Quoted By:
So You've Caught A Fever:
Some Conditions come in ratings.
Such as Infection.
( Others include Terror, Awe, Confusion, Haywire ).
This is not health damage. You have lost no HP. However, it is usually worse. At the end of your turn, the Conditions check against their value to resolve.
You should be aware that Recovery, done *yourself* is dangerous, because as Recovery is a Commit variant, you have slightly reduced defenses. If you focus on Recovery against a Condition that then checks itself and you have less defense, you may have reduced the Condition with your Recovery but you simultaneously have less buffer against any consequences.
Usually, you want help. You want allies. You want friends.
So, what does INFECTION do?
The purview of Biological Modulation Strains, pathogenic vectors and other horrors of the natural world, Infection represents gradual build up of severe danger in your system. Some Infections have specific triggers.
Infection: Random Strike 12
Rolls against itself, at the end of your turn, to force you to perform a Random Strike.
It appears that this is simply a generic infection, which will cause gradual debilation. Your physical attributes will decay over time as the flash-viral burms through your systems. You have a minor chance of a boonful immune response, but the Doctors do recommend rest, fluids, medicine and assistance.
--
What But Does That Mean. . .
Hold the horrid implications, Infections have two more primary problems.
One: They're *Infections*. Contagions can spread. The value of your Infection also sets the likelihood that it jumps to another nearby host. Nearby hosts might want to wear masks or other defenses.
It is NOT recommended to end your turn in CLOSE PROXIMITY to MANY OTHER PEOPLE if you do not want to RISK INFECTING THEM.
The total Strength of an infection is not the only thing that sets its virality. Some infections might have low actual strength (STR 7) but be highly infections (Contagion +10). Some are tailor made to spread fast, you see.
--
What's The Other Problem?
As Amelius has already experienced, Infections may mutate. There are also quite a few things in this facility that uses Infections as a base to do much worse things to you. Maybe that's why some of them are designed to spread fast and be low level?
--
Okay But Does That Mean. . .
. . . Pluripotentiality lets you generate Infections, as does Mutability, yes. Either as one-off releases of pathogenic prowess where you simply Infect someone and hit them with it OR Tailor-Made viral vectors are generated as an External Feature. As mentioned, this lets you codify more specific horror, define vectors better or tailor it for a purpose.
--
Hang On, That Seems To Imply . . .
Yes, the same mechanical interoperabibility applies to brainworms and Meshcode that hacks systems. It is also what serves as the underpinning for Sigma's dancing field, which is indeed, the psionic variant of an Infection, a Compulsion.
