Symbiosis: "sim-bE-'O-s&s", "-bI" 1. The living together in more or less intimate association or close union of two dissimilar organisms. 2. The intimate living together of two dissimilar organisms in a mutually beneficial relationship. 3. A cooperative relationship.
The Symbiote is a new power category that I use in my campaign. A symbiote is a living creature that draws nourishment from other living beings, like a parasite, but does so without damaging the host body and actually provides a mutual benefit to its host. A character in the Symbiote power category receives any powers they have from their symbiote creature. Without the creature, they would be an average person. Comic book examples of symbiote characters would include: Venom, Carnage, Wildstar, Taboo, and various others in the Image universe. Sorry, not sure who has what when it comes to the comic universe formerly known as Image, since I no longer follow comic books anymore. I do know that universe was good for symbiote battle armors though.
Note:
This file is not complete yet and will be changing in the near future. I've mostly put it here now for those people that have been asking me about my Symbiote Power Category. This will at least give you a good idea of how I use this category. Look for more details, and for me to do the write ups of the examples, soon.
Step One: The Usual Determine the eight attributes, Hit Points, alignments, and optional rounding out data as usual. Physically or mentally inferior characters are okay, perhaps even preferred. Keep all initial attributes and bonuses written in pencil as skills and special bonuses will see them modified.
Step Two: Education & Skills This character can come from virtually any walk of life. Roll to determine the character's Educational Level as usual. The character can have any level of education, from high school to doctorate, without affecting the character's relationship with the symbiote.
Step Three: The Symbiote & Powers Roll or choose a type of symbiote from the Type Of Symbiote Table. Next determine the number of powers by rolling on The Number and Category of Super Abilities Table, located in the Heroes Unlimited, Revised Second Edition book.
Implant/Burrowed
This type of symbiote actually lives inside the host body. It can be implanted or possibly has a method of burrowing into the host.
Either way, it's presence is concealed from the outside world, except by x-rays or telepaths that might pick up on it's presence.
This type of symbiote takes a vested interest in keeping the host body alive. If the host body dies, many times the symbiote will die to unless it can find another host body shortly after the current host's death. This type of symbiote can live 24 hours without a host if the host died of natural causes (The symbiote can sense the upcoming death and prepares itself). If the host dies any other way, the symbiote can only live 3 hours without a host. Because of this, the symbiote gives a limited Healing Factor to it's host body.
Note: A symbiote that burrowed into the host, can attempt to escape and seek a new host, but the implanted symbiote must be removed and re-implanted into a new host.
Bonuses: +2 PE, +8HP, +17 to SDC, +20% save vs. coma/death, +4 save vs. magic/poison/toxins (in addition to the PE bonuses), +3 save vs. psionic attacks, Recover 1 SDC/10 minutes (6 per hour), Recover 1 HP/15 minutes (4 per hour), Once per day (24 hour period) can instantly regenerate 2d6 HP, no scarring when healed, Broken bones heal 5 times faster than normal, the host lifespan is increased by 50 years.
Note: If Healing Factor is rolled as a power, it replaces this limited Healing Factor, not add to it.
Costume/Battle Armor
This type of symbiote typically makes up the majority, if not all, of the host's costume or battle armor. Some can camouflage into clothing for the host. There are two types of this symbiote: Those that can live without it's host for awhile, and those that die if removed from the host or the host dies.
Live Without Host
These types can live apart from the host for 24 hour periods, but if the full 24 hours pass they will need contact with the host for 10 hours. If removed, the host loses all powers granted by the symbiote. Symbiotes that can live away from the host are less likely to have camouflaging abilities. Most Battle Armor symbiotes fall in to this category.
Die Without Host
Once attached, this symbiote can not be removed without killing it. In exchange, this type of symbiote has camouflage abilities to resemble not only costumes, but clothing and skin toned colors as well. With practice, the host and symbiote learn to work together.
Both
Both of these symbiotes offer extra protection, since they are the first things to take damage in a fight. These types of symbiotes have to be completely destroyed in order for it to die. Once it loses all of it's SDCs, the symbiote goes dormant and lives off its host's SDCs. At this point, all powers gained from the symbiote are halfed. If the host's SDCs fall to 0, the host loses the powers gained from the symbiote until both host and symbiote are fully healed.
Both of these types of symbiotes have remarkable SDC recovery skills, that fall on the symbiote only. A host does not gain the SDC recovery power from it's symbiote. They recover 2 SDCs/10 minutes (12 per hour). They can also surge for extra SDCs once per day (24 hour period). They gain 2d12 from this surge, but the host will need to rest for a full day after the confrontation is done if this option is used.
These types of symbiotes also give their hosts their natural body armor rating. This is a natural body armor rating, so no damage is done for rolls under the AR.
Symbiote AR Table
| 01-40 |
09
|
| 41-80 |
11
|
| 81-90 |
13
|
| 91-99 |
15
|
| 00 |
17
|
Symbiote SDC Table
| 01-40 |
50
|
| 41-80 |
75
|
| 81-90 |
100
|
| 91-99 |
125
|
| 00 |
150
|
Attached
This type of symbiote does not cover the character totally, but attaches itself to the host. This can be anywhere, chest, back, neck, leg, arm, etc. Once attached, it does not move and provides the host with powers. Like the Implant/Burrowed symbiote once attached if the host body dies, many times the symbiote will die too unless it can find another host body shortly after the current host's death. This type of symbiote can live 48 hours without a host if the host died of natural causes. If the host dies any other way, the symbiote can only live 5 hours without a host.
Because of this, many of these symbiotes alert the host to danger if they are sleeping. Others can defend themselves to some point.
SDC (Symbiote): 2D6 x10
Bonuses: +3 to dodge, host's lifespan is increased by 50 years,
Other Stuff Level of Education and Skill Selection: Standard; see creating a character and educational level.
Hand to Hand Combat: Combat skills are not automatic, but must be selected as a learned skill; see Hand to Hand Combat skill.
Attacks Per Melee (Hand to Hand): As with ALL heroes, the symbiote characters automatically get two attacks per melee round. Additional attacks must be developed through combat or physical skills, or super abilities.
Weapons and Armor: Unless the character is extremely wealthy, only conventional weaponry and body armor are available to them. The type of symbiote will also help determine if armor can be worn or not. (A Costume/Body Armor Symbiote would not allow a character to use extra body armor. An Attached Symbiote may allow it, depending on the location of the symbiote. The final decision is left up to the GM's discretion.)
Alignment: Any alignment can be chosen, but heroes generally should be good or selfish alignment.
Structural Damage Capacity: All characters start with 30 SDC, plus any additional SDC from physical skills or super abilities. This is for the host only. Each Symbiote will have it's own SDC rating.
Available Financial Resources: 4D4x100 dollars are available in ready cash. This is in addition to a possible life savings (See optional rules to rounding out one's character). There is a 01-88% likelihood the character owns a conventional car. The car is 1D6 years old. Presumably, the character has a job, apartment and reasonable personal possessions.
Examples of Known Symbiotes
Chest Thing (Attached)
Vamp Spider (Attached)
X-O Armor (Battle Armor)
Brain Feeder (Burrow)
