate it.
TBRMInsanity
For HMHVV changed characters remember that the sample stats are the average. Take the average of the base for that creature and find the difference for each stat:

Example:

Human -> Vampire:
Human stats:
All = 3
Vampire stats:
B Q S W I C
3 5 3 4 4 5

Change:
B Q S W I C
0 2 0 1 1 2

Reaction is resolved the same way.
Apathy
I believe the canon answer is if the character is infected with any strain of HMHVV other than the ghoul strain, you take his character sheet and make it an NPC. There were rules in SR Companion for infecting players with the ghoul virus, but most people seemed to agree that getting infected was a very bad thing. Losing a point of essence, losing mental stats, predjudice, cyberware stopping working, dual nature, etc. and all you got in return was a couple more points of physical stats.

As far as the vamps go, I don't think there's anything that says a given character's stats (except for the magic stat) change when they get infected - they only get new powers. Differences in average stats of characters and vamps could be a result of vamps tending to select characters with those traits as their victims.
farlanghn
QUOTE (Apathy)
I believe the canon answer is if the character is infected with any strain of HMHVV other than the ghoul strain, you take his character sheet and make it an NPC. There were rules in SR Companion for infecting players with the ghoul virus, but most people seemed to agree that getting infected was a very bad thing. Losing a point of essence, losing mental stats, predjudice, cyberware stopping working, dual nature, etc. and all you got in return was a couple more points of physical stats.

As far as the vamps go, I don't think there's anything that says a given character's stats (except for the magic stat) change when they get infected - they only get new powers. Differences in average stats of characters and vamps could be a result of vamps tending to select characters with those traits as their victims.

Yeah I read that part. But I think I'm going to change that because I have someone that likes to argue and he always wants to go strictly by the book. So I give him an option, either get a new character or keep the one he has but have bad things happen. Just to teach him a lesson.
Abschalten
In terms of sheer numbers, being a ghoul is a bad thing. But I think roleplaying one would be so awesome, awesome to the point that I took the rules from SRC and ported them over to SR4 for chargen. Insofar as I've seen so far, the rules are pretty good and fairly well-balanced.

If anybody's interested I'll put them up here.
TBRMInsanity
I agree that PCs should not be able to play most HMHVV characters. Ghouls I barely tolerate in my campaign.
Dread Polack
Playing a ghoul pc, IMO, is basically like playing a very unfortunate metahuman with potentially unbalanced attributes. I agree with Abschalten, and wanted to play a ghoul in SR3, but never had a chance. Eventually, as GM, I plan to introduce a ghoul NPC in my campaign, but not until I'm a little more comfortable with the rules.

Dread Polack
Gothic Rose
I've found that playing a ghoul sucks from a statistical side. I've done it. He was my favorite SR character, but that was because of his -story- and the Roleplay around him, not because he was ridiculously awesome.

Of course, if he'd been awakened, and and adept, instead of being chromed up with half of what a normal sammie could have, he'd have been better. nyahnyah.gif
fool
Somewhere in the old shadowrune supplement there was a section about playing vampires, can't remember the edition but it was cool. Look it up
TBRMInsanity
@fool

I think it was SR2. I recall something like that as well. But there were very strict rules behind it.
1. The PC had to be turned through game play (no starting as a vamp)
2. Huge restrictions were placed on the character (no cyber, bio, etc.)
3. It would be the GM not the PC that decided if your character was turned.

Vampire Pawn is another boat though. I have run a campaign where some or all the characters were turned into Pawns. It was great because missions cam directly from the vamp and essence became the mode of payment. A very evil thing to do.
fool
sorry I ran out of time at the library so I didn;t get to completely say what tbrminsanity did.
I believe it was in SR2, but someone also came up with rules for immortals (ala highlander) and for free spirits. Obviously these were just someones well refined house rules, but the Vamps and Free spirits were both pretty well done. I believe it was some time around the cross over from sr2 to 3 to SS 6,7, or8. But I don't even know if those are cached somewhere in the internet or how one would go about getting them if they were. But, it seems they'd be pretty easy things to port into sr4. But they definitely change the nature of the game. Vamps and ghouls you have to get essense or flesh respectively and free spirits you have to convince someone to give you Karma since you can't earn it yourself.
Apathy
Are you referring to Bull's Vamps?
fool
those look pretty good, but I don't remember if they were the same as the ones in the supplement.
TBRMInsanity
There is no way in hell I would let a player play a wendigo. They are just too wrong!
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