Other Conditions     Some conditions represent a more profound change to a character than a simple disease, but are not sufficiently complex or improvable to constitute a tiered condition. This chapter lists such conditions, which are generally unavailable or undesirable for PCs. They may or may not be restricted to sentient characters. In all cases, they modify a normally-built character or creature, rather than being a unique species of their own.

Chasmtouched     When the Chasmodyne of Chthon attacks an organic creature, it typically removes all elements it can use from their veins, leaving only a partially-hollowed, unrevivable carcass. In a minority of cases, however, the victim has a portion of the Chasmodyne swarm left within them, and they are revived by the entity's old instincts to stabilize the tunnels it travels through. With their veins now full of silicon-based microorganisms instead of blood, they becoming chasmtouched - half-living shamblers controlled only by a barely-conscious drive to consume more bodies and blood to sustain the portion of the swarm they host. For more lore, see Nani and Vampires.

    With the technology that once stabilized chasmtouched into vampires long since lost, any person or animal that gains the condition is a hopeless case; the swarm cannot be removed without irrevivably killing the body. Fortunately, chasmtouched are quite rare today, usually arising only from vampires that are consumed by their hunger. Occasionally, a stray animal group or extraordinarily unwise sentient explorer wanders into the Void of Chthon, resulting in a small number of chasmtouched being formed in the original fashion. Since chasmtouched are slightly more insulated from sunlight than the Chasmodyne itself, they are able to leave the Void and plague the countryside around Arcturus Tower, occasionally resulting in adventurer contracts.

    Upon formation, chasmtouched remove all damage and injuries that were solely the result of the Chasmodyne; starved vampires do not remove any pre-existing injuries. All chasmtouched typically perish "naturally" after around 20 to 40 days, depending on how much sustenance they can find; they do not take normal starvation or dehydration penalties. They are driven to kill and eat other members of their own species, and will frequently act aggressively toward other creatures as well. They function as organic and non-sentient, except that they are not susceptible to effects specific to normal animals, such as Sylvan elixirs. Their minds are mostly unconscious, and they lose the use of all Study Abilities or instinctual Abilities. However, they gain the use of the following Close Combat Abilities instinctually, regardless of whether they had them before, and without progression: Melee Competency (grappling and unarmed), Advanced Grappling, Charging Attack, Power Offense, and Unarmed Combat Specialist. Because chasmtouched have instinctive unarmed capabilities and lose their competency in weapons, they typically abandon any weapons upon arising.

    Chasmtouched have their bCON increased by 8. Whenever they are not in High Light levels of sunlight, they have a bonus to STR equal to 50% of their bSTR. Because of the electromagnetic resistances of the swarm inside them, they take 50% damage from electricity. They have enhanced shadow vision identical to that of vampires, seeing in both Low Light and Medium Light as if it were High Light. However, their eyes are very sensitive to bright light; seeing in High Light conditions as if it was Medium Light. If they are exposed to High Light levels of sunlight, they take damage equal to their injury factor every 5 seconds (1 round), suffering Core Injuries. Since their blood is replaced by a swarm which can move and remain in the body of its own accord, they are immune to the bleeding status. They treat all heat and cold hazards as 1 degree less severe. They have 2 Easing in any CON roll to avoid contracting any disease. Because Dira quartz is highly toxic to all Chasmodyne-derived creatures, they take 150% damage from quartz weapons that do not have the Blunt tag. They are still able to keep any quartz armor they were wearing. They typically do not have the thought to change any armor or equipment, beyond dropping weapons.

    When a chasmtouched expires or is slain, the swarm inside leaves them, emerging as a grotesque gray film from every orifice. Typically, the swarm either dies as well (particularly in sunlight), or disappears harmlessly into the ground in an attempt to rejoin the Chasmodyne. The corpse, meanwhile, cannot be revived, regardless of what injury killed it.