[UA] [UA]Disease Mechanics.

[Chris Cooper]

Disease

Well so your new player has suddenly gotten on to this
role-playing thingy. And boy does she throw a loop.
She is playing an HIV-positive, ex-porno star. And
like a Catholic making a pilgrimage to Lourdes to
miraculously cure her ills, so does the desperate
porno star search for her patron saint, her messiah.

Okay...

But what about that nasty little virus.

Disease mechanics should be quick and clean and
simple. Not messy like in life. 

Diseases come in dice of damage, ie. 1d, 4d, 5d, etc.

The time each time the dice is rolled, months, weeks
and days.

A simple body check will determine resistance to
infection. Certain diseases like HIV or cancer are
only rendered null-and-void by a matched cherry.
Otherwise it goes into remission for six months to
about two years. Sometimes it goes away or,
unfortunately, it hits back with a terrible vengeance.

So influenza is a d3, daily disease. So after
infection, the diseased suffers 1d10 points of damage
every day. After this they heal as per convalescence
rules.

Cancer is a monthly disease that causes 1d10 points of
damage every month. Unless it metastizes then the
victim lose 1d10 every week. Until death that is.

For victims with full blown AIDS (HIV, bad genes, or a
matched failure cherry or an already badly wounded
character), the damage dice is open-ended. So for
every ten rolled roll another, etc.  

Often certain disease have exotic damage either from
the disease or the treatment of the disease, like
scaring from pox, or hair loss form chemo therapy
treatment. remove 1% for every damage die rolled.

A sorcerer with a brain tumour can cause some really
weird effects. In fact a sorcerer packing charges and
hallucinating from infection can get... well
DANGEROUS!  (A hint for the hard of reading)

Otherwise read up a little on the subject and adjust
accordingly. And remember, unlike True Love, herpes is
forever...

And stop that scratching, children!

Cheers,

Chris. 

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints!
http://photos.yahoo.com

_______________________________________________
UA mailing list
UA at lists.uchicago.edu
http://lists.uchicago.edu/mailman/listinfo/ua