[8-bit]

I know there are plenty of threads about Allergies in Shadowrun, but this one isn't about any specific Allergy. I am curious about what Allergies people have seen in their games, or any Allergies they can come up with that sound interesting, without forcing the GM to unnaturally include it in their game. I really want to start using Allergies more on my characters, but I can't think of too many that would be relevant. After all, how many times can you justify that Silver Allergy for Karma?

Here's what I have so far, feel free to post below and add your own.

Common
Wheat
Soy
Seafood
Bees
Sunlight
Pollen
Pollutants
Wi-Fi Sensitivity
Plastic
Iron
Concrete
Copper?
Pet Hair? Really it's the dandruff (I have no idea how common pets are in Shadowrun)
Nicotine?
Alcohol - suggested by Sendaz
Sulfite/Preservatives - suggested by Herr Brackhaus
Nickel (most people who think they are allergic to gold or silver are actually allergic to the nickel used in precious metal alloys) - suggested by Herr Brackhaus
Cosmetics (anything from shampoo to makeup; products containing formaldehyde, methcrylate, phenylenediamine, ammonium persulfate, and alpha-hydroxy acids are known allergens) - suggested by Herr Brackhaus
Food Dyes - suggested by ve4grm
Insects (Wasps, Mosquitoes, etc.) - suggested by ve4grm
Beans (Similar to Soy) - Suggested by Sipowitz
Horseradish (Wasabi, Honey Mustard Sauce; among other things) - Suggested by Lusis
Dust - Suggested by psycho835
Sugar - Suggested by Tarislar
Mold/Mushrooms/Fungi - Suggested by Snake Eyes
Onions - Suggested by Snake Eyes
Garlic - Suggested by All4BigGuns
Astral Sensitivity (aka, background counts) - Suggested by BetaCAV
Corn - Suggested by Red Rivka
Synth-Leather - Suggested by Red Rivka
Food Flavoring/Soy Processing Unit Flavoring - Suggested by Red Rivka
Cleaning Chemicals - Suggested by Red Rivka
Beer (Soy for soy beer, hops for real beer, honey for mead, grapes for wine, corn for moonshine and/or near wine.) - CanRay/Spooky | Note: Real beer might be Uncommon, but real beer is possible to find in normal bars.

Uncommon
Gold
Silver
Antibiotics
Grass
Bronze
Peanuts?
Cotton?
Berries, etc. Any real food allergy (since most stuff is processed from Soy, Seafood, or Wheat)
Laes/Leal - Suggested by psycho835
Egg, nuts - Suggested by Herr Brackhaus
Plants (poison ivy, oak, and sumac, amongst many others) - Suggested by Herr Brackhaus
Drugs [Can select a specific one] (aspirin, penicillin, insulin, anti-convulsants, and anesthetics; these are commonly known to have caused allergic reactions in some people) - Suggested by Herr Backhaus
Poultry - Suggested by ve4grm
Latex (it's in more things than you think) - Suggested by ve4grm
Fruit - Suggested by ve4grm
Lemons - Suggested by Sipowitz
Tomatoes - Suggested by Sipowitz
CT Dye - Suggested by Snake Eyes
Semen - Suggested by Herr Brackhaus
Cantaloupe - Suggested by Lusis
Orichalcum - Suggested by Longshot 23
Dairy - Suggested by Herr Brackhaus
Coffee - Suggested by Jame Rowe
Eucalyptus - Suggested by El Lanzador
Chocolate - Suggested by All4BigGuns
Astral Beings (mystical) - Suggested by BetaCAV
Simsense/Matrix Immerstion (VR Basically) - Suggested by BetaCAV
Tobacco - Suggested by Red Rivka
Real Leather/Real Meat - Suggested by Red Rivka
Cannabis/Cocaine etc. (choose a drug) - Suggested by Red Rivka
"New Car Smell" Chemical - Suggested by Red Rivka
Industrial Glue - Suggested by Red Rivka
Rubber - Suggested by Red Rivka
Pool Cleaner - Suggested by Red Rivka

I'll try to add more as I think of them, and again, please feel free to post below what Allergies you can come up with. Also, if you think something I classified as Common should be Uncommon, or vice-versa, feel free to explain your reasoning. Just try to be polite with arguments and discussion; I would rather this not get out of hand, as I have seen in some other threads.

[Sendaz]

Alcohol

This is a fairly rare allergy, you are more likely to run into people with alcohol intolerance.

However there are a few rare cases of persons having reactions including severe rashes, difficulty breathing, stomach cramps or collapse with exposure to as little as 1ml worth of alcohol.  (Basically what you would consume in a full swig from your beer)

Alcohol is fairly common and a runner who doesn't drink might face a bit of social stigma in some circles, especially if the group hangs in rougher bars.

[psycho835]

Laes. If they have your medical file, they will have to resort to less effective methods of mindwiping. If they don't, well, it was nice knowing you.

[8-bit]

Although an Allergy to Alcohol might be rare, Alcohol is a common substance; so I'll add that to the Common list.

Laes is a good one; definitely uncommon though.

Both have been added.

[Herr Brackhaus]

Food allergies would include milk/dairy, egg, nuts, shellfish (and/or fish in general), and sulfite (sulfur-based compounds commonly used in preservatives). All except the latter would likely be uncommon, as you point out, but since the latter is used in preservatives it could very well be common just like soy.

You've mentioned pollen and grass, but these are typically classified as seasonal allergies, and include several types of trees, weeds, grasses, molds, and dust mites.

Some that haven't been mentioned:
Plants (poison ivy, oak, and sumac, amongst many others)
Nickel (most people who think they are allergic to gold or silver are actually allergic to the nickel used in precious metal alloys)
Drugs (aspirin, penicillin, insulin, anti-convulsants, and anesthetics; pretty much any drug will result in a reaction if administered in improper dosages, but these are commonly known to have caused allergic reactions in some people)
Cosmetics (anything from shampoo to makeup; products containing formaldehyde, methcrylate, phenylenediamine, ammonium persulfate, and alpha-hydroxy acids are known allergens)

As for how common/uncommon these things are, well, that's up to the GM in many cases. In general, I'd go with uncommon for plants and pollen for urban settings, and common for more rural settings. Common for nickel, as it's widely used in cheap jewelry. Common for some drugs, uncommon for others. Common for cosmetics.

[MijRai]

Shellfish would actually be quite common, as it's one of the three major proteins; soy, mycoproteins, and krill are the top contenders for what's put into your meat 'substitutes' and the like. 

[Sendaz]

Herr Brackhaus' suggestion for penicillin is a good one.

The wife is allergic to penicillin and even when they put the warning band on her wrist at hospital we still have to double check any treatments as penicillin is such an automatic go to choice that the docs have prescribed it as a knee jerk response only to have us remind them she is allergic to it.

Now imagine a street doc who is in a rush and uses that without thinking on a runner under their care.

[8-bit]

Food allergies would include milk/dairy, egg, nuts, shellfish (and/or fish in general), and sulfite (sulfur-based compounds commonly used in preservatives). All except the latter would likely be uncommon, as you point out, but since the latter is used in preservatives it could very well be common just like soy.

Would shellfish be uncommon? Some of the examples, like seafood, are straight from the book, so I thought that would be included. I could be wrong.

You've mentioned pollen and grass, but these are typically classified as seasonal allergies, and include several types of trees, weeds, grasses, molds, and dust mites.

As someone who has an allergy to pollen, I agree; they are seasonal. This one was a direct translation from the book; so we could break it down farther if warranted.

Some that haven't been mentioned:
Plants (poison ivy, oak, and sumac, amongst many others)
Nickel (most people who think they are allergic to gold or silver are actually allergic to the nickel used in precious metal alloys)
Drugs (aspirin, penicillin, insulin, anti-convulsants, and anesthetics; pretty much any drug will result in a reaction if administered in improper dosages, but these are commonly known to have caused allergic reactions in some people)
Cosmetics (anything from shampoo to makeup; products containing formaldehyde, methcrylate, phenylenediamine, ammonium persulfate, and alpha-hydroxy acids are known allergens)

Plants are a good one; I think for most places that are run in (urban usually), this would be uncommon. I've heard that about Nickel, but I don't know enough about it to make any judgment. I would think Nickel would be fairly common though, so I'll put that in the Common category. Would drugs be similar to antibiotics (penicillin in particular)? I think those are fine to have down, but definitely Uncommon. Cosmetics are not so much being allergic to the cosmetic itself, but the compounds inside of them (as you have pointed out). I'll put that up there; common sounds reasonable.

As for how common/uncommon these things are, well, that's up to the GM in many cases. In general, I'd go with uncommon for plants and pollen for urban settings, and common for more rural settings. Common for nickel, as it's widely used in cheap jewelry. Common for some drugs, uncommon for others. Common for cosmetics.

Agreed that it is up to the GM, but I'm just trying to compile a nice list if anyone wants to use it. I know I will.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[ve4grm]

Alright, let's see. Note that every one of these is an actual allergy that someone I know has:

- Poultry, to add to your uncommon food allergies.

- Red dye. In actuality, the woman who is allergic to this is allergic to insects, and most red food dye is made of crushed-up bugs. Yes, really. But "food dyes" is probably a broad enough category that it could be a common allergy.

- On that note, Insects. You already have bees, but there are so many others, too, and they don't even have to be poisonous. I have heard of severe mosquito allergies, for example, that flare up when bitten.

- Latex. A subset of Plastics allergy, could move it into the Uncommon category. Can't use condoms, flares up around balloons and some fresh paint.

- Birch, and also for some reason apples. I know two people with this allergy. It has something to do with the Birch family of trees, but extends to being unable to eat uncooked apples. Cook the apples, however, and you're fine. Not entirely sure how to do this in Shadowrun, but Fruit could maybe be a good Uncommon allergy.

[Snake Eyes]

How about Penicillin, i'm guessing this would fall under uncommon allergies.





I bring this up because my mother is deathly allergic to it

[Lusis]

My wife is allergic to horseradish, and if she has any it will make it difficult for her to breathe. This means wasabi and honey mustard sauce, among other things,  are a no-go.

[8-bit]

Alright, let's see. Note that every one of these is an actual allergy that someone I know has:

- Poultry, to add to your uncommon food allergies.

- Red dye. In actuality, the woman who is allergic to this is allergic to insects, and most red food dye is made of crushed-up bugs. Yes, really. But "food dyes" is probably a broad enough category that it could be a common allergy.

- On that note, Insects. You already have bees, but there are so many others, too, and they don't even have to be poisonous. I have heard of severe mosquito allergies, for example, that flare up when bitten.

- Latex. A subset of Plastics allergy, could move it into the Uncommon category. Can't use condoms, flares up around balloons and some fresh paint.

- Birch, and also for some reason apples. I know two people with this allergy. It has something to do with the Birch family of trees, but extends to being unable to eat uncooked apples. Cook the apples, however, and you're fine. Not entirely sure how to do this in Shadowrun, but Fruit could maybe be a good Uncommon allergy.

Poultry is a good one; really you can take almost any subset of "real" food, but it doesn't hurt to specify.

Never knew that about Red dye, but it doesn't surprise me. I can definitely add that to the list, although I can't imagine what kind of nightmare a GM would have deciding what does and does not have food dyes. It could be probably fixed by purchasing a High or better Lifestyle.

Insects is another good one; bees was just a copy and paste from the book. I would say that they are all common, just to follow suit with the bees.

Latex is another one that I forgot about. Definitely going to add that to the list, I think uncommon for that one though.

I'll add Fruit, just another subset of food (like I said, never hurts to specify a group).

How about Penicillin, i'm guessing this would fall under uncommon allergies.

I bring this up because my mother is deathly allergic to it

Sorry to hear that about your mother. Penicillin is there under drugs.

My wife is allergic to horseradish, and if she has any it will make it difficult for her to breathe. This means wasabi and honey mustard sauce, among other things,  are a no-go.

All right, I think I'll add that to uncommon? I doubt many people have access to sauces/condiments unless they have a Middle or higher Lifestyle. At that point, they can be picky if they want.

All added; thanks for your suggestions guys! Keep them coming, I like the direction this is going.

[Snake Eyes]

Ah now i see the drugs part...sorry i missed that before........

Interesting thing about seafood is that usually fish can be eaten but not shellfish (odd, yes).......there's also mold allergies, which would probably include an allergy to mushrooms

[8-bit]

Ah now i see the drugs part...sorry i missed that before........

Interesting thing about seafood is that usually fish can be eaten but not shellfish (odd, yes).......there's also mold allergies, which would probably include an allergy to mushrooms

No problem, it is buried in there.

Mold/Fungus has been added to Uncommon; that seems appropriate to me. A little confused about that one though, so any ideas welcome.

[psycho835]

- On that note, Insects. You already have bees, but there are so many others, too, and they don't even have to be poisonous. I have heard of severe mosquito allergies, for example, that flare up when bitten.

I wonder, would that include insect spirits?