Chapter Three: Betrayal of Flesh
Mutation For devices not permanently attached to a character, use the rules described in Chapter Two: Bones of Steel. After a procedure that grants a chaositech enhancement to a character’s body, she must make an immediate Fortitude saving throw (DC 15). After the initial save, the character must continue to make the saves once each week. Failure results in mutation, which normally means simply deformity and damage (see page 66 in Chapter Four: Blessed Mutation). A mutant—someone already mutated by chaotic contamination—can be affected further by failed saving throws.
Ideological Change For devices not permanently attached to a character, use the rules described in Chapter Two. After having chaositech as a permanent addition to her body for one month, regardless of whether she has succumbed to mutation, the character must make a Will saving throw (DC 20). After that, she must save again once each month. Failure means that the character’s alignment shifts one step toward chaos. Thus, if she is lawful, she becomes neutral. If she is neutral, she becomes chaotic. A character inflicted with an ideological change as a result of chaotic contamination can be affected further by failed saving throws—a lawful character who fails a save and becomes neutral can be affected again to become chaotic. A chaotic neutral or chaotic evil character is immune to ideological change effects, but a chaotic good character must continue to make saving throws to avoid becoming chaotic neutral.
Rot If a nonliving object lies within 5 feet of the organic chaositech for an hour each day (or most days) for a month, each month after the first it suffers 1d10 points of damage, minus its hardness rating. After a year, the monthly damage becomes 1d10+1 points minus the object’s hardness rating. After the second year, damage increases to 1d10+2 points each month, and so on. This damage represents the slow rotting, disintegration, warping, and twisting of material around a chaositech item. This means that, over time, a creature’s chaositech replacement arm† may actually rot the shirt, bracer, or even armor she is wearing. However, the process is so slow that items made of iron or stone might not be significantly affected until many years have passed.
Chaositech Surgical Procedures Much of the chaositech discussed in this chapter must be implanted in a creature’s body, either as a replacement or an addition to his normal physical form. This requires someone
to perform a surgical procedure to implant or attach it. The new skill below allows a character to attempt such procedures. Any class (except paladins) with the Heal skill as a class skill also has Chaos Surgery as a class skill. Each procedure takes a different amount of time and has a different cost in parts, chemicals, and other necessary materials. Unlike creating magic items, the process involves no experience point cost. Tools required for these grisly procedures include all manner of scalpels, cutters, knives, and saws, as well as forceps, clamps, and, of course, lots of rags to soak up the blood. The recipients of these surgeries experience a new fundamental understanding of pain, and as such are often sedated with drugs, chemicals, or magic. Usually parts, such as replacements or implants, need to be grown, treated, or otherwise crafted ahead of time. Unless otherwise noted, doing so is a part of the Chaos Surgery check, and usually takes 4d6 weeks. After the procedure, the subject requires complete bed rest during the recovery period. If the subject undertakes any strenuous activity or sustains any damage during the recovery period, the procedure fails and the chaositech does not function. During the recovery period he may train with his new chaositech (this does not count as strenuous activity), so he’s able to use it capably once the period ends.
Chaos Surgery (Intelligence [Plus Special], Trained Only, Armor Check Penalty) You can perform surgical procedures to implant chaositech into the body of a living creature or replace portions of a living body with chaositech. Each type of chaositech implant or replacement has its own Chaos Surgery Difficulty Class and requires a specific length of time to perform the procedure. To make a Chaos Surgery attempt, you must have the proper tools, including a scalpel, grips, and cutters; a number of small clamps, probes, and needles; strong thread, wire, and more; as well as various herbs and chemicals. The surgical kit costs 1,000 gp. If the environment is not conducive to healthy, distraction-free work, you suffer a –2 circumstance penalty (or more). This would include a filthy area, one in which there are noises or other disruptions, one in which the patient could not remain still throughout the procedure, and so on. (A filthy area may also force the subject to make a Fortitude saving throw to resist disease, at the DM’s discretion.) If you fail the skill check, the procedure is a failure. The subject sustains 5d10 points of damage and 2d6 points of Constitution damage. He must still wait through the recovery period before taking strenuous action (or undergoing another procedure). If the procedure involved replacing a healthy portion of the subject’s body, that portion is now gone and cannot be reattached.
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