History
It all started in 1996, the first sheep was cloned, from that point on, BioWorks was there, pushing the limits of biological engineering. In 2012, their first creation walked out of the lab, the ultimate warrior, part human, part tiger. Their creation went crazy and several reporters were killed, many more were injured. It has been eight years since that fateful day, and now they are ready to reintroduce to the world what improvements they have made. Creatures made-to-order, anything will be possible they say.
Legalities
In 2013, the federal courts made a ruling that these creatures "being made and not part of nature have no rights offered to them except for those predetermined by previous laws accorded to the treatment of animals".
Building the Perfect Beast
All constructs begin life as a human "blank", a preprogrammed body grown from stem cells, that the animal's DNA building blocks are added to.
The process starts when the client orders a construct. An administrative engineer walks through the process with the client describing each option that is available for the construct. From that phase the construct is designed in a laboratory by splicing the DNA strands together, weaving the traits desired into the new creation.
When the construct starts out the blank is almost human. It's through the manipulation of the genes that the animal characteristics begin to appear. Once the proper DNA cocktail has been mixed it is injected into the "blank", then the whole construct is placed in a large container called the "birthing vat" which is filled with amino acids, liquid proteins and other nutrients similar to those found in a mother's womb.
The entire process, once the details of the construct are ironed out, takes 5 days, however the construct doesn't reach maturity until a year later. After a month the construct can begin an accelerated training program, which will prepare it for its life outside of the lab. The resulting creatures end up with the abilities and instincts of the Animal, and the learning capabilities of the Human.
The Rules
- Since they are not quite human to begin with, any cybernetics cost double the H.L. (in other words, you are making an animal a human, then changing it into a machine).
- Since these creatures reach maturity in just over a year, they will also grow old faster, figure 7 years per 1 human.
- If "Player Character" is not working for a corp (or the person that purchased the PC), the background will have to reflect one of three things, escape, buy-out, or release of contract.
- Because of this, the background and starting equipment / ruro will be determined by the GM.
- Most of the animal types here (90%) will end up as solo material, usually ending up in some corporate war someplace. Other options include corporate espionage, assassination, scouting & security (see "Education/Training (Roles)" below).
- Each construct costs around 30,000 with "extraordinary" beings (PCs) costing 2 to 3 times that much.
- EMP is the most important stat of the construct, it is also the hardest to come by. Starting Characters pay double for their initial EMP stat (max of 5). This may be increased two ways : through therapy, they may increase it by +3. At the cost of BioPoints, the constructs EMP may be increased to a maximum of 10.
- All beings will be designed using BioPoints for game balance. Below are the costs associated with the various options available for vat grown beings : each character begins with 30 BioPoints.
Some Assembly Required
| Name | BP | HL | Description |
| Natural Weapons |
| Claws | 3 | 1D6 | 2D6 damage |
| Retractable | 1 | 1D6 | Felines only |
| AP | 2 | | As per knife |
| Hooves | 2 | 1D6 | Kick does 2D6+2 (horses, cattle, moose, deer, etc). Note : if used in conjunction with Digitgrade Legs, add +2 Damage |
| Horns/Antlers | 3 | 1D6+3 | |
| AP | 1 | | As per knife, bull and buffalo types only |
| Quills | 2 | 4D6 | 3D6 AP (as per knife). Not practical for a humanoid (hedgehog, porcupine) |
| Scent Pouch | 2 | 2D6 | Causes irritation, victims are -4 REF and -4 COOL (skunks, opossums, ferrets) |
| Teeth | 2 | 1D6/2 | |
| AP | 2 | | As per knife, carnivores and rodents only |
| Tusks | 3 | 2D6 | |
| AP | 1 | | As per knife |
| |
| Natural Abilities |
For the Enhanced Stats, use common sense, you won't be seeing a weasel with a +5 strength any more than you would see a sloth with a +5 speed. Each cost is for one point (+5 max).
|
| Accelerated Metabolism | 3 | 2D6 | +2 Initiative and Awareness notice, found in weasels, ferrets and other rodents. There two built in disadvantages with this ability, the construct is extremely hyper and it is always hungry, eating twice as much as a normal person |
| Advanced Healing | 1 | 1D6/2 | Construct can recover one additional point of damage extra per 6-hour period, found in felines (except tigers), by purring |
| Camouflage | 1 | 1 | The constructs natural colorations allow them to hide in natural surroundings, giving it a +2 to hide/evade |
| Climbing | 1 | | Adds a +2 to climbing skill (felines, rodents, bears) |
| Digging | 2 | | At the rate of BODY/2 in feet per minute, requires claws, dirt only (canines, moles, badgers, etc) |
| Digitgrade Legs | 5 | 2D6 | Basically the animal's "natural" legs, with tail +1 MA, without tail, -2 MA, -1 REF |
| Enhanced Senses, Hearing | 2 | | +2 Awareness/Notice using auditory clues |
| Enhanced Senses, Keen Sight | 2 | | +2 Awareness/Notice rolls |
| Enhanced Senses, Night Vision | 2 | | See in near total darkness |
| Enhanced Senses, Smell | 2 | | +2 Awareness/Notice using smell |
| Tracking Smell | 2 | | +3 to Tracking skill |
| Enhanced Senses, Touch | 1 | | +2 Awareness/Notice using touch |
| Enhanced Senses, Ultrasonic Hearing | 1 | | Hear beyond the normal human range |
| Echolocation | 2 | | By emitting sounds the construct is able to navigate in total darkness. Found in bats, rats and dolphins |
| Enhanced Stats, Humanity | 2 | | +1 EMP |
| Enhanced Stats, Reflexes | 3 | 1D6/2 | +1 REF |
| Enhanced Stats, Speed | 1 | 1D6/2 | +1 MA |
| Enhanced Stats, Strength | 3 | 1D6/2 | +1 BODY |
| Fear Factor | 1 | 1D6/2 | +2 to Intimidate skill |
| Flight | 3 | 1D6+3 | Found only in bats, large set of wings (wingspan = 3.5 x the height of the construct) is attached to the arms and the back. The construct will not be able to wear normal shirts. Note : because of the way the wings are built, nothing can be carried in the hands of the construct while flying. Other equipment must be kept to a minimum |
| Frame, Large | 3 | 1D6+2 | Found in bears, horses, and other large animals (over 225 kg), increase BODY by 2, weight & height by 25% (min height 2.1m) and Endurance by 2, decrease REF by 2 |
| Frame, Small | 3 | 1D6+2 | Found in housecats, rodents and other small animals (under 35 kg), decrease BODY by 2, weight & height by 25% (max height 1.5m), increase REF by 2 and Hide/Evade by 2 |
| Fur | 1 | 1D6 | SP 4 (like leather, most animals) |
| Glide | 2 | 1D6 | A thin membrane stretches from the hands, down the side of the body down the legs to the feet. In order to use this ability the construct will have to wear a special body suit that connects over the shoulder and at the crotch as the sides cannot obstruct the membrane. Found in various "flying" animals like squirrels and lemurs (see note under Flight) |
| Hold Breath | 2 | 1D6/2 | Ability to take in a large amount of air and hold it for an extended amount of time [COOL x 1 minute] (otters, beavers and other water dwelling mammals) |
| Jumping | 2 | | Doubles the normal jump stat, triple if used in conjunction with digitgrade legs (kangaroos, rabbits, squirrels, felines, deer, possibly others) |
| Light Natural Body Armor | 2 | 1D6 | SP 9 (rhinos, elephants, armadillos) |
| Lithe | 3 | 1D6/2 | The construct movements are very fluid and flexible. Found in smaller cats, and some rodents. +2 to Athletics, Acrobatics and Martial Arts, takes 1D6 less damage from falls |
| Reinforced Skull | 2 | 1D6/2 | Adds +4 SP armor in head, allows horns to be AP vs. Hard Armor if used in a ram attack, also adds 2 points of damage in ram attack (horned creatures only) |
| Sprint | 1 | 1D6/2 | With this ability the construct may run at a height end rate of speed in a relatively straight path (i.e. no sharp turns) for a short amount of time. Double the constructs Run attribute for a duration equal to the characters endurance skill |
| Stalk | 2 | | +2 to stealth based rolls (felines and other predators) |
| Tail | 1 | 1D6 | Will act as a counter balance on certain animal types, like felines, monkeys and rodents, which will give a +2 on Athletics concerning balance (note : select either this option or the feral tail below, not both) |
| Prehensile | 1 | | Use as partial hand (monkeys, opossums and some rodents) |
| Toxin Resistance | 1 | | The constructs body is resilient to most forms of toxins, giving them a +2 to resist poisons. Found in rats, opossums and goats (note : see Bestial Disadvantage, Diet : Scavenger) |
| Webbed Feet | 2 | 1D6 | Found in aquatic based constructs, the construct is able to maneuver through water better than their human counterparts, adds +2 Swimming |
| Whiskers | 2 | 1 | Detect vibrations, +2 Awareness/Notice (felines & rodents only) |
| |
| Name | BP | HL | Description |
| Bestial Looks & Physical Quirks |
| Animal Appearance | 2 | 1D6+2 | Construct looks like a humanoid version of the creature it was modeled after (this option is available with no bonus points and with no humanity loss if player desires, especially in a cyberpunk world with body sculpting) |
| Antler Shed | 1 | | Found in deer & elk. In the late winter the constructs antlers fall off, they start to re-grow in the spring |
| Bestial Speech | 2 | 1D6+3 | The vocal chords were not developed and the character suffers from speaking with growling, barking, meowing, or whatever is appropriate for the originating species. Character will suffer a -2 on all social skills |
| Colorblind | 1 | 1D6/2 | Character only sees in shades of grey, -2 to awareness notice in situations where color is important. "Press the RED button !" |
| Feral Tail | 1 | 1D6 | The character's tail is not under its conscious control. When not concentrating on its movement, the tail seems to have a mind of its own, getting in the way and wagging or twitching, and knocking things over (note : select either this option or the tail above, not both) |
| No Fine Manipulation | 2 | 1D6 | Construct has fingers and an opposable thumb, but because of the physical makeup of his hands intricate work is not possible, usually used in conjunction with claws (cannot be combined with Paws/No Opposable Thumbs) |
| No Speech | 4 | 2D6 | Construct can only communicate via growls, barks, whimpers or whatever is appropriate for the originating species. Character will suffer a -4 on all social skills and on all communication skills |
| Paws/No Opposable Thumbs | 4 | 2D6 | The constructs original paws were not modified; will have difficulty grasping anything that would normally require hands. Normally reserved for creations that will use their own natural weaponry (cannot be combined with No Fine Manipulation) |
| Quadruped/Not Bipedal | 4 | 2D6 | The construct cannot function well on two feet; MA is divided by 4, and REF divided by 2 when character attempts to move while relying solely on his hind feet |
| Scent Dependant | 1 | 1D6/2 | One sense overpowers the rest. The creature uses one above the rest (either scent or hearing, as opposed to the human tendency to use sight). Character is -2 Awareness/Notice using "other senses" |
| |
| Bestial Behavior & Mental Quirks |
| Alpha Mentality | 1 | 1D6/2 | You always follow the chain of command |
| Animal Socialism | 1 | 1D6 | You can't figure out those Human Styles. You lick faces instead of kissing, etc. -2 on social skills |
| Bloodlust | 2 | 1D6 | In a combat situation, the character's primal instinct comes to bear and the character will not stop fighting his opponent till it is dead or is pulled off |
| Call of the Wild | 1 | 1D6/2 | The jungle/forest calls to you. If you ever leave the concrete jungle, it's hard to get away from the wide-open spaces of your genetic forefathers ! |
| Diet, Carnivore | 1 | 1D6 | Character will only eat meat, and requires it to remain healthy. Found in felines and canines |
| Diet, Herbivore | 1 | 1D6/2 | Like above, but will only eat fruits and vegetables, meat products will make character ill. Found in cattle and deer |
| Diet, Insectivore | 1 | 1D6+1 | Eats bugs... Lots and lots of bugs. At least your friends won't have cockroach problems any longer. Commonly found in rodents |
| Diet, Scavenger | 1 | 1D6+1 | Have no qualms about eating carrion and road kill. Commonly found in opossums and most rodents |
| Gun-shy | 1 | 1D6/2 | Loud noises scare you. This can be anything from a gunshot & firecrackers to thunder |
| Hunter | 1 | 1D6 | The predator's instincts come into play here, the character is not happy unless he is tracking something down |
| Nocturnal | 1 | 1D6/2 | "Work all night, sleep all day". Besides the obvious scheduling problems, the character is -2 awareness notice/initiative during the day |
| Pack Mentality | 1 | 1D6 | Works best in a group, if found alone in a situation character will become disoriented, -2 to all skills, usually found in canine or herd animals |
| Prey Species | 2 | 1D6/2 | You're always worried about being hunted. In firefights you must make a COOL check or try and find the safest place possible and won't take positions unless they are under cover |
| |
Appearance
There are three basic "forms" a construct can take : Animal, Beast-Man and Human.
- Animal is just like it sounds, every feature of the animal remains as it did in its natural form. Obviously they may be designed bigger faster and smarter, but outside appearances appear normal.
- Beast-Man, not human and not animal, but somewhere in-between, this can be anywhere to a human body with a wolf head and large claws to something milder like a construct that looks almost human with a raccoon mask.
- Human, with the possible exception of claws there is very little to differentiate, physically, between these characters and a normal human.
Even if the construct has no apparent physical differences from its human counterparts, like claws or horns, certain genetic traits common with the base animal will still show through.
- Bovine : soft eyes, rounded facial features.
- Canine : large chest (if appropriate for the breed), very expressive eyes.
- Felines : sharp cheekbones, light brown or green eyes, slightly pointed ears.
- Rodent : sharp features, large eyes.
Currently, the constructs being manufactured are not of mixed types, this is being tested at the moment. Because of the physiological make up of the constructs, Avians, Reptiles and Amphibians are not possible.
Education/Training (Roles)
Because of their corporate origins, most BioWorks creations are be built to benefit the corporation that ordered it in some major capacity. Listed below is a list of Roles that offer the best fit in a corperate atmosphere.
Security/Front Line
- Solo
- Body Guard
- Corporate Operative
- Assassin
- Sniper
Espionage
- Information Runner
- Prowler
- Recon/Scout
- Smuggler
Deep Space/Hard Labor
- Salver
- Jockey
- Highrider
- Workganger
Playbeings/Entertainment
- Dancer/Prostitute
- Pit Fighter
- Stripper
Example Constructs
Canine, Wolf
Claws : 2D6 damage
Teeth : 1D6 damage
Digitgrade Legs
Enhanced Hearing
Enhanced Smell
Night Vision
Ultrasonic Hearing
Fur
+3 EMP
+2 BODY
+3 MA |
Colorblind
Feral Tail
Diet, Carnivore
Hunter
Pack Mentality |
BioPoint cost : 35-5 = 30
Humanity Loss : 36.5 (average)
Final stat adjustment : MA +4, Body +2, EMP +4
Rodent, Ferret
Teeth : 1D6 AP damage
Accelerated Metabolism
Climbing
Frame, Small
Lithe
Tail
Whiskers
Enhanced Hearing
Enhanced Smell
Night Vision
+2 EMP
+3 REF
+2 MA |
Animal Appearance
Quadruped/Not Bipedal
Gun-shy
Nocturnal |
BioPoint cost : 38-8 = 30
Humanity Loss : 29 (average)
Final stat adjustment : REF +5, Body -2, EMP +2
Feline, Domestic Housecat (complete human looks)
Advanced Healing
Climbing
Lithe
Stalk
Enhanced Hearing
Night Vision
+2 MA
+5 REF
+2 EMP |
Hunter
Nocturnal |
BioPoint cost : 32-2 = 30
Humanity Loss: 28 (average)
Final stat adjustment : REF +5, MA +2, EMP +2
Bovine (Bull)
Hooves : 2D6+4 damage
Horns : 2D6 AP damage
Digitgrade Legs
Frame, Large
Reinforced Skull
+5 BODY
+2 MA
Fur |
Diet, Herbivore
No Fine Manipulation
Feral Tail |
BioPoint cost : 34-4 = 30
Humanity Loss : 51 (average)
Final stat adjustment : BODY +7, REF -2, MA +2
Note : this character has no humanity left, his base instincts have taken over.
