Cold-Blooded R.C.C.

[darthauthor]

EDIT

I have some uncertainties about the Cold-Blooded R.C.C.

From Rifts Mercenary Adventures book page 18.
Note sure if I should post in the magic forum.

What is the life expectancy of a Cold-Blooded?
More to the point: Does becoming a Cold-Blooded shorter your life or make you live longer?

Like if an old man or woman wanted to become a Cold-Blooded to fight vampires in Mexico would it kill them or give them longevity (immortality)?

[drewkitty ~..~]

Mischief Managed

[darthauthor]

Some other questions I have about Cold-Blooded are do they keep any of the O.C.C. special abilities of their previous O.C.C. (for example the wilderness scout's ability to mark a trail, a Body Fixer's medical abilities, a Vagabond's ability to eye ball a fellow, etc.).

Do spell casters or psychics keep their abilities if they become a Cold-Blooded?

What does a Dog Boy or Psi-stalker feel when a Cold Blooded is around?
Do they come across as Supernatural or set off their radar in any way?

[darthauthor]

Maybe I should put forward my own ideas:

1. The Cold-Blooded regenerate so they don't die of old age but they can be killed.

2. The book says they get to keep something like 4 skills from their previous O.C.C.
So, that could be it. Something else about it implies they have memories of their past life like maybe the reason why they chose to become a Cold-Blooded.

IF I were making the GM call.

They can swap one of their past O.C.C. abilities for an O.C.C. skill.

Previous magic users (Ley Line Walker) would NOT get to cast spells although I would allow them to use TW device and read scrolls.

I am undecided about psychic powers.
For now I would allow them to major psychics by character creation roll or previous O.C.C. but that's it for now.

I believe the process that makes a Cold-Blooded make the person a creature of magic of sorts.
This would show on their Aura and make them detectable as such to Dog Boys and Psi-Stalkers.

That is the way I see it.

[Grazzik]

First off, I am not a fan of how this RCC is designed. The concept is good, but the rules need a lot more work as it is written like a RCC, but designed like an OCC. As a result, it never was a factor in games I played.

Darthauthor, I'd agree with your additions, but add the following:

- a DB/PS or anyone else could tell at a glance they weren't normal as they are strikingly visually not normal, so shoot first...

- any PC going through the process should have to do a series of saving rolls (either vs magic, drugs or coma/death, whatever the GM thinks is fair) since this is supposed to be a horrific ritual of desperation, not just because of the insanity, but because it probably kills a percentage of those that undergo it if not done properly... this mean elderly frail people are unlikely to make it through the ritual

- (this is my biggest bother about the RCC) skills are memories of how to do things, so to say in one section they keep most of their memories and then say they keep only four skills is buffalo cookies ... I'd say use the cyborg conversion rules re skills if the char goes through a training program post-transformation to BE a cold blooded, otherwise treat this akin to freeborn dogboys and similar RCCs that take an OCC... keep current OCC with perhaps -5% to -10% on all skills due to a bit of fuzziness

- I'd say no to psionics unless they had them pre-transformation, but even then maybe half ISP as the insanities could be symptomatic of brain damage which might also affect their psi powers

[darthauthor]

Thanks Grazzik,

I have mixed feelings about the Cold-Blooded.

I envisioned a backstory of a vampire hunter who has burned up, age and stress of the job; seen to much.
So he's tired. He retires. He can't stand it. But he's not as fast or tough as he used to be.
Can afford cybernetics and can't cut off his arm.
Meets a Cold-Blooded.
Sees it as a second chance to run with the hunters and when he dies, it will be forever.

He undergoes the process.
He has to start over but its a rejuviated start.

One of the most powerful things, for me, is the Cold-Blooded regenerate.
So they can keep up with a vampire as they regenerate. Plus they can punch a vampire and do damage.

The 2nd backstory I wrote up was an alterantive for a Juicer who wanted to live but de-toxed to late.
So, not being able to take his credits with him, the guy decides to switch to the blue stuff and go Cold Blooded. (Cold Turkey).

His body regenerates but he can't live the life he had before.
He can only eat raw meat (dead things)
He's cold to the touch.
Looks like a Cold-Blooded.
With Robotic strength instead of amped he's stronger but slower and doesn't feel juiced.
It is NOT like it used to be.
He can't enjoy the life he used to have.

[darthauthor]

Follow up question about the Cold Blooded.

IF a guy is missing limbs and such.

Then they become a Cold-Blooded.

Do their missing limbs grow back?

[Grazzik]

Follow up question about the Cold Blooded.

IF a guy is missing limbs and such.

Then they become a Cold-Blooded.

Do their missing limbs grow back?

Mmm, GM call, but I'd say that the magical imprint is such that they regenerate only what they have at the point of conversion. If a PC sought this out for the replacement of a lost limb, I'd make sure the player then had to roleplay their PC personality as having psychological body issues of some sort. It's just too drastic of a step to take in order to regrow a limb.

[darthauthor]

I was thinking of someone in Rifts Earth Mexico.
Poor cattle men rancher farmer type.
No cybernetic.
No credits even IF there was a Cyber-Doc around with parts.

So he, she, they become a Cold Blooded for multiple reasons which they explore after the conversion.
One of which is whether they missing limbs would regrow.
They sort of leap before they look, as all good adventurers should. lol

[Grazzik]

In that context of a one-armed farmer in Rifts Mexico, if one of their motivations is to get a new arm why not simply offer oneself up to their vampire overlords for conversion to a vampire? Remember, as oppressed as they may seem to you and I, to them, the vampires are no different than landed gentry with all the privileges of a ruling class. Becoming a vampire is rather a giant step up in the social order for a rancher. Better than being food.

If the new arm is simply tangential and an unexpected outcome of the conversion to Coldblooded, then they have lost nothing if the arm doesn't grow back. They're now a one-armed Cold blooded. Nothing gained, nothing lost.

If you really want to make the arm a dramatic device in the story, then just use GM fiat. Though make it interesting... the arm has a mind of it's own, the reappearance of the arm results in the PC developing a fixation on a socially unacceptable behavior in public (I meant flipping the bird, not that other socially unacceptable behavior ), or the arm is deformed in some way like a corpse's arm. Maybe the arm is perfectly fine except it has a strange smell to it or the fingernails grow at a ridiculous rate. Maybe since it had no original at the time of the conversion to define its size, the arm just keeps growing and every week or so, the cold blooded has to chop off their arm or find themselves dragging a supersized arm around behind them.

Anyway, how could they afford the cold blooded conversion if they have no credits? This form of ritual magic requires resources that costs money. And if no credits, this type of ritual would cost a heck of a lot more, maybe even an arm and a ... ahem!

[darthauthor]

Well, its story telling.

I acknowledge the logic that if you can't afford a cybernetic arm you can't afford the Cold-Blooded process.

I acknowledge the process of becoming a vampire would do the trick.

Storywise, the ranch-hand farmer is ugly so the vampires would not turn them.
Also, the person preforming the Cold-Blooded conversion sees it less like a Cyber-Doc trying to make a profit and more like making a vampire hunter and undead slayer for region.
They have to have volunteered and such.
So it is the Alchemist's gift. Maybe a "Let's make a wish" you are dying of cancer or such.

The idea of someone who never could gets a chance to be a hero when no one thought of them as such.
Maybe, there is a deal at the end of it to serve for a few years like a Juicer or Crazy.