The human body can be enhanced and augmented through the use of chemicals and drugs. Unfortunately repeated use of most drugs will cause addition or other adverse side effects. Still, the effects of such drugs are readily visible and many people are seduced into using them because of the super human feats they allow.
Chemical augmentation comes in two forms. The first is in the form of so-called Wonder Drugs that are injected into the character when needed to augment a certain facility of the human body. The second form is that of full Chemical Augmentation Computer Injection systems (CACI for short), sometimes referred to as “Kacy”. Both types are described below.
Chemical Augmentation Computer Injection Systems #
In man’s quest to create the ultimate soldier, it was inevitable that someone would decide to take the easy path and use chemical augmentation.
Chemical augmentation system are available at TL9 and consist of several dozen implanted artificial glands and storage sacs, hundreds of microscopic sensors implanted throughout the body, all connected to a pair of small implanted computers that monitor all aspects of the body and regulate the administration of chemicals. The computers are wired into the nervous and vascular systems, brain, muscles, and all of the major and minor organs and glands. If one computer malfunctions the second one will take over the operation as well as try to repair the faulty primary computer if possible.
The computer not only injects the body with artificial chemicals, it also stimulates the body to create higher levels of natural hormones and adrenalines. Because of this, and the adverse affects of the chemicals, the demands placed on the body are horrendous. The stress put on all systems is so great that the characters body is worn out before its time.
The chemicals have all sorts of side effects, ranging from complete and total drug dependency to the total destruction of the bodies natural systems.
Only a foolish or unknowing person would willingly subject himself to this procedure. A person could use cloning and braintaping to escape the effects of the system, continually exchanging bodies every few years and transferring the chemical augmentation system to the new body.
People who use a CACI system suffer from the disadvantages of Impulsiveness and Overconfidence. If the character already has the Overconfidence it will be replaced with the Glory Hound disadvantage. If the character was already Impulsive, then he is now down right hyperactive.
The system provides the following bonuses at all times:
- +2 to ST, DX, and HT
- 5 additional Fatigue
- 6 additional Hit Points
- Combat Reflexes advantage (pg. B20).
- Normally only needs 3 hours of sleep per day and can stay awake and operate at full efficiency for five days (120 hours) without side effects.
- +4 to all will rolls and fright checks
- +2 to DR
- +3 HT to resist any disease
- Only takes 1/4 of exposure to radiation.
- Bleeding wounds will coagulate within 4 turns.
- Rapid recovery from unconsciousness or stunned. The character must make a HT+5 roll every turn after he was stunned or knocked unconscious until he succeeds. On a success the character will become instantly conscious again.
The following abilites are activated in combat situations and will wear off after the immediate threat is over. While these benefits are in effect the character’s IQ is reduced by 2.
- Virtually immune to the effects of pain (treat as High Pain Threshold)
- Double ST and automatically go Berserk as per the disadvantage (pg. B31).
- +2 on initiative
- Accelerated metabolism, making everything around the character seem to move in slow motion, adds the advantage of one level of accelerated time rate and all its inherent bonuses and penalties.
The following abilities can be activated at will with the following restrictions:
- +2 to Speed, also affects move and dodge. Lasts 1d hours, afterwards the character will be unable to rest for 24 hours unless Morphanzine is used.
- Double Move when running in a relatively straight line. Lasts HT+1d hours, afterwards the character will lose all remaining fatigue points and must sleep or use Superstim.
- Maximum of +4 to any one attribute for a duration of one hour. Can only be used once per day, after the duration runs out the attribute that was raised is at -1 until the character rests. Skills based on the modified attribute are also affected.
The following drugs will be injected into the character’s blood stream when the following conditions are met.
- Ascepline: triggered when the character’s HT reaches 0. 18 dose reservor.
- Suspend: triggered when the character dies. One dose reservor.
- Gravanol: triggers when character is exposed to increased gravity. 24 dose reservor.
The following drugs can be injected at will by the user:
- Morphazine: 12 dose reservor
- Neurovine: 10 dose reservor
- Superstim: 30 dose reservor
- Quickheal: 40 dose reservor
The major drawback of the system, besides drug addiction, is that the body will breakdown and die in 1d×HT months. The only hope for survival is detoxification or the use of braintaping and clone bodies.
Detoxification can only be attempted within the first six months, after that the damage is ireplicable and the character will die if the system is removed.
If detox occurs within the first week there are no ill affects on a successful HT roll. If the roll fails the character will be addicted to one or more of the drugs used in the system (GM’s choice of which).
If not performed within the first week detox is physically and emotionally debilitating. All bonuses from the system are lost and roll at HT-6. If the roll is successful the character will live with only an addiction to one or two drugs from the system, further treatment can cure the character of this as well.
If the roll is failed the following penalties are suffered.
- Subtract 1 from all attributes permanently
- The character acquires addictions to three drugs from the system.
- The character is prematurely aged 10 years.
- The character acquires the following disadvantages: Manic-Depressive and 2 levels of weak will.
If the roll is critically failed the following penalties are added in addition to those of a regular failure.
- Your health has been shattered if your HT is 10 or over reduce to 9, if it is under 10 then subtract 1.
- You also suffer the following disadvantages because of this: Epilepsy, Hemophilia, and Low Pain Threshold.
Needless to say that many would prefer death to the effects of withdrawal from a CACI system. It is possible to end up with a pretty messed up individual