Miraculous drugs are a staple of science-fiction medicine. See Designing Your Own Drugs, below, for guidelines on designing futuristic drugs. Drugs can also include nanomachines or microbots which perform specific medical, maintenance, or protective tasks.
A drug may be a pill, injection, aerosol, contact agent, or aerosol contact agent. Many drugs are available in multiple forms. Most pills require 30 minutes or more to take effect, but can be dissolved in drinks. Contact agents such as patches take at least five minutes, while aerosols and injections take effect almost immediately. Double cost for aerosols or contact agents, or multiply by 10 for aerosol contact agents.
Assume that each doubling of dosage gives an extra -1 to the roll to resist.
A variety of fast-acting barbiturates such as thiopental sodium (sodium pentathol) and scopolamine, used for both for general anesthesia and to lower a subject’s inhibitions for drug-assisted interrogation or psychiatric analysis. The drug is a yellow crystal that can be dissolved in water or alcohol; it has a garlic-like odor. It depresses the central nervous system (like any sedative) and in mild doses produces a state of relaxation, leaving recipients susceptible to suggestion. Its utility as a functional “truth serum” is limited because subjects under its influence can just as easily start to fantasize or be led into telling falsehoods as a result of an interviewer’s leading questions . . . or become groggy and fall unconscious, from repeated doses. After 30 seconds, the subject suffers 1d FP and must succeed with a HT-1 roll or be at -2 to Will and also to all self-control rolls for mental disadvantages lasting for a period of (20 - HT)/2 minutes. $10/dose. LC3.
At TL8+, synthetic abortifacients become available, which allow safe termination within the first three months of pregnancy. If used after this period, the mother will require medical care as the fetus miscarries. Roll vs. the attending physician’s Surgery+6; on a failure the mother takes 1d damage. $10/dose. LC3.
Taken orally or injected, anabolic steroids double learning rates for a number of skills: most HT-based skills, including Flight, Hiking, Lifting, Running, Skating, Skiing, and Swimming; some other skills that involve endurance, such as Bicycling, Boating (Unpowered), and Oarsman; Throwing; and many Sports skills. They also affect physical training (SE: Back to School, p. 12).
Steroids cost about $20/week on the gray market; blackmarket steroids cost at least 1.5x as much. After each six months of use, or any single shorter period, roll vs. HT. Failure means losing Voice (if you have it), one level of Appearance (if female), or one level of HT – or gaining Bad Temper (15) or Bully (15) (a further step of either if you already have it), or Sterile. Critical failure results in all of these that apply!
This drug is a strong painkiller with fewer side effects than drugs such as morphine. The user gains High Pain Threshold for (25 - HT)/4 hours, but is also Drowsy for that period. $2 per dose. LC3.
One dose halves the effective amount of rads from a new exposure; two doses will halve exposure again, and so on. Antirad is preventative; it does not heal radiation damage. It comes as an injection or pill for $150 per dose.
This is a prophylactic drug taken before encounters in which the user suspects he might be drugged. It lasts for 24 hours and grants a +6 bonus to HT rolls to resist sedatives and psychoactive drugs such as amnesiants and truth drugs. $50/dose. LC2.
This “don't-hit-on-me” perfume produces pheromones that actually cause sexual disinterest in people of a specific sexual orientation. It is popular for people who do not wish to be sexually harassed. Anyone who has Lecherousness who is within two yards or downwind gets +2 to their control roll if the only viable subject in the area is using anti-sex pheromones, or if the pheromones are in the area. People without Lecherousness also experience reduced desire. Someone attempting to use Sex Appeal on someone who is exposed to these pheromones will have a -2 (if that person is susceptible to them). The effects linger for a minute after they have been breathed. $10/dose. LC4.
This nanodrug consists of nanomachines programmed to break down toxic molecules. Because the bio-nanomachines can seek out, recognize, and actively destroy the toxin, this is more effective than chemical antidotes. It immediately gives another HT roll after injection to resist the effects of most poisons, with a +8 bonus. If given prophylactically, it grants Resistant to Poison (+8) for 24 hours. $400/dose. LC4.
This drug reliably increases the recipient’s sexual pleasure – it has the same effect as the Eros Plus biomod (p. 171) for one hour. $20/dose. LC3
Accelerates cellular regeneration: anyone using it regenerates 1 HP every 4 hours. Each dose lasts a day, and a week should elapse before another dose is taken. If not, roll vs. HT+2 for the second dose, HT+1 for the third, etc. Failure means the user’s natural ability to heal without the drug is permanently damaged: the user gains Unhealing (Partial). He may still use Ascepaline, however. $20 per dose. LC3.
This drug is used by animal lovers or those wishing to feel at peace and in harmony with the natural world. It grants Animal Empathy and the Delusion that the user can communicate with animals. Long term (one day), pill (HT- 6 to resist). $500/dose. LC4.
This is a stimulant that acts on the sensory nervous system to sharpen the senses and heighten awareness. It grants +2 to Perception for 24 hours. $50/dose. LC4.
This stimulates the metabolism to boost heat production, while also causing mild peripheral vasoconstriction to reduce heat loss. This confers Temperature Tolerance 2 [2] for cold temperatures, but also gives a -1 DX penalty and Increased Consumption 1 (double food requirement). Long term (one day), injection (HT-6 to resist). $1,100/dose. LC4.
This drug gives Resistant to Telepathy (+3) for six hours. It requires a HT roll to avoid a headache causing mild pain (p. B428) for the same period. $100/dose. LC4.
This treatment gives +1 HP (it can’t be repeated). It does not increase ST, but does allow muscle grafting or reinforcement to increase Lifting or Striking ST by two points more than the normal limit. It can also cure one point of ST or HP loss due to bone degeneration in zero-G (see No Degeneration in Zero-G).
The treatment is $10,000 (and two weeks). Repeated treatments will not have any further benefits, except to cure further ST or HP losses due to decalcification.
These come in varieties specific to each psionic talent, e.g., Teleportation. A single dose adds a level in one specific psionic talent for a day. $250/dose. LC2.
A psychoactive drug designed for interrogations and drug-assisted psychotherapy. It is often abused by criminals. The subject becomes trusting and talkative; everything around him makes sense, and everyone is a trusted friend. He must succeed with a HT-3 roll or suffer Euphoria (p. B428) and Gullibility (9) for (25 - HT) minutes. After the drug wears off, the user must roll against HT+4, at a -1 per additional dose taken, or suffer from paranoia, for one hour per dose taken.
The drug is usually unavailable to anyone except psychiatric doctors, who can utilize it in therapy. It is available on the black market, and police and intelligence agencies sometimes use it; it is also fairly effective as a truth drug (+4 to Interrogation skill). It comes in pill form (takes five minutes to work) or in hypo form (works in 30 seconds), both at $24/dose.
Most sleep-inducing sedatives produce an anomalous sleep state in which regular dream processes cannot occur, which makes them less restful than natural sleep. This drug works differently, providing hormones that enhance the dream state and allow the body to refresh itself more quickly. Two hours of sleep after taking a dose is equivalent to a full night. $5/dose. LC4.
This chemical (also known as DMSO) is a byproduct of the wood-pulping industry, used from the 1950s as an industrial cleaner. In 1963, medical researchers discovered that it penetrates the skin and sinks deep into underlying tissue. It can carry other drugs not normally absorbed through the skin. This makes it useful in many ways, converting many other drugs into effective topical agents. This includes offensive or surreptitious uses such as delivering contact poisons. $1/dose. LC4.
Gengineered enzyme production and gene cloning allow the design of specialized drugs which block enzymes that a particular virus or bacteria needs to replicate. The key to successful enzyme-blocker design is to find an enzyme that is vital to the target virus or bacteria but which is not used by human metabolism. In a few cases, this may prove difficult. If so, the enzyme blockers may have some side effects – typically, each daily dose will also require a HT roll to avoid taking one point of damage, whether the enzyme blocker succeeds or fails. Some enzyme blockers used to combat HIV have this problem.
Enzyme blockers may either be targeted against a single species of virus or bacteria (e.g., influenza) or be broadspectrum versions, designed to affect numerous common bacteria. Unlike a vaccine, a specific enzyme blocker is generally effective against mutant strains; a mutation is rarely drastic enough to alter the fundamental enzymes that a particular virus or bacteria uses.
A specific enzyme blocker, affecting only one microbe, gives a +8 to HT rolls to resist that particular illness; broadspectrum agents give a +3. The effect is similar to that of an antibiotic, but is effective against viruses or parasites; HT bonuses are cumulative with antibiotics.
A typical course of enzyme-blocking drugs costs about $10. Some (those used to treat extremely complicated problems) are far more expensive, costing this much per day.
Focus is a common nanodrug used by workers in hazardous conditions such as wearing vacc suits in space or diving underwater. It makes the job safer by increasing the user’s awareness and reducing panic reactions. It can also make users too cautious to perform a job. Grants Perception+2, Fearlessness 2, and Careful. Medium term ([25 - HT]/4 hours), pill (HT-6 to resist). $160/dose. LC4
This is a very powerful, general-purpose antibiotic. It doesn’t treat all diseases, but it’s a good thing to try. A dose of genericillin gives a +5 to HT to recover from bacterial diseases and infection for a week. $25 per dose. LC4.
The problem with normal pheromones is that they are just as likely to attract unwanted attention from passersby as the intended target. This can be solved with pharmacogenomic technology (p. 160) if a DNA sample from the target is available. Using this, a lab can synthesize pheromones designed to maximize response from the target and reduce it in anyone else. The resulting drug gives Lecherousness (6) to the target, resistible with a HT-4 roll, and has a 1 in 6 chance of affecting any other person in the same way as normal sex pheromones (above). The initial analysis takes a week and costs $2,000, after which doses can be synthesized for $1,000/dose. LC1.
This drug lets the user function more normally under increased gravity. A dose of gravanol lasts a week and eliminates any medical hazards of two G-increments of extra gravity (see p. B350). This means the -1 penalties to IQ and HT at two to three G-increments of high gravity (1.40 to 1.59 Gs for normal humans) are eliminated. Gravanol does not help the user cope with increased weight or DX penalties! $70/dose. LC4.
This quickly removes the aftereffects of too much alcohol, curing hangovers by converting the acetaldehyde produced by the liver’s metabolism of alcohol into B-group vitamins and easily removed byproducts. It also restores normal brain chemistry to reduce hypersensitivity to noise and light. The pill cures all effects of a hangover 30 minutes after being taken with several glasses of water. $30/dose. LC4.
When injected into a patient with a bleeding wound, this causes instant coagulation and a cessation of bleeding within ld+4 seconds. It restores 1 point of HP, and prevents any further damage from loss of blood. The drug should be injected as close to the wound as possible. An injection prior to sustaining a wound will have no effect unless a wound is received within five minutes after the injection. Overdoses of this drug can kill; for every additional dose within a 24-hour period, roll HT, minus the total number of doses taken. A failed roll means the patient's blood becomes so thick that his heart stops (treat as the Heart Attack mortal condition). Full medical facilities (a full blood replacement and possibly a heart transplant) will be required to save his life. Hypercoagulin comes only in injectable form; it costs $25/dose. Hypercoagulin is a useful assassination tool in low-tech societies. Death is by heart attack, and the only wound is a tiny pin hole.
This drug instantly awakens an unconscious person, regardless of his HP or FP. Someone using this drug cannot fail a HT roll to avoid unconsciousness. The drug lasts (25 - HT) minutes; after the drug wears off, roll vs. HT. Failure causes 1 HP damage (and may result in unconsciousness, depending on the user's current state), while critical failure also results in a heart attack. $100 per dose. LC2.
Humans suffer lung damage when breathing gases with high partial pressures of oxygen, which can occur in a very dense atmosphere (p. B430) or while diving. This drug allows a human to operate with comfort in dense atmospheres without requiring a respirator to reduce oxygen pressure, or to breathe compressed air rather than special diving gas mixtures without ill effect. Only available in injectable form, lasting a day per dose. $50/dose. LC4.
This drug disturbs the storage of information in the brain, inducing temporary amnesia. He must roll HT-2 or suffer the Partial Amnesia disadvantage for (25 - HT) minutes. $24/dose. LC2.
Longevity drugs slow down the aging process through various means. A year-long regime of regular monthly doses of longevity drugs (usually a compound of several drugs and hormones) mean that the user effectively has the Longevity advantage (p. B66). The advantage is maintained for as long as the user continues to take the drugs; if he misses any monthly doses, it takes (missed months, up to a maximum of 12) months before Longevity will be regained. For better results, combine this drug regime with Mutation Repair genetic surgery (p. 182). Injectable or pill only. $3,000/dose. LC3.
A man who has been taking these pills for at least a week cannot sire children. $20 per month’s supply. LC4.
This drug promotes melanin levels in the skin, creating an artificial suntan without requiring exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Unlike TL8 “fake tan” products that merely dye the skin’s surface layers and do not provide additional protection against radiation, melatan stimulates the body’s own tanning mechanism to produce a real tan. It comes in a liquid form that is smeared or sprayed onto the skin, producing the tan in 48 hours. Multiple doses can make the skin as dark as desired, but the effect fades like a natural tan, gradually over a month. $50/dose. LC4.
Stimulates the user’s memory. After taking a dose of the drug, he can remember nearly anything that has happened to him that he concentrates on recalling. An IQ roll is required to focus on something specific, and some stimulus is required to recall buried memories. If the IQ roll fails, the user gets lost in his own memories, reliving bits and pieces of his life. A critical failure results in the user being captured by some especially strong memory, whether of joy, tragedy, terror or even birth. This may trigger buried phobias or other psychological traumas. $250 per dose. LC3.
This drugs boosts the production of cyclic-AMP response element binding proteins (CREB) in the brain, enhancing the user’s memory. It gives him Photographic Memory for things experienced while under its effects, and temporary Eidetic Memory to recall anything experienced in the past. Effects last (25 - HT) minutes. Pills: $20/dose. LC4.
This drug puts the patient into a deep, dreamless sleep. The user gets a HT-3 roll to resist; failure results in the user falling asleep for eight hours times the margin of failure. It is a reliable, powerful sleeping pill, often available only through prescription. If injected, it works in one second. $10 per dose. LC3.
This drug shuts down all psionic neural pathways in the body, rendering the user incapable of exercising any psi powers if he fails a HT-4 roll. It comes in injectable form only, and wears off after (25 - HT)/4 hours. $800/dose. LC2.
This is the generic name for a group of drugs that cause the sweat glands to produce chemical compounds that alter the user’s scent. Basic versions produce subtle and pleasant aromas that go partway to countering body odor. More complex versions produce compounds that effectively mask the user’s own natural odor, giving them a -3 to any roll to be tracked by scent. Another popular type produces a compound that insects find repellent. They all come as pills that last 12 hours. Basic versions cost $5/dose; scent masking or insect repellent versions cost $10/dose. LC4.
This drug chemically alters the neuro-endocrine system to improve reflexes and coordination. After taking NERV for 20 weeks, the user gains +1 DX. Then he must roll vs. HT. If successful, there are no side effects.
If the roll fails, the user suffers one level of Ham-Fisted [-5] (p. B138) as the drug increases overall reaction speed and agility, but fails to make the neural connections needed to improve fine motor coordination. (If the user already has Ham-Fisted [-5] it increases to [-10] level. If he already has Ham-Fisted [-10], or if the roll was a critical failure in any event, neural damage was inflicted. If neural damage is suffered, the user gains a Neurological Disorder (p. B144): a mild disorder unless he already has one; if so, increase the level of the disorder one stage, up to a maximum of crippling.
The treatment is $2,000 per week. “Street NERV,” at half cost, is similar – but there is a -4 on the HT roll to avoid side-effects. LC3, or LC2 for Street NERV.
This is an antidote for nerve poison. If taken within 15 minutes of poisoning, a Neurovine injection adds +3 to HT on rolls to avoid taking further damage. Note that Neurovine is itself dangerous; taking more than one dose in a day does 3d damage if a HT-2 roll is failed, 1d if the roll is successful. Cost is $30 per dose; it is only available as an injection. Military units issue Neurovine as part of every soldier's first-aid kit.
Hormone pills to prevent ovulation in females. Contraceptives designed for other species may also be available. $20 per month’s supply. LC4.
An over-the-counter analgesic similar to aspirin or acetaminophen, but safer and more reliable. Painaway takes one minute to take effect, and lasts for eight to twelve hours. Low doses (a couple of pills) reduce the penalty from pain by 1 after any other modifiers from Low or High Pain Threshold have been applied. High doses (multiple pills, depending on the degree of pain) reduce the penalty by 2 but require an HT+3 roll to avoid Nausea, or on a critical failure 1 point of toxic damage. $10 per 100 tablets. LC4.
This cleanses the user’s system of foreign biochemicals. If the user makes a HT roll, it neutralizes any active drugs (including recreational drugs and alcohol) within 2d minutes. Failure means that the dose had no effect; critical failure also nauseates the user (-3 DX for 1 hour). Purge will not counteract drug addiction or cure side effects that remain after the drug that caused them wears off. Purge has no effect on nanomachines or most deadly poisons, but it will counteract sleep gas. $20 per dose. LC4.
This is a topical application of nanomachines. It restores 1d HP of injury after an hour. The patient must also have received First Aid; Quickheal won’t close a gaping wound. No more than one dose can be taken per hour. $100 per dose. LC4.
Available in injection form only, RadAway directly cures 1d rads per dose. However, if the user has less than 10 rads in their system, it instead causes Absent-Mindedness for one full day. In addition, purging the body of radiation takes some time to complete, and anyone using it will experience its adverse effects: it's a potent diuretic and can cause nausea, diarrhea, stomach pains and headaches. $40 per dose. LC4.
These are small, easily breakable capsules. When held under the nose of a stunned or unconscious character and snapped open, the vapor inside will usually revive him completely (roll against HP+5 to regain consciousness, come out of stun, etc.). No HP is regained, but the patient is awake. Revive capsules are widely available to the general public and can be purchased freely in drug stores in all but the most repressive societies. Cost is $5/dose.
Scroll-Lock is a “smart drug” tangentially related to Tempo (GURPS Bio-Tech, p. 156), and may be a developmental step to that pharmaceutical. However, rather than speeding up the person’s entire perception of time, it only augments the user’s perception and language-processing abilities; it enhances the portion of the human brain that translates written words into cognitive thought. Each dose provides 1 character point that must be spent on Speed-Reading skill; the maximum dosage is eight (for 8 character points). If the user doesn’t have the skill, he must use the points to gain Speed-Reading (an Average skill) at an appropriate level based on the number of doses he took. If he does have the skill, the temporary character points add to those in his existing skill, boosting it to a higher level. See p. B170 for costs.
The drug lasts (25 - HT)/4 hours. During this time, the user has the Bad Sight (Nearsighted) disadvantage (p. B123). If he already has Bad Sight (Nearsighted), then he either loses the ability to use glasses or contacts, or else he acquires Chronic Pain (Migraine; Mild; 2 hours; 9 or less) [-5]. (If he already suffers from migraines, then the frequency, interval, or severity increases.) The side effects last for 24 hours. $50/dose, LC4.
This is a group of hormone-based drugs that are detected subliminally by the human sense of smell. They give all victims within one yard Lecherousness (12) while in the presence of the pheromones if they fail a HT roll. Pheromones are usually worn on the skin like a perfume, and wear off after two hours or a shower. Prospective victims with No Sense of Smell/Taste are immune! $60/dose; aerosol delivery. LC3.
A variety of nootropics or “smart drugs” are first available in the early 21st century (TL8). Their original use was as treatments for deteriorating brain function – in GURPS terms, they offer Mitigator limitations for Absent-Mindedness, Confused, Indecisive, Short Attention Span, and other mental disadvantages. However, they’re also used as learning aids, though their long-term effects are debated. The GM may allow them to increase the hours of learning gained from a period of study by 50% (equivalent to Accelerated Learning 1, p. 13). Seeing significant game effects requires continuing use, at a cost of $20/week.
More-potent nootropics are available. Treat such drugs as doubling the learning rate (equivalent to Accelerated Learning 2). For example, self-study becomes the equivalent of standard classwork. Cost is $50/week.
This nullifies the intoxicating effects of alcohol. It comes in pill form only, and costs $2/dose. LC4
Places the user in a dreamy state of euphoria. Roll HT-3; if the roll is failed, the drug causes the Euphoria irritating condition and High Pain Threshold advantage for five minutes times the margin of failure. The user has no memory of events that occur while under the drug’s influence. $15 per dose. LC4.
This drug instantly restores 1d of Fatigue loss. Roll vs. HT; the Fatigue is banished for hours equal to the amount the HT roll was made by (at least one). The only side effect is that when the time is up, the user gets all that Fatigue back, plus 2 more.
For each dose taken within 24 hours after the first, the HT roll is at -1. If Fatigue goes past 0, the extra points of Fatigue lost are taken as lost HT instead. There are no other side effects. The drug is widely available. Pills (taking effect in 30 minutes) cost $25/dose. Hypos (work immediately) cost $50 per dose.
Tomoranow is similar to many longevity drugs (see GURPS Bio-Tech, p. 159) in its ability to thwart the physical effects of aging. For as long as it’s taken, it bestows the Longevity advantage (p. B66). If any monthly doses are missed, it takes that number of months (up to 12) before Longevity is restored.
However, Tomoranow has one peculiar side effect – one that may not be obvious until many years after it hits the market. In effect, Tomoranow stretches the physical lifespan of the human body, at the expense of the mental side.
Long-term users of Tomoranow (those who use it for six months or more) discover that their memory is limited to about 75 years – extending backward from the user’s present. This doesn’t have much effect if the Tomoranow user is 80 (most people don’t remember much from the first five years of their lives anyway). However – in the long term – this effect becomes more pronounced as the Tomoranow-user’s lifespan extends; a 100-year-old wouldn’t remember anything from his college years, a 125-year-old wouldn’t remember anything before he turned 50, and so on.
Use of Tomoranow doesn’t adversely affect most active skills; the act of using skills tends to “recreate” memories of those skills. Thus a 100-year-old Tomoranow user who learned to read at age 5 still knows how to read; since he’s been using the skill his whole life, he still has plenty of learning-memories to draw on. However, lesser-used skills (GM’s discretion) and skills whose learning can only be acquired once – say, a year-long on-planet study of an alien race – are in danger of being forgotten as the person gets older. The GM should assign a penalty to any skill roll for abilities acquired solely in a period of life outside the Tomoranow memory window, or which have not been improved within that memory window. As a rough guideline for the penalty, use the following for any skills acquired more than 75 years ago:
If Tomoranow’s side effects become known, it’s possible the drug might be outlawed; it’s dangerous to society having people who seemingly look within a normal human lifespan to have forgotten large and vital chunks of their lives. (Who would want to visit a doctor who has no recollection of medical school?) However, by the time the drug’s adverse side effects are known – especially in settings without other longevity drugs – Tomoranow may be too firmly entrenched to be banned; regardless, its primary users would be wealthy and influential people, so something as trivial as “illegality” might be thwarted.
From a campaign standpoint, Tomoranow has the possibility of creating an odd-feeling setting in worlds where there are no better longevity drugs known; it would permit a campaign with truly long-lived humans, who recall less than most naturally aged people. This would also effectively cap personal first-hand knowledge at 75 years, and would probably result in a cottage industry of memory-re-creation methods for Tomoranow users (journals, holovids, and the like). Mnemosin (GURPS Bio-Tech, p. 155) and other memory-enhancing drugs or treatments are ineffective at recalling memories lost to Tomoranow usage. $2,000/dose. LC3 (possibly LC2 if its side effects become known).
This puts the user into a healing trance; he becomes unconscious for 24 hours. At the end of that time, all damage taken is totally healed. However, the user comes out of the trance at 1 FP. He is famished from the demands on his system, and must eat to recover lost FP. Torpine also speeds up the metabolism; treat each day on torpine as equivalent to 10 days for aging purposes. $250 per dose. LC3.
This drug prevents atrophy of bone tissue and muscles in low or zero gravity. It is safe but somewhat expensive. A dose provides a week of protection, equivalent to No Degeneration in Zero G. $25/dose. LC4.
Vitamins are organic molecules required in regular food intake for the proper functioning of the body. Casimir Funk postulated their existence in 1912, to explain various diseases caused by diets deficient in particular types of materials. By 1934, several chemists had isolated vitamin C and paved the way for its mass production as a dietary supplement. At TL7+ most vitamins are available in pill form.
They can be used to compensate for poor diets and allow people to subsist on nutritionally inadequate food like algae or mycoprotein (p. 78). B group vitamins also provide a mild and short-lived burst of energy for people who have not eaten recently. $0.10/dose. LC4.
An extremely effective stimulant, this drug time-releases controlled doses of stimulants that prevent the user falling asleep, without causing any side effects. It provides the Doesn’t Sleep advantage for a week. Any form, $20/dose. LC4.
Given to anyone who has a Telepathic power, this drug enhances his ability, adding +2 to his Telepathy talent, but it also dissolves their normal psychic barriers, resulting in the Supersensitive (p. B158) disadvantage and completely suppressing any levels of psionic Mind Shield (p. B70) the user may possess. Roll vs. HT-3 to resist if taken unwillingly. It lasts for (25-HT)/4 hours. Injectable, pill, or inhaled only. $250/dose. LC2.
Ultra-tech medicine may use biomedical nanomachines to seek out and destroy disease-causing microorganisms or tumors. It’s also possible to get expensive nano that wards off these problems and stays in the body for weeks or permanently; see GURPS Bio-Tech. Alternatively, medics may use cheaper tailored nanomachines designed for a specific purpose. This requires successfully diagnosing the problem. After it is diagnosed, prescribing the correct treatment requires a successful Physician roll.
A dose of tailored nano specific to a particular disease is $50 per dose and LC4; pharmacies, automeds, and hospitals usually stock a large range to counter common ailments. Tailored immune machines for exotic ailments such as a rare disease or biological weapon may be harder to find, and cost $500 per dose. Tailored immune machines for unknown diseases require a new invention (but see Programmable Immune Machines, below).
If the correct nano is taken (by injection or pill) it cures the patient in 3d hours at TL10 or 1d hours at TL11+. If it was incorrectly proscribed, it will have no effect; another try with a different selection may be possible. If one dose works, the GM may allow the same nano to work on any patient with an identical problem.
These general-purpose nanomachines are programmed to eradicate disease-causing microorganisms or tumors. They work like tailored immune machines, except that a successful diagnosis followed by a Physician roll lets the user program the nano dose to treat a specific disease. There’s no need to buy or make new nanomachines for each illness. Programming usually takes an hour per attempt (apply a -2 penalty to skill for rare diseases). Programming a cure for a previously unknown disease takes a successful diagnosis and at least a day per attempt. The skill roll is at -4. $500 per dose. LC3.
These specialized treatments reset cellular control mechanisms. They can remove heart scarring and repair spinal or nervous system damage. A patient using critical repair nano can remove the Wounded disadvantage or regain the point of HT lost on a failed roll to recover from a mortal wound. $10,000 per dose. LC4.
These function like oxygen-carrying red blood cells, but with many times the transport capability. They store extra oxygen, transport it, and release it in response to need. They also extract carbon dioxide and absorbed nitrogen from muscle tissue, carrying it to the lungs for excretion. Respirocytes provide +2 FP and Doesn’t Breathe (Oxygen Storage x 25, -50%). They last until the oxygen has been used up or the user reaches 0 FP due to extra effort or exertion; then additional respirocytes are needed. $500 per dose. LC4.
This is a generic name for a group of drugs that temporarily add to ST, DX, IQ, HT or Move; each effect requires a different drug.
One “dose” adds 1 point. The effect lasts a few hours; when it wears off, the affected attribute suffers a penalty equal to the original bonus but lasting twice as long.
To obtain the effect desired, a user must make a HT roll at -1 for every dose taken. If the roll is successful, the attribute is raised by the number of doses taken, for a number of hours equal to the amount by which the HT roll was made (one hour if HT is rolled exactly). If the roll fails, the attribute is raised by only 1 for one hour, regardless of the dose, but the attribute decrease after the hour is up will be as if the entire dosage had been effective. On a critical failure the drug decreases the attribute by the amount of doses taken, for one hour.
Once an Adder has been taken, no different type can be taken until the effects of the first wear off (or wholly unpredictable side effects may occur!) If more of the same Adder is taken within a 24-hour period, a new HT roll is made, at the penalty that would have been required if all those doses had been taken at once. The good effects, if any, are only those of the new dose, but the let-down period is extended as though all the drug had been taken at the time of the latest dose.
Adder users often feel very good under the effects of the drug - similar to the Overconfident disadvantage — and are at least mildly depressed after it wears off. Some black-market Adders, especially DX Adders, are addictive.
In most societies. Adders are only available legally to doctors. They are abundant on the black market popular with athletes, and are issued routinely to members of military and mercenary organizations. They come in pill form (takes 30 minutes to work) at $25/dose or hypo form (works immediately) at $50/dose.
Although classified as a capability enhancer, Algosinol is not a medication that most people would take willingly. While people can usually recommend the circumstances surrounding pain, the human mind is ill-equipped to remember actual pain (physical, mental, or otherwise); given the often-agonizing conditions that humans find themselves in, this is probably for the best. However, Algosinol allows the mind to “remember” past injuries and heartaches. (Scientists aren’t sure if this is a true memory of the pain or a recreation based on what it recalls based on the event, but the effect on the body is the same regardless.)
Algosinol doesn’t cause someone pain directly; rather, it creates conditions that makes the drug recipient susceptible to remembering past pain. Anyone seeking to take advantage of an Algosinol user may make a social interaction skill to remind him of past pain (Psychology, Interrogation, or the like). If this roll is successful, the victim recalls some past injury. This trauma of this incident is exactly the same as the original incident, only without the effect of the actual injury. (For guidelines on the effects of pain, see Afflictions, p. B428.) Algosinol lasts for (25 – HT) minutes. $100/dose, LC2.
A mild and relatively safe psychoactive combat drug, Basic has two effects: it provides Combat Reflexes (no effect if someone already has it) and suppresses the Pacifism disadvantage (exception: Total Nonviolence degrades to Reluctant Killer). Anyone who has Total Nonviolence who seriously injures or kills someone, or someone with Cannot Kill who kills must, after the drug wears off, roll to avoid a nervous breakdown as described under the Cannot Kill disadvantage. It requires a HT-2 roll to resist and has short-term effects lasting (25 - HT)/4 minutes. $12/dose. LC1.
These “khaki goo” bio-nanomachines disperse throughout the body when injected, then wait in a dormant state until triggered. The trigger depends on the exact brand of destruct nano, but various possibilities include: eating a specific food; sexual arousal; the touch of a particular person (whose genome was programmed into the poison); a particular chemical scent, or even the use of another type of drug or nano (either a specific type or any type). Once the destruct sequence is triggered, they immediately begin the job of sabotaging and dismantling cells. The victim gets a HT roll to resist every minute; failure results in 1d damage. This continues indefinitely until the victim is dead, or the poison is stopped by a nanotech counter-agent such as Guardians (p. 165).
Most insidiously, the nano can be switched off by another pre-set biochemical trigger. $100 for a customized dose with a particular trigger. LC1.
A street drug manufactured from irradiated swimming pool chlorine, di-radiochloride (more commonly known as 'Dryad') is available in both powder and tablet form. Each dose of Dryad weighs 1/4 gram and costs about $10 on the black market; it is commonly purchased by the gram and mixed with other street drugs by its more flamboyant users.
its effects last 30 + 5d minutes. During this time, the user has the Overconfidence and Paranoia disadvantages at 12 or less or increases them one level in severity. Base Speed is increased by 1 point (but not Base Move), but DX (and all DX-based skills) is decreased by one point. It is commonly mixed with Analgine or Slammer.
If taken infrequently, Dryad is non-addictive. If used more than once per day for a full week, however, the subject must make a Will roll to avoid Addiction.
A sedative and amnesiac drug originally developed by the Triad to handle people who had seen too much, it is now common on the black market. A recipient must make an HT-3 roll to avoid its effects. On a failure, they fall unconscious. Upon awakening, their short-term memories - everything in the last 5d+45 minutes - are gone. Eraser comes in pill, injection, and gas form and has no risk of overdose. It is priced at $500 per dose.
Face (short for 'Interface') is the street drug of choice for netrunners who want their wetware operating as quickly as possible. Face interacts with the user's neurons, causing them to fire at an enhanced rate. While under the influence, the would-be console cowboy adds +1 to all skills using neural interfaces. Face is physically nonaddictive, though many netrunners think they can't function without it…
Face has strong negative health problems. If a user passes his dosage limit, the GM should secretly roll against HT each time the user takes Face. Failure results in the character acquiring Dyslexia; a critical failure results in the permanent loss of an IQ point. Should someone continue to use Face after acquiring Dyslexia, the GM should continue making HT rolls - but any failure results in loss of IQ.
Face is taken through an inhaler directly into the throat or nostrils. An inhaler with five doses costs $750 - not a cheap high by any means! Each doses lasts for 1 hour + 5d minutes, and takes five seconds to kick in after inhalation. A user can be psychologically addicted to Face - there are no minuses to the withdrawal roll.
Memine isn’t a specific drug, but a class of drugs. Crediline (GURPS Bio-Tech, p. 157) makes the user feel indiscriminately trusting. Memine-class drugs are all more targeted versions of Crediline; instead of trusting everyone, the consumer’s perceptions are altered so that he only trusts a specific idea or pattern. Some common Memine types include:
are to blame. General-paranoia Xenomemine is the most common variation of this drug, but it’s possible to make Xenomemine that target specific groups; in general, the more specific or less different the group, the more difficult it is to create a suitable variant. (It’s easier to create a Xenomemine variant that makes the user open to the idea of disliking nonhumans than it is to make him dislike residents of the borough next door).
All Memine drugs require a programming method to be effective; they do not spontaneously generate ideas and philosophies within their subjects. However, this need not be a calculated regimen; usually, any expression of ideas that trigger the Memine target is effective. For example, someone under the influence of Bureaumemine might find himself actively engaged by a political commercial calling for a stronger government program.
Similar to Crediline, the user must resist with a HT-3 roll, or otherwise suffer Euphoria (p. B428) and Gullibility (9), both only directed toward the Memine’s ideas; however, the duration is for (25 - HT) hours (not minutes, as per Crediline).
A long-term Memine regimen – six months or longer – can make the disadvantages “permanent” (until purchased away with character points). This may result in additional disadvantages relating to the Memine’s purpose (such as Xenophobia, p. B150, for a long-term recipient of Xenomemine). Given the fact that targeted Memine could change the course of elections and otherwise greatly influence powerful people, Memine is tightly controlled. $120/dose; LC1.
Designing a Memine drug that targets a particular idea needs a Pharmacy (Synthetic) roll to create it if the specific variation is known. If it’s unknown, it requires a Chemistry roll to come up with the right mixture (Psychology is a complementary roll). Both the Pharmacy (Synthetic) and Chemistry rolls are modified according to how complex or specialized the idea is (-1 to -8).
This is a “regression” nanodrug designed specifically for uplifted animals, which makes them behave more like their unmodified brethren. Depending on the campaign world, it may have been developed by anti-uplift campaigners as a way to reverse the uplift process, or by animal rights activists to allow uplifts the choice of a more “natural” existence. Unfortunately the drug didn’t work as hoped, and is psychologically addictive. It adds Bestial while in effect, but also has a permanent damaging effect on brain chemistry. After each use the user must roll vs. HT+4. On a failure either add Stress Atavism (15; Mild), decrease the control number of existing Stress Atavism by one step, or (if the control number is already 6) increase the severity one step. Once Stress Atavism is severe and has control number 6, the next failure gives the user a permanent Bestial [-10] disadvantage.
Morlock also works on unuplifted animals and humans! If the user is already Bestial, it adds Berserk (12) [-10] and triggers an immediate berserk episode. Medium term ([25- HT]/4 hours), pill (HT-6 to resist). $450/dose. LC2.
A single dose injected into the body (by hypo, needler, etc.) requires a HT-4 roll to avoid being paralyzed for (30-HT) minutes. 4d damage is taken if Neurovine is not taken within five minutes. A dose costs $5. Nerve poison is Legality Class 0.
These drugs can be taken by anyone who is not yet an adult. They retard physical growth (and the onset of puberty, if it has yet to occur). They do not halt aging. See Children (p. B20) for realistic attributes for pre-adolescents and young teens.
The course of hormone treatment requires $500 per month to “stunt” apparent age. Child actors, teenage gymnasts, male singers and others may be stunted to lengthen their careers, but many legal systems consider the practice to be child abuse. LC3.
A dose of this drug gives the user double ST and the Berserk disadvantage for 1d x 10 minutes. The drug requires ten seconds to take effect. After it wears off the user will be shaky and nervous; -1 on IQ and DX for as long as he was on Rage.
Cumulative doses may extend the effect's duration and will also extend the duration of the side effects. Rage has one other disadvantage: 1d hours after use, the user must roll vs. HT+2 or suffer a “flashback” to the drug effects, becoming berserk for 1d minutes (but without doubled ST!) and then suffering nerves and shakiness.
Rage is sometimes used by licensed physicians for psychotherapy; otherwise it is only found on the black market. It is injectable only, at $40/dose.
Sandman is the modern mickey - a high-tech, chemically engineered knockout potion. It is available in liquid, solid, and gaseous forms. In liquid form, it is odorless and nearly tasteless - a character with Acute Taste, Discriminatory Taste, or the Poisons skill at IQ level or better would get a chance to notice it in a drink at -4, but otherwise it is unrecognizable. Each dose of the liquid is one tablespoon.
In solid form it is a plain white tablet that can be crushed and dissolved into a liquid. This is more noticeable, though; anyone gets a Perception -4 or Poisons -4 roll to spot it. (It can also be taken directly as a pill, if you can convince the mark to swallow it.)
It is also available in an aerosol spray. If you spray it at an opponent, roll vs DX+3 to hit; your target can Block or Dodge, but not Parry, the attack. A critical failure on your attack roll indicates that you got the can backwards and sprayed yourself in the face - no defense allowed!
Anyone ingesting a dose of Sandman - by any of the delivery methods - must immediately make an HT-3 roll. Each point that the roll is failed by costs 1d FP.
If given a large dose, or a second dose within two hours of the first, the roll is made at HT-8. A critical failure on this roll sends the victim into a coma that will last 2d days.
A dose - one tablespoon of liquid, one 500 mg tablet, or a one-spray aerosol can - costs $150. Although illegal for civilian use, Sandman is commonly used by police forces, both government and corporate; in general, Legality Class is 2. It is non-addictive.
Sin is one of the hottest designer drugs on the club and singles scene. It acts as an anti-depressant, aphrodisiact, and uninhibitor without causing a hangover, which makes it popular. It also occasionally sends people into a psychotic killing frenzy, which makes it illegal.
While under the influence of Sin, a character gains the Compulsive Carousing, Lecherous, and Overconfidence disadvantages at 12 or less, or increases them all one level in severity. If he crosses the dosage limit, the GM should secretly roll 3d. If the result is a 6 or less, the character instead receives / increases in Bloodlust, Sadism, and Paranoia.
Sin is manufactured in doses of 100-milligram tablets that last 1d hours and cost $25 apiece, and is occasionally supplied by the gram in powdered form for those who prefer to choose their own doses ($250). It is highly addictive (-5 on withdrawal roll), and is considered hallucinatory in the context of normal society.
Slammer is a violent psychoactive used primarily for combat ops and some totalitarian police forces. It is illegal for civilians, but is widely available and popular among street samurai, gang members and anyone else who enjoys senseless violence.
Slammer has few redeeming features. While under its influence, a user gains the advantages High Pain Threshold and Combat Reflexes. These are offset by -2 to IQ and the Bloodlust disadvantage at 12 or less.
Slammer is usually sold by the gram - enough for two doses - for $45. It typically comes in either powder or tablet form, although many military organizations package it in injection ampules. It is totally addictive (- 10 to the withdrawal roll) and socially incapacitating.
Advanced protein engineering may produce performance-enhancing drugs with similar but more extreme effects to those of anabolic steroids. These statistics can also represent the less credible claims of efficiency attributed to contemporary steroids.
Super-steroids are twice as effective as anabolic steroids – each hour of learning an appropriate physical skill or trait while using steroids counts as four hours. Side effects are the same, but the steroids themselves are more expensive; at least $50-100/day. LC3.
Someone who used super-steroids for several months while body-building might have these traits: Statistics: ST +2 [20]; FP+2 [6]; HT-1 [-10]; Bad Temper (15) [-5]; Sterile [0]. 11 points. If female, add Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]; 7 points.
Tempo works by altering the user’s perception of time, so that everything around him (including both his own actions and those of others) seems to be happening extremely slowly. This gives him time to react to other people’s movements – he can see a blow coming, for example, and think about the best way to block it. It grants the user Enhanced Time Sense (p. B52) for (25 - HT) minutes. The only side effect is that this rapidly exhausts the user, leaving him a nervous wreck. After the drug wear off, the user loses 1d FP and 1 IQ and DX; DX and IQ losses are recovered after four hours. Injectable only, taking effect immediately. $45/dose. LC2.
This drug is like Memine, only the worldview it imparts is contained within the drug itself. It accomplishes this by biochemically imparting the same physiological imprint that the requested idea does. Ultramemine is generally less effective than regular Memine (HT roll to resist instead of HT-3), but the lack of required external stimulus makes it very attractive in some situations. $240/dose, LC1.
Upspeed causes the user to push his body to the extreme of human ability – and then it goes beyond that! A single dose of Upspeed gives the user the Altered Time Rate advantage (p. B38) for (25 - HT) minutes. Most frighteningly, doses of Upspeed can be combined! Each additional dose bestows one extra level of Altered Time Rate – at a horrifying cost (see below). Upspeed’s side effects are similar to Tempo (GURPS Bio-Tech, p. 156). After the drug wears off, the user loses 2d FP and 2 IQ and DX; this effect is doubled per dose (4d FP and 4 IQ and DX for two doses, 8d FP and 8 IQ and DX for three doses, etc.). Lost FP are recovered normally, while IQ and DX return at the rate of one per day.
In addition, even one dose of Upspeed has a longterm effect on human health. A single dose “ages” the user by one year, a double dose ages him by five years, a triple dose ages by 25 years, and so on. If the user’s virtual age would call for an aging roll (p. B444), each dose of Upspeed inspires a new roll (p. B444); three doses would mean three rolls! Nearly all longevity drugs are powerless against the aging effects of Upspeed, but – at the GM’s discretion – Stasine (see GURPS Bio-Tech, p. 159) might be effective.
Regardless of the effects on the human body, three doses of Upspeed push the limits of even the most cinematic campaigns; unless a campaign is exceptionally high-powered (for example, a super-powered campaign), the GM should rule that additional doses are fatal. $450/dose, LC1.
Whether Upspeed is an amplified version of Tempo or some new manifestation entirely is up to the GM. The two drugs are certainly related in effect, although Upspeed is obviously much more powerful. However, it could be that Tempo is merely a weaker form of Upspeed.
If the two are related, this opens up a number of adventure possibilities. First, someone using Pharmacy (Synthetic) could distill down sufficient quantities of Tempo to Upspeed, at -5 to the roll; normally, 20 doses of Tempo are required to distill down to one dose of Upspeed. Alternatively, someone using the same skill (at -3) could “water down” Upspeed to Tempo, turning one dose into five doses under normal conditions.
Neither use of the skill results in any “savings” to the person – it’s still cheaper to buy Upspeed or Tempo in its pure form – although a sufficiently good result on the Pharmacy (Synthetic) roll may get the results fairly close. The real benefit for the illicit chemist is the ability to skirt legality classes: At LC1, Upspeed is fairly tightly controlled and regulated, while Tempo (LC2) is less so.
This powerful drug gives the recipient the Truthfulness (6) disadvantage for (25-HT) minutes. It can be resisted on a HT-4 roll. Injection only. $16/dose. LC2.
Effects: Select one or more attribute modifiers, advantages, or disadvantages to represent the drug’s effects and (usually bad) side effects. Most medical drugs give Rapid Healing, Resistant to Disease, HT bonuses, or similar benefits. Some mitigate disadvantages, canceling them for the drug’s duration (e.g., a psychiatric drug might suppress Delusions and Paranoia). A few provide unique effects, such as healing lost HP or FP.
Duration: Select the duration of the effects. Standard durations are short-term (lasts [25 - HT] minutes), medium-term ([25 - HT]/4 hours), long-term (one full day), or very long-term (up to a week). Multiple doses generally extend duration rather than increasing effect; e.g., two doses of a long-term drug last two days.
Potency: The subject gets a HT roll to resist disadvantages and other negative effects. The drug’s potency is a modifier to this roll. Assume that each doubling of dosage gives an extra -1 to the roll.
Form: A drug may be a pill, injection, aerosol, contact agent, or aerosol contact agent. Many drugs are available in multiple forms. Most pills require 30 minutes or more to take effect, but can be dissolved in drinks. Contact agents (e.g., patches) take at least 5 minutes. Aerosols and injections take effect almost immediately.
Side Effects May Include: Of course, barring a nasty lawsuit, manufacturers are often loathe to mention unintentional side effects that their products may cause, or may simply point to them as added 'benefits' of the drug. In most cases, unintentional disadvantages or advantages given while under the effects of the drug give a modifier equal to 1% per character point if they only occur on a critical failure of a HT roll and are known to the public.
Dosage Limit: Certain drugs have dosage limits because they are actually harmful or dangerous when overused; others have dosage limits because they can cause permanent or irreparable damage if extensively abused without time to recover. Typically, the description will mention known dosage limits, if there are any, and recovery time, if known. Street drugs almost never are thoughtful enough to provide this information!
Cost: This can vary, but here’s a rule of thumb. Sum the absolute point values of all traits the drug adds or removes. Multiply the sum by a base cost for duration: $2 for short-term, $10 for medium-term, $50 for long-term, or $250 for very long-term. For drugs that heal, use the point cost of HP or FP, as appropriate, and treat permanent healing as “long-term.” Potency modifies price: double cost for each -1 to HT rolls. Multiply final cost by 2 for aerosols or contact agents, by 10 for aerosol contact agents.
LC: This will vary by society and with the nature of the drug. Medical drugs are typically LC3. Drugs perceived as socially harmful might be LC2 or even LC1.
Example: A “truth drug” that forces the subject to roll HT-3 or suffer -4 to Will for (25 - HT) minutes would cost 20 (point value) x $2 (short-term) x 8 (potency) x 1 (injection) = $320 per dose. It would probably only be legally available to spies: LC2.
Brainbugs, or nanodrugs that alter brain chemistry, have an array of effects. Most are temporary, lasting for minutes or hours, but side-effects can persist for a day or more. Brainbugs can have effects beyond those listed. Some (marked with an asterisk) are commonplace for street brainbugs.
Effects: Alcohol Intolerance, Bloodlust, Careful, Chummy*, Confused, Congenial, Cool (quirk)*, Doesn’t Sleep, Dull, Fearless 1-4*, Gregarious*, High Pain Threshold, Humble, Light Sleeper, Low Empathy, Low Pain Threshold, Motion Sickness, Nightmares, Non-Iconographic, Oblivious, Prefrontal Lobotomy (only the effects not the actual surgery), Reduced Manual Dexterity, Responsive, Selfless, Staid, Undiscriminating*, Versatile, Voices.
Effects: Gregarious [-10], Undiscriminating [-1], longer-term side effect of Non-Iconographic [-10]
Duration: Medium-term [(25-HT)/4 hours] for Gregarious and Undiscriminating, long-term (one full day) for Non-Iconographic.
Agent: Patch.
Cost: $10/dose. LC: 4.
Effects: Doesn’t Sleep [20]. At the end of the duration, user must sleep for 24 hours. If awakened before 24 hours have elapsed, the user suffers a penalty to IQ and DX equivalent to the missed hours (i.e., if the user is awakened after 20 hours of sleep, his IQ and DX will be at -4) until the missed sleep is made up. Every hour that the recovery sleep is delayed is -1 to IQ and DX. If either IQ or DX reaches 0, the user drops into a deep sleep from which he cannot be awakened for 24 +3d hours. IQ and DX losses, if any, are regained after recovery sleep.
Duration: Long-term (3 full days) without sleep but at full alertness.
Agent: Pill.
Cost: $500/dose. LC: 5.
Effects: Flashbacks (Severe, No Fright Check -75%) [-5]; Lecherousness [-15] (Usually sees visions of attractive and compliant members of the appropriate sex). Roll 3d, on an 18 (no modifiers) the hallucinations are of terrifying or violent images. In these cases, use normal Flashbacks rules.
Duration: Short-term (25-HT minutes).
Agent: Pill.
Cost: $20/dose. LC: 3.
This document provides a knowledge base, explaining how to make your own brainbugs using a biofac (p. TS153). Complexity 6, $1,000, LC 2.
Ultra-tech games often feature drugs that don’t exist in the real world. Drugs used for recreational or illicit purposes will acquire a street name – something short and pithy, that captures the essence of what the drug does or where it comes from. To come up with a drug name like this, a thesaurus is a good start. For example, if a drug knocks people out, looking up “knockout” will suggest names like Slam and Punch. If a drug is derived from a plant, it may inherit an innocuous-sounding name like Daisy or Chlorophyll.
But drugs will also have technical names, granted by scientists and used by doctors. Medical drugs not used on the street will only have such names. Generating a convincing technical name is not as easy, so the following table can help. Roll two dice and read them as digits to make a two-digit number, once for each column, and combine the three word fragments in that order to form a new drug name. If desired, the name can be made longer by adding more choices from the table, or adding a number at the end. For example: Amylbenzocytophan-7.
| 11 | Aceto | arseno | bactin |
| 12 | Adreno | bacilla | bonate |
| 13 | Amino | barbi | cillin |
| 14 | Amorpho | benzo | cin |
| 15 | Amoxy | bio | deine |
| 16 | Amyl | buta | done |
| 21 | Batracho | ceta | drate |
| 22 | Beta | chole | drine |
| 23 | Cardio | cyclo | lene |
| 24 | Dextro | cyto | lic acid |
| 25 | Ferro | dexe | loxene |
| 26 | Gastro | droxy | loxin |
| 31 | Generi | endo | mine |
| 32 | Glaxo | ephe | mol |
| 33 | Hydroxy | fera | myacin |
| 34 | Hypo | fluro | myophin |
| 35 | Iso | geri | nate |
| 36 | Levo | gluco | nil |
| 41 | Lithium | hydro | noxonol |
| 42 | Meta | kao | pectate |
| 43 | Methyl | loxo | phan |
| 44 | Myco | mmonio | phine |
| 45 | Neo | mor | profin |
| 46 | Nitro | myo | rax |
| 51 | Novo | penta | spirin |
| 52 | Para | phago | sporine |
| 53 | Pheno | pro | sterol |
| 54 | Poly | sorbo | stol |
| 55 | Propyl | sporo | tan |
| 56 | Pseudo | steri | thol |
| 61 | Sodium | strepto | tol |
| 62 | Strepto | sucro | xanthate |
| 63 | Styro | tetra | xcedrin |
| 64 | Tetrodo | tolu | xic acid |
| 65 | Xeno | trypto | zax |
| 66 | Zeo | viro | zine |
Drugs and medical bio-nanomachines do not last indefinitely. Simple, cheap drugs might last years before losing potency, while complex ones may be useless in a few weeks or less if not stored under ideal environmental conditions. Bio-nanomachines have indefinite shelf life unless exposed to radiation (which mutates the macromolecular machinery) or extreme situations. In some cases (e.g. being immersed in lava), the drug is obviously destroyed instantly. In intermediate cases, use the following rules. Chemical drugs, nanodrugs, and nanosymbionts have HT 14 for purposes of withstanding adverse conditions – see Damage to Objects, p. B483. At the GM’s option some can be more delicate or robust. If a chemical drug is exposed to heat or humidity, or if nano is exposed to extreme heat (500° F+) or more than 10 rads of radiation, make a HT check. For drugs, apply a -4 penalty if the heat is extreme. For nano, use a -1 penalty for every full multiple of 100 rads up to a maximum of 1,000 rads (beyond which it is simply destroyed) but add +1 to its HT per TL after introduction. On a failure the dose breaks down and loses potency; it will fail to work at all when used. On a critical failure a drug produces some toxic substance as it breaks down while bio-nanomachines malfunction; in either case, when used it will have a nasty side effect, defined at the GM’s option. For chemical and nanodrugs, side effects could range from a poison doing toxic or fatigue damage (see p. B438) to acquiring mental disadvantages like Paranoia or Short Attention Span until the dose wears off. The side effect of malfunctioning nanosymbionts is typically 1d-2 (minimum 1) points of injury per day until they wear off or are destroyed. The shelf life of chemical drugs is up to the GM. In the real world, this is a controversial subject. Drug companies have been accused of excessive caution in the use-by dates marked on their products. If there is any question over whether an old drug is still useful, make a HT check as above.
The listed prices for drugs and nano listed are for commercially produced mass-market examples. One TL after a drug or type of nano is introduced, “black” labs can copy it and sell it for half the listed price. These labs lack quality control and may deliberately cut a drug with a cheaper substance, reducing its potency or introducing toxic compounds. Make a HT check as above for each batch when it is used, no matter how it has been stored. Cheap nanosymbionts have a -2 penalty for every additional nanosymbiont type that the patient is using at the same time.
Nanosymbionts are colonies of nanomachines installed in a host’s body to perform useful services. Appropriately designed nanosymbionts can be used by any being with a biological body. The bio-nanomachines may be permanent residents or temporary lodgers.
Unlike nanodrugs, nanosymbionts don’t simply produce chemicals – they interact directly with cells and other structures in the body. Some roam the body, seeking infections or tumors and then producing drugs to combat them, while others physically manipulate objects, manhandling them into desired configurations.
Properly designed nanosymbionts do not normally interfere with one another (except for those meant to do so) and can safely be used in combination. Cheap versions produced by black labs might not work so well – see Storage and Handling of Drugs and Nano.
At TL10+, these are a common way to treat illnesses. A doctor will analyze the patient’s condition and prescribe appropriate nanosymbionts. They typically come in a sterile package housing a bee-sized capsule. This contains an applicator-programmer and billions of tiny nanomachines. The user may set a treatment duration for anywhere from one day to two weeks; once set it cannot be changed. The patient then swallows the capsule and the bio-nanomachines take effect within an hour. The applicator-programmer capsule is digested and excreted normally, while the nanosymbionts take up residence in the body. At the end of the treatment they shut down, and within another few weeks are cleansed by the body’s normal waste elimination functions.
These perform ongoing maintenance or improvement functions in the body until removed. Permanent nanosymbionts are more expensive than temporary ones, as the bionanomachines must be designed with long-term durability and self-repair capabilities.
Designers periodically release upgrades for some types of nanosymbionts, to add new capabilities. This is particularly common for those that deal with known bacteria or viruses, as new varieties are discovered or infectious strains mutate. Registered users can get an upgrade installed for 1% of the original purchase price.
Even inside a user’s body, bio-nanomachines remain vulnerable to radiation. If the user is exposed to a single dose of radiation above 100 rads, roll a HT check as per Storage and Handling of Drugs and Nano (p. 153) to see if they stop working, or worse, malfunction disastrously. Roll for each type of nano in the body, but ignore the penalty for multiple types.
Realistically, symbiotic bio-nanomachines are restricted in how much work they can perform inside the body by the laws of thermodynamics. Shifting around molecules takes energy, which must be extracted from the environment somehow. Bio-nanomachines can be assumed to use the same energy reserves as the body – molecules such as adenosine triphosphate. The inevitable result of using this fuel is the production of waste heat. A little bit of heat can be tolerated, as the body dissipates it naturally, but produce too much and the user will feel feverish. Raise the body’s temperature by just a few more degrees and vital enzymes will begin breaking down, leading to massive failure of body systems.
Exactly how much work bio-nanomachines can do before these effects start to be felt depends on how active they are, and assumptions made by the GM. The new quirk Nano-Fever (p. 212) can be used to represent this condition if desired. The deactivation or removal of bio-nanomachines will eliminate this condition.
The cost of nanosymbionts varies extensively. As a guideline, a treatment with temporary nanosymbionts costs from $50 to $100 per absolute point value of advantages and disadvantages granted. Permanent ones cost 50 times as much as temporary ones. The GM should judge the costs of nanosymbionts that perform tasks not expressible as character traits on a case by case basis, following the examples given below.
These nanosymbionts are available in both temporary and permanent forms unless indicated otherwise. Where two costs are given, the first is for a temporary treatment, the second for a permanent dose.
Panimmunity injections contain smart artificial organisms or bio-nanomachines, tailor-made for each individual. They recognize friendly cells, and attack others.
Availability and Statistics: Gives Resistant to Disease (+8) [5]. $250/$12,500. LC4.
These use tiny biomechanical brushes, cilia, and rotors to clear plaque and fatty deposits from arterial surfaces, reducing the risk of heart disease.
Availability: $50/$2,500. LC4.
Statistics: 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 (p. B444), roll 1d: on a 1-3 he doesn’t lose the HT. 0-point feature.
These bio-nanomachines patrol for and destroy any known bacterial and parasitic pathogens, but have no effect on viruses.
Availability: $250/$12,500. LC4.
Statistics: Immunity to Known Bacteria [5].
These are gengineered macrophage cells designed to patrol the bloodstream, seeking out and destroying pathogens, toxins, and harmful free radicals before they can damage the body.
Availability: $850/$42,500. LC4.
Statistics: Blood Cops provide Longevity [2] and Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+8) [15]. 17 points.
These are programmed to search the body for cells that have mutated into a cancerous state and destroy them before they can develop into tumors. They can also safely remove existing tumors, no matter how delicately placed, such as deep within the brain.
Availability: $250/$17,500. LC4.
Statistics: Immunity to Cancers [5]. Permanent carcinophages also grant Extended Lifespan 1 [2].
In a world where hostile nano can be used as insidious weapons, people will want to protect themselves. Guardians are adaptive bio-nanomachines that will recognize any other bio-nanomachines already present in the body when they are first introduced.
If they come upon any new examples, they’ll attempt to destroy them. This specifically includes proteus virus (p. 184), nanodrugs (p. 161), and enhanced viruses (p. 115) built as nanoviruses. If a nano agent allows a HT roll to resist, guardians give a +8 bonus to the resistance roll.
Availability: $100/$5,000. LC3.
Statistics: Resistant to Bio-Nanomachines (+8) [2]. 2 points.
These roam the lungs, removing inhaled debris by encapsulating it and carrying it through to the body’s normal excretory systems.
Availability: $250/$12,500. LC4.
Statistics: Filter Lungs [5].
Many permanent nanosymbionts do jobs similar to those that can be achieved by symbiotic bacteria (p. 120). Just one or the other may be available, depending on biotech development pathways in a given campaign, or users might have the choice from both. Each option has advantages and disadvantages.
Nano can often be upgraded to deal with new threats and some can be controlled or reprogrammed directly. Additionally, bio-nanomachines are immune to chemical hazards like antibiotics that kill bacteria. On the down side, nano reacts badly to radiation, and can cause interaction problems when new nano is injected. Bacteria are generally cheaper because they self-reproduce. They can also mutate, perhaps causing hostile infections that need to be treated.
By maintaining muscle tone and bone density at a microscopic level, these nanosymbionts prevent any degeneration of these tissues under microgravity or zero-gee conditions. Availability: $100/$5,000. LC4.
Statistics: No Degeneration in Zero-G [1] (p. 211).
A favorite example of cosmetic nano, these inhabit skin pores and keep them clean. They also eliminate body odor by killing the bacteria that cause it. Availability: $50/$2,500. LC4. Statistics: Sanitized Metabolism [1].
These simple engineered bio-nanomachines keep the user’s teeth clean and healthy without any need for brushing or toothpaste.
Availability: $20/$1,000. LC4.
Statistics: This is a 0-point feature.
Similar to bacteriophages, these are programmed to hunt and destroy known viral pathogens, but have no effect on bacteria.
Availability: $250/$12,500. LC4.
Statistics: Immunity to Known Viruses [5].
Producing drugs and nano is only part of the job. They need to be introduced to the body so that they can work.
The simplest method of taking drugs is to swallow them. This is suitable for some analgesics, antibiotics, hormone-based drugs such as contraceptives, recreational drugs, and many poisons. Other drugs are neutralized by the stomach or not absorbed into the bloodstream. Depending on robustness, nano may be able to overcome these problems and navigate to the tissues where they can operate. Oral drugs have the advantage that unskilled patients can self-administer them. They are also easy to give to others, either with consent or surreptitiously. Knockout drugs in particular are a common item to slip into an enemy’s food or drink.
Many drugs are most effective if injected. Injections can be intravenous (into a vein), intramuscular (into muscle tissue), or subcutaneous (into subskin fat deposits). Intravenous injections rapidly spread the drug throughout the body, giving a short onset time before it becomes effective; most drugs are suitable for this method. Intramuscular and subcutaneous injections result in slower assimilation of the drug over a longer time, and are used for vaccines and regulatory drugs such as insulin that must be taken periodically.
The hypodermic needle was invented in the mid-19th century (TL5), and remains the most common injection device throughout TL8. Needles are difficult to sterilize; reusing them brings risks of infection and transmitting blood-borne diseases – a fact recognized in the late 19th century. At TL8, painless microinjection devices are invented, which use compressed gas to inject drugs subcutaneously.
Some drugs can be absorbed into the skin. This works for corticosteroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs. The compound dimethyl sulfoxide is often used as a carrier for topical drugs, as it penetrates deeply and rapidly into biological tissue, taking other compounds with it. Topical drugs are easy to apply, resulting in localized effect or slow diffusion much like subcutaneous injections.
Contact drugs can also be used for nefarious purposes, by applying a cream or ointment to a surface that a victim is likely to touch. In many cases the target of this action may be aware of an oily feel to the surface (on a successful Per roll). Whether the victim interprets this observation correctly depends on his experience with contact drugs and his paranoia level.
Drugs may be delivered via inhaler or (in some cases) even as a gas. They’re generally double cost if they have be inhaled, or 10 times cost if they are aerosol contact agents that can penetrate the skin. Inhaled agents may be smoked as a cigarette or pipe (often taking at least 10 seconds to take effect), or, at TL8+, delivered via an inhaler (with immediate effect). A one-dose inhaler is $5, neg. weight.
Some patients need a drug to be delivered at regular intervals, while others require it on demand, controlled by automatic body chemistry monitoring. And some people would like a convenient drug delivery system that could be triggered at will, for performance enhancing or recreational drugs. These requirements can be met by an implant. A standard drug implant system is a reservoir of the drug and a release mechanism. Most rely on the natural rate of osmosis across a barrier to deliver a steady dose.
More sophisticated designs may be triggered either by an internal timer, a biochemical monitor, or external stimulation by physical pressure or electromagnetic signal. Depending on the drug, the implant can deliver it intravenously or intramuscularly. The disadvantage of such an implant is that the supply of drug can run out. When this occurs, another operation will be required to replace it. A more sophisticated implant may be refillable with a targeted hypodermic injection into the drug reservoir.
A better solution is to manufacture the drug within the implant. This can be done using tailored microorganisms; see Encapsulated Cell Implants, p. 120.
If a character has a disadvantage bought with a Mitigator limitation to reflect drug treatment that prevents it from manifesting, and acquires an implant that permanently “cures” the condition, the GM should require that the disadvantage be bought off completely. Similarly, characters created with a disadvantage mitigated by a drug implant do not qualify for any points from that disadvantage.