Ideas for V-syndrome & Krantzberg Syndrome

[OnOne]

Good morning from the PacNW,

Have two idea I'd like to include in my game from Charles Stross's: The Laundry Files books.

Kranzberg Syndrome also called K-Syndrome
Medical name: Krantzberg - Godel Spongiform Encephalopathy
Defined as: Neurodegenerative disease that exclusively targets magic practitioners. The idea is that casting blinding/ without help or assistance get the attention of extra dimensional parasitic worms that start eating microscopic holes in your brain. Not so bad at first: numbness, tingling, visibility issues. Long term effects like paralysis, memory loss, and eventually death.

Table-
-Using a proper devise = 0% chance (was made to do that spell or ritual)
-Using a devise not suited =+25-75% (wasn't made to do that spell or ritual, but with some mods/ lets give it a shot)
-Casting below current level = +10% per level
-Casting at current level = 0%
-Casting above current level = -15% per level
-Casting with charms = See details of charms
-Casting on/near ley line or nexus point = +5% per level (descending) Example: Lev 15 = +5%, Lev 10 = +30%, Lev 5 = +80%
-Casting with proper ingredients (if required) = +5% per ingredient
-Casting with out proper ingredients = -10% per ingredient
-Casting ritual magic = 50% +/- 10% per level
-Casting curses or blessings = 50% +/- 25% per level


V-Syndrome (living vampires, v-parasite)
Infections happens during a particular ritual. Infected are not dead, and have parasites that can help them out but at a cost.
Note: PPE pool gets a very flexible on this
Pros:
-Casting magic doesn't infer K-syndrome
-Can bolster stats by spending PPE - Bolstering lasts 1 hr and is 5:1 on the PPE spending
-Can heal by spending PPE (1:3 for HP, and 1:9 for SDC)
-Enhanced Night vis up to 2000 ft
-Heightened senses (note this can be a Con, due to it doesn't turn off)
-SDC x10 from normal state
-Exempt from H2O weakness
Con's:
-Must feed on blood to replace PPE (was thinking ISP as well, but I'm still testing this)
-Feeding causes a link from the parasites to the victim. the parasites act like K-syndrome, and start eating the brain. Some feeding it takes longer, lots of feeding speeds up the process.
-Parasites consumes 10 PPE/day. If the PPE drops too low, the parasites start eating the host. Note: is reversible at 25:1 to get ride of I'm going to say hole tokens for now.
-Both vampire weakness's and mortal weakness's

PPE feeding tables. I'm running this post Dark day, so yes I'm seasoning my BTS-2 with Nightbane
Also when I calculated Normal humans I did so using the PCC: Ordinary Person table
NPC/ PC = current value of PPE.
Animals no mater the size = 10 PPE and its disgusting/ make save vs horror factor for each. Failed save means half of the blood (PPE) is vomited up.
Normal humans: (feeding on humans becomes addicting, the parasite rewards the host during the experience)
-0-12yrs old = 20 + 9 +10 x 2 = 78
-13-19 yrs old = 13 + 9 + 10 x 2 = 64
-20-28 yrs old = 9 + 9 + 10 x 2 = 56
-29 & over = 4 + 9 + 10 x 2 = 32

If feed on till dead, the PPE doubles

So these are my idea on how to use these, let me know what you think.

[Jasper]

We don't have official magic rules for the second edition of BTS yet so it's tough to say how that would integrate. I believe BTS vampires rules were published in a Rifter but I'm not sure if they are official.
That being said - looks like some neat ideas. I am only vaguely familiar with The Laundry but I've heard good things. K-syndrome explains why old, solitary mages go nuts and why others gather cults around them. V-syndrome could be an 'alternate' vampire type to go along with the ones that already exist in most Palladium settings - a type of vampire with a few differences to through the party off.