Body parts scandal could be growing (CNN 3/14/06)

Since I've started this blog, I've yet to be disappointed by the bounteous creative goldmine of "Info-tainment" . . . Behold, another great example--I may have to work this into an adventure in the near future. (I am particularly fond of adventures with a bit of a dark bent.)

Imagine your party uncovering a black-market ring of healer/necromancers that will help the underclass workers recover missing body parts by robbing local crypts. This begs the development a new magical disease or two that can be contracted this way---"Ghoul's Fire" or "Necro-bane" or some such . . . maybe another time . . .

But I will mention that the heal skill is all too often overshadowed by the prevalence of magical healing. In my campaigns, magical healing is often powerful, but also indiscriminate--and can be used in conjunction with the heal skill for some interesting effects. (I try to have healing magic supplement, but not replace traditional healing.)

Two checks are required:

(1) Successful attachment
With a successful heal check, flesh can be attached to flesh, and then with any kind of magical healing (potion, spell, divine, arcane, etc.) fused into a living member. (Of course, this can be attempted without magic, but magic certainly facilitates the process.)

DC of Healing Check to attach a transplanted organ

• DC 10 Skin (small--less than 6 sq inches)/Tooth
• DC 15 Finger/Toe, Skin (large--more than 6 sp inches)
• DC 20 Hand/Foot
• DC 25 Arm/Leg, Eye
• DC 30 Internal organ (other DC checks may be needed to keep the patient alive)
• DC 35 Skin (complete)
• DC 40 Head/Brain/Heart
• MODIFIER: +1 per day since the injury (of the tissue recipient) missing tissue
• MODIFIER: +5 if different species, +10 if different race
• MODIFIER: +3 if attaching to burned flesh
• MODIFIER: +5 if not using magical healing

(2) Avoid rejection of the transplant
The person receiving the transplant to make a Fortitude check to see if their body rejects the addition. (If they fail their check, they body cannot adopt the new part. ALSO, if they succeed by more than 5 points, their body rejects the tissue as foreign, and reacts against it. In either case, the transplant fails.

Fortitude Check for Adoption of new flesh

• Base DC 10
• MODIFIER: +5 if different species, +10 if different race
• MODIFIER: +1 for each day the tissue has been "dead"
• MODIFIER: +2 for less than sanitary conditions, +5 if flesh was exhumed
• MODIFIER: +5 if not using magical healing

Additionally, the chance for infection and/or disease should be roughly proportional to the DC for the fortitude check.