To the average citizen, better medicine and biotechnology can be the most important technological advances in an ultra-tech society.
These devices are useful for first aid, diagnosis, surgery, and long-term patient care. This section also describes static medical robots and microbots, which are treated as equipment. For mobile machines, see Medical Robots.
When determining physiology modifiers, automeds, smart bandages, robots, and similar gear are treated as specialized for the designer’s species. Versions optimized for treating different species (including animals) may be available, usually at double normal cost.
This is an antidote for one specific non-nanotech toxin; 10 uses. $25, 0.5 lb. LC4.
This is a coffin-sized trauma pod. A single patient enters it, and the lid is shut. The pod can treat the patient on its own, or be controlled remotely.
The automed is equipped with robot arms, surgical tools, and diagnostic sensors. Its dedicated computer can treat its patient with Diagnosis-14, Electronics Operation (Medical)-14, First Aid-15, Physician-13, and Surgery-15. It has no imagination, so new diseases or strange problems may stump it – in which case it does its best to sustain the patient and call for help.
An automed may also be used to diagnose or treat patients by manual or remote control. Used this way, it can function as a crash kit, as diagnostic probes, and as a portable surgery; however, do not add their equipment modifiers when the automed uses its own skills. It’s common for automeds to be teleoperated by AIs rather than living doctors.
An automed can sustain patients on life support, as a transport ESU. It has 100 uses of bandage spray (below) and an internal pharmacy with room for 200 doses of drugs. The drugs are chosen and stocked by the automed’s owners, and can be dispensed as needed. There is also a medium-range radio connected to the medical sensors, an internal camera, and a speaker. $100,000, 250 lbs., E/200 hr. LC4.
This spray-on antiseptic bandage seals and disinfects minor wounds while acting as an analgesic. It comes in flesh-tone, colored, and transparent versions. First Aid using bandage spray receives a +2 (quality) bonus to skill. The spray stops bleeding and restores 1 HP in five seconds.
One-Use Bandage Spray (TL9): One use. $3, 0.1 lbs. LC4.
Bandage Spray Can: Six applications. $15, 0.5 lbs. LC4.
A non-invasive monitor that records basic vital signs: pulse, heartbeat, blood pressure, etc. It has a small display, and stores its data internally on a standard disk so that a doctor can review the patient’s medical history.
Biomonitor Bracelet: A doctor consulting or monitoring it receives a +1 (quality) bonus to Diagnosis skill for the wearer. $50, 0.1 lb., A/100 hr. LC4.
Biomonitor Autoinjector: As above, but incorporates a hypo or patch with 10 doses of drugs. It injects a programmed drug when a specific physical or stress-related psychological condition occurs, e.g., unconsciousness, heart attack, Bad Temper or Berserk disadvantage, transforming into a werewolf, etc. If an appropriate drug is available, the device can serve as a Mitigator (see p. B112) for such conditions. $200 (plus drug dosage), 0.15 lb., A/100 hr. LC4.
Diagnostic Sensors: A “doc in a box” that connects to a set of sensors which must be attached over the body. It gives readouts on the patient’s vital signs, including pulse, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. This provides a +2 (quality) bonus to Diagnosis. $500, 0.5 lb., 2B/1,000 hr. LC4.
An examination table equipped with a full range of biological and medical scanners, including a CAT scan, a PET scan, T-rays, ultrasound, and X-rays. The patient lies on the table and scan results are projected onto an overhead screen.
Diagnostic Bed (TL9): Provides a +3 (quality) bonus to Diagnosis skill for most medical conditions, save those requiring detailed and non-invasive brain imaging (see HyMRI). If the imaging results from a diagnostic bed is combined with diagnostic probes (below) or laboratory tests, the total bonus to skill is +TL/2. $25,000, 250 lbs., E/100 hr. LC4.
A solution of tiny medical biosensors which can be injected into a patient as part of a diagnostic procedure. Injecting them requires only a hypo, but retrieval requires an automed, diagnostic bed, chrysalis machine, or ESU. If they’ve had at least two hours to circulate, their data gives a +3 (quality) bonus to Diagnosis skill. If the data is combined with readings from an imaging scan performed by a diagnostic bed (above) or HyMRI, the total quality bonus to skill is +5.
A diagnostic bed can communicate with the probes without removal being required. If not removed, they’ll work for a month and then degrade harmlessly. $200 per dose. LC4.
A tiny one-use syringe, no longer than a fingernail. It is preloaded with a dose of a drug, poison, or metabolic nanoagent in injectable form. If the drug costs $5 or more, the hypo is included at no additional cost. Otherwise, $0.50 plus the cost of the drug, 0.01 lb. LC4.
This tests for a specific disease, toxin, drug, or condition (e.g., pregnancy or malnutrition). No skill is required; the kit produces a color change to indicate a positive result. Available in versions that test urine or blood. $5, 0.1 lb. LC4.
This is a life support system for patients who can no longer sustain their own bodily functions. See Mortal Wounds for the effect of trauma maintenance: the patient rolls to survive each day rather than each half-hour, and may use the higher of his Physician’s skill or his HT.
Attaching a mortally-injured patient to an ESU requires an Electronics Operation (Medical) roll; each attempt takes 10 seconds. The system also includes diagnostic biosensors. An ESU can function as a Mitigator (-60%) for any Terminal Illness disadvantage caused by organ failure or similar problems.
An ESU can maintain the biological functions of someone who is dead (unless they’re at -5 x HP or worse), preserving the body intact for later use. It can also perform whole-blood transfusions. A “blood-wash” to remove toxins or nanomachines takes two hours.
Hospital ESU: A standard trauma maintenance unit, usually integrated into a hospital bed (the bed is not included). It provides a +2 (quality) bonus to Physician skill or HT rolls for trauma maintenance. $15,000, 120 lbs., 4D/200 hr. LC4.
Transport ESU (TL9): A lightweight but shock-resistant and stabilized version of the hospital ESU, attached to a stretcher or installed in a vehicle. It is used for safe transport of critically injured patients. It provides a +1 (quality) bonus to Physician skill or HT rolls for trauma maintenance. $10,000, 60 lbs., 2D/100 hr. LC4.
Wearable Life Support Unit (TL9): Takes over the function of a specific failed organ, such as the heart or kidneys. It is only useful as a Mitigator for terminal illness caused by organ failure. $2,000, 4 lbs., 4C/100 hr. LC4.
Suitcase ESU (TL10): A lightweight system that can be attached to a prone patient. It is often used by paramedics or built into robots. $5,000, 12 lbs., D/50 hr. LC4.
These kits contain basic medical instruments useful for first aid.
First Aid Kit: Contains a bandage spray can, ointments, etc. It gives a +1 (quality) bonus to First Aid skill, or +2 when using the bandage spray to treat bleeding. $50, 2 lbs. LC4.
Crash Kit: Contains a defibrillator, an oxygen mask, sutures, a bandage spray can, and no-shock drugs. It provides a +2 (quality) bonus to First Aid skill and counts as improvised equipment (-5) for Surgery skill. $200, 10 lbs. LC4.
This chamber slows down a living subject’s metabolic activity through chemical means. It reduces oxygen consumption, body temperature, food and water consumption. It is the most basic means of achieving “suspended animation.”
It takes an hour to reduce the subject to a hibernation state, after which he is unconscious and his life support requirements drop by a factor of 10. He also “ages” at roughly one-tenth the usual rate. The subject may be kept unconscious indefinitely if the chamber is equipped to provide for life support. Once the chamber is opened, the subject will be at 0 FP (or his current total, if less). He can recover FP normally, although stimulants may also be used. Hibernation is used to give critically ill patients awaiting organ transplants more time, to keep patients suffering severe blood loss alive long enough for surgery, and to reduce life support requirements during long voyages.
Hibernation Chamber: Houses a single person. It is equipped with life support systems to keep the patient alive at his low metabolic rate, stimulate muscles, etc. These must be connected to an external life support source, but the occupant uses up one-tenth the normal life support requirement. $20,000, 200 lbs., external power. LC3.
Suspended Animation Tube: Has a self-contained regenerative life system that maintains all needs for as long as the power holds out. It will auto-revive if power is about to fail. $50,000, 750 lbs., 5E/10 years (or indefinite with external power). LC3.
Hibernation Case: A compact unit that fits inside a trunk. Designed mostly for storing organs and pets, but a child, dwarf, or small teenager (SM -1) could fit inside. It will auto-revive if power is about to fail. $10,000, 125 lbs., 5D/1 month. LC3.
Hibernation chambers are specific to classes of species (e.g., mammals) and may not work on some races.
A conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner uses powerful electromagnets to stimulate the protons in the patient’s body into emitting radio energy, which is used to produce a non-invasive image. HyMRI augments this with an inhaled laser-polarized inert gas such as an isotope of xenon or helium. This increases the resolution, especially in the lungs and nearby heart and brain. Use Diagnosis skill to operate the scanner. It is basic equipment for the noninvasive diagnosis of brain and spinal disorders, as well as for mind emulation, and provides a +5 (quality) bonus for diagnosing heart and lung problems.
An MRI is not safely usable on anyone with magnetic or ferrous material in their body, e.g., cybernetics or fragments. If in doubt, a diagnostic scan should precede its use.
Hospital HyMRI: A large device that the patient must lie inside. $250,000, 500 lbs., 2E/10 hr (or external power). LC3.
Portable HyMRI (TL10): A helmet-sized device clamped over the patient. This is only usable for imaging the head. $25,000, 50 lbs., 2D/1 hr. LC3.
This antiseptic and hemostatic patch can serve as a pressure bandage or a tourniquet. When the flesh beneath it heals, the patch falls off. It reduces the time required for bandaging from 60 seconds to 20 seconds, and the hemostatic proteins incorporated into it stop bleeding immediately after successful application. Plasti-skin is normally a different color than flesh (so the bandage can be easily identified). However, versions that assume the color of the underlying skin are available to cover tattoos and scars – these are useful as disguises. A field dressing pack with four applications is $2, 1/8 lb. LC4.
This hypo injects drugs with a charge of compressed air. It must be touching the patient to inject its drug. If used as a weapon, it can penetrate DR 1, or normal clothing, has Reach C, cannot parry, and uses Knife skill (or DX-4). Its vial holds one dose of a drug. These devices are about the size of a penlight, and are included in all medical kits at no extra cost. Air cartridges providing 100 charges of compressed air are $10. It takes three seconds to remove an empty drug vial or air cartridge and replace a new one. $20, 0.1 lb. LC4.
Anyone under the care of a competent physician (Physician skill 12+) who has a stock of drugs and medical supplies gets +1 on all rolls for natural recovery. The healer may also make a Physician roll to cure the patient. Only one physician may roll per patient, but a single physician can care for up to fifty patients per day, and can roll three times per day to see how much he can help. On a success, the patient recovers 1 HP; on a critical success, he recovers 2 HP. This is in addition to natural healing. However, a critical failure costs the patient 1 HP!
Medical Supplies: Drugs and other disposable supplies sufficient for 50 patient-days of Physician treatment. Gives a +1 (quality) bonus. Without this gear, the doctor operates as if at the TL6 level. $500, 5 lbs. LC4.
Medical Bed: A robotic nursing bed with built-in instruments, waste-relief systems, and an automated programmable drug dispensary for treating one patient. Adds +3 (quality) to Physician skill; allows three Medical Care rolls daily. $10,000, 100 lbs., D/100 hr. LC4.
Biomonitor: If a patient has been wearing a biomonitor bracelet for at least a day, its accumulated data makes it easier to treat him. This gives +1 to Physician skill. $50, 0.1 lb., A/100 hr. LC4.
Suit Doc: An array of intelligent diagnostic sensors and general-purpose medical drug injectors that can be built into any sealed suit. It can perform ongoing Medical Care on the wearer as if he were under the care of a doctor who has Physician-10. A suit doc’s drug pack is good for five days. Extra suit doc drug packs are $50 and 0.5 lbs. $5,000, 5 lbs., C/100 hr. LC3.
This is a sensor-equipped hemostatic plasti-skin bandage containing smart drug patches. A diagnostic smart bandage is manually applied; this takes 20 seconds, but otherwise use normal Bandaging rules. It adds +2 (quality) bonus to skill when performing Bandaging, and its hemostatic proteins always stop bleeding. After its application, the bandage will begin treating the patient for shock (p. B424), delivering a cocktail of drugs that help keep him calm, warm, and comfortable. After 10 minutes of this treatment, the bandage gets a First Aid-12 roll to determine its success. This is not quite as effective as a human medic: success restores only 1d HP rather than 1d+1, and there is no special result on a critical success. As usual, a critical failure results in a 2 HP loss.
Diagnostic Smart Bandage: Described above; four applications are $20, 0.4 lbs. LC4.
Diagnostic Smart Bandage Spray: Takes only three seconds to apply; uses a smart aerosol. One application is $5, 0.1 lb. LC4.
A complete set of surgical equipment provides a +4 bonus to Surgery skill rolls in addition to the equipment quality modifiers described below. See Surgery (p. B223 and p. B424).
Surgical Instruments: A complete set of surgical tools, including laser scalpels, forceps, bio-glue, sonic probe, and sutures. (This is also included in the crash kit, above.) It is basic equipment for the Surgery skill. $300, 15 lbs., 5B/20 hr. LC4.
Operating Theater: An entire room full of specialized equipment. Its instruments include manipulators that can be controlled via virtual reality gloves and an augmented reality interface; the surgeon still needs steady hands, but he’s not putting them inside the patient. As a result, smaller incisions are needed and recovery times are halved. It provides a +2 (quality) bonus to Surgery skill. $200,000, 1,000 lbs., 20C/40 hr. or external power. LC4.
Portable Surgery: A complete set of equipment that fits in the back of a utility vehicle, a trailer, or a hospital cart. This equipment is favored by “street docs” and military units. Its capabilities are the same as that of an operating theater, but it gives a +1 (quality) bonus to Surgery skill and +2 (quality) bonus to First Aid. A portable surgery takes five minutes to pack or unpack. $50,000, 250 lbs., 5C/40 hr. (or external power). LC4.
Specialized Operating Theater: Dedicated to a particular Surgery specialization. It gives a +5 (quality) Surgery bonus in that specialization, but is only basic equipment otherwise. $1,000,000, 1,000 lbs., 20C/40 hr. or external power. LC4.
Specialized Portable Surgery: As above, but dedicated to a particular Surgery specialization, such as brain surgery or cybernetics. It provides a +2 (quality) bonus to Surgery skill in that specialization, but is only useful as basic equipment for other types of surgery. $100,000, 250 lbs., 5C/40 hr. or external power. LC4.
This is a static robot the size of a paperback book. If clamped onto a wounded area, it will treat injuries. It has a hypo, anesthetic spray gun, and small surgical arms. It dispenses bandage spray (as above), then treats for shock with First Aid-13. After it is finished, it signals for removal. If its sensors indicate that first aid has failed, or that the patient is not responding to treatment, it calls for a physician. It has a built-in short-range radio. $1,200, 2 lbs., B/10 hr. LC4.
This multi-purpose medical scanner can detect internal injuries, genetic problems, diseases, implants, and more. No space opera medic should be without one!
Medscanner: A pocket-sized device with a one-yard range. It gives a +3 (quality) bonus to Diagnosis skill. $1,000, 0.25 lbs., B/10 hr. LC4.
This is a means of safely shutting down a person’s metabolism, putting him into a state of permanent suspended animation, in which no special preservation tank is needed. It uses nanomachines to install protective scaffolding and fixatives around and within every cell in the patient’s body. Once placed in stasis, an organism does not require any oxygen or food, and cannot age or deteriorate, although it remains vulnerable to physical damage. Reversal of nanostasis requires similar bio-nanotech to remove the preservatives and restart bodily functions.
A living being placed into nanostasis is not dead. However, it is inanimate and unconscious, with IQ 0 and the Immunity to Metabolic Hazards, Injury Tolerance (Unliving), and Unaging advantages. Nanostasis can also replace the need for anesthesia during surgery.
Nanostasis is safe, but the subject will be disoriented for hours (sometimes days) afterward. Upon revival, the process supervisor makes a Physician roll. Critical failure means the patient has the Confused (9) disadvantage for 20-HT hours, and 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 means immediate recovery.
Nanostasis Tank: A growth tank (below) modified to place someone into nanostasis, or to revive him. It takes five hours for the process to slow and then completely stop the patient’s metabolism. Afterward, he can be safely removed. Reviving a patient takes eight hours. The tank uses up one package of nanomachines ($5,000, 0.1 lbs.) per patient. $300,000, 250 lbs., E/200 hours. LC3.
Nanostasis Pod: An armored and radiation-shielded (DR 50, PF 100) pod that contains a nanostasis tank and automatic suspension and revival equipment (Physician-14 for this purpose only). It powers down when not in use; it is designed to keep someone preserved for centuries. It can revive its occupant at a pre-set date. $500,000, 500 lbs., E/200 hours (when not powered down). LC3.
A two-inch-wide disk with adhesive bonding material on one side. When applied to the bare skin of a living being with an approximately terrestrial vertebrate nervous system, it cuts off nerve impulses.
Its effects depend on where it is placed. If a neural inhibitor were attached to a person’s forearm, his hand would be paralyzed, but he’d feel no pain from a hand or forearm injury, and surgery could be performed without anesthesia. If it were placed near the neck over the spinal cord, he would be paralyzed from the neck down. Use on the skull induces unconsciousness until removed. If the subject is not cooperating, treat these effects as a HT-6 affliction attack; the victim may roll to resist each second in contact.
A neural inhibitor gives a +1 (quality) bonus to First Aid to treat shock (p. B424). $200, 0.1 lb., A/10 hr. LC 3.
This swarm of microbots is designed for autonomous patient care. It is made up of teams of specialized microbots. 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.
The swarm may perform First Aid, cleaning and repairing damaged tissue and injecting no-shock drugs. Each square yard of swarm can treat one person at a time. A paramedical swarm has Diagnosis-10 and First Aid-10. It provides its own basic equipment for both skills, but it cannot benefit from other types of medical equipment. Paramedical swarms can’t treat somebody in a sealed suit, but a swarm can be housed in microbot arteries. $6,000/square yard. LC3.
A regeneration tank is a biofab optimized for rapid whole-body cell repair. The tank contains mechanisms for controlling nanomachines as they permeate the user’s body, instructing and assisting every viable cell in what repairs to make. Nonviable cells are programmed to self-destruct, or are removed and replaced with clones of healthy cells.
A Physician roll is required to supervise the procedure. Success means it works normally; failure takes twice as long as usual. It can heal everything up to permanent crippling injuries, at 1 HP per 12 hours, or radiation at 10 rads per day. Missing limbs and organs regrow in six weeks. $500,000, 600 lbs., 2E/200 hr. LC3. A regeneration tank requires nanomachines and feedstock: a week’s supply is $1,000, 1 lb.
This specialized regeneration tank reverses the aging process. Its nanomachines reset cellular clocks, killing senescent or dying cells and replacing them with healthy ones.
Rejuvenation requires three months of treatment, after which the subject’s body is restored to young adulthood and full health. All age-related disadvantages and attribute losses are removed, as are any crippling injuries.
Rejuvenation is a risky procedure. The process supervisor must make a Physician roll. On a critical success, the patient is rejuvenated and fully recovered. Success means that the patient is rejuvenated but suffers Confused (9) for 1d days as he adjusts to his rejuvenated body.
Failure means the structures of his memory were permanently disrupted: he has Partial Amnesia. A critical failure results in either a messy death (such as being turned into a mass of cancer cells) or revival with no mind at all. Rejuvenation treatments may also have other limits, such as sterility or a set limit on the number of rejuvenations one can sustain. A rejuvenation tank can also function as a regeneration tank. $300,000, 600 lbs., 2E/200 hr. LC2.
This device must be placed atop a patient’s torso or other injured part (this takes a Ready maneuver). After that, it is autonomous. It unfolds, extruding surgical manipulators, anesthesia and life support tubes, and diagnostic sensors as necessary. It uses its manipulators to cut away clothing and treats the patient using Diagnosis-10, First Aid-12, Physician-10, and Surgery-10. It incorporates diagnostic probes, suitcase ESU, and a crash kit.
If the doc encounters a problem it can’t handle, it calls for help on its short-range radio. It also carries 10 uses of bandage spray and an internal pharmacy with up to 20 doses of drugs. $10,000, 20 lbs., 2C/10 hr. LC3.
A chrysalis machine is a pod that spins a life-support web around the patient, completely enfolding him. Each cell is surrounded with biological repair and support machinery, which take over control from the patient’s own DNA. The machine instructs the cells to begin self-repair procedures, and if necessary, takes apart the patient cell by cell and rebuilds him in accordance with its own programming.
A chrysalis machine can function as a high-speed regeneration tank, healing injury at 1 HP per hour. Crippled limbs or organs are restored when the lost HP are recovered. A chrysalis machine can also function as a nanostasis tank and rejuvenation tank; it does so at 12 times normal speed.
A chrysalis machine can revive the dead, provided the body was not totally destroyed (-10 x HT or worse). Roll against Physician skill to do so, at -2 for every hour the subject has been dead. Success restores the patient to life. Failure by 1 or 2 restores the patient with personality intact, but with substantial memory loss (treat as Partial Amnesia). Failure by 3 or more restores the body with no mind or personality, although downloading could potentially fix that.
As long as there are some traces of genetic material remaining (the body may be crushed or burned, but not disintegrated) the chrysalis can clone the original using genetic reconstruction. Unless a mind emulation is available, the result will be a blank-minded clone. A chrysalis machine can direct itself using its own dedicated computer’s Physician-11 skill, or be controlled by an operator.
Chrysalis machines are in their infancy, and only an experienced bioengineering firm is likely to have one available. $5,000,000, 600 lbs., 2E/200 hr. LC2.
Most medical robots are static equipment or tiny microbots (both covered under Medical Equipment). However, the need for cheap nursing assistance for an aging population may lead to the development of mobile medical robots.
This man-shaped robot caregiver can assist the elderly and disabled, both at home and in clinics and hospitals. Its long, dextrous fingers have retractable surgical instruments, which can function as claws if used in combat. Its oversized head contains infrared and sonar systems for patient imaging.
Some nursebots can pass as human, although a sculpted humanoid version is more common.
Attribute Modifiers: ST+3 [30]; HT+2 [20].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+7 [14].
Advantages: Absolute Direction [5]; Ambidexterity [5]; Discriminatory Taste (Profiling, +50%) [15]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; DR 2 [10]; High Manual Dexterity 2 [10]; Infravision [10]; Machine [25]; Microscopic Vision 2 [10]; Penetrating Vision 1 (Blockable, Dense Substances, -30%) [7]; Radio (Burst, +30%, Secure, +20%, Video, +40%) [19]; Sealed [15]; Sensitive Touch [10]; Sharp Claws (Switchable, +10%) [6]; Vacuum Support [5].
Perks: Accessories (Personal computer; surgical instruments) [2]; Sanitized Metabolism [1].
Disadvantages: Electrical [-20]; Restricted Diet (Very Common, power cells) [-10].
Lenses
Select one of these model lenses, then combine it with a machine intelligence lens (pp. 27-28) and a biomorphic lens (p. 28).
TL9 Model (-5 points): Add Maintenance (one person, weekly) [-5]. $150,000, 150 lbs., 2D/8 hr. LC4.
TL10 Model (+1 point): Add Maintenance (one person, biweekly) [-3], Reduced Consumption 2 [4]. $100,000, 150 lbs., 2D/24 hr. LC4.
This equipment is for monitoring and manipulating the mind.
A brainscanner observes the human brain by the mind’s electrical activity. A high-resolution 3D structural scan of the subject’s brain is assembled using a HyMRI or similar system. Other real-time electrical recording technologies such as magnetoencephalography (MEG) or electroencephalography (EEG) are used to record the firing of individual brain cells and map those impulses to the scan.
Brainscanners can also be used to create a “persona map,” a model of the way a person thinks. The subject must be conscious, but cooperation is not required. Roll against Electronics Operation (Medical); one roll is allowed each day. Updates are performed at +1 and generally take a few hours.
Careful study of a recent persona map can reveal a person’s main mental advantages, disadvantages, and quirks. It requires two hours and a successful Psychology skill roll, which provides a +2 bonus to Psychology and +1 to other social skills when dealing with that individual.
Scanning Net: This is a network of electrodes, superconducting quantum-interference devices (SQUID), and other sensors that must be attached to the subject’s head. It must be used in conjunction with a prior HyMRI scan. $6,000, 4 lbs. LC4.
Implant Net: A neural interface or biomonitor implant allows brain scans without the use of a scanning net. This provides +1 to all tasks that require a brainscan.
This is an interactive brainscan. The person running the scan must fit the subject with a neural interface, then stimulate the parts of the brain associated with memory recall. The subject is conscious but in a dreamlike state through most of the process. Roll every week rather than daily. Success provides data that gives triple the bonus of a brainscan, and which is sufficient to design a shadow mind emulation.
Equipment for growing life forms and for biotechnology research. Portable labs for Biology skill are also useful.
An artificial womb that can be used to grow a life form to infancy or adulthood. It’s no faster than natural growth. An organism developing in a growth tank has the same awareness as a baby in its womb. If kept past the fetal stage, it will not develop mentally beyond infancy unless additional stimulation (such as an educational dreamgame) is provided.
Incubator Growth Tank: Can carry a human infant to term. $10,000, 10 lbs., external power. LC3.
Adult Growth Tank: Big enough to allow a human to grow to adulthood inside it. $200,000, 200 lbs., external power. LC3.
Larger and smaller tanks are $1,000 and 1 lb. for each pound of body weight they can support.
This is a specialized wet nanofactory that can assemble organs or even a complete life form. A biofabricator can assemble living things rapidly (about a year of growth every week). It can grow an adult human in about 18-20 weeks.
Incubator Biofab: Can carry a human infant to term. $200,000, 50 lbs., D/20 hr. (but usually runs on external power). LC2.
Adult Biofab: Big enough to allow a human to grow to adulthood inside it. $4,000,000, 1,000 lbs., E/20 hr. (but usually runs on building power). LC2.
Larger and smaller tanks are $20,000 and 5 lb. for each pound of body weight they can support.
These technologies are covered in detail in GURPS Bio-Tech, but their capabilities are summarized here.
Human Cloning: Babies that are the genetic twins of humans (along with other animals) can be reliably created.
Bodysculpting: Cosmetic surgery can completely change a person’s appearance.
Tissue-Engineering: Replacement organs and other body parts can be grown to order and grafted onto the body. These include specialized biomods that are the biotech equivalent of cybernetics.
Variant Races: Genetically-engineered subraces of humanity or other species can be created. These are treated as racial templates. Once the research is done, parents might acquire a genetically-engineered embryo, ready for transplant. A typical price is $25,000 for a racial template that does not have any traits a normal person could not have, or $50,000 (or more) for one that does; add an extra +$1,000 per character point the template costs over 0 points.
Biogenesis: Functional biological beings or devices can be assembled using bio-nanotechnology or nanomachines. These are “living robots” patterned on biological models.
Metamorphosis: A chrysalis machine or similar nanotechnology can make radical physical alterations, changing a person’s racial template.