New Physical Ware

Brachiating Adaptation

Your shoulders, arms, and wrists are modified for fast brachiation — using the arms to swing between tree limbs or other objects. In Earth/Venus gravity, only small creatures can brachiate; this requires both arms and has a Movement Rate of 8/32. You may also swing jump up to 4 meters, 12 with a full move. In low or micrograv, medium and large creatures may also brachiate, but without the aid of gravity to swing, Movement Rate is only 4/20 and jumping is handled normally. Use Athletics for tests. This mod also lengthens your arms, providing a +10 Reach bonus (for small morphs, this cancels out or reduces the Reach bonus of larger morphs).

Convertible Form

Smart materials provide your morph with limited but quick shapeshifting capabilities. You can transform your body plan between two pre-set configurations in 3 action turns. This mod may be taken multiple times for additional configurations.

If you also have shape adjusting ware, you can choose either 1 Moderate complexity or 2 Minor complexity items/ware as pre-set configurations that you can transform into in 3 action turns instead of the usual 1d6 minutes. However, if your module is not in its default confguration, this rapid re-assembly may not be possible (GM discretion).

Digestive Symbiotes

You can digest and survive on almost any organic matter, be it grass, sawdust, or the sludge from a habitat’s recycling system. This includes some xenoflora and xenofauna that would otherwise be inedible. You can even consume rotten or spoiled food without getting sick. The symbiotes allow you to mute your taste buds, but certain substances may require a WIL Check to eat (GM discretion).

Symbiotes protect against oral-vector biochem toxins that inflict food-born illnesses. On a successful SOM Check, the toxin has no effect. If affected, you receive a +30 to aptitude checks against any specific toxin effects. Additionally, the toxin’s effects and durations are halved. This ware has no effect on biochem toxins delivered via non-oral vectors or nanotoxins.

Digging Claws

Whereas normal claw ware is concealable, this mod features lengthened, sturdier hands that are obviously equipped with hardy claws for loosening ground and tearing through hard surfaces. They inflict DV 1d10 + 3 in melee.

Efficient Metabolism

Your metabolism is optimized. Digestion is more efficient, the basal metabolic rate is lowered, and related processes, reactions, and caloric expenditures are improved. Eating and drinking is only necessary once a week. You can survive a month without water and 2 months without food, though the effects of starvation and dehydration kick in after ~2 weeks. This ware is not compatible with long-term life support. Not compatible with energy efficiency ware.

Extra Limbs

Your morph features an extra pair of manipulating limbs with accompanying skeletal and musculature or structural changes. These limbs are typically congruent with your biology and body plan, though transgenic variants are also possible, from insectoid to tentacles.

This mod should only be counted for limbs that are articulated and/or prehensile and are capable of grasping and manipulating objects (for example, don’t apply it to extra legs that provide no mechanical benefit or limbs that serve a primarily cosmetic function, such as fins or minor pedipalps). At the GM’s discretion, this mod may not be possible or may count as increased Complexity.

Gliding Membrane

Gliding membranes are thin, muscular sheets that stretch from wrist to ankle. When jumping from a height or in micrograv, you can glide through the air. You can also ride thermal updrafts to ascend to higher altitudes.

The gliding Movement Rate is 8/32 (Fast). For human-sized morphs in standard Earth or Venusian gravity (1 g), these membranes maintain a glide ratio of 10:1, meaning you glide 10 meters for every meter of altitude you lose. In low-gravity environments, this ratio doubles to 20:1 or more. Gliding membranes provide a +10 modifier to Free Fall Tests made to cross long distances. Use the Athletics skill for tests involving movement when using gliding membranes. Maintaining a glide requires the use of all four limbs.

Morphs with this ware require smart or customized clothing to accommodate the membranes. You can wrap the membranes around your arms, legs, and torso when not in use, allowing you to move and wear clothes normally.

Heat Tolerance

Your morph’s temperature regulation, cooling processes, and water retention are enhanced. You rarely sweat and can handle temperatures up to 130 F/54 C (biomorphs) or 500 F/260 C (synthmorphs) without discomfort or ill effects.

High-G Adaptation

This augmentation may only be installed in morphs with hardened skeleton ware (EP2). It allows an enhanced morph to operate without penalty in environments with gravity higher than Earth’s (1 g). For biomorphs, the heart and circulatory systems are strengthened; for synthmorphs, the frame is adapted to operate with increased weight. The morph ignores penalties from higher gravities up to 2 g. Beyond 2 g, treat the penalties as if the gravity were 1 g less.

Laser Link (Medium)

This is an implanted version of the laser/microwave link (EP2) with an effective range of 500,000 kilometers in space. It can only be implanted in very large morphs.

Long-Term Life Support

This nanoware system allows biomorphs to survive for long periods of time without air, food, and water. Nanomachines and symbiotic bacteria convert their metabolism into a nearly closed system. The biomorph can survive on just a handful of ice and carbon grit (or other organics) every few days for up to a month. Nanobots carrying isotopes transfer energy to the body so that it can be absorbed in a safe manner. With the monthly use of simple and cheap chemical reserve packs, this can be extended up to a year before the system must be flushed, balanced, and replenished in a medical shop or healing vat. Vitamins and protein supplements are necessary for long-term health, but this ware provides a handy alternative to starving in harsh environments. This ware is not compatible with efficient metabolism.

Magnetic Generator

A variation of the same technology used to contain plasma in fusion reactors, this implant creates a shaped magnetic field around the morph to protect it from harmful solar radiation and plasma. It can also be used to skate and tack against strong magnetic fields like those around the sun and certain planets or to sail upon the solar wind. This ware may only be implanted in very large morphs. It provides an AV bonus of +15/+0. Use Pilot: Space skill with a Movement Rate of very fast (8/40).

Oozeware

This ware functions much like shape adjusting, but with some key differences. Rather than the usual smart material construction, this morph is based on a gel-like smart liquid. This fluid has the same shear-thickening quality as body armor, meaning it hardens on impact, and it thickens, extends, and retracts on command. Its shape adjusting is limited to basic forms such as limbs, tentacles, or simple tools such as a hammer or wrench. It can change all or part of its form into 2 Moderate complexity items or 4 Minor complexity items at a time, or 1 Moderate and 2 Minor together. However, it can transform into these shapes much more quickly, in 1d6 Action Turns.

Some of the ware/gear it can form includes: claws, digging claws, disassembly tools, extra limbs, gliding membrane, grasping tendril, hidden compartment, mobility system (boat, hopper, roller, snake, walker, swimmer), prehensile feet, prehensile tail, retracting limbs, skin pocket, telescoping limb, weapon mount, wings. Others may be allowed at GM discretion.

Synthmorphs with this mod do not have a frame, but they receive AV 4/0 and only take half damage from kinetic projectiles such as firearms and railguns. Morphs with this gear may not use synthetic mask or shape adjusting ware.

Plasma Sail

This miniature plasma sail can operate for three months thanks to a potent battery-powered superconducting magnet and a tank holding sufficient compressed hydrogen. With this, you can use the solar wind to accelerate up to 0.01 g through open space to a maximum velocity of 80 kilometers per second away from the sun (slower if you tack in other directions; the wind is too faint to provide acceleration past Saturn). You can also maneuver freely within the proximity of a planet’s magnetic field (ranging from within 70,000 kilometers of Earth to 3,000,000 kilometers of Jupiter). You can also land on or take off from any moon or heavenly body with a surface gravity less than 0.05 g. This implant is large and produces a characteristic humpback shape on most morphs. Use Pilot: Space skill with a Movement Rate of very fast (8/40).

Radiation Tolerance

You can handle exposure to ionizing radiation and particles that damage and debilitate other morphs. For synthmorphs, this means protective laminate layers and shielding of sensitive electronics. For biomorphs, this means implanted shielding for vital organs, blood filters, and redundant encoding of DNA. The bioware version requires medichines, which handle rapid replacement of damaged tissues. Exact radiation effects (EP2) are determined by the GM. This ware has limited effectiveness against extreme radiation sources such as Jupiter’s electromagnetic field, especially over a prolonged period.

Refractive Coating

A metamaterial coating of reflectors, absorbers, and spectral filters protects you from most visual and infrared wavelengths. For coronal morphs, this serves to reflect or mitigate most of the sun’s spectral output and enables radiative cooling. It provides a +10/+0 AV bonus.

Swarm Shape

The modular drones in this swarm can link together and create larger physical forms, including articulated limbs. A standard swarm can form a 1-meter tall body or base with up to 4 half-meter limbs. These limbs can engage in very limited physical activity and tool use. Shaped swarms can hold, carry, or move gear that is Very Small sized or smaller. They suffer a −30 modifier for holding, carrying, or moving Small size objects and cannot affect anything Medium size or larger. Any test involving leverage, strength, or fine dexterity suffers a −30 modifier or may not be possible (GM discretion).

Swim Bladder

A series of gas-filled sacs enable you to control your buoyancy, either underwater or in thick atmospheres. This allows you to float at the same depth without exerting energy and helps to ascend or descend to other depths. This bladder is also linked to the inner-ear or internal sensors so that you can accurately gauge pressure/depth.