I’d like to make a case for making a changeling test that is rules legal and results in cool moments in-character.
Introducing: the DNA scanner test
Style
My goal for this idea was to evoke this scene from the thing (the inspiration for changelings)
I also feel that having the DNA scanner, fully upgraded, be the Achilles heel for the changeling works from an RP point of view.
Mechanics
If a DNA scanner has maximum upgrades (ensuring that this test is locked to “late-game”) the DNA scanner will throw up a big HIVE SPECIES DETECTED - CHECK INSTRUMENTS message when a live ling is in the chamber.
Why it’s good for the game
This change will encourage RP by allowing an RP resolution to an IC issue.
Why it’s good for the crew players:
Right now changelings have a bit of an odd interaction with sec. The sec boys basically have to catch the ling red handed, even after clear signs of ling nonsense abounds. There’s no way to prove the individual you caught elbow deep in someone’s chest cavity is guilty of murder (a 15 minute sentence) or is actually a ling (to the pulping machine!) I’ve seen this result in really awkward standoffs where the security officer has seen the ling using an armblade or similar, but can’t prove it to command to authorize the execution.
Why it’s good for the ling players:
This change is also good for the ling: all too often players will metagame that the ling is RR on sight and immediately upon killing the ling will take them to the gibber/cremator. This sucks because a lot of the “ling” activity could actually be excused! That armblade? It was fake officer I swear! I got stung by someone! My face changed? Also not my fault! The extra time it takes to confirm in the DNA scanner is an additional window for a ling player to escape.
Why it’s good for the admin team:
This allows a clear cut and dry meta vs non-meta knowledge check for security players that instantly go for the cremator the instant they batong the ling. "Oh, you knew they were a ling? How? Your character knows that non-lings can have armblades etc. Did you do the DNA scanner test?
Inb4 WYCI
I’d be happy to!
It even seems like the kind of thing that would be difficult enough to be a challenge but easy enough to complete for a dm noob like myself.
This is just a check to see how the community feels about the idea. I know there’s been a lot of controversy around the MMI test which may lead to a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to the idea of any kind of Changeling test.
I would honestly be somewhat fine with the ling test they use the movie by causing harm to the victims blood. This could perhaps be an entire stand-alone machine that accepts blood samples. Could perhaps be emagged to have a 50/50 chance of stating it is a ling too. However, I haven’t played ling too much so it would be better to listen to someone with more experience.
I decided not to go with the blood test because just having blood in a beaker is too easy and having its own machine is adding technical debt to the game by having all the maps having to be updated.
My thoughts on it was the DNA scanner is in a location that isn’t the brig, and the ling having to be alive would mean you’d have to have the suspect be living! (And therefore there’s a possibility of escape!)
Having a blood test would separate their actual location from where the test is being done. So if you are requested to be tested in dorms you can simply comply knowing you’ll be found out (unless they mix up the blood samples) and prepare yourself to get away. With the lil’ tube you would be probably in a tiny room with one or two Seccies with massive grins on their faces waiting for the machine to loudly beep.
I’ve even suggest an additional feature for changelings, the ability to temporarily store and move a snall vessel of others’ blood. I imagine you inject 15u of someone elses’ blood and then target the body part that the doctor is extracting blood out of to move the small vessel to that location. The blood you injected into yourself would disappear on its own after 5 minutes so you’d have to inject yourself not long before the test is taken (preferably without being seen). When tested it would show the result that that blood would give instead of your own.
I am assuming this machine only gives a green and red light and no name or other identification.
I think the cool part about changelings is not being able to tell they are one. Sec shooting them on sight is just a flaw of sec and not of the actual mechanics.
If they really do not want a blood test you may have to, but if the doctor is asking alone they would need to contact Security about it and report it for them to be forcefully detained and tested. Again, giving you more time to get fake blood.
Additionally, getting blood from a non-human would probably display a yellow colour to indicate non-human, moth, fly, and other various species on the station type of DNA. Just so you can’t get a monkey from EVERYWHERE and get its blood. You’d have to sneakily get it from a clone of someone or the morgue and so on.
