Aberrant RPG - Aberrations and Modern Medicine

[NFVD]

Metaphysician’s post about whether the attitudes of signature characters are derived from mental aberrations or their innate personality got me thinking. Do you think modern medicine might provide temporary solutions for mental aberrations and to a lesser extent physical ones?

If a Nova has suffers from hyperactivity due to a mental aberration could the effects be downplayed by a prescription of Nova-dosage Ritalin? Would industrial grade Valium or Prozac help a Nova deal with his Depression mental aberration?

Many mental illnesses are incurable today but their effects can be mitigated even without resorting to medication. Could something as “simple” as therapy help a nova cope with his mental problems?

Do you think modern plastic surgery can help a Nova (if he does not have Regeneration) get rid of that pair of tentacles that sprouted from his chest or file off those budding horns on his forehead?

[metaphysician]

Drugs or therapy for mental aberrations? Drugs would probably work, with some provisos:

-The condition has to be something treatable by drugs ( OCD yes, sociopathy no )

-The nova has to be susceptible to the meds ( Mega Stamina 5 + Health = out of luck )

-The condition comes right back if the treatment stops

Higher taint would probably make you more resistant, as well.

Therapy could teach coping tactics, but likewise, wouldn't actually 'cure' it, it'd just let you live with your mental aberrations better.

As for surgery for getting rid of unwanted appendages? Wouldn't work, they'd grow back. After all, novas do regrow limbs, they'd regrow tentacles too.

[Alex Green]

All novas, even those without Regen, heal completely. This is shown by ZUM growing back his optic nerves in the story tellers screen. This is also shown by novas being able to heal agg damage.

RE:Drugs

Problem #1 is that most novas are immune to most drugs.

Problem #2 is I'm not sure if drugs actually do anything if the problem is organic. I.e. you have a big node & it's putting presure on your brain.

Having said that... it might be possible to treat the symtoms. Make up or hair dye to change your odd color to something more human. Contact lens. Surgury to cut stuff off... and yes, it will grow back eventually. But that's eventually.

The question is, are your social mods reduced if your aberrations are well hidden?

[NFVD]

The question is, are your social mods reduced if your aberrations are well hidden?

I would say social mods derived specifically from the nature of the aberration are curtailed if the other party is not aware of them. If a Nova hides her furry tail or manages to keep her mental aberration: bitchiness under control while dealing with a baseline she will not suffer socially.

The social mods caused by the Taint that originated those aberrations would still come into play, however, because the felling of "unearthliness" is still there even if not visible.

And damn! ::biggrin Everyday I learn something new about this game. I was not aware every Nova can regenerate lost tissues.

[metaphysician]

I was figuring nova-scale dosages for the psychiatric meds ( IOW, purities sufficient to melt the brain of the typical baseline ). Though, given how idiosyncratic they are even normally. . .

That said, technically, do any aberrations even *have* inherent mechanical social penalties?

( my preference, if I were rewriting stuff? Cut the inherent taint penalty down drastically. . . but add penalties associated with aberrations, that only apply when the aberration is observable/relevant )

[Blue Thunder]

This all said, I like the concept of a Tainted nova that constantly files his horns down and chops off his tentacles every time they grow back. Sure, he may be avoiding social penalities (from the aberrations...not from his Taint score) but it more than makes up for that if the ST makes hiding his aberrations a bid deal.

[Alex Green]

And damn! ::biggrin Everyday I learn something new about this game. I was not aware every Nova can regenerate lost tissues.

It takes a long time if you don't have the right powers. Healing being the most useful (one point of temp willpower, one limb or organ).

[Sprocket]

I have to say that I always liked seeing Hellboy use a belt sander in the stumps of his horns every so often... ::laugh

[BlueNinja]

Metaphysician’s post about whether the attitudes of signature characters are derived from mental aberrations or their innate personality got me thinking. Do you think modern medicine might provide temporary solutions for mental aberrations and to a lesser extent physical ones?

As the aberrations are induced by the nova's own quantum signature, and not a defect in their brain tissue (beyond node growth) my answer would have to be a firm and resounding "no." A PC can already make a Willpower roll (or pay a point) to turn off a mental aberration for a scene length; several of the physical ones can be covered briefly with makeup/dye; and I already allow novas to use Shapeshift to cover up aberrations at an ever-increasing cost. If it's that bad, then they can put the time and XP into developing Chimeric Aberration.

[NFVD]

As the aberrations are induced by the nova's own quantum signature, and not a defect in their brain tissue (beyond node growth) my answer would have to be a firm and resounding "no."

But when you consider the ammount of Nova-only medicines avaiable in the game, the directory even has that coocky chemical that makes a Nova burn his Quantum, surely it is possible to come up with some form of drug that can provide some help, even if it had to be tailor-made to each specific Nova.

Mind you, I'm not having this idea as a cop-out for aberrations. It just seems logical as the timeline progresses and baseline humanity becomes more and more aware of taint that *someone* would try to come up with a medical solution. It's a whole new market to exploit. And all the nice storytelling that becomes possible, with Utopia hailing the wonderdrug(s) as the best thing since sliced bread while Teragen froth over those "traitor" Novas that would rather pump themselves full of the stuff than accept Taint as natural. Maybe someone is close to a breaktrhough and Triton acts in secret to avoid being backstaged in the matter.

Even if the whole thing turns out to be a placebo a couple of nice chrinicles can be made about it.

[BlueNinja]

But when you consider the ammount of Nova-only medicines avaiable in the game, the directory even has that coocky chemical that makes a Nova burn his Quantum, surely it is possible to come up with some form of drug that can provide some help, even if it had to be tailor-made to each specific Nova.

While the Directive can do tailor-made drugs, no one without a Resources 6+ would be able to fund it to keep up the medication. Drugs like Mox lower the nova's quantum abilities (so I'd be cool with temporary suspension of one based on a reduced Quantum rating) but do not affect aberrations.

Mind you, I'm not having this idea as a cop-out for aberrations. It just seems logical as the timeline progresses and baseline humanity becomes more and more aware of taint that *someone* would try to come up with a medical solution. It's a whole new market to exploit. And all the nice storytelling that becomes possible, with Utopia hailing the wonderdrug(s) as the best thing since sliced bread while Teragen froth over those "traitor" Novas that would rather pump themselves full of the stuff than accept Taint as natural. Maybe someone is close to a breaktrhough and Triton acts in secret to avoid being backstaged in the matter.

I don't doubt that they would try. I am saying, I do not think it is possible, since a nova's quantum signature (and therefore their aberrations) are unique to each nova. From a game mechanic point of view, there are other ways to damp down your aberrations, that I do not think it is neccessary for PCs.