Super solutions to the Undead

You are on your own. The Army is MIA and our government is gone! There are no communications of any kind. Cities and towns have gone dark, and zombies fill the streets. The dead have risen and it would seem to be the end of the world. Help me, Mommy!

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taalismn
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Super solutions to the Undead

Unread post by taalismn »

This wasn't really meant for Dead Reign, but for Rifts, but given it's based on Heroes Unlimited powers, it can easily be converted back to SDC.
No, this isn't yet my 'Vulture' Eugenic Hero Necrovore, but it's one possible 'superpower solution' to zombie hordes.

apologies/thanks to Senator Cybus and Primus for using their posted powers. Thanks, people; they really clinched the deal for this bio-mod)

EBONY SHALE Anti-Zombie Bio-Mod
(aka ‘D-men’, ‘De-Compers’, ‘Rotboys’, ‘Half-Lifes’, ‘Mortaliteers’)
(Estimated cost of 6 million per operative)

“Okay, so we’re not as tricked out as some of the other augs, but we’re tough where it counts, and when it comes to taking down rotters, we’ve got an edge few others have. You’re still wise to be careful selecting equipment, however, so choose your gear well.“
---Sergeant Hevvy Loelman, Infantry Company ‘C’, 178th ‘Undertakers’ Special Operations.

“This is what? The fifth car you’ve had the floor panels rust out of since you got your aug? Either get the government to add a personal transportation replacement stipend to your wages, or quit bringing your work home on your mind with you.”
---Anonymous garage mechanic, Greater New England

“I HATE fighting rotboys! I can handle broken bones and bruises, but you brawl with a half-lifer, they can give you gangrene! Worse, last time I tangled with one of them without knowing ahead of time, bastard rusted my slicer arm right off! I can sleep off a drunk, heal up from a beating, but getting a doc to treat a rotting wound and replacing a custom combat-arm cost me a cool hundred-thou easy! ###ers are worse than necromancers! They oughta $*&$ing BAN the blacker-rots or better yet wipe ‘em out with plasma antibiotics!”
---Linjin Scoww, Headhunter

“The soul endures and continues into the higher realms. The remains of the flesh cannot be allowed to endanger those still on this plane of existance.”
---Father Fafhd Ronsible, EBONY SHALE augment, Church of the Light Endurant

“Sorry, I know you Regular Army guys would like to send your dead buddies home to their families, but this is a Necro-Level Three combat zone. The dead have an awful habit of getting back up and trying to eat the living unless they’re put down totally and fast. I’ll get the tags and the personals for you, but the rest of the physical goes ashes to ashes, dust to dust. “

“Heh-heh-heh, if it ain’t little bitty brother, come back for another go with me? I let you off last time with a warning, but you apparently decided not to listen. Ain’t no family love keeping me from killing you this time; I left all that trash behind me with my last life, if you didn’t get the message loud and clear when I perma-terminated Ma and Pa!”
“I know. I was foolish back then, to think you were worth saving. This time, I’m here to lay to final rest the memory of somebody I looked up to. You’re not him. I’m not that little boy either. I’m a trashman, and I’m getting rid of some walking garbage.”
“Fun-ny words, little brother. Want them on your gravestone? Scratch that, you’re not getting one because I’m not bo-GGGYYYAHHHHHHH!!! MY ARM!!! WHAT IS THISSSSS!!!!????”
“Shifting garbage makes strange noises, I see. And I’m just cycling you back into the environment.”
---’Eddy Dedd’, Murder-Wraith, and ‘Composter Charlie’, facing off in the Relic.

EBONY SHALE is a specialized anti-paranormal bio-mod designed to fight the walking dead. The bio-mod is another PS biotech development apparently inspired by reports of the undead infestations of the Coming of the Rifts, but which also seems to have an eye towards extradimensional export, especially to those worlds besieged by zombie and vampire infestations, or facing the application of animated dead during the Minion War breaking over the Megaverse.
Core to the abilities and the concept of EBONY SHALE is the bio-mods’ ability to practically accelerate entropy. Whether it is some subtle application of nanotechnology, colonies of specialized phage cells hosted inside the bio-mod’s body, or some sort of entropic manipulation field generated by them, the EBONY SHALE operative can accelerate the decomposition of materials, including dead flesh. With a touch or a wave, the bio-mod can embrittle armor, rot wood, wither plastic, and spoil food and other substances. This ability is powerful enough to destroy zombies, mummies, flesh golems, and even vampires, and protects the aug-recipient from being dead into an undead, even by ritual magic. Against the living, the power can inflict painful and gruesome suppurating wounds that makes casual trouble-seekers give EBONY SHALErs a wide berth.
EBONY SHALE, for all its usefulness during zombie plagues, does have its drawbacks. Many recipients report ‘leakover’ from their decay powers, causing materials around them to break down faster, food to go bad with greater frequency, pipes and metal fittings to rust, and other decomposition-related problems to arise. There’s also a social downside, since EBONY SHALE bio-mods are often stigmatized by their specialization in dealing with dead things and their ability to basically degrade and destroy materials other people try to preserve. Morticians have a love/hate association with them, liking them as crypt-keepers and ossuary-maintainers, but refusing to let them anywhere NEAR embalming operations. Necromancers HATE EBONY SHALErs, because they tend to be rather thorough about destroying the dead components the necromancers seek to harvest. In the military, they often have the sad duty of policing up the battlefield on graves detail, finding, identifying, and disposing of bodies(and in some regions of the megaverse this takes on special importance, as, under some circumstances, the dead have been known to rise and attack the living). Sadly, when not fighting hordes of undead, many EBONY SHALE operatives find themselves pigeonholed into civilian jobs such as garbagemen, waste disposal technicians, and landfill managers. Surprisingly, the bio-mod gets a lot of sign-ups, though upon closer inspection, it can be discerned this interest is from people hailing from regions and dimensions where the undead(zombies, vampires, and liches among them) pose a prominent problem.

Special Training:
EBONY SHALE operatives get a +5% to Forensics if taken

Powers/Abilities:
-Destroy Dead(Minor)(Senator Cybus)
With just a touch, the hero can cause dead flesh to disintegrate. This power only affects tissue that has undergone the process of necrosis, leaving living flesh completely unharmed.
1. Decompose. The super being can cause corpses to instantaneously break down into particulate matter, indistinguishable from household dust; not so much as a single speck of DNA remains intact. The character’s touch can instantly dissolve up to 100 lbs (45 kg) of dead flesh per level of experience.
Range: Touch.
Duration: Instant.
Attacks Per Melee: Destroying the maximum amount of dead flesh uses up just one melee attack/action.
Saving Throw: None.
2. Destroy Undead. The hero’s touch is just as effective against the walking dead, causing massive damage to such unnatural abominations.
Range: Touch.
Damage: 5D6. This is in addition to any damage caused by strikes.
Duration: Instant.
Attacks Per Melee: One attack/action for a simple touch, or as per attack.
Saving Throw: None - the only defense undead beings have against this effect is to simply try to avoid being hit.
Limitations: The hero must make physical contact with an undead opponent to use this ability, the power cannot be transmitted through a weapon.
3. Bonuses:
The super being is +3 to save vs. the paranormal/mystical attacks of the undead (they can still strike him physically, though they will be damaged by doing so) and necromantic spells.
The character cannot be turned into a vampire or any other form of undead.


-Extraordinary Physical Endurance(Minor)---The EBONY SHALE mod qualifies as Class IV by making the recipient a minor megadamage being, via an intermesh through the person’s body, supporting them, reinforcing joints and muscles, and creating a damage-resistant energy armor. This is especially important since the most potent abilities of the aug require skin contact with targets. The added endurance is also a plus when spending long sleepless nights running from(or doing fire brigade duty AGAINST) zombie hordes.
*Fatigues at 1/10th normal rate
*+1d6+5 P.E.
*Effectively becomes a megadamage being with 4d4x10 MD +2d4 per level of experience.

-Decompose (Major) by Primus
The player character has the devastating ability to rust metals, break down compounds, or rot non-stable materials. This power is extremely effective against certain metals and organic materials such as iron, steel, copper, wood, and food. This power is not necessarily the actual oxidation of these materials but actually the chemical breakdown- by whatever means- of natural materials. The power allows the character to decrease the molecular stability of these items decreasing their tensile strength, spoiling them, or otherwise making the item useless. The effects of this power result in a discoloration of the surface, crumbling or flaking of pieces or the substance, collapse of the structure, or general instability of the substance. In the case of food or other organic substances they become useless, foul-smelling, and potentially harmful if ingested. Beyond this, the character is actually able to affect living tissue as well, making him or her into a living weapon. The character’s power over-oxidizes tissues causing cells to burst and create seeping, bloody wounds that heal very slowly- very similar to bedsores on bedridden patients. Fortunately this power does have its limitations- items made out of long-lived materials such as stone, plastic, ceramic, glass, and rubber; not only that but heroes of principled or scrupulous alignment are extremely hesitant to use this power on other living beings as it inflicts very serious and painful damage.
Powers and Abilities:
1. Rot: This power allows the hero to rot natural structures at an extremely accelerated rate. This power is effective against natural items such as wood and plants. The power causes the individual cells that make up the structure to break down causing a fast-spreading weakness, splintering, and eventually collapse of the structure. The power is able to eat through a 6 inch thick tree in a matter of minutes. This power is effective against beings made of plants or wood or those with related APS powers.
Range: Touch during combat or line of sight within 15 feet (4.5 m)
Damage: 2D6 per melee+1D6 per level of experience; damage starts at point of contact and spreads out and down into the target.
Duration: 1D6 melees or as long as physical contact is maintained; damage remains afterwards.
Save: Dodge only
2. Rust: This power is very effective against metals, especially those that rust easily such as iron and copper. Over the course of years, rust can weaken the structure of a metal as oxygen molecules attach to the metal molecule. The oxygen displaces a metal atom resulting in a weaker molecule. This power greatly accelerates the process, allowing the hero to break down the physical structure of metallic objects in a matter of minutes rather than decades. Certain metals are more susceptible to rust than others; alloys such as stainless steel, aluminum, and brass do rust, but at a reduced rate of speed and will take half normal damage. Other metals like iron, copper, normal steel, bronze, and nickel take normal damage. This power is effective against metallic beings as well such as those with APS: Metal, robots, and cyborgs.
Range: Touch during combat or line of sight within 15 feet (4.5 m).
Damage: 3D6 per melee+1D6 per level of experience; damage starts at point of contact and spreads out and deep.
Duration: 1D6 melees or as long as physical contact is maintained; damage remains afterwards.
Save: Dodge only
3. Spoil: This touch allows the character to spoil food and water stores and sources with a touch. If consumed, the spoiled nutrients will cause all the common symptoms of food poisoning: nausea, weakness, vomiting, and stomach cramps (all bonuses reduced by 50% for 24 hours). Water can be contaminated as well but only stationary sources such as reservoirs, plastic bottles, or canteens. Contamination of water requires physical contact while spoilage of food requires either touch or line of site.
Range: As stated above; food spoilage requires touch or line of sight to 15 feet (4.5 m). Water contamination requires physical contact
Damage: The character is able to spoil 5 lbs (2.2 kg) of food or 10 gallons (38.4 L) of water per level of experience.
Duration: Permanent
4. Wound: The character’s physical touch induces a nasty, weeping wound on a living target. The being is able to essentially rot the skin and tissue of the target. The touch essentially opens a “hole” in the skin by causing the cells of the target to rupture. The wound is very difficult to treat or heal by conventional means and heals at half the normal rate. In addition the wound is very likely (01-45%) to become infected leading to a fever, nausea, weakness, and inflammation. The wound could potentially require surgical removal or repair and might lead to an amputation. This power is nullified by APS powers, but IS EFFECTIVE against those with Invulnerability. Also, this power negates healing factor powers for the duration of the wound. The most effective treatment of these wounds is either by psionic, holistic, external super powers (not the target’s powers), or magical means; all have full effectiveness.
Range: Touch; must contact skin as armor nullifies the effect.
Damage: 2D6+1D6 per level of experience; an additional 1D6 SDC per hour for 4D6 hours after the initial damage as the surrounding tissues are affected by the wound.
Duration: Instantaneous; the wound literally explodes on physical contact, weeps and bleeds for 1d4 days unless healed externally.
Save: Dodge only
5. Fracture: By grabbing a target and concentrating the character is able decay the cells of a bone, causing it to become brittle and break! The affected bone will radiate severe pain and be effectively useless. This power is really only effective against limbs and fingers as the character must physically encircle the target with one hand or both hands. With a broken bone, the target will either be unable to walk (speed reduced by 75%; balance penalty -75%; dodge bonus reduced to zero and parry and strike cut by half) or unable to use the arm to lift, throw, carry, or fight (strike and parry bonuses reduced to zero; PS of affected arm reduced to 3 until healed). .
Range: Touch only; character must physically encircle the target extremity and hold on for one melee. A strike roll is not made for the power itself but strike and grapple rolls will be needed to perform the power.
Damage: The affected limb is fractured with the above penalties; also the target takes 1D6 hit points plus 1 per level of experience.
Duration: Permanent
Save: Dodge only
6. Other bonuses:
+20% to chemistry and analytical chemistry skills or receives a base chemistry skill of 30%
Recognize Substance Skill: The skill allows the character to identify the basic components of most common substances such as plastic, plexiglass, steel, bronze, brass, etc. The skill provides a very basic knowledge of the substance. In relation to this power, the hero is able to recognize which of his powers will affect the substance (if any) and choose which to use. Skill Base': 58%+6% per level of experience
Automatically gets Recognize Precious Metals skill



-Hypnotic Mental Conditioning--EBONY SHALEs are conditioned to be resistant and desensitized to the often gruesome process of organic decay(especially of once-sapient creatures), and the horrors of the undead. +5 save vs mind control, +4 save vs illusions and Horror Factor, +2 save vs all other psionic attacks. Impervious to Possession.


--Mind/Body Attunement---The recipient’s nervous system is amped to be more in tune with themselves; +1 APM, +2 on initiative, +4 save versus Horror Factor, +1 save versus poison and disease, and +2 save versus possession.

-Increased Physical Agility and Dexterity---Paladin Steel’s biotechs seem to believe that the easiest way to survive damage is to not be hit; that, and lay down hurt on the OTHER guy faster than he can lay down hurt on YOU. In the case of EBONY SHALEs, the ability to adeptly wield dual weapons if zombie destruction becomes of paramount importance, especially if the character is heavily outnumbered. Thus, physical agility and responses have been stepped up. Increase P.P. to 22, +1 APM, +2 on initiative, automatic dodge, paired weapons, and +5% to physical skills requiring physical dexterity. The character is also ambidextrous.


-Physical Transformation---The recipient of an EBONY SHALE aug is physically optimized; they are icons of glowing good health. Some might claim the ‘bio-mod makeover’ is frivolous, but the health and physical performance benefits are both substantial and useful. Some EBONY SHALErs claim the added physical good looks have come in handy calming traumatized survivors of zombie infestations. +1d4 P.E., +1d6 P.B., +1d6 SPD, +2d6 Hit Points, +4d6 SDC, and +1d6 to P.S., plus it is considered to be Extraordinary.


Total bonuses:
Megadamage being with 4d4x10 MD+6d6 +2d4 per level of experience.
+2 APM
+4 on initiative
+1d6 to P.S., plus it is considered to be Extraordinary
Increase P.P. to 22
Automatic dodge
+1d6+1d4+5 P.E.
*Fatigues at 1/10th normal rate
+1d6 P.B.
+1d6 SPD
+5 save vs mind control
+2 save vs all other psionic attacks.
+4 save vs illusions
+3 save versus necromantic magic and undead magic attacks.
+8 save versus Horror Factor
+1 save versus poison and disease
Impervious to Possession
Cannot be turned into a vampire or any other form of undead.
W.P. paired weapons
+5% to physical skills requiring physical dexterity.
Ambidextrous.

_________________
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
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say652
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Re: Super solutions to the Undead

Unread post by say652 »

Is this unit compatible with tw bionics and Amaki Gizmos??
Can the recipient under go mega juicer or Ultra Crazy enhancement??
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