Aberrant RPG - Transhuman Trendsetting

[Captether]

I will be posting genetic and pharmaceutical tidbits, that will easily fit into an Aberrant game.

Transgenic Gene Therapy (TGT)

Genetic engineering has been with us for some time, from eugenic breeding programs to the more extensive development of “super foods,” mankind seems incapable of refraining from tampering with natures design. With the Nova age, and the assistance of the Mega Intelligent scientists, far more extreme developments are now possible. And with the great number of NovaPhiles out there, business is good.

Zootropic Growth Hormone (ZGH)

Description: Zootropic Growth Hormone (ZGH) or Hyper-somatotropin (HSTH) is a synthetic amino acid, single chain polypeptide hormone derived from Nova physiology. When used in gene therapy in baselines, it allows for genetic material from animals to be introduced into the baseline subject. The type of animal is determined from the start of the process, and cannot later be changed.

Vector: Injected.

Effect: This hormone has no effect on novas, but baseline users can purchase Armor, Body Modifications, Claws and Sensory Shield with experience points as a nova. These powers always manifest physically and cause the baseline to take on the appearance of the chosen animal type.

The downside to this procedure is the irreversible alien appearance it creates, and the need to maintain use of the hormone treatment. If the subject fails to get his “medicine” every week, the subject suffers from the effects of either Hormonal Imbalance (Lust), or Hormonal Imbalance (Rage). This difficulty continues until treatment is secured.

The initial treatment requires Resources ****, with additional treatments costing ** for a months supply.

Hyperzine X (Brain Juice)

Few realize that within the “publish or perish” world of academia, the pressure to be the smartest of the smart is enormous. Countless brilliant minds have fallen to using varioua narcotics and other treatments in the hope of granting them a performance edge over their competitors. It can be a dirty business.

Description: Brain Juice is a Nootropic drug derived from genetically engineered relative to Hyperzine A. This drug vastly increases the cognitive effectiveness of the human brain. Use of the drug clears away the mentel effects of time and fatigue, allowing the user far greater clarity than before.

Vector: Injected.

Effect: Baselines who ingest Hyperzine X, are overcome with great mental clarity (treat as Concentration Merit). Combined with a rigorous study regimen, mite can dramatically increase intellect. After taking Hyperzine X, a normal human’s Intelligence is increased by one temporarily. While continuing to use this drug, the baseline may purchase Mental Merits (APH pg 71-72) with experience points at a cost of their cost x’s 3.

Use of this drug is illegal and prone to dangers. For every week of use the baseline must make a Stamina roll at difficulty +1 or suffer from the effects of a fatal brain aneurysm.

Antidote: None.

Gen-Pets

A controversial company who produces custom genetically engineered creatures for wealthy clients. A small number of “stock” creatures also exist for sale as pets, that resemble miniature lions, dinosaurs and similar creatures. Some animals for sale from Gen-Pets are re-engineered animals that were rendered extinct in recent centuries such as dodo birds, thylacines and similar.

Bonded Animals

Creatures bonded with a human companion as though with the Psychic Link quantum power. The beast in question must be custom grown using the human “owners” DNA to create an animal “fraternal twin” to the human. Common creatures of this type are Dogs, big cats like Panthers and Tigers. Cost: fron **** to ***** **

"Lesser" Carnosaur

As true dinosaur DNA is a bit hard to come by, this creature is built from the “ground up” using several reptile and bird species to create. The result is a dinosaur like creature about the size of a tiger, and about as smart. All of these creatures are chemically castrated, requiring an introduced enzyme to become fertile (which is costly). Cost: *****

Typical Traits: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4,

Athletics 3, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Stealth 2, Intimidation 4

Willpower 3

Soak: 7B, 5L

Health Levels: Ok, Ok, Ok, Ok, -1, -1, -2, -3, -4, Inc.

Attacks: Bite 6[2]L, Tail Slap 7B.

Pet Chimera

Human/Animal Hybrids have long been a dream of science and science fiction. These creatures are as smart as a dim human, but are shorter lived (animals life span) and considered to be legally animals. Needless to say, these creatures upset both Human and Animal rights activists, but fall into the middle ground as far as legality is concerned, being product rather than pet or person. Cost: *** increasing to ***** if bonded (see Bonded Animals).

[Alex Green]

I like it.

[Captether]

I like it.

Thank you.

All that stuff about genegineered organs, and viruses in Aberrant Year One got me thinking. Though all kinds of wonder cures would be in the making, the disturbing to horrible misuse of science needs to be brought up. Right now, real world scientists want to create all sorts of monsters if left unchecked.

How much scarier would it be with Mega Intelligence?

Obviously the procedures mentioned above could not make a baseline into a serious threat to a Nova, but it would make for some potentially nasty surprises amongst gangs and such. A group of animal spliced gang bangers (maybe with a certain animal motif) would make for an unpleasant surprise for cops or a rival gang.

I present some Body Modifications that I posted once before to go with the Zootropic Growth Hormone mentioned above:

Balancing Appendage: (1 nova/2 experience points) The character has a balancing Appendage (tail, antennae, wings, etc) that aid it greatly when moving at precarious heights. This grants a +2 bonus to all rolls for the character to keep his balance.

Quadruped Movement: (2 nova/4 experience points) The character’s body is most comfortable down on all fours for faster movement. Characters have the following movement when on all fours: (walk Dex + 8ft, run Dex + 50ft, sprint [Dex X 5] + 60ft).

Widened Visual Range: (1 nova/3 experience points) The character has extra visual sensors of some sort, these can be antennae, "eye spots", or even extra eyes or the like. Whatever their nature, these sensory organs allow the character to make Awareness rolls to detect approaching allies or enemies regardless of whether or not the character is facing in the direction of approach.

[Sprocket]

Re: Biotech products-

I'll second Alex's opinion on this, it's exactly the sort of stuff that would fit in quite nicely in Chapter One of Aberrant: The New Flesh. That chapter's got a LOT of wide-open spaces just waiting to be filled, if you'd like to contribute this.

Re: New BodyMods-

We've already got equivalents for the first 2 concepts (Balancing Appendage & Quadruped Movement) in Chapter 4, but there's no reason why the third couldn't be slipped into Chapter 1 along with any other BodyMod concepts we haven't already covered.

[BlueNinja]

Zootropic Growth Hormone (ZGH)

I've met this guy before.

[SkyLion]

Really? Where? A furry convention? I take it the whiskers and face tats are real and permanent. What about the teeth? Im assuming removable prosthetics (the human jaw is designed for shearing and chewing not ripping and tearing). What was his name? How does he feel about being a perma-freak? Is he socially well adjusted? What does he do for a living?

,,

Curious and Curiouser...

[Sprocket]

Re: the Tiger-Man-

I vaguely remember seeing a report on him on the old Ripley's Believe It Or Not TV show, although he's been featured a couple of times in BIZARRE magazine as well. He may be former military, but I could easily be mistaken about that and confusing him with the elderly British Navy officer who retired to become a hermit & got a full-body leopard spot tattoo job.

I'm not sure how he makes his money now since he doesn't go out in public anymore, but apparently his self-alteration is a totemic/self-expression thing for him. He's a member of one of the surviving Amerind tribes. He's also said to be pretty good at bowhunting.

AFA how he feels about it, he's probably quite comfortable with it - any grief he gets over his chosen visage likely comes from people who refuse to mind their own business. ::shrug

I don't think we'd want to use his picture with the writeup for Zootropic Growth Hormone in AB:TNF, though. What he has are some extensive (and expensive!) tattoos along with serious surgical body modifications, which is nowhere near as scary as Transgenic Gene Therapy really is. Perhaps the proper visual reference should be something along the lines of the "animal mutates" from the latest remake of The Island of Dr. Moreau? I'm sure that Cottus Centimane could produce something along those lines, if he hasn't already.

OTOH, that pic of the kid unwrapping a gengineered pet is 100% perfection. ::devil

[Captether]

OTOH, that pic of the kid unwrapping a gengineered pet is 100% perfection. ::devil

Yeah, I ran across that one by accident. It was in an article about what might come from the gene-slicing craze that will no-doubt be hitting increasingly weird and tragic heights (or depths) in the following years.

I'll second Alex's opinion on this, it's exactly the sort of stuff that would fit in quite nicely in Chapter One of Aberrant: The New Flesh. That chapter's got a LOT of wide-open spaces just waiting to be filled, if you'd like to contribute this.

As for its use in the Aberrant: The New Flesh book, I will be happy to contribute. More will be coming out of me in this department as well. Ive been a long-time fan of comics, and am fascinated with the better sort of weird tech that comes out of them.

The Tiger Man

This fellow is a San Diego computer programmer by the name of Dennis Smith who had a dream in which an Indian Chief told him to "follow the ways of the tiger." the first thing Dennis did was to get his eyes tattooed, since then he's spent thousands of dollars over 25 years on tattoos and plastic surgery to attain his dream of becoming a tiger.

His upper lip has been reshaped and implants inserted to give him a permanent snarl, his teeth have been filed and capped to make permanent points. He wears green contact lenses with slit irises. His ears have been sculpted at the top to form points. He has a dozen six-inch long latex whiskers permanently implanted in his face, and his whole body is tattooed in tiger-like stripes, and his hair is dyed orange.

His hands have tattooed markings like a tiger's paws with fingernails crafted into sharp talons. He says he feels like a tiger. Dennis has legally changed his name to "Catman" but says "he won't be happy until he reaches his ultimate goal - To have his whole body grafted with real tiger pelts!

Some of this is reminiscent of the practices of the Matsés indigenous tribe of South America.

Just thinking of all that money that could have been put into wildlife reserves for REAL tigers or other worthwhile causes makes me despair for mankind.

[Sprocket]

Re: Contributing to AB:TNF-

I'll repost the text parts of it on the relevant thread (Chapter 1) in the AB:TNF project forum, then. I'd recommend talking w/ Alex & Reighnhell (and EON head honcho Jackson Creed) about getting you authorized to get into that forum section.

[Jackson Creed]

Re: Contributing to AB:TNF-

I'll repost the text parts of it on the relevant thread (Chapter 1) in the AB:TNF project forum, then. I'd recommend talking w/ Alex & Reighnhell (and EON head honcho Jackson Creed) about getting you authorized to get into that forum section.

All you need to get into the locked forums is the appropriate password. I don't need to activate anything on your profile, you just need to PM the project leader (which in this case is either Sprocket, Alex Green and Reighnhell; not sure who is the leader, but this triumvirate are the primary movers and shakers over at TNF) and get the log in password.

JC

[Sprocket]

Re: Mega-Physical project "leadership"-

FYI we don't have a leader as such, we're about as organized as the proverbial "bathtub full of drunken housecats". ::beer30 Aside from writing a good-sized chunk of the material, I'm also in charge of assembling *all* of our material that passes peer review into RTF documents. Alex Green, Reighnhell & Cottus Centimane do a bang-up job on peer review along with writing sizeable chunks of their own material (and making first-class art, in Cottus' case). JessiLaurn does textproofing & assembles my RTF files & Cottus' art into the finished PDF file, but she's also responsible for our cover design/art & has contributed some material as well.

I have PM'ed both Captether and blushing_bunny with the Development Team's invitation to join the Mega-Physical project. (Check your PM inboxes ASAP, you two! ::wink ) We haven't come to a consensus on Quantum Promise yet, but that's likely only due to a lack of correspondence.