Dealing With Regeneration

[SkyeFyre]

Ok so I've got quite the diverse group of players/characters with varying levels. Before I post my question I'll list them.

Level 10 Maxi-Killer with a greater rune sword (This guy's been playing his character for years)
Level 1 Wilderness Scout (About to hit level 2)
Level 1 Combat Cyborg (About to hit level 2)
Level 8 Psi-Ghost (Shows up every second game or so)
Level 4 Merc Soldier
Level 1 Rogue Scholar

Now everyone loves their characters and the story I'm weaving and they don't want to alter their characters unfairly. They also all like starting at level 1 and working their way up. In combat I'm great at splitting things up and giving each character the chance to feel important. The Maxi-Killer usually deals with the big threat like PAs and Cyborgs and we're good with that.

Now the problem comes with after combat and the next encounter. I do play the game as gritty, and MDC tech is fairly uncommon. Once the other players find their MDC low, they can't always just go to town and repair, and even if they can... they usually don't have a lot of money to do so, yet the Maxi-Killer regenerates at an insane rate. What I'm wondering is there a way to level the playing field a bit? We're fine with such a powerful character, but there's no way to gradually weaken and wear the character down. Give him a few hours and he's at 100% again. I had thought about depleted uranium rounds to mess with his regeneration but that's really all I can think of, and even then it's not a whole lot.

Yes I realize there's a huge power difference in this group. The only issue we're running into is the regeneration.

[DtMK]

Two ideas come to mind, one is Phase Technology. Weapons like Phase Beamers or swords do the same equivalent damage and slowing of regeneration as the U-Rounds. Another possibility, and here's where it gets interesting, is killing two birds with one stone.

Let's say your characters come across a downed robot or power armor. It may or may not be in good enough repair to fix up and pilot, but it could have spare weapons, M.D.C. material you can turn in or use to repair armors, etc. Now let's say the problem it has is with the nuclear core. Anyone exposed to it without radiation shielding runs the risk of radiation poisoning. But let's say that a stored batch of mini-missiles are close to the reactor, and let's say that they're fragmentation mini-missiles, or even grenades. While becoming irradiated, they run the risk of spontaneously detonating. And worse, any M.D.C. creature that is normally capable of regenerating would suffer the same penalties if they went in to salvage it, and happened to be hit by irradiated shrapnel. This would constitute a realistic problem in a setting where the tech is few and far between, and attempts to salvage it puts the players at a very real risk. At least, that's how I'd do it in my games.

[SkyeFyre]

Oh man... I love you... err.. this.. I love your post... yeah...

I am totally going to use that. The player would have to start being smart about things and it could be a quest all in of itself to find a doctor or someone who could remove those tiny little pieces of metal that have gotten lodged in his body.

You my friend... are my hero for the next 5 minutes.

[Nekira Sudacne]

I'd ask why you gave the Maxi-man regeneration in the first place when they realy don't need it for exsactly this reason.

[Kalidor]

Another alternative, instead of nerfing the big guy, might be to make it easier for the little guys to repair.

I haven't tested it yet, but I found the salvage and repair skill in Fallout 3 to be quite a time saver and much cheaper than paying for repairs. I'm thinking of integrating something like that into the game. If you fight a band of mercs or guys in MDC armor, maybe a skill roll could determine what he could salvage and how much he could repair his armor by.

I'd make it do he had to be in a workshop or have tools to do it (or take severe penalties) but it seems to fit the setting. I can easily picture a bunch of lowbies running around in barely matching junk that 'does the job' even if it isn't pretty.

This is something I plan to put into my game once it's rolling.

[Mallak's Place]

Well first question will be is how long has the guy been a Maxi-Killer and what is his races base maximum life expectancy? A maxi- Killer is a form of Juicer Modification and as a rule he’s going to die after a few years, that’s the price for all that power.

[The Beast]

Another alternative, instead of nerfing the big guy, might be to make it easier for the little guys to repair.

I haven't tested it yet, but I found the salvage and repair skill in Fallout 3 to be quite a time saver and much cheaper than paying for repairs. I'm thinking of integrating something like that into the game. If you fight a band of mercs or guys in MDC armor, maybe a skill roll could determine what he could salvage and how much he could repair his armor by.

I'd make it do he had to be in a workshop or have tools to do it (or take severe penalties) but it seems to fit the setting. I can easily picture a bunch of lowbies running around in barely matching junk that 'does the job' even if it isn't pretty.

This is something I plan to put into my game once it's rolling.

I'm pretty sure there's already a few skills in the Megaverse that covers this. I know MIO has a couple, they may have been ported over into RUE. Also couldn't the Field Armorer skill accomplish this?

[Mack]

Instead of bringing the Maxi-Killer down a notch, you can bring the others up. Let the other characters find some Naruni force fields (Mercs, p125) to add to their armor.

[SkyeFyre]

I'd ask why you gave the Maxi-man regeneration in the first place when they realy don't need it for exsactly this reason.

Juicer Uprising: pg:54 (On The Maxi-Killer Bio Wizard Juicer)
"Enhanced Healing: The juicer regenerates 1D4x10 M.D.C. per hour, plus can regrow severed limbs and lost organs...etc"

That's why I gave it to him, because he's supposed to get it.

Another alternative, instead of nerfing the big guy, might be to make it easier for the little guys to repair.

That'd be great and all, if the little guys decided they were going to pick any sort of skill that would enable them to do this. None of the characters is skilled in repairs of any sort and require that someone else do it for them. I'd allow them to salvage parts of armor and do it, if they ever thought of salvaging. (You can sort of get the picture why the majority of the group is a low level)

Well first question will be is how long has the guy been a Maxi-Killer and what is his races base maximum life expectancy?

He's been a Maxi-Killer for approximately 3 years now. He's human. So he's still got 1-2 years left in my game.

Instead of bringing the Maxi-Killer down a notch, you can bring the others up. Let the other characters find some Naruni force fields (Mercs, p125) to add to their armor.

I could do that. They would literally have to find them or steal them off of somebody as there is no way they could afford it. With this solution however it still wears down the little guys because they'll be burning through e-clips whereas the Maxi-Killer still has his natural regeneration. So sure they'd have more overall M.D.C. but it would bring down what they have for ammo too.

[DtMK]

Hmm, the possibility of enhancing your other players might be a good idea too. Since the human's a Maxi-Killer, here's a question: how'd he get it? Did he purchase the process, was he a slave or captured person to have the procedure done to him? If that's the case, then it would stand to reason that the Splugorth might send a party after him. It's also possible that they could bump into a Slaver raiding party complete with Altaran Blind Warrior Women. If your party could take them out, then salvage the armor medallions they wear, you have them getting an edge without worrying about their tech levels or expertise.

[Shadow Wyrm]

Regeneration can be a problem.

DU or U rounds and phase tech are the best way to put a slow it down for a while. A your enemies having these things all the time isn't fair to the PC though. I've found that an extra baddie poping in now and then in the middle of the regeneration time usefull,but if done to much it comes off as picking on the PC. Maybe a curse of some kind might be the way to go.

[ShadowLogan]

I could do that. They would literally have to find them or steal them off of somebody as there is no way they could afford it. With this solution however it still wears down the little guys because they'll be burning through e-clips whereas the Maxi-Killer still has his natural regeneration. So sure they'd have more overall M.D.C. but it would bring down what they have for ammo too.

In any case you would want the intergrated models since normal BA/PA can't be worn with them. The Borg might be able to have it hooked up to its own energy source.

Does the party have access to an e-clip recharger or such? If not even if they do get the Force Fields, make the option available to them.

If they haven't taken to salvaging, perhaps you should suggest it to them in a round about way. Like spotting salvagers in operation after one of their battles where salvage might be found. If confronted they find these salvagers have been making their living following them around.

[Mack]

Instead of bringing the Maxi-Killer down a notch, you can bring the others up. Let the other characters find some Naruni force fields (Mercs, p125) to add to their armor.

I could do that. They would literally have to find them or steal them off of somebody as there is no way they could afford it. With this solution however it still wears down the little guys because they'll be burning through e-clips whereas the Maxi-Killer still has his natural regeneration. So sure they'd have more overall M.D.C. but it would bring down what they have for ammo too.

Once they run into that problem, and struggle with it for a bit, you can tantilize them with the E-Clip Recharger from Merc Ops.

[DtMK]

Another option, if you REALLY want to torture your players, is have them abducted by a wayward Gene-Splicer and have them...'improved' upon.