SR Question: Immunity

[Daki]

Moo, IC, get the hell out of this thread NOW.






... Okay, I'm creating a powerful NPC for a long term campaign and I need some help. The NPC is a high level mage going by the name Winter who really only uses Ice Spells. To complete the character, I want to give him an immunity to Cold but that brings up a problem... how should I balance that? He is extremely vulnerable to heat but I'm not sure how to write that up. I was thinking an extreme Sickness to Heat but wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts on this.

[MooCow]

NO!!! I'm staying here until you get me the character background you've been promising me for a month and a half!!!

MooCow
The protesting cow

[Daki]

There, it's sent! Now get the hell out.

[Cazmonster]

Not having my SR books around, I'd go with this as a quick solution to your issue...

Make any fire attack against Winter one damage class worse and increase the power of the attack by a healthy amount (I'd say double, at least). Getting a mage out of a 9S attack is not impossible. Getting him out of an 18D is another thing entirely.

[Daki]

Thanks Caz.

[Crazy Elf]

If it's magical in nature, then you really don't need to do anything. Just creating a high resistence toward ice spells will mean that the players are going to try something else instead. If you really feel that you can't let it slide on that alone, half the magic pool, or abolish it, when it comes to resisting magical attacks which are fire based.

Upping the damage codes to the level that Caz was talking about means that it's game over for your NPC, period. One flame spell and it dies. If you want to show the aversion, a phobia of fire should do the trick. Alergies are more a physical thing, and unless he's a seriously screwed genetically, it's unlikely that there would be any physical change.

[Cazmonster]

Given the power level Daki is most likely talking about, Winter should be able to resist multiple Deadly level attacks. After all, as a frost-based mage, I'd be sure to take some kind of 'Ice Armor' spell that soaks up attacks (especially fire) all day. Double may be harsh, considering you could get incendiary panther cannon rounds, so what about half again?

[Daki]

Both ideas have merit. The mage in question is a very high level character who has several quickened spells. He should be able to resist that kind of deadly damage. What I have in mind is he is highly vulnberable to heat (anything about 75 degrees or so). To counter that, he will acutally lower the temperature around him to avoid the heat sickness.

For Fire spells, I like the idea of stagin the damage a level or two so if the spell actually hits it will be much mroe dangerous. The other area I need help with is what effects being in a warmer environment would have.

For example, his cooling spell doesn't function and he finds himself in an area where the temp is 100+ degrees F. What would the initial effects be? The long term effects?

[FlakJacket]

Best guess would be just play him like someone that'd get bad heatsroke/dehydration. Just do a quick search for 'dehydration symptoms' and you'll get some good ideas.

[Cazmonster]

Why not have him take a heat-related Geas?

[Daki]

I'm trying to avoid that route if I can Caz.

[Crazy Elf]

I say a phobia, as that adds to target numbers for simplification, but a mild alergy would do the same thing. Extra target numbers mean that everything's harder.

If you really want, give them the critter vaulnerability to fire.