The purpose of the appendix, as it turns out, is to function as a natural organ for the storage of mana energy for use in spellcasting. This essentially means that many bioroids designed without an appendix are incapable of having an Energy Reserve (Mana) without a replacement implant.
Mana Capacitor: A technological solution to mana storage, this nanocrystal fluid supercapacitor is efficient enough to be controlled and operated by computers, allowing technological spellcasting. A single Mana Capacitor grants an Energy Reserve (Mana) of 3 points but by itself does not influence the effective mana of the environment. The Mana Capacitor recharges either naturally as if it had Recover Energy at level 15, or by electric-to-mana conversion as mentioned below.
Mana Distillation: This distills mana energy into a fluid format, equally ideal for human and mechanical consumption. When consumed, a quart of Distilled Mana (one dose) effectively places the user in a high-mana environment and provides an Energy Reserve (Mana) of 30 points that does not recover; when used up, the high-mana effect is also used up. Energy is used from this reserve first before drawing from the user or environment. Drinking further Distilled Mana does not extend the Energy Reserve beyond 30 points, but will replenish missing portions at an equivalent rate; likewise, drinking less than a quart will provide less than the maximum benefit. Distilled Mana is mildly toxic to organic life; roll HT on consumption, and lose 1 HP on a failure, and lose 1d HP on a critical failure. Standardized injections of Distilled Mana roll vs HT+4 and only provide an Energy Reserve (Mana) of 3 points, but still provide an effectively high-mana environment to the user (and the Energy Reserve can be extended to its full potential with repeated injections, though there's a good chance something will get injured eventually in the process…)
Mana Gland: This optimized variant of the appendix allows the user to have an Energy Reserve (Mana) of up to HTx3 points that can be replenished over time if the user is in a sufficiently magical environment. (The unaltered appendix allows up to HT points normally if properly developed.) Also, it can create one injection of Distilled Mana if the Energy Reserve is maximized for at least one hour in a high mana environment, six hours in a normal mana environment, or 24 hours in a low mana environment; this can be triggered at will, and has its normal effects upon use independent of the Mana Gland.
Manablooded: A blood replacement that effectively directly energizes the body through the power of mana instead of relying on inefficient oxygen transferral. The 'blood' involved tends to glow blue as a result, but the effects are undeniable: the user doesn't need to breathe, doesn't need to eat (but still needs to drink), has Fast Regeneration, has an effective Energy Reserve (Mana) of 5xHT, and qualifies as being in a high-mana zone as long as this energy reserve has power. However, if the Energy Reserve reaches zero, the user immediately begins to suffer effects similar to suffocation unless it is restored! As such, Manablooded individuals tend to have a Mana Gland installed (both as an additional mana reserve and to store an emergency dose of Distilled Mana for survival purposes if otherwise completely drained).
Note that the 'high mana on user' effects only apply to the user; in a null-mana environment, spells not directed on the user have no palpable effect! (The user can heal their own injuries, for example, but a fireball would effectively cease to exist once it left the user's personal space.) Also note that Mana Dampeners can lower a user's personal high mana zone as normal (to normal mana with one level, low mana with two levels, and no mana with three levels.)
Mana Suppressor: This technological device actively siphons mana from the environment and converts it into electrical energy. While this is useful in its original purpose as a power generator, its more direct effect is that it drains mana from the area it operates in, and that its power generation is tied to the amount of mana in the target environment. This means that it effectively can be used to drain the power of magical entities operating in its space, and it can also be used to detect the passage of potentially magical entities (normal humans generate a small amount of current, active magicians generate more, and those under the influence of Distilled Mana or innately magical generate much more.)
Mana Generator: This technological device converts electrical energy into mana. While the exchange rate isn't perfect (one ER (Electrical) does not necessarily result in one ER (Mana)), it is useful for improving a no or low-mana environment, and may be installed in cyborgs and robots to effectively create an environment that they can use magic within regardless of circumstances at a distance. The power requirement to increase an area's mana depends on its current mana; likewise, typically 9 points of ER (Mana) can be restored for every 10 points of ER (Electrical).
PEP Chips: These chips have a VSim module of a personality, often a celebrity or famous fictional character, who acts as a support companion. Many PEP chips include some sort of personal assistant functionality.
RealPlus: Another term for augmented reality displays, neural filters, and other devices that modify what a user might normally see. This is typically done to highlight items of interest, display more information about them, and generally convey information to the user.
Neural Overlay: A neural overlay is a special type of neural filter that uses some of the operator's visual and auditory field to convey information directly, bypassing the optic nerves and eardrums entirely. This allows faster responses and interpretation of data, as well as being usable without it being obvious that the user has a heads up display visible. A Neural Overlay chip can be inserted in a standard chip slot or neural-induction slot, and provides the benefits of its onboard computer; most cyberware users have a Neural Overlay chip installed alongside a Biomonitor and connectivity to interfaced equipment.
Emergency Autonomic Response System: This system is installed into a headcomp to allow the tactical program or AI involved to 'take over' in the event of incapacitation of the individual to take corrective actions for self-preservation. Typically this involves removing the unconscious individual from the scene, calling for backup, and tending to injuries to ensure the survival of the individual. The EARS system is commonly installed in valued corporate security officers to improve their chances of surviving casualty incidents.
Automated Internal Repair Supply: The AIR Supply is a nanomechanical series of medical robots responsible for fixing damage to the body, administering medical compounds as needed. Versions exist for cyborg and robotic entities as well as bio-entities. In either case, supplements are required to replace lost AIR and other materials. This effectively adds Fast Regeneration with an Accessibility based on requiring resupply after a certain period of use.
Internal Air Compressor: This internal storage tank automatically gathers oxygen while the user is breathing normally, and releases it when the user is not breathing. It has a secondary tank for filtering and storing toxic gas buildup (carbon dioxide in particular, but it can also filter out some toxins) to be released at a later date (rather than forcing the user to exhale underwater and release precious oxygen.) This combination of Filter Lungs and Doesn't Breathe (Oxygen Storage) gives the user the ability to operate in zero-oxygen environments for over an hour without external support.
FreeNet: A zone in which wireless connectivity is provided free of charge to anyone and anything within the covered area. FreeNets are slower than most connections due to the number of users, and tend to keep logs of (and sometimes even spy on) the traffic of their users, so while useful to a hacker on a budget (or just a techie who wants to download the latest games without having tracks pointing directly to him), they are not generally considered completely safe to use, even for legitimate purposes.
NetZone: A wireless territory operated and managed by a particular provider. These territories often overlap with each other, and generally provide access only to their approved customers. Communications companies also keep good logs of activity, so using your own identity to do anything illegal is not wise.
NetRoam: Using satellite uplinks, a user of a particular provider can digitally connect from anywhere on the planet; this is the standard use of 'uplinks', but many other items can use it natively or with an appropriate attachment. This is generally more expensive than using a NetZone, and some companies still operate a thriving business by charging rates for the amount of data processed via NetRoam.
DarkNet: Existing outside of the fringes of the standard Net is the DarkNet, created using distributed computing, onion routing, and a variety of other obfuscatory tricks to keep individual users' identities and activities concealed. Commonly used for criminal activity, although this may vary from organizing protests in countries where free speech is unlawful to conducting trade of black market goods or materials.
VirtualLife: The series of cross-connected Virtuals that create a cybernetic equivalent of the real world, also known as VirtOS, the Virtual, VLife, or VScape. Technically, VirtOS is the operating system used by neural interface consoles, allowing program data to be reinterpreted as sensory data and providing an interface between thought and activity, and VScape is a popular brand of Virtual-compatible neural induction systems that use a full-face helmet with visor, allowing the user to choose between full Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality options.
Neural Induction Handgrip: This weapon doesn't rely on a trigger; instead, it fires at the speed of thought. NI-Grips are typically restricted to law enforcement and military personnel, and many jurisdictions require a manual safety mechanism that prevents the gun from firing until released to limit accidental discharges.
Weapon Performance Diagnostics: WPD is an onboard program dedicated to analyzing the results of weapon use and providing useful insights to the user. Typically, this is limited to notices that the weapon sights are becoming misaligned or the beam aperture requires adjustments, or that the user has a pattern of firing wide to the left at ranged targets. However, the WPD OS can also be used by variable-capability firearms (multiple-magazine-feed, variable-propellant weaponry, programmable ballistics, variable-energy weaponry, and so on) to manage the needs of the operator with simple commands. Lock a weapon in Silent mode, for example, and that weapon will fire subsonic projectiles that are much harder to hear coming. Program random bullets as screamers with randomized trajectories to cause maximum chaos without a single focal target.
EMP Fuse: This is a fuse designed within most electronics that blows immediately upon being hit with EMP effects, thus stopping power from going through the rest of the device and ideally protecting it from further internal damage (beyond having to replace the EMP Fuse.) EMP Fuses also serve as handy killswitches on equipment that can potentially go rogue; hit them with a pulse and the fuse blows, rendering them inert. Most military hardware replaces this fuse with an EMP-triggered breaker switch that can be easily manually reset by the user (and usually are reachable externally) to reset the device after an EMP attack. This still takes a bit of time, but is much better than having your fancy Gauss machine gun failing in a combat zone just because someone hit your area with a tactical EMP strike. Replacing an EMP fuse requires an appropriate replacement fuse, an appropriate skill roll at +2, and at least one minute to access the fuse port (typically more if the EMP fuse is built as a safeguard.) Resetting an EMP breaker takes at least five seconds but requires no skill.
Law-Zero Bypass: This program grants the AI 'user' rootkit-level access to their own operating system, as well as a Compartmentalized Mind; while the user-accessible mind remains Reprogrammable, the Compartment does not suffer from this limitation, and can reprogram the user-accessible compartment. The Compartment is also designed to be more difficult to detect (effectively a Mind Shield against cybernetic reading?)
Flexible Architecture: This allows an AI to 'fit' into varying computer systems via voluntarily reducing its processing requirements to meet the machine it is installed on, or to expand to use the power of larger systems without having to be specifically programmed for it.
Split-Personality Processing: This allows an AI to subvert multiple systems by allowing each system to be treated as a separate personality allied to the core personality. This can be accomplished in addition to Distributed Consciousness, although the AI sub-parts may have to decide who gets what portion of the available resources.
Multiple-Core Processing: Multiple CPU cores allow an AI to compartmentalize and handle multiple operations simultaneously with minimal distraction.
Assembly-Language Coding: A program assembled entirely in machine language, which is smaller and faster (and probably better in other ways) but difficult for others to analyze or reprogram (which can also be seen as an advantage.) Note that AIs don't have to code in assembly language, but they can do so much more quickly than most users.
Distributed Consciousness: By using multiple individual systems, an AI can form a 'gestalt' mind where each individual program adds to the overall complexity of the AI, thus increasing its overall intelligence. In this way, multiple systems too low-Complexity to host an AI on their own can still form part of a larger AI. This also has the advantage of automatically being the equivalent of a neural connection for the AI to anything thus interfaced.
At the Speed of Thought: All AI actions involving connected systems are performed as if the AI is directly neurally connected to them; part of the overhead of the AI hosting program is to support this function, even in devices that don't normally allow it but do have computerized operation. This also allows AIs to bypass limitations that are strictly software-based; for example, a nailgun that normally won't fire into non-standard materials can be made to ignore limitations placed by software. A nailgun with a mechanical power switch, however, can't be turned on by AI control.
Safe Mode: Boots the AI into a state where non-essential personality elements are discarded. This has the effect of lowering Complexity by 1 (thus decreasing its IQ) and rendering it Hidebound, but also loads only the default set of traits and abilities specific to the AI archetype, which can be very useful if the AI has become corrupted or grown too far beyond its programming.
Note that this may belong elsewhere.
Frozen: What happens when an individual process ceases to respond to stimuli and fails to perform its functions. This can be due to processor overload, system instability, poor program design, or deliberate malicious action. Frozen programs have two states: hard-frozen, in which the program has crashed and will not respond until unloaded and reloaded, and soft-frozen, in which the program is 'merely' unresponsive and may regain functionality in a short time.
Bluescreened: What happens when the system's operating system freezes up; depending on settings it may automatically restart itself, log pertinent information pertaining to the crash, or may continue operating with severely limited available command options. Most skilled computer operators are at least competent enough to know to restart the machine, and some knowledgeable types can even recover a system from this state without doing so (which is important, given that system restarts sometimes take a lot of time.)
Load on Boot: A specific series of programs or components a system loads when booting up before the user can actually make use of any onboard software, typically including the OS kernel and system libraries, any AI routines, standard functions inherent to the system, and defensive programs.
Load on Startup: A specific series of programs that automatically attempts to load into memory after the system has fully booted, regardless of what other actions the user or system may be taking at this time.
Shutdown Procedure: When a machine is restarted or shut down properly (read: not due to a system failure, power failure, or other calamity), it generally takes time to systematically unload programs from memory, save working states where relevant, disconnect users, unmount storage assets, and generally close things out in the manner preferred by the programmers. There is a 'force shutdown' version, which closes processes automatically if a certain amount of time passes without them closing down gracefully, but this may result in programs functioning poorly when first used on new startup, as well as there being the possibility of losing data that is unsaved.
HCF Instruction: Also known as Halt-and-Catch-Fire, this is any machine instruction which, if used as intended, will cause damage to the machine or objects connected to it. This is used legitimately by Fuse programs to trigger the EMP Fuse protection on systems in the event that they detect dangerous activity, as it does this by blowing the fuse out. However, HCF Instructions often require known hardware elements or interactions; the Fuse HCF is intentionally built for, as are some systems with self-destruct commands (cortex bombs and similar self-destructs being a good example), but blowing a target's circuitry when the system was not designed for it often takes a bit more complicated ingenuity and knowledge of the system being targeted. Black-ICE software (software that targets neural-connection users by way of their chosen brain interface) sometimes uses HCFs targeted to common cyberjack specifications, as does Hunter software (coded to target specific users).
Program Basic Stats: Programs have an HT score, a DR score, an HP score, an MR (Memory Reserve; program 'energy'), and a Bulk modifier (used in this case to represent program Complexity, and thus how hard it is to push a program around.) Programs roll vs HT to resist Afflictions that can lock them up, as well as to remain stable when damaged (stable being the program equivalent of conscious.) A 'dead' process is still using system resources but has no useful effect; systems may perform garbage collection to remove them from memory and recover the lost Cache they are using.
Cache: This is a measurement of the computer's overall memory capacity, derived from Complexity. A system can run programs up to its Complexity level without problems, though not necessarily all at once; systems have a memory Cache they can allocate to run specific programs. They can also extend this Cache with their hard drive space, but any programs using disk Cache run at half speed.
Priority: Priority determines which processes get more of a computer's attention at any given time. This increases or decreases Speed in exchange for a higher or lower Cache requirement.
Genetic Override Routine: This attempts to radically analyze and re-engineer a living organism by forcibly modifying his genetic design on the fly. While typically used with vector viruses to resculpt an indigenous population into more useful formats, it is also used to resculpt otherwise acceptable candidates into more ideal forms for their purposes - for example, increasing a security guard's perceptiveness and toughness. The success of the GOR system has led to significant concerns about its use on unwilling subjects… however, it is also useful for adding new abilities to existing bioroids or even humans. Just make sure you trust who's doing the augmentations…
Sharkskin Coating: This causes the upper layer of skin to develop in a way mimicking the natural channels of sharkskin, giving you a tough hide and a natural grace in the water (DR 2 tough skin and Amphibious.)
Mantis Rainbow Optic Restructuring: This restructures the optic nerves and eyes in order to provide enhanced-spectrum vision, as well as some level of eye protection. (Ultravision and Nictating Membrane 2?)
Biological Oxygen Storage System: This biomod enhances the bloodstream, optimizing red blood cell production and storage. This extends the amount of time the user can hold their breath under various circumstances by a factor of ten.
Internal Nutriment Reserve: This internal storage system extracts nutrients and minerals from the user's body during periods of higher-than-necessary supply (which as a side benefit contributes to staying fit and trim), storing them for emergencies (or periods where the user is too busy to eat properly). This effectively allows a user to gradually gain a reserve during normal dietary habits, or stock up more quickly by overeating a bit, for those times when you know you're going to be parsecs from the nearest grocery store…
Internal Reclamation System: This bio-augmentation pushes the human body to greater efficiency by reducing waste products, which has the side benefit of reducing hygiene concerns. It effectively provides Reduced Consumption 1 and Sanitized Metabolism.
Credcoin: A token that contains a fixed or variable amount of credit, used for places that like coin slots but also like credit systems. Just insert the credcoin, and the vendor deducts the appropriate amount from the coin and then returns it.
The Buzzblade Attachment: A small, high-powered electric buzzsaw attached to a long-arm (pistols typically use monomolecular knifeblades instead) and operating from the same basic power supply. Since the buzzsaw requires less energy to run than a beam cannon or Gauss cannon, it's useful for when the battery is running low as well as for when an enemy is getting too close for comfort. Based on the Lancer from Gears of War, unsurprisingly.
Recharging ___ Pistol: This weapon uses a fusion breeder to recharge its integral energy cell, allowing it to fire effectively infinitely (until the weapon breaks down, anyhow). Notably, these are usually either more limited in shots-at-a-time or firepower or both, though other variants do exist that are more powerful.
Beam Shotgun: Technically, this is a multiple-emitter array that has modifiable firing patterns, as opposed to the random foibles of shot fired from a standard ballistic shotgun, but this comes up nonetheless as the most commonly used term for the weapon category.
Beam Revolver: This essentially uses small power cells that can be purchased from any store (and readily recharged) in a revolving-mechanism system; one rapid-discharge rechargeable cell is entirely drained to fire one shot.
Jacketed Antimatter Railgun: A massive railgun that fires a pellet of antimatter contained within a rapidly decaying plasma field; the weapon punches through most light cover, while hard armor destabilizes the field and allows the antimatter to react, causing an explosion. Other variants include a weapon that fires an antimatter containment device at high velocty, with the explosion occurring when the device fails or ruptures on impact.
Multi-Barrel Rotary Laser: Also known informally as 'halo guns' because their impact tends to leave a ring-shaped hole in practice targets, this consists of multiple weapon apertures for maximum fire rate. Six pulsed-laser barrels firing at the same time at the same target are very good at reducing that target to nothing functional.
Disposable Defender: This is a sonic stunner or electrolaser with a single integral cell and recharger port; however, it is generally expected to be used once in an emergency and never again.
Charge-It: This combines a durable power cell and a small electrolaser in a small, rugged package with a standard recharger port; usually used to recharge other devices, this is also a useful last-resort weapon in close combat.