Corrupt Flesh

Corrupt Flesh [Major?!?! Mega?!?!] by Iczer

'Join us'

The character can transmit an insidious virus that exerts a paranatural control over it's targets.

1) By murdering a target, the character may transfer his essence into him. The target reanimates with a rudimentary sentience and begins a protean existence as part of the charactre colony. The newly risen victim retains his physical appearance at the time of death but otherwise functions as the deceased. The target retains his memories, but his skills function at a much more rudimentary level (-30%, retains only 1st level combat skills). The victim is loyal to the creator, performing tasks as required.

2) Abilities of victims: The transformed flesh of the newly raised is semi stable but otherwise does not betray it's existance (except the presence of wounds of course). It posesses the HP it posessed in life (even if injured) plus another 6d6. It's inhuman nature becomes apparent with injury though. The newly risen takes 1/3rd damage from sharp or peircing weapons and only half from blunt impacts, the flesh contorting and adapting to the damage. Any damage taken by purley physical force however is only temporary, recovering 1d6 HP every round until restored to their original state. Should the victim become dismembered, either by accident or choice, the individual parts come alive as seperate entities with thier own pool of 3d6 HP and half PE, sprouting limbs and sensory organs to accommodate. Critical hits are not possible against these beings. Bodies typically lose a permanent HP per week through attrition and so are never permanent, deforming over time and dissolving into protoplasmic goo eventually. other than age, the only true ways to kill these units is by energy attacks or obliteration (explosives). The units posess enhanced strength and aggression, gaining +1 to strikee and +2 to damage, plus an increase in PS of 5 points.

3) Transferral: Any two victims may share information by simple touch. even a spot of blood left on a benchtop can be used to leave vital information for other 'units' to learn. The character himself can transfer infomation to his units as well in this manner

4) Immortality: If the character should die, his essence can transfer to another unit within 500 feet per level. the unit gains all the abilities of the character as he indeed becomes the character in all manners. the chracater may choose to keep the appearance and shape of the unit, but may revert to his own appearance at any time. The character has only the HP of the unit when he takes over, but may 'heal' back his SDC at his normal healing rates.

5) Abilities of the original: The original unit (the character) has a much more solid profile than his units, but retains a fairly protean nature regardless. He takes half damage from kinetic sources, with wounds flowing and healing as he goes. he heals 1HP and 2 SDC per hour.

6) Merged creatures: Any two units (or any number of units and the original) may merge into a composite being, a fused mess of flesh and blood and limbs. such a creature posesses the highest PS, PP, PE and Spd of the combined individuals, plus 1 per extra unit in the mix, and the sum of all HP and SDC of merged units. every three units add an extra attack to the mix. this merging is permanent unles the original unit is involved (the original unit may resume his normal form by 'shedding' the unwanted flesh. this 'kills' the units involved. The original may also consume any of his subordinate units, killing them, but absorbing their remaining HP to heal himself.

7) Poisonous infection: the character can infect others, by force feeding them his flesh, or the flesh of his units (the units can perform this feature as well). Anyone swallowing this flesh must save vs poison (14+ PE bonuses count). failure to save means the character takes 1d6 HP damage. Worse, the flesh stays in the body, forcing a new save every hour (with the same damage). This ceases only when the victim: a) vomits up the flesh. this must be deliberate and involves the victim attempting to purge himself. (new save at 16+). b) Medical involvment (as a stomach pump or surgery) c) the victims death (which causes ressurection as a unit) or d) 3 days (plus one per level) passes (the flesh finally is digested. The flesh is also uncomfortable to have inside. the victim will be nauseous and ill while it is inside him, (-2 to combat abilities and -10% to skills).

Victims who are immune to poison are not immune to this, as it's a malignant semisentient organism attempting to kill from within. Victims who can digest anything (such as super consumption) are immune however, as are creatures and characters in altered physical states, or with inhuman biochemistry. A unit can be cured however. The GM can decide exactly how this can be achieved. super science is an option, as is magic and psionics, but conventional even extraordary medical techniques are useless. there are a few conditions.

1) The body must be able to come back to life. If the character died from gross injuries, then a cure will only bring back a corpse.

2) The unit must be less than a month old. after that it has degraded too much to support independant life (see above)

3) The unit must not have been absorbed, consumed or merged with any other unit. In any case, if any unit feels it may be reverted, it can simply detach it's own head and blow any chance of ressurection.

[I Know...long, but it needs to be detailed as so not to be overpowerful]