Custom Skill Knack: Stout Constitution

[supermooboo]

Stout Immune System
Skill: Stout Constitution
Rank: 9
Strain: 2 permanent (see text)

The character must spend 2 permanent points of damage to gain this ability. In return the character gains a relative immunity to poisons they have experienced in the past. Once per downtime a player may declare that their character is attempting to build an immunity to a particular poison. Make a Stout Immune System test against the target number of the poison. Success grants the player a permanent antivenom/toxin appropriate to the poison/toxin in question. This typically grants an antitoxin/venom specific to the actual creature (+3 to resistance tests where applicable). Three or more successes grants an antitoxin/venom specific to the general type of creature (+1 to resistance tests where applicable). See the Player’s Guide pg. 296 for more guidance. The character must have sufficient access to the poison/toxin in order to build up the immunity. At the Gamemaster's discretion poison/toxins in which the character has reduced to zero effect step with Stout Constitution may also trigger a Stout Immune System check.


I built this ability using the Tier Abilities for Warden / Master Tier characters from the Player's Companion as a reference. The Skill Knack uses tier ability terminology for taking permanent damage like the Investigators Warden tier capstone In Dolor Veritas (Player's Companion pg. 22) or the Tribal Warriors Master tier Fearsome Reputation (pg. 35) both of which cost 2 permanent strain. Thus it seems this ability should be Warden tier at the minimum (rank 9). Looking over the Skill Knacks there doesn’t seem to be any Skill Knacks that require a rank above 10 (although I could be wrong). That said, I think giving the knack at rank 9 when a character would hit Warden makes sense in reference to the other abilities present in 1879. And honestly the tier abilities are basically skill knacks that grant bonuses in certain situations anyway. As for the mechanics of the Knack itself I figured using the rules already there for antitoxin/venom makes sense. Another consideration for balance might be considering requiring karma or the more deadly requiring 2 permanent damage per poison (gasp!).

[ChrisDDickey]

An alternate approach would be a cheaper knack (maybe rank 5?) that can be purchased multiple times, each time for a different poison.
Mithridatism

[Slimcreeper]

I'm fine with the knack as written.

[mesjim]

An alternate approach would be a cheaper knack (maybe rank 5?) that can be purchased multiple times, each time for a different poison. Mithridatism

I absolutely agree in this case.