Am I doing this right? Coral bees - threat

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Am I doing this right? Coral bees - threat
« on: November 26, 2012, 09:39:41 PM »
Coral Bees

These pigeon-sized pink- and beige-hued flying insects are covered in a rough exoskeleton. When they sting or bite, they can leave behind some coral-like fragments which grow in the skin, causing a painful infection that will eventually poison the victim.

Fighting Coral Bees
Whenever you engage in combat with a coral bee hive, Roll+Sharp. On a 10+, you manage to avoid getting infected; on a 7-9, choose one of the following:
  • take 1-harm (ap) but start the Infection countdown at 0 (see below)
  • take 0-harm, but start the Infection countdown at 3
On a failure, you have a serious infection: start the Infection countdown clock at 6.

Coral Infection Clock
3: just a scratch
6: just a scratch: some itchiness on the skin
9: just a scratch: some pus-filled growths on the skin
10: coral takes root: pink coral growths appear on skin near infected area
11: blood poisoning; dark lines surrounding calcified pink growths
12: dead: body eventually becomes a pile of pink coral that sprouts more coral bees

Once Infected
At the start of every session, Roll+Weird. On a 10+, you have a one-week remission - roll again next week. On a 7-9, the infection doesn't advance - check again next session. On a failure, the infection advances on the Coral Infection Clock countdown clock.

Treating a victim
When you use an angel kit to treat someone, Roll+stock spent:
10+: you successfully cut out the infection: they’ll recover fully in a day or two
7-9: pick one:
  • You’ll have to chemostab the hell out of them: spend 1-stock more and you’ve treated it, or else you’ve wasted your effort.
  • You had to cut it out of them: deal 1-harm (ap); but you bought them some time: they roll the "Once Infected" move again in a week.
Fail:  there's nothing you can do for them: it is rooted too deep. They will die painfully and possibly spawn more coral bees.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2012, 12:54:50 AM by devonapple »
"Above the tortured heavens
So full of silent waiting
Howl screams of birth and triumph
Unlock the faceless hating"

- Darkest Of The Hillside Thickets, "Ogdru Jahad"

Re: Am I doing this right? Coral bees - threat
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2012, 12:53:17 AM »
Option for the Coral Bee move:

optional
A coral bee swarm acts as a gang (usually small) dealing 2-harm. Against another gang, it has 1-armor and fights as any other NPC gang of its size. Large, massive colonies may support a swarm of medium size.

A PC attempting defend against or simply subdue a coral bee swarm does not deal normal damage with weapons. Swarms fight until their health countdown is reduced to 11 o'clock. Roll+Sharp.
10+: hold 3
7-9: hold 1

Combatants take 1-harm (ap) and roll the harm move.

Spend hold 1 for 1 to:
  • deal 1-harm to the swarm (2-harm if using an area attack)
  • reduce harm by 1 (still roll the harm move)
  • skip the harm move
  • escape from the bee swarm

Fail: some coral got into the wound - start the the Coral Bee Infection Countdown  at 0 (unless already begun, in which case, advance the Coral Bee Infection Countdown.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2012, 01:07:53 AM by devonapple »
"Above the tortured heavens
So full of silent waiting
Howl screams of birth and triumph
Unlock the faceless hating"

- Darkest Of The Hillside Thickets, "Ogdru Jahad"

Re: Am I doing this right? Coral bees - threat
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2012, 12:17:58 PM »
I don't feel like you can fight giant pink wasps without the right tools (likely a flame thrower, or going straight for the queen or something) Here's how I would do it.

When you cross the Coral Bees territory alone, roll+cool.

On 10+, you keep your calm, nothing bit you. Your pretty sure you haven't woken up any bug. Go you!

On 7-9, you step on something, you pass through the wrong building, you've woken up some bees, but you can probably leave healthy. Probably. Choose 1:

- You escape, but not safely. You step on something wicked sharp, you have to jump down a second story or something. Take 1 harm.
- You find safety, but you don't escape. You're stuck there for now and will have to act under fire to do anything else.
- You've escaped with nothing more than a sting or two. Doesn't even hurt.

If you are crossing the Bee Lands with a group, roll+Sharp

On 10+ Things are orderly and organized. You've scared the bees away or found a safe path for your group.

On 7-9,  things go well enough. you've made it through. A kid in the back is complaining about an itchy leg, but it's probably nothing.


I like the countdown clock, I would also add a separate one for an infected community.


At 3: A couple of people are complaining. It's no big deal.
At 6: Chaos hits, people are dying left and right and the bees are starting to build hives.
At 9: Pockets of survivors still fight on, or might have run off. A few members of the community are identified as immune. Nobody knows why.
At 12: The Bees territory grows

And finally, for recovery and for the Angel:

Recovering from the corral infection : At the beginning of every session during which they have access to some form of treatment, roll+hard (the bees don't strike me as particularly weird). On 10+ you heal 1 infection. If the infection clock goes back to 0, you're fine. I'm putting this here for two reason : 1- Maybe nobody's playing an angel, or the angel's player is off to a friend's wedding or whatever. It just kind of sucks when there's no way for it to be fixed without that one ability.

The Angel and the Corral bees : Using an angel kit can heal infection in the exact same way it heal wounds. I figure the system still exist, why make it more complicated.

You could also give the bees a "world domination" countdown, which starts at "There is a few hives in the waste" and ends with "Bee World". If you want the players to make it a big deal to kill every single bee (possibly by blowing up a nearby active nuke)