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Sylvre Phire
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 Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 5:37 pm Post subject: Modelling Blackwing in D6 |
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A while back I hinted in my COMPNor thread that I would be running an arc involving the Blackwing virus in my Star Wars campaign. I got a copy of the Medical Sourcebook, read through the relevant thread here, pored over the info on Wookieepedia, and sorted out the canon and Legends material to create my own version for my game.
What I'm looking for is some feedback and constructive critique on this. While these house rules use the material on symptoms from the Medical Sourcebook, but they don't use the rules for disease set out in that book. By the way, this is just the first bit. I want to tinker with how the virus transmits information between its carriers and how it interacts with use of Force powers (and Dark Side Points) to halt or cure it.
Imperial Bioweapons Project I71A, aka Project Blackwing
Susceptible Species: Bothan, Dathomirian, Delphanian, Devaronian, Human, Ithorian, Mon Calamari, Neti, Rodian, Sullustan, Trandoshan, Twi'lek, Whiphid, Wookiee, Zabrak
Transmission Methods: Bite wounds sustained from infected victims, contact with bodily fluids of the infected.
Incubation Period: Minutes to hours, based on the victim's STR or stamina roll.
STR/Stamina Roll----->Incubation Period
3---------->5D minutes
4-6-------->6D minutes
7-9-------->7D minutes
10-12----->8D minutes
13-15----->1D hours
16-18----->2D hours
19-21----->3D hours
22-24----->4D hours
25-27----->5D hours
28-30----->6D hours
31+------->7D hours
Symptoms and Progression
GM's Notes: In delving through the info on Wookieepedia, I chose to go with the canon history and most of the medical info in the Legends section. To simplify things, I didn't divide the symptoms up by transmission type as in the Legends. Instead, I just ruled that some symptoms were consistent across the board while others were not necessarily consistent between victims. In terms of madness and mental breakdown, one character may become paranoid while another may hallucinate that his hands are fading away, for example. Finally, in my campaign first aid is a specialization of the medicine skill and advanced skills are not used.
Once the incubation period is up, the afflicted character must make an hourly STR or stamina roll against incremental damage, starting at 1D and increasing by +1 (1 pip) each hour. Damage is resolved normally, but natural healing rolls are affected by wound-related penalties. Additionally, when the character is at wounded and makes their healing roll, they upgrade to stunned[i/]. Characters fluctuating between [i]wounded and stunned should be treated as having incurred multiple stun results for the effects of severe fever.
Symptoms and their severity are based on the character's wound status. It should be noted that the physical symptoms run pretty consistent from victim to victim, but psychological symptoms do not.
Stunned
Physical SymptomsLow grade fever
Sweats
Body aches
Congestion
Dizziness/Loss of equilibrium
Excessive mucus production
Headache
Head cold
Hearing loss
Hoarseness
Maiaise
Dry heaves
Shortness of breath
Numbness
Loss of appetite
Voice loss
Cough
Psychological SymptomsAnxiety
Confusion
Hallucinations/strange sensation of hands fading away
Nervous twitches
Panic attack
Paranoia
Attention deficit
Gaps in memory
Loss in directional sense
Wounded/Wounded Twice
Physical SymptomsHigh grade fever
Extreme dehydration
Chills
Nausea
Vomiting
Deafness
Chest pain
Crusting around eyes and mouth
Degeneration of nervous system
Coughing up blood
Muscle weakness
Weight loss
Tremors/convulsions
Shortness of breath
Respiratory ailment
Vertigo
Psychological SymptomsFear
Extreme paranoia
Psychosis/Dementia
Stupor
Increased Aggression
Insanity
Memory loss
Loss of judgment
IncapacitatedSyncopated breathing rhythm/ventricular fibrillation
Coma
Mortally WoundedSystemic shutdown
Tissue liquefaction
Total organ failure
Killed: Character is revived 2D minutes later as a zombie (see “Blackwing's End Stage” below).
Blackwing's End Stage
Individuals killed by Blackwing are later resurrected by the virus to carry and spread it to others and to kill and eat any others who have natural immunity to the virus. Characters at this stage of the disease have a variation of the extreme hunger symptom. In this case, the character loses 1D in all attributes (minimum 1D) but Strength. Due to major damage to the victim's nervous system, Movement is cut to three-quarters of their original Move.
Simultaeously, resurrected victims become more resilient against injury. Injuries sustained to the torso or limbs have little effect beyond slowing the zombies down. Wound results of wounded or wounded twice may result in a limb being amputated; significant damage or loss of a leg halves the zombie's Move rating. Wound results of incapacitated or mortally wounded may result in the body being cut in two, reducing the zombie's Move to 2. A result of killed indicates the zombie has sustained a head wound that has decapitated it or otherwise destroyed the head (or even its body).
Treatment
Because Blackwing is born of Sith alchemy, it is hideously adaptable. Medpac immunoboosters grant diminishing returns when administered multiple times. Medpac difficulty numbers start as per the rules on p.98 of SW2RE. The character is stable (no change) if the roll fails by 9 or less; if the roll fails by 10 or more, have the victim make a STR or stamina based on the natural healing table and the rules above to see if their condition worsens. Rolls resulting in an upgrade in condition are treated as “no change”.
Each time a medpac alone is used to treat Blackwing, the difficulty increases by one level.
Antipyretics and antiviral medications provide some help, but again provide diminishing returns with each use.
Senoti: Being a folk remedy of the Ewoks, not even this drug can stave off Blackwing's effects indefinitely. The extract must be prepared 9in ever-increasing quantities to stave off fever requiring the healer to make medicine (first aid) rolls at one level higher for each successive application. When the difficulty reaches Moderate, have the infected character make a stamina or STR roll at the same difficulty level to avoid organ damage due to toxicity. The roll is made for each level past Moderate as well.
Triptophagea: Successive doses after the first decrease the drug's efficacy by one pip when used vs. Blackwing.
Virexane IV: Repeat doses of Virexane, even when staggered every six hours, do not help.
First Dose: -10/-5
Second Dose: -8/-4
Third Dose: -6/-3
Fourth Dose: -4/-2
Fifth Dose: -2/-1
Each subsequent dose after the fifth has no effect whatsoever.
Later!
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garhkal
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| Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 12:19 am Post subject: |
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On that initial stamina roll to determine how long you get, is that a flat stamina roll (or str) roll with NO difficulty level, just what ever you get is what your # on that chart is?
So if i (a wookie lets say) roll my 5d str and get 22, i have 4 hours?
| Quote: | | Once the incubation period is up, the afflicted character must make an hourly STR or stamina roll against incremental damage, starting at 1D and increasing by +1 (1 pip) each hour. Damage is resolved normally, but natural healing rolls are affected by wound-related penalties. Additionally, when the character is at wounded and makes their healing roll, they upgrade to stunned[i/]. Characters fluctuating between [i]wounded and stunned should be treated as having incurred multiple stun results for the effects of severe fever. |
On that bolded part. If someone is at 'stunned' and makes their healing roll, do they improve to "unaffected"? OR will they always be stunned at a minimum?
Reading on that wiki site, it seems to indicate that this virus (if airborn) can bypass even Biohazard suits? how?
Also, if someone's say cryogenically frozen, does that halt the spread of the disease in them?
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Sylvre Phire
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| Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | On that initial stamina roll to determine how long you get, is that a flat stamina roll (or str) roll with NO difficulty level, just what ever you get is what your # on that chart is?
So if i (a wookie lets say) roll my 5d str and get 22, i have 4 hours? |
Yes, with Blackwing it's just a matter of time. One thing I didn't like about the Legends version of the disease was that there was a significant difference in incubation periods between the transmission methods. As the bulk of the info on the virus is now non-canonical, I just went with a general incubation period regardless of the transmission method.
| Quote: | "Once the incubation period is up, the afflicted character must make an hourly STR or stamina roll against incremental damage, starting at 1D and increasing by +1 (1 pip) each hour. Damage is resolved normally, but natural healing rolls are affected by wound-related penalties. Additionally, when the character is at wounded and makes their healing roll, they upgrade to stunned. Characters fluctuating between wounded and stunned should be treated as having incurred multiple stun results for the effects of severe fever."
On that bolded part. If someone is at 'stunned' and makes their healing roll, do they improve to "unaffected"? OR will they always be stunned at a minimum? |
That's a good question; I didn't really consider that. Good thing I've got some time before the next session to figure that one out... 
| Quote: | | Reading on that wiki site, it seems to indicate that this virus (if airborn) can bypass even Biohazard suits? how? |
I was never sure on that bit. As I noted above, since the information presented in "Red Harvest" and "Death Troopers" is no longer considered canon, so I'm just ignoring it. In my game I want this to be a dire situation, not a no-win situation.
| Quote: | | Also, if someone's say cryogenically frozen, does that halt the spread of the disease in them? |
I would think so, though it wouldn't kill the virus, just render it dormant. Once the victim is revived, it would progress normally unless the proper treatment is given.
Thanks for your interest and feedback, garhkal. I'll definitely do some thinking on the natural healing bit. I'm also thinking about adding some info on how antiseptics from the Medical Sourcebook affect the virus.
Later!
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garhkal
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| Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 2:27 am Post subject: |
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For force users, what sort of 'cure disease' roll would this be? Heroic or higher? Difficult??
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Sylvre Phire
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| Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 10:11 am Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | For force users, what sort of 'cure disease' roll would this be? Heroic or higher? Difficult?? |
That's something I'm going to post about later today.
Later!
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Sylvre Phire
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| Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 10:22 pm Post subject: |
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Garhkal, earlier you had asked:
| Quote: | | If someone is at 'stunned' and makes their healing roll, do they improve to "unaffected"? OR will they always be stunned at a minimum? |
I think the best way to look at it is to have the disease go into a type of remission where it "hides out" in the victim's body until the character is wounded or calls upon the dark side of the Force. If the character is wounded, they have to make a STR or stamina roll against the disease based on the effects of the wound to find the new incubation period.
If the character calls upon the dark side (successful or not), they must make an incubation roll as normal. However, if the receive a Dark Side Point, the difficulty is raised by +3. If they fail in calling upon the dark side, they lose the 1D as normal - possibly from STR or stamina as dramatically appropriate.
Blackwing and the Force
Using the healing power of the Force to restrict, if not reverse, the effects of the Blackwing virus is not an easy task. Difficulty ratings are provided below for the powers control disease and control another's disease.
Control Disease
Control Difficulty: Heroic
Control Another's Disease
Control Difficulty: Very Easy, modified by relationship
Alter Difficulty: Heroic
NOTES: There was some disparity between how these powers work as defined by the core rules (SWRE, REUP, and Cheshire and Thiago's Force Powers compendium) and the Tales of the Jedi Companion (TotJ). Given that the rules for this illness are based on wound levels, I found it better to go with control another's disease as defined in TotJ, which states: "The target is allowed to make extra healing rolls as outlined in accelerate healing."
Other powers such as concentration, force of will, hibernation trance, morichro, place another in hibernation trance, transfer force can also be used to aid in staving off the inevitable until a cure is found. For all these, increase the associated difficulties by one level to fight the ties the virus has to the dark side. With morichro, the Force-user who initiated the power gains two Dark Side Points if the target of the power dies for any reason. A hibernation trance slows the progression of the virus to the extent that the victim must make their STR or stamina roll normally (no penalties associated with damage) every four hours.
Blackwing and the Dark Side
The capricious nature of the dark side and its link to the Blackwing virus can easily lead a devotee to burn themselves out in a mad dash to stave off the disease. The normal rules for calling upon the dark side apply with the following changes: Dark side characters may call upon the dark side to get Force Points. The control or PER difficulty is Easy (at the start); add three difficulty levels if the action will not allow a character to directly bring pain or harm to other beings. Increase the difficulty by five (+5) for each additional attempt. The difficulty for restricting the Blackwing virus is Difficult. These changes are meant to model the concentration needed to call upon the dark side and avoid giving in to the virus and its own siren song.
Effects of Other Drugs
Antiseptics have some effect on preventing Blackwing infection, but because the virus is so adaptable and insidious, they are not a 100% protective measure. Some stimulants and sedatives may also be used, but may also pose significant risks if the patient is not carefully monitored. The following notes are based on antibacterials, antiseptics, sedatives, stimulants, and their effects from the Medical Sourcebook.
Anticeptin-D: The bonus provided by this antiseptic drops to +2 against Blackwing.
Antisepsis Fields: These fields provide a reduced stamina bonus of +1D+1. As far as Blackwing is concerned, the patient's -3D stamina penalty can only be negated completely if both the pro-biotic showers and special intestinal tablets are administered.
Dermaseal: This grants a +2 bonus to stamina to resist infection by Blackwing through a wound.
Gylocal: This stimulant has been shown to actually kill a patient in the end stages of the Blackwing virus. The drug actually overloads the weakened systems of the victim, causing accelerated systemic and organ failure.
Kata-wata: No changes to general effects of staunching blood flow from a wound. Character must make a Moderate STR or stamina roll to avoid contracting the virus despite the antiseptic's application.
Spectacilin: As with Dermaseal, this grants only a +2 bonus to stamina to resist infection. Due to Blackwing's insidious nature, the +1 bonus to natural healing with daily use is nullified.
Thanatizine and Thanatizine II: Thanatizine slows the progression of Blackwing so as to allow the victim to make their STR or stamina roll once every two hours. Thanatizine II extends that to once every three hours. Wound penalties still apply. Additionally, the victim's vital signs must be monitored by either a medical droid, medic, or doctor to prevent the victim from falling into respiratory arrest (Easy Medicine roll).
Vital Suppressor: This has the same effect as a hibernation trance, but the victim makes their STR or stamina roll with the wound penalty in place.
Other Treatments
While the only sure-fire cure for Blackwing is an anti-viral serum developed from the blood of immune individuals, especially Force-sensitive individuals, the amputation and cauterization of a limb affected by a bite may prevent the victim from contracting the disease if done within minutes - if not seconds - of the bite occurring.
Synthesizing an anti-viral serum may be done using blood samples from individuals who are immune to the disease, but a genetic test must be used to determine if the donor has the proper genetic markers. This requires a Moderate medicine roll in the proper facilities, Difficult if the proper equipment is not available.
NOTE: A roll of 6 (a 5 or 6 for Force-sensitives) on any of the dice in the incubation roll indicates the character is genetically immune to the disease.
The actual synthesizing process requires a Moderate medicine roll along with several important pieces of equipment:
Enzyme extractor (Medical Sourcebook, p.59) or hyposyringe (Medical Sourcebook, p.64, raises synthesization difficulty by 5)
Enzymer (Adventure Journal #14, p.59; Medical Sourcebook, p.62)
Microlab (if full lab is unavailable, raises difficulty by 2; The Unknown Regions, p.41; Medical Sourcebook, p.66)
Plasma protein replicator (Galladinium's Fantastic Technology, p.39; Medical Sourcebook, p.66)]
If the characters cannot get a full lab or microlab, they can try synthesizing the serum with the help of another living being's medical knowledge or the data from a medical droid or datapad. However, that increases the difficulty by 10. This process cannot be completed without the enzymer or the plasma protein replicator.
Individuals whose species are not affected by Blackwing may act as donors in synthesizing the serum, but this requires the character synthesizing the serum to make a second Difficult medicine roll using the microlab and plasma protein replicator to properly create a serum compatible with the recipient's systems.
Properly synthesized, the Blackwing serum allows characters to make natural healing rolls without wound penalties, as well as a +1D bonus. Any of the aforementioned medications and remedies administered after the serum has been given will function normally; Gylocal is still not recommended, especially if the afflicted character's wound level is at incapacitated or mortally wounded. Vital suppresors, Thanatizine, and Thanatizine II are typically not given, nor is a hibernation trance recommended to aid in the recovery process once the serum has been administered.
The Rakghoul Connection (OPTIONAL)
Because the purpose of Blackwing was to defy death, and because it was created with the aid of Sith alchemy, it stands to reason it may have a connection to, or genesis in, the rakghoul plague. A character who makes a Very Difficult KNO or relevant KNO skill roll may find info on this disease in medical databases or hidden Jedi (or Sith) lore.
Synthesizing the serum requires a blood sample from an individual infected with the rakghoul plague (nearly impossible to find as rakghouls are all but extinct) or a sample of the serum itself (which usually means infiltrating an Imperial medical or bioweapons lab), the aforementioned equipment, and a Moderate medicine roll.
When administered on a weekly basis, rakghoul serum allows the character to make normal natural healing rolls against the illness. If any of the drugs listed above are administered in addition to the serum, they function normally; Gylocal is still not recommended, especially if the afflicted character's wound level is at incapacitated or mortally wounded. Vital suppressors, Thanatizine, and Thanatizine II are typically not given, nor is a hibernation trance recommended to aid in the recovery process once the serum has been administered.
Now to get this stuff cleaned up and better organized... 
Later!
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garhkal
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 2:12 am Post subject: |
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That looks decent. Though as a messed up complication for jedi using Control another's disease, if they roll real poorly (under 10) on their alter roll to remove the disease in another person infected, THEY take the disease on themselves..
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Sylvre Phire
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | That looks decent. Though as a messed up complication for jedi using Control another's disease, if they roll real poorly (under 10) on their alter roll to remove the disease in another person infected, THEY take the disease on themselves.. |
That seems a bit heavy-handed to me. Granted, there's always a risk of infection when touching the patient without protective measures, but there was no threat through the Force, only in fluid exchange, whether it was through an open wound, a bite, or inhalation of airborne droplets.
Later!
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garhkal
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:07 am Post subject: |
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True, it might seem heavy handed, but as the write up seems to indicate, even using the force to cure it is dangerous.. What better way to represent that danger, than to make a jedi trying to use it to cure others at risk of contracting it with a REAL BAD roll (and rolling a 10 or under when going for a TN of 30+ is real bad)..
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Sylvre Phire
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | True, it might seem heavy handed, but as the write up seems to indicate, even using the force to cure it is dangerous.. What better way to represent that danger, than to make a jedi trying to use it to cure others at risk of contracting it with a REAL BAD roll (and rolling a 10 or under when going for a TN of 30+ is real bad).. |
I went over the entry on Wookieepedia just now and didn't really get any indication that using the Force to cure the disease posed more of a risk. That doesn't mean that it isn't, however. I'm thinking maybe if the healer botches the roll the disease senses the attempt and compels the victim to attack the healer, rather than just having the healer instantly contract the virus. How does that sound?
Later!
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garhkal
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| Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 1:31 am Post subject: |
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What do you determine as a "botch the roll"?
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Sylvre Phire
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| Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | What do you determine as a "botch the roll"? |
Just as you said here:
| garhkal wrote: | | That looks decent. Though as a messed up complication for jedi using Control another's disease, if they roll real poorly (under 10) on their alter roll to remove the disease in another person infected... |
...just a variation on what you suggested. The virus can also mimic the presence of the Force. In this situation, it might decide to try and deceive the healer into thinking they are actually curing the disease when they aren't having any appreciable effect.
Later!
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CRMcNeill
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| Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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Since you are modeling something with known characteristics from the EU, I would recommend against adding some new feature or complication that isn't covered by what's already known about Blackwing. It's well established that the disease is transmitted by physical means, but where is the evidentiary basis for making a Force user more vulnerable if they try to heal someone with the disease?
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Sylvre Phire
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| Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| CRMcNeill wrote: | | Since you are modeling something with known characteristics from the EU, I would recommend against adding some new feature or complication that isn't covered by what's already known about Blackwing. It's well established that the disease is transmitted by physical means, but where is the evidentiary basis for making a Force user more vulnerable if they try to heal someone with the disease? |
I'm reasonably sure you're addressing garhkal on this point, and I agree. Transmitting the disease through use of Force powers really isn't within the scope of Blackwing's viral behavior. The entry on Wookieepedia does stress that it compels its undead hosts to spread the disease.
Given Blackwing's ties to the dark side, its ability to mimic the presence of the Force, as well as its ability to communicate with its host and cause them to hallucinate, I think it's entirely possible and appropriate for it to use those abilities to compel its living host to spread the disease as well.
I can easily see a Jedi healer missing their Alter roll, allowing the virus to detect the misstep and use that opening to mimic the presence of the Force to deceive the healer into thinking they are making progress in treating the illness when they're really not.
Even if the healer does make their rolls, it's entirely possible for the disease to make the host hallucinate that they're being attacked by some monstrosity and lash out, injuring the healer.  Conversely, it could make the host think they are being comforted by a romantic interest, leading them to plant a virus-filled kiss on their physician. 
Overall, these things are better supported by a dramatic/narrative approach rather than a strictly mechanical approach.
Later!
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garhkal
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| Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 1:06 am Post subject: |
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Plus how many times have we seen IN zombie films someone leaning down to start treatment on someone infected, who then rises up to bite the doc in the throat/on the arm/in the chest/shoulder etc...
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