Chris Van Deelan chrisv@nucleus.com

Poisons in The Morrow Project

     Just like Diseases, this system has been borrowed, and modified from
FGU's Aftermath system, to be used with the current TMP rules.  I hope that
you will find it useful.

     Poisons function much like diseases since they have characteristics that
resemble vector, incubation period, virulence group, and cycle time.  The
effects that a posion has will depend on its type and whether it has any side
effects.  The three general types of posions are lethal, narcotic, and
depressant.
     The vector of a poison is the same as that of a disease.  That its, it
may be aerosol, subcutaneous, gastric, or dermal.  This is the method by which
the posion is introduced into the character's system.
     Once the poison has been introduced to the characters system, there will
be a period of time until it firsts shows its effects.  During this time
attempts may be made to remove the posion from the characters system.  The
exact requirements and procedures will depend on the vector as follows:

     AEROSOL:  Application of an antidote is the only way to halt this type
of poison before it takes effect.
     SUBCUTANEOUS:  A successful application of first aid skill will remove
the poison before it causes harm.
     GASTRIC:  The proper aid to apply can be one of two kinds, induce
vomiting, or dilution.  A successful medical skill roll will determine which
is appropriate.  In either case, a first aid skill roll will apply the
required aid.  In the former case, the recipient will be incapacitated until
he makes a Con check.  One attempt may be made per turn.  In the latter case,
a number of units of the correct substance (water, acid, base, etc.) equal to
the strength of the poison is required.  If an insufficient number is
available, the number used will reduce the strength of the posion by the
number administered.  Appliaction of the wrong aid will reduce the recipients
con check to cancel the effects of the poison.
     DERMAL:  The proper aid to apply may be one of two kinds, flushing or
treatment.  A successful skill roll utilizing medical skill will determine
which is appropriate.  In the former case application of one liter of solvent
(such as water) per location covered by the poison  for each strength point
that the poison has is required.  If insufficient water is avilable, the water
that is applied will reduce the strength of the poison by one point for each
unit amount applied.  In the latter case, a medical skill roll and the
application of a number of medical supplies equal to the strenght of the
poison is required.  If the skill roll is made, and an insufficient number of
units of medical supplies is applied, the poisons strength will be reduced by
the number of units of supplies that are applied.  In either case, the
application of the wrong kind of aid will have no effect on the action of the
poison.

     At the end of the incubation period, the character must make a Con
check, assuming the poison has not been counteracted.  If the check is made,
the poison will have no effect.  End of story.  If it is failed, the poison
will begin to take effect.  The strength of the poison works as the virulence
group of a disease.  See the chart for vector strength and dice listed in the
disease article.
     The main target of all poisons is the characters con stat.  When the
cumulative total of the virulence dice succeeds 1/3 of the characters con,
first stage effects occure.  When the cumulative total exceeds 1/2 of the
characters con, second stage effects occure.  When the cumulative total
exceeds the characters con score the crisis stage occures.  The effects at
each stage for each kind of poison are dealt with later.
     At the end of the cycle time for the poison, the character is allowed to
make a con check.  If the die roll is in the 1/3 of the con stat, the strength
of the poison will be reduced by one group and no die roll will be made for
the poison that cycle.  If the die roll is in 1/2 of the con stat, no die roll
will be made for the poison on that cycle.  This process will continue until
the character has reduced the effective strength of the poison to zero or the
poison has had its crisis stage effects.
     Additional doses of a poison will act to restore the strength of the
poison to its strongest level.  They will not increase it beyond the maximum
for its current form and strength.  Additional doses do not, however, have to
go through the incubation period.

EFFECTS OF POISONS

     If a specific poison is listed as having side effects or 'episodes' they
will occure at the times and have the effects that are detailed in the
description of the poison.  The general effects of each kind of poison are
presented below:

     LETHAL
     First Stage:  The attributes specified as targets of the poison are
reduced by 25%.  All skill rolls are at -5%
     Second Stage:  The target attributes are reduced by 50%.  All skill
rolls are a -10%.
     Crisis Stage:  The character is allowed one last con check.  Failure
indicates death.  Success leaves the character comatose.  After recovering
consciousness the character will have the target attributes by the strength of
the poison.

     NARCOTIC
     First Stage:  The character's Dex and movement is reduced by 25%.  All
skill rolls are reduced by 10%
     Second Stage:  The character'd Dex and movement is reduced by 50%.  All
skill rolls are reduced by 20%
     Crisis Stage:  The character is rendered unconscious.  This state will
naturally last for a number of hours equal to the strength of the poison.

     DEPRESSANT
     First and second Stage:  As with narcotic
     Crisis Stage:  Character retains reduced values of the affected
attributes.  All skill rolls are at half value.  This condition will last for
a period of hours equal to the strength of the poison.
     Any character surviving the crisis stage of a poison will have symptoms
equivalent to the second stage effects of a narcotic poison at the end of the
time period of the crisis stage effects.  This will last for a number of hours
equal to the strength of the poison or until the character makes a con check. 
This may be attempted once per hour.  The character will then evidence
symptoms equivalent to first stage narcotic poisoning for a number of hours
equal to the strenght of the poison or until another con check is made.  At
this time the character will return to his normal condition barring any side
effects or damage caused by the poison.

TREATMENT OF POISONING

     If a character is poisoned, treatment may be applied to counteract or
remove the poison as specified in the description on the vectors of poisons
earlier in this article  Once the PD has made the first dice roll for the
poison, the only treatment allowed is for the symptoms by the use of drugs or
some other method that will negate the effects of the poison at that level. 
The poison will continue to work its insidious way in the character's system. 
Only by making con checks can the character rid his system of poison unless a
specific antidote is available.
     Specific antidotes work with poisons exactly as specific antibotics work
with diseases.  The points of correspondance are attributes attacked (all must
corrispond to count as one factor), type, vector and any specific side
effects.  A tailored antidote will negate the poison after completion of its
own incubation period.  See the article on disease for the mechanics of
antibiotics.  Antidote formulae follow the same format as poison formulae.

ENCODING A POISON

     The procedure for encoding the game formula for a poison works much the
same as the process for the game formula of a disease.  The basic format is:
     VECTOR-TYPE-ATTRIBUTE (S) ATTACKED-INCUBATION PERIOD-STRENGTH-CYCLE
TIME-NOTES.

     The coding for the type is the first letter of its name.  Thus, a fast
acting dermal nerve poison might have a formula as follows:

     D, dilution (water) - L -Dex - 1 combat turn- 2 - 1 combat turn
     Survivors have -5% to all skill rolls due to nervous twitching.

SAMPLE POISONS:

1.  Rattle Snake poison
     S - L - Dex - 2D3 Hours - per unit injected - 1 hour
     Nausea.  When encountered, the rattle snake will have 3D3 units of
poison.  Each unit has a strength of 1.  Each bite will inject 1D2 units of
poison.  Additional doeses are cumulative.

2.  Cobra Poison
     S D - dilution (water) - L - Dex - 1D4 minutes - per unit injected - 1D3
minutes.  Each unit has a strength of 3.  As above for the rattle snake.  The
second attribute (D) is for when the snake spits at the character.  If the
character is hit in the face, they must make a con check at a negative
modifier (determined by how many units the snake uses).  If the check fails,
the character is blinded by the poison for a number of 10's of minutes
depending on the poisons strength.
