Morph Types

Morphs can be broken down into 3 broad categories: biomorphs (biological), synthmorphs (synthetic), and infomorphs (digital). Under the umbrella of biomorphs, there also exist pod morphs (grown as separate components and assembled with cyberbrains), uplift morphs (derived from non-human species), and exomorphs (based on non-terrestrial species). Under the mantle of synthmorphs we also categorize flexbots (a specific modular system), core morphs (ships and habitat systems), and also axles (bots and vehicles retrofitted with a cyberbrain system).

The morphs in this book represent just a fraction available to transhumanity. GMs are encouraged to design and incorporate their own, both for PCs and NPCs (Designing New Morphs).

Morph Stats

Each morph entry lists the following details:

• Cost: Cost in Morph Points (Designing New Morphs)
• Avail: The morph’s Availability (Morph Availability, EP2)
• Insight/Moxie/Vigor/Flex: Your morph’s pool points (Pools, EP2)
• Movement Rate: The mobility system used and distance covered (Movement, EP2).
• Ware: Bioware, cyberware, hardware, meshware, and/or nanoware the morph is equipped with (starting on Ware, EP2 and also this book starting on New Combat Ware)
• Morph Traits: Traits that each morph of this type has (Traits, EP2, and also this book).
• Common Extras: Prevalent but not baseline traits or ware for the morph type. These are not included in the MP cost and must be acquired separately.
• Notes: Any additional information, such as size, number of limbs, etc.

Biomorphs

Biomorphs are fully biological sleeves (often genetically modified and equipped with implants). Standard biomorphs are birthed naturally or from an exowomb, and grown to adulthood either naturally or at a slightly accelerated rate.

Pod Biomorphs

Pods (a colloquialism derived from “pod people”) were originally designed as biological androids. Their parts are vat-grown separately using accelerated-growth processes and assembled with a number of cybernetic system “short-cuts.” This entire process produces a functional body in a fraction of the time it takes to grow a standard biomorph. Cyberbrains replace their undeveloped gray matter. The first generations of pods were operated by ALIs and primarily used in service industries where a biological aesthetic was preferred to robots, in hazardous labor industries, and for sex work. They were visually distinguished from normal humans by stylized seamlined patterns in their skin, a designation that remains common today (sometimes legally mandated). In the wake of the Fall and the subsequent demand for more biomorphs, pods are now commonly sleeved by transhumans, especially indentures, but they still often suffer a classist stigma. Pods lack reproductive functions and are usually neuter. Non-human pods are increasingly common.

Uplift Biomorphs

Uplift biomorphs are the original bodies of various sapient nonhumans. Though uncommon and sometimes stigmatized, they are also sleeved by non-uplifts.

Exomorph Biomorphs

Though still rare, transhumanity has successfully adapted several non-sapient alien species with cyberbrain systems, allowing them to be sleeved.

Synthmorphs

Most synthmorph designs were originally intended to be robots, piloted by ALIs. Robot forms are optimized to suit their function, and so a wide variety of body plans exist. Robots designed to interact with transhumans often have biped or quadruped walker frames, to better navigate transhuman dwellings and spaces, but were often distinctly non-human in appearance. Many feature a sort of symbolic “face,” to give transhumans something to look at and interact with, but these were rarely realistic, so as to avoid uncanny-valley creepiness.

Since the Fall, more synthmorphs have been designed specifically for transhuman egos, as they are cheaper and quicker to make than biomorphs. Without specialized robotic functions in mind, many of these synthmorph designs feature anthropomorphic frames (androids and gynoids) specifically tailored for egos used to human forms, including heads and distinctive (though still non-realistic) faces. As transhumanity grows more creative and accustomed to synthmorphs, however, innovative and unusual shell designs become more commonplace.

Flexbot Synthmorphs

Flexbots are modular and customizable, each composed of one or more modules that interlock in various shapes and configurations. Individual modules are specialized towards specific functions and also capable of transforming into a variety of shapes and mechanisms. They have 4 limbs in their default configurations.

Independent modules are only the size of a large dog, but multiple flexbots can join together for larger mass operations, even taking on heavy-duty tasks such as demolition, excavation, manufacturing, construction, or robotics assembly. Flexbots can also incorporate any robot with Modular Design ware as modules.

Flexbot Rules

Each flexbot is considered a single entity for rules purposes, no matter how many modules it has. Apply the following rules:

• Choose one module to hold the ego — this one controls the others.
• (Dis)connecting a module is a complex action and requires an Integration Test (EP2). Modules not physically connected are handled as a remote operation (EP2).
• When modules are combined, use their combined pools.
• Modules must all be using the same mobility system or Movement Rate is halved.
• A flexbot with 3–4 modules is medium-sized; 5–9 large; 10 or more very large.
• A flexbot’s Armor Value equals the average of its modules’ AVs.
• A flexbot’s DUR equals the combined DUR of its modules.
• Wound Threshold equals DUR ÷ 5 and Death Rating equals DUR × 2.
• Damage is applied evenly among modules. If a detached module has damage exceeding its Wound Threshold, a wound can be assigned to it. Distinct modules can be targeted with called shots.
• Robots of varying sizes may be integrated as modules. Small bots count as full modules. Treat 5 very small bots as 1 module; only apply a pool bonus (equal to one bot’s pools) if there are at least five of the same type. A medium bot counts as 3 modules, a large bot as 5 modules, and a very large bot as 10 modules. Average their AV scores (taking into account the bots count as multiple modules) and combine DUR as defined above.
• Bonuses from some traits and ware only apply if every module in the flexbot has them (e.g., chameleon skin); use common sense.

Synthmorph Characteristics

Synthmorphs share the following capabilities:

Lack of Biological Functions

Shells need not be bothered with trivialities like breathing, eating, defecating, aging, or any similar critical aspects of biological life. They do not need to sleep, but a few hours rest is common (and necessary to recharge pools). They are also immune to toxins and pathogens. Synthmorphs are powered by nuclear and standard batteries, and sometimes solar power; for game purposes, power is not an issue for them.

Pain Filter

Synthmorphs can filter out their pain receptors so that they are unhampered by wounds or physical damage. This allows them to ignore the −10 modifier from 1 wound (Wound Effects), but they suffer −30 on any tactile-based Perceive Tests and will not even notice they have been damaged unless they succeed in a (modified) Perceive Test.

Immunity to Shock

Synthmorphs have no nervous system to disrupt, and their optical electronics are carefully shielded from interference. Shock attacks temporarily disrupt wireless radio communications, however, impeding all mesh actions until the end of the next action turn.

Environmental Durability

Synthmorphs are built to withstand a wide range of environments, from dusty Mars to the oceans of Europa to the vacuum of space. They are unaffected by any but the most extreme temperatures and atmospheric pressures. Treat as cold tolerance and vacuum sealing.

Toughness

Synthetic shells are made to last — a fact reflected in their higher Durability and built-in Armor ratings. Their composition also makes their physical strikes more damaging; unarmed strikes by shells inflict DV 2d6.

Infomorphs

Infomorphs are digital-only forms — they lack a physical body. They are software mind-states on which living egos are run, though they may be limited by the capabilities of the hardware that supports them. Rules for infomorphs can be found on EP2.

Core Morphs

Core morphs are cyberbrain systems equipped to run infrastructure such as habitats or ships.

Core cyberbrain systems enable large infrastructure systems to be sleeved as a morph. Though based on similar architecture, cores are orders of magnitude more complex than morph cyberbrains. They require distributed quantum computing systems, networked throughout the infrastructure. This setup ensures that damage to one particular part of the ship or habitat will not take out the entire controlling ego.

Core Sleeving and Perception

When you sleeve a core morph, the new physiology and firehose of sensory inputs presents quite a different experience than embodying a normal shell. Every ship and habitat is unique, being a different amalgamation of subsystems and components. For this reason, the Morph Familiarity trait may not be applied to core morphs.

For habitats and installations, a notable difference is that your morph is sedentary and does not move, aside perhaps from stationkeeping thrusters. Ships have more mobility with their rockets, but those lack the physicality of biological movement. Most core morphs also lack anything resembling limbs, unless you happen to have a crane or manipulator arm plugged into your network.

What makes your proprioception radically different, however, is how the core system maps physical sensations on to the functions of various sub-systems. It is one thing to pull up data from systems such as power, environmental controls, or access control, but quite another to feel it as it occurs. When a security door opens, you experience it as twitching your toe. When an airflow system fails, you feel it as an itch or an alteration in your breathing. When a fire damages your infrastructure, you experience a burning sensation. These new sensations are just the start. Any sensory systems that are plugged into your infrastructure’s network are also streamed directly into your sensorium. You see through cameras, smell through chem sniffers, feel the tremor of motion detection systems, and get a chill from temperature sensors. Even the flow of data through your mesh is experienced as a tingle or pumping of blood.

This flood of sensory information would be overwhelming under normal circumstances. By default, however, core systems reduce these inputs to a low-level background hum, allowing you to focus your attention as needed or desired. Being sleeved in a core does not make you omniscient or all-perceiving, however. You are no more aware of everything going on than you are aware of your blood flow, breathing, or digestive processes in a normal biomorph. You can focus your attention and actively monitor a sensation, but otherwise it is considered environmental “noise.” For Perceive tests to determine if you are aware of specific low-level activity or a particular event, you are treated as distracted (−20 modifier; higher-end cores have oracle ware to negate this modifier). You are, however, immediately aware of any alerts triggered by security or other systems.

Core cyberbrain systems also take advantage of multi-focus ware, which expands the capabilities of multi-tasking mods, allowing you to focus your attention in multiple places at once. For example, a sexton core ego with multi-tasking and 4 multi-focus modules can use detailed perception (EP2) on 6 things at once (2 from the multi-tasking plus 4 more from multi-focus). This means that sexton can monitor power fluctuations, track a suspicious target through security feeds, listen to the comm channels of an approaching ship, scan public real-time mesh feeds with a keyword search, check the status of fabricator print job, and watch a cat video all at the same time. This ability to split attention does not grant extra actions, but it does allow the ego to maintain ongoing mental task actions.

Multiple Egos

Simpler core systems such as wardens rely on a single ego overwatching the entire network and managing all sub-systems. This works well in small cluster and tin-can habs, small spacecraft, and so on. Larger core systems rely on multi-ego control ware to distribute the workload to additional egos, which work in tandem to handle all sub-systems. Most larger cores are directed by a single ego and their forks or ALIs, though sometimes disparate egos are compatible enough to work together. On massive ships and habs, multiple core systems will be used, each handling control over prominent sub-systems or sections of the infrastructure. In emergencies or situations when an ego needs to evacuate, rest, or get some downtime, these egos can transfer control of different sub-systems and tasks to each other.

Core Hacking

Cores are vulnerable to mindware hacking (EP2). If a habitat or ship’s mesh systems are hacked, the core may be hacked or attacked directly. Like other cyberbrains and infomorphs, cores are incredibly difficult to hack: intruders receive a −30 modifier.

If the core is frozen or shutdown, systems on the ship or habitat may be disrupted, experience lag as they re-allocate resources, or shut down entirely. On multi-ego systems, if one ego is frozen or otherwise disabled, other core egos can take over necessary functions. To shut down a multi-ego core, each linked ghostrider ego must be shut down first. Shutting down a multi-ego core is challenging but not impossible.

Cores may be attacked in mesh combat, per normal rules. Use their listed WT/DUR/DR against mesh attacks.

Digital Speed

Due to their processing capabilities, core morphs have the Digital Speed trait (EP2).

Cores and Ware

Cores are treated as cyberbrains for rules purposes. Like cyberbrains, they incorporate access jacks, mnemonics, and puppet sock ware for free. They may be enhanced with meshware and any hardware the GM deems appropriate.

Core Awareness

Here are some examples of things that cores experience as physiological sensations:

• Hull integrity
• Interior atmospheric temperature, pressure, and rough chemical composition
• Exterior atmospheric temperature, pressure, and mix (if in an atmosphere such as Venus)
• Internal weather patterns and day/night cycles
• Radiation levels
• Position and functionality of major “appendages” or moving parts such as axial space docks, torii, mirrors, comm arrays, cranes, manipulators, and umbilicals
• Power grid and reactor functionality
• Fuel/propellant supply levels
• Life support system functionality
• Fabrication feedstock flow and supply levels
• Ongoing fabrication processes
• Orbital position and velocity
• Position relative to other large objects (planets, moons, asteroids, habs, ships)
• Position and status of drones
• Traffic control readings
• Position and status of airlocks, bulkheads, elevators, and other portals and transportation systems
• Health and functionality of the local mesh
• The status and activity of users on the local mesh
• Mesh traffic and help requests directed towards the core
• Status of repair request tickets
• Health and status of hardwired VR systems
• Incoming and outgoing transmissions
• Sensor readings and surveillance feeds
• Status of security, weapon, and defense systems
• Overall biomass of inhabitants and service animals
• Nutritional state (for Hamilton cylinders)

Axles: Bot and Vehicle Morphs

Bots and vehicles may also be sleeved as synthmorphs, with the right equipment.

Most robots and vehicles are designed to be operated by an AI. Though they have sufficient sensory input and processing power to host an ego, an ego cannot sleeve into and control the body unless the shell is equipped with a cyberbrain. Very small bots such as specks are not large enough to equip with a cyberbrain.

Even with cyberbrains, axles are not usually designed as transhuman sleeves and so the experience can be dull, chaffing, and bothersome (treat as the Exotic Morphology (Level 3) trait). Most axles do not support higher-level cognitive functions; they very rarely have Insight or Moxie pools. Sufficiently large vehicles (such as spacecraft) may require core cyberbrain systems.

A few rare axles are designed to be sleeved by transhumans. These are treated as standard synthmorphs and core morphs.

Retrofitting

Adding a cyberbrain system to a bot or vehicle is an appropriate Hardware: Electronics Test with a timeframe of 24 hours.

Axle Sensorium

Axles are equipped with the same sensory systems you get with any synthmorph: standard vision, hearing, touch, proprioception, balance, and so on. However, these are sometimes rudimentary compared to morphs that are designed to be sleeved by transhumans. Many axles have the Lack of Smell trait. They also universally come with either lidar or radar for collision avoidance.

Axle Ware

Axles can be equipped with hardware and meshware, just like any other synthmorph. Axles equipped with modular design can be integrated into flexbots.

Axle Egos and Pilots

Vehicles feature manual and/or digital control systems for embodied pilots and passengers. Unless the axle is specifically designed otherwise, these physical controls can be (de)activated by the axle’s ego. Only in rare cases are axles designed so that manual controls override the axle’s ego.

Axle ALIs

The ALI that came with a bot or vehicle is typically deactivated and stored while an ego sleeves the axle. This ALI can be reactivated and given control of the bot/vehicle again should the ego evacuate.

Axle MP

Use the following MP for the bots and vehicles listed in EP2. These costs assume the axle has a cyberbrain, cortical stack, Exotic Morphology (Level 3) trait, and Lack of Smell trait. Axles with an asterisk (*) also have the Lack of Manipulators trait.