[Torg] Nile Weird Scientist/Pulp Powers

[Jon Woodman]

Wow!  Excellent ideas, Michael.  Some of that I had never even considered.  I like the use of the Drama Deck particularly.  And I can see I need to review the Nile Empire sourcebook for sure.  Thanks!

>------- Original Message Follows -------
>From: "Michael Jason Teegarden" <mjteegarden at yahoo.com>
>To: <torg at justintimeadventures.com>
>Subject: Re: [Torg] Nile Weird Scientist/Pulp Powers
>Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:50:17 -0800 (PST)
>
>Hey, Jon,
>
>You have several approaches you can take for this request.  Personally,
> I like to cultivate a player's intentions for her/his character(s), but
> I won't usually grant the power level (so we start simpler, smaller,
>lesser, and give the player ample room to grow).  The item your player is
>requesting does sound like it is, on the face of it, too powerful for a
>starting character.  But it is not too powerful if it has any of a
>number of flaws: unreliability in production, questionable definition of
>"perfect," side effects of the potions (not to mention the device itself),
>specific and rare components required, and so on.  
>
>You may also consider making the device itself the explanation for the
>player's use of Drama Deck cards (if the player does not have suitable
>cards, the potions don't do anything; whatever cards the player may have
>access to, the potions can bring about those effects).  You may
>contemplate having the player "buy" potions, just like pulp powers, spells,
>miracles, etc.  These are paid for via Possibility points, and once
>purchased, can be consistently duplicated.  I do, though, recommend the usual
>drawbacks for alchemy: the need to obtain certain rare/wondrous
>materials/items (mummy wrapping, ancient scarab carapace, gold from the artificial
> sun itself, etc), the occasional flaw (explosive-gas burps, skin color
>changes, inconvenient pheromone release, etc), the "explosive" potential
> for mixing potions and obtaining "undesireable" results, etc.  I agree
>the device should be large and non-portable, though it would be a
>suitably expensive device that was
> small enough for travel.  
>
>Consider, also, the need for containers.  Inside what items does the
>character keep these liquids?  Some of them might be caustic or otherwise
>negatively effecting the normal type of containers (but not the drinker
>... probably).  Consider also the Nile Empire magic system's involvement
> with astrology and the stars.  Does this device work the same?  If so,
>needing stars to be in the proper alignment will certainly limit its
>production.  
>
>:)
>Michael
>
>
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: Jon Woodman <drjon at minnesota-twins.net>
>To: torg at justintimeadventures.com
>Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 10:24:43 AM
>Subject: [Torg] Nile Weird Scientist/Pulp Powers
>
>.........And now for something entirely different.
>
>Looking for a little advice/suggestions.
>
>I've got a player that wants to build a Nile Empire character, probably
> best suited under the 'weird scientist' title.  At any rate, what he
>envisions is his character designing a weird science device that produces
>potions of various sorts.  More specifically, he wants to produce the
>perfect potion for each circumstance as he needs it, of course.  God love
>him for trying.  I realize it is way too powerful, potentially, but it
>is an interesting suggestion and I would like to reward his ingenuity by
>helping him do something of the sort.  
>
>My first inclination was that this would be more suitable for an
>Orrorsh adventure, and I pictured a long campaign of adventures finding parts
>and pieces to his occult device and then more adventures spent finding
>the particular components of each potion.  And of course, each potion
>would be a one time thing and I could just picture the corruption points
>adding up.  And that's definitely not what he wants.  He wants it to be a
>weird science device of some sort from the Nile Empire.  And I was so
>looking forward to killing some characters off!  Ha-ha.
>
>At any rate, I can certainly figure out making a device that could
>produce one potion reliably, But does anyone have any ideas on how to do one
> that might make multiple potions?  Personally, I would envision some
>machine that could produce a few (maybe up to five) different potions. 
>Probably would have to be lab based, so he'd have to prepare the potions
>ahead of time.  Definitely not a concealable weapon and non-man
>portable.  I really haven't gone through trying to draw out the plan for the
>machine and neither has he.......simply in idea stage now.  
>
>But, I'd love to see if any of you have any input on how we could
>accomplish this.  Mind you I haven't given up on the occult version for
>Orrorsh yet, but for some reason he thinks such a thing could spell the doom
>of his character.........(evil laugh).
>
>Thanks guys.
>
>Dr. Jon
>
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