Bioware

Bioware

Bioware is the next step in augmentation. Instead of replacing body parts with electronic machines, bioware augments the body’s own functions and is integrated as if it were a natural feature. This application of biotechnology is a tricky business, as the fine balance between the body’s numerous organic systems must be maintained. Bionics and bioengineering techniques have improved greatly over the last decade, making bioware the new state of the art technology. It’s more expensive monetarily, it is difficult to distinguish from the original very useful if you want to keep a low profile.


Adrenaline Pump: Enhancement 4

This small, muscular sac is implanted in the lower abdominal cavity and connected to each of the two suprarenal glands. When dormant, the pump serves as a reservoir for adrenaline and noradrenaline. When activated, the sac contracts, sending a surge of concentrates into the bloodstream. Stress and other emotional states such as anger, fear, or lust might also activate the pump; the ST can call for a Composure test in such cases to determine if the pump activates or not. When the adrenaline pump is triggered, the user ignores injury modifiers from Bashing and Lethal damage, and she will not fall unconscious if knocked out through Bashing damage. The adrenaline pump’s rating also adds +1 to Strength, Dexterity and Willpower. The pump works for a Rating x 1D10 turns; this duration cannot be ended prematurely. When the duration ends, the user crashes, immediately taking one box of unsoakable Bashing damage for every turn the pump was active. After the effects end, the attribute values return to normal and the user can no longer ignore the injury modifiers of the Bashing damage taken. While an adrenaline pump is in effect, the character is unable to rest. After the effects have worn off, the pump requires 10 minutes to regenerate its supply during that that time it cannot be activated.


Bone Density Augmentation: Enhancement 2 per rating (1 to 3 dots)

In a long and painful process, the molecular matrix of the subject’s bones are altered for density and strength. The procedure also strengthens ligaments, but as a side effect increases the character’s weight. Increase the recipient’s health levels by the bone density rating (per resilience without vitae expenditure) to a Max of 3. Characters with bone density deal Lethal damage in unarmed combat. To a Max of 3


Cat’s Eyes: Enhancement 1

Vat-grown replacement eyes with a structure that amplifies light and enhances the user’s night vision, providing her with natural low-light vision. Cat’s eyes are slit and reflective. This bioware is not compatible with cyberware eye enhancements.


Digestive Expansion: Enhancement 1

This treatment expands the range of substances a human can safely digest including roots, grass, peat, and a number of plants that are normally considered inedible. Includes a modification of the taste buds and olfactory senses to make it easier to “stomach” unusual foods. Vampires with this Bioware gain the Eat Food merit


Enhanced Articulation: Enhancement 2

A number of procedures like joint-surface coating, relubrication, and tendon and ligament augmentation lead to more fluid muscle and joint action. Enhanced articulation provides its user with a +2 to their initiative.


Orthoskin: Enhancement 2 per rating

Weaves an energy-diffusing material just beneath the skin provides the equivalent of personal armor, while being virtually indistinguishable from unaugmented skin. Orthoskin adds its rating to the character’s armor vs bashing damage to a Max of 3 (cumulative with worn armor). It cannot be combined with dermal plating.


Pathogenic Defence: Enhancement 2

An enhancement of the spleen, this treatment spearheads the production of more effective and aggressive leukocytes (white blood cells). Pathogenic defence adds its rating to toxin resistance tests via stamina against biological (not chemical) toxins and diseases


Platelet Factories: Enhancement 2

Platelet factories increase the body’s ability to handle damage by accelerating the production of platelets within bone marrow, thus lessening the trauma from large wounds and quickly stopping bleeding. Any time the user suffers 2 or more points of damage, the damage is instantly reduced by one point.


Symbiotes: Enchantment 2

These tailored microorganisms introduced into the user’s bloodstream greatly enhance its regenerative functions. To fuel the symbiote activity, the character must increase her consumption of food and drink. Healing Times are halved.


Synthacardium: Enhancement 1 per rating

Artificially enhanced myocardium enables the heart to perform at higher levels. The synthacardium adds its rating as a dice pool modifier on all Athletics Tests To a Max of 3.


Tailored Pheromones: Enhancement 2 per rating

By boosting and blending natural pheromones to specialized purposes, this implant can program pheromone emitters with a variety of scents. This implant gives a +1 dice bonus to Etiquette, Expression, Intimidation, Leadership, Subterfuge, and of course Seduction to a max rating of 3.


Toxin Extractor: Enhancement 1 per rating

A specially cultivated cluster of cells implanted into the liver improves the efficiency and expands the spectrum of catabolic activity (the breakdown of complex substances). The toxin extractor adds its rating as a dice pool modifier to toxin resistance tests using Stamina to a Max of 3.


Tracheal Filter: Enchantment 2

This filter is implanted at the top of the trachea, just below the larynx, to absorb airborne impurities and keep them from reaching the lungs. The filter adds its rating to toxin resistance tests to resist inhalation vectored toxins using Stamina to a Max of 3.

Mnemonic Enhancer: Enhancement 2 per rating

By attaching a highly concentrated growth of gray matter to the brain, the capacity of both short- and long-term memory is increased. Adds the enhancer’s rating to a max of 3 as a dice pool modifier to Knowledge abilities and gains the Edetic Memory Merit.

Sleep Regulator: Enhancement 3

The sleep regulator modifies the hypothalamus region of the brain, allowing for longer periods of wakefulness. The recipient requires less sleep per day and the sleep she gets tends to be deeper and more restful. The sleep regulator allows a character to get by with three hours of sleep each night and stay awake for 48 hours before modifiers start to take effect. Resting hours for healing purposes are not affected.


Sensitive Skin: Enhancement 1

The number of nerve receptors in the skin’s dermis layer can be increased with this process, slightly heightening the recipient’s sensitivity to heat, cold, pressure, and pain. The actual sensitivity change is minimal. It’s not enough to cause increased damage, but it provides just the right tactile difference to satisfy pleasure-seeking hedonists. Sensitive skin is incompatible with orthoskin and dermal sheathing. +2 dice modifer on tactile based tests.


Silky Skin: Enhancement 1

The Silky Skin procedure is a two-step process that first removes skin blemishes and scars by laser surgery and then immerses the recipient in a nutrient vat to grow an improved smoother top skin layer with reduced pore size. The end result is silky skin that is perfect to the touch and flawless under the scrutiny of high-resolution cameras, making it a favorite among models and actors. Silky Skin is compatible with all other skin treatments. It is not self-restoring, however, so new scars and blemishes can form after the treatment, and it is somewhat vulnerable to prolonged exposure to harsh conditions (such as extremely hot and humid environments, like jungles, or abrasive surroundings, like deserts). Silky Skin does not remove tattoos of any kind, as those lie below the skin layers that are modified with this treatment.


Enhanced Pheromone Receptors: Enhancement 3

While cyberware can provide implanted gas analyzers of high sensitivity to improve scent abilities, this biomod combines a boost to the neural pathways between nose and brain with a higher concentration of scent receptors, providing a more intuitive, high contrast sense of smell. This enhances a human's innate ability to discern and react to individuals by scent, as well as detecting basic emotional cues (fear, anger, lust) from smells. The recipient can learn to identify individual people and animals by smell and can detect basic emotional states. Add the enhanced pheromone receptors’ rating to any Perception Tests involving smells and people or animals. Also add half the rating (round up) to any test involving social interaction; this bonus only applies if the recipient can smell the person or people he is interacting with. Strong odors (such as perfume) may diminish this ability, or even confuse it in some cases (strong perfume penalizes a -1 dice modifer for the roll). Additionally, recipients may experience extreme discomfort in crowds due to the overwhelming amount of odors. They suffer a dice pool penalty equal to half the receptors’ rating (round up) to all tests due to the strong distraction. A respirator reduces these penalties by its rating. Tailored pheromones provide twice their normal bonus against the recipient, and if the recipient also has an adrenaline pump, the pump may be set off by other people’s smell of fear, anger, and lust—roll a Composure Test, subtracting half the receptors’ rating (round up).