Technology

Technology in 2155 remains in a state of flux. For those in the Fifth Wave world who can afford the cutting edge, new tools and toys are always available. For most people in the developing world, however, it is often much more cost effective to use devices that are several generations behind the wave of change.

[Port content to equipment pages, update with Changing Times data where relevant, esp. for weapons.]

Although advanced weapons from the Fifth Wave world do sometimes make it into the developing regions, most available arms are based on older designs. The Xuan Feng battle rifle can be found in the armories of the majority of Third Wave nations. Guns from the earliest decades of the 21st century can still be found in more remote location, as they are usually quite simple, rugged, and reliable, although they have largely been replaced by mass-produced, cheap BCRs.

Representative of older vehicle-mounted solid-shot weapons, the autocannon is usually loaded with armor-piercing shells. Original price at manufacture was $12,500; when purchased on the black market, older models usually run 20 to 50% of this, depending upon maintenance. Cost of single shot is $1.

Known generically as BCRs, these are mass-produced weapons, made to be as cheap and disposable as possible. The standard design uses electric ignition and is completely sealed, although dozens of variants can be found worldwide. Popular models (with largely cosmetic differences) include the Hammerhead, the Mk99, and the Forza. There are several BCR-builder programs available for minifacs, designed to make use of available materials. Effectiveness will vary, depending upon which program was used and what component materials were available. $150.

The standard sidearm of the Ghazi and Mutawi’yyun, the Enkidu (named for Gilgamesh’s companion in Babylonian mythology) has a substantial underground market outside of the Caliphate. A caseless, electric-ignition machine pistol, the Enkidu is remarkably well balanced, so that while its 9mm bullet doesn’t pack quite the same punch as the PDWs popular in the Fifth Wave police and militaries, it is somewhat more accurate. $1,000.

A light laser designed to destroy small missiles, a Point-Defense Laser fires three pulses a second and can be installed in a universal or casemate mount for easy installation in a cybershell or small vehicle, along with an integral power pack for 30 shots. In this case it weighs 25 lbs., takes up 0.5 cf (0.1 VSP), and costs $2,225. If powered from a vehicular power pack, the Point-Defense Laser drains 0.0033 kWh per shot.

The Spike SAM is representative of relatively inexpensive air-defense systems widely available on the global arms market. The basic system consists of a fire-and-forget missile in a disposable launch tube with a reusable grip. The missile has an onboard Complexity 4 computer and five-mile PESA for guidance, with a onemile datalink capability. The missile is boosted to its top speed of 2,000 mph within one second of leaving the launch tube and has a 30 second endurance, giving an effective engagement range of over 15 miles. The missile has a modular 60mm warhead (see pp. TS158-159) and is armored with a DR 10 coating (stealth is optional). 10.5 lbs., $4,380.

Typical of the cheap Light Assault Missile systems intended for anti-personnel and anti-materiel use, and found worldwide. Both 30mm and 60mm versions are common. The disposable fire-and-forget missile has a Complexity 4 computer and optical guidance system. With a top speed of a bit more than 1,000 mph and an endurance of just under 8 seconds, the Switchblade has an effective engagement range of about two miles, although it’s typically used well within that range. HEMP rounds (see p. TS158) are standard. 30mm: 5.9 lbs., $766. 60mm: 9.3 lbs., $947.

Based on designs used by China in the early decades of the 21st century, the Xuan Feng (“tornado”) is relatively simple to produce and use. Like the Battle Rifle used by Fifth Wave nations, the Xuan Feng combines a 5.6mm slugthrower with a 30mm grenade launcher; unlike the more modern weapon, the Xuan Feng cannot use smart ammunition, and is outfitted with standard armor-piercing caseless bullets and high-explosive grenades. Standard load is a 40-round APS magazine and 2-round grenade magazine. The Xuan Feng does not require a virtual or heads-up display, but can be outfitted with one. $600.

WEAPON TABLE Weapon Type Dam SS Acc 1/2D Max. Wt. RoF Shots ST Rcl Cost LC Guns (Light Automatic or Pistol) BCR (5mm) Cr. 5d 11 10+2 500 3,200 11 12* 30+1 10 -1 $150 1 Enkidu (9mm) Cr. 2d+2 9 8 190 1,800 3.5 15* 15 10 -1 $1,000 2 Guns (Light Automatic) & Guns (Missile) Xuan Feng: 12 $600 1 – 5.6mm lt. Auto Cr. 5d. 11 11+1 440 3,200 16* 30+1 9 -1 – 30mm missile Cr.++ 12d-1 12 10 500 500 3~ 3 – 0 Guns (Missile) Switchblade (30mm) Exp. Spcl. 12 – 2,400 2,400 5.9 1NR 1 – 0 $766 1 Switchblade (60mm) Exp. Spcl. 12 – 3,900 3,900 9.3 1NR 1 – 0 $947 1 Gunner (Chaingun) Autocannon (20mm) Cr. 18d (2) 20 15 1,500 6,100 135 100 5,000 Veh. -1 $12,500 1 Gunner (Beams) Point Defense Laser Imp. 3d 17 17 720 1,400 15.8 3~ Spcl. – 0 $2,180 1

Cybershells, satellites, and cutting-edge weapon technology give the hyperdeveloped states a distinct advantage over their enemies in any conflict. As a result, some opponents of the Fifth Wave world seek out weapons that can give them their own advantage.

Ecological weapons are designed to attack the opponent’s environment instead of its people. Tactical ecoweapons are fairly obvious when used, but strategic devices, which create long-term changes, are difficult to detect until it’s too late. Ecoweapons sometimes use layered defenses against counter-measures.

Lux: A fast-acting defoliant, Lux is sprayed from aircraft at night, as it breaks down into harmless component chemicals under direct sunlight. One gallon of Lux can kill over a dozen acres of plants in a matter of several hours. Animal life hit with Lux is poisoned and has mild nausea – reduce HT by 2 for 24 hours. $7,500/gal. LC 1.

Pharaoh8: Pharaoh8 (P8) is a genemod for locusts, making them resistant to standard insecticides, sterile, and even more ravenously hungry than normal. P8 locusts have an active swarm life of only 1 month, but in that time can devastate an agricultural region. Insecticides effective against P8 locusts are now on the market, but more expensive than most developing-world farmers can afford. Unavailable commercially, P8 swarms must be engineered in a bio lab. LC 0.

Areoformers: As used by the terror group Red Right Hand, areoformers are a sub-class of ecoformers designed to convert a small region of land into a pseudo-Martian environment. Plants are hit with a fast-acting defoliant, all microbial life in the soil is exterminated, and ultraviolet radiation is used to break down organic material. The systems sterilize the ground and bring it as close as possible to the pre-terraform Martian soil chemistry. A single network of areoformers can render lifeless 1 acre of normal Earth territory per 24-hour period. $1,000,000. LC 0.

Skunkbug: Skunkbug is a tailored retrovirus, targeting specific edible plants. Over the course of several growing seasons, the retrovirus adds a gradually increasing harmless but foul skunk-like scent/flavor protein to the plant genome. The food becomes entirely inedible and unpleasant to be around. As it attacks at the DNA level, seeds from infected plants continue to carry the protein. The only way to stop an infection is to destroy the crop and plant from an entirely new seed stock. Unavailable commercially, it must be produced in a bio lab. LC 0.

Blowing things up remains a very effective method of eliminating problems in 2155. Because of the improvements in medical technology, bombs are more reliable than bullets as means of killing people. Chemscanners and chemsniffers are deployed throughout most urban environments to detect known explosives. Cyberdogs and K10A postcanines are also used extensively to detect explosives.

In order to avoid detection by chemsniffers, terrorists use binary and trinary explosives. Binary explosives require the mixture of two otherwise-harmless chemicals in order to detonate; trinary explosives require three. Individual components are typically non-volatile, and may be relatively commonplace. Constructing a component-based explosive is a Chemistry-2 or Demolitions-2 task for each component; attempting to construct one that uses moderately innocuous components is a Chemistry-4 or Demolitions-4 task. If successful, the result will typically have a Relative Explosive Force of 1.2.

Security personnel are acutely aware of the risks of binary and trinary explosives. In 2113, Pan-Asia Transit Flight 44 suffered an on-board explosion, causing the transatmospheric plane to crash into the Indian Ocean, killing a Thai diplomat. Fragmentary records recovered from passenger AR systems show that just prior to the explosion, a male-female couple (both identified as former Thai TSA agents) entered the plane’s lavatory. The agents likely had binary-explosive components painted onto their bodies.

While ecological weapons target the environment, mass destruction devices target human civilization itself. So-called “NBC Weapons” – Nuclear/Biological/Chemical – have been joined by early Nano weapons. All four of these types have two major aspects in common: they are terrifying (such that governments will use extraordinary means to prevent or respond to NNBC attacks) and they are very difficult to make work. Producing functional NNBC weapons requires a great deal of expertise and optimal conditions.

Extraordinarily devastating, nuclear weapons have been used only a handful of times in human history. The eight great powers, along with a few of the regional powers, have the infrastructure to build and deliver nuclear warheads. The fear of terrorist use faded over the 21st century, as a move away from nuclear-fission power made weapons-grade material increasingly difficult to acquire. The attempted nuclear attack on the Martian beanstalk and the availability of industrial nukes (for use in asteroid-mining operations) have revived old fears, however.

A simple, one-kiloton fission device (such as the Mini-Nuke, below) has a destruction area of 1,100-yard radius, totally destroying everything for much of that area (a one-kiloton bomb does 6d×4,000,000 damage in the center, 6d×2,000,000 at 64-128 yards, 6d×1,000,000 at 128-192 yards, and so forth). If a bomb does not achieve a proper fission reaction, it “fizzles,” meaning that it explodes before all of the fissile material can achieve critical density. The explosive power of a fizzle is much lower – on the order of 10 tons of TNT – but radioactive material is spread across an area roughly the size of the maximum potential blast.

Mini-Nuke: One-kiloton nuclear device, does 6d×4,000,000 explosive damage. 12.5 lbs., $25,000. Commercially available from Freehaven and Liang Mountain asteroid enclaves for mining operations. Illegal to import to Earth. LC 0.

Nanotechnology in 2155 remains too fragile to be readily used for mass destruction. There are substantial concerns, nonetheless; the “gray-goo” scenario, in which assembler nanomachines convert everything they touch into undifferentiated sludge, is widely feared. Fortunately, it is pure fiction. Nanomachines that can operate outside of controlled environments don’t exist yet and it has long been understood by nanotechnologists that even an intentional “gray-goo” attack, once technologically possible, wouldn’t go far. A disassembly process would put out a great deal of heat, and the faster it went, the more heat would be produced. A real “gray-goo” attack would simply be too slow and be too easily detected to do much damage.

Instead, nanotech weapons based on nanosymbionts are of increasing concern. Most are based on medical nanomods, and can inflict significant damage on a biological organism. The main obstacle to wider use of nanoweapons is the delivery mechanism – nanosymbionts must be swallowed or introduced into the bloodstream. While this makes them poor weapons for mass use, they are ideal for targeted or cluster assaults.

Nanotech weapons are rarely found, even on the black market. Construction of a nanotech weapon is an Engineer (Nanotechnology) task, and requires a Fifth Wave nanofabrication lab. Initial creation takes one week, if based on a known design; costs listed with a * are fabrication costs for the initial nanoweapon. Subsequent production of the same design takes one day, at one-tenth the cost.

Cellular Disruptors: Causes breakdown of the cell membrane and cytoplasm proteins. The cells collapse and die; this is one of the few nanomod weapons that can be applied to the skin surface. Roll against HT-4 upon the initial attack and every five minutes after. If the victim fails, he takes 1d damage; if he succeeds, he takes 1 point of damage. Two successes in a row, or one critical success, are required for the attack to end. If applied to the skin surface, the nanomod can be washed off easily, but will still deliver its initial damage. $150,000*. LC -1.

Immunophages: Attack natural and boosted immune systems. All HT rolls to resist infection are reduced by 1 per week for 20-HT weeks. If the victim has Immune to Disease (or nanomods that provide limited immunity to diseases), treat his effective resist bonus as +12 initially (e.g., four weeks after an immunophage attack, a person with the Immune to Disease advantage would have a +8 to disease resistance, not total immunity). Roll for resist at HT-4 each week to avoid effects that week (guardian nano applies). $75,000*. LC 0.

Nanonuclease: Attacks DNA and reduces the body’s ability to heal itself. Nanonuclease have the effect of two levels of the Slow Healing disadvantage. (The victim gets a HT roll to regain lost HT once every three days.) A person hit with nanonuclease checks HT to resist on the initial attack, and then once monthly. If not cleared, they will also reduce the age at which aging begins, and at which rolls increase in frequency, by 10 years. Nanonuclease and carcinophage nano effectively cancel each other out. $110,000*. LC 0.

Nanophages: Aggressively hunt down all nanosymbionts, temporary or permanent, and destroys them. Nanophage nano clears a body of all nanomachines on a 14 or less, except for guardian nano and shield nano. They are fully effective against nanoburn attacks (p. TS158). Nanophages take about one hour to clear a body of nano, and remain in a system for 24 hours. Not available as a permanent nanomod. $20,000/–. LC 2.

Neural Disruptors: Attacks the myelin sheaths of nerves, interfering with proper nerve communication. Victim is allowed one HT roll at onset of attack to avoid effects (guardian nano applies). Reduces DX by 1 per hour for 20-HT hours; if DX is reduced to 0, the victim is killed. DX loss is regained at a maximum of 1 DX per week; roll HT weekly to regain a point of DX. A nanophage treatment eliminates the neural disruptor nano in about an hour; subsequent recovery of DX is as normal injury recovery. $90,000*. LC 0.

Shields: Not a nanoweapon per se, shield nano acts as a defense for attacking nano, reducing the effectiveness of guardian and nanophage protection. If shield nano is used, guardian nano provides only a +4 to resist a nano attack (and no-resist nano will be eliminated on a 10 or less), and nanophages are only be able to destroy other nano on a 10 or less (8 or less if targeted nanophages). Shield nano lasts no more than two weeks before losing effectiveness. $30,000/–. LC 1.

Targeted Nanophages: Hunts down and destroy only a specific nanosymbiont model. They clear the particular nanomod from a body on a roll of 12 or less (shield nano reduces this). $7,500/–. LC 2-4 (depends upon the target).

Biological attacks using natural organisms are difficult at best. Most killer microbes don’t survive outside of specific environmental conditions. Moreover, modern biomedicine is able to prevent many types of infection.

Human-engineered germs pose greater threats. The increasing sophistication of biotechnology has led to some frightening new strains. Counteragents are usually available in a matter of hours or days after a sample is brought to a Fourth-Wave-level laboratory, but that can be enough time for the disease vector to do considerable damage. In addition, engineered diseases have been known to mutate and re-emerge. Well-known examples include:

Hanta (E) Virus: A variant hantavirus strain released in 2100, designed to activate only in the presence of a certain genetic marker common to Exogenesis-created bioroids. The effects of Hanta (E) are terrible. Initial symptoms occur one to five weeks after exposure, and include fatigue, fever, and sore muscles. Daily recovery rolls are made at -4; critical success means the disease is thrown off. Four to 10 days after the initial phase, late symptoms occur, including persistent painful coughing and shortness of breath. Daily recovery HT rolls are made at -2, with critical failure meaning the loss of 1 HT per hour until death, failure meaning the loss of 1d HT, success meaning the loss of 2 HT, and a critical success meaning the loss of 1 HT and the disease is thrown off. If untreated, the disease requires a critical HT roll success to survive. Modern medicines treat Hanta (E) successfully, although recovery still takes two to four weeks. Hanta (E) was created by a former Manticore Biotech employee fired for improper contact with newly created female bioroids. Believed to be extinct in the wild.

Viral Dystrophy: Aerosolized, extremely virulent, and terrible for its victims, viral dystrophy emerged in mid-21st century central Africa. Created during the breakup of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is considered one of the worst war crimes. Before a treatment could be devised – a treatment which only stopped the virus, but did not cure its victims – nearly a million Africans had been infected.

Once infected, the victim rolls a recovery HT check once for each limb. If successful, the disease does not affect that limb. Multiple limbs may be affected; if the victim succeeds all the HT checks, the disease passes. Over the course of several weeks, the victim wastes away, and the muscles in the extremities wither, reducing ST and DX by 1 each day in that limb until the limb is useless. The current treatment for viral dystrophy kills the virus and stop further degradation, but does not restore lost ST or DX.

By the time the disease runs its course – it is rarely directly fatal – victims are typically unable to walk or feed themselves. Some have limbs replaced with cybernetic equivalents; others tried experimental biotech treatments. Viral dystrophy was widely considered extinct until the Chinese terror group I Ho Ch’uan used it against government officials in Taipei in 2113.

By far the simplest mass-destruction weapon to make, chemical weapons are most useful in enclosed area. Outdoors, wind disperses a chemical in a matter of minutes (20 minutes minus 1 minute per mph of ambient wind). Inside, chemical weapons remain concentrated, and retain full effect until the area is ventilated. Some chemicals persist on surfaces, so standard procedure in the case of a chemical attack includes a thorough biohazard clean-up.

Nerve Gas (Sarin): Deadlier than mustard gas, nerve gases (such as Sarin) cause 2d points of damage per minute of exposure and can be absorbed through lungs or skin. Victims who lose over half their HT continue to take damage after they escape the gas. Nerve gas contaminates an area for 3d hours after use, although strong wind disperses it (as above). Atropine sulfate halts the effects of nerve gas, but is itself a poison, incapacitating the recipient for 2d hours.

Anyone with the Engineer (Chemical) or Chemistry skills can try to create nerve gas, although the process is difficult; attempts are at -5 to the Engineer (Chemical) or Chemistry skill checks. Each attempt takes 6 weeks and $500,000 with a Second Wave laboratory. Each successive improvement in laboratory technology cuts the time and expense by half (i.e., in a Fifth Wave lab, nerve gas production requires 5 days and $67,500). Success produces enough nerve gas to affect 10,000 square feet.

Base costs for new clothing: $50 for a set of casual clothes, $250 for a formal outfit. Double cost for top brand names and quadruple cost for designer fashions, but halve costs for pirated designs or used clothing. Also double cost for winter wear and halve cost for light summer wear. Normal clothes weigh 1 lb.; winter clothes weigh 3 lbs.

This technology is an evolution of the trigger locks on guns. Paint-on biometric scanners may be integrated into medicine bottles, cookie boxes, adult InVid, beer cans, etc. When someone buys (for example) a can of beer, the act of electronic purchasing uploads his thumbprint signature (and that of his partner, if desired) onto the can's seal. Now only he can open it. Some countries require this sort of thing for many products, while others make it optional.

These incorporate microelectromechanical systems (circuits, sensors, or motors) woven into the fabric, allowing them to alter their shape, texture, or color. Solar cells or static-electricity collectors provide power. These options can also be applied to flexible armor suits. If adding percentage costs to armor or clothing costing over $1,000, calculate the additional cost as if the clothing cost only $1,000.

Buzzwear: Clothes (or other fabrics, such as carpets, sheets, or upholstery) with microscopic motorized brushes that repel dirt and grime. It also sheds water much more rapidly than usual, and can dry in one-fifth of the normal time, making it popular rainwear. Despite its nickname, it is inaudible. +100% to clothing or fabric cost.

Memswear: This is clothing (including footwear and imitation-leather goods) that automatically tightens or loosens to give a better fit. Microscopic sensors and motors in the fabric adjust it as needed. It is by no means one-size-fits-all apparel, but it offers more tolerance than 'dumb' clothing and is very common in footwear. It can also change porosity, to adjust to changes in temperature and humidity. +200% to clothing cost, halves the weight of winter clothes.

Varicloth: Fabric can have imprinted electronic circuits that allow it to alter its color. A sweater, dress, jacket, shirt, pair of pants, or skirt may be bought with many color patterns programmed into it; one can switch to the next pattern by running a finger over a sensor concealed in the garment. Appropriate camouflage gives -2 on any roll to spot the user. +200% to clothing cost.

Videocloth: Clothing that acts as a video display. +100% to clothing cost.

The above options can be combined; percentage modifications are additive.

Avatar Outfits: People often meet via telepresence. An off-the-shelf avatar outfit is free with the software, but a name brand digital fashion (for humans or infomorphs) is $20, and a custom-designed outfit may be $200+.

Diamond Nanogel: Allows bite to do thrust-2 cutting damage if human. First developed for guard dogs (+1 damage if they already have Sharp Teeth). Lasts one year. $1,000.

Digital Hair: Smart electrostatic shampoo allows hair to bind as a flexible video display and antennae, displaying programs in virtual interface. Breaks down after a week. $100.

Nanogel Toothpaste: Paint on teeth for long-term protection against cavities. Lasts about a year. $100.

Nanomorphic Tattoos: Tattooing with nanoprocessor ink is the latest fad. These are vivid tattoos that can follow preprogrammed scripts in response to changes its microsensors detect in the skin (sweat, temperature, etc.) For example, a tiger that roars when skin sensors detect anger… or purrs when the wearer is aroused. $500 per tattoo, plus $250 per extra function.

Skullcat: A living hat. Keeps the head warm, solar-powered, and its aphrodisiac purrs add +1 to Sex Appeal for people who like cats, but drive others nuts. $500. Numerous other biotoys exist.

Suitspray: Skintight nanopore equivalent to light clothing. Peels off under sonic shower. $4, 0.25 lb.

2D Video Wall: A video display and speaker that uses low-wattage nanocircuits. The wall itself ripples to generate sound, allowing a huge directional speaker effect if desired. Most residences have these; they are also used for ad walls, etc. $10 and 0.05 lb. per square foot.

3D Video Wall: A phased-array screen and speaker system that can function as a high-res 3D audiovisual display, producing imagery indistinguishable from reality. $50, 0.05 lb. per square foot.

Diagnostic Toilet: A biosensor unit built into the toilet scans the user's wastes, and a microcommunicator updates his virtual interface if anything odd is detected. Diagnostic toilets routinely determine if someone has diseases, poisoning, parasites, or other problems. Public diagnostic toilets may alert health authorities if they detect contaminants such as infectious diseases or nanoviruses. $200.

Domestic Nanocleanser: A solution of microscopic cleaning bacteria that work to remove stains, grime, dirt, dandruff, loose skin flakes, etc. from surfaces (organic or inorganic). It can serve as a shampoo, soap, or detergent. It can also remove forensic evidence such as bloodstains or skin flakes. Treating an area imposes a -3 penalty on any rolls made to locate or analyze such evidence. However, forensic microbots can identify the exact brand of nanocleanser used! A can ($25, 0.5 lb) lasts for 2 weeks of routine domestic cleaning or one big job.

Fitting Leotard: Scans body to determine measurements for uploading to clothing shops. $200, 2 lbs.

Smart Rug or Bathmat: This slowly tugs itself across the floor, slurping up dirt, puddles, deposits of soap and hairspray, hairs, etc. ST 4, DX 4, IQ 1, HT 12/8, Move 1. $500.

Sonic Shower Head: A luxury item that can be a necessity in water-poor areas or spacecraft. An ultrasonic spray clipped to a wall simultaneously cleans and massages the user. $800, 20 lbs.

Wombskin Bed: It's alive, warm, and you'll never want to leave. $7,500, 20 lbs.

1. Nanopaste Rations. New from SpaTek! Originally developed for the USAF. Fun for kids! Programmable. One tube has 100 great flavors and textures! $10, 0.5 lb. per tube.

2. Alibanana. The new biofruit from Biotech Euphrates, combining two great tastes: alligator and banana. Peel off the scaly hide and bite down for scrumptious goodness! Serve with milk. $0.50.

3. Dali Koke, the Surreal Thing. A nootropic drink containing bioengineered proteins that affect the brain, triggering especially weird dreams. $5 per drink.

4. Mars Spidermilk Chocolate. From genuine Martian spidergoats. “Low-G means low fat!” $1 on Mars, $2 elsewhere.

5. Safeburger. The latest in smart fauxbeef. Eat it as fast as you like, you'll never choke. $2.

6. Captain Mnemo. Smart drug candy that extends and amplifies short-term memory. Taking it strengthens memories formed while the drug is working, so that they can be recalled with superior clarity later (+3 on IQ rolls to remember.) Lasts 10 minutes. $5.

• Apartment: $400/month.
• Groceries, 1 week's supply: $50.
• Hotel, good: $200/night.
• House, 4-bedroom: $100,000.
• Motel, cheap: $50/night.

Prices are global averages. Multiply by 5 in areas where average wealth level is Wealthy, by 2 where Comfortable, by 0.5 where Struggling, and by 0.2 where Poor.

Food and accommodations are included in the monthly cost of living.

Most people and machines are constantly tied into a system-wide flow of information via radio, cable, and even laser communication links.

Computers connected to a communicator can access local or system-wide networks through their communications service provider, once an account is established; the largest provider is Teralogos. Most use a mix of satellite transmission, optic cable, and local relay stations. The cost of subscribing varies with the speed and quality of service, but $10/month is usual, with additional charges for storing extra data online ($1/TB/month.)

Data Security: Commercial providers do not monitor data content - in most countries. Some local laws require this, and restrict available encryption protocols. However, all service providers can monitor the flow of data, which can provide valuable information to investigators.

Data Transfer Rates: 1,000 GB/second for optical cable (most buildings have these), 1,000 GB/minute for laser, 10 GB/minute for infrared or microwave tight beam transmissions, and 0.1 GB/minute for radio.

Data Havens: Data havens are service providers established in locations where governments have promised not to monitor data flow, or in areas which lack governments. They charge an average of $50/month for services and $10/TB/month for data storage. They promise not to provide this information to others. It comes down to whether you trust them more than governments - one scandal can destroy a data haven's reputation.

WebCom: Anyone registered with a com service provider can use a radio communicator as a cellular audiovisual phone. This costs an additional $10/month per individual com number added to the subscription. Long-distance calls on the same celestial body are free, while interplanetary calls may be placed for $10/AU/minute (minimum $1/minute).

All messages, electronic mail, and signals are routinely encrypted using strong encryption protocols, unless deliberately sent in clear. No special com scramblers are required.

Nearly all encryption uses a public-key system. In conventional encryption schemes, keys must be exchanged by some other secure method; this is often difficult, since (presumably) a lack of secure channels is why the message is being encrypted in the first place. In public-key encryption, the encryption and decryption keys are different. Therefore, the encryption ('public') key can be made public knowledge (part of one's email, often included as a 'signature') and used by any would-be sender to encrypt a message to its owner. This message cannot be decrypted with the encryption key, so no one other than the intended recipient can decrypt it - including the sender who encrypted it. When someone receives a message encrypted with his public key, he uses his secret ('private') decryption key (stored, encrypted, on his computer) to decrypt the message.

Cracking 2155-era encryption is effectively impossible using normal means, as normal keys are designed to take a century or more to crack using the best arrays of computers running at full speed. They can be cracked using quantum computers, but not in real time, as it generally takes a single Complexity 10 quantum computer about a year to crack the encryption on a message.

Quantum Encryption: This is the ultimate form of encryption. It is only possible for direct laser-com or fiber-optic transmissions - not for conventional radio or net. Eavesdropping on a quantum-encrypted message alerts the sender and recipient. A laser communicator can be modified to use quantum encryption for $5,000.

If the user has a com subscription, then he can use a communicator as a cellular webcom and (if there's a relay station in range) reach anywhere in the solar system. All communicators can link to a virtual interface, providing video even if the com system does not have its own screen.

These are broadcast radios: everyone within range can detect the signal, although transmissions are normally sent as encrypted data. Effective range can be increased by up to 100% with an Electronics Operation (Communications) roll, at -1 per extra 10%. (One try per minute.) Not usable underwater.

Implant Communicator: A surgically implanted model with 1-mile range. $250 (plus $500 and 1/2 hour for the surgery.)

Short-Range Communicator: An earplug-sized model with 12.5 mile range. $25, 0.125 lb, A/8 hours.

Medium-Range Communicator: A palm-sized model with 25-mile range. Includes video screen. $100, 0.5 lb, B/8 hours.

Long-Range Communicator: A backpack-sized model with 50-mile range. Includes video screen. $300, 5 lbs, C/8 hours.

Microcommunicators: These are too tiny for humans to use directly, but are built into most electronics and many other devices, enabling augmented reality and interconnectivity. Each is about 1/100“ across, with negligible weight and cost ($1 per 100). Range is 1 yard. They draw a miniscule amount of power from the system they're built into.

This device can detect the approximate direction and distance (via signal strength) of a particular radio transmission. Transmissions are routinely encrypted, and in busy areas (such as a major city) there may be hundreds of thousands to sort through, all of which are very difficult to tell apart (but see Target Tracking program.) Thus, the user should specify narrow parameters; e.g., telling the RDF to hunt for 'nearest unidentified transmitter' will let you track that teleoperated cybershell that's sneaking through your building, via the telemetry it transmits back to its operator. RDF range is the lower of its own range or the transmitter's (tiny microcommunicators can't usually be tracked.) Two or more separated RDFs (say, 100 yards apart) can be used for precise triangulation to fix locations. The GM may require an Electronics Operation (Communications) roll to isolate a particular signal to allow it to be tracked. Treat as radio communicators, but at 5 times cost.

Uses a narrow beam of infrared radiation receivable by another IR communicator or receiver. 50-yard range. Not usable underwater. $130, 0.25 lb.

Use modulated laser beams to transmit data, audio, or video. The signal is receivable only by another lasercom in the direct path of the beam, although it can be relayed through multiple communicators (including satellites). Intervening objects or terrain, smoke, bad weather, and murky water can block the signal. Multiply given range by 10 in trace atmospheres or vacuum; divide by 10 in clear water.

Short-Range Lasercom: 20-mile range. $312, 1.3 lbs, B/8 hours.

Medium-Range Lasercom: 200-mile range. $1,000, 5.5 lbs, C/8 hours.

Long-Range Lasercom: 2,000-mile range. $3,750, 55 lbs, D/8 hours.

VR Gloves: Allow manipulation of objects and transmission of tactile sensation in VR. $500, 0.25 lb. Can be incorporated into clothing or armor.

Deluxe VR Suit: Blocks out the 'real world' and can transmit sensation to any area of the body. Use with any virtual interface. $5,000, 16 lbs.

Sensor Gloves: These are equipped with nanomechanical tactile, pressure, chemical, and biometric sensors. They can weigh items by lifting them, measure the hardness and smoothness of materials, detect chemicals, read ink printing, and scan any of this information into computer memory by touch. This gives the equivalent of Discriminatory Touch advantage. Using sensor gloves requires a virtual interface. $2,000, 0.2 lb.

Brain implants are surgically inserted in the user's brain and linked to his central nervous system. Insertion is normally safe if performed in a clinical setting, but a quick-and-dirty insertion may require a Surgery roll, with failure damaging or destroying the implant and critical failure causing brain injury (-1 IQ, or a disadvantage such as Epilepsy).

Removing a brain implant is done in the same way as implanting one. However, it is possible to booby-trap an implant with a cortex bomb that will kill the user and do 1d-1 damage to the surgeon (or his equipment, if operating remotely) if removal fails. If an implant is booby-trapped, then the trap must be removed first (use Traps skill) or it wil activate when an attempt is made to remove the implant.

Implants are normally invisible and undetectable without a diagnostic bed or HyMRI. Since brain implants usually require other external devices or have other disadvantages, they do not cost character points.

A virtual interface implant is functionally similar to virtual interface glasses, except information is exchanged and displayed through the user's senses and thoughts. The implant translates digital information into electrochemical impulses, and vice versa. A VII is also a cybershell, and can house a digital intelligence (see Virtual Interface Implant.)

This has two main advantages: it allows for a superior teleoperation and virtual-reality experience, and it is convenient. The VII provides no additional skill bonuses. A VII also includes a tiny computer and an implant communicator that allows it to interface with any other implanted or wearable device.

A VII costs $2,000 (plus $2,000 for surgery) plus the price of a tiny computer. The computer must be compact, and may have other options (except for printed).

The user will normally control his own VII, but it is possible to implant one operated by a digital mind for which the implantee lacks the command codes.

Distributed VII: This is a small computer, part of which is implanted in the brain and other parts of which are distributed through the user's body. Costs $4,000 (plus $4,000 for surgery) plus price of a small compact computer.

An upslink implant translates the user's sensory perceptions and surface thoughts nito digital form. Data is transmitted via microcommunicator at 0.1 GB/second. The user needs a virtual interface (worn or implant) or implant communicator to store or transmit the data.

Standard Upslink: A standard upslink costs $8,000 (plus $2,600 for surgery). LC 5.

Passive Upslink: These upslinks are remotely controlled by someone other than the subject. They are often used to observe animal behavior, monitor prisoners, etc. Same cost, LC 4.

A downslink allows its user to interpret slink recordings or live upslink transmissions. In either case, the user receives all sensory information that was experienced by the upslink user: feels what he feels, sees through his eyes, and so on.

Upslink data can be experienced in immersion or surface mode. In immersion mode, the user is unable to use his own senses and is effectively a passive receiver. If the slink recording or transmission includes pain or injury, someone accessing the data also feels pain and suffers shock, knockdown, and stunning, but takes no damage. As well, the downslink user must make Fright Checks if the upslink user did. The GM should also require Fright Checks in the event of severe injury, torture, death, etc, suffered by the upslinker.

In surface mode, the user experiences another's perceptions, but they are slightly muted. He can still function, but he will be distracted (-3 on other activities, unless the task is one that would benefit from intimate knowledge of what the subject is feeling, e.g., attempting to interrogate or seduce him). The user suffers only half the subject's shock penalties, and is at +4 on any HT rolls or Fright Checks required.

A downslink costs $7,000 (plus $1,400 for surgery.)

This implant can be installed in a person's brain to allow remote control of his body by someone running biopresence ('puppeteer') software. The remote puppeteer controls the subject. The rules under Teleoperation apply. There is no additional penalty if the controlling entity also resides in the subject (e.g., a VII taking over its host body), but if he controls a puppet externally using radio rather than a cable jack, bandwidth limitations require the user to deliberately 'downgrade' his primary sense (add Color Blindness to vision, reduce Discriminatory Smell to normal smell, etc.)

A puppet implant costs $50,000 for sapient species such as humans or sapient uplifts, $20,000 for presentient animals. It can be implanted in any mouse-sized or larger creature. LC 2 (humans), LC 4 (animals.)

A skull socket. User must have a brain implant; the jack is included at no extra cost. This simply allows the user to plug an optical cable into his head for higher data-transmission rates. Usually used with a VII, but useful for control of puppets, etc.

These enhance normal vision. Optics are available as goggles or glsases, or built into a wearable virtual interface or helmet.

Anti-Glare: Protects against bright flashes, lasers, etc. as per Polarized Eyes. $37, negligible weight.

Infrared: Gives wearer Infravision. $300, 0.5, B/2 months.

Low-Light: Gives wearer Night Vision, $150, negligible weight, A/6 months. Free with a wearable virtual interface.

Multiview: Standard multisensor imaging system. User can switch between normal vision, Infravision, Night Vision, and Polarized Eyes. $600, 0.75 lb, B/1 month.

Teleview: As per multiview, but adds 1-4 levels of Telescopic Vision, usable with any of the options. Add 25% to weight and cost per level.

Searches a 120 degree arc each turn as per Radar Sense. Most moving targets are detected automatically, but an Electronics Operation (Sensors) roll - possibly opposed by the target's Stealth skill in a Quick Contest - is required to detect a hidden or slow-moving target, or one using countermeasures.

Mini: 2-mile range. 1.5 lbs., $500, 2C/0.5 hour.

Heavy: 10-mile range. 7.5 lbs, $2,500, D/0.5 hour.

Biometric Scanner: Multipurpose identity scanner. Cna identify a fingerprint or retina print (1-yard range, if the subject is stationary), voiceprint, or DNA print (requires hair or blood sample), if this data is in a database accessible to it. $1,000, 1 lb, A/1 day. Available in handheld and scanlock versions. Scanlocks are integrated into a lock on a door, case, or other device. Security personnel use handheld units to check identities against databases.

Chemscanner: Uses a laser beam to detect airborne chemicals within 1,000 yards. Good for detecting chemical agents, microbots, nanomachines, or biochemical contamination. Cannot scan through solid objects. Use Chemistry skill to analyze whatever is discovered. $1,000, 2 lbs., C/1 hour.

Chemsniffer: A handheld sensor that can detect drugs or explosives by analyzing traces in the air. It has a range of biosensor chips for 100 standard chemical compounds. Use Electronics Operation (Security Systems) to operate it; the device has a 5-yard range. If its target is sealed in airtight containers, the scan is ineffective. $700, 1 lb, B/1 month. LC 5.

Field Scanner: Detects electrical fields as per Field Sense. Useful for detecting bugs, hidden microbots, or electrical faults. $1,000, 2 lbs, B/1 day.

Here is some representative equipment for campers, soldiers, and anyone living or working in a hostile environment.

Autograpnel: Fires a grappling hook up to 50 yards, and can lift 400 lbs. at 5 yards per second. Rope not included. $200, 3 lbs.

Envirobag: An insulated sleeping bag, good for temperatures down to -10F and up to 100F. An optional heating unit, using a C cell, works as for the thermo suit (see below). Can be sealed and hooked up to air tanks. Folds to the size of a paperback book. $38, 3 lbs. Heating unit is $25, 0.5 lb.

Environ-Bubble: Emergency inflatable bubble with self-sealing flap that can be entered and inflated within a few seconds (make a DX or Vacc Suit roll.) Provides 15 minutes of air. Flexible enough to move around in, but at Move 1. $400, 2.5 lbs.

Filtration Canteen: Purifies one quart of water in 30 minutes. The filters are good for 100 quarts, less if using badly contaminated water. $88, 1.5 lbs. Replacement filters cost $13.

Inertial Compass: Gives +3 to Navigation skill rolls. $125, 0.5 lb, A/1 year.

Nanofiber Rope: Supports 4,000 lbs. $30, 2 lbs. per 10 yards.

Pressure Box: A pressurized container (internal dimensions are 2' x 1' x 1') for carrying fragile items (or pets) through vacuum or hostile environments. It includes connections for air tanks and its own life-support pack. Multiple boxes can be linked to form a larger box. $100, 4 lbs.

Pressure Tent: Includes an airlock and protects occupants from vacuum. Various sizes: 1-man ($500, 15 lbs.), 2-man ($1,500, 30 lbs.), 8-man ($5,000, 150 lbs.)

Rations, Self-Heat: A tasty, self-heating meal-in-a-box. $5, 1 lb.

Rations, Preserved: A meal of canned or packaged foods; shelf life is at least a decade. $2, 0.5 lb.

Vapor Canteen: Draws moisture from the atmosphere as long as there is any water vapor at all. It extracts and holds one quart of water. Time required varies; in 50% humidity, it takes 4 hours to extract a quart. Extracts 50 quarts on a C cell. $450, 2 lbs. empty, 4 lbs. full.

People are working on these in laboratories across the system. Secret prototypes may already exist, or breakthroughs could be decades away.

1. Molecular Nanotechnology. Research is underway on inorganic robots capable of molecular assembly and disassembly. See Nanofacs.

2. Solid Metallic Hydrogen. Attempts to create stable room-temperature superconductors and ultra-high-performance rocket fuel continue.

3. Neuroviruses. These are nanomachines that can rewire a victim's brain to alter his personality. See Biotech for details.

4. Metamorphosis. This takes proteus virus nanotechnology to a new level, taking apart a living body, reprogramming the cells, and reassembling them into a new form. See Metamorphosis Virus.

5. Sapient Swarms. These are microbot swarms whose software is modified so that they can maintain a significantly smarter form of gestalt intelligence. Perhaps a large swarm might form a low-sapient AI, with its own personality. Could a big enough swarm result in an emergent intelligence?

6. Utility Fog. These are tiny airborne microbot or large nanobot swarms that can link together to form solid objects (such as furniture) or dissipate like fog. See Miracle Fog.

There's also plenty of more mundane research going on, such as TL11 genemods, better cybershells, faster 3D printers, and smarter AI.

Masks, respirators, and so on take 3 seconds to put on, 1 to remove.

Air Mask: A breathing mask with goggles. Attached to an air tank, the user can breathe normally on Mars or at high altitudes on Earth; it also works as a gas mask. $100, 2 lbs. For $50 more, it has an emergency tank with 3 minutes of air.

Air Tanks: 2-hour tank: 2 lbs., $115. 24-hour tank: 7 lbs., $120. Tanks take 10 seconds to put on, 2 to drop. These include rebreathers that capture exhaled CO2 and water and recycle them. Also available: heated tanks (usable only on Titan); includes C cell (2 hours) or D cell (24 hours).

Artificial Gill: Mask-and-backpack unit allows user to breathe underwater, using electrolysis to extract oxygen from water. Requires Scuba skill to use. Cannot be used in fluids other than water (e.g., methane). 30 lbs., $1,000, 4D/4 hours.

Filter Attachment: For air mask or respirator, used to filter out contaminants; cost depends on what is being filtered. $100 to $1,000, 1 lb. Filter medium must be replaced periodically; again, cost varies from a $10 cartridge (to filter heavy dust or pollen) to replacing the whole mask (in a chemical-warfare environment.)

Life-Support Pack (LSP): Provides heat, cooling, and energy for a vacc suit's systems. It has DR 3 and 20 HP. After it takes 10 hits, there is a 50% chance of malfunction on each further hit; when HP reach 0, it no longer works; the user's survival time depends on the environment. $500, 5 lbs, 2C/1 day.

Respirator: Makes thin or low-oxygen atmospheres breathable by concentrating the oxygen. Often combined with goggles to protect eyes from the effects of thin air. Includes a short-range communicator. $300, 3 lbs., B/1 month.

Thermo Suit: A sealed, neck-to-toe suit built to wear with a standard vacc-suit helmet. It is designed for very cold environments. In cryogenic conditions such as Titan, it must be used with heated air tanks and a life support pack (above). It is heavily insulated (especially the boots). As long as the LSP is operational, the suit provides total protection against extreme cold. It gives +20 to effective HT for all rolls to resist freezing, even if the pack is turned off. DR 2, $500, 10 lbs.

Personal Re-Entry Kit: A foamed ablative heat shield, chemical thruster, and parachute that allow someone in a vacc suit to make an aerobraking atmospheric re-entry from orbit. Roll vs. Free Fall skill (to re-enter without burning up) and then Parachuting (to land safely). $15,000, 30 lbs.

Thruster Pack: A cold-gas thruster harness for short jaunts in free fall. It provides 50 lbs. of thrust - enough to accelerate an average human in a vacc suit by 3 yards/second each turn. The large nitrogen gas cylinder allows 100 seconds of full acceleration. Successful Free Fall rolls at +3 allow the user to control his speed and direction. $2,000, 20 lbs. (including cylinder). Extra cylinders are $30, 10 lbs., 5 seconds to replace.

This equipment is used to build, fix, or maintain material goods.

Basic Tool Kit (Armoury or Electronics): Minor and major repairs can be made at no skill penalty.

Basic Tool Kit (Engineer or Mechanic): Minor and major repairs can be made at no skill penalty. $800, 300 lbs.

Portable Tool Kit (Armoury or Electronics): Minor repairs are no skill penalty, major repairs at -2. $900, 10 lbs.

Portable Tool Kit (Engineer or Mechanic): Minor repairs are at no skill penalty, major repairs at -2. $600, 20 lbs.

Mini-Toolkit (Armoury or Electronics): Minor repairs are made at -2 to skill, major repairs at -4. $400, 2 lbs.

Mini-Toolkit (Engineer or Mechanic): Minor repairs are made at -2 to skill, major repairs at -4. $400, 2 lbs.

Duct Tape: Will stick to almost anything. $5, 2.5 lbs. for 200 feet.

Explosives, Plastic: A standard 'brick' of octonitrocubane explosive. Does 6d x 8 per pound. $20, 1 lb. LC 4.

Explosive, Metal: A stabilized metallic-hydrogen explosive. Does 6d x 12 per pound. $40, 1 lb, LC 3.

Hive Pack: A lunchbox-sized unit for carrying up to four hexes of cyberswarm. Can be clamped onto a cybershell, worn as a backpack, etc. Includes recharging ports enabling the swarm to recharge from a power system or the included C cell. $200, 1 lb. empty, 2-5 lbs. full.

Analysis Hive: See Explorer Swarm. Includes a C cell. $1,000, 20 lbs.

A minifacturing system used to build solid objects by precisely painting various materials, layer by layer, until the object takes form. Given 3D blueprints, it can build just about anything that fits inside it, using cartridges of self-assembling smart ink, liquid plastic, carbon nanotubes, metallic powders, and so on.

Small Printer: Prints $100 worth of goods per hour. $250,000, 100 lbs. and 5 cf. LC 4.

Large Printer: Prints $500 worth of goods per hour. $1,000,000, 500 lbs., 25 cf. LC 4.

Optimized Printer: Identical to universal 3D printer, but it can only work on a specific category of materials; e.g., plastics, synthetic fabrics, or metals. Thus, a 3D polymer printer could make a gun's frame but not its barrel, action, or ammunition. It takes aobut an hour per pound of mass to print. Has 20% cost, weight, and volume. LC 5.

Operating Costs: To have the correct materials on hand for a given item, the user should have stockpiled material equal to about five times the item's weight and cost (for universal printer cartridges) or equal to its weight and cost (for optimized printer cartridges.) Printing an item with a 3D printer run consumes mtaerial stocks equal to the material's weight and half of its cost. See also 3D Blueprints for possible royalty costs. Printer maintenance costs will be 1% of printer cost per 100 hours of operation.

This is an array of optimized and universal 3D printers supported by automated production lines and storage warehouses. It can be configured to build just about any product. It occupies a few city blocks and can support the industrial requirements of about 10,000 people. A typical modular robofac consists of about $1 billion worth of 3D printers, cybershells, and assorted software (install whatever systems are appropriate to the situation.) Weight is 50,000 tons and volume is 5,000,000 cf, including assembly space, warehouses, and parts; power consumption is 10-100 MW. Power requirements vary by process: heavy industrial activities (e.g., making steel) are more energy-intensive. Robofacs optimized for a limited product (e.g., 'consumer electronics' or 'small arms') are 10% the cost, mass, and volume.

A biochemical manufacturing module, similar to a 3D printer but optimized for working with proteins. It gives no bonus to skill for minor tasks, and a -5 penalty when working on major projects. $50,000, 500 lbs, 100 cf. Requires 0.5 kW of power.

Widely used by everyone from government agencies to voyeurs.

Electronic Lockpick: A sensor/decoder that gives +3 to Lockpicking or Electronics Operation (Security Systems) skill rolls to open any electronic lock. Uses an A cell. $750, 1.5 lbs. LC 4.

Gremlin Microbots: See p. 170.

Bounces a laser beam off a solid surface, detecting and translating the vibrations set up in the surface by nearby voices or other sounds. It can be used through a window and set to upload into a recorder or computer. It has a 1,000-yard range. $600, 6 lbs., C/12 hours.

A tiny (1/20”) sensor/recorder unit. Its nanocamera lens and microphone can scan a room. It can store two hours of TV-quality digital images, with sound. The mike can pick up voices clearly within 5 yards. The bug can run constantly, listen for a specific voice before recording, scan at specific times of day, or scan when its sensors detect light or body heat in the room. It includes a burst transmitter and radio receiver (range 5 miles) that can transmit all recorded data in a burst lasting a few seconds upon receiving a coded radio command (or be set to do so after a specific time has passed.) Once it transmits, it may be programmed to erase everything it has stored and begin recording again, or to self-destruct. $100, AA/1 year. For $100 more, it can self-destruct if tampered with (Demolition or Traps roll at -3 to defuse.)

Emissions Nanobug: As above, but instead of audio-visual sensors, it has field-emission sensors that can read data being sent to or from an electronic device it's in direct contact with. It cannot read data that is simply sitting on a hard drive or the like. Other stats are per a regular nanobug.

Microbot Nanobug: A single, tiny microbot spy. As a regular nanobug, above, but add any microbot swarm chassis at 1% the usual cost. Mobility is as per a cyberswarm. One hit destroys it. Size modifier is -16; this only applies to ranged attacks.

Cufftape: Looks like duct tape, but the sticky side is a memory polymer that tightens if the prisoner struggles. A 2' strip is sufficient to restrain arms or legs. It has ST 20. To break free, win a Quick Contest of ST or make an Escape roll at -5. The first try takes 1 second; further attempts require 10 minutes' struggle. Each failure does 1 hit of damage to the taped area. Cufftape has DR 3; 6 points of cutting or fire damage severs it. $10, 0.5 lb. per 100-foot spool.

Smart Blindfold: A rugged pair of virtual interface glasses that locks onto a subject's head, with external control of its functions. It can control the augmented reality perceived by the wearer, as well as see and hear what the prisoner does (and if desired, record it.) The visor can also blank out the prisoner's vision or (by projecting white noise) hearing. It can be controlled by any external interface with the proper codes, or by its own digital mind. DR 10, 2 HP. Its batteries cannot be removed without unlocking it. Otherwise identical to a VIG frame, but at 1.5 times the cost and 2 times the weight.

Microbot swarms with a dust chassis and the surveillance function are among the most common means of spying.

The majority of modern weapons resemble the firearms of the previous century, but with integral electronics such as computerized sights and safety systems. One change is the ammunition: most guns use cased telescoped or caseless ammunition, and a variety of 'smart' ammo is available.

A significant change is the development of small 'mini' or 'micro' missile launchers the size of pistols or rifles. First introduced by the U.S. Army in the 2030s, these small-caliber grenade launchers fire tiny homing missiles with nanoelectronic guidance systems and explosive warheads.

Vehicles use lasers and electromagnetic railguns, but power limitations prevent their widespread adoption as personal weapons. The exception is the electrolaser stun gun, which uses a low-powered laser as a carrier for an incapacitating electrical shock.

Many weapons are 'double barrel' systems with two weapons in one integrated package or pod. The most popular combines a conventional automatic weapon or electrolaser with a mini-/micro-missile or grenade launcher.

Weapons Pods: These 'arm guns' are worn strapped to the forearm (missile pods can also be clamped to a combat helmet.) They are aimed using a virtual interface; without an interface, they suffer -3 to Acc.

Anti-Materiel Rifle (AMR), 15mm: A heavy, semi-automatic rifle designed to kill battlesuits or RATS.

Assault Pod: A weapons pod that combines a 4mm light automatic weapon and 4-shot 15mm micro-missile pod.

Battle Rifle: A double-barreled assault rifle combining a 5.6mm light automatic weapon and 30mm mini-missile pod.

Electrolaser Pistol: A low-powered electrolaser.

Electrolaser Rifle: A powerful electrolaser.

Micro-missile Pod: A weapons pod containing a four-barrel muzzle-loading launcher for 15mm micro-missiles. Each guided missile has nano-optic guidance and a 15mm warhead.

Mini-missile Pod: A weapons pod containing a three-shot rotary launcher for 30mm mini-missiles. Each guided missile has nano-optic guidance and a 30mm warhead.

Personal Defense Weapon (PDF), 4mm: A light automatic weapon with an ergonomic shape (similar to the modern FN P90.) Its magazine is mounted atop the weapon, rather than in the pistol grip. It fires high-powered 4mm bullets.

Personal Defense Weapon (PDW), 10mm: A larger-caliber PDW firing lower-velocity pistol ammunition.

Pistol, 4mm: An ordinary pistol using the same ammo as the PDW 4mm, but with a shorter barrel.

Pistol, 10mm: A heavy pistol using the same ammo as the PDW 10mm.

Police Armgun: A weapons pod combining an electrolaser pistol and 4-shot 15mm micro-missile pod.

Recoilless Rifle, 15mm: A rifle-like weapon which fires 15mm projectiles and counters recoil by venting cold gas out the back of the weapon. Favored in zero-G combat.

Recoilless Rifle, 60mm: A shoulder-fired antiarmor weapon using 60mm rocket-assisted projectiles. Single-shot and breech-loading, it counters recoil by expending plastic flakes out the back of the weapon.

Electrolasers: These use a low-powered laser to ionize the air, following it instantly with an electrical charge that travels along the laser path to the target. Roll damage normally, but instead of actually taking damage, the target must make a HT roll with a penalty equal to half the 'damage' that got past DR (round up). Failure means he is incapacitated for 20-HT minutes, and at -2 DX for a further 20-HT minutes after recovering. Electrolasers are at -2 to hit in humid environments and -6 in rain or heavy fog. They do not function underwater, or in trace atmospheres or vacuum. Metal armor attracts the bolt: +2 to hit if target wears 20+ lbs. of metal.

Shock Glove: An insulated glove capable of delivering a powerful shock. Touching, punching, or grappling someone has same effect as a hit by an electrolaser. $400, 1 lb, B/500 hits. LC 5. If built into armor, increase the suit's cost and weight by that amount.

These are too big to be carried by most (or in some cases, any) humans. They are usually installed in vehicles or cybershells, but can also have tripod mounts. A tripod mount negates the weapon's ST requirement, but the weapon may only be fired by someone sitting or kneeling behind the weapon. It takes 30 seconds to attach or remove a tripod mount, and 3 seconds to set up a tripod-mounted weapon in a firing position.

Emag Cannon, 15mm: A high-velocity electromagnetic railgun. Tripod: $2,000, 200 lbs.

Light Laser, 2.5 MJ and Heavy Laser, 10 MJ: These are typical vehicular laser cannon. Use these statistics when spacecraft fire their lasers against targets in atmosphere; range in space is 20 times greater.

Microwave Area-Denial (MAD): Uses a noncoherent beam of high-power microwave energy to heat up the surface layer (down to 1/64 of an inch) of a target's skin, activating pain receptors without causing actual burning. The sensation is similar to touching a hot light bulb, but all across the surface of the body. There is no roll to hit. It affects a line 1 yard wide, increasing in width by 1 yard per 50 yards range. Victims in the path of a microwave projector must make a Will roll each turn before acting. Failure means that they are stunned for one second due to pain; success means they can act, but at -3 on all actions (as per shock). A person with High Pain Threshold is immune to the effect. The microwave projector will not penetrate sealed suits or vehicles with DR 2 or higher. Requires one E power pack. Tripod: $1,200. 120 lbs.

HUD Sight: A digital camera built into a weapon and linked to the virtual interface via microcommunicator, allowing the use of HUD Targeting programs. All personal weapons incorporate HUD sights; buying a gun without one reduces cost by $250.

Laser Sight: Also a standard fit on all ranged weapons, it projects a low-powered laser beam, displaying a dot at the point where the beam will hit. This gives +1 to Acc.

Articulated Weapon Harness: A support harness that reduces the Minimum ST of the rifle or heavy weapon to which it is attached by 3. $600, 5 lbs.

Gyrostabilized Weapon Harness: An articulated weapon harness that also cancels penalties for walking or running while firing. $2,000, 10 lbs., C/1000 hours.

IFF Interrogator: A short-range Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) system built into a weapon, preventing it from firing on people with a 'friendly' IFF transponder. $100.

Recognition Pad: A palmprint or voiceprint biometric analyzer (set for one or the other) built into a weapon's handgrip. It prevents anyone but the registered user from firing the weapon. $100, negligible weight. Required by law in some areas. Can store up to 50 biometric datasets (in the military, this is typically everyone in a platoon.)

Smartgrip: The smart-matter grip of the weapon and trigger adjust to the user's strength and hand shape: +1 to Acc. $500.

Nanoelectronics make possible cheap, light, and smart ammunition. Smart ammo is usable in any gun that fires projectiles; this includes all weapons on the table not fired using Beam Weapons or Gunner (Beams). Micro-missiles are automatically homing at no extra cost. These options cannot be combined.

Stabilized: Contains piezoelectric actuators that tilt the round's nose to correct for wind drift and compensate for gravity. No Acc is lost when firing beyond 1/2D range. x2 cost.

Homing: The tip of the bullet is a nanocamera array. If an aimed shot is fired, the computer can lock onto the target and help correct the bullet's flight path via vectored nozzles which make minor course corrections to stay on target. If aimed, add +3 to skill. Aimed or not, also treat as stabilized. x5 cost.

Laser-Homing: Identical to homing, but only works if the attacker is using a laser sight or designator. Ineffective if the target is obscured by smoke, prismatic smoke, etc. The Acc bonus is cumulative with the +1 for a laser sight. x3 cost.

Gestalt: As stabilized, but each round has a quantum-dot laser communicator in the tail. Telemetry is transmitted to following rounds in the same second, allowing them to correct their aim to the target should the first round miss, or correct for recoil if on target. This adds a +1 to skill for every attack (single shot or group) fired after the first in the same turn to a maximum of +4; this usually cancels recoil penalties. x2.5 cost.

These ammo types are available for projectiles under 20mm size. They can be combined with smart ammo. Cost multipliers are additive rather than multiplying with smart-ammo modifiers; e.g., homing APS rounds would be x10 cost, not x25 cost.

Armor Piercing: Armor protects at half DR, but damage after DR is also halved. x3 cost. LC 2.

Armor Piercing Saboted (APS): These rounds use a high-density tungsten-carbide penetrator encased in a much larger plastic sheath. Increase 1/2D and Max ranges by 50% and add +1 to damage per die. DR protects at half value, but damage after penetrating DR is also halved. Not available for missiles. x5 cost. LC 1.

Drug: Injects one dose of an injectable drug. Add the cost of one dose (per shot) to ammo cost. LC as per drug.

Hollow Point: DR protects at x2 but damage after DR is x1.5. Normal flesh gives DR 1 against it. x1.5 cost. LC 4.

Plastic: Does half the damage of regular ammunition and has half the normal range. Normal cost. LC 4.

Tag: The bullet contains a microcommunicator signal tracer detectable within 1 mile. Does normal damage. x2 cost. LC 4.

These are available for weapons firing projectiles of 15mm or larger size. They are bursting or explosive warheads. All have smart fuses, programmable through augmented reality as long as the shooter has a virtual interface or is a cybershell. It takes 2 seconds to reprogram one or more warheads in a weapon.

The warhead's radar fuse can be set to impact (detonates where it hits), proximity (detonates on a near miss), time-delay (detonates up to an hour later; no direct hit effects), or inert (no detonation.) A miss uses the rules for scatter. However, a proximity-fused round will explode 1 hex from the target on a miss by 1, or 2 hexes from the target on a miss by 2 (roll randomly: 1-3 to right, 4-6 to left.)

The warhead's effect depends on the warhead type purchased: HEMP, SEFOP, and MBC are common. If the warhead is set to 'inert', or is solid, it does the indicated crushing damage instead.

In addition to setting the fuse, the warhead's safety interlock can be set to free (detonates as above), tame (proximity sensor not triggered by people with friendly IFF), or safe with no detonation if friendly IFF is detected within 15 yards of a 15mm warhead, 30 yards of a 30mm, or 60 yards of a 60mm.)

A smart explosive warhead that uses octonitrocubane, roughly four times as potent at TNT. HEMP inflicts concussion and fragmentation damage. Sealed armor DR is squared vs. the concussion damage, but not the fragmentation damage. In addition, anyone directly hit takes shaped-charge damage (armor protects at 1/10 DR); laminate armor provides double DR vs the shaped charge, and electromagnetic armor triples DR. x2 cost. LC 0.

15mm: 1d concussion and 1d cutting fragmentation, 3d(10) shaped charge.

30mm: 5d concussion and 2d cutting fragmentation, 6d(10) shaped charge.

60mm: 4dx10 concussion and 6d cutting fragmentation; 6dx10(10) shaped charge.

A smart-fused explosive warhead that uses a stabilized metallic hydrogen explosive. The warhead inflicts concussion damage. On a direct hit, it detonates a foot or so away from the target; the detonation shapes the warhead into a high-velocity, metallic 'explosively formed penetrator' that does crushing damage. On a miss, the warhead explodes in a burst of fragments, depending on its safety setting. The warhead will not detonate if friendly personnel are in the area. x5 cost. LC 0.

15mm: 2d-1 concussion and either 6d(5) crushing or 1d cutting fragmentation.

30mm: 7d+2 concussion and either 6dx2(5) crushing or 2d cutting fragmentation.

60mm: 6dx10 concussion and either 6dx20(5) crushing or 6d cutting fragmentation.

Releases a cloud of chemicals or microbots. The effects linger for 300 seconds divided by the wind speed in mph (maximum 300 seconds). Add the cost of the filler - usually either a number of doses of a chemical or a microbot cyberswarm - to the normal cost of the ammunition.

15mm: Covers 1-hex radius (1 dose).

3m0m: Covers 6-hex radius (8 doses).

60mm: Covers 13-hex radius (64 doses) or carries a 1-hex cyberswarm.

These options are common:

Biochemical: An aerosol or contact-aerosol drug. LC depends on filler.

Nanoburn: Nanomachines which invade the body and break down bodily functions. This is a contact agent; it has no effect on nonliving things. Roll against HT-6 to avoid paralysis for (30-HT) minutes. If paralyzed, 1d-1 damage occurs every 3 minutes for the duration. Normal nerve-poison antidotes, as well as advantages such as Immunity to Poison, are largely ineffective, but do allow an additional HT roll every 3 minutes; success negates further damage and ends paralysis. $5/dose. LC 1.

Prismatic Smoke: Impairs visually aimed attacks or sighting (-5 penalty) and totally blocks laser fire, laser communications, and ladar into or through it. $2/dose. LC 5.

Hot Prism: As prismatic smoke, but adds hot metallic particules. Lasts half as long, but also impairs infrared- and radar-aimed attacks or sighting (-5 penalty). If breathed without a filter, it inflicts 1 HP/turn. $3/dose. LC 4.

Swarm: Houses a cyberswarm in acceleration-gel cocoon. Add cost of cyberswarm. LC depends on swarm.

Tear Gas: See Basic Set. $2/dose. LC 5.

Releases a sticky web which wraps around and immobilizes everything in the area. Armor DR does not protect against being hit, but anyone hit gets an extra Dodge roll to evade the strands before they close. The strands are too tight and sticky to be cut off. To escape, the victim may attempt one Quick Contest of Strength per minute vs. the strands' ST. If he is fully clothed, an Escape roll at -3 (one try every 10 minutes) will let him wriggle out of his clothes and get free. Multiple tangler hits add +25% to ST and -1 to Escape rolls. A failed attempt to break or wriggle free causes constriction inflicting 1 point of damage (rigid armor with DR 2+ protects against this.) 10 HP or more damage from intense heat will also free the victim, but he takes full burn damage. The strands lose their constricting ability after 24 hours, and then lose 1 ST per two hours. The easy way to remove tangler strands is with anti-tangler aerosol spray ($100, 2 lbs.), which disolves them instantly. LC 5.

15mm: single target, ST 10, $2.5.

30mm: 1-hex radius, ST 20, $25.

60mm: 4-hex radius, ST 40, $200.

A standard grenade in 2155 weighs 0.1 lb, costs $5, and is treated as a 30mm warhead (see Smart Warheads); all types except SEFOP are available. Use Throwing skill to throw a grenade. The distance a character can throw a grenade is ST x 3 yards. A grenade is Holdout +3.

Limpets: As hand grenades, but not balanced to throw. Instead, their biomimetic octopus-sucker coating can stick (or unstick) to almost any surface on receiving the correct communicator pulse. They can be used as handheld weapons (with any preset delay) by slapping them on someone. Limpets may also be worn on armor or cybershells as defensive decoys; e.g., limpets filled with prismatic smoke or the like can be set to trigger instantly if laser sensors detect a laser beam. To remove a limpet without the proper code, roll vs. ST-5, one try per second. Pulling them off of flesh does 1 point of damage.

These provide protection against dangerous environments or attack. Unless noted, no more than one layer of armor can be worn.

Flexible armor can be concealed under loose clothing, but is not rigid. If a crushing, cutting, or explosive attack strikes flexible armor, then blunt-trauma injury can occur even if the damage failed to penetrate DR. Every 6 rolled for damage does a minimum of 1 point of crushing damage.

Sealed armor prevents contact-aerosol agents from penetrating. With a sealed helmet, the armor is airtight, but requires oxygen tanks.

Vacc Suits provide vacuum support.

This flexible armor is made from biomimetic spider-silk proteins. Strong, yet supple, arachnoweave is manufactured in black, gray, or green for military or combat applications, or in bright patterns for sportswear. It can be comfortably worn as an undergarment, taking 2 seconds to slip on or off. It is DR 8 (DR 2 vs impaling.) $150, 1 lb. for vest, tights, or pants; $200, 2.5 lbs. for a full suit (protects everything but the head). LC 5.

This flexible armor is a multilayered weave of carbon nanotube fibers plus climate-control systems. The vest covers torso and vitals; the siot covers neck to toe. DR is halved vs. impaling attacks.

Light: DR 10. $400, 2 lbs. for a vest, $750, 5 lbs for a full suit. LC 5.

Medium: DR 20. $800, 4 lbs. for a vest, $1500, 10 lbs for a full suit. LC 4.

Heavy: DR 40. $1200, 6 lbs. for a vest, $3000, 20 lbs for a full suit. LC 3.

A flexible counter-pressure vacc suit made of multilayered nanocomposite fiber. It incorporates an extra layer for temperature control. The suit is flexible over the entire body. A helmet is not included; select one of the full helmets below. It requires a life-support pack. The gloves reduce DX and manual skills by -1. DR is halved vs impaling attacks.

Light: DR 12 to all locations. 15 lbs. $2,000. LC 4.

Light: DR 24 to all locations. 20 lbs. $3,000. LC 3.

Heavy: DR 40 to all locations. 30 lbs. $3,500. LC 2.

Suits have PF 1 (light or medium) or PF 2 (heavy) vs. radiation. A heavy suit may add rad shielding for an additional $1,000 and 20 lbs. This gives +10 DR, +3 PF.

A strap-on back-and-breast plate using metal-matrix laminate composites. It can be worn on its own or over flexible armor. Takes 10 seconds to put on or remove. Protects the torso and vitals. Three grades are available:

Light: DR 25. $280, 7 lbs.

Medium: DR 35. $400, 12 lbs.

Heavy: DR 55. $600, 18 lbs.

This resembles helmets used by 20th-century soldiers. It is unsealed and has no built-in accessories such as electronics or a gas mask. It provides DR 20 for the top of the head only (the brain). $30, 1.5 lbs.

A fully enclosed helmet. Work with a vacc suit, it is sealed and airtight. The faceplate incorporates a digital camera and microcommunicator that can work with the user's virtual interface to allow augmented reality, or to provide vision even when sealed. Takes 2 seconds to put on or remove, plus another second to seal. May have optics, computers, and communicators built into it, up to a maximum weight equal to its own weight.

Light: DR 20, $50, 2 lbs. See also Mobile Helmet.

Medium: DR 40, $70, 3 lbs.

Heavy: DR 60, $100, 5 lbs.

This resembles a nanoweave vacc suit, but made of tougher materials: a 3D molecular weave of smart-matter, machine-phase materials. This acts like artificial duplicating the wearer's every movement as if the suit were not there at all. Pressure sensors covering the suit's surface feel the shape of whatever the user touches and transmit it through the suit. Its weight does not count as encumbrance to the wearer, although the suit does not enhance strength. The smartsuit is sealed, so with a life support pack and air tank it can operate in vacuum. The suit 'heals' rips on its own.

Statistics are identical to nanoweave vacc suits, but multiply cost by 10 and weight by 2. DR protects at full value vs impaling damage. A D cell powers the suit for 16 hours (light), 12 hours (medium), or 8 (heavy).

A smartsuit is capable of reconfiguring itself on voice command, if the following modular options are added:

Cosmetic: The suit can change its color and hue on request, or even become partially or completely transparent (although not invisible). This is not an actual chameleon suit, but does allow the user to don a camouflage pattern (-2 to be spotted) if desired. Add $2,000.

Interphase: This allows two or more smartsuits in physical contact to slowly merge, effectively becoming a single, larger suit (like a big, tight sleeping bag) with all original occupants. This is useful for intimacy, first aid, etc., without breaching life support. Interphasing takes 10 seconds, and requires that all parties be cooperative, restrained, or not resisting. Interphased suits are clumsy, especially in gravity; basically, you can hop or roll at Move 1. Separating takes the same time; any suit wearer can initiate it. Add $5,000.

A battlesuit is an armored, strength-amplifying exoskeleton. Thick plates of laminated metal-matrix and nanocomposite armor over shock-absorbing padding protect the wearer. The suit is airtight and pressurized for vacuum, with a radiation PF of 10. It can accept a life support pack and air tanks. The suit's weight does not count as encumbrance while powered up. If the suit loses power, the wearer can still move - but he must use his own ST to carry the weight!

The helmet has an integral virtual interface frame, medium-range radio and laser communicators, and sensor systems equivalent to multi-view optics with a 4x teleview.

The battlesuit clamshells open, allowing the wearer to step in or out quickly (4 seconds to don, 2 to remove.) The suit does not need to be customized to its wearer: internal memswear systems adjust the fit. Use Battlesuit skill to operate it. Two examples:

Shenyang H-23: PLA SID scout battlesuit. DR 65 torso and head, DR 50 elsewhere. ST 20, Move 8. $50,000, 200 lbs., E/4 hours.

Vosper-Babbage Centurion: European Union space force battlesuit. DR 70 torso and head, DR 50 elsewhere. ST 24, Move 6. $60,000, 220 lbs., E/4 hours.

The following options can be added to suits or cybershells:

CBR Filter: A filter attachment rated to keep out military chemical, biological, and radioactive contaminants while allowing fresh air to pass through (removing the need for an air supply.) Add to any sealed helmet. $200, 1 lb. Spare filters (replace every 48 hours of use) are $40, 0.25 lb.

Chameleon: The surface of armor (or another object) can be coated with smart electrophoretic inks designed to alter coloration to blend it into the background. A moving wearer is -1 to be hit or visually spotted. If a wearer remains stationary for at least 2 seconds, the suit gives a -2 penalty after 2 seconds and a -3 after 3 seconds or more. $1,000, LC 5.

IFF Transponder: Sends a 'friendly' code when targeted by a friendly sensor or weapon with an IFF interrogator. $100, negligible weight, A/1 year.

IR Cloaking: Blends the wearer's heat signature into the background, giving a -3 penalty to infrared spotting and targeting, and a -10 on IR-homing projectiles' chance to hit. $1,500, 5 lb, 2B/24 hours.

Laser Sensors: Detect the 'touch' of a laser sighting beam and alert the wearer, giving him +1 to dodge an immediate laser-aimed attack. Also detect and warn of laser designators trained on the wearer. $2,000, 2 lbs., C/3 months.

Near Miss Indicator (NMI): Detects the flight path of projectiles passing within 5 yards (attack roll missed by 4 or less). Gives +2 to Vision rolls to pinpoint the source of fire. $1,000, negligible weight, A/2 months.

Radar Detector: Alerts the user if he's in the path of a radar beam, at up to twice that radar's range. $50, negligible weight, A/1 week.

Reactive Armor Paste: This sensor- and prism-embedded directional-explosive nanopaste can be lathered onto armor or flesh. It explodes outward to disrupt and partially counter impacts and beam-weapon strikes. One explosion occurs per attack (or group of shots from an automatic weapon). It provides an extra DR 20 against beams or projectiles, or DR 5 against melee or thrown weapon attacks. The wearer takes 1d explosive concussion damage per attack (or group of shots); DR under the paste will protect normally against this damage. A single coating is effective against 3 attacks (or groups) on each limb and the head, and 6 attacks on each of the front and back torso. $200, 4 lbs. per 10 square feet (enough to coat a human.)

2155-era medicine is extremely effective. If a person can be kept alive, and Fifth Wave medical care is available, then only injuries and diseases that rapidly destroy the brain or nervous system are likely to be fatal.

Transplants are tissue-engineered rather than provided by donors. It takes 6 weeks to custom-grow tissue using tissue-engineering techniques, or a week to do the same using biogenesis. Typical cost to grow a single limb, eye, or organ is $5,000 (doubled for biogenesis). The actual transplant operation might cost another $10,000 per part replaced. With limb transplants, full functionality is not attained for 6 weeks following the operation.

First aid takes 10 minutes and restores 1d damage, but requires the use of bandage spray. If the spray is unavailable, then first aid takes 20 minutes and repairs 1d-1 damage. Medical care by a physician is treated as TL10.

These are common tissue-engineered genemod organs. They provide the user with an advantage, but must be custom-grown in advance, and require a transplant operation and time to recover. See Biomods.

Andraste: This series of genemod organ transplants allows the recipient to breathe Martian air. Gives Mars-Adapted. $14,000 (5 weeks to grow, 7 weeks to recover.)

Bio-Booster: An adrenaline pump designed to supercharge the body in emergencies. Gives Hyper-Reflexes (Cardiac stress, -40%) and Hyper-Strength (Cardiac stress, -40%). Cardiac Stress means an HT roll is required every 10 seconds. Failure causes 1d of fatigue; critical failure means a heart attack (go to 0 HT, pass out, and die in HT/3 minutes unless given CPR, which requires a First Aid-4 or Physician roll.) $13,500 (4 weeks to grow, 2 weeks to recover.)

Boosted Heart: Implanted genemod muscle tissue and modified ventricle construction enhance strength and resiliency. Gives Extra FP +1 and Hard to Kill +1 (bonus also applies to Aging rolls and rolls to avoid heart attacks, +20%). $14,000 (6 weeks to grow, 8 weeks to recover.)

Flesh Pocket: A secret pouch implanted in the body. Gives Payload (1 lb. capacity). $1,000 (1 day to grow, 1/2 day to recover.)

Liver Upgrade: This filters out toxins, giving Alcohol Tolerance and Resistant to Poison. $10,000 (6 weeks to grow, 4 weeks to recover.)

No-Shock Glands: Gives the user High Pain Threshold (Limited use, 4 per day, -20%; Nuisance effect, -1 DX and IQ when activated and for one hour afterward, -20%). $12,000 (2 weeks to grow, 1 week to recover.)

Retinal Enhancement: Gives the user perfect vision. Corrects Bad Sight, or adds Acute Vision +1. $5,000 (1 week to recover.)

A clone is a genetic duplicate of a person. It normally has a slightly different appearance, since many features develop after conception (such as fingerprints). The GM should decide which advantages and disadvantages reflect heredity and which represent acquired characteristics.

A human or animal clone can be created by taking a live tissue sample of a person, removing cells, and carefully starving them until they become still living but quiescent. The donor cells are then fused with an egg cell taken from a female of the same species; the egg cell's own nucleus (with its DNA) is removed. This procedure takes about 3 days and costs $500. Now awakened, the egg cell, with donor nucleus, forms embryonic cells that can be implanted after a week or so in the donor (if female), or a surrogate mother or exowomb. It then develops like any other embryo, becoming a fetus and then a baby. Clones do not grow unusually fast or share an original's memory.

Cross-Sex Clones: Chromosome manipulation can change a clone's sex but keep it otherwise identical. This takes 1 week and costs $10,000 for a male-to-female change, or 3 weeks and $35,000 for female-to-male change.

Clones and the Law: Human clones have full civil rights; it is usually legal to clone oneself, but cloning another requires his permission (or that of his estate). Rights of parents to clone their children vary. Genetic upgrades, parahumans, bioroids, and sapient uplifts may have copyrighted genomes.

Anti-Toxin Kit: Neutralizes one specific non-nanotech toxin. 10 uses. $25, 0.5 lb.

Bandage Spray: One use can; seals and disinfects most minor wounds. $15, 0.1 lb.

Biomonitor: A 'Doc in a Box' gives a medic readouts on his patient's vital signs (+1 to Diagnosis skill). It can interrogate diagnostic nano (to obtain blood, biochemical, and microbiological samples) and determine pulse, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. Sensors and ultrasound transducers must be attached to the patient for diagnostics and communication with nano. $5,000, 0.5 lb., A/1 year.

Cyberdoc: A robot doctor, see p122.

Diagnosis Table: An examining table with a full range of biological and medical scanners using T-rays and ultrasound, plus an acoustic communication system for controlling diagnostic nanobots. The diagnostic table can monitor the patient's parameters remotely, unlike the portable biomonitor; the patient lies on the table and scan results are projected onto an overhead screen. Gives +5 to Diagnosis skill, or +7 if used with a HyMRI. $12,000, 250 lbs, 80 cf.

Drug Patch: Self-sticking patch soaked in a pre-measured dose of a specific drug. The most common are painkillers and antibiotics. $10+, negligible weight.

Emergency Support Unit: The ESU is used to stabilize critically ill patients. It assists or replaces heart and lung function once connected. A skilled operator can hook someone up in 10 seconds. It can maintain the biological functions of someone who is clinically dead (but not at or below -5 x HT) and perform whole-blood transfusions. A blood-wash (removing nanomachines in the bloodstream) takes 2 hours. $15,000, 120 lbs.

Enzyme-Blocking Drug: Gives +8 to HT rolls to recover from a specific disease. $5/dose.

Medkit, Emergency: Gives +1 to First Aid skill. $150, 1 lb.

Medkit, Paramedic: Gives +2 to First Aid skill, and allows Diagnosis, Physician, and Surgery skills to be used at no penalty. $750, 7.5 lbs.

Medkit, Vehicle: Gives +2 to First Aid skill, and +1 to Diagnosis, Physician, and Surgery skills. $5,000, 50 lbs.

Nanostasis Pod: A sealed, padded, and shielded pod that enables a person to be carried safely as cargo while in nanostasis. Provides radiation PF 10. $5,000, 0.5 ton, 50 cf.

Plastiskin: 6“ x 6” patch of artificial skin. $10, negligible weight.

Pneumospray Hypo: An air-shot hypodermic with 100 shots (extras $10, negligible weight). $125, 0.25 lb.

These are injected into a patient's body.

Bionet: This is a network of microbots with acoustic transmitters, designed to spread through the body and serve as a communications relay system, receiving biochemical signals from smaller medical nano. It takes an hour to circulate through the body. It must be installed before radical nanosurgery or the use of programmable immune machines. It allows diagnostic nano to report without having to retrieve them; this lets the nano remain in the patient, providing constant updates. $1,000/dose. Will degrade harmlessly within a month.

Diagnostic Nano: Tiny robots used to determine what is wrong with a patient. Adds +5 to Diagnosis skill; can also identify nanomachines, such as the proteus virus. Takes two hours to circulate through body and diagnose problems, and another hour to retrieve. The patient must be attached to a diagnostic bed, cyberdoc, or ESU. Alternatively, a bionet can be established and the diagnostic nano can report more rapidly and constantly. $2,000/dose. Can be retrieved using an ESU or cyberdoc, or will degrade harmlessly in a month.

Programmable Immune Machines: These are nanomachines that can be programmed to destroy specific viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections, cancers, or nanosymbionts. The target must have been correctly diagnosed for them to function. A Physician roll is needed to program them for a target (this takes half an hour.) If the roll was a success, they will destroy their target within an hour; if it failed, they have no effect (try again.) $500/dose.

Surgical Microbots: Miniswarm of microbots optimized for internal procedures, controlled through a bionet. Adds +4 to any Surgery roll, or allows internal surgery that is otherwise impossible. Not usable for nanosurgery or brainpeeling. Reusable. $15,000. 0.1 lb. LC 5.

An artificial womb tank that can be used to grow a multicellular animal (such as a human) from gametes to healthy adulthood. This is no faster than natural growth. An organism developing in an exowomb has the same awareness as a baby in its womb. If kept past the fetal stage, it will not develop mentally in the absence of stimuli. An exowomb requires a Complexity 4+ computer to monitor life support. A womb for a human-sized organism is $100,000, 250 lbs., 50 cf. It runs on building or vehicle power (0.1 kW.) Renting an exowomb costs $3,000 per month.

A high-definition magnetic resonance imager, commonly used to see inside the body and diagnose problems. HyMRI uses superconducting magnets and spin-polarized gases for maximal contrast enhancement. THe gases (xenon-129 or helium-3) are hyperpolarized, using laser light to increase the proportion of atoms spinning in the same direction. They are then inhaled or injected. The HyMRI is further enhanced by exploiting intermolecular quantum effects, giving resolutions far better than 20th-century designs (down to 2 nanometers.) A HyMRI can also be used in psychiatry, focusing intense fields on areas of the brain. $250,000, 500 lbs., 10 cf. Runs off building/vehicle power. LC 4.

Drugs may come as pills, injectable liquids, aerosols, patches, etc. Most are available in multiple forms. Many are actually encapsulated nanofactories that manufacture proteins and nanoviruses to adjust the user's biochemistry. Those that affect the user's brain chemistry are commonly known as 'brainbugs'. Developments in neurochemistry allow safe drugs to be designed deliberately to produce varied effects.

Effects: Select one or more of these advantages or disadvantages (those marked * must have at least long-term duration): Absent-Mindedness, Acceleration Tolerance, Alcohol Tolerance, Alertness 1-2, Attentive, Autotrance, Bad Temper, Berserk, Bestial, Blindness, Collected, Combat Paralysis, Combat Reflexes, Composed, Cowardice, Deep Sleeper*, Delusions*, Disease-Resistant*, Dreamer, Edgy, Eidetic Memory, Epilepsy, Extra Fatigue 1-5, Flashbacks, Gullibility, High Pain Threshold, Imaginative, Imperturbable, Lazy, Lecherousness, Less Sleep 1-5*, Manic-Depressive, No Hangover*, Overconfidence, Paranoia, Pious, Radiation Tolerance 2*, Rapid Healing*, Short Attention Span, Single-Minded, Slave Mentality, Solipsist, Sterile, Truthfulness, Unfazeable, Weak Will 1-4, Very Rapid Healing*.

Drugs may also slow, regular, fast, or instant degeneration: treat as Regeneration, but losing hits instead.

As well, a drug may mitigate any of the disadvantages listed above (depending on their cause), along with Chronic Depression, Insomniac, Migraine, Motion Sickness, Space Sickness, and some types of Terminally Ill, canceling the effects for as long as the drug is taken.

Duration: Select the duration. A drug's effects may be short-term (lasting [25-HT] minutes), medium-term (lasting [25-HT]/4 hours), long-term (one full day), or very long-term (up to a week). Multiple doses extend duration rather than increasing effect.

Agent: A drug may be a pill, injection, aerosol, contact agent, or aerosol contact agent. Pills take effect in 30 seconds and can be dissolved in drinks. Contact agents (patches) take 5 minutes. Aerosols or injections take effect immediately. A user gets a HT roll to resist any disadvantage. Roll at HT-6 if the drug is an injection or pill, HT-4 if aerosol, and HT-2 if contact agent.

Cost: Cost is the sum of the absolute point values of all advantages and disadvantages the drug simulates, multiplied by a base cost for duration: $2 for short-term, $10 for medium-term, $50 for long-term, and $250 for very long-term. For example, a medium-term 15-point advantage or -15-point disdavantage would cost $150. Multiply cost by 2 for aerosol or contact agents, or by 10 for aerosol contact agents.

LC: Drugs are LC 5 unless they induce more than -10 points of disadvantages, in which case they are LC 4. Reduce LC by 1 for aerosols or contact agents, 2 for aerosol contact agents.

Cheap Drugs: These are produced in 'black' labs that lack quality control, and are generally half as expensive. Roll 3d whenever someone takes cheap drugs. On a 15 or 16, the drug fails to work at all; on a 17 or 18, it also has a nasty side effect (GM's option, ranging from 3d damage to acquiring a disadvantage like Paranoia or Short Attention Span for the drug's duration).

Drug Addiction: Modern drugs are not physically addictive. However, a drug that produces effects that empower an individual or let him escape from his troubles (GM's option, may depend on the user) may result in psychological dependency if more than one dose is taken in a 2-day period (roll vs. Will to avoid addiction, at -1 per extra dose taken.) This results in the Addiction disadvantage (see Addiction for rules for psychological dependency.) The GM may also assign other effects…

Drugs taken to assist in memory. An mnemotropic regime allows acquisition of skill points at twice the normal rate. Costs $100/week.

“Cry Baby!” neuro-agent.

Effects: Cowardice (-10), Weak Will 1 (-8).

Duration: Short-term - (25-HT) minutes.

Agent: Aerosol - HT-4 to resist.

Cost: $72/dose. LC: 3.

Hobbes: This suppresses the user's reasoning ability; the user regresses to a more animalistic behavior pattern. He acquires the disadvantage Bestial. Often taken deliberately as a form of therapy.

Kujang: This brainbug causes the user to experience the flow of time as if everything were slightly slowed down. He gains Combat Reflexes (those who already have Combat Reflexes get twice the usual bonuses!) Excessive use can produce effects similar to post-traumatic stress syndrome. The user must roll vs. Will once per day of use to avoid acquiring the Careful disadvantage, or, if he already has Careful, Paranoia. Roll vs Will again when the bug wears off. On a failure, the disadvantage becomes permanent.

Metatron: This jacks up the user's mystical faculties, leaving him feeling that revelation is around the corner. He gains the advantages of Autotrance and Pious. However, he must make a Will roll daily to avoid acquiring the Delusion that he has the Illuminated advantage, and another Will roll weekly to avoid being driven to acquire Disciplines of Faith.

Nepenthe: The most popular 'feel-good' brainbug. The user is unable to feel really sad or afraid, regardless of what happens to him. This brainbug temporarily deactivates disadvantages such as Chronic Depression or the depressive part of Manic-Depressive. This amounts to Imperturbable (Negative emotions only, +0%).

Zero: The user becomes a sociopath. He gains Bloodlust and Solipsist, and loses (if he had them) Combat Paralysis, Honesty, and Pacifism.

Nanosymbionts are colonies of bionanomachines installed in a host's body to perform useful services. Nanosymbionts may be permanent residents or temporary lodgers. They can be used by anyone with a biological body. Bioshells can use any nanosymbionts that affect the body, but not those that affect the brain.

Temp nanomods are the usual form of Fifth Wave medical care. A doctor will analyze someone's condition, then prescribe appropriate nanomods. A typical temp nanomod comes in a sterile package housing a bee-sized capsule. This contains the applicator-programmer and billions of tiny nanomachines.

The user may set a temp nanomod's duration for anywhere from 1 day to 2 weeks. Once set, it cannot be changed. The user then swallows the nanomod capsule, which takes effect within 1 hour. (Exception: respirocytes take effect within 1 minute.) The applicator-programmer capsule will be excreted normally, while the nanosymbionts remain within the body for the set duration.

It is possible to buy cheap temp nanomods at half cost. If using cheap nanomods, roll 3d. On a 17 or 18, they malfunction. Add +2 to the roll for every other nanomod (permanent or temporary) that the person is using at the same time. Malfunctioning nanomods generally inflict 1d-2 (minimum 1) points damage per day until they are destroyed or wear off, with side effects similar to fever. At the GM's option, other nasty side effects related to the nanomod's function are possible.

These are a more expensive version of temp nanomods, since they must be designed with long-term durability and self-repair capabilities. As they provide permanent advantages, the GM may optionally charge character points for them.

Various nanosymbionts are described below. The point cost applies only to permanent nanomods. The lower of the two prices given is for temp nanomods; the higher price is for permanent nanomods. Updates to permanent nanosymbionts that destroy 'known' bacteria, viruses, or whatever are regularly available, costing about 1% of the original purchase price.

Artery Cleaners: Use tiny biomechanical brushes, cilia, and rotors to clear plaque and fatty deposits from arterial surfaces, reducing the risk of heart disease. If someone who has been using artery cleaners for at least six months would lose a point of HT due to a failed aging roll, roll 1d: on a 1-3, they don't lose the HT. $100/$5,000.

Bacteriophages: Patrol for and destroy known bacterial and parasitic pathogens (no effect on viruses). They give Immunity to Disease (known bacteria only, -60%). $200/$10,000.

Brain Boosters: Increase nerve-firing rates and improve neutral connectivity. Add Enhanced Time Sense. $2,250/$112,500.

Carcinophages: Patrol for and destroy any cancers in the body. They give Immunity to Disease (affects cancers instead of disease, -70%). Permanent mods also defer the age at which aging begins, and at which rolls increase in frequency, by 10 years. $150/$7,500.

DNA Repair: Repair damage to cellular genetic material from aging processes and radiation. They give Slow Regeneration (only heals radiation, -60%), healing 10 rads every 12 hours. Permanent mods also defer the age at which aging begins, and at which rolls increase in frequency, by 10 years. $200/$10,000.

Guardians: Seek and destroy any nano not already resident in the body when they were implanted. If a HT roll is allowed to resist, such as for nanoburn or proteus virus, they provide a +8 to resist. If none is allowed, they destroy nano on 14 or less (one try only). This is treated as Panimmunity 2 (Nano only, -40%). $150/$7,500.

Immune Machines: Enhanced-immune system nanobots. They provide Panimmunity 1 ($20/$1,000) or Panimmunity 2 ($100/$5,000).

Lung Cleaners: Roam the lungs to remove inhaled debris and harmlessly encapsulate and recycle it. They provide Filter Lungs. $250/$12,500.

Metabolic Regulators: Allow the user to regulate his metabolic rate by transmitting commands to the nanomods. He must have a virtual interface implant to do so. They give Metabolism Control 2. $500/$25,000.

Microgravity Biochemistry: Make metabolic adjustments to prevent degeneration in microgravity or zero gravity, providing No Degeneration in Zero-G. $300/$15,000.

Nerve Boosters: Replace several neural myelin sheaths with synthetic material to speed up nerve impulses. Gives user Increased Speed 1. Not available as a temp nanomod. –/$125,000.

Pore Cleaners: Clean skin pores and eliminate sweat. $10/$500.

Respirocytes: These function like oxygen-carrying red blood cells, but with many times the transport capability. They store extra oxygen and carbon dioxide, transport it, and release it in intelligent fashion in response to need. They provide Extra Fatigue +2 and Oxygen Storage(14). $1,000/$50,000.

Tooth Cleaners: These keep the user's teeth clean without any need for brushing or toothpaste. $20/$1,000.

Virus Hunters: These detect and eliminate known viral pathogens, providing Immunity to Disease (Known viruses only -60%). $200/$10,000.

These nanomachines enter the body and rewrite the genetic code. Taking control of the cell's metabolism, they can alter the genetic information contained within the DNA, or insert entirely new genes. They can be delivered via injection, aerosol, etc. They take effect after 5d minutes. A HT-6 roll is needed to resist. Bonuses for Disease Resistant, Guardians, and Panimmunity apply; Immunity to Disease gives +10 HT rather than total resistance.

Many types of proteus virus exist, but they are limited to 'soft' changes, whose effects will be seen in altered skin cells or blood cells, modified neurochemistry, and so on. Each proteus virus has a cost and a time (the number of days it takes the nanovirus to finish its work, after the incubation period is over.) Some examples:

Birth Control: After onset of first pregnancy, it fools the mother's immune system into attacking developing blastocysts, resulting in undetectable early abortions of second or later children. Subject becomes Sterile (after one child, -75%). $500 (and 2 days).

Cosmetic: Different versions alter hair, skin, or eye color, or fix baldness. Subject gains 0-point features, but viral dyes that cure or produce Albinism also exist. Exotic colors are also possible; e.g., blue skin, metallic nails, or green hair. $200 (and 1 day) for a batch of virus that produces a single cosmetic change; e.g., turn eyes green or hair metallic pink. Multiply the cost and time by the number of features it produces.

Metabolic Reset: Bulk may be altered up or down from Very Fat to Fat to Overweight to normal to Skinny. Lose or gain one step per 2 days until designated stage is reached. $1,000.

Skin Transformation: Causes subject to sprout thin, regular, or thick fur ($20,000, 1 week), or very light scales or spiny fur ($40,000, 2 weeks.)

The following option can be added to any nanovirus:

Aerosol: The nanovirus can be used in a chemical warhead or aerosol spray. It uses the normal rules for biochemical weapons, affecting anyone who breathes it and fails a HT-6 roll. x10 price.

These are various techniques used to study and manipulate the human mind.

This uses diagnostic nanomachines in conjunction with HyMRI to create an accurate mental model of the way a person thinks (a 'persona map'). The subject must be conscious, but cooperation is not required. Roll against Electronics Operation (Medical) at -2 to make a brain scan; later updates are performed at +1 and generally take a few hours. Careful study of a recent persona map requires a successful Psychology skill roll and at least two hours. It reveals a person's main mental advantages, disadvantages, and quirks, and gives a +2 to Psychology and +1 to other social skills when dealing with that individual.

Deep Brainscanning: This is an interactive brainscan. The subject must be fitted with both upslink and downslink implants, and parts of the brain associated with memory recall are actively stimulated using nanotherapy techniques. The subject is conscious but in a dreamlike state through most of the process. Roll weekly rather than daily. Success provides data that gives triple the bonus of a brainscan, and which is sufficient to design a shadow.

Brainscanning usually costs $2,500; deep brainscanning costs $10,000.

This uses precisely focused HyMRI fields in conjunction with cellular microsurgeons to selectively obliterate or connect tiny parts of the brain. Before psychosurgery can take place, successful persona mapping is required. Psychosurgery can destroy most mental advantages (e.g., Charisma or Intuition) and any mental disadvantage. It can give someone disadvantages that represent loss of a mental faculty (e.g., Amnesia or No Sense of Humor). It can cure a mental disadvantage that does not represent such a lack; thus, it could 'cure' a Delusion, but not Weak Will. A cure must be balanced by adding a new disadvantage representing a lack of faculties (or removing an existing advantage) whose point total is worth at least half as much as the disadvantage cured. Thus, you could burn Fanaticism (-15) out of someone's brain, but leave him Confused (-10). This costs $1,000 times point change (1 day recovery), minimum $10,000. For more extensive rules, see Biotech.

These procedures involve shutting down a patient's entire metabolism. The patient must be placed in an exowomb. Usually, the patient is already in nanostasis or hooked to an ESU. In the latter case, nanostasis is initiated prior to immersion in the womb tank.

Nanostasis is a means of safely shutting down a person's metabolism, putting him into a state of suspended animation.

Nanobots place protective scaffolding and fixatives around and within every cell in the patient's body, taking four hours. Two percent of the nanobots used remain in place to act as markers. The rest are removed at the completion of the process, which takes an hour. Organisms in stasis do not require oxygen or food; they cannot age or deteriorate, but are vulnerable to extremes of temperature, radiation, and pressure. These may cause damage to the marker nanobots in the case of radiation, or variously ignite, freeze, pulp, or desiccate the creature being preserved. Nanostasis nanomachines cost $100,000, but since most are recoverable, the typical medical fee is $5,000.

Reversal of nanostasis requires an ESU. It takes a day to remove the preservatives, warm the body, and use nanomachines to restart bodily functions. The procedure is relatively safe, but the subject will be disoriented and confused for hours (sometimes days) afterward. The process supervisor must make a Physician roll. Critical failure means the patient has the Confused disadvantage for 20-HT hours, and has Amnesia (Partial) for at least a week; roll vs. HT weekly to recover. Failure produces the same effects, but roll vs. HT daily to regain memory. On a success, Confused lasts only (20-HT)/2 hours and there is no memory loss. Critical success allows immediate recovery. Revival nanomachines cost $200,000, but all are recoverable. The usual medical fee is $2,500 (excluding care while recovering.)

The subject must be immersed in an exowomb. Nanomachines permeate the patient's body, instructing and assisting every viable cell in what repairs to make. Nonviable cells are programmed to apoptose (self-destruct), or are removed and replaced with clones of healthy cells. Damage heals at 2 points per day. Radiation damage is repaired at the rate of 20 rads per day. One week is required to treat any diseases present. In 6 weeks, missing limbs and organs can be regrown. The procedure requires $100,000 worth of cell-surgeon nano, 99% of which are recoverable at treatment's end. Usual fee is $5,000 plus $2,500/day.

This is an anti-aging treatment. Proteus viruses reset cellular clocks. Senescent or dying cells are apoptosed and replaced by healthy clones. After six weeks of treatment, the subject's body is restored to young adulthood and full health. All age-related disadvantages and attribute losses are removed. There is a risk of causing irreparable brain damage during the process. Treatment requires $1,000,000 in rejuvenation nano, 95% of which can be reused after the procedure. Usual cost is $450,000.

This procedure is still controversial due to the risk factor involved. Upon the patient's revival, the supervisor must make a Physician roll. Critical failure on this roll results in brain death. Failure means that the patient is Confused for 20-HT hours, and has Amnesia (Partial); roll vs. HT weekly to recover. Success produces the same effects, but roll vs. HT daily to regain memory. On a critical success, Confused lasts only (20-HT)/2 hours and there is no memory loss.

This technology involves the nanodissection of the subject's brain and its recording as digital media. The subject must be placed in nanostasis. A cybershell with Micromanipulators 2, such as a bush robot, is required to perform the operation, along with a computer running a Ghost Compiler program. Brainpeeling takes 10 hours. Both a Surgery roll at -10 and Computer Programming roll at -5 are required to succeed. Bonuses for Manual Dexterity apply to Surgery, and the rolls can be split between two doctors. A failure on one roll means only a fragment can be created; failure on both, or any critical failure, means the upload fails completely. Regardless, only one try is possible: brainpeeling kills the subject and destroys his brain!

Ghosts: A mind emulation based on this data has the original's DX and IQ, any strictly mental advantages, disadvantages, or quirks, and all skills. It has full memory and personality. Refer to the Ghost template for other advantages and disadvantages.

Fragments: As above, but points the original put into mental skills are halved and points in physical skills are divided by 4 (round down), reducing levels accordingly. It will suffer Amnesia (Partial). Refer to the Fragment template for other advantages and disadvantages.

Uploading the Dead: It is possible to upload a dead person's mind and retrieve a ghost or fragment, as long as the brain is intact. This is at the GM's option, but total destruction (-10 x HT), 5,000+ rads, or death from damage to the brain usually precludes uploading. Deep structures containing long-term memories may survive for a few hours after death, but not indefinitely. Rolls are at a -2 for any corpse, with an additional -1 penalty per hour past death unless preserved via cryonics or nanostasis. A corpse preserved via cryonics has an extra -3, however, due to cell damage from freezing. Memories from the last 1d x 20 minutes before the person died will often be lost in the uploading process. This means that someone who is revived via uploading will often have no memory of the last moments of his life.

Xoxing: Once an upload is made, it can be copied any number of times. No skill roll is required to do this.

“We Marines believe in close air support. Since the USAF is usually too busy to visit Earth, the Corps has assigned each of you your own personal air force. That gadget bolted onto the back of your M-70 armor is the M-823 Apshai personal-defense hive. It houses four Nanodynamics microbot cyberswarms, radiothermal-generator powered, with mission-tailored equipment packages. The repair and medical swarms will fix up you and your suit, with the hive having ducted access to your suit interior. The explorers are expendable recon assets whose utilization you should maximize in built-up areas. The devourers provide close protection against hostile swarms, and an antipersonnel capability against anyone stupid enough to close with you. Trust your swarmies like your brothers. They are a gestalt intelligence composed of 4,000 tiny little buddies programmed to do just one thing: look after your sorry butts.” – Gunnery Sergeant Juanita Rodriguez-Martello, USMC, 2105

Microbots are insect- to microbe-sized robots with microscopic components. None of them are individually intelligent. Because they are so small, they are treated as groups rather than as individuals. They are controlled by pinhead-sized or smaller computers running simple programs modeled on insect behavior patterns. A colony of such robots has intelligence superior to that of any component part, just as an ant colony is an extremely adaptive organism, while each ant is amazingly stupid.

A group of microbots is called a cyberswarm. A cyberswarm consists of hundreds or thousands of microbots programmed to act in concert. They follow simple, preprogrammed behavior, moving in a specified pattern to perform their tasks and then (if so programmed) return to base. Individual microbots are rarely larger than fleas, so it is most convenient to measure cyberswarms in hexes. A typical swarm is 1 hex in size, but swarms can be larger. Up to 10 swarms can effectively 'stack' in a hex; a dense swarm can be more effective.

The procedure to design a cyberswarm is simple: select a swarm size (in hexes) and chassis, then choose an equipment package. This will determine the swarm's cost and capabilities.

A one-hex cyberswarm weighs one pound. It has ST 1, DX 10, IQ 4, HT 12, and 12 HP. Its skill at any task it is equipped for (see Microbot Equipment Packages is equal to its current hit points (to a maximum of 12 for multi-hex swarms), while its IQ is equal to its current hit points /3, rounded down (but no higher than 4). As it is effectively a hive intelligence, the more damage the swarm takes, the stupider it gets!

The chassis provides the basic body, motive system, sensors, and brain. Select the chassis for the cyberswarm and calculate its cost. All costs are per hex of swarm; for swarms larger than 1 hex, multiply by the number of hexes.

Aerostat: A tiny, lighter-than-air balloon with an air turbine. Move 2 (flying in air). $3,500.

Armored Crawler: Similar to the crawler, but with a tougher shell. Armored crawlers can survive corrosive atmospheres or high pressures (such as on Venus). Move 2 (on the ground.) $6,500.

Crawler: Each microbot vaguely resembles a tiny, metallic ant or beetle, or a miniature tracked vehicle. Move 3 (on the ground) or 1 (swimming). $2,500.

Dust: The swarm resembles a cloud of dust motes unless examined using Microscopic Vision, bughunters, or a chemscanner. Dust swarms are tinier than other cyberswarms, but lack mobility. The only equipment package they may have is Surveillance. $600.

Flyer: This looks like a tiny helicopter, or a mechanical wasp or bee. Move 8 (flying in air) or 2 (on the ground). $10,500.

Hopper: Each microbot vaguely resembles a tiny, metallic flea or cricket, with long rear legs. Move 4 (straight-line hopping movement) or 3 (on the ground). $2,500.

Space: The swarm can link together to function as a solar sail, accelerating at up to 0.0001 G within the inner solar system. It can also crawl on the ground at Move 2. $10,500.

Swimmer: These microbots resemble tiny robot submarines, tadpoles, or water insects with teeth and arms. Move 4 (swimming). $2,500.

Toy: The microbots resemble miniature toy humans, animals, etc. They are generally restricted in their operating radius and limited to Move 1. The only equipment package they may have is Play. $500.

Most cyberswarms can be disguised as a swarm of real animals (typically insects) of similar size and shape. This costs an extra $1,000/hex. Aerostats cannot be disguised. Space disguise is only effective when crawling. As well, any swarm can have a chameleon system for $500/hex. A disguised swarm's true identity can be determined if it takes damage. An RTG-powered swarm also shows up on radiation detectors.

The default power system is batteries. These power the swarm for 3 hours of operation or mobility. A swarm that isn't doing anything, or a space swarm that is flying, consumes minimalpower. For flyers only, 1 hour of flight consumes as much power as 2 hours of crawling (a flyer swarm can conserve power by crawling.) The swarm can recharge by entering a cyberswarm hive and hooking up to an attached power supply; recharging the entire swarm requires 0.025 kWh of energy per hour of operating time. Alternatives include:

Gastrobot: These 'live off the land' while performing their duties. They will eat about as much as a similar-sized swarm of insects. They breathe air, and cannot survive in vacuum or at very low pressures. Add $2,000 to cost.

RTG: The microbots have miniscule radiothermal generators. These use tiny amounts of radioactive material, the decay of which releases energy enough to power the microbot for 1 year. These can be detected by Geiger counters. Add $3,500 to cost. LC 3.

Solar Cell: The microbots have small solar panels built into their bodies or wings, in addition to batteries. In bright light, they can recharge energy sufficient for 30 minutes of operating time for each hour they remain dormant. Add $1,500 to cost.

A cyberswarm's function depends on the specialized tools, manipulators, programming, and sensors of its constituent microbots. (A swarm with a given function might actually represent several different types of microbots working together.) A swarm may normally have only one of the following packages, with the exception of functions that explicitly note that they can be combined with other functions. All costs are per hex of swarm; for swarms larger than 1 hex, multiply by the number of hexes.

Bughunter: These microbots contain emissions sensors (treat as Field Sense). Each hex of bughunters can sweep one hex per minute to locate surveillance devices, hidden microbots, or similar devices. They have Electronics Operation (Security Systems)-12 for this function only. $4,000.

Cannibal: The microbots are preprogrammed to cannibalize other objects to build a single, specific gadget, using their own budies as component parts. They must first find an object that contains raw materials suitable for the task. Creating mechanical devices (guns, engines) requires objects made of metal. Plastics often are broken down to make gas, propellants, etc. Creating electronic devices requires cannibalizing other electronic systems; any such device in the area takes damage as per a devourer swarm. Whatever is cannibalized is destroyed (or, rather, transformed). Assembly takes 1 minute per pound of gadget weight, divided by the swarm in hexes. Whether the process works depends on the suitability of the available material. The process produces residual heat, so it is best to employ it on a nonflammable surface (such as a concrete floor) and turn off smoke detectors. Each cannibal swarm is specific to one gadget or weapon (but a swarm may build several closely related gadgets as long as they can all be fused into one object; e.g., a gun with a laser sight, a helmet with built-in infrared goggles, or a cybershell.) The maximum weight of the gadget is 10 lbs. per hex of the swarm. Cost of the swarm is 15 times that of the intended gadget or $15,000/hex, whichever is more. Cannibal swarms are LC 1 or the LC of whatever they build, whichever is lower.

Cleaning: The swarm is programmed to move around a predetermined area, removing dust and grit, and polishing smooth surfaces with tiny brushes. Their sensors determine when material might be damaged by their actions; they can safely polish lenses, and even harmlessly clean people! Each hex of swarm can thoroughly clean a one-hex area every minute. This is among the most common of cyberswarms; some large spacecraft and buildings have permanent colonies of solar-powered cleaning swarms to polish windows, viewports, and sensor lenses. $1,000.

Construction: The cyberswarm is designed to tunnel, dig ditches, etc. It is equipped with small arms and digging jaws. Each hex of swarm can dig as if it had ST 3 (rather than ST 1) and a pick and shovel (see B90.) They are often employed for mining, or civil or military engineering. They can also pile up loose earth, rock, etc., into ramparts, dikes, or walls. $1,000.

Decontamination: Removes traces of most biotoxins, persistent chemicals, radioactive fallout, etc. Each hex of swarm can decontaminate a one-hex area every minute. A hex of swarm can decontaminate a 10-hex area before requiring replacement. $1,000.

Defoliator: This swarm kills foliage within its hex, but has no effect on other living creatures. It takes the swarm 10 seconds to strip a hex clean of bushes or foliage. It can also be programmed to carefully trim plants; this takes one minute per hex. It may be programmed to affect specific plants (for example, weeds) or to mow lawns. $1,500.

Devourer: These microbots have small, diamond jaws; a swarm of hundreds of such robots can chew through almost any barrier or armor, given time. Any target, organic or machine, caught in a devourer cyberswarm takes 1d+3 points of damage per turn. DR protects normally if it covers the entire body, but a cyberswarm that cannot penetrate armor will destroy 1 point of armor DR every turn! If multiple hexes of swarm condense into the same hex, DR reduction is cumulative. $8,000. LC 1.

Explorer: The swarm is programmed to probe in a spiral pattern, using contact sensors to take minute chemical samples of materials encountered. Explorers may be programmed to look for particular mineral or chemical traces, explosives, water, organic molecules, etc. After a predetermined search pattern, the swarm is programmed to deposit its samples in an automated analysis hive that collects and chemically analyzes them. The hive can process one hex of swarm samples per minute. By analyzing where and when the swarm found items or encountered impassable barriers (such as water, if the swarm cannot swim or fly), the hive's dedicated computer can build up a map of the area explored. $500.

Forensic: This can gather forensic evidence, sweeping one hex per hour. Forensic microbots can gather vast amounts of data, analyzing organic and inorganic detritus: skin flakes, blood, clothing fibers, food residue, etc. A forensic swarm can also clean up evidence at the same speed. $4,000. LC 4.

Gremlin: The swarm is equipped with tiny drills, cutters, and the like, and is programmed to crawl inside electronic or mechanical devices and jam up the works, slice through wires, eat circuits, etc. Only sealed machinery or electronics, or devices lacking small moving parts, are safe. Each hex does 1 point of damage/turn to unsealed machinery, ignoring armor DR; machinery acquires a Malf of 17, with an extra -1 each time it loses 10% of its HT. Damage caused by gremlins doesn't physically destroy an object, but is treated like other damage for repair purposes, etc. For non-weapon devices, check for malfunction when they are turned on and each minute they are in use. Sabotage is not immediately obvious. $2,000. LC 1.

Harvester: These can harvest crops with an effective Agronomy skill of 12. $2,000.

Hypo: As Stinger, but with the user's drug of choice. Anyone who takes damage must make the necessary rolls to avoid the effects of the drug. $2,000, plus the cost of 10 doses of the drug. LC 3.

Illumination: The microbots glow in the dark, illuminating the area they occupy. Illumination level can be varied from a soft glow to bright enough to read by. This can be combined with any other system. $100.

Painter: Similar to Cleaning, but programmed to spread paint or ink around. Simply upload a particular design, provide paint, and they will go to work. Each hex of microbots can paint 1 hex per minute, and paint up to 2 hexes before requiring paint refills. $500.

Paramedic: A paramedic swarm is composed of a variety of individual microbot subtypes. Some taste blood and perform diagnosis; some cut away damaged tissue, clean wounds, sew up cuts, and inject drugs; and some enter the body to perform internal repairs or diagnosis. First, the swarm stops the patient's bleeding. Then it performs first aid (takes 30 minutes), cleaning and repairing damaged tissue. Each hex can treat one person at a time. Has Diagnosis-12 and First Aid-12. $6,000.

Pesticide: The swarm is equipped to hunt down and eliminate fleas, spiders, and other pests. Flyer swarms can also engage and destroy flies and mosquitoes. They will inflict 1d damage per turn to swarms composed of ordinary or gengineered insects. The microbots' actions are harmless to humans, although they can be entertaining or distracting. $1,000.

Play: The microbots play and interact with one another in an amusing fashion. For example, a 'farm in a box' might contain microbots that look and act like tiny animals, agricultural robots, human farmers, etc. $100-$1,000.

Pollinator: The swarm functions as artificial bees, spreading pollen or seeds. This is useful if normal insects are not available, or cannot adapt to the local climate or ecology. $1,000.

Repair: The swarm has the tools and programming to repair a single, specific model of equipment, plus appropriate Armoury, Electronics Operation, or Mechanic skills at 12. A single swarm fixes things at about one-tenth the speed of a human, but up to 10 swarms can combine to make repairs at a progressively faster rate. The package costs $500, plus $250 per additional model of equipment the microbots are programmed to fix, to a maximum of four types of equipment per swarm.

Sensor Array: Each microbot in the swarm mounts an infrared sensor and a lasercom. They coordinate to form a synthetic-aperture infrared sensor array (treat as Infravision). Effective range is 1/2 mile per hex of swarm (5 miles/hex in space); all hexes must be adjacent to one another, with no more than one swarm per hex. The swarm will normally remain stationary or follow a particular individual, and is programmed to upload imagery to him. This function is only available for aerostat, space, or flyer swrams. $2,000.

Sentry: These microbots are equipped with weapons optimized for combating other microbots. Each hex inflicts 2d damage per turn on other microbot swarms. $5,000.

Stinger: These microbots have tiny jaws or stinging needles. The swarm does 1 point of damage per turn to living beings (only) in contact with it, unless they are completely covered in sealed armor. $1,500. LC 2.

Surveillance: These microbots mount tiny video cameras, collectively equivalent to a larger nanobug. The swarm is normally programmed to remain in a particular place, observe for a period of time, and then return; it can also transmit information or be ordered to go to a different location if precise coordinates are given. $100. LC 5.

Swarmwear: This can be combined with any other microbot function. It preprograms the microbots to hover in close formation around a person, forming a body suit, a trailing cloak, or a veil and cloak. The swarm will not cover the user's eyes or mouth unless commanded to do so. It does not interfere with movement: the swarm tracks the user's body with its sensors and adjusts to his motion. Up to 4 hexes can combine around a person. Swarmwear is monochromatic, but chameleon microbots can change to multiple colors or patterns if desired. A 1-hex swarm is somewhat wispy; a 2-hex or denser swarm is opaque. Swarmwear microbots can only act upon the user or anyone touching him. A swarmclad person has DR 0.5 per hex of microbots surrounding him, divided by his size in hexes (round down.) This function is only available for aerostat swarms. $500.

Terminator: As Stinger, but with especially virulent nerve poison. Anyone who takes damage must make a HT roll one minute after being hit, with a penalty equal to the cumulative damage of the stingers. A success means only 1d damage is taken; a failed roll means total paralysis and 2d damage per hour until the victim dies or receives an antidote. Each hex of swarm can make up to 10 attacks before requiring extra poison (treat as 10 doses of nerve poison). $4,000. LC 1.

Record the swarm's Move, endurance in hours, hit points, and any damage it inflicts. Come up with a name for the cyberswarm (e.g., 'Xenotech Biocide Mk. 2').

A cyberswarm can take orders via datalink from any computer; swarms are equipped to send and receive radio, laser, or infrared signals, with a range of about 0.01 mile for infrared or laser and 0.1 mile for radio. The operator must know the access codes for that particular swarm. Orders are limited to actions related to the swarm's equipment package, to movement, or to recharging.

Sense Rolls: If a cyberswarm has to make a roll to notice something, use the lower of its original HT or its current hit points as its generic sense roll.

Multiple Swarms: Multiple friendly swarms can work together, but cyberswarms generally avoid 'stacking' unless commanded to do so.

Attacks: Microbots with the Devourer, Hypo, Sentry, Stinger, or Terminator functions may make attacks. Normally, they attack any entity they come upon while moving through a preprogrammed path; this makes them most useful when programmed to 'sterilize' an area or to sweet a security perimeter. Swarms may also be programmed to differentiate by species or even by sex, using sophisticated chemical sensors (this has no effect if the target is in airtight armor.) When the swarm comes within a pre-set distance (up to its current hit points in hexes) of a permissible target, it will move to attack. Use the Swarm Attacks rule. The effects depend on the swarm's equipment package.

Attacking a Swarm: Use the Attacking a Swarm rule, but torches and flaming weapons do only 1 hit to armored crawler, crawler, hopper, or swimmer swarms. (Aerostat, dust, flyer, space, and toy swarms are more vulnerable.) Damage is applied to each hex of the swarm; when it equals or exceeds the cyberswarm's hit points, the swarm is effectively destroyed. Lesser damage also has an effect, reducing the swarm's effective skill and IQ as described.

Damage to Swarms: Vacuum, gas, poison, and non-corrosive atmospheres have no effect on cyberswarms other than gastrobots. Most high-tech and ultra-tech weapons inflict only 1 hit per attack. However, any weapon that affects a wide area (such as a shotgun or the concussion damage from an explosion) does full damage to airborne aerostats or flyers, or to a space swarm. It does half damage to crawlers, swimmers, or grounded flyers, and only one-third damage to armored crawlers. Electrolasers also inflict full damage. The Devourer and Sentry functions allow swarms to attack other cyberswarms, doing full damage each turn.

These are swarms of genemod insects. Treat them as microbot swarms with crawler, flyer, hopper, or swimmer chassis and gastrobot power, but at 10% cost. The only 'equipment packages' they may have are Construction, Defoliator, Harvester, Pesticide, Pollinator, or Stinger. They take damage as per B143, and are vulnerable to gases and unbreathable atmospheres, but take no special damage from electrolasers. They live for about 6 months. Ranged control is not possible: they must be given orders from a special insect director device that uses pheromone signals to communicate with them. It takes 30 seconds to give a new set of orders. Orders are limited to one very specific set of commands within the nature of their function package; e.g., 'harvest that field' or 'head north until sunrise and attack anyone in the way.'

Insect Director: Range 1 yard. $2,000. 0.25. A computer with an insect director program (complexity 4, $100, specific by type) is also required.

Adventures often take place in interesting or dangerous locales - but first you have to get there. The journey itself can be part of the adventure.

On Earth, external traffic-control computers control the majority of city and highway traffic (except emergency and security vehicles.) Cars, buses, and trucks drive themselves, and most buses and taxis, and nearly all trucks, are robotic. Driving skill is dying out in Fourth and Fifth Wave nations.

Most offworld colonies have few roads outside major centers. Vehicles are sealed for life support and often powered by batteries of fuel cells. Many are sturdy off-road designs with giant tires or tracks for traversing rough terrain.

Railways are common on Earth, Luna, and Mars. Thanks to cheaper superconductors and fusion power, magnetic-levitation trains that move at 200-300 mph are common. Train tickets are $5 per 100 miles; city subway passes are $1/ride.

On Earth, most commuter and private aircraft are wingless, ducted-fan VTOL (vertical take off and landing) 'air cars' and 'air buses' that carry up to 40 passengers at 300-600 mph. Air taxis are $10/minute. Flights over 200 miles are usually aboard sleek, swept-wing transonic jets, which supercruise at 700-800 mph and have smart-matter airframes that can ripple or subtly alter shape to control flight. Tickets cost about $200 + ($0.1/mile). Travelers in a hurry may fly from major airports in transatmospheric rocket planes, which can carry 10-50 passengers at speeds over 4,000 mph for about $2,000 per trip.

Light aircraft are used inside big space colonies like Islandia. Fixed-wing airplanes and airships are common on Mars and Titan.

Large cargo ships remain in use on Earth, many completely automated. Except for ferries, most water travel is for pleasure or sport. Private submarine yachts are affordable for the wealthy, and a few fusion-powered cruise-submarines also exist. Maritime craft are also used on Mars, Europa, and Titan.

Trips from a planet's or moon's surface to orbit normally use single-stage spacecraft, often with laser-rocket propulsion. The basic fare for a surface-to-low-orbit trip is $5,000 per person or $10,000 per ton of cargo, multiplied by the body's 'to orbit' velocity in mps (4.9 for Earth.) Thus, a passenger ticket from Earth to LEO is $24,500. Orbit-to-surface costs are identical if the planet has a trace or vacuum atmosphere (like Mercury or Luna), half as much otherwise. Thus, it's $12,250 from LEO to Earth. Multiply costs by 1.5 for trips to or from HEO, or by 2 for GEO. In practice, most spacecraft dock at a LEO station and then refuel, or transfer cargo to cheaper, unstreamlined vehicles.

Near Space Passage: Voyages from space stations to other stations (or microgravity moons or asteroids) within 1,000,000 miles (about 0.01 AU) are classed as 'near space voyages.' This would include a trip from Earth orbit to lunar orbit or L4/L5, for example. The usual spacecraft is an orbital transfer vehicle. Passengers are seated and flight time is a few hours. Costs range from about $500 for a short hop between nearby space stations to about $2,500 for a longer trip (such as Earth orbit to lunar orbit or L4.)

Deep Space Passage: These fares apply to voyages over distances greater than 0.01 AU, such as between planets, distant gas-giant moons, or asteroids. A typical vessel is a Meizi-class PSV or Sudbury-class USV. An economy-class fare is $3,000/AU if the cabin is shared, $6,000/AU alone. A first-class trip (with a luxury cabin and superior service) is $6,000/AU each if a couple shares a cabin, otherwise $12,000/AU. Treat distances less than 1 AU as 1 AU.

Space Freight: An average price is $1,000 per ton of mass or 100 cubic feet of volume (whichever is more) per AU or fraction thereof. A typical carrier for interplanetary cargo is a Sudbury-class USV, although larger vessels are used when carrying very bulky or heavy cargoes.

Nanostasis: An alternative to normal passenger travel is nanostasis. With a sealed storage unit, this is 0.5 ton of cargo per person. Cost of nanostasis and revival is not included.

Charter: A chartered flight costs about 0.1% of the vessel's price per day of travel, plus crew salaries and expenses. As a rule, only USV-class spacecraft are available.

Flight Time: This depends on the vessel used.

Equipment is (largely) unchanged in the new edition – but the way it is handled in game terms may require some small adjustments. The game treatment of AIs in cybershells (including VIIs) as characters is covered in Chapter 3. Legality Class The legality class system has changed in 4e. Strategic weapons are available only to governments are LC0; tactical hardware available only to the military is LC1; tactical hardware available to police as well as the military is LC2; civilian goods that require registration are LC3; and civilian goods that require no registration but that might be used for nefarious purposes are LC4. Truly innocuous items don’t need an LC rating (unless someone in power develops a weird obsession or delusion on the subject). Where no LC is listed below for an item which had one given in 3e sources, follow the guidelines above, or assume that the old Class -1 translates to new LC0; old Class 0 translates to new LC1; old Class 1 or 2 translates to new LC2; old Class 3 or 4 translates to new LC3; and old Class 5 or 6 translates to new LC3 or 4 for weapons, 4 for other technology. Control Ratings for societies are exactly the same in the new edition as in the old. SOFTWARE Computer systems work much as in 3e; however, where they provide or mimic character abilities, the game mechanics may require some detail revisions. AI Prices The basic price for an AI is as listed on its template. Trained AIs cost more; $100 per character point of skills or most advantages beyond its model templates, and $800 (NAI), $6,000 (LAI), or $30,000 (SAI) per added character point spent on IQ, DX, secondary characteristics, or Talents (including Language Talent). In fact, Talents are tricky to train or program into an AI; they should only be included with explicit GM permission, which should only be given if they make some kind of logical sense. It may be possible to raise an AI’s IQ while “buying back down” its Per and/or Will (but not below their original, untrained level), in which case the price is only increased by the final net point cost – but again, only with GM permission. This extends and modifies the rule for AI prices on p. TS142; see that page for more on the subject. Skill Sets pp. TS144-145 These are now covered by the Modular Abilities advantage with the Computer Brain option; see p. 40 and p. B71. Replace the cost table on p. TS145 with a cost of $25 per character point for common skill programs. This may be increased for rarer skills, and doubled (or more) for obscure or legally controlled functions, at the GM’s option. A program giving two character points in a skill or language is Complexity 3; double the (maximum) number of character points which it can give for each increase in Complexity level. So a Complexity 4 program can give 4 character points, Complexity 6 equates to 16 character points, and a Complexity 9 skill set could grant up to 128 points in a skill, at a cost of at least $3,200, should such a thing exist and be obtainable. In fact, what skill sets are available on the open market is up to the GM to determine. Accounting, Driving, Research, common human languages, etc., are commonplace, and combat skills for modern weapons definitely exist, though they may be legally restricted. On the other hand, obtaining good skill sets for obscure fields of academic study, use of bizarre weapons, or operation of unusual vehicles could be a project in itself, and anything a PC can locate may have expensive and low quality, giving it a skill penalty. Likewise, mental advantages range from tricky and expensive to program (Animal Empathy, Talents), to highly dubious or impossible (most of them). Most advantages aren’t available as software, with specific exceptions determined by the GM – though beta-testing some programmer’s attempt to encode Charisma could be an interesting adventure. Any advantages which are unavailable for characters to buy with points in the setting are unavailable as software, whatever the advertisements claim! COMMUNICATIONS IMPLANTS As described on pp. TS148-150, there are a range of implanted communications devices and systems available in the Transhuman Space setting. They can be bought as the Telecommunication advantage with a variety of options and modifiers; see Telecommunication, p. 41. Note that some characters may have VIIs with their own communications capability built in. The Implant Communicator (p. TS148) gives Telecommunication (Radio; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Temporary Disadvantage, Electrical, -20%) [5]. A higher-security version might add Secure (p. 41), increasing the cost by 2 points and adding $50 to the price. An Implant Jack (p. TS150) is mostly only useful if the character has other digital implants of some kind (or is himself a machine), though it can enable hands-free operation of some machinery. It gives Telecommunication (Cable Jack; Temporary Disadvantage, Electrical, -20%) [4]. Standard Downslinks (p. TS150) are primarily intended for entertainment and education purposes, rather than to provide usefully augmented communication capabilities. Likewise, most Upslinks are used simply to record sensory material. If this is their sole purpose, each should be treated as a 1-point perk; both will normally be combined with an Implant Communicator or Implant Jack (as above), or a VII. A passive upslink is no real advantage, and may well serve to make an Enemy Watcher much more formidable. (It can make it easier to, say, call for help – but there’s no guarantee that the call will be answered, unless the monitor is bought as a Patron.) If the slink implants are intended for more advanced use, they become a more expensive advantage. An Augmented Sensory Link is a high-end implanted system designed for realtime transmission and reception of fully-detailed sensory information. It combines both upslink and downslink implants with high-speed communication channels. In addition to other applications, when combined with a VII and Teleoperation (Direct Control) software (p. TS144), it enables the user to teleoperate advanced humanoid cybershells and bioshells so well that they can pass for normal human beings for extended periods, with completely naturalistic facial expressions, smooth responses and reactions, and so on. There are two common options here: Cable connection: Telecommunication (Cable Jack; Sensie, +80%; Temporary Disadvantage, Electrical, -20%). 8 points, $18,000, plus $4,000 for the surgery. Radio connection: Radio (Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Sensie, +80%; Temporary Disadvantage, Electrical, -20%). Note that this can also function as an ordinary radio (or transmit simple video imagery). 13 points, $18,500, plus $4,000 for the surgery. Standard upslinks and augmented sensory links are LC4 (not generally heavily controlled, but restrictive governments like to keep an eye on all forms of publication); passive upslinks are LC3, in the sense that anyone who installs one had better have a good legal reason, or he’ll be open to prosecution in many places. All slink implants are banned (effectively LC1) in the Caliphate and a few other regions. SENSORS Anti-Glare (p. TS151): Equal to Protected Sense (Vision) (p. B78). Infrared (p. TS151): Gives 10-point Infravision (p. B60). Low-Light (p. TS151): Gives Night Vision 7 (p. B71), or Night Vision 9 for double cost. Multiview (p. TS151): Can switch between normal vision, 10-point Infravision (p. B60), Night Vision 9 (p. B71), and Protected Sense (Vision) (p. B78). Teleview (p. TS151): Adds 1-4 levels of Telescopic Vision (p. B92) to Multiview; add 25% to weight and cost per level. WEAPONRY Combat hasn’t changed much with the new edition, but the weapon statistics do take a slightly different form. Most of the weapons detailed here are described in the Transhuman Space main book; the personal and tactical lasers are in Deep Beyond (p. 137). GURPS Ultra-Tech for 4e provides an alternative treatment of technologies similar but not identical to those of the Transhuman Space setting. GMs may choose to use its weapons and armor tables instead of those in this document. Although Transhuman Space is a TL10 somewhat-radical hard SF setting, many of the weapons in use are tried and tested TL9 designs or simple refinements on those; in particular, GMs should emphasize the practical problems of laser weaponry.

All prices are as in the original Transhuman Space books. All these weapons (and hence the required skills) are TL10, although TL9 (or lower) versions of many exist, usually with slightly increased weight and reduced performance.

Beam Weapons (Pistol) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons at -4, or Guns (Pistol)-4) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC Electrolaser Pistol HT-2 aff 2 60/120 1/B 1 200(3) 3 -1 1 4 linked 1d-3 burn Laser Pistol, 1 kJ 2d(2) burn 6 460/920 4.8/C 3 60(3) 7 -3 1 3 See the main text notes for details of electrolaser and laser effects. Beam Weapons (Rifle) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons at -4, or Guns (Rifle)-4) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC Electrolaser Rifle HT-4 aff 8 100/300 4.5/B 1 100(3) 5 -3 1 4 linked 1d-3 burn Laser Rifle, 3 kJ 2d+2(2) burn 12 1,150/2,300 12/C 1 30(3) 8 -5 1 2 See the main text notes for details of electrolaser and laser effects. Beam Weapons (Rifle) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons at -4, or Guns (Rifle)-4) & Guns (Gyroc) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -4) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC Police Armgun 5.6* -3 2 Electrolaser HT-4 aff 8 100/300 B* 1 100(3) 5 1 linked 1d-3 burn 15mm missile 6d pi++ 1 500 0.1* 3 4(3i) 3 1 * Weight in first line is for weapon; “weight” in electrolaser line is required power cell; weight in missile line is per missile. See the main text notes for details of electrolaser effects. Gunner (Beams) (DX-4, or other Gunner at -4) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC Tactical Laser, 20 kJ 4d+2(2) burn 18 6,000/12,000 250/* 3 * 29M -10 1 1 Light Laser, 2.5 MJ 3d¥9(2) burn 18 72,000/220,000 10,000/* 1 * * -11 1 1 Heavy Laser, 10 MJ 6d¥7(2) burn 18 100,000/500,000 37,000/* 1 * * -15 1 1 MADS HT-4 aff (3 yd) 18 900/1,800 250/Dp 1 144(5) 26M -9 1 2 * Purely vehicle-mounted weapon; uses an external power supply. See the main text notes for details of laser and MADS effects. Gunner (Machine Gun) (DX-4, or other Gunner at -4) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC Emag Cannon, 15mm 3d¥5 pi++ 8 2,900/9,400 200/245p 20 750 29 -10 2 1 Guns (Gyroc) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -4) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC Micro-Missile Pod 6d pi++ 1 500 0.62/0.1 3 4(3i) 3 -2 1 3 Mini-Missile Pod 12d-1 pi++ 2 500 3.8/0.8 3 3(3i) 5 -3 1 2 Guns (LAW) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -4) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC Recoilless Rifle, 60mm 9d pi++ 8 330/2,850 35/6.4 1 1(2) 11 -7 1 1 Guns (Pistol) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC Pistol, 4mm 3d pi- 2 250/2,100 1.5/0.28 3 50(3) 8 -1 2 3 Pistol, 10mm 3d pi+ 2 200/1,900 2.75/0.53 3 20(3) 10 -2 3 3

Guns (Rifle) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC AMR, 15mm 12d pi++ 6 770/4,100 23/2.9 3 10 12 -6 3 1 Recoilless Rifle, 15mm 3d+1 pi++ 4 200/1,900 8.5/2 3 10 7 -4 1 2 Guns (Rifle) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2) & Guns (Gyroc) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -4) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC Battle Rifle 11* -4 1 – 5.6mm lt. auto 5d pi 3 530/3,300 1.6* 12 100(5) 10 2 – 30mm missile 12d-1 pi++ 2 500 0.8* 3 3(3i) 5 1 Assault Pod 3* -2 1 – 4mm lt. auto 3d+2 pi- 3 380/2,700 0.56* 12 100(5) 9 2 – 15mm missile 6d pi++ 1 500 0.1* 3 4(3i) 3 1 * Weight in first line for each weapon is for the complete weapon; weight in subsequent lines is for ammunition. Guns (SMG) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2) Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl LC PDW, 4mm 3d+2 pi- 3 380/2,700 2.1/0.56 12 100(5) 8 -2 2 2 PDW, 10mm 3d pi+ 4 200/1,900 5.9/1.6 12 60(5) 9 -3 3 2

Stun Weapons An electrolaser has two effects. First, its laser beam inflicts 1d-3 burn damage. Smoke, fog, rain, or clouds give extra DR equal to the visibility penalty – e.g., if rain gives a penalty of -1 per 100 yards, a target at 200 yards gets an extra DR 2. The beam needn’t penetrate DR to carry the shock effect. Second, an electrolaser’s shock is a HT-based affliction attack with a (2) armor divisor (i.e., each 2 DR on the location struck provides +1 to HT). Add +3 past 1/2D range. In humid conditions, the electrical bolt may jump off the laser path to paths of lower resistance. In moist, humid environments, the attack roll must be made by at least 2; in rain, drizzle, or heavy fog, it must be made by at least 6. Otherwise, the charge has jumped off the laser beam, and there is no shock effect – just the 1d-3 burn damage from the laser. In a vacuum or trace atmosphere, there is no air to ionize; the electrolaser only inflicts the burn damage. If the victim fails to resist, the shock stuns him. He may roll against HT every turn at the same penalty (but without the DR bonus) to recover. Electrolasers can affect machines with the Electrical disadvantage the same way that they affect human targets. Electrolasers produce a “zap” sound, no louder than a silenced pistol, and the beam is visible. A shock glove inflicts the same HT-2 stun affliction damage as an electrolaser pistol whenever the wearer touches, punches, or grapples an opponent. Laser Effects Transhuman Space laser weapons use multifrequency/tunable beams, and do tight-beam burning damage with an armor divisor of 2. Rain, fog, smoke, snow, and similar weather or atmospheric conditions interfere with highenergy lasers, adding extra DR to the target equal to the vision penalty. Thus, if a yard of smoke would be -10 to vision, then each yard gives DR 10; if every 100 yards of haze gives -1 to vision, then a thousand yards provides DR 10. A laser beam can pass through material transparent to its particular frequency of light, which includes most glass, plastic canopies, etc. Increase the laser’s armor divisor to (10) when it strikes glasses, visors, windows, etc. unless the material was specifically designed to be laser-resistant. Mirrored surfaces are not effective protection: any laser powerful enough to inflict damage destroys the mirror, ruining its reflectivity. (This rule may be relaxed in cinematic games!) MADS Effects MAD beams deliver a HT-based affliction attack (modifier varying by weapon) with no armor divisor; add the target’s DR to HT to resist. If he fails to resist, he suffers from the Agony affliction for as long as he is in the beam and one second afterward. MAD beams project ranged cone attacks – see Area and Spreading Attacks (p. B413).

Weapon and Ammunition Options The following effects replace those described on p. TS157. Articulated Weapon Harness: Has the same effect as a bipod (ST requirement of the weapon is reduced by 2/3 and the weapon counts as braced) but can be used while standing up or moving. Gyrostabilized Weapon Harness: Functions as an articulated weapon harness, and also cancels penalties for walking or running while firing. Smartgrip: Reduces the weapon’s ST requirement by 1. Stabilized Ammo: Reduce the effective range by 30% before assessing range penalties. The weapon’s actual ranges do not increase, however. For example, a target 300 yards away is treated as if it is just 210 yards distant – but it is still beyond 1/2 damage range for a 4mm pistol. Homing Ammo: Can be used to making Homing (Vision) attacks (p. B413). For the Aim maneuver, use the normal appropriate skill for whatever weapon you are firing (e.g. Guns (Pistol) for a pistol). Laser Homing Ammo: As for homing, but only works if the firer is using a laser sight or designator, and receives the normal +1 bonus for a laser sight. Ineffective if the target is obscured by smoke, prismatic smoke, etc. Gestalt Ammo: As for stabilized; also, when used for Rapid Fire attacks, increase the number of shots fired by 50% for purposes of assessing the Bonus to Hit only, and decrease the weapon’s Recoil number by 1 when assessing how many shots hit only. Armor Piercing Ammo: Treat as Armor-Piercing Hard Core (p. B279). APS Ammo: Treat as Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot (p. B280). Hollow Point Ammo: As on p. B279. HEMP Warhead: Replace the weapon’s regular damage with the following: Warhead Damage 15mm 5d¥2 (5) imp + linked 1d cr ex [1d-1] 30mm 6d¥3 (10) cr + linked 2d cr ex [1d+1] 60mm 6d¥8 (10) cr + linked 8d cr ex [3d] Damage in brackets is cutting fragmentation damage. The main (non-explosive) damage in all cases is incendiary (see p. B105) – it can start secondary fires in volatile material, etc. SEFOP Warhead: This is treated differently in 4e games. A SEFOP projectile is a multi-purpose sensor-fused round which will detonate several feet away from and usually above the target, forging the warhead into a high-density slug that can fire down, attacking from overhead. SEFOP warheads are only available for homing projectiles. If fired to overfly the target, they may choose to attack the side they are facing or the top, targeting particular hit locations (usually the head of a person or a tank turret), and ignoring cover that does not protect from above or penalties for striking prone or kneeling targets. SEFOP warhead damage is as follows: Warhead Damage 15mm 4d+4 (2) imp 30mm 5d¥3+15 (3) cr 60mm 6d¥7+40 (3) cr All damage is incendiary (see p. B105) – it can start secondary fires in volatile material, etc. Armor All armor types provide DR as in the Transhuman Space main book. Battlesuits: The Shenyang H-23 gives 17 ST for lifting and striking purposes only; the Vosper-Babbage Centurion gives 19 in both. Use the DR and Move values on p. TS160. Note, incidentally, that battlesuit technology in the Transhuman Space universe is slightly different from that described in the upcoming 4th edition version of GURPS Ultra-Tech. MEDICAL TREATMENTS The main issue here is with treatments that provide specific character advantages, which may have different costs under the new edition. Some minor but permanent treatments may be treated as perks. GURPS Bio-Tech may include very slightly different versions of a few of these items; GMs may choose to treat those as variants or new (or potential) developments. Certainly, minor variations are likely to exist, and can justify buying all manner of character features with points. Biomods Andraste (p. TS161): Gives Mars-Adapted (p. 43) [9]. Bio-Booster (p. TS161): Basic Speed +1.00 (Cardiac Stress, every minute, -30%, Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%) [13], Lifting ST +3 (Cardiac Stress, every minute, -30%) [7], and Striking ST +3 (Cardiac Stress, every minute, -30%) [11]. Total 31 points. (Cardiac Stress is a new limitation that can only be taken on an advantage that is used for a short period of time and then turned off. While in use, make HT rolls at the specified interval; a roll of 14+ always fails. Failure means loss of 1d Fatigue Points; critical failure means a heart attack – see p. B429. See GURPS Bio-Tech for details.) Boosted Heart (p. TS161): Gives HT +1 [10], FP +1 [3], and Hard to Kill +1 [2]. Total 15 points. Flesh Pocket (p. TS162): Gives Payload 1 [1]. Liver Upgrade (p. TS162): Gives Alcohol Tolerance [1] and Resistant to Ingested Poison (+8) [5]. Total 6 points. No-Shock Glands (p. TS162): Gives High Pain Threshold (Limited Use, 4/day, -20%; Temporary Disadvantage, -1 DX and -1 IQ, -40%; Attribute loss continues for an extra hour after use ends, -10%) [3].

Retinal Enhancement (p. TS162): Corrects Bad Sight, or gives Acute Senses (Vision) 1 [2]. Ruanmao (In the Well, p. 97): Gives Damage Resistance 1 (Flexible, -20%) [4], Temperature Tolerance 2 [2], and Perk (Fur) [1]. Total 7 points. NERV Drug Regimen (In the Well, p. 97): Gives DX +1 [20] and possibly Ham-Fisted (usually the -5 point version on an ordinary failed HT roll, -10 points on a critical failure). Testicle Tuck (In the Well, p. 97): Injury Tolerance (No Vitals; Partial, Vitals, Groin only, -60%) [2]. The cheap version adds the feature Sterile. Guan Di (In the Well, p. 98): A package of modifications that grants extra +1 ST [10] and +1 Striking ST [5]; also includes a NERV drug regimen and (for men) a testicle tuck, both as above. Total 36 points for men, 35 for women, less any side-effects of the NERV. Whirling Claws o’ Death (In the Well, p. 98): Combines a Bio-Booster, Boosted Heart, and (for men) Testicle Tuck (all as above) with +1 ST [10], +1 Lifting ST [3], +3 Striking ST [15], and Claws (Sharp Claws) [5]. Total 81 points for men, 79 for women. “Eunuch” (In the Well, p. 98): Gives +2 IQ [40], Fearlessness 2 [4], Killjoy (Will still seek revenge, in a calm way, -20%) [-12], Low Empathy [-20], and Unnatural Feature 1 (Bulging forehead) [-1]. Total 11 points, less the value of any further disadvantages or quirks also gained, such as Callous or a Sense of Duty. Also, the level of Fearlessness gained may be greater than listed, and if the character chooses to lose all his head hair and otherwise emphasize his new bulging forehead, the level of Unnatural Feature may increase to 2 or 3. Andro-Womb (Deep Beyond, p. 121): This should be treated simply as a feature (“Can act as a surrogate mother with extensive technological support”). Lactonarcotic Bioreactors (Deep Beyond, p. 121): This can be treated as a perk. Prehensile Tongue (Deep Beyond, p. 122): Extra Arm 1 (Extra-Flexible, +50%; Short, -50%; Weak, 1/4 body ST, -50%; Nuisance Effect, Can’t talk or eat while using tongue to hold objects, and may convey dirt or poisons to mouth, -10%) [4], plus Disturbing Voice (Severe lisp) [-10]. Total -6 points. Quadrupedal Retromorphosis (Deep Beyond, p. 122): Enhanced Move (Ground) 1/2 [10], plus Quadruped [-35]. If the modification gives hooves rather than feet, these may qualify as a Claws (Hooves) [3]. Total -25 or -22 points. Venus Flytrap (Deep Beyond, p. 122): Striker (Cutting; Only in severely limited circumstances, -80%) [1]. Winged Retromorphosis (Deep Beyond, p. 122): Flight (Accessibility, Only in 0.2G or less, -40%; Winged, -25%) [14]; Strikers (2; Crushing) [10]; No Fine Manipulators [-30]. Total -6 points. If given to a bioroid or parahuman with Extra Arms (Foot Manipulators), delete that and replace No Fine Manipulators with No Fine Manipulators (Only when standing up, -35%) [-20]. If given to a multi-armed being, delete the No Fine Manipulators and two of the being’s Extra Arms. Xenostriker Biomods (Deep Beyond, p. 122): Any of Claws (Blunt, Sharp, or Talons, usually Switchable, +10%), Striker (Any damage type, sometimes with Cannot Parry, Clumsy, or Weak), or Teeth (Sharp Teeth). Teeth may add Affliction 1 (Hemophilia, +30%; Follow-Up (Teeth), +0%; Only affects wounds caused by the bite, -10%) [12]. Fisheyes (Under Pressure, p. 118): Gives Nictitating Membrane 1 [1], Night Vision 5 [5], and Unnatural Feature 1 (Reflective eyes) [-1]. Total 5 points. Myelin Replacement (Under Pressure, p. 118): Gives a perk; Immunity to Gas Narcosis [1]. GURPS 4e doesn’t have rules for this danger at present; GMs can adapt those given in Under Pressure if necessary, but in any case, this biomod removes the problem. Note that Nerve Booster nanosymbionts (p. 66) also replace the recipient’s myelin; a dual-purpose treatment, combining both these benefits, costs $145,000. Perflubron Blood (Under Pressure, p. 118): Gives the bioroid +1 FP [3] and Resistant to Dissolved Gas Problems (+8) [2]. This is the same as Resistant to “the Bends,” as mentioned in other sources; in games which allow for the dangers of gas narcosis or high pressure nervous syndrome (see Under Pressure), the same resistance or immunity (with a base cost of 5 points) covers all three effects. Note also that bioroids with Pressure Support 1 have some resistance to the bends (see p. B435), but will have limited protection at best against the other problems; hence, combining these advantages, while expensive in points, may be useful for characters intended to perform deep diving missions. Total 5 points. Perflubron Transfusion (Under Pressure, p. 118): Not a permanent modification, but provides the same protection against dissolved gas problems as perflubron blood, above, for 12 hours, and a HT+4 roll every 5 minutes to let anyone already suffering from the bends recover completely. Nanodrugs These work much as on p. TS163. Advantages, perks, disadvantages, quirks, and features that can be induced are as follows (those marked * must have at least long-term duration): Absent-Mindedness, Alcohol Tolerance, Attentive, Autotrance, Bad Temper, Berserk, Bestial, Blindness, Bloodlust, Chronic Pain*, Combat Paralysis, Combat Reflexes, Cowardice, Deep Sleeper*, Delusions* (see below), Dependency (some kind of high-tech drug), Draining* (needs some kind of high-tech drug), Dreamer, Eidetic Memory, Epilepsy, Fearfulness (up to 8 levels), Fearlessness (up to 6 levels), Flashbacks, FP from -5 to +5, Gullibility, High Pain Threshold, Imaginative, Incompetence (Carousing, Diplomacy, or Fast-Talk), Laziness, Lecherousness, Less Sleep* (up to 5 levels), Manic-Depressive, No Hangover*, Overconfidence, Paranoia, Per from -4 to +2, Radiation Tolerance 2*, Rapid Healing* (either level), Resistant to Acceleration or Disease (+3), Short Attention Span, Single-Minded, Slave Mentality, Social Chameleon, Sterility, Truthfulness, Unfazeable, Will from -4 to -1. Self-control rolls, where appropriate, may be set to any value when the drug is defined; if the HT roll to resist the nanodrug is missed by exactly 1, the self-control category improves by one level. (Drugs set for a self-control roll of 15 are reduced to producing a quirk-level effect.) Nanodrugs that produce delusions may be designed to produce a general delusory state, but can’t produce a specific delusion . . . unless they are administered under controlled conditions with follow-up treatments. The GM should decide on a random specific delusion for the victim to suffer. A high-end delusion drug might be set to produce a severe sense of personal power or invincibility; different victims might decide that they are immortal, that they have personal biomods that make them as strong as any other human or bioroid, that they are really a celebrity with a disguising bodysculpt, etc.

Mitigator drugs can affect anything listed above apart from secondary characteristic modifiers, and also Chronic Depression, Insomniac, Motion Sickness, Space Sickness, and some types of Terminally Ill. If a roll to resist a mitigator nanodrug is missed by exactly 1, self-control rolls may again be improved by one level, with 15 becoming a quirk. Other advantages or disadvantages may be eliminated or reduced in effect as a side effect of a drug which induces some state with which they are incompatible, or may even be induced as a long-term unintended side-effect, at the GM’s option. The nanodrugs listed on p. TS164 are modified as follows: “Cry Baby!” induces Cowardice (12) [-10] and Will -1 [-5] (and so now costs $60/dose). Metatron induces Autotrance and Social Chameleon. Nepenthe grants Fearlessness 5. Used under medical supervision, it can act as a mitigator for Chronic Depression or Manic-Depressive. Zero gives the user Bloodlust and Incompetence (Diplomacy), and eliminates Combat Paralysis, Honesty, and Pacifism if they are present. Nanosymbionts Permanent versions of many of these may grant advantages. (Ephemeral versions are simply purchased with cash.) Artery Cleaners (p. TS165): In themselves, these grant only feature-level benefits. However, combined with other treatments (such as DNA Repair Nanosymbionts, below), they might give Longevity, or even Extended Lifespan or Unaging, perhaps with limitations. Bacteriophages (p. TS165): Give Immunity to Known Bacteria [5]. Brain Boosters (p. TS165): Give Enhanced Time Sense [45]. Carcinophages (p. TS165): Give Immunity to Cancer [5]. They also increase lifespan as described on p. TS165; this is treated as a feature. DNA Repair (p. TS165): Gives Regeneration (Slow; Radiation Only, -60%) [4]. They too also increase lifespan as described on p. TS165, which is treated as a feature. Guardians (p. TS165): Give Resistant to Nanomachines (+8) [2]. Some nanomachines may only be resisted if the target has or receives treatment with Guardians or similar; this is essentially a feature of those nanomachines, and so doesn’t add to the points cost of the Guardians. Immune Machines (p. TS165): Give Resistant to Disease (+3 or +8) [3 or 5]. Lung Cleaners (p. TS165): Give Filter Lungs [5]. Metabolic Regulators (p. TS165): Give Metabolism Control 2 [10]. Microgravity Biochemistry (p. TS165): Gives Perk (No Degeneration in Zero-G) [1]. Nerve Boosters (p. TS165): Give +1 Basic Speed [20]. Pore Cleaners (p. TS165): These don’t provide enough benefit to qualify as an advantage in themselves. However, combined with several other treatments, including Tooth Cleaners (below), they may be used to give a character the Sanitized Metabolism perk. Respirocytes (p. TS165): Give +2 FP [6] and Doesn’t Breathe (Oxygen Storage ¥25, -50%) [10]. Tooth Cleaners (p. TS165): In themselves, these aren’t enough to cost points – but see Pore Cleaners (above). Virus Hunters (p. TS165): Give Immunity to Known Viruses [5]. “AquaDude” (Under Pressure, p. 119): Gives +1 FP [3] and Breath-Holding 2 [4]. Electroreceptors (Under Pressure, p. 119): Give Detect (Electrical fields) [10]. Lateral Line (Under Pressure, p. 119): Gives Vibration Sense (Water) [10]. Proteus Nanovirus Birth Control: “Sterile after one child” now counts as a 0- point feature. Skin Transformation: Fur in itself now counts as a 1-point perk, but it may also grant Damage Resistance 1 (Flexible, -20%) [4] and Temperature Tolerance 1 or 2 [1 or 2]. Very light scales are simply a feature. Spiny fur gives Perk (Fur) [1], Damage Resistance 1 (Flexible, -20%) [4], and Spines (Short Spines) [1].

VEHICLES Vehicles now tend to have significantly lower HP totals – and also, because of the new treatment of lifting ability, lower ST. In fact, ST and HP are usually set to the same value. (See Purchasing Vehicle ST, p. 34, for more on this.) Where vehicles have detailed statistics available – for example, as a product of the In the Well and Under Pressure modular design systems – some of these can be converted to 4e attributes. In other cases, new details just have to be estimated. Use the following guidelines: ST/HP: Find Empty Weight (on Earth) in pounds, take the cube root, multiply by 4, and round off. Hnd: This can only be estimated, but given the use of smart materials and refined computer controls in Transhuman Space, it should generally be one or two higher than the value for a comparable TL7/8 vehicle on p. B464-5. Hence, wheeled civilian designs will usually have +1 or +2, fast surface watercraft will have +2 or +3, and light to medium aircraft (which benefit especially strongly from these advances) around +2. SR: Equal to the vehicle’s old SR in its normal environment. HT: Use the HT determined by the vehicle design system when available. Ordinary vehicles usually have a base HT 10. Especially flimsy, inherently overloaded, or ill-engineered designs have less, while redundant systems (e.g. a twin-engine aircraft that can fly safely on one engine), internal compartmentalization, built-in damage control, etc., raise HT by a point or two. In Transhuman Space, smart materials and AImonitored systems permit quite a lot of such high-reliability engineering. Move: Acceleration and Top Speed in yards/second are half Accel and Speed in mph.; round up. SM: Derived from the largest dimension and general form; see p. B19. Alternatively, see the component SM values generated by the design system used, especially if attackers attempt to target specific locations. Range: For simplicity, multiply the time at full power that the fuel tank provides by the top speed. (Realistically, more cautious driving speeds could extend range, but few journeys achieve optimum fuel economy.) Note that all of the above are approximations. Some converted vehicles:

Vehicle ST/HP Hnd/SR HT Move LWt. Load SM Occ DR Range Cost Locations Air Car 34 +2/3 12 4/200 0.7 0.4 +3 1+3 5 1,600 $100K G4W Off-Road Vehicle 74 +1/4 12 3/45 5.17 2.05 +3 1+3 8 2,100 $79K G6W Smartcar 48 +2/4 12 3/70 1.63 0.8 +2 1+3 8 1,800 $24K G4W Personal Aircraft 104 +2/6 10 11/803 15.3 6.50 +6 2+6 5 4,600 $5.5M G3WWi Light Martian Rover 57 +1/5 12 2/33 2.42 0.95 +2 2 10 1,100 $65K G4W Heavy Martian Rover 85 +1/5 12 2/33 7.72 2.97 +3 2+4 10 780 $125K G6W Hydrofoil Yacht 183 +2/6* 8 6/60 88.8 41 +7 2+8 5 8,600 $843K g Patrol Submarine 271 0/7 6 3/18 182.2 26.5 +6 3 605 620 $3.3M s * Becomes +1/7 when not planing on hydrofoils.

(The air car is described on p. TS193; the off-road vehicle, smartcar, and personal aircraft are from Fifth Wave, pp. 130-132; the Martian rovers are from In the Well, p. 101; the hydrofoil yacht and patrol submarine are from Under Pressure, pp. 126-129.) Note that listed Occupancy does not include computers with infomorphs installed, though in many cases they act as crew – in fact, as drivers – most of the time. Spacecraft The existing Transhuman Space spacecraft construction and combat rules can be used as they stand in 4e games; use the weapons damage listed in the 3e books for that purpose, rather than taking anything from this chapter. (Fortunately, spaceships are unlikely to be significantly damaged by much other than other ships’ weapons.) Vehicle and weapons design and combat systems for 4e will become available, and will be compatible with Transhuman Space concepts, but designs will largely have to be recreated from scratch – no quick or simple conversion system can be offered here. SM values for ships will be much the same in the new system, which may be useful for perception and so on; take the highest value for a cylinder, and add +2 for a sphere and any ship whose largest and smallest dimensions are within 25% of each other, or +1 if its second largest dimension is at least 30% of the largest.

Bioship Template The bioship template on p. 22 of Spacecraft of the Solar System converts to 4e as follows: Advantages: Doesn’t Breathe [20]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Injury Tolerance (No Neck) [5]; Internal Hearing [4]; Internal Sight [10]; Internal Speech [5]; Internal Taste and Smell [1]; Pressure Support 2 [10]; Resistant to Acceleration (+8) [2]; Temperature Tolerance 20 [20]; Vacuum Support [5]. Perks: Sanitized Metabolism [1]. Disadvantages: Bioroid Body [-9]; No Manipulators [-50]; No Legs (Aerial) [0]. Total cost for this template is 34 points. A bioship will usually have a high SM and accordingly high ST; it must purchase the Flight advantage in some form. The advantages of Internal Hearing, Sight, Speech, and Taste and Smell simply represent the bioship’s ability to use these senses and abilities inside its own body. See GURPS BioTech for more on this subject.