Wormwood/Apok/Shifter Question

[The Galactus Kid]

I don't see why other races wouldn't be able to be apoks. As for the spell, I'm unfamiliar with it, but if it does what I think it does, then yes.

[The Beast]

IIRC, the Apoc's mask is the only symbiote able to exsist outside of Wormwood.

[LostOne]

IIRC, the Apoc's mask is the only symbiote able to exsist outside of Wormwood.

I'm not 100% sure that is cannon, but that is how my group has always played it.

[The Galactus Kid]

I think that is canon.

[Braden Campbell]

I would need a description of said spell before making a judgement call...

[LostOne]

What Rifter is this spell in, anyway? Page number?

[Tor]

Rifter 15 page 98. Considering the "does not affect any symbiote that is not currently implanted in the body" statement I think a GM could rule it does not work on the Apok mask though. I guess it depends on how you think of the mask working. I get the impression of it just sitting on the face and not actually digging under the skin or anything.

[Korcheski]

I actually submitted this question to Palladium books years ago (sorry don't have the email anymore), but the response from Palladium was the Apok Mask can survive in Rifts Earth.

[filo_clarke]

It sounds like it would PERMANENTLY fuse the symbiote to the Apok's face, but otherwise I don't see why it wouldn't work.

[Tor]

Would it be possible to have a Shifter cast the Shifter Spell from the Rifter "Complete Symbiosis" on a Apok and the Demon Mask of wormwood?

Yes, though this is a non-canon spell, I love that Rifter thing. The expanded Symbiotic Warrior in the Rifter is also pretty cool.

If you want a canon solution, there is also a means of making the mask survive off Wormwood via a PPE vampire ritual, detailed under the Fortune NPC in Chi-Town 'Burbs: Firetown Crisis.

Thus allowing the Apok to function on otherworlds/dimentions then Wormwood?

I'm not sure. Although the Complete Symbiosis spell can keep a symbiote alive, Wormwood symbiotes lose their powers off of Wormwood, I can't remember if CS prevents this. The Apok would also lose his Powers of Communion off-planet, so he couldn't do stuff like cast Hellfire.

Fortune seems to avoid this via his PPE vampire ritual, although there are still some penalties.

can only humans become Apok's or can other races/d-bees as well?

It says they "are especially hard on fellow humans who have sold out" which implies they are human.

It also says under their MDC bonus "remember, all native humans of Wormwood".

There's also no explicit mention of possibly being a D-Bee like there is on the Freelancer OCC optional background table.

That said, while human seems assumed, I don't see any obvious reasons to prevent other races from becoming an Apok.

I don't know if non-humans would have natural MDC though, it may only be humans born on wormwood who are MDC, so the MDC bonus might have to be converted to MDC, though they could still get an MDC bonus from the mask and might have to rely on it more.

*wonders if the MDC leathers/paddings/chainmail worn by Apoks have ARs similar to SDC versions in PF, thinks they ought to, same with Mystic Kuznya stuff*

IIRC, the Apoc's mask is the only symbiote able to exsist outside of Wormwood.

Firetown mentions other symbiotes able to do this with the PPE ritual.

Was Demon Mask off-world survival an ability added in a Rifter or canon online FAQ or something?

unfortunately, the Apok has no memories of his former life

I don't see this mentioned anywhere, just that they lose their old OCC skills (no mention of related/secondary). Apoks are described as having insight into the tactics/desires/pleasures/minds of the Unholy's minions, knowing the cities/secrets, because they were "once part" of them.

If they completely forgot their former life, this would not be possible. So I think they just lose the (OCC) skills, but not the memories.

I actually submitted this question to Palladium books years ago
(sorry don't have the email anymore)
the response from Palladium was the Apok Mask can survive in Rifts Earth.

Even if you can't find the mail, perhaps it's possible we can find a copy of it online? I thought they would publish all their answers.

It sounds like it would PERMANENTLY fuse the symbiote to the Apok's face, but otherwise I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Yes, it would.

But it may not fall within the scope of the spell since it may not necessarily enter the body, depending on how you roleplay what happens when an Apok dons the mask.

For it to work, it would have to do some kinda grody 'tentacles are penetrating your ears and eyesockets' which would help explain why it's not possible for others to remove the mask... I kinda like this. Fits with that whole "worms coming out of the skull's mouth" image at the start of the comic strip. Perhaps the demon mask sprouts tendrils that go down the throat of the Apok when he puts it on?

When we see the Confessor unasm on page 22 (page 14 of comic) it's already a few inches away from his face so there's no telling what happened in the interim...

IMO the Apoks should be disturbing and having the mask-donning process be invasive like that is cool and disturbing.

A save vs pain or else they get paralyzed in agony for a bit after donning or removing the mask would also be epic.

[Q99]

I found an Old post, referencing an FAQ

[Tor]

Number 18 at http://www.palladium-megaverse.com/questions/occ.html

Of course this is part of http://www.palladium-megaverse.com/questions/index.html which is the "Fan FAQ" and I'm not sure if that means "FAQ for fans" or "FAQ by fans". The latter would not seem to be canonically authoritative.

This certainly isn't indicated in any of the books. Firetown in fact contradicts it because an Apok is relying on a ritual to keep his symbiote alive...

[Alrik Vas]

Oh, contradictions in Palladium Books? Pffft...for sooth, says I!

[Nightmask]

unfortunately, the Apok has no memories of his former life

Where'd you get that idea? Because they certainly do remember their previous lives, in fact remembering their former evil and the shame of their past acts is what fuels them to oppose evil in all its forms after they become an Apok. They know the depths of evil because they remember when THEY were crawling in those depths.

[Svartalf]

Yep, Nightmask has it, where did you get that strange idea HeraldofShadow?

[Tor]

Obv. from them being "reborn" and losing their OCC skills. Amnesia is part of the change, it's easy to misremember just how much.