The Omega Plague Microbe Created Vampires for RPG

 The Omega Plague

The Omega Plague is a bioweapon that in its original release form is airborne and is incredibly contagious in its beginning stages. However by Stage 3 in survivors it mutates from airborne to blood borne.

Victims of the airborne released Omega feel fine until symptoms occur, during this asymptomatic phase they are spreading the plague further. The majority of victims however upon being exposed to this disease go straight to stage 4. 

Exposure: Players should save against contracting the disease using their appropriate ability score for example D&D PCs should roll a Constitution check to not contract the disease at a negative 10 disadvantage. If using another system this is a 50% disadvantage to not contract the disease. If the player contracts the disease have then do a second roll against their Constitution or equivalent ability to determine if they are stage 4s or 1s... if they successfully save they are stage 1s. If they do not save they go to stage 4, hopefully an antidote is near. 

The Immune: 1% of the Exposed (NPCs) are immune and unaffected by the Omega Plague. The PC is “safe” if the successfully saved at exposure and are to be considered immune to all further exposure. Their is something special about their immune systems that prevents them from contracting the disease.

The Infected Stage 4:  90% of the Exposed upon contact with the microbe begin feeling dizzy, suddenly begin choking unable to breath and black out. After unconscious sets in death quickly follows. Victims will begin loosing hit points or appropriate equivalent. If the victim is injected with the correct drug/vaccine cocktail at the onset of symptoms they will live and recover. This is Stage 4. Roll a 2d6 (D&D/GW) or 1d10 (SF/FS) to determine number of Turns it will take the victim to die. This is 100% fatal stage if not treated in time. If treated the victim will make a full recovery and be immune to the disease for life.

The Infected Stage 1: 9% of the Exposed that contract the Omega plague do not die this 9% are collectively referred to as the “Lingering Death” and appear asymptomatic but are contagious. Age of the victims seems to delay the final stages of the disease. Children generally make up a large percentage (75%) of stage 1 NPC asymptomatic patients then adults. Stage 1 can last for years or months, roll a 1d6 to determine if the PC victim has months or years. 1-3 victim has months, 4-6 victim has years. Roll a 1d6 to determine number of months or years the patient has before stage 2 sets in. (If using SF/FS type rules use a 1d10.) Victim will loose no hit points or equivalent damage in another system. Stage 1 victims can be be completely cured.

The Infected Stage 2: the patient becomes light sensitive, will have a high fever, and drop in and out of consciousness. Roll a 2d6 (GW/D&D) or 1d10 (SF/FS) to determine number of weeks patient will remain in this stage. During this stage patient may suffer a permanent loss to Constitution and Intelligence or similar abilities in another gaming system. Patient will need to successfully save against this danger each week they are in this stage. Stage 2 patients can still be cured before entering Stage 3 but will be sterile.

Another example of symptoms is to have the patient become feverish, labored breath and go blind... ultimately they will appear to die... but if their bodies are not destroyed they will come back as Stage 3s, even digging themselves out of the ground. 

The Infected Stage 3: at this stage the victims skin becomes chalky white, the pupils turn a grey-white color, painful soars begin developing on the body, hair turns white. Patients become completely psychotic and extremely dangerous towards non infected and stage 1 patients. The stage 3 will seek out other stage 3s to form packs or tribal like groups and work together to attack and kill non infected and asymptomatic stage 1s alike. Stage 3s will take Stage 2s but will not attack them apparently sensing they are becoming Stage 3s. Stage 3s do not die but become vampiric cannibalistic cunning hunters craving the blood and flesh of non infected and asymptomatic survivors and any living unaffected animal they can find. At this stage they enjoy torturing others and are evil nasty intelligent monsters. Any PC who has made it to Stage 3 is now an NPC and will spend the rest of their ghoulish life as a horrific insane evil monster of their former self. Stage 3s  cannot be cured and are sterile. It is unknown how long stage 3s can survive in this condition, stage 3s can only infect others through a bite and such victims should they survive an attack can not spread the disease via any other method than bites and victims go straight to a non contagious version of Stage 2 except via bite.

Role Playing Considerations:

This is civilization ending, genocidal disease, it should leave a wake of deserted cities and evidence of death and destruction. Before the populace is nearly destroyed governments should take measures to stop the plague and even a after the collapse of society there should be evidence of the attempts to stop the plague. PCs should either be living through the horror unfolding, military forced quarantine, burning pits of dead, people around them being or discovering the pits of charred bodies, abandoned military vehicles, perhaps razed cities and towns. The 10% of the population that “survives” has very little chance of saving themselves, their culture or species. This is an end game disease that can wipe a setting clean... so use with  either that in mind or very, very carefully. This might do more than a Total Party Kill but be a Total Campaign Setting Kill.

Naturally as the referee of your game you should adjust this disease as you see fit. If it serves game play better to have the players be immune or stage 1s looking for a cure than do so. You may or may not wish the Stage 3s to be affected by “turn the undead”, garlic, holy water, mirrors and religious symbols for instance or be able to pass the disease through bites.  If you want the disease to be an immunization gone wrong go for it, or perhaps it’s a disease created from an additive in the air system or the unforeseen effect of terraforming. As food becomes scarce you may want stage 3s to hunt other stage 3s for food even. You may want to have an imperfect cure that prevents the infected from becoming full fledged stage 3s, the serum keeps the players from fully transforming... they have to take it regularly or go into stage 3 completely. These victims should have some of the symptoms of stage 3 but not all... for instance only limited ability to handle light, pale skin but not white, normal looking eyes, no open soars and insanity is kept at bay. 

Remember stages 3s are intelligent organized physically capable violent psychopaths so role play them as such with evil twisted leaders. How fast the stage 3s move are up to you. This disease could be tailored to be the ancient cause of vampires or some other monster in your setting or introduce them in a form appropriate to your setting.

Immune players will be hunted by stage 1 and 3 for different reasons. Some Stage 1s will want Immune player’s blood to create a cure and many will not care if the process kills the Immune they are on a mission to save themselves and the species. Stage 3s don’t want anyone cured, the microbe is compelling them to find a way to spread it and destroy anyone that might be immune to prevent a cure. Stage 1s maybe insane or showing symptoms of insanity and violent too simply because their world, their society, friends and family have died or turned into monsters hunting them. Groups of stage 1 survivors maybe extremely dangerous and territorial simply because of survival reasons.  

PCs could be exploring a building (ruin, tomb) of the ancients or derelict space station and accidentally release this disease. 

PCs could be on a scouting mission of a world that probes indicated looked promising for colonization, upon further investigation they discover a vast seemingly dead ancient civilization and when the sun goes down they come into contact with “survivors”, the microbe and psychopaths who want to spread the disease to the stars.

This pandemic plague is based on the movie Omega Man, the movie The Last Man On Earth, and I Am Legend movie. All three movies were based on the novel “I am Legend” by Richard Matheson.... in which a pandemic creates Vampires.