Reverse Metabolism

Reverse Metabolism(Major) by Taalismn

“Awww, wow, that was your famed Bloodfire Poison? The stuff that’s supposed to eat people alive from the inside out? This stuff feels GREAT! What a rush!”

The superbeing’s biology is such that substances and energy effects that would normally incapacitate them actually fuel and supercharge them. Thus, sedatives and other drugs that normally bring on unconsciousness or confusion actually make the superbeing hyperactive and their brains operate with greater clarity and speed.

Bonuses:

• (Chemicals) Substances such as sedatives and sleep gases will do the OPPOSITE of their normal effects; so if a sedative injection that normally causes the victim to be -2 to strike, parry, and dodge, and -10% to skills for 4d4 melees will actually cause the superbeing to be +2 to strike,parry, and dodge, and +10% to skills for those 4d4 melees. Chemicals designed to put the victim to sleep within x amount of time(like, for example, 1d4 melees) will instead cause them to kick into high gear within that time, feel refreshed and energized, and be +1 to Initiative for whatever duration it woud have taken for the drug to take effect.

Example: Doctor Druggist’s Soma-dart normally causes people to fall asleep within 1d6 melees of being hit. Striking Mister Retsim, it instead takes 3 melees(on a roll of 1d6) before the superbeing suddenly gets a second wind, being +1 on initiative rolls for 5 melees(on a roll of 1d6) afterwards.

• Hallucinogens and other psychotropic agents meant to impair perception will instead HEIGHTEN the superbeing’s awareness for the same duration of time. If no stats are normally provided for their effects, they will cause the superbeing to be +1 to Initiative and perception for the duration.
• Paralysis drugs will cause the ‘victim’ to become even more limber and agile; +1 to strike, parry, roll, and dodge for the normal duration of the drug/toxin.
• Drugs and poisons that do actual PHYSICAL damage instead cause the superbeing’s immune system to REPAIR an equivalent amount of damage. If the superbeing has no damage that needs to be healed, then the damage the drug or poison would normally do is instead tacked on as a TEMPORARY bonus buffer of hit points/SDC/MDC, lasting as many melee rounds as the character has PE points, or until the extra damage capacity is used up. The MOST extra damage capacity the character can acquire in this manner is equivalent to their PEx2(so no chugging arsenic before the big battle).
• (Energy and Magic) The superbeing rolls as normal against energy blasts and magic meant to incapacitate them, such as tazers and sleep spells. On a successful roll, the superbeing reaps the full benefits as for chemicals above. On a FAILED save, they have their detrimental effects as normal, only the effects will be HALVED with regards to duration and severity.

Penalties:

• The superbeing is still susceptible to being damaged by physical attacks, external/gross substance damage(like acids), and energy weapons.
• Stimulants and other performance-enhancing drugs and chemicals will have the OPPOSITE effect on the superbeing. An invigorating cup of coffee will actually make the superbeing drowsy. Taking an aspirin will give them a headache, and taking steroids will make them feel weak and breathless.
• The superbeing is also more susceptible to becoming addicted and acquiring a substance abuse habit; being hit with, or taking, a substance that punches up their performance three or more times in a single week, the superbeing must roll versus non-lethal poison(16 of better) or become addicted. If the superbeing can’t get their fix of self-poisoning, they will display all the usual signs and penalties of substance abuse and withdrawal(“Doug, we’re staging an intervention to help you deal with your cyanide problem.”).