Exhumans

Exhumans seek to transcend the transhuman and become posthuman. They augment their physical and mental capabilities to extreme levels in search of a perfectionist ideal, to ascend the evolutionary ladder, or to survive a hostile universe. Most eschew conventional transhuman morality, viewing themselves as adaptive, driven, and superior. They despise transhumanity’s weaknesses, treating transhumans as prey, inferiors begging to be subjugated, or resources to be harvested. Most are singularity seekers, eager and willing to follow the breadcrumbs left by the TITANs or other entities in the hope that they will find the means of transcending transhuman limitations.

Exhumans engage in radical modifications, transforming their bodies and minds using extreme, experimental, and dangerous methods. Most have altered their psyches into something that is no longer recognizable as human.

A few examples of exhumans are described below, though GMs are encouraged to develop their own.

Limbwalker

  • Exhuman, Medium Size
  • Threat Level: Yellow
  • Niche: Solar System Fringe, Exoplanets, Exhuman Habitats
  • Numbers: 1–12

In their mad-science search for the perfect life form/ultimate killing machine, exhuman genehackers are known to engage in extreme body modification experimentation. Many construct creatures known as “leftover specials” from their experiments, whether these be failures, prototypes, or objects d’art. These abominations of mis-matched body parts are only barely kept alive by medichines and nanohives. Though they take myriad forms, a common variety is the “limbwalker,” a headless torso stitched together with random limbs.

Motivation: +Intimidation. Limbwalkers are either teleoperated or piloted by ALIs or crippled forks, so they primarily serve their exhuman masters.

Use: Exhumans use limbwalkers as servants, habitat guardians, and psychological deterrents to would-be trespassers.

Limbwalker

  • Stress Test: SV 1d10/1

  • Initiative: 4 • Fray: 30 • AV: 0/0
  • WT: 5 • DUR: 25 • DR: 38, ignore 1 wound effect
  • Threat Pool: 1

  • Needles: 40, DV 1d10, injects necrosis (DV 2d6 per turn for 1minute)

  • Perceive: 20, sonar only
  • Move: Walker (Slow, 4/12)

  • COG: 10 30INT: 10 30REF: 10 30SAV: 10 30SOM: 10 30WIL: 10 30
  • Skills: Free Fall 40, Melee 40, Provoke 40

  • Ware: Access Jacks, Cyberbrain, Fixer Hive, Medichines, Puppet Sock, Sonar

Neurode

  • Exhuman, Medium Size
  • Threat Level: Ultraviolet
  • Niche: Solar System Fringe, Exoplanets, Exhuman Habitats
  • Numbers: 1–4

Neurodes take excessive measures to amplify their intelligence, adopting the physical form of a massive, mobile brain. Some pursue the path of machine intellect, embracing “brain box” morphs of networked cyberbrains and exocortices. Others decry the vulnerabilities of machine minds, favoring massive clusters of neuronal and epithelial cells enclosed in a hard carapace shell. They favor quadruped morphs, but various mobility systems may be used. Their mental states are marred by reckless mental augmentations and experimental psychosurgery.

Motivation: +Increase Intelligence +Survival. Neurodes are the masterminds and manipulators behind many exhuman plots. They seek to steal and harness experimental neurotech and alien and TITAN technology.

Use: A neurode’s mind is its primary weapon; it can think vortexes around most transhumans and will deploy traps and deception with sadistic glee. Neurodes always have backup and escape plans. They rarely engage in direct combat, protecting themselves with swarms of teleoperated drones, puppeted slaves, and exhuman minions.

Neurode

  • Stress Test: SV 1d6/1

  • Initiative: 8 • Fray: 40 • AV: 6/7 Carapace (26/25 with Hardsuit)
  • WT: 8 • DUR: 40 • DR: 60, ignore 1 wound effect
  • Insight: 8, Moxie: 3, Vigor: 0, Flex: 2

  • Seeker Rifle: 60 (DV 3d10 + 12 (HEAP), SA, Ammo 12, Range 75, ArmorPiercing, Knockdown, No Close, Two-Handed)

  • Perceive: 90, no distraction modifiers
  • Move: Walker (Medium 4/20)

  • COG: 30 90INT: 20 60REF: 20 60SAV: 20 60SOM: 10 30WIL: 25 75
  • Skills: Deceive 80, Free Fall 40, Guns 50 (Seekers 60), Hardware: Robotics 65, Infiltrate 40, Infosec 75, Interface 80, Kinesics 80, Know: Neuroscience 80, Know: Psychology 80, Medicine: Biotech 80, Medicine: Psychosurgery 80, Melee 40, Persuasion 80, Program 80, Provoke 60, Research 80

  • Ware: Access Jacks, Carapace Armor, Circadian Regulation, Drone Rig, Endocrine Control, Medichines, Mesh Inserts, Mind Amp, Mnemonics, Multi-Tasking, Oracles, Skillware, plus other experimental mods
  • Gear: Exploit App, Hardsuit (AV 20/18), Spoof App, TacNet; weapons/tools as needed
  • Traits: Enhanced Behavior (Rationality, Level 2), Mental Disorder (Choose One-Three), Restricted Behavior (Empathy, Level 3)
  • Pod Variant: Add Cyberbrains (2–8), Increase AV to 16/14

Predator

  • Exhuman, Medium Size
  • Threat Level: Red
  • Niche: Solar System Fringe, Exoplanets, Exhuman Habitats
  • Numbers: 1–6

Predators aim to become the ultimate warriors, to reach the apex of the hunter-prey cycle. Most modify their forms in pursuit of a monstrous ideal of biological perfection that can survive in any environment and dominate the food chain. A smaller sub-faction transforms themselves into literal killing machines. Some operate as lone wolves, others hunt in packs; some seek to breed or replicate and dominate the galaxy. They ruthlessly excise mercy and empathy from their minds, enhancing cunning and cruelty. Some consider consciousness itself to be an evolutionary mistake, favoring pure animalistic instinct. Predator forms emphasize monstrous looks and weaponry.

Motivation: +Hunting +Prove Superiority +Survival. Predators seek to test themselves, dominate over others, and feast on their victims.

Use: Predators are infamous for attacking and stalking transhumans, sometimes kidnapping them so they can be released and pursued as prey. They prefer to ambush from stealth, grapple their targets, and rend them with claws and teeth. They will use ranged weapons against well-equipped foes until they can close, charge, and attack aggressively.

Predator

  • Stress Test: SV 1d6 + 2

  • Initiative: 10 • Fray: 70 • AV: 12/14
  • WT: 13 • DUR: 70 • DR: 95, ignore 3 wound effects
  • Threat Pool: 6

  • Assault Rifle Railgun: 60, DV 2d10 + 2, SA/BF/FA, Ammo 90 +1, Range 150, Armor-Piercing, Long, Two-Handed
  • Diamond-Tooth Bite: 80, DV 2d6, armor-piercing
  • Grappling: 80 (Grappling)
  • Spurs: 80, DV 3d6 + 3, armor-piercing
  • Tail Sting: 90, DV 2d10 + 1d6, armor-piercing, reach, twitch (−20 actions, SOM Check vs. incapacitation)

  • Perceive: 60, 70 hearing/smell/vision
  • Move: Walker (Medium 4/20)

  • COG: 15 45INT: 20 60REF: 25 85SAV: 10 30SOM: 25 95WIL: 15 45
  • Skills: Athletics 80, Melee 80 (Tail Sting 90), Free Fall 60, Guns 60, Infiltrate 70

  • Ware: Adrenal Surge, Chameleon Skin, Circadian Regulation, Cryogenic Protection, Drug Glands (Aggro or MRDR), Energy Efficiency, Enhanced Hearing/Smell/Vision, Enhanced Respiration, Grip Pads, Hardened Skeleton, Medichines, Muscle Augmentation, Neurachem, Oxygen Reserve, Poison Glands (Twitch), Prehensile Tail, Reflex Boosters, Scale Armor, Spur, Toxin Filters, Vacuum Sealing, plus other experimental mods
  • Traits: Enhanced Behavior (Ruthlessness, Level 3), Lethal, Mental Disorder (Choose One-Three), Pain Tolerance 2, Rapid Healing, Restricted Behavior (Empathy, Level 3)

  • Ferocity: Exhumans may spend a point of Threat Pool to inflict an extra d10 on melee attacks