Saturday, July 11, 2009

Cthulhutech: Shoggoths

Continuing with the reposting of material from the Cthulhutech forums, here's my answer to the burning question "where are the shoggoths?".



NEG TRANSMISSION 11235813
CLASSIFICATION TOP SECRET / PARADISE COIL JINX
CIRCULATION WITHIN RESTRICTED CHANNELS ONLY
DO NOT COPY

1. (S / ORCON) PARADISE COIL JINX are a construct species that, according to information derived from the 1930-31 Miskatonic University Pabodie Expedition Report, were created by PARADISE COIL no later than the end of the Devonian Period (approximately 375 mya) and possibly as early as the Eoarchean Era (approximately 3800 mya). PARADISE COIL JINX were used primarily as construction equipment, although PARADISE COIL records dating to the Permian Period indicate that they could serve adequately as war machinery.

2. (TS / ORCON / WNINTEL) RAINBOW HELIX, RAINBOW WHISPER, and VICTOR HANDSHAKE all deny that PARADISE COIL JINX ever existed.

3. (TS / ORCON) There is no reliable information to suggest that BLUE HADES or the Migou are able to command or control PARADISE COIL JINX.

4. (C / ORCON) PARADISE COIL JINX takes the form of "a viscous jelly which [looks] like an agglutination of bubbles... each of which [averages] about fifteen feet in diameter when a sphere. They [have], however, a constantly shifting shape and volume; throwing out temporary developments or forming apparent organs of sight, hearing, and speech in imitation of their masters, either spontaneously or according to suggestion." They were designed to be primarily aquatic, but are fully capable of functioning on land. Although a diameter of fifteen feet is mentioned as an average, there is no reason to assume that PARADISE COIL JINX is limited to this size.

5. (TS / ORCON / SCI) Analysis of PARADISE COIL JINX tissue samples reveals double helix DNA composed of adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine bases, possessing a structure resembling the human mitochondrial genome. The cells function superficially like totipotent stem cells; they are able to differentiate into any other form of cell, but possess the unique ability to dedifferentiate back into their original state once the cell has performed its function. Field observation and laboratory analysis indicate that PARADISE COIL JINX possess no discrete organ systems. PARADISE COIL JINX is capable of metabolizing any known terrestrial biological matter.

6. (C) PARADISE COIL JINX lack of a defined anatomy makes it functionally immune to conventional weapons. Kinetic weapons and poisons are useless. Gross tissue damage from burning (chemical or thermal) is effective, but the target must be burned entirely to ash in order to kill it. PARADISE COIL JINX is capable of recovering from any amount of damage in time, particularly with access to food.

7. (C) If PARADISE COIL JINX is encountered during a field operation, all units are ordered to not initiate an engagement. Keep PARADISE COIL JINX under observation and contact your superior officer.

Average Shoggoth
(aka PARADISE COIL JINX)
Allegiance: None.
Scale: Integrity
Size: Small (typically 15' in diameter)
Attributes: Agility 5, Intellect 0, Perception 6, Presence 4, Strength 10, Tenacity 10, Variable Pool 5[note 1]
Secondary Attributes: Actions 1, Orgone 10, Reflex 3
General Skills: Observation: Adept (3), Performance - Mimicry: Focused Novice (1/2), Stealth: Novice (2)
Combat Skills: Dodge: Student (1), Fighting: Expert (4) Weapons: Pseudopod Slam (+0 plus entangle), Suck and Assimilate (+2)
Damage Bonus: +2
Integrity: 15
Armor: 2/2 vs burning or caustic attacks (fire, acid, electricity, mystic blast, etc), suffers no damage from physical attacks (punches, kicks, bullets, many explosions, etc)
Assimilate: A shoggoth grows by feeding. Every 100 wound points (10 Integrity points) of damage inflicted by the "suck and assimilate" attack on an organic target allows a shoggoth to permanently add 1 Integrity point, and also increase its Strength or Tenacity by 1. Every 400 wound points (40 Integrity) assimilated also increases the shoggoth's Variable Pool by 1. Two hours of rest and digestion are required to gain the increase.
Slough Flesh: A shoggoth may restore itself to full health by permanently sacrificing one point of Integrity for every two wound levels it heals. Healing in this fashion places the shoggoth at the minimum number of Integrity points for that wound level. Each time a shoggoth sloughs flesh, it must also reduce its Strength or Tenacity by 1. For every 4 points of Strength and/or Tenacity lost to soughing flesh, reduce the shoggoth's Variable Pool by 1. (For example, a standard shoggoth at Death's Door may heal itself to Flesh Wounds by reducing it's Integrity from 15 to 13. It would then have 1 point of damage, and a new Strength and Tenacity score of 9 each) Sloughing flesh also reduces the shoggoth's diameter by 6 inches.
Fear Factor: 20
Temperament: Predatory and Aggressive
Senses: Acute Hearing, Acute Touch, Nightvision, Sonar
Movement & Speed: Land [19 mph, 47/11 ypt], Swimming [25 mph, 62/14 ypt]

[1] Variable Pool: As a standard action, a shoggoth may distribute these 6 points into any attribute desired. A shoggoth may also spend 2 points from the variable pool to gain one extra action at no penalty.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Cthulhutech: Refugees of the Dreamlands

One final post for today, also originally from the Cthulhutech forums.



For several months, now, there have been strange rumors from bug-occupied England. The reports, obviously unconfirmed, are that King Arthur has returned in the time of the greatest need of his country. Appearing from under Glastonbury Hill, he marched forth at the head of a host of a hundred knights wearing jade-green armor and carved a new Camelot - which and his knights call "New Selifaes" out of the wreckage. Both the bugs and the frogs have made several seperate attempts to smash or subjugate the new kingdom, but (so far) the magics of Merlin and the might and steel of the Round Table have kept the people safe.

In truth, the rumors are close to the mark and as far as possible from the truth. As the Dreamlands were being destroyed, King Kuranes of Celephais gathered as many of his people as would listen to his warnings, and led them on an exodus across the Tanarian Hills, through the Enchanted Woods, up the Seven Hundred Steps of Deeper Slumber and the Seventy Steps of Light Slumber, and out into the waking world. It was a terrible march, with nine out of every ten refugees lost to creatures out of nightmare or to the Unmaker of Dreams itself. At the final stand, King Kuranes had to be dragged alongside the priests Nasht and Kaman-Tha from the Cavern of Flame by his own Knights of Silver and Jade. Even now he can still hear the agonized screams of the rearguard echoing up the Seventy Steps as the Unmaker rends them from existance, and he weeps.

His kingdom gone, his beloved England doubly transformed beyond recognition by the passage of time and the occupation of the Migou, Kuranes has set himself to the creation of a new Celephais. His Knights wear armor forged of lunar silver and the green jade of Ckykranosh, traded from the cats of Ulthar, and they bear swords and lances blessed by the weak gods of Earth - they had no potency against the God that destroyed their world, but they serve well against the lesser horrors that ravage their adopted home (Game Mechanics: the armor offers hybrid protection and the the swords do hybrid damage; they are functionally indestructible).

New Celephais has not yet had contact with the outside world. As far as Kuranes and his knights know, they are the last bastion of humanity in a world overrun with monsters.

Cthulhutech: The West Formula

This came out of the same Cthulhutech forum thread that spawned the Resurrection spell. Use of this particular set of rough rules will substantially change the nature of a Cthulhutech game. Used properly, it will also spark an examination of what it means to be human.

I don't think this is a bad thing. I, for one, would love to see more transhumanism in Cthulhutech.




Even though arcanotechnology is common and accepted in the NEG, I suspect that they would still perfer use of the West Formula to revive dead soldiers. In fact, the development of nanotechnology should make use of the West Formula as common as the use of medical sorcery.

Think about it.

As seen in "Herbert West - Reanimator" the serum was pretty much complete. Assuming that a corpse was fresh enough, it could be restored to life with no loss of mental facilities (see part IV, "The Scream of The Dead" and later references to the reanimation of the "well-dressed stranger"). The formula is sound, even if Dr. Herbert West himself was not.

[Rough mechanics for the West Formula: There is a time limit, even for use of this formula. Every 10 minutes that passes between death and administration of the formula, reduces the deceased's Intellect by 1 and increases the deceased's Tenacity by 1. Every 15 minutes that passes decreases Perception and Presence by 1 and increases Strength by 1. Refrigeration will double the intervals, while an exceptionally damp or warm environment will halve the intervals.

Each time an attribute adjusts, add 1 Insanity Point. If Intelligence falls to 0, you get a rabid animal with no fear of Humans. Cannibalism is distressingly common at this point.

If the brain is destroyed, all bets are off. Double Strength and Tenacity, eliminate all Perception and Presence, and watch the mindless thing go berserk.]

So, we can fully restore life to the dead with a simple and relatively inexpensive formula. All that is necessary is to get to the corpse quickly enough.

Enter nanotechnology.

Assuming the deceased does not have a living will that specifies he is not to be reanimated upon death (and no military personell of the NEG are allowed to have such a living will during their term of service), and assuming that the corpse is reasonably intact (particularly the brain), a suite of nanobots are introduced to the corpse. These nanobots are a variant of the standard medical nanobot and serve three functions: they attack the various bacteria that cause decomposition, they repair any damage sustained by the corpse (whether by decomposition, injury, or illness), and they administer an "embalming fluid" also derived from Dr. West's experiments which further retards the process of decomposition.

Once the corpse has been fully repaired, a series of injections of the West Formula and a second set of nanobots is made into the corpse. The West Formula is used to revive the deceased, and the nanobots are used to ensure the proper delivery of the West Formula to the cells in the precise amounts required.

[Rough game mechanics: Assuming the brain of the corpse is intact, this process allows the deceased to be revived at any point after death. If necessary, a new body can be cloned and the brain transplanted in.

If you think that is a little over the top, assume that this nanotherapy multiplies the above-listed intervals by a factor of 10 to 20.]

Since the Formula is purely a chemical formula (no magic need apply), this treatment isn't even expensive. A nanofactory with the appropriate blueprint software can manufacture it and the nanobots that go with it in any quantity necessary.

Oh, by the way. The Formula requires a Permit, and it's use is watched closely by the NEG. You can use it to animate bits and pieces of things, and the NEG disapproves.

Cthulhutech: Resurrection

I originally posted this on the Cthulhutech forums. It's reposted here with the modifications suggested by Matthew Grau

RESTORATION OF THE ESSENTIAL SALTS
Third Order
aka: Resurrection
Type: Enchantment
Legality: Illegal [note 1]
Learning Time: 1 week for full ritual, 10 minutes to simply restore existing salts
Insanity Test: Average/1 Insanity Point
Occult Rating Required: Novice
Intellect Required: 7
Tenacity Required: 8
Prep Time: 7 days for preparation of salts, none to restore the salts
Casting Time: None for preparation of salts, 1 minute to restore the salts
Difficulty: Challenging
Extended Tests Required: 3 to prepare the salts, none to restore the salts
Ruach Cost: 20 to prepare the salts [note 2], 5 to restore the salts

Components & Requirements: (All of the following are required only to prepare the essential salts.) Several heavy knives, various herbs and minerals, a brass or bronze conatiner large enough to hold a human body, hydrogen peroxide in sufficient quantity to cover a human body placed in the container, source of heat.

Effects: This spell enables a sorcerer to restore life to the dead. The corpse to be prepared need not be intact. The spell actually consists of two parts. The first is the ritual to prepare a corpse for revival by rendering it down to it's "essential salts". Any sorcerer may do this, and the salts will keep indefinatly as long as they are kept dry.

The second part of the ritual allows the sorcerer to restore the salts to life. Moisture and substance are drawn from World of Elements to reconstitute the body exactly as it was in life. Sorcerers are divided as to why the memories and personality return as well, but they do. If the spell is successfully cast, the recipient will live again as if he had never died.

There is a penalty for failure, however. For the first part of the ritual, critical failure means that the corpse has been damaged beyond repair and can never be restored. For the second part, critical failure means that sloppy laboratory technique has lost a portion of the salts. What reanimates is, to put it mildly, grotesque, insane, and dangerous. The storyteller is free to create this monstrosity however desired, but the stats of a shade corpus or even a N'athm are not unreasonable. Let the sorceror beware, and not call up that which he cannot put down.

Note 1: I originally proposed "Restricted". Matt's reasoning for making it illegal was as follows:

Also, this spell is just plain illegal. The NEG would not approve of something that has such a high potential to create a monster – it would basically be considered a summoning spell. What you qualified as restricted is the same as illegal – you have to be an employee of the government or military and have special dispensation to know it.
I don't see anything wrong with leaving it "Restricted", but that could change the nature of the setting substantially. Be warned.

Note 2: I originally suggested a ruach cost of 0 to prepare the salts, as that component of the spell is really more of a chemical or alchemical process. Really, anybody with some basic skills in chemistry or even in cooking could perform this by following the recipe as written. Heck, you could even program a limited AI to perform this spell as long as it had the appropriate robotic limbs. 20 ruach is the Matt Grau approved version.