I know there have already been topics on this, but I was wondering if someone could post some stats/fluff for the Obliterator Virus they've used in their own BC games. My Heretek is suddenly very interested in it, and he MIGHT* get himself infected.

*MIGHT meaning getting infected intentionally, if at all possible.

The Inquisitor game line had I think the only mechanically-detailed writeup for the actual prognosis of an Obliterator virus infection/transformation. If memory serves the Inquisitor stuff was all posted freely online on the official site (before GWI took down the specialist games website entirely), but I'm not clear on whether it is presently legally permissible to distribute those .pdfs. If it is I'd be happy to send it over.

Other than that Tome of Decay has an Obliterator statline and Tome of Blood a Mutilator statline.

For a quick summary it was a 9-stage process (time between stages was variable given that it was a Warp-based disease, it was advised that the character make a Willpower test every session to resist the next transformation, although a character aware of his condition could voluntarily embrace it):

A summary with my approximate translation into BC mechanics (converting d6s to d5s):

1. Carrier, no symptoms

2. Gains greater control over and natural affinity for firearms (could represent with things like Lock On, Gunfighter, Two-weapon fighter (Ballistic), Independent Targeting, Target Selection, Storm of Iron, and other such talents, although I'm not sure if all of those are from BC). Could also grant some of these talents at later stages.

3. Begins to meld with any weapons he holds long enough, generates his own ammunition (effectively meaning he has infinity clips on his person at all times), and counts as having the equivalent of Rapid Reload.

4. Fuses with his armor, which will now regenerate any damage dealt to it and which can no longer be removed. He becomes more ponderous (-10 Agility or -1 to movement would be the best representation) and also gains Regeneration (make up a value).

5. Can now absorb and manifest small weapons (up to 5 pistols/knives) and cannot resist doing so if he is not at his maximum. He can manifest or withdraw such weapons as a free action. His sanity and psychic affinity (if he has any) begin to atrophy, and he takes permanent (1d10+2) willpower damage (could also just slap on a Disorder), loses a random psychic power (if he has one), and cannot gain new psychic powers or psy rating. He should probably gain the steady talent here (FFG oblits have it)

6. The character begins to naturally generate daemonic flesh-metal, permanently increasing his armour by a random amount (1d5+ 3 or so), and can additionally absorb up to 4 basic/single-handed melee or ranged weapons with all the perks that come with the absorbed small weapons at stage 5. He takes further permanent 1d10 willpower damage and loses an additional point of Agility bonus (or takes -10 agility or however you choose to represent movement speed loss), and can no longer take run actions. He is now unmistakeably a horrific monster and his flesh ripples with the power of the warp. By the FFG mechanics, Flesh-fused weapons have infinity ammo and never need to reload.

7. The character's body begins to bulk up, gaining +2d10 strength and toughness and 1d5+3 armour. FFG Oblits have Auto-stabilized, so may as well grant it here. He should probably also become Size (Hulking) at this point.

8. He can now generate bionic limbs and organs in addition to weapons and his flesh has fully fused with his inorganic components. The character may select 1d3 cybernetics or bionics of his choice to manifest every session. He can no longer take evasion reactions, gains +1d10 strength, +1d10 toughness, and +1d5 armor (which does not apply to his head) as well as Fear (1) (or +1 to his Fear I guess).

9. The character is a fully formed Obliterator. He may absorb up to 5 Heavy weapons as per the previous absorption rules and increases his Fear Rating by 1 and Regeneration trait by some amount. Further decrease his movement speed by some amount.

Notably the FFG version of the Obliterator does not come with Regeneration and represents the Obliterator's Strength/Toughness gain via Unnaturals rather than direct characteristic increases. I would suggest granting UT/US (3) at Stage 7 and increasing it by 1 at Stage 8 and Stage 9 if you want to represent it this way. It might also be appropriate to grant a few extra wounds at some stage.

I had a GM who approximately used this (I didn't see his actual rules but it was clearly based off of the same 1-9 prognosis with similar effects). Sadly we assumed it was some Nurglite Daemon-plague and went and cured it (it was an Only War game)- had my utterly blasphemous and enthusiastically heretical Techpriest known about it, he surely would have infected himself. He actually spent the rest of the campaign looking for additional samples and collaborating with the rogue psyker, who had managed to forge his Sanctioning papers through the tremendous wealth of the aristocratic family he derived from, in the party. The campaign ended when said Rogue Psyker rolled a 100 on a Perils table and was annihilated and replaced by the Daemon Prince of Tzeentch who was his patron (which rather swiftly brought an end to affairs for both sides of the conflict!).

While I don't have stats for the disease itself, it is interesting to note that the virus can at least manifest in two fashions, with the Iron Warriors legion appearing to be able to control the more outwardly severe mutations while retaining the capacity to absorb weapons and produce ammunition (alternatively, this may simply be a result of their specific gene seed controlling the mutation to around stage 5); if at all possible, this could be a more appealing alternative, as it is probably also associated with a lesser degradation of the subject's sanity.

Overall, you could have each stage be distinct, but there are two primary division points in the stages; the ability to meld with weaponry and armor (from stage 3/4) and the point of severe and undeniable mutation (stage 6).

Since the disease is demonic in its nature and damns a soul while transfiguring the body, I think possession mechanics could be used as a baseline for infected obliterator PC.

Or the Iron Warriors made their toughness test and simply kept their mutations.

This is awesome, I was looking for something like this. I saw the lines in Tome of Decay, but was wanting more background. I had a notion for an antagonist that has intentionally infected a Jokaero weapon-smith with the Obliterator virus, using a cadre of psykers to contain it until the monster is needed. This is helpful. Thanks for the rundown Andkat.

I once made a different strain of the Obliterator virus that is much less visible, and allows the user to manifest weaponry which is then expelled from the original host and can be used by others. The virus could still be spread by touch, and so a cult of hookers were using it to spread what they thought was the blessing of the Emperor to underhivers in need of help with the tyrannical heretic Governor.