Goonhub
08-27-2015, 12:09 PM
The short story: a class of small artifacts that can be added to spacemen via surgery for various effects.
The long story: So I had this idea a year or so ago and I decided it'd be worthwhile to post. Essentially, I took a look at the hearts 'n' brains and other such humanmeats being tossed around the station and wondered: "is there room for more stuff in there?" (which, atm, I'm sure there is because organ capacity I don't believe is a variable but MAYBE SOON). I began to think-- the Scientists discover all manner of strange artifacts. What would happen if you chucked that shit into a guy's chest cavity? It would, presumably, require activation of some sort first-- then to be implanted. Once added, this could do a number of things:
- Grant a mutation, positive or negative-- congratulations, you've got an Elvis Gland
- Grant a wizard spell -- you can now spray smoke everywhere oh gosh jeez
- Periodically flood the body with some kind of reagent-- preferably not enough to become a walking Omnizine god on a regular basis (but maybe a reward for being so goshdarned determined, since it's usually poison?)
Or any other sort of sustained/bodily effect coded in. Maybe artifact heart replacements are 'worth more' and have more dramatic effects??? Who knows!!! The effects are only per body, and the artifacts COULD be carved out by an enterprising traitor (or an opportunistic doctor). Imagine Kali-Ma-ing a guy and you pull out an arcane configuration or a pulpy mass like 'what the fuck is this???'.
My rationale for the suggestion is thus: it gives Artifacts a purpose other than being beakers, absurd guns, or darkness/forcefield generators/bombs, and allows Science and Medical to tie in a bit closer. Plus, the common populace can roll the dice for fascinating powers (or debilitating curses). HOWEVER: Like being turned into a werewolf by chem, GETTING dangerous powers does not allow you to just go on a murder spree, even if you do become powerful. Go help Telescience by being a wall of unkillable meat, or aid security in capturing traitors with your freezy powers. While there's some overlap with genetics, there's also an element of randomness, yet stability-- artifact X does function Y, no matter who you put it in. Even if function Y is super dangerous.
The long story: So I had this idea a year or so ago and I decided it'd be worthwhile to post. Essentially, I took a look at the hearts 'n' brains and other such humanmeats being tossed around the station and wondered: "is there room for more stuff in there?" (which, atm, I'm sure there is because organ capacity I don't believe is a variable but MAYBE SOON). I began to think-- the Scientists discover all manner of strange artifacts. What would happen if you chucked that shit into a guy's chest cavity? It would, presumably, require activation of some sort first-- then to be implanted. Once added, this could do a number of things:
- Grant a mutation, positive or negative-- congratulations, you've got an Elvis Gland
- Grant a wizard spell -- you can now spray smoke everywhere oh gosh jeez
- Periodically flood the body with some kind of reagent-- preferably not enough to become a walking Omnizine god on a regular basis (but maybe a reward for being so goshdarned determined, since it's usually poison?)
Or any other sort of sustained/bodily effect coded in. Maybe artifact heart replacements are 'worth more' and have more dramatic effects??? Who knows!!! The effects are only per body, and the artifacts COULD be carved out by an enterprising traitor (or an opportunistic doctor). Imagine Kali-Ma-ing a guy and you pull out an arcane configuration or a pulpy mass like 'what the fuck is this???'.
My rationale for the suggestion is thus: it gives Artifacts a purpose other than being beakers, absurd guns, or darkness/forcefield generators/bombs, and allows Science and Medical to tie in a bit closer. Plus, the common populace can roll the dice for fascinating powers (or debilitating curses). HOWEVER: Like being turned into a werewolf by chem, GETTING dangerous powers does not allow you to just go on a murder spree, even if you do become powerful. Go help Telescience by being a wall of unkillable meat, or aid security in capturing traitors with your freezy powers. While there's some overlap with genetics, there's also an element of randomness, yet stability-- artifact X does function Y, no matter who you put it in. Even if function Y is super dangerous.