Another question about nanoplague

[The Baron of chaos]

Now the Splicer bio tech allow them to improve regeneration to amazing level, to filter spore and toxines. Evne the creation of force field..albeit limited.
Now My question is
Why no librarian seem to care to found a way to get rid of the nanplague somehow?
I mean is a damned damocle's sword over humakind!
Sure now limit to prevent contact with metal (never cleared to what extent. all the metals of chemicals tables?)
But what prevent the machine to "awake" one day and tell itself(themselves) "Hey let's make the nano plague cause cancer in all humans, no better let's sterilize them, painless and fast. BETTER let's cause wild mutation..noooo let's cause forming blcoks in their bloodstream...Funny idea let's make the nano machine form explosive from internal gas...I've just one word Immune System Deficiency"
You got the idea. And the fact that the Machine is insane is not a positive thing, rather the opposite, you cannot truly predict its actions.
So Getting those things out of our systems seem a priority . or at leas tsomethign to work on.
Just my two bit opinion

[demos606]

The machine *is* insane. The fact that Hecate hasn't already gone the "lets exterminate humanity with the nanites" path tells me it's pretty well beyond the technology available. There's also the fact that at least 2 *major* personalities and whatever minor persona you feel like creating have a vested interest in maintaining human existance and will deliberately sabotage any effort made toward complete eradication.

As for the removal from humans aspect, how exactly would you accomplish this? Prevent the entry of foreign substances into the body? Thanks, you just did the machines job for em because you starved/dehydrated the resistance out of existance. There just isnt a practical way to accomplish it without finding a way to first isolate humanity in environmentally sealed bases and developing sealed bio-suits.

[The Baron of chaos]

Well stiil is Damocles's sword over humna life. A big perhaps in humna existance.

As how get rid of it, I think you forget that every complex life fomr had to deal wiht foreign invasion everyday. Everyday our bodies, fight against Virus, Germs, Bacteria, Toxins and Dirt, and thank to immune system they seem to go along well.
Now I think pump immune system enough to kick the crap out of nanomachine is something to think about , at least.
I know that would no be easy(after all to develope anticorps and medicide for what we now consider non lethal sickenss took a lot of time) and no fast, but surely a project to work onto.
Plus there ar ehumna that develope immunity to nanoplague, the Technojacker. It would be smart discover WHY they are what they are.

[The Baron of chaos]

dude, i don't care how good your immune system is, large blades of metal piercing your flesh is deadly.

remember the plague is in more things than just people. flushing it from a human isn't enough.

just my 3 cents (darn inflation)

spliced cat

Then what is about? How exactly it works, in detail please

[Dark_Lightning]

From what I gathered, the nano-plague infests the body upon birth and is often the major thing that helps keep the population down. Plus, because the nanites are advanced, yet simple, the Machine couldn't command them to kill everyone. Chances are (in my way of thinking), the nanties would have only been partially successful. But, since the Machine has taken metal away from mankind, it felt that it has already done in humanity...therefore forcing humanity to adapt at drastic measures.
Plus, since the nanites are so limited, they can only react to organic contact to metal. This makes it nearly impossible for the nanites to gather and sprout spikes out the bum. They have to be activated by metal for the programmed reaction.
In the book, it also explains that the only metals that can be handled by humans safely are the precious metals, i.e.: gold, silver, platinum, etc. Since these are in limited resource to humans, the Machine is probably not scared to allow humans access to said materials. Anywho, I hope that helps.

[The Baron of chaos]

Amongst the metals that can be handled seem that also Calcium shouldbe added( as well as most metals needed to correct biological work of a living body )
On this table
http://www.webelements.com/webelements/scholar/
what metlas are afflicted by nanoplague and what not ,please

[demos606]

There are several problems with attempting to use the periodic table to determine what will/won't be affected by the nanoplague. Pretty near every non-gaseous trace element on earth is classified metallic on the periodic table. The classification is extremely... crude because we all know calcium isn't a metal, its a mineral. There's also the pretty much mass exclusion of anything not used in technological development because it doesn't occur in enough concentrations naturally to represent a threat to anything.

Good guidelines for what should be affected by the plague (from the dictionary.com metal definition)

1) Any of a category of electropositive elements that usually have a shiny surface, are generally good conductors of heat and electricity, and can be melted or fused, hammered into thin sheets, or drawn into wires. Typical metals form salts with nonmetals, basic oxides with oxygen, and alloys with one another.
2) An alloy of two or more metallic elements.
3) An object made of metal.

Keep in mind that precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, white gold, maybe nickel) are unaffected by the nanoplague.

[The Baron of chaos]

Ya know is you that is worng here. Minerals are not an elment at all, they are made of those. Iron is a mineral too. By the way i thinkt hat the nanoplague affect WORKED, refined, metals. Like it does afect a teaspoon but will not affect a mine of iron . My idea is that some, non MDC, metals are not affect for particular nature. I doubt that Nanoplagyue affect mercury. Or Magnets(aren't nanomahcine affected by the magnetic effect.)

[-Juicer-]

I feel the need to interject, with a simple rule that I've developed in order to play and enjoy many RPG's *without* getting bogged down by minutae.

Baron; all are valid questions, dude, but ultimately Splicers, like comic books and films, cannot survive literal tiny scrutiny of every detail. Few plots can. Look at contemporary manga and film plotlines. They, too, have holes that are not immediately apparent when viewed, until you delve under the skin to pick apart details.

Sadly, with all RPG's, it's those details that we as players are *by neccessity* exposed to first. It's unavoidable; we need them to play the games we do. Splicers, along with many other RPG's, works best when played with a view to comic-book style action. A nano plague has rendered metal a dangerous, deadly form of matter to human contact. Some details are known, but why look so far beyond that that the game ceases to be a form of decent entertainment...and becomes a logistical chore?

Take the X-Men films, or any good action film, for example. We know they're not really mutants, that they're just actors on-screen with a variety of special effects and cool backdrops... and genetics? How does a gene let someone fire *limitless energy* (a nightmare of thermodynamics) from their eyes, control the weather, or suck energy from a living object...and temporarily incorporate it into themselves? It's "scientifically" ludicrous.

But whilst the film is running, we convince ourselves that it's plausible. We fool ourselves, and for a short time gain enjoyment from watching a decent story and thrilling to action and adventure that explodes from the screen to fire our imaginations.

So, don't sweat the small stuff man. Do you want a game where players are scared by the iron in their blood, argue about molecular mass and whether or not base versus noble metals are safe...or do you want a game where a player character leaps upon a strafing fighter-bot, tearing into the metallic carapace with acid-dripping bone scythes whilst his team-mates blaze away with bio-cannons, acid shards and organic terror-weapons below to tear apart a detatchment of marauding Machine forces hell-bent on destroying a small human community...and condemning innocents to death?

Focus on what makes splicers cool; the image of a pilot suiting up, veins growing along his skin as tendrils invade his nervous system and the eyes of an alien armour suit snap open, showing *nothing* of the human being held womb-like inside...can make for deliciously un-nerving yet extremely cool imagery, and when well done, serves to reinforce a game where the characters are the stars of an epic plotline. The core ideal behind Splicers is "fighting the good fight, and going down to the line because no-one else can." That can make for some pretty soaring stuff...which is quite neatly dismembered by trying to apply real world science to the setting (try applying science to the Host Armour, and read the X-Men science comparison above)

Put simple patches on huge, glaring holes if you have to (I haven't found any quite that size yet), and get down to telling a good story with your friends. Splicers appeals to those who like the concept of biotech in various forms (I love it ), and so not everyone will want to suspend disbelief because the setting just isn't for them. I myself use "film logic" when I think of the setting...and it works just fine.

In short: when you ask for specific metals on a chart to be named, you've gone too far. Step back, take a breath, and ask yourself whether you really like Splicers at all. If the answer is no, then put it down and look for something else. If the answer is yes, ask yourself: "can trying to recreate a perfect reality really make for a better game here, or will it just sour my disposition and give me a headache?"

[The Baron of chaos]

Hmm nice answer, the best one.
BUT I'm not complainign anymore about the plague(althougt I still find some things in the idea unnerving).
I just puzzled why ther eis not even the embryo of an idea to get rid the plague(actually I realized that the best is to destory all nanomachines factories in the planet)

[-Juicer-]

In all honesty? There have probably been numerous attempts to consolidate plans to deal with the nano-plague, but the sheer scale of the problem is likely beyond the scope of even the Resistance, unless they had several years or more to grow vast bio-constructs capable of purifying the earth, air, and water of the whole planet (maybe *that's* what the seedlings are for? Possible game idea, there). Not only does the Resistance not have the leisure of long-term planning on that scale, but the full force of the Machine would be thrown against such vast projects, and in a straight-out fight, the Resistance cannot win.

Also, for those who wish to incorporate politics and intrigue into their Splicer chronicles, what if a selfish Librarian (or maybe a few!) knows of such plans, and has either restricted their spread or even sabotaged them? The Librarians are no longer fully human; perhaps they're being driven by an alien imperative, or maybe they're just power-consumed lumps of pulsating flesh, unable to link on a realistic level with humanity any more...or maybe they're quite able to, but go ahead and savour their power anyways. Yes, people who would sell out their entire species do exist (I'm sorry to say), and what better villain would their be to fight against when players need a break from hoardes of metallic death-machines?

-Juicer-

> Declared "Unsafe" since 1999

[slappy]

I don't think anyone has summed it up as perfectly as you have. I agree one hundred percent. The Nanoplague is a terrific plot element, and it has inspired a lot of the stuff I have created.

[The Baron of chaos]

Thank Juicer, great answer. Much wha ti thought by myself
Ya know my problem wiht the nanoplague is that Techojackers apart, get rid of all common technology.
Of cours ethis is not problem, thank to bio-technology
I know this. But then ther eis the example of the Dreadguard vs. pityful Bandits.
Bandits are really pathetic, becasue they dont have minimal chance.
They cannot get bio.tech, becasue most of it is done specifically for owner and cannot be sued by anyone else.canno scavenge stuff, like in any othe rpost apocalyptic game because the nano-plague, cannot forge their own weapon ebcasue even tha tis forbidden, cannot hav eneither maigc or psionic. The best they can doa gainst a dreadguard is throw sticks and stones? in an M.D.C. setting? Is not even funny, Is sad!!
I mean thankfully there are bloodfeuds between grea thouses, or there will be no other opponenet but the robots. Reading the books ther eis pormise of M.D.c. Beast as possible opponents. Good.
Still I thak you slappy for having given some Wasteland O.C.C.
Sincerely I wish some more POTENTIAL villain .

[-Juicer-]

There are indeed a lot of potential answers to the opponents' question; for the most part, it's simply a matter of scale.

Take the bandits, for example. A group of common, everyday bandits are likely to lord it over/prey upon/terroroize a small community or group of communities outside the jurisdiction of the Great Houses. They face, for the most part, SDC weapons; simple axes, rocks, bows and arrows, hammers...any weapons which can be made with non-metallic construction methods. They don't need more than that; the occasional MDC bio-weapon would most likely be prized as a bandit leaders' weapon (if the can feed it, which is doubtful), and even then, only a techno-jacker would pose a real threat to bandits if they wandered through the region. In short, the bandits are well-equipped to deal with the problems and marks on their own territory.

Resistance fighters, especially Dreadguard, Outriders, and Roughnecks, are so far out of their territory, it's not even funny.

Picture this: Joe Bandit Gang have been making a good living this season. The metal demons are nowhere nearby, they've raided, looted and pillaged several villages in the region; they have supplies and food to last the coming winter, slaves to trade with other bandits (I always imagine Splicers bandits as Mad Max-esque), and new weapons and tools from their raids. In short, things are good.

A group of Dreadguard (or even a *single lone Dreadguard* for the classic Paladin image) hear, from refugees or simply by deduction, about this bandit gang. Now, the bandits are in *real* trouble.

The Dreadguard(s) are like nothing they've faced before, perhaps only heard about in the crazed ramblings of wandering bandits and outcasts. This isn't a peasant dressed in leathers and carrying a hammer, desperately trying to defend his home and family. This is an alien god of muscle and sinew, glowing eyes and bone armour. It looks like something from a child's worst nightmare; veins, sinews and other things which should *never* see the light of day not only on prominent display, but completely impervious to almost everything they can throw at it. They don't have MDC weaponry, they aren't "hypernatural" creatures; they've *never needed to be*. In short, this nightmarish apparition of flesh and bone is so far out of their league, surrender or death are literally the only two viable options.

To balance this, you can increase the power of the bandits, in which case you must consider their effects on the region to at least a cinematic degree (more power would likely mean more influence, for example, and more conflict with similarly equipped gangs). Do they have MDC weaponry? What kind? How did they get it?

Conversely, you can lower the power of the characters. If it's for a story, you may have them without their weapons and armour, as SDC beings. For an adventure with scenes and pacing, this need not be a bad thing, and can in fact be tremendous fun (especially if the PC's have decent hand to hand skills; they can show them off againt opponents they can relate to, and enjoy roleplaying without the bio-warfare aspect of their equipment). Perhaps they have been requested for a diplomatic mission, but the town they are to go to is too fearful of allowing such mighty weaponry within it's boundaries? Respect and courtesy have a place in the ethics of all good-aligned characters (and Unprincipled/Aberrant characters, too) so this is not beyond the realm of possibility. SDC adventuring is completely different in "texture" to MDC, so can further provide a good change of pace.

If you're looking for more exotic opponents, use your imagination. Alien species are grown in the Preserves; may prowl the badlands and ruins nearby old, shattered genetics laboratories left dead for centuries; hell, small regions may have alien organisms as a pocket ecosystem. Mutated bandits or any stripe or method you care to imagine, Resistance experimental bio-gear gone horribly, horribly wrong, rogue War Mounts, twisted and exotic projects by the Machine...populate the world with whatever your imagination comes up with, so long as it can at least semi-plauably fit. The possibilities are endless. Hell, what happens if a victim of the nano-plague changes in a ghastly and unique fashion...?

Use your imagination, dude. It's the best tool a GM has, and with the material presented in Splicers, it's a canvas upon which to paint cool adventures and breathtaking adversaries in broad strokes. Grab inspiration from art, books, comics, films...anything that would fit Splicers, and change it to make it your own

-Juicer-

> Declared "unsafe" since 1999

[The Baron of chaos]

Ya know put in this temrs is even acceptable.
Plus nothing prevent to add some unexpected menace to the soup.