Pathfinder 1E Plague touched template idea... would this work do you think?

[wlmartin]

I have an idea to build a template that is applicable to any of the core races I want to include (Human, Halfling, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome)

The storyline has a large outbreak that occured 100 years ago.
It poisoned the DNA of all humanoid creatures.

When someone reaches age, there is a large chance (around 90%) they pickup a deadly illness (name TBC)
This illness eats away at their body until nothing is left (think leprosy but with body parts just dying off)

The other 10% are immune.

Those that aren't have 3 choices

1 - Remain as they are, they pickup the half-undead template and have a 1% cumulative chance per day for a part of their body to deteriorate. Which part is then rolled randomly. When it deteriorates, the person has to either go on without it or they have to consult a Necromonger to buy a body part. Existing parts already replaced will still be subject to deterioration. The buying/selling of body parts is considered dirty but not illegal as people who die volunteer/sell their bodies to necromongers for this purpose. This is the lowest cost for maintaining the illness
2 - When the symptoms show, the infected person purchases a mechanical augment (and picks up the half-undead template) that attaches to them and serves to replace the body part infected. It is the same degredation over time but instead of needing a new human body part, its a mechanical one. This is not as expensive as option 3, but far more expensive than option 1
3 - The person takes onboard an elemental symbiot that lives inside them and suppresses the disease. The same escelation occurs but instead of replacing a body part, the symbiot has to be replaced. Choice of symbiot also effects how your spells and magic items work if they are elemental based and also saves for / against certain elements. This option is VERY expensive


So the question would be

What do you think?
Any suggestions?
Would I want to allow all/some of these options?

 

[Angrydad]

I like the idea of having to replace the decaying bodyparts in some fashion. I assume the organic replacements are cheapest, then mechanical, then elemental? Are you going to have all PCs roll to determine if they're immune or not? Also, how quickly does the half-undead template/trait develop? That's a pretty useful set of abilities they gain, but the body parts dropping off certainly curtails those advantages. Color me intrigued.

EDIT: I'd suggest that the elemental replacements somehow provide gradual resistances to whichever element, and that a single person cannot mix more than a single element to replace parts, as it causes some kind of conflict/instability within. Also, mechanical limbs and organs could be used to grant new abilities, such as climb speeds, ability to ignore rough terrain, etc.

 

[AWizardInDallas]

This reminds me of the Star Trek: Voyager episodes involving the Phage. The Vidiians have resorted to using the body parts of other races to survive: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Phage_(episode)

 

[wlmartin]

No original thought!

 

[AWizardInDallas]

Well, upon further reflection, I have to say this doesn't sound like very much fun. I'm assuming you intend to inflict this on your players though. Of course, I don't know your group so maybe they would dig it. The other thing is, templates can be time consuming to apply very often, at least in my experience, but then I use Hero Lab.

I also think this is 3 templates rather than one, so maybe you should design the disease first, then Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the disease as separate templates. You might also look at vampire and lycanthropy as template models. Additionally, I would look through the D&D 3.5 templates: Templates and make sure someone hasn't already done something similar. You can also steal ideas from the templates.

Finally, there is a D&D 3.5 base class called The Host which might suit your needs: The Host. I don't recall which D&D Monster Manual it's in, but 3.5 also has symbiotic monsters and I think demonic limbs.

Gook luck!

 

[wlmartin]

Well, upon further reflection, I have to say this doesn't sound like very much fun. I'm assuming you intend to inflict this on your players though. Of course, I don't know your group so maybe they would dig it. The other thing is, templates can be time consuming to apply very often, at least in my experience, but then I use Hero Lab.

I also think this is 3 templates rather than one, so maybe you should design the disease first, then Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the disease as separate templates. You might also look at vampire and lycanthropy as template models. Additionally, I would look through the D&D 3.5 templates: Templates and make sure someone hasn't already done something similar. You can also steal ideas from the templates.

Finally, there is a D&D 3.5 base class called The Host which might suit your needs: The Host. I don't recall which D&D Monster Manual it's in, but 3.5 also has symbiotic monsters and I think demonic limbs.

Gook luck!

Yeah i decided to knock it in on the head, nice idea for a story but too complex to play and i would end up just making more work for myself