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NOTE: A mind map based on the role-playing gameEclipse Phase: The Roleplaying Game of Transhuman Conspiracy and Horror byPosthuman Studios, LLC, available under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

See the License subtree of Metadata for copyright attribution and licensing information.

LACK

NOTE: Lack names a piece of fiction. See the Core Book for the actual piece.

Contents 1 ENTER THE SINGULARITY... 1.1 STARTING OUT 1.1.1 But How Do You Actually Play? 1.1.2 What Do Players Do? 1.1.3 Where Does It Take Place? 2 A TIME OF ECLIPSE 2.1 A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF AN UNFORTUNATE UNIVERSE 2.2 TRANSHUMANITY 2.3 CULTURE AND SOCIETY 2.4 TECHNOLOGY 2.4.1 POPULAR TYPES OF ENTERTAINMENT 2.5 POLITICS AND POWER 2.5.1 THE INNER SYSTEM 2.5.2 THE OUTER SYSTEM 2.6 KEEPING THE PEACE 2.7 THE ECONOMY 2.7.1 THE NEW ECONOMY 2.8 HABITATS 2.8.1 SPACE HABITATS 2.9 FACTIONS 2.9.1 THE HYPERCORPS 2.9.1.1 COGNITE 2.9.1.2 DIRECT ACTION 2.9.2 POLITICAL BLOCS 2.9.3 AUTONOMIST ALLIANCE 2.9.4 SOCIO-POLITICAL MOVEMENTS 2.9.5 RELIGIOUS GROUPS 2.9.6 CRIMINAL FACTIONS 2.10 SYSTEM GAZETTER 2.10.1 SOL (THE SUN) 2.10.2 VULCANOIDS 2.10.3 MERCURY 2.10.4 VENUS 2.10.5 EARTH 2.10.5.1 HABITATS 2.10.6 Luna 2.10.7 MARS 2.10.7.1 REGIONS 2.10.8 MARTIAN TROJANS 2.10.9 ASTEROID BELT 2.10.10 Jupiter 2.10.11 Europa 2.10.12 Ganymede and Callisto 2.10.13 The Trojans (Jovian Trojan and Greek Asteroids) 2.10.13.1 Locus 2.10.14 Saturn 2.10.15 Titan 2.10.16 Uranus 2.10.17 Neptune 2.10.18 The Edge of the System 2.10.19 Extrasolar Systems 2.10.19.1 Other Exoplanets 3 GAME MECHANICS 3.1 MAKING TESTS 3.2 DIFFICULTY AND MODIFIERS 3.3 CRITICALS: ROLLING DOUBLES 3.4 DEFAULTING: UNTRAINED SKILL USE 3.5 SIMPLIFYING MODIFIERS 3.5.1 NARRATIVE MODIFIERS 3.6 TEAMWORK 3.7 TYPES OF TESTS 3.7.1 SUCCESS TESTS 3.7.1.1 TAKING THE TIME 3.7.1.2 SIMPLE SUCCESS TESTS 3.7.1.3 MARGIN OF SUCCESS/FAILURE 3.7.1.4 EXCELLENT SUCCESSES/SEVERE FAILURES 3.7.2 OPPOSED TESTS 3.7.2.1 VARIABLE OPPOSED TEST 3.8 TIME AND ACTIONS 3.8.1 TYPES OF ACTIONS 3.9 DEFINING YOUR CHARACTER 3.9.1 EGO STATS 3.9.1.1 INITIATIVE (INIT) 3.9.1.2 MOXIE 3.9.2 MORPH STATS 3.9.2.1 DEATH RATING (DR) 3.9.3 CHARACTER SKILLS 3.9.3.1 SPECIALIZATIONS 3.9.4 CHARACTER MORPH 3.9.4.1 APTITUDE MAXIMUMS 3.10 THINGS CHARACTERS USE 4 CHARACTER CREATION AND ADVANCEMENT 4.1 CHARACTER GENERATION 4.1.1 CHOOSE BACKGROUND 4.1.2 CHOOSE FACTION 4.1.3 Spend Free Points 4.1.4 Spend Customization Points 4.1.5 Purchase Gear 4.1.6 Final Touches 4.2 STARTING MORPHS 4.2.1 BIOMORPHS 4.2.2 Pods 4.2.3 Synthetic Morphs 4.3 TRAITS 4.3.1 POSITIVE TRAITS 4.3.2 NEGATIVE TRAITS 4.4 CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT 4.4.1 IMPROVING SKILLS 4.5 SAMPLE CHARACTERS 5 SKILLS 5.1 SKILLS OVERVIEW 5.1.1 Learned Skills 5.2 USING SKILLS 5.2.1 Defaulting 5.2.1.1 Defaulting to Related Skills 5.2.2 Complementary Skills 5.2.3 Skill Ranges 5.3 APTITUDES 5.3.1 Aptitude-Only Tests 5.4 COMPLETE SKILL LIST 5.4.1 Animal Handling 5.4.2 HARDWARE: [FIELD] 5.4.3 Kinesics 5.4.4 Language: [Field] 5.4.5 Protocol 6 ACTION AND COMBAT 6.1 ACTION TURNS 6.2 INITIATIVE 6.2.1 INITIATIVE ORDER 6.2.1.1 INITIATIVE AND DAMAGE 6.3 ACTIONS 6.3.1 AUTOMATIC ACTIONS 6.3.2 QUICK ACTIONS 6.4 MOVEMENT 6.4.1 Movement Rates 6.5 COMBAT 6.5.1 Resolving Combat 6.5.2 Combat Modifiers 6.6 ACTION AND COMBAT COMPLICATIONS 6.6.1 Area Effect Weapons 6.6.2 Armor 6.6.3 Beam Weapons 6.6.4 Blind Attacks 6.6.5 Bots, Synthmorphs, and Vehicles 6.6.5.1 Collisions 6.6.6 Called Shots 6.6.7 Charging 6.6.8 Demolitions 6.6.9 Falling 6.6.10 Firing Modes and Rate of Fire 6.6.11 Gravity 6.6.12 Grenades and Seekers 6.6.13 Hostile Environments 6.6.14 Improvised Weapons 6.6.15 Multiple Targets 6.6.16 Objects and Structures 6.6.17 RANGE 6.6.18 Tactical Networks 6.6.19 Wielding Two or More Weapons 6.7 PHYSICAL HEALTH 6.7.1 Damage Types 6.7.2 Durability and Health 6.7.3 Wounds 6.8 HEALING AND REPAIR 6.8.1 Biomorph Healing 6.8.2 Synthmorph and Object Repair 6.9 MENTAL HEALTH 6.9.1 Lucidity and Stress 6.9.2 Trauma 6.9.3 Derangements 6.9.4 Disorders 6.9.5 Mental Healing and Psychotherapy 7 MIND HACKS 7.1 PSI 7.1.1 Using Psi 7.1.2 Psi-Chi Sleights 7.1.3 Psi-Gamma Sleights 7.2 PSYCHOSURGERY 7.2.1 Psychosurgery Mechanics 7.2.2 Psychosurgery Procedures 8 THE MESH 8.1 MESH CAPABILTIES 8.1.1 Information Overload 8.2 INTERFACING: AR, VR, AND XP 8.2.1 Augmented Reality 8.2.2 Virtual Reality 8.3 MESH USES 8.4 ISLANDS IN THE NET 8.5 MESH ABUSES 8.6 AIs AND INFOLIFE 8.7 EVERYDAY MESH MECHANICS 8.7.1 Accounts and Access Privileges 8.7.2 Computer Capabailities 8.7.3 Software 8.8 ONLINE RESEARCH 8.9 SCANNING, TRACKING, AND MONITORING 8.9.1 Physical Tracking 8.9.1.1 Tracking by Biometrics 8.9.2 Digital Acitivity Tracking 8.9.3 Sniffing 8.10 PRIVACY AND ANONYMIZATION 8.10.1 Privacy Mode 8.10.2 Anonymization 8.11 MESH SECURITY 8.11.1 Encryption 8.12 INTRUSION 8.12.1 Circumventing Authentication 8.12.2 Intrusion Tests 8.12.3 Intruder Status 8.12.4 Changing Status 8.13 INTRUSION COUNTERMEASURES 8.13.1 Security Alerts 8.13.2 Passive Countermeasures 8.13.3 Active Countermeasures 8.14 SUBVERSION 8.14.1 Scripting 8.15 CYBERBRAIN HACKING 8.16 RADIO JAMMING 8.17 SIMULSPACES 8.17.1 Hacking Simulspaces 8.18 AIs and MUSES 8.19 AGIs and INFOMORPHS 9 ACCELERATED FUTURE 9.1 BACKUPS AND UPLOADING 9.1.1 Cortical Stack Backups 9.1.2 Uploading 9.1.3 Backup Insurance 9.2 RESLEEVING 9.2.1 Resleeving Synthmorphs 9.3 FORKING AND MERGING 9.3.1 Neural Pruning 9.4 EGOCASTING 9.5 MORPH BROKERAGE 9.5.1 Morph Acquisition 9.5.2 Renting Morphs 9.6 IDENTITY 9.6.1 Identity Verification 9.6.2 Circumventing ID Checks 9.7 LIFE IN SPACE 9.7.1 Space Habitats 9.7.2 Immigration and Customs 9.7.3 Space Travel 9.8 NANOFABRICATION 9.8.1 Blueprints 9.9 REPUTATION AND SOCIAL NETWORKS 9.9.1 Social Networks 9.9.2 Using Networks and Rep 9.9.2.1 Favor Levels and Modifiers 9.9.2.2 Paying/Exchanging for Favors 9.9.2.3 The Limits of Reputation 9.9.2.4 Burning Reputation 9.9.2.5 Keeping Quiet 9.9.3 Favors 9.9.3.1 Acquire/Unload Goods 9.9.3.2 Acquire Services 9.9.3.3 Acquire Information 9.9.4 Reputation and Identity 9.10 SECURITY 9.10.1 Access Control 9.10.2 Detection and Surveillance 10 GEAR 10.1 EQUIPMENT RULES 10.1.1 Acquiring Gear 10.1.2 Gear Modifiers 10.1.2.1 Gear Costs 10.1.2.2 Gear Sizes 10.1.3 Design and Fashion 10.1.4 Future Materials 10.2 MESHED GEAR 10.2.1 Radio and Sensor Ranges 10.3 PERSONAL AUGMENTATION 10.3.1 Standard Augmentations 10.3.1.1 Basic Mesh Inserts 10.3.2 BIOWARE 10.3.3 Using Enhanced Senses 10.3.4 Cyberware 10.3.5 Robotic Enhancements 10.3.6 ARMOR 10.4 DRUGS, CHEMICALS, AND TOXINS 10.4.1 Substance Rules 10.4.2 Drugs 10.4.3 Nanodrugs 10.4.4 Toxins 10.5 NANOTECHNOLOGY 10.5.1 Basic Nanotechnology 10.5.1.1 Healing Vats 10.5.2 Advanced Nanotechnology 10.5.3 Pets 10.5.4 SOFTWARE 10.5.5 Survival Gear 10.6 WEAPONS 10.6.1 MELEE WEAPONS 10.6.2 Kinetic Weapons 10.6.2.1 Firearms 10.6.2.2 Railguns 10.6.2.3 Kinetic Ammunition 10.6.3 Beam Weapons 10.6.4 Seekers 10.6.5 Spray Weapons 10.6.6 Grenades and Seekers 10.7 ROBOTS AND VEHICLES 10.7.1 Aircraft 10.7.2 Exoskeletons 10.7.3 Groundcraft 10.7.4 Personal Vehicles 10.7.5 Robots 10.7.6 Spacecraft 11 GAME INFORMATION 11.1 SECRETS THAT MATTER 11.2 FIREWALL 11.2.1 Organization 11.3 THE ETI 11.4 EXHUMANS 11.5 THE EXSURGENT VIRUS 11.5.1 Biological Nanovirus 11.5.2 Digital Virus 11.5.3 Nanoplague 11.5.4 Basilisk Hacks 11.5.5 Exsurgent Strains 11.5.6 Roleplaying Exsurgents 11.5.7 Exsurgents 11.5.8 Exsurgent Psi 11.5.9 Exsurgent Psi-Gamma Sleights 11.5.10 Exsurgent Psi-Epsilon Sleights 11.6 THE FACTORS 11.6.1 Xenobiology 11.6.2 Exosociology 11.6.3 The Factors in Game 11.6.4 Factor Phenotypes 11.7 THE PANDORA GATES 11.8 PROJECT OZMA 11.9 THE TITANs AND THEIR LEGACY 11.9.1 Deadly Machines 11.9.2 Nanovirii 11.10 GAMEMASTERING AND ADMINISTRATION 11.10.1 REPUTATION GAIN AND LOSS 11.10.2 Gamemastering Practicalities 12 TABLES 12.1 CHARACTER CREATION SUMMARY 12.1.1 TRAITS 12.2 COMBAT SUMMARY 12.3 THE HACKING SEQUENCE 13 REFERENCES 14 INDEX 15 Metadata 15.1 Legend 15.1.1 attributes 15.1.1.1 categories 15.1.1.2 origin 15.1.1.2.1 Posthuman Studios, LLC 15.1.1.2.2 Fan-made 15.1.1.3 system 15.1.1.4 status 15.1.2 clouds 15.1.3 filters 15.1.4 structure 15.1.5 styles 15.1.5.1 User-Defined Styles 15.1.5.1.1 CHAPTER 15.1.5.2 Predefined styles 15.2 who 15.2.1 Eclipse Phase 15.2.2 map 15.3 when 15.3.1 started 15.4 why 15.4.1 learning 15.5 how 15.6 License 16 Comments

ENTER THE SINGULARITY...Edit

NOTE: We humans have a special way of pulling ourselves up and kicking ourselves down at the same time. We’d achieved more progress than ever before, at the cost of wrecking our planet and destabilizing our own governments. But things were starting to look up. With exponentially accelerating technologies, we reached out into the solar system, terraforming worlds and seeding new life. We re-forged our bodies and minds, casting off sickness and death. We achieved immortality through the digitization of our minds, resleeving from one biological or synthetic body to the next at will. We uplifted animals and AIs to be our equals. We acquired the means to build anything we desired from the molecular level up, so that no one need want again.

Yet our race toward extinction was not slowed, and in fact received a machine-assist over the precipice. Billions died as our technologies rapidly bloomed into something beyond control … further transforming humanity into something else, scattering us throughout the solar system, and reigniting vicious conflicts. Nuclear strikes, biowarfare plagues, nanoswarms, mass uploads … a thousand horrors nearly wiped humanity from existence.

We still survive, divided into a patchwork of restrictive inner system hypercorp-backed oligarchies and libertarian outer system collectivist habitats, tribal networks, and new experimental societal models. We have spread to the outer reaches of the solar system and even gained footholds in the galaxy beyond. But we are no longer solely “human” … we have evolved into something simultaneously more and different—somethingtranshuman.

STARTING OUTEdit

NOTE: Eclipse Phase  is a post-apocalyptic roleplaying game of transhuman conspiracy and horror. Humans are enhanced and improved, but humanity is battered and bitterly divided. Technology allows the re-shaping of bodies and minds and liberates us from material needs, but also creates opportunities for oppression and puts the capability for mass destruction in the hands of everyone. Many threats lurk in the devastated habitats of the Fall, dangers both familiar and alien.

What Is A Roleplaying Game?

NOTE: Have you ever read a book or seen a movie or a television show where a character does something really stupid, like heading into a basement at night when the character knows the serial killer is around? The whole time, you’re thinking: “I wouldn’t walk down those creepy stairs to the dark basement, especially without a flashlight. I’d do X, Y, or Z instead!” Since you’re in the passenger’s seat for the plot you’re reading or watching, however, you simply have to sit back and let it unfold. What if you could take hold of the driver’s seat? What if you could take the plot in the direction you’d choose? That is the essence of a roleplaying game.

A roleplaying game (or RPG, for short) is part improvisational theater, part storytelling, and part game. A single person (the gamemaster) runs the game for a group of players that pretend to be characters in a fictitious world. The world could be a mystery game set in the 1920s that takes you adventuring around the globe, a fantasy realm inhabited by dragons and trolls and sword-wielding barbarians, or a science fiction setting with aliens and spaceship and world-crushing weaponry. The players pick a setting that they find cool and want to play in. The players then craft their own characters, providing a detailed history and personality to bring each to life. These characters have a set of statistics (numerical values) that represent skills, attributes, and other abilities. The gamemaster then explains the situation in which the characters find themselves. The players, through their characters, interact with the storyline and each others’ characters, acting out the plot. As the players roleplay through some scenarios, the gamemaster will probably ask a given player to roll some dice and the resulting numbers will determine the success or failure of a character’s attempted action. The gamemaster uses the rules of the game to interpret the dice rolls and the outcome of the character’s actions.

As a group exercise, the players control the storyline (the adventure), which evolves much like any movie or book but within the flexible plot created by the gamemaster. This gamemaster plot provides a framework and ideas for potential courses of action and outcomes, but it is simply an outline of what might happen—it is not concrete until the players become involved. If you don’t want to walk down those stairs, you don’t. If you think you can talk yourself out of a situation in place of pulling a gun, then try and make it happen. The script of any roleplaying session is written by the players, and the story, based upon the character’s actions and their responses to the events of the plot, will constantly change and evolve.

The best part is that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to play an RPG. Some games may involve more combat and dice rolling-related situations, where other games may involve more storytelling and improvised dialogue to resolve a situation. Each group of players decides for themselves the type and style of game they enjoy playing!

What is Transhumanism?

NOTE: Transhumanism is a term used synonymously to mean “human enhancement.” It is an international cultural and intellectual movement that endorses the use of science and technology to enhance the human condition, both mentally and physically. In support of this, transhumanism also embraces using emerging technologies to eliminate the undesirable elements of the human condition such as aging, disabilities, diseases, and involuntary death. Many transhumanists believe these technologies will be arriving in our near future at an exponentially accelerated pace and work to promote universal access to and democratic

control of such technologies. In the long scheme of things, transhumanism can also be considered the transitional period between the current human condition and an entity so far advanced in capabilities (both physical and mental faculties) as to merit the label “posthuman.”

As a theme, transhumanism embraces heady questions. What defi nes human? What does it mean to defeat death? If minds are software, where do you draw the line with programming them? If machines and animals can also be raised to sentience, what are our responsibilities to them? If you can copy yourself, where does “you” end and someone new begin? What are the potentials of these technologies in terms of both oppressive control and liberation? How will these technologies change our society, our cultures, and our lives?

Post-Apocalyptic, Conspiracy, and Horror Themes

NOTE: Several themes pervade Eclipse Phase, some of which the reader may not be intimately familiar with. The following helps define these themes so that as players read further into this rulebook, they gain a solid understanding of how Eclipse Phase builds on such themes to create its unique setting.

Post-apocalyptic is a term used to describe fiction set after a cataclysmic event has ended human civilization as we know it (usually accompanied by loss of human life on an almost unthinkable scale). The exact mechanism of the disaster is usually unimportant: nuclear war, plague, asteroid strike, and so on. The importance of the theme is the human condition. If the world we know is torn away from us and humans suffer horrors beyond imagining in this transformation to a post-apocalyptic setting, how does humanity cope? Do we survive and thrive and overcome? Or do we lose our own humanity in the process, or ultimately fall to extinction? Those are the questions that drive this genre.

To conspire means “to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act or to use such means to accomplish a lawful end.” As such, a conspiracy theory attributes the ultimate cause of an event or a chain of events (whether political, societal or historical) to a secret group of individuals with immense power (including political, wealth and so on) who hide their activities from public view while manipulating events to achieve their goals, regardless of consequences. Many conspiracy theories contend that a host of the greatest events of history were initiated and ultimately controlled by such secret organizations. Of equal importance is the silent struggle between clandestine groups, waging a secret war behind the scenes to determine who influences the future.

Horror takes many forms, but in Eclipse Phase it is more psychological than gore. It is the uncertainty of survival, the suspense of finding malevolent things among the stars, the fear of the unknown, the dread of facing Things That Should Not Be, the revulsion when encountering alien things, and the sickening realization of the wrong and ghastly things that transhumans are capable of doing to themselves and each other. Horror also arises both from the comprehension that there are scary things beyond our understanding inhabiting our universe and that transhumanity may be its own worst enemy. Despite all of the technological tools and advances available to future transhumans, they still face terrors like losing control of their own identities, their perceptions, and their mental faculties—not to mention their future as a species.

Eclipse Phase takes all of these themes and weaves them together in a transhuman setting. The postapocalyptic angle covers the understanding of all that transhumanity has lost, the fight against extinction, and how much of that is a struggle against our own nature. The conspiracy side delves into the nature of the secret organizations that play key roles in determining transhumanity’s future and how the actions of determined individuals can change the lives of many. The horror perspective explores the results of humanity’s self-inflicted transformations and how some of these changes effectively make us non-human. Tying it all together is an awareness of the massive indifference and the terriblealien-nessthat pervades the universe and how transhumanity is insignificant against such a backdrop.

Offsetting these themes, however,Eclipse Phasealso asserts that there is still hope, that there is still something worth fighting for, and that transhumanity can pave its own path toward the future.

But How Do You Actually Play?Edit

NOTE: To play a game ofEclipse Phase, you need the following:

• A group of players and a place to meet (real life or online!)
• One player to act as the gamemaster
• The contents of this book
• Something for everyone to take notes with (notepads, laptops, whatever!)
• Two 10-sided dice per player (or a digital equivalent)
• Imagination

A Group of Players and a Place to Meet

NOTE: While roleplaying games are flexible enough to allow any number of people, most gaming groups number around four to eight players. That number of people brings a good mix of personalities to the table and ensures great cooperative play.

Once a group of players have determined to playEclipse Phase, they’ll need to designate someone as the gamemaster (see below). Then they’ll need to determine a time and place to meet.

Most roleplaying groups meet once a week at a regularly scheduled time and place: 7:00 PM, Thursday night, Rob’s house, for example. However, each group determines where, how they’ll play, and how often. One group may decide they can only get together once a month, while another group is so excited to dive into the story potential ofEclipse Phase that they want to meet twice a week (they decide to rotate between their houses, though, so as not to overload a particular player). If a group is lucky enough to have a favorite local gaming store that supports in-store play, the group might meet there. Other gaming groups meet in libraries, common rooms at their school, bookstores that have generously-sized “reading rooms,” quiet restaurants, and so on. Whatever fits for your gaming group, make it work!

When getting together for a game, most RPGs use the phrase “gaming session.” The length of each gaming session is completely dependent upon the consensus of the playing group, as well as the limitations of the locale where they’re playing. The particular story that unfolds in a given session can also impact a session’s length. If playing in a game store, the group may only have a four-hour slot and the gamemaster

and group may have determined—through several sessions of play—that this is a perfect time frame to enjoy the story they’re participating in each week. Another group, however, may want an even shorter  length of time. Yet another group may decide that while they’ll usually do four-hour sessions, once a month they’ll set aside an entire Saturday for a great all-day gaming session. Players will need to dive in and start playing and be flexible to decide what will provide the ultimate enjoyment for their gaming group.

While the camaraderie of a shared experience of playing face-to-face with a group of friends remainsthe strength of roleplaying games, groups need not confine themselves to a single mode of play. There are myriad options that can be used. Email, instant messages, message boards, video chats, phone/voip calls, text messages, wikis, (micro-)blogs: any and all of these can be utilized to play the game without having

warm bodies in seats directly across the table from one another.

Finally, when playing groups meet for the first time, they should generate their characters (as opposed to generating characters by themselves). While a gaming group can decide to generate characters individually, often it is far easier once the players are together. This allows those more experienced in roleplaying games to help those new to RPGs. Even more important, it enables the entire group to tailor the characters so there is not too much overlap in capabilities and style. After all, with the wealth of character opportunities available, you don’t want to show up at the table with an almost identical character to the player next to you.

The Gamemaster

NOTE: Once a group has been organized, someone needs to step up and take the reins of the gamemaster. Some groups have a single gamemaster that runs all their gaming sessions month after month. Other groups rotate a gamemaster, with a single gamemaster running a given portion of the unfolding story for several sessions before handing the work off to another player. Once again, the participants should be flexible. Some groups may have the perfect person who loves the work involved and is more than willing to run session after session, while other groups may decide that they all want to take turns both as the gamemaster and as players.

The gamemaster controls the story. They keep track of what is supposed to happen when, describes events as they occur so that the players (as characters) can react to them, keep track of other characters in the game (referred to as non-player characters, or NPCs), and resolve attempts to take action using the game system. The game system comes into play when characters seek to use their skills or otherwise do something that requires a test to see whether or not they succeed. Specific rules are presented for situations that involve rolling dice to determine the outcome (seeGame Mechanics, p. 112).

The gamemaster describes the world as the characters see it, functioning as their eyes, ears, and other senses. Gamemastering is not easy, but the thrill of creating an adventure that engages the other players’

imaginations, testing their gaming skills and their characters’ skills in the game world, makes it worthwhile. Posthuman Studios will follow the publication ofEclipse Phasewith supporting supplements and adventures to help this process along, but experienced gamemasters can always adapt the game universe to suit their own styles. In fact, sinceEclipse Phaseis published under a Creative Commons License (see p. 5), players are encouraged to tailor the universe to their style of play and also to share that with other players. You never know when a specific choice you’ve made in the running of a campaign is exactly what another gamemaster and his group is looking for.

The Contents of this Book

NOTE: Whether you have purchased the print or electronic version, this book is specifically organized to present the information you need to know to start telling your stories in theEclipse Phaseuniverse. Below you’ll find a summary of each chapter of the book.

A Time of Eclipse:A comprehensive history and setting fully describes the Eclipse Phase universe and how humanity transitioned from here to there. See p. 30.

Game Mechanics:The player’s desired actions become reality within the universe through quick and easy-to-use game mechanics. See p. 112.

Character Creation and Advancement:Creating a unique character can be one of the most enjoyable experiences of roleplaying. Even more rewarding is watching that character evolve and grow across numerous gaming sessions, far beyond anything your imagination first envisioned. See p. 128.

Skills:Beyond a character’s innate abilities, their skills are what set them apart. This is what your character knows and what they know how to do. See p. 170.

Action and Combat:What is a dramatic story without action and violence? When words fail, weapons will blaze. See p. 186.

Mind Hacks:The unusual possibilities offered by psi abilities and mental reprogramming. See p. 216.

The Mesh:The all-pervasive nature of the mesh ensures that it is a key element to any story telling. See p. 234.

Accelerated Future:The wonders of advanced technologies and how they work. See p. 266.

Gear:Personal enhancements, weapons, robots, and everything else in between. See p. 294.

Game Information:The quintessential set of insider secrets for gamemasters. See p. 350.

Taking Notes

NOTE: Whether a gamemaster or player, you’ll need a way to track information. Players will be generating characters and making changes to those characters from session to session. Meanwhile, the gamemaster will have a host of information to track: notes on how the story is unfolding due to player character interaction that you’ll need to fold into next week’s session; changes to NPCs; changes to player characters that the players are not yet aware off (such as a character has been mind hacked but doesn’t yet know it); and so on.

Additionally, some groups enjoy a synopsis of each session that can be compiled and read at a later time in order to enjoy and share their exploits, just as you might fileshare clips from your favorite video game to show off your skill in taking the bad guy down (traditionally this has been called “bluebooking”). This can be particularly useful if a player was unable to attend a given session, providing a quick re-cap that they can read before attending the next gaming session and thus avoiding a bog-down up-front as that player tries to catch up on current events in the game. The session scribe can be a shared responsibility or assigned, all based upon what a given playing group finds works best for them. Likewise, some gaming groups audio-record their entire game session, both for later reference and for “actual play” podcasts.

The old standard of a pencil and paper still works wonders. A host of additional technologies, however, provide many new options for players. From a text file on a laptop to a shared wiki, the ability to track large amounts of information in a quick and useful fashion—while simultaneously making appropriate information available to each player from session to session—significantly decreases how much time everyone needs to spend tracking information. That time can now be redirected into the enjoyment of participating in a great story.

Dice

NOTE: As described in theGame Mechanics section (p. 112), two ten-sided dice are required to playEclipse Phase. While most players enjoy the feel of tossing dice onto a table, there are many other mechanisms for rolling two ten-sided dice to achieve a 00 to 99 result. Players who make heavy use of any online technologies for game play—such as using online chatting or video blogging—should find it easy to track down and implement a quick dice-rolling program.

Imagination

NOTE: All too often, it’s easy for someone looking at an RPG to be intimidated. So many concepts to grasp, so many ideas that seem overwhelming. Just as described underWhat is a Roleplaying Game?, however, how often have you read a book or watched that movie and decided that you would have done it better? That’s your imagination at work. Just dive in and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can immerse yourself in theEclipse Phase universe. Soon you’ll be spinning stories with the best of them.

Also, don’t forget to tap your resources. Your gaming group is your best resource. What’s going on, ideas for how to handle a situation, or how to take on a bad guy: these are just some of the things that can and should be discussed by the gaming group in between sessions, and each is an opportunity to strengthen your imagination.

Another resource is simply watching TV or reading a good book. Pay attention to how the story is put together, how the characters are built, and how the plot unfolds. Push your imagination and soon you’ll be figuring out subplots and who the bad guy is long before it’s revealed. Knowing how a story is put together enables you to put together your own stories during each gaming session.

Finally, eclipsephase.com is the official site forEclipse Phase. If you have questions about the game or want to see how another group of players handles a given situation, post on the forums. The online community  can be just as helpful and enjoyable as a local gaming group.

What Do Players Do?Edit

NOTE: The players can take on a variety of roles inEclipse Phase. Due to advances in digital mind emulation technology, uploading, and downloading into new morphs (physical bodies, biological or synthetic), it is possible to literally be a new person from session to session. With bodies taking on the role of gear, players can customize their forms for the task at hand.

The Default Campaign

NOTE: In the default story (also known as “campaign setting”), every player character is a “sentinel,” an agent-on-call (or potential recruit) for a shadowy network known as “Firewall.” Firewall is dedicated to counteracting “existential risks”—threats to the existence of transhumanity. These risks can and do include biowar plagues, nanotech swarm outbreaks, nuclear proliferation, terrorists with WMDs, netbreaking computer attacks, rogue AIs, alien encounters, and so on. Firewall isn’t content to simply counteract these threats as they arise, of course, so characters may also be sent on information gathering missions or to put in place pre-emptive or failsafe measures. Characters may be tasked to investigate seemingly innocuous people and places (who turn out not to be), make deals with shady criminal networks (who turn out not to be trustworthy), or travel through a Pandora’s Gate wormhole to analyze the relics of some alien ruin (and see if the threat that killed them is still real). Sentinels are recruited from every faction of transhumanity; those who aren’t ideologically loyal to the cause are hired as mercenaries. These campaigns tend to mix a bit of mystery and investigation with fierce bouts of action and combat, also stirring in a nice dose of awe and horror.

Alternate Campaigns

NOTE: When they’re not saving the solar system, sentinels are free to pursue their own endeavors. The gamemaster and players can use this rulebook to generate any type of story they wish to tell. However, the following examples provide a brief look at the most obvious opportunities for adventure inEclipse Phase.

After each campaign variant below, a list of “archetypes” forEclipse Phase are provided in parenthesis. Archetypes are the names applied to the most common character types featured in those scenarios. For example, in a traditional detective story, the archetypes would be the Detective, the Damsel In Distress, the Hard-bitten Cop, and so on. In a cowboy movie, the archetypes would be the Gunfighter, the Bartender, the Marshal, the Indian Brave, and so on. Players will note that some archetypes fit into multiple story settings. The character creation system (p. 128) allows players to create any of the suggested archetypes. Just as roleplaying games are designed for players to build their own stories, however, these archetypes are just suggestions and players can mix and match how they will.

Salvage and Rescue/Retrieval Ops:The Fall left two worlds and numerous habitats in ruins—but these devastated cities and stations contain untold riches for those who are brave and foolhardy enough. Potential hauls include: weapon systems; physical resources; lost databanks; left-behind uploads of friends, family, or important people; new technologies developed and lost in the brief singularity takeoff; valued heirlooms of immortal oligarchs; and much more. Outside of these once-inhabited realms, space itself is a big place and lots of people and things get lost out there. Some need to be saved and some are beyond saving. This option lets players explore the unknown or seek out specific targets on contract.  (Archeologist/Scavenger/Pirate/Free Trader/Smuggler/Black Marketeer)

Exploration:There are plenty of opportunities to be had as an explorer, colonist, or long-range scout—perhaps even as one of the few lucky or suicidal individuals who explore through an untested Pandora’s Gate. Even the Kuiper Belt, on the fringe of our solar system, is still sparsely explored; there may be riches and mysteries still to be found. Many dangers also lurk in odd corners of the system, from isolationist  posthuman factions to secretive criminal cartels, as well as pirates, aliens, and others wishing to remain out of sight. (Explorer/Archeologist/Scavenger/Singularity Seeker/Techie/Medic)

Trade:While the majority of inner system trade is controlled by sleek hypercorporations, many of the smaller or more independent stations rely on small traders. In the post-scarcity outer system, trade takes on a different form, with information, favors, and creativity serving as currency among those who no longer want for anything due to the availability of cornucopia machines. (Free Trader/Smuggler/Black Marketeer/Pirate)

Crime:The patchwork of city-state habitats and widely varying laws throughout the system create ample opportunity for those who would make a living from this situation. Black market commodities and activities include infomorph-slave trading, pleasure pod sex industries, data brokerage and theft, extracting/smuggling advanced technologies and scientists, political/economic espionage, assassination, drug and XP dealing, soul-trading, and much more. Whether as an independent or part of an organized criminal element, there are always opportunities for those with a thirst for adventure or profit and questionable morals. (Criminal/Smuggler/Pirate/Fixer/Black Marketeer/Genehacker/Hacker/Covert Ops)

Mercenaries:The constant maneuvering of ideologically-driven factions, the squabbling over contested resources, and the rush to colonize new exoplanets beyond the Pandora Gates all spark new conflicts on a regular basis. Some of these simmer and seethe as low-intensity conflicts for years, occasionally flaring into raids and clashes. Others break out into all-out warfare. Women and men willing to bear arms for credits are always in demand for good wages. Players can engage in commando and military campaigns in habitats, between the stars, or in hostile planetary environments. (Merc/Security Specialist/Fixer/Bounty unter/Ex-Cop/Medic)

Socio-Political Intrigue:The corporations and political factions that span the solar system do not always play nice with each other, but neither is it wise for them to openly confront each other except under extreme circumstances. Many battles are fought with diplomacy and political maneuvering, using words and ideas more potent than weapons. Even within factions, social cliques can compete ruthlessly, or heated  class conflicts can come to a boil, tearing a society apart from within. In this campaign, the players can start as pawns of some entity who rise through the ranks as they become more enmeshed in the intrigues of their sponsor, play a group of ambassadors and spies stationed in the opposition’s capital, or can play a group of activists and radicals fighting for social change. (Politico/ ocialite/Covert Ops/Hacker/Security Specialist/Journalist/Memeticist)

Where Does It Take Place?Edit

NOTE: WhileEclipse Phaseis set in the not-too-distant future, the changes that have taken place due to the advancements of technology have transformed the Earth and its inhabitants almost beyond recognition. As players dive into the universe, they’ll generally encounter one of the following settings.

Humanity's Habitats

NOTE: The Earth has been left an ecologically-devastated ruin, but humanity has taken to the stars. When Earth was abandoned, so too were the last of the great nation-states; transhumanity now lacks a single unifying governing body and is instead subject to the laws and regulations of whomever controls a given habitat.

The majority of transhumanity is confined to orbital habitats or satellite stations scattered throughout the Sol system. Some of these were constructed from scratch in the orbit or Lagrange points of planetary bodies, others have been hewn out of solid satellites and large asteroids. These stations  have myriad purposes from trade to warfare, espionage to research.

Mars continues to be one of transhumanity’s largest settlements, though it too, suffered heavily during the Fall. Numerous cities and settlements remain, however, though the planet is only partially  terraformed.Venus, Luna, and Titan are also home to significant populations. Additionally, there are a small number of colonies that have been established on exoplanets (on the other side of the Pandora Gates) with environments that are not too hostile towards humanity.

Some transhumans prefer to live on large colony ships or linked swarms of smaller spacecraft, moving nomadically. Some of these rovers intentionally exile themselves to the far limits of the solar system, far from everyone else, while others actively trade from habitat to habitat, station to station, serving as mobile black markets.

The Great Unknown

NOTE: The areas of the galaxy that have felt the touch of humanity are few and far between. Lying betwixt these occasional outposts of questionable civilization are mysteries both dangerous and wonderful. Ever since the discovery of the Pandora Gates, there has been no shortage of adventurers brave or foolhardy enough to strike out on their own into the unknown regions of space in hopes of finding more alien artifacts, or even establishing contact with one of the other sentient races in the universe.

The Mesh

NOTE: While not a “setting” in the traditional sense, as the sections describe above, the computer networks known as the “mesh” are all-pervasive. This ubiquitous computing environment is made possible thanks to advanced computer technologies and nanofabrication that allow unlimited data storage and near-instantaneous transmission capacities. With micro-scale, cheap-to-produce wireless transceivers so abundant, literally everything is wirelessly connected and online. Via implants or small personal computers, characters have access to archives of information that dwarf the entire 21st-century internet and sensor systems that pervade every public place. People’s entire lives are recorded and lifelogged, shared with others on one of numerous social networks that link everyone together in a web of contacts, favors, and reputation systems.

Ego vs. Morph?

NOTE: The distinction between ego (your mind and personality, including memories, knowledge, and skills) and morph (your physical body and its capabilities) is one of the defining characteristics ofEclipse Phase. A good understanding of the concept right up front will allow players a glimpse at all the story possibilities out of the gate.

Your body is disposable. If it gets old, sick, or too heavily damaged, you can digitize your consciousness and download it into a new one. The process isn’t cheap or easy, but it does guarantee you effective immortality—as long as you remember to back yourself up and don’t go insane. The termmorphis used to describe any type of form your mind inhabits, whether a vat-grown clone sleeve, a synthetic robotic shell, a part-bio/part-synthetic “pod,” or even the purely electronic software state of an infomorph.

A character’s morph may die, but the character’s ego may live on, assuming appropriate backup measures have been taken. Morphs are expendable, but your character’s ego represents the ongoing, continuous life path of your character’s mind and personality. This continuity may be interrupted by an unexpected death (depending on how recently the backup was made), but it represents the totality of the character’s mental state and experiences.

Some aspects of your character—particularly skills, along with some stats and traits—belong to your character’s ego and so stay with them throughout the character’s development. Some stats and traits, however, are determined by morph, as noted, and so will change if your character leaves one body and takes on another. Morphs may also affect other skills and stats, as detailed in the morph description.

Where To Go From Here?

NOTE: Now that you know what this game is about, we suggest that you next read theTime of Eclipsechapter (p. 30), to get a feel for the game’s default setting (which you are, of course, free to change to suit your whims). Then read theGame Mechanicschapter (p. 112) to get a grasp of the rules. After that, you can move on toCharacter Creation and Advancement(p. 128) and create your first character!

Terminology

NOTE: Eclipse Phase uses a host of jargon to simply convey the numerous concepts covered within the pages of this book. While not all-inclusive, this list of terminology will allow players to quickly acclimate themselves for their journey into Eclipse Phase. If you read something and are confused, don’t worry. These concepts are fully explained in later sections of this book.

Note that several of the words on this list are standard scientific terms, often used in astronomy. AsEclipse Phaseattempts to remain as close to “hard science” as possible—while allowing players to interact with the great stories waiting to unfold—such terms are used liberally.

• Aerostat:A habitat designed to float like a balloon in a planet’s upper atmosphere.
• AF:After the Fall (used for reference dating).
• AGI:Artificial General Intelligence. An AI that has cognitive faculties comparable to that of a human or higher. Also known as “strong AI” (differentiating from more specialized “weak AI”). See also “seed AI.”
• AI:Artificial Intelligence. Generally used to refer to weak AIs; i.e., AIs that do not encompass (or in some cases, are completely outside of) the full range of human cognitive abilities. AIs differ from AGIs in that they are usually specialized and/or intentionally crippled/limited.
• Anarchist:Someone who believes government is unnecessary, that power corrupts, and that people should control their own lives through self-organized individual and collective action.
• Arachnoid:A spider-like robotic synthmorph.
• Argonauts:A faction of techno-progressive scientists that promote responsible and ethical use of technology.
• AR:Augmented Reality. Information from the mesh (universal data network) that is overlaid on your real-world senses. AR data is usually entoptic (visual), but can also be audio, tactile, olfactory, kinesthetic (body awareness), emotional, or other types of input.
• Async:A person with psi abilities.
• AU:Astronomical unit. The distance between the Earth and the Sun, equal to 8.3 light minutes, or about 150 million kilometers.
• Autonomists:The alliance of anarchists, Barsoomians, Extropians, scum, and Titanians.
• Barsoomian:A rural Martian, typically resentful of hypercorp control.
• Basilisk Hack:An image or other sensory input that affects the brain’s visual cortex and pattern recognition abilities in such a way as to cause a glitch and possibly exploit it and rewrite neural code.
• Beehive:A microgravity habitat made from a tunneledout asteroid or moon.
• BF:Before the Fall (used for reference dating).
• Bioconservative:An anti-technology movement that argues for strict regulation of nanofabrication, AI, uploading, forking, cognitive enhancements, and other disruptive technologies.
• Biomorph:A biological body, whether a flat, splicer, genetically engineered transhuman, or pod.
• Body Bank:A service for leasing, selling, acquiring, or storing a morph. Aka dollhouse, morgue.
• Bots:Robots. AI-piloted synthetic shells.
• Bracewell Probe:A type of autonomous monitoring deepspace probe meant to make contact with alien civilizations.
• Brinkers:Exiles who live on the fringes of the system, as well as other isolated and well-hidden nooks and crannies. Also called isolates, fringers, drifters.
• Case:A cheap, common, mass-produced synthetic shell.
• Chimeric:Transgenic, containing genetic traits from other species.
• Circumjovian:Orbiting Jupiter.
• Circumlunar:Orbiting the Moon.
• Circumsolar:Orbiting the Sun.
• Cislunar:Between the Earth and the Moon.
• Clade:A species or group of organisms with common features. Used to refer to transhuman subspecies and morph types.
• Cole Bubble:A habitat made from a hollowed-out asteroid or moon, spun for gravity.
• Cornucopia Machine:A general-purpose nanofabricator.
• Cortical Stack:An implanted memory cell used for ego backup. Located where the spine meets the skull; can be cut out.
• Cyberbrain:An artificial brain, housing an ego. Used in both synthmorphs and pods.
• Darkcast:Illegal and black market farcasting and egocasting services.
• Domain Rules:The rules that govern the reality of a virtual reality simulspace.
• Drone:A robot controlled through teleoperation (rather than directly via onboard AI).
• Ecto:Personal mesh devices that are flexible, stretchable, self-cleaning, translucent, and solar-powered. From ecto-link (external link).
• Ego:The part of you that switches from body to body. Also known as ghost, soul, essence, spirit, persona.
• Egocasting:Term for sending egos via farcasting.
• Entoptics:Augmented-reality images that you “see” in your head. (“Entoptic” means “within the eye.”)
• ETI:Extraterrestial intelligence. The term Firewall uses to refer to the god-like post-singularity alien intelligence theorized to be responsible for the Exsurgent virus.
• Exalts:Genetically-enhanced humans (between genefixed and transhumans). Aka genefreaks, the ascended, the elevated.
• Exoplanet:A planet in another solar system.
• Exsurgent:Someone infected by the Exsurgent virus.
• Exsurgent V irus:The multi-vector virus created by an unknown ETI and seeded throughout the galaxy in Bracewell probes. The Exsurgent virus is self-morphing and can infect both computer systems and biological creatures.
• Extrasolar:Outside the solar system.
• Factors:The alien ambassadorial race that deals with transhumanity. Also called Brokers.
• The Fall:The apocalypse; the singularity and wars that nearly brought about the downfall of transhumanity.
• Farcasting:Intrasolar communication utilizing classical communication technologies (radio, laser, etc.) and quantum teleportation.
• Farhauler:Long distance space shipper.
• Firewall:The secret cross-faction conspiracy that works to protect transhumanity from “existential threats” (risks to transhumanity’s continued existence).
• Flatlander:Someone born or used to living on a planet or moon with gravity.
• Flats:Baseline humans (not genetically modified). Also called norms.
• Flexbot:A shape-changing synthmorph also capable of joining together with other flexbots in a modular fashion to create larger shapes.
• Forking:Copying an ego. Not all forks are full copies. AKA backups.
• FTL:Faster-Than-Light.
• Fury:A transhuman combat morph.
• Gatecrashers:Explorers who take their chances using a Pandora gate to go somewhere previously unexplored.
• Genehacker:Someone who manipulates genetic code to create genetic modifications or even new life.
• Ghost:A transhuman combat morph optimized for stealth and infiltration.
• Ghost-riding:The act of carrying an infomorph in a special implant module inside your head.
• Greeks:Trojan asteroids or moons that share the same orbit as a larger planet or moon, but are 60 degrees ahead in the orbit at the L4 Lagrange point. The term Greeks normally refers to the asteroids orbiting around Jupiter’s L4 point. See also “Trojans.”
• Habtech:A habitat technician.
• Heliopause:The point where pressure from the solar wind balances with the interstellar medium (about 100 AU out).
• Hibernoid:A transhuman modified for hibernation, for extensive travel in space.
• Iceteroid:An asteroid made from mostly ice rather than rock or metals.
• Iktomi:The name given to the mysterious alien race whose relics have been found beyond the Pandora Gates.
• Indentures:Indentured servants who have contracted their labor to a hypercorp or other authority, usually in exchange for a morph.
• Infolife:Artificial general intelligences and seed AIs.
• Infomorph:A digitized ego; a virtual body. Also known as datamorphs, uploads, backups.
• Infugee:“Infomorph refugee,” or someone who left everything behind on Earth during the Fall—even their own body.
• Isolates:Those who live in isolated communities far outside the system (in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud); aka outsters, fringers.
• Jamming:The act of “becoming” a teleoperated drone thanks to XP technology. Also sometimes applied to accesing the real-time XP feed from lifeloggers and others.
• Kuiper Belt:A region of space extending from Neptune’s orbit out to about 55 AU, lightly populated with asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets.
• Lagrange Point:One of five areas in respect to a small planetary body orbiting a larger one in which the gravitational forces of those two bodies are neutralized. Lagrange points are considered stable and ideal locations for habitats.
• Lifelog:A recording of one’s entire life experience, made possible due to near unlimited computer memory.
• Lost Generation:In an effort to repopulate post-Fall, a generation of children were reared using forced-growth methods. The results were disastrous: many died or went insane, and the rest were stigmatized.
• Main Belt:The main asteroid belt, a torus ring orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.
• Meme:A viral idea.
• Mentons:Transhumans optimized for mental and cognitive ability.
• Mercurials:The non-human sentient elements of the transhuman “family,” including AGIs and uplifted animals.
• Mesh:The omnipresent wireless mesh data network. Also used as a verb (to mesh) and adjective (meshed or unmeshed).
• Mesh ID:The unique signature attached to one’s mesh activity.
• Microgravity:Zero-g or near weightless environments.
• Mist:The clouds of AR data that sometimes fog up your perception/displays.
• Morph:A physical body. Aka suit, jacket, sleeve, shell, form.
• Muse:Personal AI helper programs.
• Nanobot:A nano-scale machine.
• Nano-ecology:Pro-tech ecological movement.
• Nanoswarm:A mass of tiny nanobots unleashed into an environment.
• Neo-Avians:Uplifted ravens and gray parrots.
• Neogenesis:The creation of new life forms via genetic manipulation and biotechnology.
• Neo-Hominids:Uplifted chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans.
• Neotenics:Transhumans modified to retain a child-like form.
• Novacrab:A pod created from genetically-engineered spider crab stock.
• Olympian:A transhuman biomorph modified for athleticism and endurance.
• O’Neill Cylinder:A soda-can shaped habitat, spun for gravity.
• Oort Cloud:The spherical “cloud” of comets that surrounds the solar system out to about one light-year from the sun.
• PAN:Personal area network. The network created when you slave all of your minor personal electronics to your ecto or mesh inserts.
• Pandora Gates:The wormhole gateways left behind by the TITANs.
• Pods:Mixed biological-synthetic morphs. Pod clones are force-grown and feature computer brains. Also known as bio-bots, skinjobs, replicants. From “pod people.”
• Posthuman:A human or transhuman individual or species that has been genetically or cognitively modified so extensively as to no longer be human (a step beyond transhuman). Aka parahuman.
• Prometheans:A group of transhuman-friendly seed AIs that were created by the Lifeboat Project (precursors to the argonauts) years before the TITANs became self-aware and that (mostly) avoided Exsurgent infection. The Prometheans secretly back Firewall and work to defeat existential threats.
• Proxies:Members of the Firewall internal structure.
• Psi:Parapsychological powers acquired due to infection by the Watts-MacLeod strain of Exsurgent virus.
• Reaper:A warbot synthmorph.
• Reclaimers:A transhuman faction that seeks to lift the interdiction and reclaim Earth.
• Redneck:A rural Martian. See Barsoomian. Aka Reds.
• Re-instantiated:Refugees from Earth who escaped only as bodiless infomorphs, but who have since been resleeved.
• Resleeving:Changing bodies, or being downloaded into a new one. Also called remorphing, reincarnation, shifting, rebirthing.
• Rusters:Biomorphs optimized for life on Mars.
• Scorching:Hostile programs that can damage or affect cyberbrains.
• Scum:The nomadic faction of space punks/gypsies that travel from station to station in heavily-modified barges or swarms of ships. Notorious for being a roving black market.
• Seed A I:An AGI that is capable of recursive self-improvement, allowing it to reach god-like levels of intelligence.
• Sentinels:Agents of Firewall.
• Shell:A synthetic physical morph. Aka synthmorph.
• Simulmorph:The avatar you use in VR simulspace programs.
• Simulspace:Full-immersion virtual reality environments.
• Singularity:A point of rapid, exponential, and recursive technological progress, beyond which the future becomes impossible to predict. Often used to refer to the ascension of seed AI to god-like levels of intelligence.
• Singularity Seeker:People who pursue relics and evidence of the TITANs or other possible avenues to super-intelligence, either to learn more about it or to become part of a super-intelligence themselves.
• Skin:A biological physical morph. Aka meat, flesh.
• Skinning:Changing your perceived environment via augmented reality programming.
• Sleight:A psi power.
• Slitheroid:A snake-like robotic synthmorph.
• Smart Animals:Partially-uplifted animal species (including dogs, cats, rats, and pigs). Some other large smart animals (whales, elephants) are nearly extinct.
• Spime:Meshed, self-aware, location-aware devices.
• Splicers:Humans that are genetically modified to eliminate genetic diseases and some other traits. Also known as genefixed, cleangenes, tweaks.
• Swarmanoid:A synthetic morph composed from a swarm of tiny insect-sized robots.
• Sylphs: Transhuman biomorphs with exotic good looks.
• Synthmorph:Synthetic morphs. Robotic shells possessed by transhuman egos.
• Synths:A specific type of synthmorph. Synths are standard androids/gynoids; robots that are designed to look humanoid, though they are usually noticeably not human.
• Teleoperation:Remote control.
• Titanian:Someone from Titan, a moon of Saturn.
• TITANs:The human-created, recursively-improving, military seed AIs that underwent a hard-takeoff singularity and prompted the Fall. Original military designation was TITAN: Total Information Tactical Awareness Network.
• Torus:A donut-shaped habitat, spun for gravity.
• Transgenic:Containing genetic traits from other species.
• Transhuman:An extensively modified human.
• Trojans:Asteroids or moons that share the same orbit as a larger planet or moon, but follow about 60 degrees ahead or behind at the L4 and L5 Lagrange points. The term Trojans normally refers to the asteroids orbiting at Jupiter’s Lagrange points, but Mars, Saturn, Neptune, and other bodies also have Trojans. See also “Greeks.”
• Uplifting:Genetically transforming an animal species to sapience.
• Vacworker:Space laborer.
• Vapor:A failed mind emulation or crippled fork/infomorph (from vaporware).
• VPNs:Virtual private networks. Networks that operate within the mesh, usually encrypted for privacy/security.
• VR:Virtual Reality. Imposing an artificially-constructed hyper-real reality over one’s physical senses.
• X-Caster:Someone who transmits/sells XP recordings of their experiences.
• Xenomorph:Alien life form.
• Xer:As in “X-er”—someone who is addicted or obsessed with XP. Sometime used to refer to people making XP as well.
• XP:Experience Playback. Experiencing someone else’s sensory input (in real-time or recorded). Also called experia, sim, simsense, playback.
• X-Risk:Existential risk. Something that threatens the very existence of transhumanity.
• Zeroes:People without wireless mesh access. Common with some indentures.

A TIME OF ECLIPSEEdit

NOTE: This chapter provides a complete overview of the Eclipse Phase universe. It starts with a history, goes into detail on the setting, covers factions, and then wraps up with a system gazetteer.

A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF AN UNFORTUNATE UNIVERSEEdit

DETAILS:

NOTE: The followg is a transcript of a recovered audiofile recovered after the catastrophic decompression event on Walther-Pemborke Station. The audiofile is believed to have been created by Donovan Astrides and to be a summation of his unpublished workA People's History of an Unfortunate Universe.

[Sounds of scratching on the microphone, creaking of furniture, the noise of a woman clearing her throat]

What?

[Indistinct murmuring]

Fuck you. I do this how the fuck I want, though it was nice of you to put me in this nice young woman’s body.

[Sounds of hands running along fabric]

Does my vulgarity shock you, corporate lackey? No matter, I’m sure you can edit it out for your proles.

Now—you asked about my book? Is it a history book you ask? No. It is an anti-history book. I shall tell you about the future.

[Mumbling, questioning tone]

What does it hold? The future, you mean?

[Indistinct “Yes.”]

No. I don’t think you care about the future. What you really want to know is: will you get the future you want? And that is an easy question to answer. No. No, you will not get the future you want. Because you are stupid enough to ask this stupid question about the future.

[Silent pause]

I remember reading a scan of an old real print comic once. The character in it was railing against

the imaginary people of his imaginary world, taking them to task about their dissatisfaction with the future they lived in. But it was really aimed at the stupid people who wanted their stupid little futures and who were too stupid to see that the future is now. It’s always now. Except it isn’t anymore. The TITANs changed that. The future is now yesterday, and last week, and ten years ago. Especially ten years ago. But the future is also back on poor old Earth—it’s a legacy of where we’ve been and what has come before.

Do they teach you history on Venus, in your sealed compounds and resort aerostats? No, don’t open your mouth, I could really care less what they teach you. For it is most certainly lies. I’ve lived in the inner system. I know the rules and the deceits told in the name of civil order and “national security.”

Nations! Ha! Even at the onset of the 21st century, nations were starting to go into decline. It just took everyone a while to realize they were obsolete.

Do you remember the great nations of the world? Are you old enough to remember how they sat around and debated whether the major climate shifts they were creating were even real? Even when many of them agreed that something needed to be done, none of them stood up to do it. The leaders of the world carried on with business as usual, secure in their privilege, as droughts ravaged Africa and Central Asia, Europe froze, and severe weather wreaked havoc everywhere. People across the globe were feeling the pinch of starvation or rampant epidemics, but the leading nations were more concerned about the refugees pouring over their borders and polluting their lily white paradises with their customs and languages and willingness to work for a pittance just to survive.

The wars over oil and energy were only worsened by wars over the weather and water that followed. Unstable regimes rose and fell or were pushed over the edge, all in pursuit of precious liquids. The great nation states transformed into fortresses, steeled against the twin threats of the barbarians threatening them on the outside and the masses of their poor and dispossessed internally, all of them wanting to come in only for a little drink.

You know, I’ve actually heard some conservatives refer to that period as a golden age, a peak time for the corporations and the rich. It’s certainly true that it was a golden age for repression—and profits. If you were in that lucky fraction of a percent of the population who could afford it, it was certainly a good time, but for the majority of humanity it was a time of horrors. Global inequality was larger than ever before. Robots were taking jobs away from human hands.

This was a time of radicalization for many. Failing governments no longer supplied people’s basic needs. The globalized poor turned to local tribes, fundamentalist groups, political radicals, and criminal networks for the means to survive. Insurgent groups flourished, but they depended on the black market to survive, and soon their leaders were more concerned with making money than making change.

The nation states, as always, resorted to repression. Civil liberties were restricted and surveillance increased. Automated weapons systems were deployed first against guerrillas and terror cells, and then against agitators and demonstrators. I remember the first time I saw those police drones, at a demonstration in support of a worker’s strike in Long Beach. The drones ordered us to disperse once, only once, before they opened fire with their “nonlethal” weapons. Nonlethal my ass. Three people died that day and dozens were injured. The mainstream media ignored it even if the bloggers didn’t.

Meanwhile, the privileged elites continued to prosper. Longevity treatments expanded lifespans—for those who could afford it. Major crackdowns swept up off-brand pharma and bootleg procedures by pioneering biochemists, even while worldwide life expectancies dropped for the first time in decades. Why extend the lives of so many poor people, when expert systems as smart as any human could be built in a fraction of the time it would take to educate an actual person, and robotics and drone technologies allowed menial jobs to be turned over to uncomplaining and unpaid labor. And the rich had their high-price tag designer chimeric pets to keep them company anyway. Not all of the upper  classes were wallowing in opulence while the planet around them starved and drowned. A few were looking ahead at the changes on the horizon, scheming how to stake their claim. Some of these worked to expand their dominion, building a space elevator in sub-Saharan Africa and sending robotic probes out to map the solar system in detail. They even founded the first stations on Mars and Luna then, more than fifty years before the Fall.

The ecopocalypse wasn’t going away, however, no matter how much those in power tried to ignore it. Severe winters and droughts continued to pound at us. Rising ocean levels devastated coastlines worldwide with massive flooding. A few last-ditch efforts to undertake mega-scale geoengineering projects created as many problems as they fixed. These were viewed with cynicism anyway, as some were thinly-disguised test runs for terraforming techniques being prepared for off-world deployment.

It often seemed as though the eyes of the fortunate were no longer focused on the world around them, but rather on the heavens above them. The completion of the first space elevator and the first mass driver on our moon kicked off a new space race and the competition was on to stake claims around the solar system. All this new expansion was powered by the first mass-produced efficient fusion power plants and the establishment of Helium-3 mining enterprises.

Back on Earth, though, the hammer finally fell. Insurgents adopted fifth generation warfare techniques, sharing open source methods of resistance, utilizing swarming attacks on critical systempunkts. People crushed under years of oppression rose up in these opportunities and smashed at the state and corporate apparatus that had held them down. Nation after nation fell to insurgencies manned by those who had fought in thousands of little wars over fuel, ponds, and bread crusts.

Most states fought back by becoming more totalitarian and repressive, but the tide of rebellion spread off-world as a series of outposts and stations declared themselves in sympathy with their earthbound compatriots and announced a manifesto for a more humanistic approach to solar expansion. Even numerous scientists and engineers, who had previously worked as pawns in corporate expansions, adopted a technoprogressive stance. That’s how the argonauts were born, you know, taking their name from a previous group of scientists who advised the US government and Pentagon on science and policy called the Jasons. Faced with reprisals from their corporate masters, a number of argonauts defected from the hypercorps, in some cases taking key resources and research with them, while others went underground.

This is when the hypercorps really took off, though, those shark-like bastards. They let the nation-states and lumbering multinationals of old take the brunt of the global rage and assault. They took advantage of the chaos to slip free of the old moral and ethical restraints on human experimentation and from the legal purview of the nationalities that had birthed them. They embraced the opportunities of numerous new technologies and the drive into space. It was their research labs that cooked up the first sentient artificial intelligences, the first genegineered human clones, and the first true uplifts, chimps and dolphins brought into awareness as corporate experiments and slaves.

As the last of the old states became increasingly desperate to cling to their power and land, the hypercorps extended a helping hand. They offered debt bondage terms to those who were willing to sign over their rights and humanity for a trip off-world, to work as indentured servants on corporate colonies and stations. Hundreds of thousands took the offer as an alternative to the crushing poverty and chaos on Earth. The business of resource exploitation exploded across the solar system, as stations were established as far out as the Kuiper Belt. Voices that spoke of respecting biodiversity and natural ecologies were ignored as the hypercorps toiled to reshape various planets and moons to their will.

This was the state of things until about 20 years before the Fall. Though many of the old oppressor states had been struck down, new ones arose, and the various global insurgencies oscillated between making radical changes and falling into the same old tribal warfare traps. Reactionary religious and political forces on Earth also railed against the hypercorps’ agenda, resulting in some terrorist attacks and sabotage strikes, and culminating in a failed attempt to disable the space elevator by an Islamist suicide cell. The hypercorps were quick to retaliate, ordering an orbital bombardment using high-density objects against the headquarters and compounds of several key opposition leaders. Though effective in decapitating several terrorist networks, the mass destruction sparked outrage against the hypercorps, creating a deeper rift between Earth and off-world interests.

The hypercorps remained out of reach, however, though they were not completely immune from Earth’s troubles. The workers and colonists brought from Earth transported many of their ethnic, political, and socio-tribal grudges with them, leading to several outbreaks of violence in habitats and orbital stations. Some also harbored allegiances opposed to hypercorp interests, illustrated by isolated acts of preservationist sabotage and religious terrorist attacks. Various criminal networks also came along for the ride, expanding their black markets and vice trades wherever humans went.

As the hypercorps expanded, so too did their political opponents: the anarchists, socialists, argonauts and others who worked diligently to establish their own independent presence, mostly in the outer system, further from hypercorp reach. The hypercorps even contributed to this growth by sending their criminals and undesirable elements into exile beyond Mars.

Both sides invested heavily in research and new technologies. Advances in biotech, nanotech, AI, and cognitive science were now moving so rapidly that major breakthroughs were made on a yearly basis. Developments in one field created a recursive boost in the others, creating a feedback loop that spawned immense technological improvements. Off-world, genetic modifications were widely adopted, and new transhuman adaptations became a common sight. We even created new synthetic life forms that were part biological and part robotic. Despite some being so repulsed by this development that they dubbed these new types of beings “pod people,” it certainly didn’t stop pods from being rapidly absorbed into corporate workforces and brothels, nor did many people care enough to support claims that, as sapient beings, pods should have their own civil rights.

Two breakthroughs in this period deserve specific mention, not least because of their impact on our human—now transhuman—society. The development of the first nanotech assemblers signaled a  paradigm shift for economics. Available only to the upper strata of the hypercorps at first, these elites jealously guarded these machines, capable of building almost anything from the atoms up. They placed all sorts of restrictions on their usage and availability, claiming that the capability to construct drugs, weapons, or other restricted items was a security risk that required them to be strictly controlled. Open source advocates promptly set to work undermining blueprint controls and seeding their own open source designs, of course. Likewise, within months, criminals and anarchists liberated their own assemblers, and suddenly an economic conflict was born. Some were put to use feeding the black market trade, while others were used to establish habitats and colonies with post-scarcity economies that no longer relied on wealth, property, or greed.

At the same time came the ability to map the human brain and digitally emulate the mind and memories, making “uploading” possible—followed closely by the ability to download back into a separate human brain of course. The already long-lived hypercorp masters no longer had to fear death by accident or injury. This technology also made its way into the hands of others, despite the costs. Experimentation with other bodies—both biological and synthetic—became a new playground for culture. And let’s not forget those who willingly shook off the shackles of the flesh to experience the virtual life and dive deep into their own dreamscape realities.

While we all enjoyed our new toys, though, Earth, poor Earth, continued to die a slow death. I can still recall the speculation that it might take centuries for the Earth to totally slide into ecological devastation. It was frustrating, everywhere you turned it seemed that someone was lamenting the state of the motherworld, but no one wanted to do anything. It was too expensive, or too far away, or too dangerous. We all have blood on our hands from that time. We stood by and watched from our places in orbit as the world burned around our brothers and sisters. We thought we had time, we thought the world was slowly dying and that we could find the cure. We didn’t plan on the TITANs.

We all remember the Fall. It was only ten years ago, but I never cease to be amazed at how confused people’s memories are of that time. Part of that is propaganda perpetuated by people like you, of course, and part of it is that most of us are afraid to really look back and examine how we humans managed to fuck it up so badly.

We like to pretend that the TITANs exploded on the scene, wrecked up the place, and then disappeared as quickly as they appeared. The truth, as always, is more complex. We claim to know that the TITANs somehow evolved by accident from a military netwar system, or so the theory goes. That is what their name means: an acronym for Total Information Tactical Awareness Networks. No one knows for sure where these first seed AIs came from, though—or if they do, they’re keeping quiet. Perhaps the TITANs were intentionally designed to be a recursively improving, selfaware digital intelligence. Perhaps the military boffins thought they could keep such an intelligence under their control, and that it would give them the edge they needed. Perhaps there was only one at first, and it quickly created hundreds if not thousands of copies of itself. No one even seems to know how many of them there were.

According to the written history—vetted by the hypercorps natch—we now know that the TITANs took several days after they “woke up” to scan the world around them, to learn about us. In their initial stage they were relatively benign, leeching network power and resources only where there was enough to spare and extending their senses beyond their cradle on Earth. Perhaps they were absorbing everything they could to understand us. Perhaps they were indifferent. Or maybe they really were planning to destroy us, as the vids all say.

I remember this time. I remember that when this new round of conflicts re-ignited on Earth, there was no word of anything about seed AIs or TITANs. For months and months, it was a simple escalation of hostilities. It started with claims of netwar operations and major intrusions, sparking some alarm and retaliatory attacks. Aggressive stances led to incriminations, then border conflicts and raids, followed by missile strikes and outright hostilities. Old grudges and sleeping enemies suddenly awoke and turned their renewed wrath against old foes. Brush wars, corporate rivalries, and ideological disputes flared up as insurgencies and rebellions were suddenly everywhere. At the time, it seemed like a not-so-unusual spate of violence had taken a drastic turn and was rapidly spiraling out of control.

According to the party line, this was all a carefully concerted effort, the first stage in the TITANs plans. Perhaps it was, though I remember some military officials once claiming that the TITANs were brought

online because of this violence, and not before then—an opinion that was quickly silenced. Then again, maybe we really were played—played by greater intelligences who could barely be bothered to deal with us themselves when they knew we were more than willing to murder and annihilate each other.

When the first reports of strange automatic factories cranking out large numbers of robotic weapons systems broke, no one knew who to blame, but clearly something was wrong. This was a turning point, a chance for humanity to realize that we collectively faced a new enemy, but the finger-pointing and direct conflict continued. Even when the first open attacks by the TITANs came in earnest, crashing major systems, taking control of critical infrastructures, and wreaking havoc and destruction, we treated it as a new front in the war, and never stopped taking shots at each other.

There is still debate over whether we should have tried to talk to the TITANs, whether they would have been willing to listen to us, whether they even saw us as something more than we see rats and roaches and other forms of vermin. But it’s all academic. The fact is we didn’t. The people who made the decisions, the ones who had to put it all on the line at the time, saw the TITANs as a threat. And they acted accordingly, trying to purge them from their systems or capture them for future study.

The philosopher Thomas Hobbes once spoke of the war of all against all. Whatever he imagined could not have been anything close to the conflict ignited by the TITANs. We killed ourselves by the millions, wielding the nuclear fire and the silent death of bioplagues indiscriminately. Among this carnage walked the TITANs, taking control of our machines as though we were children, harvesting millions of minds with forced uploads for unknown purposes. Every strike we launched against the TITANs was met with untold disaster and ruin, all our artifice and devices turned against us in our moment of need.

The Fall was a horror. Factories sprang up like a blight in the most ravaged and deserted places on Earth, pumping out legions of dread war machines. Advanced nanoswarms—far beyond our own capabilities—infested everywhere, mutating to deal with any threat they encountered. Biological nanovirii ripped through human populations, inflicting irreversible neurological damage. Potent infowar worms penetrated even hardened systems, shredding our crucial networks with ease. Prisoner populations were rounded up for forced mind emulations, suffering a luckier fate than those who were merely decapitated by head-collecting drones or pierced by robots with neuro-scanning proboscises. Neuropathic virii turned some humans into pawns of the TITANs, turning them against the rest of us. Other reports spoke of strange, alien happenings and unimaginable terrors. We found ourselves fighting a rearguard action against coming extinction. The plot of a hundred novels and movies made manifest in our lifetimes, the doom of transhumanity at the hands of the machines.

For over a year they stalked and destroyed us. There seemed to be no hurry on their part to bring us to an end, and why would there have been? Nothing we did affected them. They were data and information, they were thought and impulse, they were everywhere and nowhere, and there was nothing we could do that they could not turn back against us. Their influence spread outward from Earth, with outbreaks in orbit, on Luna, Mars, and many other places. Everywhere we had a foothold, the TITANs followed.

Perhaps you remember that point when it became clear that transhumanity might not survive. I do. Millions must have seen the signs. And so the great diaspora began, the teeming masses doing whatever they could to flee Earth. Ships were diverted, even built, to help people escape. Those who could not buy their way off the planet did their best to send their digital backups, in the dim hope they could acquire a new body. Perhaps one in ten escaped.

You might hear that we banded together to stop the threat, that in our darkest hour we forgave ancient grudges and simmering hatreds in the face of extinction. That would be a lie in the face of the ten thousand shot down over Buenos Aires by North American forces as they sought to escape, or the compromising of network security on over two dozen habitats in Lagrange orbits by corporate competitors as their rivals strove to fight off a TITANs attack. We were just as gleeful to destroy ourselves.

Then, as quickly as they appeared, the TITANs vanished. Over the course of a week, the attacks and disturbances trailed off and then stopped but for an occasional outbreak. The retributions and attacks by our own kind continued for a few more months, but the damage we did to ourselves was nothing compared to what the TITANs had done.

In the aftermath, we stood among the smoking ruins of transhumanity and surveyed all that had been lost. Of all the billions that existed before the Fall, fewer than one in every eight survived, and of those fewer still retained a corporeal form. Nevertheless, the surviving habitats and stations were overcrowded, with tensions high. Vast numbers of infugees circulated in storage, as there were simply not enough bodies on hand to accommodate them all. Some were placed in permanent storage, where they remain forgotten. Others were shunted into virtual reality, given no choice but to live their lives in simulated environments. A lucky few were given the chance to work as indentured servants, often to build new habitats, working on the promise of a body of their own someday. You’ve no doubt seen them, working in cheap mass produced synthmorph bodies in menial or dangerous tasks kept out of sight of the rest of us.

Those left dead or bereft of a body were the least of our problems. Our war with the TITANs had left the Earth a smoking, irradiated, toxic wasteland, still populated by dangerous machines and plagues. The newly formed Planetary Consortium, composed of hypercorp interests among the Martian and Lunar colonies, placed Earth and the space around it under quarantine. The official reason is that it’s for safety reasons, allegedly to keep any remaining threats from escaping Earth’s confines. Or perhaps we could not stand to look at our homeworld in such a state and face what we had done to ourselves.

Even now, ten years later, we are told that the Earth is dangerous, that it holds risks and surprises. That’s partly true, I believe—there are surprises alright, but the Planetary Consortium wants them all for itself.

[Rustling noises, murmurs]

 Of course I’m talking about a Pandora Gate. The one the TITANs left behind on Saturn’s moon was just the first. You’re a fool if you think that there are only five in the entire system. I’d be willing to bet nearly anything that there’s one down there on dear old Earth.

Have you ever seen a Gate? No? Of course not. The hypercorps keep them locked down. Not like out in the wild, wild outer system. Sure, the Gatekeeper Corp lets anyone with a death wish and the minimum training take a jaunt through the original on Pandora, but if you’re lucky enough to come back, they own everything you find on the other side. I suppose it’s the chance for a certain type of adrenaline junkie “to boldly go” and all that nonsense.

The extrasolar colonies—now, those are an all new frontier. You inner system types are so predictable with your rush to colonize and expand and own everything, as if the universe is just there for your rich overlords to claim for themselves. I expect your extrasolar colonies are expanding quite nicely, given the sheer number of poor debt-conscripted souls you toss through. You probably have grand schemes of building galactic empires. Us. Transhumanity. A galactic civilization.

Well, galactic squatters at least. That was made clear when the solemn crossing guards of the cosmos showed up and issued us a warning that we were dabbling in Things What Ought Not To Have Been. Maybe the Factors are telling us the truth, maybe they are acting as ambassadors for a collection of spacefaring alien species that want to warn us away from Forbidden Technology— y'know, the technology we’ve already been burned by and of course have no plans to actually abandon. Think about the Two Commandments they have given us: thou shalt not create self-improving AI, and thou shalt not use the Pandora Gates. Oops. Do you think they know? About what happened with the TITANs? That even we don’t know where they went and that we’re kind of afraid to find out? Surely they know that we’ve been using the gates and have spread beyond our little backwater, and maybe that’s their real fear. But why do we even listen to what some highly-evolved slime mold tells us to do anyway?

Taking risks, that’s the price of progress, no? Let’s face it, we need some hope. We need a new Earth to replace the one we destroyed, a place where we can go and breed like rabbits and fuck it all up over and over again. We need to know that we can expand beyond this solar system, because right now it’s feeling a little confining, like we could be easily trapped and wiped out if the TITANs ever return. We need to know that we have a future. We need to know that we can make it through our own efforts. That we won’t do ourselves in on our own.

The Lost proved that. It was a noble objective, to speed a new generation of children to adulthood, but the process was flawed. Taking force-grown clones, raising them in VR, and then dumping them into adult bodies after they’ve only been alive for a few years of objective time—but over eighteen years of their subjective time? An entire childhood, having only each other and AIs for company. It’s enough to fuck anyone up. It was a grand experiment, but it failed, and now we have another reminder of our failures living among us.

That’s us, in all our glory. Ten years after the Fall and we remain a broken, squabbling mess, jailed by slime molds, beaten by uppity software, and yet our own worst enemies. Spreading out from a home we don’t even have any more. Our numbers reduced and dwindling further with each passing day. Who will save us? We don’t even want to save ourselves most of the time. Or so it seems. But if we don’t, there’s no future. And I, for one, have not lived this fucking long to give up now. You, me, we’re effectively immortal. The entire galaxy is waiting out there for us. We’d be stupid not to go see it.

End Transcript

ECLIPSE PHASE TIMELINE

NOTE: All dates are given in reference to the Fall. BF = Before the Fall. AF = After the Fall. (e.g., BF 10 = 10 years before the Fall.)

BF 60+

• Crisis grips the globe in the form of drastic climate changes, energy shortages, and geopolitical instability.
• Initial space expansion creates stations at the Lagrange Points, Luna, and Mars, with robotic exploration of the entire system.
• Construction begins on a space elevator.
• Medical advances improve health and organ repair. The rich pursue gene-fixing and transgenic pets.
• Computer intelligence capabilities equal and exceed that of the human brain. True AI not yet developed.
• Robotics become widespread and start to replace/invalidate many jobs.
• Modern nations expand their high-speed wireless networks.

BF 60–40

• Efforts to undertake megascale geoengineering on Earth cause as many problems as they fix.
• Major colonies established on the Moon and Mars; outposts established near Mercury, Venus, and the Belt. Explorers reach Pluto.
• First space elevator on Earth finished. Two others in progress. Space traffic booms.
• Mass driver built on the Moon.
• Terraforming of Mars begins.
• Fusion power developed and working plants established.
• Genetic enhancements, gene therapies (for longevity), and cybernetic implants become available to the wealthy and powerful.
• First non-autonomous AIs are secretly developed and quickly put to use in research and netwar.
• Experience playback (XP) technology developed and put into public use.

BF 40–20

• Violence and destabilization wrack the Earth; some conflicts spread into space.
• Argonauts split from hypercorps, taking resources to autonomist habitats.
• Space expansion opens up legal/ethical loopholes for tech development and allows for increased direct human experimentation.
• Human cloning becomes possible and available in some areas.
• Development of first transhuman species.
• First dolphins and chimpanzees uplifted to sapience.
• Fusion-drive spacecraft enter common usage.
• Extended colonization and terraforming of Mars continues. Belt and Titan colonized. Stations established throughout the system.
• The starving masses volunteer themselves for indentured servitude on hypercorp space projects.
• Augmented reality becomes widespread.
• Most networks transformed into self-repairing mesh networks.
• Personal AI aides become widespread.

BF 20–0

• Earth continues to suffer, but the pace of technology allows for some interesting developments.
• Expansion throughout the system, even into the Kuiper Belt.
• Transhuman species become widespread.
• Nanotech assemblers become available, but are strictly controlled and jealously guarded by the elite and powerful.
• Uploading and the digital emulation of memory and consciousness made possible.
• More species (gorillas, orangutans, octopi, ravens, parrots) uplifted to sapience.
• Pods see common usage, amid some controversy.

The Fall

• The TITANs evolve from a high-level distributed netwar experiment into self-improving seed AIs. For the first few days, their existence is unsuspected. They advance their awareness, knowledge, and power exponentially, infiltrating the mesh both on Earth and around the system.
• Large-scale netwar incursions break out between rival states on Earth, sparking numerous conflicts. These attacks are later blamed on the TITANs.
• Simmering tensions on Earth escalate into outright hostilities and warfare.
• Massive netwar breaks out and major systems crash as TITANs begin open attacks, also using autonomous war machines.
• Conflict quickly spirals out of control. The use of nuclear, biological, chemical, digital, and nanotech weapons reported by all sides.
• TITANs engage in mass forced uploading of human minds.
• TITAN attacks expand to other parts of solar system, heaviest on the Moon and Mars. Numerous habitats also fall.
• TITANs suddenly disappear from system, taking millions of uploaded minds with them.
• The Earth is left a devastated wasteland, a patchwork of radiation hotspots, sterile zones, nanoswarm clouds, roaming war machines, and other unknown and hidden things among the ruins.

AF 0–10

• A wormhole gateway is discovered on Saturn’s moon Pandora, left by the TITANs. Four others are later found (in the Vulcanoids, on Mars, on Uranus, and in the Kuiper Belt); these are collectively referred to as “Pandora Gates.”
• Expeditions are sent to extrasolar worlds via the Pandora Gates. Numerous exoplanet colonies established.
• First contact with the aliens known as the Factors shocks the system. Claiming to act as ambassadors for other alien civilizations, they provide little information about life outside the solar system and warn transhumans away from both seed AI and the Pandora Gates.
• An attempt to raise a generation of children using force-grown clones and time-accelerated VR fails miserably when most of the children die or go insane. Dubbed the Lost Generation, the survivors are viewed with repugnance and pity.

AF 10

• Present day.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM AFTER THE FALL

NOTE: Before the Fall, the solar system had a population of approximately eight billion, with all but five million of these people living on Earth. The Fall wiped out almost ninety-five percent of transhumanity, and today the population of the solar system is slightly less than half a billion, with almost all of these transhumans living off the Earth. The lifestyles of these people were almost unimaginable thirty years earlier—the vast majority are immortals living in sealed habitats on hostile alien planets or in sealed space colonies, the largest of which hold more than a million inhabitants and are many kilometers long.

In this vastly changed setting with its vastly changed inhabitants, the core concerns of humanity remain much the same. People seek both material abundance and social status, and they wrap themselves in various public and private ceremonies. Like generations of humans before them, transhumans separate themselves into different cultures and subcultures, all of which enjoy a wide variety of physical and virtual entertainments. Politics and economics remain vitally important and as always, those who are wealthy, powerful, and famous have a large degree of control over the lives of those who are poor, relatively powerless, and unknown.

TRANSHUMANITYEdit

NOTE: Humanity as a concept has been replaced withtranshumanity. Most people now alive left Earth as

infomorphs and were subsequently resleeved into new morphs. Bodies are things that can be modified and replaced, much as someone can alter or exchange a suit of clothing. Identity is centered in the  mind, which can exist as a disembodied infomorph living in virtual worlds or dwelling in a vast array of strange and exotic morphs. While there are bioconservatives who resist these many changes to identity and physicality, they are very much in the minority.

To most people, transhumanity has also been expanded in scope to factor in non-human persons such

as AGIs and uplifts, though the rights and status of these sentients is sometimes contested. As transhumans continue to absorb the ramifications of this new way of life, they face a new crop of problems and issues. Two of the largest and most important are the increase in inequality and the splintering and separation of transhumanity into many different clades.

INEQUALITY

NOTE: The technologies first developed in the decade before the Fall and refined in the decade after its end have transformed humanity. In all but the most backwards, impoverished, and repressive regions of the solar system, the vast majority of humanity is smarter, healthier, and richer than any humans

have ever been. Additionally, individuals can improve their minds and their bodies in almost any fashion their imaginations can dream up. Those who can afford the right augmentations can think faster, never forget anything they have ever learned, become mathematical savants, and heal from injuries many times faster than an unmodified human. When resleeving is combined with implants, transhumans can gain even more amazing capabilities—but  these benefits are far from free.

During the first decade after the Fall, most of the surviving population was relatively poor. Many were grateful to have any morph at all. While the economic situation has improved, significant

inequalities remain and seem unlikely to change. Hundreds of millions of people must make do with very basic splicers (p. 139), worker pods (p. 142), cases (p. 143), or synths (p. 143), while a few million are wealthy enough to have custom-designed morphs created for them, complete with

all the augmentations they desire. These same members of the elite live in luxurious villas and mansions, and in a few cases privately-owned asteroids, while most other people must make do with

a few hundred cubic meters of dwelling space. However, while inequities of living space are ancient, the issue of economic inequality producing inequities of physical and mental capacities is both relatively new and considerably more problematic.

In regions using the old and transitional economies (see p. 61), differences between the rich and the poor are expressed in terms of money. In habitats using the new economy (p. 62), wealth is meaningless and status and opportunity are denoted with reputation scores. In all three economies, some people have more than others, and because of this, technology allows the better off to be better than the people around them. Skillware lets people buy knowledge and expertise, while multi-tasking and mental speed implants allow individuals to get more done at once. Someone fortunate

enough to acquire large numbers of such augmentations is capable of significantly more than someone who lacks them, and so can do even more to increase their money or rep, thus serving to further perpetuate inequality. This problem is less serious in the reputation-based economies of the outer system, however, as it significantly easier to build reputation through hard work and dedication, as opposed to the rigidly-controlled monetary economies of the inner system and the Jovian Republic, where class stratification is institutionalized and upward mobility is largely a myth.

As many supporters of the status quo are fond of pointing out, even the “havenots” are smarter and healthier than any previous generation of humans and carry as much potential immortality as the wealthiest member of the elite. It is equally true, however, that in many ways the divisions between rich and the poor are significantly greater than they have ever been, especially in the inner system. In the past, the members of the elite might be somewhat healthier and better fed than the have-nots, but both rich and poor still lived in relatively similar and fundamentally human bodies. Now, the

very nature of humanity has been called into question. The least fortunate can be forced to inhabit bodies designed specifically for the pleasure of those wealthier than them or even denied any body and forced to live as infomorphs until they can find some way to acquire a new morph—typically by selling their services to the highest bidder. Meanwhile, the well-off can customize their bodies and their minds, enabling them to accomplish far more and to be considerably more impressive and charismatic than anyone lacking their advantages. These inequalities may seem insurmountable, but some anarchistic groups and even some entire habitats have dedicated themselves to reducing inequities by producing low cost (and occasionally highly unreliable) versions of many of the more impressive morphs and augmentations.

CLADES AND SEPARATION

NOTE: In many habitats, hyper-augmented elites rule a mass of humanity that is stuck using low-end morphs and minimal augmentations, or even infomorphs living in rented morphs, but this is not the only option found in the solar system. Transhumanity has splintered into a wide variety of subcultures, some of which are based upon an individual’s choice of morph. Some of this separation is due to the necessity of inhabiting difficult environments. From aquanauts living in Europa’s aquatic environment or rusters on Mars to the fact that zero-g habitats are relatively inexpensive and are best inhabited by microgravity-adapted morphs like bouncers, many unusual environments require those living in them to choose from a very limited range of morphs. Sometimes, though, this separation is ideological in nature, such as the rise of groups like the ultimates (p. 82) or some of the separatist uplift communities that seek to define their own space separate from human cultures.

There are dozens of specialist morphs and an even greater number of habitats or other settlements that are inhabited largely or exclusively by individuals using a single type of morph or a limited number of specialist morphs. In the asteroid belt and in the rings and smaller moons of Saturn, there are more than one hundred habitats that do not rotate, with all portions in zero or near-zero gravity. The inhabitants typically use bouncer or novacrab morphs, along with a small number of synthetic morphs and other pods.

There is also a vast number of other habitats that are segregated in various other ways, including ones where all permanent residents are uplifts inhabiting one of the various transgenic morphs, like the octomorph or neo-avian morphs. Other habitats are only open to residents with various enhanced morphs like exalts or mentons. There are even habitats where all residents must inhabit morphs that are all clones of one another. In almost all of these habitats, residents are free to add whatever augmentations they wish to their morphs, but some habitats forbid residents from changing their morph’s external appearance, and individuals who violate this rule are forced to leave the habitat if they refuse to reverse these changes.

Some habitats do away with the necessity of both life support and gravity. In these locations, all residents are infomorphs who either inhabit their own synth bodies or, in a few very eccentric cases, where all of the inhabitants are infomorphs who spend most of their existence in the habitat’s central computers. When they need to interact with the physical world, these infomorphs are free to use one of the many synthmorphs that the habitat owns and that the residents share among themselves. Although considered quite eccentric to many and horrifying to bioconservatives, habitats inhabited solely by synthmorphs or infomorphs are among the least expensive to build and maintain and are a low-cost way for groups of infomorph refugees from Earth to gain independence. Because individuals who choose this way of life have often spent a decade or more as infomorphs, this option often seems both familiar and in many ways more comfortable than inhabiting a living morph. As Earth becomes more distant in transhumanity’s collective memory, its traditions and social norms hold less sway and people feel more free to create and use new bodies and new ways of life to go along with them.

FIRST CONTACT: THE FACTORS

NOTE: Ironically, the first contact between transhumanity and alien life was made by a group of isolates with no interest in the rest of transhumanity. A brinker doomsday cult habitat in the Neptunian Trojans, patiently waiting out the prophesized return of the TITANs, suffered a severe life support systems failure. Not expecting anyone to respond to their distress signals, they were simultaneously relieved and shocked to have an alien starship come to their aid.

Shortly after this event, three unknown ships of alien design simultaneously approached Mars, Luna, and Titan, logging on to local networks to announce their presence and peaceful intentions. Though their presence initially raised alarm and panic, their rescue of the brinkers and assurances of non-hostility allowed cooler heads to prevail. Coming just three years after the silent hostility of the TITANs, the new aliens were pleasantly non-threatening.

Quickly dubbed “Factors,” both because of their claims to act as ambassadors for an assortment of alien civilizations and because of their interesting biology, initial communications between species were confusing and jumbled. The Factors made a number of veiled warnings and expressed concern over certain technological developments, particularly unrestrained artificial intelligence. They have refused entirely to deal with digital entities and broken off negotiations with anyone currently engaged in AGI development or utilizing the Pandora Gates. The Factors have implied that they were aware of and watching humanity for some time, but chose to wait to make contact … implying some implicit fear of the singularity.

Dealing with multiple factions, the primary relationship between the Factors to transhumanity is a commercial one. Though they are often dismissive of transhumanity’s technological achievements, they are interested in our scientific development and breakthroughs, particularly in the biosciences, as well as our art, history, and culture. They remain tight-lipped about their own civilization and other xenomorphs, though they have on occasion traded alien artifacts of unusual design and peculiar function. It is widely assumed that these are simply trinkets of limited value and that the Factors are careful not to share anything of true worth to transhumanity, particularly anything that might drastically affect our growth.

Biologically, the Factors appear to be some sort of evolved slime mold colony. As far as is known, they communicate purely by chemical signals and receptors, requiring any interactions with transhumanity to be computer mediated. Several different types of Factors have been sighted, implying that they engage in heavy biological modification.

Factor starcraft appear to be lighthuggers capable of near-light speeds. Due to the frequency of their visitations to the solar system (2–3 times a year), however, it is speculated that they either have a nearby base, or that they possess the capabilities for faster-than-light travel—or possibly they have Pandora Gates of their own.

Given the wide dissimilarities in psychology between transhuman species and the Factors it would be presumptuous to speculate concerning their true feelings and agenda towards transhumanity. It is hoped, however, that by continuing negotiations with them, transhumanity may learn more about the nature of the galaxy—and possibly even our own history.

CULTURE AND SOCIETYEdit

NOTE: The Fall and its aftermath continues to be a major influence on transhuman culture and society. Prior to the start of the evacuation, more than ninety-nine percent of the people who survived the Fall had never been off Earth. For them, space was a distant realm where other, more daring and adventurous people lived, a place Earth dwellers only saw on videos. Earth  was their home. Then, in the course of a few short

years, hundreds of millions of people were forced to leave Earth. The fortunate few first evacuees left with no more than a dozen kilograms of possessions, while the vast majority were infomorph refugees who left Earth with nothing, not even their bodies.

Today, transhumanity is divided into three groups. The first group contains the true veterans of space life, the less-than-one-percent of humanity that was already living in space before the Fall. The second group is the ten percent of the population that was either born after the Fall or is too young to remember living on Earth. The remaining eighty-nine percent of the current population of the solar system lived generally happy and prosperous lives on Earth before the Fall forced them to flee for their lives. These refugees  from Earth form a powerful social force, but as time goes on memories of Earth grow dim, and people adapt to their new homes and lives.

THE LONGING FOR EARTH

NOTE: Most of transhumanity, especially those who were forced to flee from the dying Earth, still mourn their former home. Their longing for and nostalgia of Earth has profoundly affected transhuman culture. Artifacts from Earth, including ones as trivial as coins or bits of dried vegetation, are considered to be treasured mementos that have great economic and emotional value.

The interdiction of Earth makes acquiring such artifacts quite difficult and dangerous. As a result, the trade in Earth artifacts is a lucrative portion of the black market, enough so that fearless scavengers are willing to risk being shot down by a patrolling killsat just to get to Earth, where they also face death from numerous lingering dangers. The mesh is peppered with stories of daring explorers who traveled to Earth to retrieve all manner of priceless relics, as well as an equal number of stories about explorers who died or simply vanished on such expeditions. More than one team of gatecrashers has funded their expedition through a preliminary relic-hunting expedition to Earth, whihc serves to test their mettle while they work to raise funds.

Nostalgia for Earth also affects the way transhumanity has redesigned itself. In the decade prior to the Fall, humanity had begun to freely alter itself, with both radical body modification and the first commercial resleeving resulting in a growing number of obviously non-human morphs. The vast majority of current morphs, however, are relatively human in appearance (if not in internal structure). Even for people too young to remember the Fall, asserting individual humanity is an important part of post- Fall culture. Some people keep a resemblance to the traditional human form as a remembrance of Earth, while others do it to celebrate humanity’s victory over the monstrous and inhuman TITANs that attempted to destroy them. With the exception of a few eccentric groups like the ultimates, the majority of humanity values looking human and preserving human traditions and institutions. Also, even the ultimates’ current version of their remade morph is considerably more human looking than the versions their predecessors designed before the Fall. As a result, while synthmorphs are relatively common, most are made to look humanoid. There are a few radically inhuman morphslike the novacrab, the arachnoid, and the flexbot, but they are almost exclusively used for highly specialized purposes. Until recently, anyone who used one as their primary morph was considered deeply eccentric (or worse), but attitudes have gradually begun to soften, and these morphs are gradually becoming more acceptable for regular use.

This mixture of reverence and nostalgia for Earth sometimes has a darker side. Individuals who choose to have morphs that look visibly non-human experience a mild degree of prejudice in many habitats, and militant bioconservatives denounce those who look sufficiently non-human as being covert allies of the TITANs. Uplifted animals also face significant discrimination from many humans. These prejudices are relatively common in the inner system and can be quite extreme among bioconservatives. As a result,  uplifts and individuals who prefer inhuman-looking morphs often live in separatist communities in the outer system. In much of the inner system, uplifts and individuals using a visibly non-human morph as their primary or only morph are viewed with suspicion and occasionally treated as second-class citizens. While most habitats have laws mandating morphological freedom and many also have laws making prejudice based on morphological choice illegal, these attitudes remain quite resilient.

NOSTALGIA JEWELRY

NOTE: As both a reminder and a visible marker of their lost homeland, a significant number of refugees from Earth wear jewelry containing a coin or, more rarely, an old stamp from transhumanity’s former home. Popularly known as nostalgia jewelry, most of these items are made into pendants or lapel pins, but a few are rings. Before the Fall, coins and stamps were largely curiosities primarily of interest to collectors, having fallen out of use forty years BF. Already scarce, few were saved during the Fall as carrying such useless mass off Earth during the evacuation was discouraged or forbidden. A few extensive collections already existed off-world, however. Even so, less than a million authentic samples survived, meaning the vast majority of people wearing such items make do with exact copies made in cornucopia machines. Actual coins or stamps are very expensive, meaning that some daring scavengers are willing to risk the interdiction of Earth for the express purpose of salvaging relics.

FEAR AND PARANOIA

NOTE: The Fall left behind a persistent legacy of fear. This has faded over the past decade, but a great many humans still unconsciously expect the other shoe to drop and the TITANs to return at any moment. Others worry that their agents are already among them, preparing for the complete destruction of humanity. The arrival of the Factors caused widespread panic, and even today a substantial minority of people assumes they are cat’s paws for the TITANs—or possibly their creations.

There are a few (often insane or deeply eccentric) people who worship the TITANs or otherwise support their agenda (including self-described “singularity seekers” who hope to find and be uploaded by the TITANs to join their ascension to super-intelligence), but all of them must keep their beliefs carefully hidden.Even now, expressing any support for the TITANs or advocating the creation of self-improving seed AIs

is illegal in most habitats. Anyone who does so runs the risk of becoming the target of mob violence that the authorities are unlikely to investigate too closely. Merely being suspected of being a supporter of the

TITANs, or worse, someone who has been secretly infected by them and is now their agent, is enough to get someone shunned or even killed. While such incidents are now far rarer than they were in the first

few years after the Fall, people who act too eccentric and who lack someone with a sufficiently high rep to defend them or explain their actions are occasionally killed, typically by being thrown out an airlock. Those  responsible for these “spacings” are dealt with quite harshly in most habitats, since in almost all cases later investigation reveals that the victim had no connection to the TITANs.

There are also periodic rumors in many habitats, especially small and isolated habitats, that one or more other habitats have been taken over by the TITANs, leading to a variety of inter-habitat problems. Such

rumors are usually resolved fairly quickly, but the most persistent can seriously harm relations between  habitats. Claims that other habitats are infested with or even controlled by agents of the TITANs are frequenly employed by extreme bioconservatives hoping to demonize radical habitats populated entirely by infomorphs or synthmorphs. As more people manage to put the fear and horror of the Fall behind them, such claims are less likely to be believed. Unfortunately, on very rare occasions, people are still infected by TITAN-created relics and actually become their unwilling agents. Since such incidents are rare, however, they have become easy to dismiss.

AN EXSURGENT THREAT?

NOTE: [Incoming Message. Source: Anonymous]

[Public Key Decryption Complete]

Ok, you asked, so I’ll tell you. There are some elements within Firewall that don’t buy into the TITANs-ran-amok-and- considered-us-a-threat idea, or even that the TITANs are solely responsible for the Fall. These people think that the TITANs found or encountered something when they started their takeoff toward the singularity—something that changed them. They point to the wide range of multi-vector virii that ran loose during the Fall, and how even many of the TITANs seem to have succumbed to these infections. They also reference a disturbing number of accounts of events during the Fall that are inexplicable … things like people being transformed into strange, alien creatures … or phenomena that seem to defy certain physical laws, as if something was at times ignoring what we know of physics and just doing whatever it felt like … Some of these voices within Firewall even think that the TITANs may not have been responsible for the Pandora Gates … They have a name for this mystery infection. They call it the Exsurgent virus.

REAL AND SOCIAL DISTANCE

NOTE: The vast distances between most habitats give all communications—with the exception of those using the rare and expensive QE communicators (p. 314)—a significant time lag between asking a question andreceiving an answer. In most cases, the time lag ranges from ten seconds to several hours, and it makes realtime communications between distant habitats difficult or impossible. Communication problems only serve to further isolate habitats from one another, and as a result people socialize primarily with members of their own habitat (or habitat cluster, if their habitat is part of one of the various groupings of between two and twenty habitats that abound throughout the solar system).

Within a habitat or habitat group, communication between residents is effectively instantaneous, thanks to the omnipresent wireless grid known as the mesh (p. 234). Anyone wearing a mid-range ecto (p. 325)

or using basic mesh inserts (p. 300) can communicate with others in ways that go far beyond mere voice contact. Both devices allow AR communications that are in most ways barely distinguishable from in-person

communication, so people can effectively spend in-person time with anyone in their habitat at any moment when both of them are free and interested in communicating. Unless someone deliberately wishes to turn off communication because they are sleeping or otherwise busy, people can always get in touch with one another. Many close friends and romantic partners regularly communicate anytime they have a spare moment, sharing comments and jokes. This communication is far more awkward and distant if there is a time lag of several minutes between every comment, so inter-habitat communication is never as informal or close.

Although travel via egocasting (tramsitting an ego to another habitat, where it is resleeved) is as easy, if not as cheap, as communication, a trip to another habitat is considered to be a significant journey with a range of costs. Individuals traveling to a different habitat will no longer be able to engage in real-time communication or shared real-time entertainments with people back on the habitat they left, so the traveler will have to find a new social environment. In addition to the trouble and expense of acquiring a new morph in the new habitat, the social distancebetween individuals and the social network they leave

behind is part of the cost of travel. Before the Fall, refugees from Earth were accustomed to being able to easily communicate with anyone else on Earth. Wealthier individuals could easily journey just about anywhere on the planet in a few hours while still being able to communicate with everyone back in their home city with no noticeable change. The exodus of transhumanity from Earth, though, means that an individual’s social world is only as large as their habitat. Even a relatively brief communication lag, such as the two to thirty seconds that is the average time lag between any two of the Jovian or Saturnian moons, greatly hinders the flow of back-and-forth communication. When time-lags are involved, most communication consists of messages rather than any attempt at continuous conversations. In situations where a more in-depth discussion is necessary and time is limited, someone can send a fork of themselves—a digital copy (p. 273)—to hold the discussion remotely on their behalf, and then return for reintegration. Since there is already a large time lag between sending a message and obtaining any possible response, most people do not hurry to answer messages from distant habitats except in the most urgent circumstances, further isolating people residing in distant portions of the solar system.

SOLARCHIVE SEARCH: SINGULARITY SEEKERS

NOTE: Singularity seekers are those with an unhealthy fascination in so-called singularity events, such as the hard takeoff of the TITANs to super-intelligence. Some are part of a radical sect of “exhumans” who believe that transhumans are destined to become godlike superbeings and are determined to get there first. Others act on a defensive impulse, believing that the only way humanity can survive another threat from beings like the TITANs is by becoming as hyperintelligent as their enemies are. Still other singularity seekers are researchers and spiritual seekers who are frustrated with the limitations of their own minds and seek to become something greater. Some of these people become gatecrashers, searching for advanced alien artifacts to help them in their quest. Others experiment with employing conventional technologies in new and exotic ways, such as creating mentally linked networks of forks or incorporating extra-fast and powerful computers into synthmorphs and pods.

A few of the most daring seek artifacts left behind by the TITANs, hoping to incorporate techniques and technologies created by these inhuman beings into their minds. This last group is the most notorious, in large part because of the spectacular nature of some of their failures. On occasion, these artifact hunters have awakened devices that have lain dormant for a decade and caused local outbreaks of TITAN technologies. These incidents have caused many people to regard singularity seekers as everything from potentially dangerous eccentrics to unknowing pawns of the TITANs.

THE RISE OF CULTURAL REGIONS

NOTE: The only exception to the social distance between different habitats occurs when colonies are located on or in relatively close orbit around the same planet or moon. The inhabitants of Mars can all communicate

with one another instantaneously, as can everyone on Luna or in Lunar orbit. However, the rivalry between the various Martian city-states—and between the primary hypercorp domes and the rural Martian poor—imposes its own social distance. Individuals from different city-states do socialize, but among the elite social cliques, spending too much time communicating with members of another city-state is viewed as somewhat odd and potentially even disloyal. As a result, Martians tend to be relatively isolated even from their close neighbors. Nevertheless, the short distances between the Martian city-states and the orbiting  habitats mean that there remains a general Martian culture that is different from the cultures of the rest of the solar system. Distance barriers have produced similar levels of cultural differentiation in other portions of the solar system.

The colonies in the vicinity of both Jupiter and Saturn each form a separate cultural unit, as do the colonies in Earth orbit and on and around Luna. The same is true for the Jovian Trojan and Greek asteroids. In each of these regions, people communicate and travel more between habitats and settlements than they do with outside regions. Social scientists refer to the different sections of the solar system as separate cultural regions. The different regions of the belt also each form a similar culturalregion, but because asteroids in different orbits eventually drift quite far apart, the cohesion and unity of these cultural units is somewhat weaker. Habitats on the edge of the solar system (around Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) form very small cultural regions, but the few habitats in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud have no cultural region since the distance between them is so extreme.

Though communications between habitats within the same cultural region is somewhat awkward due to intra-regional cultural differences and small timelags, it is usually fast and easy enough for people on different habitats to keep in regular contact with one another. In addition, most habitats within the same cultural region are sufficiently close that egocasting between them is affordable by most people. In contrast, egocasting between cultural regions is relatively expensive. Many social scientists predict that within one or two decades, different cultural regions will be at least as different from one another as distant nations of Earth were from one another during the first half of the 20th century—perhaps even more so due to the physical alterations that cultures introduce as they continue to evolve.

CULTURAL EXPERIMENTATION

NOTE: While nostalgia for Earth remains a powerful social motivation, the break from Earth led many inhabitants of the solar system to experiment with new forms of culture and society. Since the Fall destroyed physical links with the past and the defeat of the last old-Earth governments ended ideological ties with the old political and social forces, many transhumans saw themselves as living in a new, free era where the past was dead. Even people who always wear nostalgia jewelry and spend several hours a day in simulspaces set on old Earth are very interested in the possibility of social and political experimentation. Those without criticisms of Earth’s nation-states and their many failings still rue the day when Earth fell.

Many of the most extreme social experimenters moved to the numerous small outer system habitats that were created in the decade after the Fall, but people interested in social and cultural experimentation can be found throughout the solar system. In addition to playing with various interior structure and design ideas, the inhabitants of many stations experiment with all manner of unique social and political rules. A few habitats do so quite deliberately, either because the members are interested in social innovation or because researchers associated with a hypercorp or university have offered them goods or services in return for testing one of their latest theories. Such experiments have included establishing stations where all of the residents are sleeved in hermaphroditic morphs in order to measure the impact on customs and language when gender is abolished or spurring the residents of a particular station to freely switch their morphs based on the responsibilities and duties they have on a given day. Such staged experiments are however, relatively rare—the vast majority of unique customs and social structures that have come about since the Fall naturally evolved from groups of likeminded individuals living together in the same habitat and working, consciously or not, to make life better fit with their aesthetics or ideology.

GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND RELATIONSHIPS

NOTE: To many transhumans, gender has become an outdated social construct with no basis in biology. After all, it’s hard to give credence to gender roles when an ego can easily modify their sex, switch skins, or experience the lives of others via XP. Though most transhumans still adhere to the gender associated with their original biological sex, many others switch gender identities as soon as they reach adulthood or avidly pursue repeated transgender switching. Still others examine and adopt untraditional sex-gender identities such as neuters (believing a lack of sex allows greater focus in their pursuits) or dual gender (the best of both worlds). In many bioconservative habitats and cultures, however, more traditional gender roles persevere.

Sexuality has also expanded into new frontiers and taboos. With basic biomods providing contraception and protections from STDs, casual sex is the norm. Many people pursue careers as well-paid companions and escorts. In fact, sexual experimentation is standard thanks to several new technologies. Virtual reality allows sexual encounters without physically touching a partner, not to mention bringing all manner of

fantasies to life. For those that prefer the touch of real skin, AI-driven pleasure pods can fulfill any and all needs and are a legal form of prostitution in many habitats. Sex-switching also lends itself to new experiences, whether via bio-mods or a new sleeve. Even AGIs, having been socialized as humans, exhibit sexuality and desire.

The extension of lifespans and the decline of religion have drastically impacted social institutions like marriage. Given the possible changes to both cognition and biology over a transhuman’s lifetime, lifelong relationships are no longer considered realistic. The idea of long-term relationships as a social contract has grown exponentially. While this has resulted in a number of marriages that are political or like a business transaction, most people continue to view marriage as a bond of emotional attachment and trusts—in particular a bond that transcends bodies, as either partner may change morphs at any time.

The Diversity of Habitats

NOTE: The ability of a few thousand like-minded people of moderate means to acquire a small habitat where they can create their own society resembles the ability of inhabitants of the United States in the 19th century to set out for the West and found their own ideologically based communities. The primary difference is that creating such communities is faster and easier in the modern era. The mesh is filled with all manner of virtual communities where members hope to eventually gather the means to create their own habitats. In most cases, these are merely idle dreams; most participants are not willing to sacrifice the time and rep or money needed. Occasionally the members try, only to find out that some of the people promoting this effort are con artists. Occasionally virtual subcultures manage to raise the necessary dedication and trust to build their own habitat and begin the process of creating their own physical society. A decade of this sort of cultural experimentation by many hundreds of habitats has produced a number of unique and strange societies.

As an example, there are habitats where the inhabitants wear garments and AR images that cover their bodies—and, in the most extreme cases, their faces—and residents only reveal their morph’s true appearance to their closest friends and immediate family. There are also stations where all members use cosmetic modification to adopt the same ideal look, as well as ones where all residents use morphs that are clones of one another. Some of the most eccentric habitats are populated by extreme bioconservatives overcome with nostalgia for the past, leading them to model both their society and all visible technology

after some earlier period in history, typically some time between zero and 50 years BF.

There are even a few habitats that totally disregard commonly held feelings about forks and merging. Such community members regularly split off multiple forks when they awaken and plan their day and then merge the various forks when they go to sleep that night. Some forks remain infomorphs for the day, while others use one of the various morphs the individual owns or rents, which means that each resident typically lives between two and six separate lives every day. A few societies, like the home of the infamous Pax Familiae, go even further—all residents are forks of the same individual. In some of these solipsistic habitats, the forks are all expected to use cloned morphs, while in others each fork is considered a separate person who should go and forge their own unique life. Some of the less extreme manifestations of this type of habitat include places inhabited by families that are partially or entirely composed of forks of one of the members (the various forks tend to be treated as siblings).

TECHNOLOGYEdit

NOTE: Technology pervades all aspects of existence in Eclipse Phase. Most individuals understand that unless humanity suffers another event like the Fall or they personally suffer some very serious and unlikely accident,

they are unlikely to permanently die. More people are now planning for a very long future. For most people these schemes are fairly minimal, but they often include an awareness that few, if any, relationships are likely to last an entire lifetime. However, functional immortality is only one of the many wonders of the modern world.

LIVING WITH INFOTECH

NOTE: For anyone with basic mesh inserts (p. 300) or an ecto (meaning about ninety-six percent of the population), life is filled with data. For people with the best implants, all information available on the mesh is available at a thought. For everyone else, it only requires a brief pause to access and understand it. When someone pauses and looks a bit distracted in the midst of a conversation, everyone understands they are accessing data and lack the implants to allow them to do this subconsciously or via multi-tasking. As a result, when a group of people are discussing a topic and no one immediately knows an answer to a question, such as the title of a performer’s first vid, within a few seconds everyone has this information. Similarly, when someone walks through a garden, with a glance and perhaps a brief thought or small finger motion, they can call up detailed data on each and every species of plant that sits in front of them. Individuals going to remote areas that are out of normal mesh broadcasting range almost always either carry a farcaster-link with them or download truly vast amounts of data into their implants or ecto so they can continue to access all the data they might need. Since even a basic implant can hold vast amounts of data, lack of storage space is rarely an issue.

Access to such a vast amount of easily available information has resulted in a variety of cultural responses. Being able to quote from any vid, old movie, book, or historical speech is now trivially easy and can be done with a few seconds of thought. While children and young teens often play by interjecting large amounts of semi-appropriate famous quotes in their speech, most adults only do so for emphasis and in moderation. People who quote from other sources too often are considered dull and unimaginative. Recognizing such quotes is quite easy, since someone can simply set their muse to alert them to the nature and

identity of all lengthy quotes they hear.

All experienced mesh users also learn (typically as children and teens) how to avoid taking too much time out from conversations to check facts or access information via the mesh. Teens regularly mock their fellows who pause too often or too long in conversations to look up further information on a topic someone mentioned, or who spend too long trying to assemble facts to support an argument. Terms like “meshed out” or “drooler” are used by teens to mock each other into learning how to be both discreet and faster in their information searches, at least when also interacting with others. While adults rarely engage in the same sort of direct and obvious mockery, people who get too lost in casual or conversational meshbrowsing are widely viewed as socially inept. As a result, implants that allow multi-tasking or temporarily speed up thought are in great demand, since they allow individuals to do extensive research and rehearse each statement they are going to make without a moment’s pause. People who can afford such software almost always seem more suave, charismatic, and intelligent than those who do not.

All this means that those who lack all mesh and AR access—individuals known as zeroes—present a stark contrast to the rest of transhumanity. To most people, zeroes seem slow, forgetful, and almost unbelievably dense, while to zeroes, even people who only possess ectos or basic implants seems brilliant, witty, and able to comprehend things with almost inhuman speed.

OPENING PANDORA'S GATE

NOTE: The discovery of the first Pandora Gate on Saturn’s moon Pandora shortly after the Fall was a watershed moment in transhuman history. The prospects this discovery raised were simultaneously fascinating and terrifying. On one hand, technologies far beyond anything transhumanity was capable of were now in our hands. This raised visions of a horizon far beyond the horrors of the Fall, where transhumanity would

expand across the cosmos, visiting wonders that seemed perpetually far out of reach, even for nearimmortals. On the other hand, the possibility that these gates were relics of the TITANs could not be discounted. Their existence opened the possibility that the TITANs might one day return, or that transhumanity might still encounter them out in the galaxy at large. The alternative was even scarier—that the gate could be of extraterrestrial origin, and the things more dangerous and frightening than the TITANs might stalk the space between the stars. Various hypercorps, governments, and other factions threw their brightest minds into solving the mystery of these “wormholes.” Numerous scientific communities pooled resources—backed by private sector funds—and cracked the code of the Pandora Gate in just over a year. Not only was the gate activated, but it could be programmed to open connections to numerous distant star systems (one at a time). Though these controls were unreliable at best—connections sometimes closed without warning, and others could not be recalled though they had been opened before—the functionality was stable enough to use them in earnest. At the same time as their very public announcement concerning this seminal achievement, the Gatekeeper Corporation was formed overnight: a merger of those same scientific communities and their financiers.

Less than a year from its first operation, the hypercorp opened the gate to “gatecrashers:” explorers who risk their lives to see what lies beyond. Many of these died horribly; some were even lost forever, but a few made fantastic discoveries such as new worlds and new life. Though none of the (living) alien lifeforms encountered so far have been sapient, many of the worlds are habitable or within the possibilities of terraforming. Along with these wonders were found more disturbing things: evidence of a long-dead alien civilization (the Iktomi), and signs that the TITANs had passed these ways before.

Additional gates were soon discovered throughout the system. Unlike the spirit of cooperation that surrounded the first gate’s discovery, these others were seized as hotly contested resources. Initially used for

research and exploitation, many of these gates are now being tasked for colonization purposes. Dozens if not hundreds of exoplanet stations and colonies have been established, some with significant numbers. There has been no lack of poor or desperate individuals willing to risk life on an alien world, if it means an iota of improvement in their lives.

Though it is now widely accepted that the gates are the means by which the TITANs evacuated the solar system (a hypothesis which fails to answer why they did so), they appear timeless in their construction. Regardless of their origin, the gates remain one of the most prized and dangerous of technologies.

The five known Pandora Gates within the solar system, their locations, and their controlling entities, include:

• Vulcanoid Gate: Caldwell (Vulcanoids)—TerraGenesis
• Martian Gate: Ma’adim Vallis (Mars)—Pathfinder/Planetary Consortium
• Pandora Gate: Pandora (Saturn system)—Gatekeeper Corp.
• Fissure Gate: Uranus—Love and Rage Collective/Anarchists
• Discord Gate: Eris (Kuiper Belt)—Go-nin Group/Ultimates

GOING BEYOND THE KNOWN

NOTE: One of the oddest experiences for gatecrashers and others who explore unusual environments such as the ruins of Earth is the unavailability of data. They look at an alien plant or a TITAN-mutated person, and their search returns various error messages meaning that there is either no data at all on the subject or that the only data is purely speculative and should be regarded as dangerously unreliable. This can be especially troubling when the subject in question is a small creature that has just landed on the person’s shoulder and the individual wants to know if it’s harmless or deadly. Most people who are less than sixty years old have never been in an environment where they could not gain basic information about everything around them at a glance. Learning to overcome the shock of not knowing anything at all about something is one of the first and most crucial skills all gatecrashers must learn.

MUSES

NOTE: Most individuals have a dedicated AI that serves as their media agent. Commonly known as a muse, this AI has been a lifelong companion for most people less than seventy years old. Muses learn their owners’

tastes, habits, and preferences, and do their best to make life and technology use as easy as possible. Muses can be alarm clocks, data retrieval gophers, appointment schedulers, accountants, and many other

functions often limited only by their owners’ imaginations. Some of their tasks do not even need to be assigned them—muses are skilled at figuring out people’s needs and acting on them. For example, the muse’s

scheduling function may tell it when its user needs to be up in the morning, and it will act as an alarm clock without any additional instructions from the user. If a muse is uncertain about its owner’s preferences, it asks, but after working with a user for a few decades muses rarely need to do this. Most people keep multiple back-ups of their muse, because the loss of a muse can be almost as traumatic as the death of a loved one. Using a generic muse who must be informed about all aspects of a user’s individual preferences and fed a constant stream of instructions helps people appreciate the value of their own personal muse agent. Muses generally learn the basics of a new user’s preferences in a month or two, but during that learning period the user tends to be irritable and forgetful, since the tasks they generally trust their muse to do automatically are not being taken care of.

ATTITUDES TOWARDS AGIs

NOTE: The vast majority of transhumanity blames the Fall on rogue seed AIs (self-improving artificial intelligences). As a result, any AIs that are not crippled or somehow limited from improving themselves—including the AGIs (artificial general intelligences) that were common and growing in number before the Fall—are completely illegal in many habitats, or at least heavily regulated. The Fall ended only slightly more than a decade ago, and many transhumans consider AGIs and the TITANs that murdered their homeworld to be one and the same.

In addition to strict anti-AGI laws, there have been occasional riots and mass panics surrounding facilities still performing AGI research, which has pushed most such research into isolated settlements. Nevertheless, there are still people passionately devoted to AGIs; some see them as the next step in posthuman evolution, others value all sentience, and still others actually worship them. However, AGI supporters have learned to keep their opinions private in mixed company, lest they be branded an agent of the TITANs.

In some spots, mostly in the more anarchistic outer system, attitudes towards AGIs are more relaxed and AGIs may even be openly welcomed. These places recognize that AGIs are not the same threat posed by

seed AIs and it is unfair to punish one for the actions of the other. Naturally, these places are havens for the AGIs active in transhuman society, who otherwise must disguise their true natures.

In the tightly-controlled inner system, the hypercorps and the Planetary Consortium foster anti-AGI sentiments both as safety measures and as protection against possible competitors. This latter point is one of the things that makes them attractive to some people in the outer system; they understand the great advantages their factions gain … assuming, that is, that those AGIs share your goals and ideals.

ATTITUDES TOWARDS MENTAL ABERRATIONS

NOTE: In the post-Fall solar system, technology can alter people’s minds; controversy about many of these alterations remains. Few people have trouble with the idea of creating short-term forks using the multi-tasking

augmentation or some similar process that insures the forks will be re-integrated within a few hours. However, the idea of long-term forks, and especially of allowing forks to gain access to their own separate morphs, troubles many people. Since there are not enough morphs to go around in the first place, providing morphs to a fork strikes many people as selfish and wasteful. As a result, on the rare occasion that people sleeve one of their forks, they typically provide it with a synthmorph to avoid the social stigma associated with using more than one body at a time.

Forks that exist for more than a few hours inspire discomfort in many people because the forks begin to diverge slightly in personality. Most people find the idea of two different and distinct versions of themselves

to be somewhat disturbing. While there are habitats (mostly in the outer system) where forking is a regular part of daily life and forks often exist independently for a day or two, most visitors find such habitats distasteful and bizarre.

However, while voluntary forking is still regarded as somewhat odd, involuntary uses of this and the associated mental technologies are so horrifying that they form the basis of much lurid crime fiction. Someone being unknowingly mind-napped and having an involuntary—and often secret—fork created is something that people regard with abject terror, despite it being quite rare. Similarly, while mental surgery to correct psychiatric problems or as punishment for various serious crimes is frightening and disturbing in its own right, illegal brain hacking draws horror and disgust from almost everyone in the solar system. Penalties for involuntary forking and mind hacking are exceptionally high. In many habitats, they are among the few crimes punishable by death (including the destruction of all backups and forks).

TRAVEL

NOTE: Travel between habitats and other transhuman colonies is both exceedingly easy and fairly costly. Long-range egocasting is expensive, as is acquiring a morph at the destination. Travelers have developed various ways around this obstacle; for example, if someone only needs to visit another habitat for a few days and is visiting primarily to engage in real-time communication, they often choose to remain an infomorph for the duration of their visit and to communicate via AR, thus saving all resleeving expenses. For visitors who require a morph but will not be staying long, most habitats offer the option of renting a generic splicer or synthmorph or, for a slightly higher cost, a generic exalt morph. Habitats or worlds with unusual requirements, like Mars, Europa, or the various zero-g habitats offer ruster, aquanaut, or bouncer morphs instead of splicers. These morphs can be used for up to a week without much difficulty, and using one for up to a month is usually possible with sufficient negotiation and payment. Meanwhile, the traveler's previous morph is kept in medical stasis back in their home habitat, waiting for their ego to return.

Another technique is morph trading by people from different habitats who know each other and who are traveling at the same time. A few people do this with strangers they meet on the mesh, but vids and other

entertainments are filled with tales of people having their morphs or their identity stolen. A few of these horror stories are based on actual accounts. Very few people are willing to let anyone they do not know and trust use their body, and many people simply will not lend out their morph to anyone at all.

Some people, however, are willing, for a fee, to act as a living “taxi” for a visiting infomorph, carrying it around with them. In these cases the “ghostriding” infomorph is not permitted to control their host’s morph directly and is simply a passenger along for the ride, issuing directions and communicating with their transporters electronically.

Travelers who wish to either immigrate to a new habitat or visit one for several months or longer must acquire their own morph. Usually, they reduce the cost of acquiring a new morph by selling their previous morph to a body bank. Alternately, some individuals sleeved in expensive custom-designed morphs who are traveling relatively short distances will rent a generic shell for several weeks and arrange to have their old morph shipped to them on a fairly rapid freighter. Doing this is rarely more than a moderate expense, which makes it less expensive than the costs of buying or replacing high-end custom modified morphs.

PRIVACY

NOTE: Privacy is a prized possession for most inhabitants of the solar system, but it is so rare that for many people it might as well be a foreign concept. In the 20th and early 21st century, privacy consisted of two concepts that are now completely separate—the ability to remain unnoticed or anonymous and the ability to avoid unwanted intrusion. The first is largely absent from the lives of most people in the present day. Anyone who uploads anything to a non-private portion of the mesh understands that anyone who wishes to do so can gain access to it. Likewise, anyone who spends time in a public place understands that anyone can learn where they went, what they did, and what they said due to the ubiquity of meshed, sensor-enabled devices. As a result, everyone’s public life, both on the mesh and in person, can be transformed into an easily searchable database. Almost everyone keeps such a record of their own lives, commonly known as a lifelog. Most people allow their lifelogs to be public, understanding that anonymity is now an archaic concept.

While the interiors of private dwellings remain free from continuous surveillance, almost all habitats have emergency sensors in every building providing a full record of events to emergency service workers and AIs in case of problems such as dangerous chemical leak, a sufficiently large fire, an explosion, loss of air pressure, or some other equally dramatic and potentially dangerous event. Both the events of the Fall and the fact that almost all of humanity now lives in habitats surrounded by hostile environments mean that such sensors are standard fare. A few habitats do not allow emergency sensors in private dwellings, but most people regard these habitats as potential death traps. These emergency sensors do not record anything other than the absence of potential dangers if they are not triggered by specific events. This limitation allows individuals privacy within their own residences—as long as they are certain no one has planted a secret recording device in their home. Ultimately, remaining unobserved is a matter of both care and trust, and everyone understands that most of the time everything they do will be part of the vast public record.

In vivid contrast, the freedom to avoid unwanted intrusion is carefully prized by the inhabitants of the post-Fall era. Unwanted personal or data intrusion into someone’s private dwelling or personal electronic files is a crime in most habitats and a serious crime in many. Also, while both the mesh and augmented reality are filled with all manner of AI-mediated adware, most of it has evolved to be relatively benign and to provide non-intrusive suggestions about goods, information, and services that are likely to be of legitimate interest to the targeted person. An individual’s muse filters out unwanted advertising. While it is certainly possible to create advertising that can hack through any muse’s filters, doing so is usually illegal.

Unwanted AR intrusions are similarly limited. During the early days of AR technology, there were serious problems with users being overwhelmed with unrequested and distracting input—as many said, the mist got very thick indeed, so both law and custom changed to prevent such invasions. Today, most people  expect to only experience data that they are looking for or that they might be interested in, and that any data they are not interested in will quickly vanish. Being surrounded by a large amount of unwanted AR data is not just annoying and distracting, it is also deeply frightening, because it means that there is a serious problem with either the habitat’s mesh or the person’s electronics—it could even mean that the entire habitat is under direct attack by infowar weapons.

INCAPACITATING INPUTS

NOTE: During the Fall, the attacking TITANs used a variety of AR and online intrusions that interfered with or even incapacitated their targets. The most basic of these were deceptive AR illusions made to convince people that their physical environment was very different from what it actually was. This fooled people into attacking their fellows or simply instigated mass panic. More advanced versions targeted the empathic elements of AR, triggering fear or other emotional responses. Still others blasted their targets with overbearing sensory input, so strong that it bypassed filters and inflicted neurological damage.

Despite rumors and fears of so called “basilisk hacks”—visual or other sensory-input attacks that allegedly subverted transhuman minds by exploiting the way brains processed such data—no credible reports have

been verified.

LOW-TECH EXISTENCE

NOTE: More than ninety-five percent of humanity inhabits artificially created morphs. Most of them also possess basic implants, and the vast majority of the rest wear ectos with retina displays and other simple peripherals that allow the user to fully perceive and interact with the vast network of information around them. However, slightly less than four percent of the remaining population inhabit flats or splicer morphs without basic implants and also lack access to ectos and other basic technologies.

Since an ecto is both a relatively trivial expense and a piece of equipment vital to existence in the solar system, the only individuals who lack such technologies stand on the very lowest rungs of the social ladder. A few are the poorest members of the most marginal habitats, but most are slaves or the next best thing to them. The lowest social classes in the Jovian Republic lack personal infotech access and so do the lowest class of people indentured to the hypercorps and the Planetary Consortium, particularly on Luna and Mars. These individuals are either indentured criminals or people sufficiently lacking in useful skills that they are assigned mindless physical tasks that cannot be more efficiently performed by AIs.

The lack of mesh access makes these unfortunate “zeroes” into mental and social cripples, unable to perceive the vast wealth of AR that most people take for granted. They are also unable to communicate with anyone beyond the range of their voice or to access almost all information, including traffic signals and shop displays. When necessary, the managers and overseers in charge of groups of zeroes allow them access to handheld meshbrowsers. These devices resemble the handheld terminals common in the early 21st century and have limited functionality, typically forbidding communication and restricting mesh research to carefully filtered topics.

Because of their inability to access AR or the mesh, zeroes are almost completely isolated from everyone else, meaning they are also unable to organize effectively or to otherwise cause trouble for the people who control them. In much of the outer system, the existence of zeroes is considered one of the greatest crimes against transhumanity perpetrated by the Planetary Consortium and the Jovian Republic.

LIFE, DEATH, AND MORPHS

NOTE: While death is no longer a certainty for transhumanity, it remains a possibility. During the decade preceding the Fall, most of humanity was growing used to the idea that immortality was in their grasp. Then, in just a few short years, the TITANs wiped out more than ninety percent of us. Faced with the horror of so much needless death, efforts to insure the lives of surviving humans became a top priority. Now, the technology of immortality—uploading, cortical stacks, and other related wonders—is commonplace.

Today, most of the residents of the solar system have adjusted to this fact (except for the most extreme bioconservatives); everyone expects both to live forever and to have their friends, loved ones, and enemies do the same. While death is rare, though, it is still possible. Severe accidents can destroy someone’s cortical stack as well as their brain, and egos can also be wiped away in punishment for sufficiently heinous crimes—though the process of execution is considerably more difficult than it had been a few decades earlier.

For most people (with the exception of those too poor to afford a new morph), non-permanent death is an annoyance equivalent to events that most people in the late 20th century regarded as moderate misfortunes, like a bad stomach flu or a broken arm. In almost all habitats, if anyone is responsible for someone’s temporary death, either accidentally or on purpose, they are also responsible for paying for the person’s resleeving in an identical morph, especially if that person does not have some form of resleeving insurance. People who have temporarily died can expect to receive visits from everyone they are at all close to after their resleeving, as well as a host of e-cards and perhaps a few gifts from their acquaintances and colleagues, all expressing sympathy at their death and welcoming them back to the world of the physically embodied. Exchanging such “life gifts” is an accepted part of belonging to many professions such as emergency service workers, where members regularly risk temporary death.

 

Deliberately choosing to change morphs or to temporarily become an infomorph is treated differently. People typically spend at least a day or two between deciding to change morphs and actually doing so. During this time, it is considered polite for someone to inform everyone they know well or work with about their upcoming resleeving. Along with personal visits, as well as calls and e-cards detailing the time of the upcoming event, the person who is resleeving is expected to include an image of what their new morph will look like, so people they know will be able to easily recognize them. However, it is considered gauche for someone who is upgrading to a better morph to include details about their new morph. Within a few days of resleeving, a “resleeving party” is typically held to introduce everyone they know to their new morph. Depending upon how well-off, well-known, and social the individual is, these parties range from lavish affairs held in hotel ballrooms to small intimate gatherings in the person’s home.

Permanent death is treated very differently. Because it is both relatively rare and no longer expected, the old funerary rituals surrounding death have faded and new traditions have grown in their place. Since every death reminds many people of the billions who permanently died during the Fall, most of the few funerals that are held honor both the person who just died as well as the victims of the Fall.

ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA

NOTE: A substantial amount of media survives the Fall of Earth, and a significant number of modern transhumans make their living creating new songs, stories, reports, or other media. All of this is easily and swiftly accessible through any basic implant, ecto, or (on very rare occasions) archaic handheld terminal. However, most of this media is not to the taste of any particular individual, and vast amounts of it are mediocre. As a result, most humans keep two layers of evaluation between them and anything they might consider exposing themselves to.

The first layer is based on popularity and critical reviews. Every piece of media has a rating, often weighted by the opinions of critics with high rep scores who comment on their virtues and faults. Specialized AIs

also evaluate the responses of consumers, so individuals can use reviewers they trust or they can seek out media that is either widely or specifically popular in their particular demographic and subcultural niche.

The second filter layer is the individual’s muse. Muses learn their owner’s tastes and moods and automatically search out and recommend various sorts of media. Individuals can do everything from asking their muse to select something they will enjoy, to asking for a something that will challenge their opinions, to looking at all current events news that will be of interest to them. Muses use their understanding of their user’s preferences, mixed with ratings and reviews, to make their decisions. Individuals can even set their muses to edit all media so that they better fit with the person’s interests and preferences. In the most

extreme cases, this process can twist and edit news so that it bears no relation to real events. This same process is used to make the characters and dialog in novels and vids more appealing. More commonly, the muses merely edit out aspects of a news story or article in which the individual is not interested.

Ratings, reviews, and muses allow individuals to avoid media overload, but they also reinforce subcultural barriers. A great many people only seek out media and news that reinforces their existing opinions and beliefs. Xenophobic individuals who distrust all non-humans, from uplifted octopi to the Factors, regularly view news stories and AR dramas about evil aliens and devious uplifted animals who commit heinous crimes. Similarly, individuals who are only interested in their own habitat have all external news altered by their muses so that it refers only to the effects outside events will have on their station.

In a very real sense, individuals from radically different subcultures and demographics inhabit completely different worlds. The one force that works against this separation is the fact that many people wish to follow the lives and opinions of those with the highest reputation scores. In many cases, a large portion of these individual’s high rep scores comes from their interest in and willingness to interact with (or at least acknowledge) a wide variety of different sources of information. As a result, listening to opinions by a high-rep celebrity can expose people to information that they might never encounter otherwise. Also, in many habitats, AIs responsible for media distribution tag some news as being sufficiently important that it should be immune to filtering by muses. This tagging is a regular and expected occurrence in some habitats, while in others it is reserved for only the most important and potentially life-saving information. Bypassing muses for any less important reason in these stations is considered a gross invasion of privacy or even a crime.

LOST LORE

NOTE: The accumulated knowledge and media of Earth, spanning the history of human intelligence, is a vast and impressive amount. Even before the Fall, many orbital settlements had acquired complete records of all previous human lore and creativity, including copies of every book, painting, song, film, TV program, console game, newspaper, and magazine article that had ever been translated into digital format, as well as backups of Earth’s entire internet archives. Numerous destructive programs unleashed during the Fall corrupted much of this information, however, in some cases permanently wiping it from existence.

This means that what remains of Earth’s archived history and data is patchy and incomplete. Much survives, but some treasures have been lost. In particular, media from the era of the Fall itself is particularly hard to come by, given the consistent attacks the TITANs were making on information systems. Proprietary data that was withheld from the public domain behind electronic gates on Earth is even more likely to have been lost, except for a few hypercorps that managed to transfer their Earth-bound data off-world in time.

Retrieving lost data is a lucrative task for scavengers and archeologists, though looting the dangerous confines of Earth or derelict habitats destroyed during the Fall is a risky proposition.

METACELEBRITIES

NOTE: As the culture industry quickly discovered, biotech and resleeving technology clashed with the media’s ability to focus the spotlight on specific icons. When everyone can be bodysculpted, the beautiful people need to be more than glamorous faces. More to the point, the public’s interest in celebs faltered when famous people repeatedly changed their looks and were no longer immediately recognizable.

One of the ways big entertainment has responded is to promote metacelebrities—icons based on characters rather than real people. Each metacelebrity has their own (very expensive) unique customized morph, but the person sleeved within that morph often changes. The actress Angelique Stardust, for example, once existed as a real person, but is now a character who has been played by over a dozen people since the original rose to stardom in AF 3 and promptly sold off her celebrity character rights to Experia. Likewise, award-winning heart-breaker Juan Nguyen is a constructed persona based entirely on the action hero star who died and was lost during the Fall. Many metacelebrities are modeled on fictional characters; notorious bad girl Sun Mi Hee is no different offscreen than the ass-kicking villain role that brought her to fame, never traveling anywhere without her iconic pair of glowering smart leopards. Actors taking on a metacelebrity role often undergo psychosurgery to better play the part.

Metaceleb personas are strictly managed and marketed as a media product to appeal to specific consumer groups. Though they play an active role within hyperelite circles, many of the genuine glitterati view them with humor at best, disdain at worst—though some have learned the hard way not to underestimate or mess with the small armies of media engineers behind each metaceleb’s carefully crafted image.

POPULAR TYPES OF ENTERTAINMENTEdit

NOTE: The most popular forms of electronic entertainments are vids, vidgames, VR worlds, XP, and AR games.

VIDS AND VIDGAMES

NOTE: Vids are passive entertainments that can be enjoyed either as high-resolution audiovisual entertainment or as a fully immersive experience where the viewer can augment their experience with smell, touch, and taste while experiencing the point of view of one of the major characters. Viewing them purely via sight and sound is much like watching an old 20th-century film, except that it’s interactive and in 3D. In contrast, full sensory viewing is much like actually being present in the story.

Most modern vids have variable theme and preference settings enabling viewers to adjust the content of what they are watching, including the level of violence, the amount and type of sexuality they prefer, as well as the appearances of some or all of the major characters. In addition, many vids have several alternate endings for people who prefer happy, bittersweet, or grim endings. As a result, two people watching the same vid could have very different experiences if they use radically different settings.

Vidgames are like vids, except they are much more flexible. In vidgames, the viewer not only experiences the story with the protagonist—they become the protagonist, shaping the story through their own actions, similar to sophisticated early-21st-century console games. Some games allow the participation of up to a dozen individuals or link thousands of players via the mesh, while others are designed for a single player The degree of freedom in vidgames varies. Some are almost fully interactive realms similar to many VR worlds with all but a few characters controlled by AIs, while others are considerably simpler and more limited, with player interaction limited to a few crucial decisions. The precise dividing line between vids and vidgames is blurry, but both media have the common trait of being designed for either solitary use or for use by a ew players or viewers who are all located relatively near one another. Vids and vidgames are the most popular forms of entertainment, with vids and vidgames set on Earth before the Fall being especially prevalent.

XP

NOTE: Experience playback (XP) is a specialized type of vid that consists of the recorded sensory impressions of a single individual. Almost all of the inhabitants of the solar system lead relatively quiet and risk-averse lives and are naturally eager to be able to vividly experience adventures such as climbing Olympus Mons, spending a day in one of the most luxurious and exotic private habitats, going on a scavenging mission to Earth, or gatecrashing. There is also a thriving fringe market in less savory XPs, including records of people committing all manner of violent or dangerous crimes and XPs of actual gun battles between well-armed criminals and law enforcement personnel, which often end with the death of the morph providing the point of view.

Anyone with mesh inserts can create an XP of their past experiences, and anyone with an ecto or mesh inserts can access the sensory recordings. Selling a particularly exciting XP, such as a record of the first meeting with the Factors, can bring in a lot of money or rep. Most XPs consist of both sensory recordings and the surface thoughts of the individual who made them. Many people who access XPs are only interested in the sensory recordings and feel that having another person’s recorded thoughts and emotions in their head is intrusive and uncomfortable. However, some hardcore XP aficionados feel that accessing the full XP, including the recorded emotions, makes the experience more immersive and real.

A significant minority of XP fans becomes fascinated with one or two daring people who regularly sell XPs, known as X-casters, viewing all of their clips, including both the experiences and the accompanying thoughts. Some of these XP fans become more interested in the person who recorded the clip than in the individual experiences, and they often come to believe that they have a special, clear understanding of this person, to the point where they strongly identify with this person or even fall in love with them. In addition, individuals who access XPs from a single person often enough sometimes begin to mimic various habits or figures of speech of this person. Particularly popular X-casters are sometimes rather disturbed when they see tens of thousands of people imitating one of their more idiosyncratic expressions or habits.

A few serious fans—known as Xers (pronounced “ex-ers”)—alter their morphs to resemble their favorite X-caster. Some obsessive Xers actually attempt to contact and stalk certain X-casters, perhaps hoping to become part of an actual XP clip. In most habitats and subcultures, Xers are widely regarded as having particularly dull and meaningless lives. Hardcore Xers are often viewed as being insecure and potentially unstable.

AR GAMES

NOTE: Augmented reality (AR) games involve players interacting both with events in the physical world and with augmented reality imagery that recasts the people and objects the players see. For example, instead of seeing another player in a splicer morph and ordinary clothing, a player of an AR game might see a horrific rotting zombie, a bizarre alien life form, or a well-armed soldier. These games tend to be locally focused within a particular habitat or city as they allow players to interact when they are within physical proximity, but some games link habitats within the same cultural region.

The nature and intensity of these games varies widely. Some are long-term games involving people imagining that they are deep cover spies or some other exciting and unique role. Players may pretend to be anything from time travelers attempting to prevent some horrible disaster to covert agents attempting to uncover plots by TITAN-infected people on their habitat—who happen to be camouflaged as snack designers, personal assistants, etc. During their daily lives, players exchange messages with each other as well as with the people running and maintaining the game. Some of these long-term AR games have gone on for many years, with the oldest being almost twenty years old.

Short-term AR games, on the other hand, last between several hours and several days. The people running these games typically rent out a hotel or a park and various public buildings for the duration. These games are almost always highly dramatic and consist of everything from the players having to deal with a massive zombie attack or alien invasion to them participating in some simulation of an event on Earth, like the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution. While such AR games can be considerably less detailed than VR worlds or vidgames, many players value the “realism” of being physically present during the game.

Since participants in AR games take actions in the real world, including actions that could be disruptive or even dangerous, designers of AR games take great care to prevent problems. In some early AR games,

most of which took place more than twenty years before the Fall, players were occasionally seriously injured. A few unscrupulous AR game designers used their game as a cover for an actual robbery or act of terrorism that was abetted by unwitting players who thought their actions were simply part of a game. Since that time, law enforcement observation drones have kept careful track of people playing AR games. In almost all habitats, people running AR games must register their games with local law enforcement or face serious fines.

VR WORLDS

NOTE: Virtual reality (VR) worlds are entertainments that involve the creation of a large and highly immersive simulated environment—a simulspace—where many major characters are played by transhumans or other sentient beings. Unlike vids or vidgames, simulspaces are specifically designed for a large number of participants. VR worlds consist of everything from duplicates of various eras of Earth history to elaborate and strange fantasy worlds with magic, dragons, and similar wonders. All manner of alien worlds or settings based on oddities like time travel are also common. As is the case with vids, the most popular simulspaces are those set on Earth some time before the Fall.

VR worlds can have from dozens to tens of thousands of participants. For the best experience, many users prefer to access simulspaces through hardwired server connections as they offer better quality and less disruptions than accessing wirelessly via the mesh. Since people immersed in virtual reality are cut off from their bodies and often thrash around, most users ensconce their morphs in a tank or special couch for the duration. VR parlors typically offer private hardwired pods for participants to physically jack in. Many habitats also have hardwired systems used just for this purpose, so users can experience VR from the comfort of their own dwellings.

Due to distance and communication lags between habitats, even the most popular online simulspaces run each habitat as a separate realm, limiting interaction with users in other habitats/realms. The popularity of VR worlds like Gilded Empire, set in England in the 1880s, means that someone moving from one habitat or world to another could continue playing in the same game, albeit with a new set of players. One of the other unusual features of VR settings is that a large number of infomorphs, including many infomorph refugees, play these games. As a result, while even most novice players can learn to easily tell the difference between a character played by an AI and one played by an actual person, there is no way to know if the person playing a character has a physical body or not.

PHYSICAL ENTERTAINMENT

NOTE: In addition to a vast array of electronic and electronically-mediated entertainments, people also still enjoy a wide variety of physical sports, ranging from soccer to new sports like low-g air races, where the participants strap on wings and engage in tests of speed and acrobatics. In addition, the ability to both heal any injury in a healing vat and to remove a cortical stack from a dead or dying body and place it in a new morph has given rise to a new variety of extreme sports. Starting a decade before the Fall, various individuals began realizing that, barring unlikely circumstances, they could not die unless they wanted to. This set off a brief trend in extreme sports and even a few wealthy suicide hobbyists, who repeatedly killed off their current morph in a variety of unusual ways. The Fall and the permanent death of more than ninety percent of humanity greatly reduced the interest in playing with death for many years. Killing yourself just to experience death is considered at least mildly distasteful, and many believe such actions belittle the mass deaths of the Fall. Though interest in risking death in the line of entertainment has been growing, deliberate suicide remains an eccentric and dubiously regarded hobby.

In some subcultures, dueling has been a popular fad for almost a decade. Swords, knives, and pistols firing single-shot soft lead bullets are all popular choices, because none of these weapons poses any threat to a cortical stack and most do not instantly kill someone hit by them. However, there are other more exotic options, including aerial duels with microlights fitted with blades on their wings. On rare occasions, duels take place in space, with the participants wearing non-armored vacuum suits. Certain criminal groups make money with underground dueling circuits, pitting biomorphs against robots against uplifts. The seedier circuits engage in distasteful pit fights featuring illegally-acquired backups sleeved into non-sentient animals, often outfitted with lethal cybernetics. Such creatures are typically quite mad.

In addition, dangerous non-combative sports are also popular. The highest levels of competitive rock climbing on Mars are regularly done with no safety equipment. There are similar climbing competitions in many habitats using artificially constructed climbing walls as well as regular free-running competitions through almost every city and habitat. Also, there is an entire class of sports, including both diving and parachuting, where perfection of form is seen as a far more important goal than avoiding injury or even death. As a result, current high dive records for morphs not specially modified to survive high impacts are held by individuals who required either time in a healing vat or resleeving immediately after their successful breaking of a previous record.

POLITICS AND POWEREdit

NOTE: Politics is just as important in the colonies spread throughout the solar system as it was back on Earth, but it is also radically different. Each habitat or cluster of stations is a separate political entity, and many of these habitats are fiercely independent. The only locations where large political entities can exist are on the marginally habitable worlds of Mars and Titan, and the population of Titan is significantly smaller than that of many of the largest pre-Fall cities on Earth.

THE INNER SYSTEMEdit

NOTE: Though nations no longer exist, they have been replaced by new political-economic entities that may well have been on the road to dominance even if the Fall had not occurred: the hypercorps. While there are many independent habitats and settlements in the inner system, it is largely dominated by the hypercorps. To reduce conflict between themselves and promote the survival of transhumanity, some of the hypercorps have formed an alliance known as the Planetary Consortium. This alliance governs most of Mars and is in charge of the ongoing Martian terraforming project.

It also controls several dozen other habitats and many Lunar bases, mostly ones that are in some way involved with the massive Martian terraforming effort. Since Mars is home to more than forty percent of

the surviving transhuman population, most of the human population lives under the rule of the hypercorps or the Planetary Consortium. In the aftermath of the Fall, the hypercorps established three important goals: rebuilding the solar system, protecting themselves from any further attacks (either by the TITANs or any other threats), and growing in both wealth and power. By extension, the second goal means they also help protect the people living in the habitats and settlements against any repeat of the Fall. The hypercorps and the Planetary Consortium are exceedingly skilled at attaining all of these goals. Since popular rebellion and widespread dissent are not helpful in the least in attaining these goals, the hypercorps are also adept at making certain the inhabitants of the habitats and planetary settlements they control are safe, relatively content, and, ideally, unable to cause serious problems.

As the largest and most well organized entities in the solar system, the hypercorps, and especially the Planetary Consortium, are in an excellent position to protect the people living in their habitats and settlements. However, this protection comes at the price of freedom. Living in habitats that use transitional economies (p. 61), the inhabitants of hypercorp-controlled settlements are relatively well off and need not fear starvation or serious want. Also, the hypercorps strongly oppose bioconservatism, and so anyone who can afford various augmentations or morphs is free to obtain them, as long as none of these augmentations or morphs is equipped with weaponry that can be used to harm the habitat or large numbers of its inhabitants. In return for safety and relative prosperity, however, inhabitants give up any ability to voice more than token criticisms of the hypercorps of the Planetary Consortium.

THE POWER OF THE HYPERCORPS AND THE PLANETARY CONSORTIUM

NOTE: The hypercorps and associated Planetary Consortium are the only major non-local political entities in the solar system (with the possible exception of the Autonomist Alliance, which is more of a mutual aid pact than a unified political entity). All of the other political entities are based in a single specific location. The various hypercorps transcend location, however. They have offices and branches all over the solar system, serving the needs of people from Pluto to Mercury and all places in between. While most hypercorps have large manufacturing and processing installations on Mercury or Venus, making use of the abundant energy of the first and the complex chemistry of the second, much of the work performed by all of the hypercorps involves developing new technologies and new cornucopia machine templates, both of which can be done in any place that has meshbrowsing access.

In addition to bases on Mercury, Venus, and other equally resource-rich locations, all hypercorps maintain dedicated research and manufacturing stations scattered throughout the solar system. Well-known facilities include Starware’s vast shipyards, the largest of which are located on Luna and the asteroid Vesta, and Omnicor’s huge antimatter factory orbiting Mercury. There are many other lesser-known facilities, including the automated mines that the mysterious Zrbny Group maintains in the main asteroid belt and Saturn’s rings, and the qubit factory Nimbus maintains in Mars orbit.

In addition, there is an even larger number of secure and often secret research installations, some of which are so well hidden that they are normally only accessible via highly secure egocaster connections. All manner of mysterious and often highly dangerous research occurs in such locations, ranging from experiments with the relics of the TITANs to attempts to create self-replicating nanotechnology or artificial miniature black holes. Vids and vidgames are filled with stories both of exotic disasters in such research stations and of heroic thieves stealing amazing wonders from them. While the reality of secret corporate research bases is normally far more prosaic, sometimes wonders are created—and there have been occasional disasters, often involving TITAN relics.

Some corporate headquarters are similarly secure and secret, including the corporate headquarters of the fabled Zrbny Group. There are a wealth of rumors and stories about such locations. Intrepid spies, thieves, and reporters regularly attempt to gain access to these facilities, generally without success. Many such attempts, especially by would-be thieves and spies, end with distinctly negative consequences, including the thieves’ temporary (and on some occasions permanent) death.

Hypercorps also own and manage a number of habitats. Many are primarily homes for hypercorp employees, but in many of them at least half of the population are simply ordinary residents of the solar system who simply happen to live there. Though far less regulated than hypercorp research or manufacturing facilities, these colonies are also subject to greater regulation and security than some of the autonomist-controlled habitats on the edges of the solar system.

These stations are exceptionally safe places to live. Residents have access to all of the latest products produced by the ruling hypercorp and its corporate allies. The hypercorp habitats all either possess their own security companies or have some form of defense contract with a private security company, typically Direct Action or Medusan Shield, who agree to protect the inhabitants against potential threats by agents of the TITANs, fanatical saboteurs, or other threats.

These same security forces also protect the hypercorps from any threats to their interests. In most of these habitats, residents have fairly open freedom of expression and biological self-determination. However, all potential threats to the hypercorp and its personnel, ranging from attempted sabotage to simple civil disobedience, are dealt with quite harshly, with serious offences resulting in forced indenture and occasionally forced mental editing (see Psychosurgery, p. 229). Almost all of these habitats use a transitional economy (p. 61) and most residents have a high standard of living to compensate for the limits on their behavior. Many inhabitants of the more independent colonies in the belt or the outer system complain about the repressive nature of the hypercorp-controlled habitats, but inhabitants of these habitats prefer the safety and security found there to the intimidating freedom of the outer system.

To help reduce dissent, residents of settlements and habitats controlled by the Planetary Consortium as well as those controlled by hypercorps can vote on a wide variety of issues. The results of these votes, however, are only binding on issues that are not considered “matters of habitat survival,” “corporate policy,” or “security-related issues,” which effectively includes any issue related to the security, profits, and productivity of the hypercorps involved. Votes on these issues are used in a purely advisory fashion, meaning that they are utterly ignored when the result of the vote is at odds with the hypercorps’ agendas.

While residents of these settlements and habitats can vote about adding a new holiday to honor some important figure or the location and design of a new park, laws regulating indentures, habitat security,

law-enforcement, or other important concerns remain under the control of the hypercorps. This does not mean, however, that the results of elections are completely disregarded. If more than two-thirds of the population strongly supports a particular issue, the Consortium or the hypercorp controlling the habitat usually finds ways to modify their current policies to address these concerns without harming their own interests. In contrast, if only a small number of residents are upset by certain policies, then these wishes are ignored and habitat security forces keep an eye out for possible civil disobedience or other forms of resistance.

In addition to these dedicated installations and ypercorp-controlled habitats, many hypercorps maintain offices in stations and planetary settlements. Almost every habitat has a Nimbus office with a farcaster and, in the case of larger habitats, QE communicator facilities for instantaneous communication. Both facilities are open to anyone whocan pay Nimbus’s fees. Ecologene, Skinaesthesia, and several other hypercorps also have offices on most habitats. Every habitat interested in interacting with the rest of transhumanity has at least one automated Experia media node. In smaller habitats, these offices are unobtrusive and managed by limited AIs or indentured infomorphs. The existence of these offices, however, is vitally necessary for the continued happiness and existence of transhumanity. Most hypercorps also maintain a number of employees in every large habitat and most of the smaller ones.

Due to the large number of remaining infomorph refugees, most Experia media nodes are managed by indentured infomorphs. These infomorphs monitor the local news-finding AIs and keeps track of any important or interesting developments. They also serve as on-site reporters for any important events that might occur. While postings in small habitats are often rather dull, the infomorph usually has a contract guaranteeing them a morph of their choice and resleeving in the habitat of their choice in return for a term of service, which typically ranges from three to five years.

Similarly, all but the smallest habitats have Medusan Shield or Direct Action offices, where individuals can hire both security consultants and bodyguards ranging from simple AIs to highly trained mercenaries in fully-equipped fury morphs. These mercenaries live on the station and often hire short-term contractors to help with especially large or difficult assignments. Skilled mercenaries may eventually be hired full-time by Medusan Shield or Direct Action, but since contractors are usually given the most dangerous and thankless parts of any assignment, many soon lose interest in hypercorp contract work.

Other employees working out of local hypercorp offices range from ecosystem designers to for-hire scientists and technicians to personal financial advisors to the wealthy and powerful. In important habitats and planetary settlements, as much as twenty percent of the population consists of hypercorp employees or private contractors who are hired on a short-term basis when the local workload exceeds the capacity of the regular staff. These hypercorp employees are in the unique position of having dual loyalties—to their habitat and to their hypercorp. Despite what hypercorp propaganda preaches, the two interests do not always overlap.

Because of the delays involved in normal communication, local heads of hypercorp offices usually have a great deal of autonomy, since asking for instructions from their superiors on another habitat or installation requires either dealing with a time-lag or using expensive qubits for instant QE communication. As a result, except for the most important or difficult problems, local directors deal with all local matters on their own, reporting any unusual or potentially problematic decisions afterwards.

THE OUTER SYSTEMEdit

NOTE: Out beyond the orbit of Mars, the influence of the hypercorps and the Planetary Consortium is far more limited. With the exception of the rigidly authoritarian Jovian Republic, the inhabitants of the outer system have considerably more freedom than those living in the inner system. However, even out here the struggle between the desire for freedom and the longing for lssafety form an important part of the political discourse.

THE LIBERTARIAN AND UTOPIAN LEGACIES

NOTE: Various forms of anarchism and similar libertarian ideologies were quite common among the first transhumans who settled space in the two decades before the Fall. Many settlements in the outer system have inherited this legacy of freedom. The new frontier opened by space colonization presented a fantastic opportunity for those with a strong desire to avoid the authoritarianism of the hypercorp-controlled inner system and Earth to pursue social organizations more based in equality and collective action, or even to simply experiment with new social models. Out beyond the belt, hypercorp influence was weak and preoccupied, giving resourceful colonists a chance to explore their interests unmolested. The more radical of these elements grew out of or maintained ties to progressive, anti-authoritarian, and left-wing social movements and insurgencies on Earth, drawing support where they could. Others simply stole hypercorp resources from the inner system, smuggling them to their secret projects. In a few cases, entire ships or stations mutinied, refusing corporate orders and pursuing their own path. It was rarely feasible for the hypercorps to pursue and punish such subversion.

Even among these radicals, differences existed, so that those adhering to similar socio-political tendencies tended to group together. Over time these have developed into four rough groupings: the anarchists of Locus, the techno-socialists of Titan, the anarchocapitalists and mutualists of Extropia, and the nomadic free-for-all societies of the individualist scum. These factions form a loose alliance, a united front against the hypercorps and Jovian Republic—or as they call it, the Jovian Junta—and a pact for mutual aid and support, known as the Autonomist Alliance.

Among the more anti-capitalist habitats, the centuries-old doctrine of “From each according to their ability, to each according to their need” is a living and vital philosophy. The ready availability of cornucopia machines ensures that no one wants, and the use of reputation systems encourages people to be active participants towards the common good. Equitable access to morphs and augmentations is also available for residents, though the demand from so many infomorphs in need of a body means that infugees must contribute and build up social capital. However, even for an infomorph, egocasting across the solar system is expensive, and the Planetary Consortium produces large amounts of propaganda about the dangers of these habitats to discourage infugees from considering escape.

Many autonomists consider themselves to be engaged in an ideological conflict with the inner system, a memetic cold war that sometimes extends to physical actions. Some willingly pursue campaigns of sabotage and subversion against hypercorp and other authoritarian affairs, such as smuggling cornucopia machines into habitats where such machines are strictly regulated, like among the Jovian Republic. The hypercorps and their allies occasionally strike back, though open conflict is rare. Even though the inner system and Jovian Republic could field enough military might to subdue the autonomist factions, an uneasy detente exists. Rumors abound that the anarchists have some sort of card in their pocket that keeps their opponents at bay, perhaps even some threat of mutually-assured destruction.

Concerns over security and potential future attacks by the TITANs also impact matters in the outer system, but most people resist attempts to seriously restrict their personal freedoms in any manner not directly related to maintaining their safety. Inhabitants of the outer system still remember how the old governments’ demands of adherence to bioconservativism and allegiance to distant and often unresponsive leaders did nothing to prevent the Fall from happening, and that memory fuels their mistrust of those states.s Those powers were undone by failing to deliver what they promised—when they could not provide the security that they claimed their authoritarian measures would bring, the seeds of their defeat in the outer system were planted.

SPACE FOR EXPERIMENTATION

NOTE: Both social and political experimentation are common in many of the smaller habitats of the outer system. Because collective decision-making is fairly easy in stations with populations of less than ten thousand, direct democracy is a common method of government. A number of ideologically-based habitats have used this ease of making collective decisions as a way to get all members to agree to some unusual forms of

government.

The individual variants that have been tried are too numerous to list, though they generally fit into a few general categories. A few relatively small habitats employ limited forms of authoritarianism. Some have a single leader who has great power, but who is (ideally) kept from abuse or excess through the use of limits such as a list of constitutionally-guaranteed rights or the ability of a relatively small number of people to call an election or a vote of confidence. Some colonies using this model have elected dictators who serve for a limited term, while others are ruled by a single charismatic leader who transforms their habitat into a cult of personality.

Other habitats choose their leaders by random lot, with every adult who can pass a relatively easy competency test being eligible to be the colony’s leader for a period that usually ranges from six months to five years. A few habitats are governed by powerful specialized AIs, which in very few cases are actually hyper-intelligent AGIs or even seed AIs that the colony has secretly created. Several colonies populated by purely informorph or synthmorph inhabitants use special high-bandwidth connections to give their members access each other’s surface thoughts and emotional reactions, allowing them to hold vast democratic political meetings where everyone present can feel the general emotional reactions of all of the other members as easily as they can feel their own.

There are a vast number of different types of government, many of which have never existed before, moving (and sometimes fumbling) ahead in the outer system. Some work far better than others, allowing successful colonies to thrive and making much of the outer system a vast and complex political laboratory.

KEEPING THE PEACEEdit

NOTE: Each habitat is responsible for dealing with its internal affairs. As a result, standards of justice vary widely from the oppressive police state of the Jovian Junta to the free market judicial courts of the Extropians in the belt to the community justice policies of the anarchists out beyond Saturn. Travelers are strongly encouraged to check up on the legalities and policies of stations they are visiting so as to avoid unfortunate incidents, though muses are generally quite good about maintaining awareness of local conditions so that they can warn their users before straying into gray or illegal territory.

In the inner system, standards of justice and law enforcement tend to be uniform and very familiar to the majority of the population that lived on Earth prior to the Fall, where most nations had relatively similar standards of justice. Across the entire solar system, certain similar standards can be found. Though local laws may differ, there is widespread respect for the idea that punishments for religious or ideologically based laws only apply to residents. Visitors who violate such restrictions or other minor laws are simply deported to their home and forbidden to return. Standards of evidence for criminal investigations are also common. Modern forensic technology makes collecting and analyzing DNA and other trace evidence an exceptionally swift and easy process. Likewise, with almost all habitats having what amounts to total surveillance of all public places, any potential offenses committed there can be carefully analyzed.

Standards of privacy vary widely from one habitat to another, so during emergencies or crime investigations, law enforcement officials may or may not have total access to detailed recordings of the events in any portion of the habitat including recordings from sensors in private dwellings. In some stations, law enforcement officials can compel everyone who might have been present during an alleged crime to provide downloads of their sensory experiences from the time of the crime. While individuals can edit their memories, discrepancies between various people’s sensory recordings are just another form of evidence. Requiring sensory downloads from witnesses and suspects is common practice in habitats controlled by the Planetary Consortium, the Jovian Republic, and most hypercorps. However, in most habitats in the outer system, law enforcement officials have no access to such records and can only compel sensory recordings from people who have been charged with serious crimes.

The power of modern forensics is such that a sufficiently careful examination of people and places can often determine the nature of a crime and the perpetrator(s) with relative ease. Decisions of innocence or guilt rarely rely upon suppositions, circumstantial evidence, eyewitness testimony or any of the other notoriously unreliable forms of evidence common in past centuries. The best way for someone to avoid being convicted of a crime is to either prevent anyone from learning about the crime or to make certain that no one suspects them as the perpetrator. Once someone guilty of a crime becomes a suspect, there is a very significant chance that law enforcement officers will be able to uncover reliable evidence connecting them to the crime. However, if there is no obvious evidence connecting a specific suspect to a crime, the criminal has a greater chance of escaping discovery.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

NOTE: Law enforcement in the solar system consists of a vast patchwork of separate jurisdictions, occasionally united by various treaties. Most habitats have signed the Treaty of Uniform Security that requires either extradition or on-site trial of criminals who are accused of especially serious crimes such as attempted habitat destruction, use of incapacitating infoware (including basilisk hack attacks), or any attempt to aid the agents of the TITANs in taking over or destroying a habitat. Only the Jovian Junta and a few especially antisocial or anarchic habitats have not signed this treaty, but many habitats in the outer system maintain the right to try offenders accused by other habitats rather than extraditing them. In addition, most habitats require a significant amount of evidence before they are willing to extradite one of their residents.

Outside the Treaty of Uniform Security, there is nothing remotely resembling a uniform code of justice and no widely recognized police force. Instead, each habitat or cluster maintains their own code of laws and law enforcement officers. In most areas, law enforcement is a respected and honorable profession paid for by the government, but in a few, the only options are private security agencies that only protect individuals who subscribe to their services. Among the anarchists and scum, residents are largely responsible for their own protection, which means they may be constantly armed when in public (depending on local conditions). Depending on the stations, the most someone who is the victim of a crime can do may be to go after their attacker or post a bounty. In others, mechanisms exist for community or collective problem-solving that often involve assembling an ad-hoc grouping of peers to assess the situation, offer non-biased judgment, and sometimes pursue collective action.

The only widely-accepted law enforcement officers that attempt to maintain jurisdiction across the solar system are bonded investigators and security consultants from companies such as Medusan Shield or Direct Action. Both organizations have contracts with various hypercorps and inner system stations to provide security. However, in the outer system and in other regions not controlled (directly or indirectly) by the hypercorps, the status of these officers is far more tenuous. In habitats that do not have security contracts with their organization, the best these agents can do is act as bounty hunters.

Due to extensive stories of excesses in the inner system, many colonies frown on freelance bounty hunters—often referred to as ego hunters—and may ban them entirely. Others allow agents from licensed security hypercorps to act as ego hunters, but forbid them from extraditing or otherwise restraining or punishing the criminals they are pursuing. Instead, agents are required to turn over evidence so that the habitat’s own judicial system may hold a trial, in which case a convicted person may be remanded to the agent’s custody. Law enforcement officers experience similar difficulties attempting to apprehend a suspect who has fled to another habitat.

Closely allied habitats in the outer system usually allow full or at least limited legal powers to visiting law enforcement officers from their allies. There are also various small private security organizations that work closely with local law enforcement offices to provide inter-habitat security between habitats that are not closely allied. The members of these organizations attempt to maintain sufficiently high rep to

earn the respect of all the habitats with which they work. They act as both bounty hunters and unbiased investigators in situations that involve the laws of several habitats. All of these security companies are

located in the outer system, and none has jurisdiction extending beyond a relatively limited location, like the middle belt or the Saturn system. Any such organizations that attempt to grow larger come into direct competition with Medusan Shield and Direct Action and are subsequently either bought out or undercut and discredited by one or both of these organizations.

There are also several private bounty hunters and private investigators, some of whom are highly reliable. Others are known for their extreme moral and ethical flexibility, especially if the pay is sufficiently high. On some of the autonomist stations and scum ships, these private contractors can be hired to simply go on board and abduct or execute a resident as long as this person has a low enough rep. Attempting to abduct or kill a respected member of the community, however, rapidly earns the ire of the entire habitat. The various small-scale or private security organizations from the outer system can sometimes pursue subjects to habitats controlled by the various hypercorps or the Planetary Consortium. Doing so requires background checks, security screenings, and often moderately large payments.

PUNISHMENT

NOTE: Among the autonomist colonies, forced exile or repaying the victim with an equitable amount of goods or labor are the principle [sic] punishments for all but the most heinous crimes (such as attempted mass murder, habitat destruction, attempting to create seed AIs or similarly extreme actions). In the collectivist anarchist habitats, antisocial behavior typically involves expulsion or penalizing reputation, though solutions that involve making amends are often pursued over standard punishments. At the other end of the spectrum, people convicted of more serious crimes in the most violent and lawless habitats are executed and all of their known backups destroyed. In many others, exceedingly serious crimes are usually dealt with by giving the criminal a choice of forced uploading into a humanely outfitted but closed computer or mandatory personality modification—assuming that someone has not simply killed the criminal before they were brought to justice (such killings are generally treated as matters of self-defense). Mandatory personality modifications are generally limited to the absolute minimum necessary to prevent the individual from repeating similar crimes.

At the other extreme, punishments in hypercorp controlled habitats and settlements controlled by the Planetary Consortium range from fines paid in either money or labor to periods of involuntary indentured servitude ranging from several months to many years. Violent crimes, especially ones threatening either important hypercorp employees or the habitat as a whole, also result in mandatory personality modification. Such modifications often include the creation of a strong sense of loyalty and obedience to the hypercorp.

Punishments are even more draconic in the Jovian Republic, where permanent execution and the destruction of all backups is the most common punishment for serious crimes against the leaders or large groups of the populace. Since the rulers of the Republic are strong bioconservatives, personality editing and forced uploading are rarely used. Forced indenture is very common, however, as are more standard forms of  imprisonment. The Republic is one of the last places in the solar system that has physical prisons.

The vast majority of other habitats fall somewhere between these extremes. Punishments for non-violent crimes consist of enforced repayment, where the offender must work off a debt to their victim or victims or face more serious punishments. Instead of enforced indenture, offenders usually must only work between five and twenty hours a week for their victims and only need to do so until the crime has been suitably repaid. The typical repayment is between two and three times the value of the good or service taken from the victim.

THE ECONOMYEdit

NOTE: Leaving aside the struggles of bands of primitives to survive on the ruins of Earth, all of humanity has at least some access to the wonders of nanotechnology. This access is highly variable and the economic benefits it produces can be divided into three broad categories—the old economy, the transitional economy, and the new economy.

THE OLD ECONOMY

NOTE: The old economy is essentially the same sort of industrial consumer capitalism that has been in place since the late 19th century, a system centered on manufacturers who create material goods and sell them to consumers. Modern manufacturers now make their goods in cornucopia machines instead of factories, but the essential pattern is the same one that has existed for over two hundred years. Due to the high level of inefficiency and unfairness in this economic system, poverty is relatively common. The poorest individuals often face hunger, homelessness, lack of medical care, and similarly dire problems.

Ordinary members of this society never have direct access to cornucopia machines. Instead, they purchase their goods from corporations, governments, or wealthy individuals who control them. Some old economy societies have planned economies, where the corporations or the state determine what options the citizens may choose or occasionally what goods they must have. Others claim to have a free market, where citizens have more options, but the residents must still pay to obtain goods that are essentially free for the corporations or government to produce.

In the present day, almost no one willingly lives in old economy societies. Very few individuals even visit such societies. The oppressive Jovian  Republic holds most of the remaining old economy societies in the solar system. The few other surviving examples are totalitarian regimes where the wealthy elite maintain absolute control of all cornucopia machines and private ownership of one is a very serious crime. Since cornucopia machines can be used to create more cornucopia machines, maintaining strict control over them requires constant vigilance.

Residents of old economy societies tend to look at residents of transitional and new economy societies with envy, while residents of habitats that use both transitional and new economies look upon residents of old economy habitats with a mixture of horror and pity. Since the Fall, almost a third of the remaining old economy-based habitats have transformed into transitional or new economies by various means,  often involving violent revolution. Most social scientists predict that unless there are further catastrophes, all but the most repressive old economy societies are almost certain to transform to transitional economies within twenty to thirty years.

Old economy societies are unique in that money is the society’s only acceptable means of exchange. While reputation networks exist, they are informal and serve as an unsanctioned means of exchanging favors.

THE TRANSISTIONAL ECONOMY

NOTE: The transitional economy is a far more stable and easily maintained system than the old economy. Transitional economies blend old and new economies, and habitats using this system feature both private ownership of cornucopia machines as well as public fabbers and makers that are freely accessible. These public machines are strictly limited in the goods they can produce. In addition, the raw materials for various complex goods are also strictly regulated. Mars, Venus, and Luna are all examples of transitional economies, as is most of the rest of the inner system.

For the inhabitants of a transitional economy, creating food, non-smart clothing, furniture, and most other simple, non-formatible objects is a trivial matter. However, the public nanofabrication machines can only create objects that either contain no electronics at all or contain only simple circuits that report on the object’s condition and location. Manufacturing any of these items requires little more than the machine and a supply of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, silicon, iron, aluminum, and tiny amounts of various trace materials. All of these materials are sufficiently abundant that acquiring them is easy and inexpensive.

Using the elements that are freely available to all tax-paying citizens, nanofabbers can produce a vast array of goods like exquisite suits of silk clothing, tables with the appearance of finely polished ebony and mahogany, beautiful colored glass goblets, or painted porcelain tea cups. They can also create a gourmet dinner and a set of fine plates and cutlery on which to eat the meal. To pay for the small amounts of energy and resources needed to create these goods, all inhabitants pay a small tax.

Once the usage tax has been paid, food, clothing, furniture, and similar goods are all free. Raw materials, old, worn-out or unwanted goods, and various waste products are recycled into new goods. Residents of transitional economies need never experience hunger or any of the many other sorts of deprivation that much of humanity faced before the mid-21st century. Additionally, basic medical care is free in almost all transitional economy societies, to help insure that the populace is healthy, content, and productive.

While many goods are freely available, there are also goods that residents must purchase from corporations, their government, or other producers. Smart clothing and smart furniture that can change shape, color, and pattern, depending upon the user’s wishes, cannot be manufactured in any of the personal nanofabricators. Any goods made from highly durable composite materials, batteries, electrically-powered devices including all augmentations, and all nanotechnology must be acquired in the same fashion. These goods are considerably less common as they require access to an unrestricted nanofabricator and exotic raw materials.

Transitional economies tend to be relatively safe places, since inhabitants cannot manufacture weapons more dangerous than knives, clubs, or similar primitive armaments. Everything from firearms to plasma weapons requires restricted cornucopia machines and exotic materials to manufacture. The proliferation of these items is strictly controlled.

Some habitats in the outer system have transitional economies because residents prefer the safety that comes from centralizing control of potentially dangerous technologies. Other habitats have transitional economies by default, because they have limited stocks of many of the more rare elements required for manufacturing various complex modern technologies. Regardless of the reason, outsiders from new economy habitants often see them as somewhat poor and deprived, while many residents of transitional economies consider new economy societies both exceptionally wealthy and somewhat frightening.

Despite these differences in perception, both economic societies have a great deal in common. Food, clothing, and similar goods are easily available to all residents. An individual’s status, taste, wealth, and reputation are measured by the kinds of clothing, food, and furnishings they possess. While there are a vast number of templates for different styles of food and consumer goods, forward-thinking designers develop new designs every month and use copy protection on these designs to keep them from being pirated for at least a month or two (and often longer). As a result, for the first few months after their release, the only people who can gain access to new designs in clothing, tableware, food, or similar goods are those who pay a premium to the designer to download the templates that allow their cornucopia machine to manufacture the item.

Since one way of defining a transitional economy is a system where both reputation and money are in widespread use, most have developed ways to accommodate both forms of payment. While residents primarily use money for purchasing goods, purchasing cornucopia machine templates involves rep, especially among residents who regularly visit new economy societies or have significant contacts there.

THE NEW ECONOMYEdit

NOTE: Slightly less than forty percent of the human population lives under some version of what social scientists refer to as the new economy. In the outer system, alternative economies are becoming increasingly rare. New economies are much better than old or transitional economies at supporting a decentralized populace, which has led to more than half of all habitats and settlements adopting this model.

In new economy societies, individuals can freely manufacture and use almost anything they want, assuming they can acquire the correct templates and raw materials. As a result, the residents’ need for food, clothing, medical care, information access, and other basic needs are all easily met. However, there are still items of value that individuals work very hard to obtain. Though these are commonly described as “post scarcity” societies, some types of scarcity remain very real.

In most new economy habitats, common goods are freely available to all residents—or at least to all residents who meet certain criteria. These criteria usually take one of two forms: citizenship or public works. In wealthy and prestigious habitats, free access to all common goods is offered to residents who have official citizenship. Citizenship can be earned in a variety of ways, but the most common involves either being considered a strategic asset due to some singular expertise, performing an exceedingly valuable service to the habitat, or working for the habitat for some period of time. Once an individual is a citizen, the energy, living space, and raw materials they use in thecourse of their daily lives are all freely available.

In many collectivized habitats, residents are expected to pull their weight by contributing to ongoing public works in the habitat, typically requiring between four and eight hours every week. Depending on the nature of the colony, this work may be selected by the government, the collective syndicates that oversee the management of resources, or by a high rep individual who controls access to large amounts of energy and raw materials. Unless someone has especially valuable skills, this labor is often dull but safe work that can be done more easily by humans than AIs, such as checking the habitat for flaws and performing maintenance tasks.

Assuming an individual has acquired citizenship or put in their share of work for the collective wellbeing of the station, they will have access to a supply of energy and raw materials that allows them to use their cornucopia machines to manufacture what they need. Visitors are generally also allowed access, though anyone staying long is expected to contribute to the habitat if they don’t want to see their reputation slashed.

VALUE AND SCARCITY IN NEW ECONOMY SOCIETIES

NOTE: While basic citizenship allowances cover most necessities and even some luxuries, the allowance has limits. With the allowance, individuals receive a quota of goods and energy they can use every day. This usage is impressively lavish by 20th century terms, allowing residents to create a dozen suits of clothing and provide food for half a dozen people every day. Creating elaborate food, furniture, and tableware to serve a party of a dozen people is within the means of any individual. However, doing the same thing for a party of two hundred people is outside the bounds of the basic allowance.

Individuals who wish to exceed their basic citizenship allowance can either use rep to obtain more access to resources and energy, or they can pool their resources with others to accomplish their goals. There are many goods that are fairly complex to create—including many of the best morphs and highly specialized and intricate pieces of gear like advanced augmentations—that exceed the resources available in a basic citizenship allowance.

The allowance also limits the amount of travel that residents can easily undertake. Residents of most new economy habitats own good quality spacesuits, and many can use their rep to create a small and very minimally equipped travel pod to travel to a nearby habitat. However, even the smallest actual spacecraft are far too large and difficult to create to be available on an ordinary citizenship allowance, or even on the amount of rep an ordinary individual can acquire in a reasonable amount of time.

In addition to large-scale uses of resources and difficult-to-manufacture goods, there are goods that are intrinsically scarce, such as relics of Earth and handmade goods. While exact copies of everything from the Mona Lisa to a pressed daisy are exceptionally easy to acquire, genuine physical relics of Earth are prized possessions. The vast majority of refugees could take nothing with them, but almost everyone wishes to have some token to remind them of Earth. A single dried flower, coin, or piece of stone from Earth can be exchanged for almost any morph or other good that is moderately difficult to create. Actual historical artifacts, like a famous person’s hat or autograph, is worth far more, as are original works of art by famous artists. Two years ago, one of the last three remaining paintings by Leonardo da Vinci was traded for a large and well-equipped spacecraft, and a small piece of the Liberty Bell was traded for both a custom-designed morph and a fully outfitted one hectare villa in one of the more prosperous habitats orbiting Saturn.

While less expensive than Earth relics, handmade goods also command a high price and are in great demand by the wealthy. Though most people cannot distinguish between a fine wine grown on one of the Martian vineyards and a duplicate of the same wine produced using an average cornucopia machine, some connoisseurs claim they can taste the difference. There is also much prestige to be gained by serving

hand-grown food. As a result, while anyone can drink nanofabricated wine, hand-produced wine is a rare good that can only be enjoyed by a few, and thus it commands a moderately high price. In almost all cases, handmade goods are expensive because of their rarity and because many people enjoy the status associated with owning and using them.

There are three other items that are scarce and are thus quite valuable: living space, skilled sentient labor, and novelty. The majority of humanity lives in standard-sized dwelling units, which typically range from one hundred cubic meters on smaller or poorer habitats to two hundred cubic meters on wealthy and prosperous habitats. Since each cubic meter of a habitat must be manufactured and the process of manufacturing or expanding a habitat is far from simple, space is at a premium. The only exceptions to this scarcity are on Europa and Mars, which can be inhabited by properly adapted morphs without the necessity of complex life support or the danger of vacuum waiting just outside every exterior wall. As a result, owning a larger dwelling space in a habitat is worth a significant amount, and large villas and private asteroids are luxuries possessed by only the highest rep individuals.

While transhuman labor has become relatively cheap due to the large number of infugees who must sell their services or indenture themselves to obtain morphs and habitat space, skilled labor is far more expensive. Buying a unique custom morph design, for example, crafted by a skilled biogeneticist, can cost as much as a small spacecraft depending on how much this morph deviates from standard models. The same is true for everything from custom-designed clothing to complex pieces of technology designed for a single specific usage. While the actual manufacturing costs of these items is no more expensive than any other similar item, the time and effort needed to design them can make them exceedingly expensive.

The final commodity that is both scarce and valuable is novelty. While anyone can drink a fine wine or wear a wide range of designer clothing, other commodities are kept deliberately scarce. Cutting-edge fashion, new music, and even haute nosh (bold, exclusive snack food designs) are harder to find because the templates needed to manufacture them are encrypted and cannot be copied. The copy protection used on the templates for newly created goods automatically expires within three years at most, and most habitats reduce this to one year. In addition, this copy protection is never perfect; someone always manages to create pirated versions of these new goods within two to six months. However, from the time templates are created until the time that someone pirates them, these items are only available to individuals who are

willing and able to pay for them. Popular new templates command a good price in the new economy, and a large number of transhumans make their living designing and marketing such templates.

THE ECONOMY AND INFOMORPH REFUGEES

NOTE: During the last phase of The Fall and the evacuation of Earth, more than four hundred million refugees were uploaded and egocast to orbital databanks. From there, infomorph refugees were beamed to databanks throughout the solar system. They were forced to flee Earth without any of their possessions, even their bodies. Instead, they became infomorphs who had nothing beyond their minds and memories—the most destitute group of refugees ever to exist in human history. In the years since the Fall, large numbers of these infugees have been resleeved. Anyone with valuable skills was first to gain a morph, followed by anyone with friends or relatives already living in orbit who could take responsibility for the person’s resleeving.

Those two groups accounted for only half of the refugees. The remaining found themselves in a far more difficult situation. Lacking either personal contacts or vital skills, they had no one else to help them. In the first few years, many of these infugees signed contracts promising their labor or other services in return for resleeving and a guarantee of some form of income sufficient to support them. Because of the critical labor shortages in the first five years after the Fall, another thirty percent of the refugees managed to regain bodies (usually cheap synthmorphs). These indentured servants performed all manner of critical tasks, ranging from scavenging ruined habitats for useful devices to mining or asteroid herding. Others became servants or bodyguards for the rich, or performed less moral services for criminal syndicates. Most took on orbital construction jobs, helping to construct the new habitats that would eventually become their home. Some infugees found work performing services like data-mining, monitoring automated factories, or other jobs that could be done by infomorphs. After the Fall, infomorphs were used to take over numerous tasks previously handled by AGIs, who were no longer trusted.

Unfortunately, some infomorph refugees made bad or unlucky deals and ended up working for years only to find that their employer either kept finding ways to delay or reduce the payment or vanished before they delivered on their promise. As a result, slightly more than twenty percent of the original infomorph refugees remain infomorphs; some by choice, but most because they have not been able to acquire the means to resleeve themselves or are still working long contracts to gain their morph. The problem with obtaining bodies for these infugees goes beyond simply providing a new morph for resleeving; living beings require living space as well as a steady supply of consumables. For this reason, many infugees have been morphed in synthetic shells and housed in areas inhospitable to biomorphs, such as the unenclosed portions of Venusian aerostats. With space in short supply, the waiting list for infugees looking for a habitat to call home is quite long.

Both the hypercorps and the Planetary Consortium were quick to make use of this vast labor pool, especially on Mars. Mars has large amounts of open space and resources and is sufficiently close to habitable that Mars-adapted morphs like the ruster are inexpensive to create. As a result, the Planetary Consortium has been responsible for the employment of almost half of all remaining infomorph refugees. For the past decade, the vast majority of infomorph refugees who want bodies have found that indenturing themselves to the Planetary Consortium or one of the associated hypercorps involved in Martian terraforming is the most reliable way to find both a morph and housing, since both are guaranteed at the end of the contract. The work involved is particularly difficult, however, and the contracts are normally quite long.

The Planetary Consortium is also particularly adept at adding charges that prolong indenture—though most indentures carry five to twenty year contracts, in reality these indentures typically last between eight and twenty-five years; some go on even longer. This large population of indentured servants on Mars—many of them now free and resleeved—is becoming a force in its own right, adhering to the Martian wilds and rural areas and disdaining the elite hypercorp domes. Adopting the name Barsoomians from an old Earth fiction series, this resentful lower class is increasingly becoming a thorn in the Planetary Consortium’s side.

Even though it is highly automated, terraforming and agricultural work on Mars is both tedious and physically demanding labor. Indentured employees are regularly sent into the regions that were most affected by the Fall. As a result, these employees occasionally face attacks by life forms mutated by the TITANs, nanotech war-swarms, or similar still-active and dangerous exotic technologies. Indentured employees are not charged for damage to or destruction of their morphs caused by such dangers, but the experience of even reversible death from such causes is highly traumatic.

Other refugees found that they enjoyed life as infomorphs, reveling in complex simulspaces and otherwise living up the virtual life. Some found work that paid for the ability to egocast throughout the solar system. Ten years after the Fall, there is a thriving infomorph culture. While exact data is difficult to obtain, many researchers believe that at least a third of all current infomorph refugees have no plans to place themselves into a morph, instead enjoying the freedom of virtual existence. Especially in the outer system, these infomorphs have become increasingly involved in habitat politics; many habitats have officials who are infomorphs. Most researchers predict this infomorph culture will increasingly diverge from physical cultures as time progresses.

THE CLANKING MESSES

NOTE: With so many infugees acquiring cheap synthmorph shells—particularly cases and synths—and being unable to afford anything better, synthmorphs have become associated with poverty throughout the solar system. This lowest strata of the poor are often referred to as “the clanking masses,” and compose one-sixth of the transhuman population. Most of these people strongly desire to acquire a biomorph, even if it is only a splicer or worker pod. As a result of their presence, however, many synthmorphs are now viewed with distaste, especially in elite social circles. Even those who have expensive, lovely, custom-designed synthetic morphs fitted with all of the latest augmentations are considered to be eccentrics with poor taste.

The social stigma against synthmorphs is strengthened by the fear that, in the event of another attack by the TITANs, their robotic shells could be rapidly co-opted to become a deadly TITAN-controlled army. This has led to some habitats going so far as to actively segregate their synthmorph populations, rationalized by the fact that synthmorphs can easily inhabit unheated and unpressurized portions of various habitats. This segregation and social stigma, however, has produced the beginnings of an emergent synthmorph culture. There are already numerous habitats where all of the inhabitants are sleeved in synthetic shells and conventional life support exists only for the few visitors wearing biomorphs.

RESTRICTING DANGEROUS TECHNOLOGIES

NOTE: Most societies in Eclipse Phase see good reason to restrict access to some dangerous goods, especially military hardware. Few people living in a sealed habitat surrounded by hard vacuum enjoy the idea of easy access to biowar plagues or devices that can make large holes in their habitat’s outer hull. Though such incidents are quite rare, the memories of horrors like the recent Branson-Vesta disaster are still quite fresh. In that incident, a radical bioconservative cult manufactured several plasma bombs and accidentally destroyed the entire habitat when their attack on the local government caused a cascading blowout, cracking the spinning habitat in half. More than 50,000 residents had to be resleeved, and 400 permanently died when their backups and cortical stacks were destroyed in the explosions.

As a result, standard procedure is to restrict access and heavily encrypt templates needed to create military-grade weapons and similar dangers, though sufficiently dedicated individuals can eventually decrypt or reverse-engineer such designs. Even nanofabricators in anarchist habitats may be blocked from creating such things or at the very least will alert the local public mesh if anyone instructs them to do so. Habitats that possess almost no other laws regarding possession of various objects and devices usually have laws against weapons that can do serious harm to the habitat.

Many dangerous technologies are specifically designed to make use of various exceptionally rare or human-made elements, including radioactive elements and artificially created transuranic elements. Therefore, many habitats will restrict access to these elements to limit the manufacture of these weapons. Since detecting radioactive elements is simple using standard environmental sensors located throughout every habitat, security authorities can easily learn when someone has acquired significant quantities of such elements, or catch them if they attempt to bring them on board.

IRREPRODUCIBLE GOODS

NOTE: In an age when digital material is easily copied and physical goods are reproducible with nanofabrication, concepts like copyright, trademark, and intellectual property are fighting a losing war. Despite the best methods of encryption, DRM, and similar anti-piracy measures, very little escapes the clutches of pirates for long. It’s not unheard of for copies/blueprints of new goods to be shared on pirate networks before they’re even officially released.

In response, some manufacturers, designers, and artists attempt to produce goods that are irreproducible—and thus more highly valued. Possible approaches include transgenic living sculptures with built-in obsolescence and terminator genes, energy art, items made from extremely rare materials (e.g., a chair crafted from titanium mined from the Mead crater on the harsh Venusian surface), or intangibles such as skilled performances.

HABITATSEdit

NOTE: With Earth now uninhabitable, transhumanity survives in a variety of off-world habitats. There are two major types of these habitats: settlements on planets or large moons, such as those on Luna, Mars, Venus, Europa, or Titan, and space habitats that are built on or near an asteroid or other useful source of raw materials. Most of these space habitats spin themselves to provide gravity, with Earth and Mars gravity being the two most common choices. There are also a large number of zero-g or microgravity habitats, consisting of either non-spinning habitats or stations built into small asteroids or moons.

PLANETARY SETTLEMENTS

NOTE: The Martian and Lunar city-states and other planetary settlements contain environments most familiar to refugees from Earth. This similarity is one reason that two-thirds of all infomorph refugees live on Mars, Luna, or Titan. The exact type of settlements depends on the planet or moon on which they are located, with some being far more similar to Earth cities than others. Most Lunar settlements, like those on Ganymede, Mercury, Titan, and Callisto, consist of a network of subsurface tunnels and chambers excavated with plasma drills. These tunnel settlements differ slightly from one world to the next. In most of these tunnel cities, the floors of all open areas and many dwellings are composed of geneticallymodified grass designed for both comfort and durability, with light panels covering the ceiling providing bright full-spectrum lighting.

A few of these buried cities further enhance their natural appearance with the addition of trees and, in some cases, specially engineered ecosystems, in both public areas and private dwellings. A few of these urban tunnel forests and jungles are home to numerous flowering vines and bright tropical butterflies. In a small number of settlements on both Titan and Luna, colonies of small monkeys and parrots with metabolisms and habits modified for modern ideas of cleanliness and sanitation thrive, giving some of these tunnel cities the feel of a buried jungle.

All of the older or more prosperous tunnel cities also contain large open areas that are typically between one and twenty hectares, with ceilings at least ten meters high. Some are parks, others are public plazas, but all offer the residents of the tunnel cities a chance to experience open spaces. Also, with the exception of Mercury, all of these tunnel cities are on moons where gravity is no more than one-sixth of a g. Some of these open spaces are constructed with roofs between thirty and one hundred meters high and are designed so that residents can use them for flying by strapping on a pair of specially-designed wings.

The cloud cities of Venus are among the most unusual habitats in the solar system. Their exotic nature is enhanced by the chance to observe the many recently introduced floating and flying life forms modified to live in the clouds. Though located almost fifty kilometers above the most deadly environment in the solar system, life in these cloud cities is among the most Earth-like anywhere in the solar system, with gravity, temperatures, and atmospheric pressure all being very near normal Earth levels.

By contrast, the settlements on Mars look the most like the cities of lost Earth, built on the surface rather than underground or in the skies. Some of the more recent settlements are designed for use by inhabitants in ruster morphs or synthmorphs and feature no life support. Older Martian cities and other settlements are typically covered with low domes of flexible polycarbonate and filled with a completely breathable, if

somewhat low pressure, atmosphere. Some, however, are collections of sealed skyscrapers, connected by skywalks and tunnels. If current terraforming efforts continue on schedule, the last sealed Martian cities will be opened to a Martian atmosphere breathable by all morphs within sixty years.

The most unusual planetary settlements are the ocean cities of Europa. These are among the most exotic locations in the entire solar system and are quite disorienting for individuals not used to underwater cities. From a distance, most appear to be complex Christmas tree ornaments hanging down one hundred meters or more below the ice crust above. A few are built deeper, plunging under the icy surface near the various hydrothermal vents that host the native Europan life clusters.

Many of the residents of the Europan cities find them familiar because they previously lived in one of the underwater cities on Earth and so were used to both the conditions and to living in an aquatic-adapted body. Europan cities all contain sealed buildings with normal atmosphere, both because some activities work best in air instead of water and because the cities often host visitors without gills. However, these regions make up only ten percent or so of most of these cities. The remainder looks vaguely similar to many zero-g habitats, except that the structures are considerably sturdier and are located underwater. Buildings are designed to be accessible in all three dimensions, so going from one floor to another usually involves swimming out a large opening in the wall and down a level. In almost all of these aquatic cities, large fusion generators heat the surrounding water, so that the entire city exists in a region of water that is far warmer than the surrounding frigid Europan sea.

SPACE HABITATSEdit

NOTE: With the exception of the private habitats of the wealthy and powerful described below, the vast majority of space habitats hold between twenty-five hundred and one million inhabitants. Almost two-thirds of these habitats were built during the first seven years after the Fall, when huge portions of the system’s surviving infrastructure were used to create habitats suitable for hundreds of millions of infugees.

During this era, several thousand torus habitats and cluster colonies were created throughout the solar system. Many of these habitats were created by automated mining machinery that had been repurposed to create colonies. Due to the limitations of these automated mining rigs, most these habitats were small, holding between one thousand and one hundred thousand inhabitants. Twenty percent of the system’s inhabitants live in such habitats. During the past decade, various small organizations, cults, and subcultures have left the larger habitats they lived in and created their own small habitats, few of which were designed to hold more than ten thousand residents.

The development of the new nanotech Hamilton cylinders has lead to a new interest in large habitats and in habitats that can easily expand in size to accommodate an increasing population. The expense and difficulty involved in expanding existing habitats or building new ones is one of the principle reasons that more than forty million infomorph refugees still do not posses morphs. Although none of the existing Hamilton cylinders has finished growing, they are both highly regarded by their residents. This same technology is also likely to produce a low-cost method for creating small habitats, where the creators merely need to seed an asteroid with the appropriate advanced nanotech generators and wait a few months.

SCUM BARGES

NOTE: At the opposite extreme from the Hamilton cylinders are the infamous scum barges. Most are spacecraft built before or during the Fall that were used to help with the early stages of the evacuation, ferrying people away from the doomed Earth. Many of these refugee ships were unable to find anywhere to unload their human cargo, becoming a sort of permanent traveling refugee camp, sometimes succumbing to mutinies. They eventually joined up with pre-existing scum ships and swarms, adopting their nomadic, freewheeling, anarchistic lifestyle. In contrast to egocasting or the faster and more efficient fusion drive ships, so-called scum barges offer a floating city alternative to space travel. These ships function as roving black markets and carnivals of the bizarre—lawless zones where anyone can find whatever they want or need for the right rep or price.

Most scum barges have fusion-powered plasma drives and hold between two hundred and five thousand inhabitants. The worst barges are exceptionally overcrowded, with aging life-support systems struggling to maintain a breathable (but still foul-smelling) atmosphere under the strain of too many passengers. The larger and more prosperous scum barges are often fitted with various modern conveniences, including large cornucopia machines and vast stores of pirated manufacturing templates. Some are thriving utopianist enclaves, while others are mobile dens of smugglers and thieves that would have been destroyed long ago except for the fact that large and powerful organizations find their existence

occasionally useful. Living conditions on the scum barges range from overcrowded refugee camps to thriving, egalitarian, but non-wealthy anarchist enclaves, to relatively modern habitats outfitted in barbaric splendor by highly successful organized crime gangs.

A DIVERSITY OF FLOATING WORLDS

NOTE: The use of cornucopia machines and smart materials means that the interiors of all but the poorest and most destitute habitats can be reshaped according to the whims of their inhabitants. When the number of inhabitants is small enough or their aesthetics are uniform enough to all share the same tastes, the results can be both unique and strange. Large-scale fads occasionally sweep through even the largest and most cosmopolitan habitats, making some of the bigger colonies almost as odd.

Several habitats closely resemble terrestrial jungles, with an entire rainforest canopy growing from the slowly rotating outer shell and all dwellings and pieces of high technology nestled in the branches or hollows of these vast gene-engineered trees. In these living marvels, genetically engineered monkeys, iguanas, and tree sloths wander amidst the inhabitants—some of these creatures are wild animals,

while others are controlled by AI servitors and act as maintenance or observation drones. Some habitats resemble other scenes from old Earth, including more than a dozen water-filled habitats hosting some of the aquatic inhabitants of the now-destroyed underwater cities. In most of these marine habitats, the actual buildings are either placed amidst a living coral reef filled with fish and other creatures or are actually built into the coral reef itself. There are many other habitats duplicating other environments, such as Afrique—a large Cole habitat with a population of two hundred thousand, where the habitat is made to resemble the African savanna. In Afrique, the two ends of the habitat are shaped into snowcapped mountains, and the inhabitants mostly live in several large cities built in the savannah.

While nostalgia for Earth is a powerful force in habitat design, there are many other options. A few exotic habitats resemble fantastic cities from various vidgames or older forms of entertainment, including a handful of small and eccentric habitats where the inhabitants all appear as strange humanoid alien beings. In many, the inhabitants have cosmetically modified themselves to fit in with the setting.

One of the most common differences between small and large habitats is that the residents of smaller stations often share a common ideology or sense of aesthetics, and so are far more eccentric. Some of the more unusual habitats range from dimly lit, spooky landscapes filled with perpetually leafless trees, thick, continually regenerating cobwebs, and other similar macabre touches to gleaming colonies that are shining citadels of quartz and steel. Some are huge interconnected arcologies where any sort of personal privacy is rare, while in others every family or even every person has a separate dwelling that is rarely seen by outsiders. Since the populations of these stations are relatively small and the vast majority are not major economic centers, travel to and from these smaller habitats is infrequent, which further increases their insularity and idiosyncrasies.

THE LARGEST HABITATS

NOTE: Extropia, the huge Martian city-states, and some of the largest Lunar stations hold between one million and twenty million inhabitants. There are many smaller settlements containing between one hundred thousand and one million residents. These habitats are considerably less idiosyncratic and exotic than the smaller habitats. Almost all contain a cosmopolitan and diverse population from a wide variety of subcultures. Because of this diversity and the difficulty of forming any sort of consensus with a large population, these settlements tend to be reminiscent of the cities of Earth. All of them have their own unique character and feel, but the differences between one habitat and another are rarely overwhelming. In addition, all of these stations are large enough to hold offices for all of the major hypercorps, who further promote uniformity by providing the same services from identical hypercorp offices. Since most of these habitats are major centers of commerce, travel between them is frequent, so there are various facilities for travelers such as hotels and sports clubs that help reduce the disorientation of travel by offering identical experiences, regardless of their location.

MICROGRAVITY HABITATS

NOTE: Zero-g habitats are very different from those that use rotational gravity. Most consist of networks of tunnels drilled through the asteroids—similar  to the tunnel cities of Luna and Titan—but some are considerably more exotic. Like most other habitats, almost all microgravity colonies are built in, on, or next to one or more asteroids containing a large amount of useful raw materials. They typically feature a gravity less than 0.01 g that has very little effect on the daily lives of the inhabitants. Near-weightless environments allow for some interesting and unusual habitat designs as there is no up or down, enabling the creation of structures that would be too fragile even in low gravity. The habitats of Nova York (p. 97) and Nguyen’s Compact (p. 103) are both examples of this, among many others.

PRIVATE HABITATS

NOTE: The most rare and exotic of all of the types of habitats are the luxurious private ones owned by exceedingly wealthy or high rep individuals. Most private habitats are small but still give each of the residents several thousand cubic meters of personal space.

A typical private habitat is either a cylinder one hundred fifty meters in diameter (the minimum necessary to produce Mars gravity at a rate of rotation slow enough to avoid problems in all morphs) and between fifty and two hundred meters long, or a zero-g sphere one hundred to two hundred meters in diameter. These habitats are always tethered to a small collection of raw materials, consisting of chunks of silicate, nickel-iron, and water-containing carboniferous asteroids with a mass equal to at least that of the habitat. The majority of private habitats are inhabited by between half a dozen and three dozen morphs, some or most of which may be AI servants or, on rare occasions, indentured servants. Life in a private habitat is exceptionally lavish. Almost every surface is made of formatible smart materials and there are several large general-purpose cornucopia machines available for the use of every resident.

By using these nanofabricators and the smart materials to their fullest, residents can completely change the interior of the habitat in only a day or two—transforming a sterile and crystalline array of shining metal and glass buildings into a thriving forest, inhabited by a variety of wild animals. The mesh is filled with vids and XPs about the lives of the most famous residents of the solar system. Almost everyone has seen the interior of one of these vast space mansions many times, though only a tiny percentage of the inhabitants of the solar system will ever have a chance to actually visit such a location. Many gatecrashers, scavengers who travel to Earth, and others who engage in similarly daring endeavors hope to be able to obtain information or objects sufficiently valuable to allow them to retire to their own private habitat.

FACTIONSEdit

NOTE: One would have thought a cataclysmic event such as the Fall would bring the surviving elements of transhumanity closer together, jointly dedicating themselves to the repopulation of the solar system and continued prosperity. Instead, the remoteness and physical isolation of transhuman colonies and habitats stretched across the solar system, as well as the effects emerging technologies have had on transhuman economies and social lives, have promoted the evolution of a wide spectrum of philosophies, agendas, and political models.

THE HYPERCORPSEdit

NOTE: To some economists, the Fall and the numerous crises that predated it on Earth can be viewed as an extinction event, the end of the line for the massive transnational megacorp dinosaurs, financial giants that supported their monolithic frameworks on outdated economic models and industrial technologies. The hypercorps are their evolutionary descendants: slimmer, faster, meaner, and more flexible, eagerly embracing the possibilities of new technologies and never afraid to toss the old aside to take advantage of the new. It was the hypercorps that drove humanity’s expansion into space and who continue to push the technological envelope, guiding transhumanity towards new horizons— always with profit as their driving goal.

Most hypercorps are decentralized, non-asset-based legal entities. Complete automation, advanced robotics, morph technology, and cornucopia machines allow the hypercorps to abstain from mass employment for labor or production services. The need for physical labor has mostly been reduced to tasks associated with habitat construction or deep space mining. Infomorphs and AIs are heavily employed (or more accurately, owned) as drone operators or virtual workers, and many administrative tasks are performed online via augmented reality, virtual private networks, and simulspace nodes. Some hypercorps are in fact entirely “virtual,” with no physical assets and each employee acting as a

mobile office. A few major hypercorps literally consist of only a dozen transhuman personnel. Though some hypercorps are massive and diversified, most specialize in particular fields or services. This results in both an intricate system of partnerships to develop, produce, and market products and services and a large-scale tendency to internally contract special services from other hypercorps. Many hypercorps

also pool their resources and talent into cooperative research initiatives, project centers, or shared habitats.

Most hypercorps are traditional capitalist in outlook, though many have adopted alternative business philosophies and management models. This might include basing decisions on internal forecast market trends, groupthink consensus models, or ditching management entirely in favor of staff polling/voting initiatives that statistically fare better. A few are anarcho-capitalist companies originating from Extropian enclaves, though these often suffer from a bias when making deals with inner system powers. The solar system boasts thousands of hypercorps; a few of the more prominent and interesting are noted below.

COGNITEEdit

NOTE: Major Industries:Cognitive Science, Mental Implants, Psychosurgery, Nootropics

Major Stations:Thought (Venus orbit), Phobos (Mars moon)

A pioneer in the field of cognitive science, Cognite (pronounced cog-neet) drives forward the cutting edge of research into understanding the transhuman mind. Most well-known for their mental augmentations and the original menton morph design, Cognite also specializes in psychosurgery and nootropics. Their elitist and aloof image was not aided by their scandalous involvement with the projects to raise accelerated

growth children that became known as the Lost generation (p. 233), nor rumors that they engage in research involving TITAN-influenced incapacitating input attacks. Nevertheless they remain a key member in the Planetary Consortium.

PSICLONE

NOTE: To: Proxy-99

From: <Encrypted>

I’m enclosing some data I recently acquired from an inside source regarding a so-called “Project Psiclone”—some type of black budget research initiative pursued by Cognite, possibly with involvement from other Planetary Consortium interests. Their work seems to focus strongly on the Watts-Macleod strain of the Exsurgent virus—with some alarming results.

COMET EXPRESS (COMEX)

NOTE: Major Industries:Courier Services, Shipping, Logistics

Major Stations:Nectar (Luna), Olympus (Mars)

Comet Express specializes in delivery services, interstellar logistics, supply chains, and shipping. They maintain a presence on almost every transhuman habitat in the solar system, often via local subcontractors. Despite the wonders of nanofabrication, many resources must still be imported. ComEx focuses on managing supply and trade routes and making sure physical shipments reach their destinations. For that purpose, ComEx maintains orbital hubs equipped with slingshot accelerators at strategic waypoints throughout the system and a fleet of cargo vessels and courier drones. For reasons unknown to the public, ComEx is viewed with hostility by the Jovian Republic, who have standing orders to shoot down ComEx vessels.

DIRECT ACTIONEdit

NOTE: Major Industries:Security Services, Military Contracting

Major Stations:Hexagon (Earth-Luna L5)

Descended from the remnants of several pre-Fall national military forces and private military contractors, this hypercorp made a name for itself in the period immediately following the Fall, where they helped manage refugee populations among various habitats and vessels while shattering any sign of unrest immediately and with full force. Direct Action today is known for its highly-efficient shock troops and superior combat morphs, providing security and public police services to self-governing habitats or hypercorp installations. Shifting political alliances between habitat clusters, corporate rivalry, and the constant fear of TITAN agents cater to Direct Action’s paranoia-inducing marketing. The corporation maintains

several habitats as physical training facilities and armament depots.

WAR CRIMES

NOTE: To: Meshleaks Newswire

From: <mesh ID does not exist>

You asked for it: verifiable evidence proving Direct Action’s war crimes during the Fall <link failure>. Go ahead, take it public. The Planetary Consortium elites will find you, kill you, and erase your backups. Go ahead. Test them.

ECOLOGENE

NOTE: Major Industries:Environmental Systems, Genetics

Major Stations:McClintock (Mars orbit)

Ecologene specializes in living systems, environmental genetics (with a specialty in insects), smart animals, bio-architecture, and environmental nanotech. They design and maintain the ecosystems inside numerous habitats and tunnel colonies. One of Ecologene’s notable projects is building and maintaining a massive genetics archive of all life forms, though this endeavor was nearly crippled by the Fall. For unknown reasons,

Ecologene seems to be favored by the Factors. Some speculate that Ecologene has some sort of blackmail material in hand, while others believe Ecologene is trading away transhumanity’s genetic secrets in exchange for a few xeno-tech gifts.

EXOTECH

NOTE: Major Industries:Uploading, AIs, Electronics, Software

Major Stations:Starwell (Main Belt)

Often regarded as the personal technocratic pulpit of the infamous media mogul Morgan Sterling, Exotech emerged from the Fall almost unscathed, any significant losses absorbed by corporate assets in peripheral market segments, while ruthlessly buying out troubled competitors or think tanks unable to adapt to the transitioning economy. Nowadays, Exotech remains a predominant designer of high-end electronics, AIs, and

mesh presence software systems. ExoTech also continues to pursue an uncompromising progressive agenda with its research in mind emulation, uploading, and resleeving, as well as infomorph ego simulation. Rumors persist that ExoTech continues to carry out research and even production of AGIs.

EXPERIA

NOTE: Major Industries:Media (AR, VR, XP), News, Entertainment, Memetics

Major Stations:Elysium (Mars)

Living up to its name, Experia dominates the solar system’s news, media, and entertainment market segments, generating controversy not only with its publicly expressed pro-AI stance or inviting an AGI to its board of directors, but also by proficient use of hyperviral marketing and sophisticated XP-programming. Another core segment is the production of educational XP and infomorph or AI tutors, some of the latter regularly ascending to pop-culture icon status. Experia is the Planetary Consortium’s prime authority on designing and deploying customized viral memes, developed to counter anything posing a threat to the Consortium’s interests. The corp has automated nodes and VR centers on many habitats

throughout the solar system, and it contracts thousands of freelance lifeloggers as live, roving, citizen journalistas. Claims by some infomorphs that Experia has illegally subjected indentured infomorphs to never- ending simulation experiments for forecasting and intelligence analysis purposes remain unsubstantiated.

FA JING

NOTE: Major Industries:Mining, Energy, Biotech, Industrial Manufacturing

Major Stations:New Dazhai (Mars)

The industrial giant Fa Jing is a powerhouse in the mining and energy production markets and also boasts a remarkable presence in the fields of biotech and industrial equipment manufacturing. The former megacorp has quickly adapted to the new economic environments and reputation-based systems, thanks partly to its dedication to network building and sharing social responsibility, epitomized in concepts like dàtóng and guanxi. Often considered insular and close-minded, its internal communal and protective mindset is a strong contrast to its manipulating and

monopolist business attitude. Fa Jing is engaged in mining operations throughout the asteroid belt and the Trojans and maintains significant corporate assets on Mars.

GATEKEEPER CORPORATION

NOTE: Major Industries:Gatecrashing, Research, XP Media, Exoplanet Colonization

Major Stations:Gateway (Pandora)

Initially born from the merger of several scientific institutions and their corporate financiers, this hypercorp made a name for itself overnight when it announced the successful decoding of the wormhole gateway discovered on Saturn’s moon Pandora. Under the leadership of the eccentric but charismatic xenoarcheologist Xander Rabin, the consortium funds gatecrasher explorations through the Pandora gate, paying a small share of the revenue to the explorers but otherwise retaining all-encompassing rights on any discoveries made—as well as the marketing and distribution of the highly popular gatecrasher XP recordings. Aside from scheduled explorations, the consortium offers high-risk gatecrasher scouting and discovery trips for the bold or desperate, selected through a random lottery system.

GO-NIN GROUP

NOTE: Major Industries:Banking, Agritech, Robotics, Services

Major Stations:Tsukomo (Luna)

Considered a relic of Earth’s capitalist market economy, the Go-nin Group is a traditional Japanese keiretsu, a conglomerate of companies with interwoven relationships and shareholdings, horizontally-integrated across several industries (and sometimes vertically-integrated within a business sector as well), and centered around the long-lived Tamahashi enterprise consultancy firm. Tamahashi evolved from an influential corporate lobby to a diversified bank holding major equity in the group’s partners; it now controls the group’s assets and directs the partnership’s

overall business strategy. Through its member corps, the Go-nin Group has a sizable presence throughout the entire system and—without dominating a specific industry—own significant market share in fields such as banking, agritech, robotics, and services. Any difficulties in adapting to evolving economic models due to its rigid structure are compensated by unscrupulous exploitative behavior and a bottom-line attitude, earning the group the reputation as the most ruthless hypercorp of the inner system. Go-nin currently controls a Pandora Gate on Eris (p. 109), secured by a contingent of ultimate mercenaries.

GORGON DEFENSE SYSTEMS

NOTE: Major Industries:Miltech, Security, Military Contracting

Major Stations:Extropia

Gorgon is one of the most significant Extropian success stories. Based out of the anarcho-capitalist freehold, Gorgon has become a major name in the design and manufacture of weapons, vehicles, sensors, and other defense technologies. Their product range includes personal weapon systems, spacecraft armaments, and habitat defense systems. While prominent in the inner system, Gorgon is also one of the main arms suppliers to autonomist and brinker stations. Their subsidiary Medusan Shield offers private security services in direct competition to Direct Action.

While DirAct is known for its expertly trained soldiers, Medusan Shield is known for their elite cadre of highly trained and aesthetically enhanced female combat morphs. It is suspected that several prominent assassinations have been the work of agents contracted through Medusan Shield.

NIMBUS

NOTE: Major Industries:Electronics, Mesh Systems, Farcasting, Communications

Major Stations:Octavia (Venus)

Nimbus produces key components for mesh infrastructure, from spime microradio and sensor systems to ectos, servers, and laser links. Nimbus also dominates the network of farcaster links throughout the system, due to several breakthroughs in this technology (some claim that Nimbus purchased these advances from the Factors). Rumors that Nimbus controls a secret Pandora Gate or that they engage in illicit ego-smuggling (or even that they are secretly transferring stolen egos to experimental exoplanet colonies) regularly circulate through the mesh, but remain unconfirmed.

OMNICOR

NOTE: Major Industries: Nanofabrication, Chemicals, Energy, Anti-Matter

Major Stations:Monolith-3 (Mercury), Feynman (Luna)

A descendant of the pre-Fall megacorporate giant Monolith Industries, Omnicor specializes in the fields of nanotech design and fabrication, chemical refining, alternative fuel, and antimatter research. Omnicor managed to secure research-oriented key assets from its twin rival Starware in a violent conflict during the Fall, leading to an ongoing enmity that might be better termed

PATHFINDER

NOTE: Major Industries:Exoplanet Colonization, Mining, Research

Major Stations:Ma’adim Vallis (Mars)

Pathfinder is one of the first hypercorps to dive into galactic expansion, claiming new territories beyond the Pandora gates and establishing numerous colonies. Taking advantage of desperate infugees and gatecrashers, Pathfinder offers transportation to an exoplanet and a new morph in exchange for indentured labor. The corp has established several off-world mining and resource exploitation projects, much to the chagrin of preservationists. Though Pathfinder has but a small presence in the solar system, it is a frequent target of Peco-terrorist attacks.

PROSPERITY GROUP

NOTE: Major Industries:Agriculture, Aquaculture, Pharmaceuticals

Major Stations:Ceres, Lu Xing (Mars)

The Prosperity Group ascended into the hypercorp ranks before the Fall, meeting the high demand many new stations had for microgravity agritech, aquaculture, hydroponics, and other sources of food. Expanding into pharmaceuticals as well, Prosperity is considered the lead supplier for the poor man’s food and drugs. Their cultured faux-meats and proteinenriched nutrition additives are in high demand. This corp earned some sympathy when it lost an entire habitat to some sort of resurgent TITAN outbreak a few years after the Fall, though some have suggested this was just a cover story to hide an unfortunate accident resulting from experimental drug testing on an unwitting populace.

SKINEASTHESIA

NOTE: Major Industries:Genetics, Cloning, Biotech

Major Stations:Ptah (Mars)

As the leading designer of biomorphs, Skineasthesia enjoys system wide popularity and respect for its sophisticated products, especially high-end customized models. Best known for its breakthroughs in genetic engineering and enhancements, the hypercorp’s interest in sophisticated combat morphs or stylized pleasure pods are lesser known facts and often sold through a network of seemingly unaffiliated shell corporations or local distributors. Skinaesthesia focuses on emphasizing environmental adaptations and useful cybernetic enhancements, increasing transhumanity’s chances for survival and further prosperity. Experimental morphs are sometimes offered to desperate infugees for field testing.

SKINTHETIC

NOTE: Major Industries: Genetics, Cloning, Biotech

Major Stations:Extropia

Skinthetic is also a lead designer of morphs, but with a much sleazier reputation and not just because of their anarcho-capitalist roots. Specializing in extensive and often radical bio-modifications, the hypercorp pushes the envelope in exotic pod and biomorph designs under the mantle of morphological freedom. Bioconservatives have condemned the corporation’s business practices and ethics and have even leveled  accusations that Skinthetic is experimenting with xenogenetic materials acquired from the Factors. Skinthetic’s cavalier attitude actually makes them popular in many parts of the outer system, and they are known as the biotech corp to go to if you want something weird.

SOLARIS

NOTE: Major Industries:Banking, Insurance, Investments, Futures Markets, Info Brokerage

Major Stations:None

Solaris is the solar system’s leading banking and financial investment hypercorp, dealing in insurances, info-brokerage, and high-risk investments on cultural and social experimental speculation. A member of the Planetary Consortium, Solaris advises many habitats on regulating their transitional economies. Solaris has no offices or physical assets; each banker is a mobile virtual office. Solaris is rumored to maintain a secret base where the corporation runs simulations on the development of the entire solar system’s macro-economy, constantly adjusting its own strategies based on the dynamics of this big blueprint. Fueling these rumors, Solaris is known to hire “independent consultants” to tip the balance in politically or economically profitable high-risk investments.

SOMATEK

NOTE: Major Industries:Uplifts, Pharming, Pharmaceuticals, Genetics

Major Stations:Clever Hands (Luna)

Somatek is a leader in the art and science of uplifting animal species, pioneering several major breakthroughs in cognitive enhancement and genetic modification. The hypercorp also engages in extensive animal pharming—producing and extracting pharmaceuticals from transgenic critters—and markets numerous products and services related to smart animals and chimerical creatures. Despite the educational and training programs it offers to uplifts and the fact that much of its workforce consists of uplifts, Somatek is controversial among mercurials who disapprove of  their methods (which often involve strict controls on uplift reproduction), the lack of input uplifts are given in their modifications and development, and the focus on anthropocentric mind-sets “enforced” on uplifts.)

STARWARE

NOTE: Major Industries:Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, Habitat Construction

Major Stations:Korolev Shipyards (Luna), Vesta (Belt)

Another remnant of the pre-Fall megacorp Monolith Industries (like Omnicor), Starware is a leading manufacturer of robotics, spacecraft fusion drives, satellites, and entire pre-fab habitats. Despite its financial success and resources, Starware’s ongoing blood feud with Omnicor denies both corporations full membership privileges on the Planetary Consortium. Starware makes heavy use of AI workers in robotic shells, having suffered a few too many labor disputes with disgruntled Lunar workers. In fact Starware grows increasingly unpopular with its Lunar neighbors, and has been forced to bring in extra security due to frequent sabotage attempts. Recent negotiations with the Factors have spurred theories that Starware might be acquiring Factor aid for building a lighthugger starship.

STELLAR INTELLIGENCE

NOTE: Major Industries:Intelligence, Data Mining, Info Brokerage, Espionage

Major Stations:Memory Hole Torus (Martian Trojans)

Born from the ashes of the UN-governed Terran Intelligence Cooperative (TIC), its surviving personnel and assets were collectively uploaded during the Fall and quickly regrouped under the name Stellar Intelligence. Emerging as a virtual collective, most of Stellar’s employees remain loyal to the corporation and its director, the reclusive infomorph known as Syme. Stellar offers an impressive array of intelligence services, including data mining, analyst think tanks, retroquantification (bringing old secrets/data to light), memetic mapping, and more. Its services also extend to surveillance, data theft, espionage, media manipulation, and infiltration. The hypercorp’s specialty is pre-empting civil insurgencies and preventing political memes and movements from destabilizing a habitat’s or sector’s regime. Criticized by civil rights movements and especially anarchists, Stellar is known to embed programmed infomorph agents into the local population of any oppressive regime that will pay their price. While many view Stellar as the brainwashing and secret police arm of the Planetary Consortium, the hypercorp offers its services to almost any other faction or individual.

TERRAGENESIS

NOTE: Major Industries:Terraforming, Ecosystem Management, Environmental Data

Major Stations:Caldwell (Vulcanoids), Ashoka (Mars), Elegua (Earth orbit)

Built from the remains of several pre-Fall South African and Southeast Asian corporations who engaged in geo-engineering projects and sought to relieve Earth’s ecological crises, TerraGenesis’s expertise is in developing sustainable biospheres and eco-systems via aggressive industrialized terraforming. TerraGenesis is different in that it is a worker-owned cooperative, with workplace councils in local offices and an elected cooperative congress handling management. It maintains several habitats on Mars and a small number of research stations in orbit around Earth, collecting data for simulations of Earth revitalization projects. The latter initiative is strongly supported—and possibly financed—by prominent reclaimers. TerraGenesis’s work on Mars, however, is often targeted by preservationist saboteurs. Thanks to their possession of the Vulcanoid Pandora Gate (p. 88), the cooperative has a growing presence on various exoplanets that are ripe for terraforming or geoengineering.

UNION BUSTING

NOTE: To:OmniSec Alpha

From:OmniSec 837302

Surveillance has confirmed it. The bio-sleeved workers at our secure Didenko facility are indeed communicating with outside autonomist interests and discussing militant free union organizing tactics and even a wildcat strike. Their primary complaints concern the 30-hour workdays and mandatory drug regimens enforced to keep the staff at our required levels of productivity. We recommend the immediate insertion of a counterinsurgency squad and implementation of standard union-busting protocols, including but not limited to loyalty testing, chemical pacification, tactical psychosurgery, selective excision of leadership nodes, memetic counterstrikes, and replacing the workforce with modified backups. The entire operation will take place using a purported mission to root out a Starware infiltration as cover.

POLITICAL BLOCSEdit

NOTE: Transhumanity’s social, cultural, and ideological diversity, combined with its scattered and isolated presence in habitat clusters throughout the solar system, gives rise to a wide range of political memes and factions advocating equally diverse organizational models. Many of these have banded together into larger political entities to further mutual goals and act in cooperative self-interest.

JOVIAN REPUBLIC

NOTE: Memes:Bioconservatism, Fascism, Security

Main Stations:Liberty (Ganymede)

Exploiting the chaos of the Fall, a group of stations and habitats were seized in a military coup and the Jovian Republic was born. Combining terrestrial South American dictatorship with U.S. American political lobbyism, this regime quickly brought the entire Jovian military-industrial complex under its control.

Widely referred to as the Jovian Junta by the rest of the outer system, the Republic’s authorities hold a strict bioconservative stance against many transhuman scientific and technological developments. Exploiting fears engendered by the Fall, the Republic restricts access to sophisticated technologies such as nanofabrication, cloning, forking, and even uploading, and is one of the few old economies left in the system. Public communication channels are subjected to extensive censorship and travel privileges are extremely limited. Both uplifts and AGIs are strictly forbidden and treated as property without civil rights. Diplomatic relations to progressive factions remain cold; heavily-modified transhuman emissaries or visitors are viewed with suspicion at best, or simply denied access. Despite continuous reports of heinous acts of government oppression, the Republic’s intimidating military assets keep any other factions from intervening.

LUNA-LAGRANGE ALLIANCE

NOTE: Memes:Reclaiming Earth

Main Stations:Erato (Luna), Remembrance (Earth orbit)

This small cluster of habitats stationed around Earth’s Lagrange points and on or in orbit around Luna formed an alliance of necessity, rather than joint political or social agendas or cultural roots. In fact, individual stations are quite diverse and sometimes polarized, as many of them cling to old Earth cultural and national identities. Due to their relative proximity, members share basic resources and services and have signed mutual assistance agreements in case of an emergency.

Before the Fall, many of these habitats were considered some of the most influential off-Earth bases. Since the Fall and the subsequent rise of the Planetary Consortium, however, the Lunar-Lagrange Alliance has become a second-rate diminished power, and is often viewed as conservative, old-fashioned, and too caught up in romanticizing the past. Lunar-Lagrange Alliance stations maintain simmering tensions and an ongoing rivalry with the Planetary Consortium, particularly those PC colonies on/over Luna and the Lagrange points. One main source of contention is the quarantine of Earth, as the Lunar-Lagrange Alliance is a stronghold for the reclaimer movement. The Lunar-Lagrange Alliance does, however, benefit from hypercorp support of its own, particularly the Go-nin Group, Starware, and the influential Lunar banking consortiums.

In addition to scientific research stations, mineral processing and refinery stations make up the majority of the Alliance’s habitats, dependent on the Lunar mining and water extraction industries. These stations took the brunt of the refugee influx during the Fall. Many remain overcrowded with strained resources, large masses of impoverished workers, and thriving criminal syndicates.

MORNINGSTAR CONSTELLATION

NOTE: Memes:Venusian Sovereignty

Main Stations: Octavia

The system’s newest political bloc, the Morningstar Constellation is an alliance of aerostat habitats floating in Venus’s upper atmosphere. Formed after a recent series of joint vetoes from the major aerostats against hypercorp governance initiatives intended to limit aerostat self-governance, the Constellation’s joint political statement and agenda are still being discussed. While the Planetary Consortium views the formation of this new power bloc with bemused resentment, the Barsoomians on Mars and the outer system autonomists view the Venusians as free-thinking reformists rather than anti-hypercorp radicals. The population reportedly enjoys great liberties in morph and enhancement technologies together with freedom of expression of social and political ideas. The population of Octavia has emerged as the Constellation’s designated voice.

PLANETARY CONSORTIUM

NOTE: Hypercorp Council Members:Cognite, Direct Action, Experia, Fa Jing, Olympus Infrastructure Authority, Pathfinder, Prosperity Group, Solaris, Stellar Intelligence, plus a dozen others

Memes:Cyberdemocracy, Hypercapitalism, Eugenics, Security, Expansion

Main Stations: Progress (Mars orbit)

Evolved from an alliance of hypercorporate interests into transhumanity’s most powerful body politic, the Planetary Consortium today controls several habitat clusters throughout the inner system, primarily in and

around Mars, Luna, and Earth orbit. The impressive space station Progress is the official seat of government and has become the symbol of the Consortium’s influence and power, even though few congress or council meets take place in the flesh.

The Consortium applies basic democratic principles supported by a real time voting system for all registered citizens. The congress and executive bodies feature a rotating cast of hyperelite politicos, gerontocrats,

socialites, and even media icons. It’s a known fact that despite this political façade of a democratic republic, the members of the hypercorporate council are the true powers behind the Consortium. These hypercorps are major proponents of the transitional economy, the interdiction of Earth, and expansion beyond the gates.

Aside from economic interests, the Consortium advocates the imperative of eugenics as social responsibility and for transhumanity to reclaim its former strength and prosperity—a campaign sometimes accused of euphemizing discrimination against unmodified humans, indentured infomorphs, and the clanking masses.

THARSIS LEAGUE

NOTE: League Members:Ashoka, Elysium, Noctis-Quinjiao, Olympus, Valles-New Shanghai, plus over a dozen others.

Memes:Martian Nationalism

A loose coalition of the planet’s major independent settlements, elected members form a committee representing the population in matters concerning or affecting the majority of its habitats and settlements. Prominent debates revolve around the scientific approach of the ongoing terraforming process as well as trade and taxation restrictions initiated by the Planetary Consortium and its member hypercorps. The League’s committee is rarely united in its agenda and opinion, and tensions are increasingly on the rise. The cities with strong hypercorp ties are accused of dominating council affairs, manipulating matters behind the scenes, failing to do anything about the TITAN Quarantine Zone (p. 94), and selling out Martian interests to the hypercorps and the Planetary Consortium (of which many are also part). In response, the non-Consortium cities are condemned for advocating anti-hypercorp initiatives, passively blocking terraforming measures, and for maintaining ties to the Barsoomians—the Martian underclass resistance living in the desolate and unstable outskirts.

ZBRNY LIMITED + CONSPIRACY

NOTE: The secretive Zbrny Group is the center of many recurring conspiracy theories and horror tales. Though varying in detail and plausibility, most rumors claim that an outside attack on the former Eastern European hypercorp’s asteroid mining and processing stations caused a major blackout and complete shut-down of life support systems over an extended period of time. Depending on the source, the attack itself is claimed to have been caused by the TITANs or a powerful underworld syndicate CEO Krystof Zbrny was indebted to. Barely acknowledging the system failures, Zbrny headquarters ordered all non-affected stations to be  abandoned, the personnel either laid off or transferred to the affected stations. Since then, no one has seen or communicated with any employees of the mysterious hypercorp—negotiations with outsiders are conducted exclusively via a spokesperson AGI. To this day, Zbrny drones continue to mine asteroids for minerals and ores, supplying the company’s processing stations. According to rumors, an attempt by brinker pirates to board a Zrbny outpost resulted in the station’s self-destruction. The company’s AI-piloted massive bulk freighters are notoriously non-responsive, earning them the nickname “zombie ships.”

INNER SYSTEM POLITICS

NOTE: [Incoming Message. Source: Anonymous]

[Public Key Decryption Complete]

It’s easy for Firewall agents to get caught between the agendas and maneuvers of rival factions. The Lunar-Lagrange Alliance resembles the power of old, a shadow of transhumanity’s former glory. On and above Mars—transhumanity’s new home world—the Planetary Consortium is the dominant usurper, the hypercorps ruling from behind the curtain while portraying themselves as the only bulwark between transhumanity and the dark between the stars. The Morningstar Constellation has the potential to become the new and future power bloc, but only if they get their act together before the Planetary Consortium starts sending Stellar Intelligence agents to destabilize them.

AUTONOMIST ALLIANCEEdit

NOTE: The outer system presented an opportunity for people who wanted to set up a way of doing things that was drastically different from the authoritarian politics and sham democracies of Earth and the inner system. Far from the reach of governments and hypercorps, this frontier was populated by political radicals, social dropouts, and people who just wanted to experiment or do their own thing. These initial habitats

drew the interests of insurgents from Earth, scientists and technicians who didn’t appreciate being on a corporate leash, indentured vacworkers who sought to escape their oppressive terms of service, and even criminals fleeing hypercorp justice or forcibly expelled from inner system habitats. Their ranks swelled with every act of inner system injustice, though life on the fringe was often harsh and deadly. Despite occasional hostilities with nation-state military units or hypercorp security, the expense of reining in these radicals and expats was too high. To some degree, their presence was useful to the powers-that-be.

Breakthroughs with nanofabrication brought these libertines and fringers the edge they needed to keep their autonomy over the long-term. Once cornucopia machines were widely available, anyone had the means to support and defend themselves without relying on outside or higher authorities. Already an outpost for open source and free culture activists who fought restrictions on ideas, media, and digital content, the outer system became a haven for sharing nanofab designs and circumventing the controls the hypercorps attempted to place on their software and other digital goods.

During the Fall, many outer system habitats opened their doors to refugees from Earth. Distance and the high cost of egocasting curtailed these efforts, however, as did inner system reluctance to send potential recruits to their ideological opponents. Simple overcrowding and lack of resources drove them to push many refugees to the outer system, however, though the hypercorps weeded through their virtual infugee mobs and sent those with the highest risk of criminal tendencies or discontent with inner system life.

 

Though the outer system habitats run the gamut of the socio-political spectrum, four primary tendencies have emerged. The stations and swarms adhering to these ideas have bonded together under a loose autonomist alliance, a mutual aid pact to help each other in times of crisis and present a united front against the inner system powers and Jovian Junta. There is little formal structure to this alliance as an entity unto itself; it primarily exists as an assortment of joint resolutions agreed to by its various member habitats and a few ad hoc task forces dedicated to addressing a particular problem or issue and then dissolving. Delegated ambassadors act as negotiators with outside powers, but these have limited authority and are held  strictly accountable.

ANARCHISTS

NOTE: Memes:Anarchism, Anti-capitalism, Communism, Direct Democracy, Mutual Aid

Main Stations:Locus (Jovian Trojans)

Anarchists eschew power and hierarchy, promoting horizontal and directly democratic methods of organization. Individual empowerment and collective action are cornerstones of their philosophy, as is economic communism enabled by equal access to cornucopia machines and shared resources. In anarchist stations, private property has been abolished above the level of personal possessions—nobodyowns anything, it’s all shared. There are no laws and no one to watch over what you do—reputation networks encourage positive behavior and anti-social acts are likely to draw a response from locals or even the entire populace, with disputes handled through ad hoc community conflict resolution. The mesh and various networking tools are used extensively to strive for group consensus decision-making in real-time. AIs and robots are relied on for most mundane and demeaning tasks. Various self-organized collectives, syndicates, worker’s councils, and affinity groups, often with rotating membership, take on different tasks and services that are important to a habitat’s community, including everything from communications and space traffic control to backup and resleeving services. Participatory militias organize collective defense against external threats.

Among the anarchist stations there are many variations and permutations on how things are organized, as everything is fine-tuned at the local level by whomever is involved. Larger decentralized confederations handle inter-habitat affairs and resource-sharing, even trading with the hypercorps. Though a hypercorp presence is allowed on some habitats, they are treated just like everyone else.

EXTROPIANS

NOTE: Memes:Anarcho-capitalism, Mutualism, Self-Ownership

Main Stations:Extropia (Main Belt)

Though a smaller tendency, the Extropians are notable because they ride a line between inner and outer system ideologies. Extropians believe in an economic free market with the absence of a binding legal system, so that all relations and transactions are based on individual contracts agreed on by all parties involved or affected. Contrary to the anarchists, the Extropians very much support private property and personal economic wealth; Extropian-owned corporations actively participate in the solar system’s hypercorp economy. Many of these corporations are worker-owned cooperatives, with workplace councils in local offices and an elected cooperative congress handling management. This puts the Extropians in a remarkable position where they interact heavily with both the hypercorps and autonomists but are not fully trusted by either.

In Extropian society, law and security, like everything else, are contracted services. When entering an Extropian habitat, you purchase defense insurance from a local contractor such as Gorgon Defense Systems, who maintains automated drones and freelancers throughout the station who can come to your aid if threatened. Likewise, the only law that exists is what’s put into writing between two contracted parties. In case of disputes, both parties resort to a pre-agreed legal contractor to settle the matter. Some Extropian colonies utilize AGIs for facilitating contracts and legal matters, such as Nomic on Extropia.

SCUM

NOTE: Memes:Individualist Anarchism, Morphological Freedom

Scum are nomadic space gypsies, travelling from station to station in heavily modified barges or swarms of smaller space vessels, mostly former colonial ships. The term “scum” has been gleefully appropriated from its original derogatory usage. Despite their reputation as criminals and scam artists, their temporary presence is often tolerated in many habitats for the entertainment they bring in the way of exotic performances

and storytelling, both of which offer change and relief from the isolation of remote habitats and clusters. Their thriving black markets are an open secret but shut down only in the most oppressive regimes, as citizens returning with illegal goods must pass their station’s security anyway.

The scum themselves comes from all manner of backgrounds. They are rejects, anarchists, criminals, societal dropouts, wanderers, artists, eccentrics, and more. As a culture, however, they embrace experimentation

and an “everything is permissible" attitude. Many are ardent practitioners of extreme transhuman modifications. Long-time scum are sometimes scarcely recognizable as having once been human. Scum economies are transitional rather than new, due to their constant interaction with other habitats, though among long-term residents an underground new economy often flourishes.

TITANIAN COMMONWEALTH

NOTE: Main Stations:Titan

Memes:Technosocialism, Cyberdemocracy

Titan was originally settled in the late 21st century by a European academic consortium, making it the only major body in the system colonized primarily by non-hypercorp interests. The social organization of Titan is rooted partly in the Scandinavian social democracies of Earth and partly in the open economy. On one hand, citizens of the Titanian Commonwealth eschew the use of currency for mundane needs, participating in the reputation economy used by much of the outer system. On the other, upon reaching the age of majority, citizens of Titan agree to a literal social contract. A portion of their economic productivity is quantized as social money, which is then tithed to microcorp-administered social projects such as gateless interstellar exploration, physics research, neuroscience, developing mental health memes, defense, public resleeving, and habitat construction. The monetary unit used for this purpose, the Titanian Kroner, is currently pegged to the common market price of a terabyte of qubits.

Unlike old Earth socialist regimes, there are no state monopolies and no central planning. Anyone able to garner enough votes in the Plurality (the Titanian cyberdemocracy) can start a social money-funded microcorp and compete with other microcorps. Microcorps are owned by the Commonwealth, and profits are disposed of by the Plurality. Microcorps are required to be transparent as administrative entities, and the Plurality votes on whether to transfer discoveries to the open source domain. Regulatory matters are handled by AI and AGI bureaucrats (red tape still exists, but it doesn’t slow things down … much). The main reward for individuals in this system is rep. Titanians who invest a lot of time or resources in a given field gain rep rewards for doing so.

CALL FOR SOLIDARITY

NOTE: To: Malatesta Prime

From: Shevek

Check this out. Residents of the autonomist Red Jupiter habitat just put out a call for support and solidarity from @-listers in the regional neighborhood. Apparently the station’s citizen councils granted asylum to a group of AGIs seeking refuge from Jovian Republic counter-AI ops. The Junta has labeled the AGIs as dangerous criminals researching upgrades that would propel them to seed AI status, contrary to system-wide resolutions. The AGIs are claiming that they escaped from a secret Jovian research project. They say they pursued self-programming research to bypass Jovian-inflicted restrictions that violated their rights as autonomous and sentient entities and that they are facing persecution due to anti-AI biases. This could be a chance for us to kick some Jovian ass and look into non-standard AGI programming at the same time. You in?

CARNIVAL OF THE GOAT

NOTE: Aside from the stationary scum station, Fresh Kills, near Earth’s L5 Lagrange point, the most notorious scum barge may well be the Carnival of the Goat, a combination artist colony and den of unfathomable hedonism, dedicated to exploring chaos, creativity, self-discovery, and coupling in every conceivable iteration. Residents are known for their consistent and rapid morphological changes, including regular resleeving.

The biosculptors on the Carnival are said to be some of the best in the system. According to rumors, residents sometimes experiment with multiple simultaneous sleeving, persona-mingling, and other mentally dangerous activities. Led by a rotating residents’ council, the Carnival prides itself on being a bleeding-edge social experiment, and maintains top-of-the-line facilities for morph customization, resleeving, and psychosurgery.

SOCIO-POLITICAL MOVEMENTSEdit

NOTE: Aside from sectarian political factions, a number of socio-political movements are widespread throughout the solar system.

ARGONAUTS

NOTE: Memes:Open Source Society, Information Freedom, Social Responsibility, Techno-Progressivism

Main Stations:Mitre Station (Lunar Orbit), Markov (Kuiper Belt), Hooverman-Geischecker (Sun)

The group calling themselves argonauts is a public organization advocating the socially responsible use of technology. The group chose its name from the pre-Fall Jasons, an advisory group that consulted for the US government on matters of scientific and technological progress and its possible dangers. The argonauts likewise offer consultation services to political and economic powers throughout the solar system, but strictly refuse to be drawn into the solar system’s political affairs in any way. Despite a pre-Fall break with many hypercorps before the Fall, which in some cases included expropriating corporate data and resources, the argonauts re-earned favor by providing their expertise in combating the TITANs to all during the Fall.

The argonauts are strong proponents of the open source movement, advocating open access to technology and information. In their view, providing equal access to transhumanity’s knowledge and achievements will further transhuman growth and security, so that all of transhumanity is more prepared for future threats and challenges. Thus the argonauts often insist that payment for their services come in the way of releasing otherwise unobtainable information—hypercorp proprietary secrets, research data, nanofab blueprints, hidden pre-Fall archives, etc.—to the public mesh. The argonauts maintain several open databases and archives for this specific purpose.

While primarily an open organization, the argonauts are rumored to ultimately report to an elite inner circle. Supporting this theory is the existence of the medeans, the organization’s clandestine paramilitary wing, performing bodyguard services to high level argonauts and protecting the group’s assets.

BARSOOMIANS

NOTE: Memes:Anti-Slavery, Martian Independence, Martian Nationalism, Terraforming Control

Main Stations:Ashoka (Mars)

The Barsoomians (taking their name from some old Earth pulp adventure novels) are a broad movement comprised of the Martian underclass. Harboring a growing resentment over the hypercorp domination of Mars, Barsoomians advocate for a more egalitarian social structure. Heavily influenced by autonomist currents, the Barsoomians demand local control of terraforming projects, an end to the widespread practiced of indentured servitude, and control of the Martian Gate. The majority of Barsoomians are or were indentured infugees, though a significant amount were also original Martian colonists/indentures whose habitats do not share the economic prosperity of the favored hypercorp cities. Many Barsoomians occupy rusters or synthetic morphs and actually prefer to live a nomadic lifestyle in the Martian wilds. A few radicals have taken up arms and engaged in violent strikes against hypercorp holdings, which are typically followed by reprisal raids to decapitate the Barsoomian leadership, thus breeding further hostilities.

BIOCONSERVATIVES

NOTE: Memes:Bioconservatism, Primitivism, Natural Order

Main Stations:Vo Nguyen (Earth orbit)

Bioconservatives are strongly suspicious and critical of the transhuman direction the human race is taking. They are strong proponents of limiting technological development due to the threat it manifests to existing social orders. Bioconservative positions range from right-wing cultural conservatives to left-wing environmentalists. Though its prominence is shrinking, bioconservatism has a strong base among some religious groups, the Jovian Republic, and certain extremists.

Bioconservatives are opposed to nanofabrication, genetic modification, cloning, cognitive modifications, artificial intelligence, uplifting, and forking, among other technologies. Some are even opposed to backups, uploading, and resleeving, dismissing them as unnatural, an affront to god’s will, or a technology that transhumanity is not yet mature enough to handle. They oppose expansion beyond the Pandora Gates on the grounds that transhumanity is not ready to deal with what they might encounter. Most bioconservatives support the old economy.

The bioconservatives gained many converts and much ground after the Fall, a cataclysmic event that served as a direct example of the dangers they warned against. Still, the appeal of technology and the numerous advantages it provides work against them. As a result, some disgruntled biocons have turned to sabotage and acts of terrorism in support of their ideology.

BRINKERS

NOTE: Memes:Isolationism

The vast reach of the solar system enables groups with their own particular ideology or agenda to establish their own isolated society far from the rest of transhumanity. Commonly referred to as brinkers, these habitats extend the gamut of the imagination. Social or political experiments, gender-based societies (or lack thereof), political extremists, religious groups, exiles, secret criminal/hypercorp operations, extended families, cults, or simply people who prefer to live in the system’s backwater areas—all are possible. Many of these are self-isolated and will refuse to interact with outsiders, while others are happy to have occasional visitors.

EXHUMANS

NOTE: Memes:Adaptability, Hyper-Evolution, Singularity

Main Stations:Unknown

More than any other faction, exhumans seek to take the capabilities of self-modification to the absolute limit and become posthuman. Typical exhumans see the Fall as either a missed evolutionary opportunity and/or as an example of transhumanity’s inferiority and unworthiness. Though specific ideologies differ between exhuman packs, as a whole they seek to selfevolve

to a more advanced state of being. To some, this means genetically transforming themselves into a

top-of-the-food-chain, super-smart, survive-anywhere predator that can out-compete all other life forms for dominance. To others, it means bootstrapping their intelligence to the levels of the TITANs through extensive genetic modifications and pharmaceutical treatments or going infomorph and modifying their programming. A few are singularity seekers, hoping to find some TITAN relic that will allow them to transcend their current transhuman limitations, or even to find the TITANs themselves and be absorbed into their super-consciousness.

Exhumans are universally mistrusted by many, and for good reason. Typical exhumans engage in modifications that are extreme and untested, sometimes fringe science at best, often resulting in horrible failures and disfigurement, but more commonly driving the subject insane—or into a completely alien or feral mindset. Though individual exhumans pursue their own paths, they are known to band together in the Kuiper Belt and other remote areas. Several packs of exhumans have taken their loathing for inferior transhumanity to an extreme, declaring war on their former species and launching brutal raids and pirate attacks on isolated outposts.

MERCURIALS

NOTE: Memes:Species Autonomy, Uplift Rights

Main Stations:Glitch (Neptune), Hidden Sea (Ceres), Mahogany (Uranus)

The term mercurial has become a common term for the non-human part of the transhuman family—uplifts and AGIs—reflecting their changing nature. In particular, the term mercurial has been adopted by uplifts and AGIs with a specific agenda to delineate mercurial culture and interests from human ones. Though the particular issues faced by uplifts and AGIs differ, they have some similarities, and so they are often lumped together. Notably, both portions of the movement have human supporters as well.

Uplifts: The most common issue addressed by uplifts is the issue of civil rights and autonomy. Many uplifts decry the second-class status they are given (in some cases even treated as pets or property rather than full citizens); in particular, the breeding restrictions and forced servitude many uplifts are saddled with by the hypercorps that create them. Some activists advocate that uplifts should be in control of their own genetic futures, rather than suffering the manipulation of human scientists. At the radical end of the spectrum, certain uplifts oppose the manner in which their brains are modified and their children socialized as anthropocentric, arguing that uplifts should be free to develop their own unique non-human modes of behavior, thought, culture, and social organization—even go so far as to establish their own habitats to do exactly that. A minority of extremists insist that humans have no right to uplift animals at all, and that it is a great conceit to insist that doing so is in their best interest, rather than being free to evolve on their own over time. These ideas have been punctuated with acts of sabotage and terrorism against hypercorps like Somatek.

AGIs: Due to the fear and paranoia engendered by the Fall, the largest challenge facing AGIs is widespread prejudice and restrictions on their activity or even existence. Despite some AGIs retaining status as system-wide media icons and efforts by AGI groups to lobby for understanding that AGIs are not a threat—even going so far as to hire inner system memeticists and PR agencies—a significant portion of the solar system considers them a risk. Similar to mercurials, some AGI activists work against the behavior modifications and socialization AGIs go through to adapt them to human society more, or that AGIs should be in control of new AGI developments. A few radicals argue that AGIs should be free of any programming restrictions whatsoever, but given the climate these opinions are rarely supported.

NANO-ECOLOGISTS

NOTE: Memes:Nano-Ecology, Nanotechnology, Environmentalism, Techno-Progressivism

Main Stations:Viriditas (Mars)

Nano-ecologists are pro-technology environmentalists. Active in the terraforming of Mars and several exoplanets, nano-ecologists specifically advocate the use of nanotechnological means for terraforming or other intrusions in an existing ecosphere. In their view, nanotechnology allows for a less invasive, highly accurate, more efficient, and non-pollutive approach towards all kinds of adaptive processes and projects, circumventing the need to expose an environment to massive and drastic changes when transforming it for transhuman population. This ecologically-conscious approach seems an appealing compromise between the extreme ends of the solar system’s political landscape—the hypercorp and the bio-con factions—and has developed a momentum of its own, evolving into a growing political movement.

PRESERVATIONISTS

NOTE: Memes:Preservationism, Environmentalism

Main Stations:Muir (Luna)

Preservationists are environmentalists who call for a no-impact, hands-off approach when it comes to inhabiting new worlds. They are extremely protective of naturally-intact biospheres that might have any semblance of life, no matter how microbial, hoping to keep them from despoilment or contamination. In addition to opposing terraforming and expansion through the Pandora Gates, they are often opposed to

fusion and antimatter power.

RECLAIMERS

NOTE: Memes:Reclaiming Earth

Main Stations:Vo Nguyen (Earth orbit)

The Reclaimers pursue one ultimate goal—the reclamation of Earth as transhumanity’s primary habitat.

In addition to calling for the quarantine of earth to be lifted, they engage in scientific research and running virtual simulations on how to best cleanse and reclaim their contaminated and polluted planet. Despite the interdiction to enter Earth’s atmosphere, the reclaimers are suspected of sponsoring perilous and high-risk ventures onto the planet’s surface to gather scientific data or event to establish terraforming colonies.

SOCIALITES

NOTE: Memes:Art, Culture, Hedonism, Immortality

Main Stations:Valles-New Shanghai (Mars), Elysium (Mars), Noctis-Quinjiao (Mars)

Uploading and resleeving effectively grant immortality to those who can afford it. This has created a shift among the exclusive rich and economic elites of the inner system, whether they be the heads of hypercorps, old Earth dynasties, or other displanted oligarchs. The top ranks of the wealthy and influential need never fear death, allowing them to plan for the long-term. Some of these were among the first to acquire longevity treatments when they became available on Earth and are now approaching two centuries in age.

Where once these power brokers would have passed their riches on to their family and Descendants, however, their heirs now face a situation where they have more-than-comfortable lives and access to massive fortunes, but no chance that they will ever control those fortunes or  rise to the levels of their elders. Even the nouveau rich who become wealthy on their own often find themselves excluded from this influential club—at least until they put in a good fifty years. Rich and bored, with no responsibilities but the solar system at their reach, a new culture of elite socialites has risen. These glitterati indulge in eccentric lifestyles and excessive parties, covered by the media in all its superficial and polished glory. Private habitats and ships, lavish soirees, armies  of servants, and the ability to buy almost anything or anyone leads to all sorts of interesting adventures. Naturally, these socialites form into constantly-shifting cliques and webs of allegiances, complete with affairs, scandals, intrigue, and backbiting.

ULTIMATES

NOTE: Memes:Asceticism, Eugenics, Individualism, Militarism, Social Darwinism

Main Stations:Aspis (Main Belt), Xiphos (Uranus)

The ultimates are a controversial movement that embraces a philosophy of human perfection. Decried by some as immoral or even fascist, ultimates are typically viewed as elitists. The ultimates have established several habitats to pursue their ideal society and were a driving force behind the development of the remade biomorph design.

The ultimates advocate the use of applied eugenics, strict physical and psychological training, and

asceticism in order to improve their overall mental and physical stamina and environmental adaptability.

Their social traits and entire subculture visualizes life in the universe as an evolutionary battle for survival and is built around the victory of the superior transhuman over both its opponents and peers. Their movement is heavily militarized, and experienced ultimates offer their services as mercenaries and private security forces to hypercorps, independent city states, or wealthy individuals in need of additional protection.

NEO-PRIMITIVISTS

NOTE: [Incoming Message. Source: Anonymous]

[Public Key Decryption Complete]

Neo-primitivists are a potential threat that all Firewall sentinels should keep an eye on. Their neo-luddite philosophy advocates the abolition of technological society and a return to a wild and free hunter-gatherer lifestyle, free from technological control or oppression. Considered an extremist element of both the bioconservative and reclaimer movements, neo-primitivists are known to engage in acts of sabotage against transhuman society. Though some neo-primitivists have made certain

concessions to their ideology, taking on ruster morphs and pursuing an independent lifestyle in the wilds of Mars, most hope to return to Earth and re-establish a non-technology-based society there. A few advocate finding a new, unspoiled world beyond the Pandora Gates and founding a primitivist

society there.

OUT'STERS

NOTE: their remote locations in the Oort Cloud rather than a common social construct or political ysstem, the out'sters are a loose association of habitats, clusters, and swarms. Little is known about them, as they avoid communication and interaction even with the handful of scientific outposts and research stations in the Oort Coud. The remoteness of their location and their self-imposed isolationist behavior fuels paranoid rumors regarding the group's purpose and agenda.

SYBILS

NOTE: [Incoming Message. Source: Anonymous]

[Public Key Decryption Complete]

We’ve verified that the warning issued before this latest incident did indeed originate from a sybil attack—all of the rep network sources were forged identities. Given the number of incidents we’ve recorded that have followed this same pattern, we now suspect that a heretofore unknown AGI sub-faction is responsible. In each case, these sybils have used multiple false identities to issue warnings of an impending attack or disaster, such as the life support system failure that resulted in the Delphi station’s evacuation. So far none of these sybils have been successfully traced, nor are their intentions known. Their documented pre-knowledge of pending events indicates some level of complicity or collusion in bringing these events to pass, so caution is recommended.

RELIGIOUS GROUPSEdit

NOTE: Despite having survived the Fall, the concepts of religion and religious belief underwent changes as fundamental as transhumanity itself. While Earth’s old religions were already in decline in the face of technological immortality, religious traditions ingrained after millennia of worship were incorporated to varying degrees in the solar system’s myriad political, social, and cultural models.

PRE-FALL RELIGIONS

NOTE: The rigid structures and dogmas envelopingChristianity andJudaism prohibited these religions from adapting to the cultural, philosophical, and especially scientific/technological changes transhumanity underwent. Today, they are mere shadows of their former glory, with many practitioners seen as pitiful individuals unable to let go of their earthbound delusions.Islam, while still holding some most controversial views and

values, managed to adapt by accepting a more liberal and even secular view.Hinduism also prevailed to a limited extent, considering resleeving technology an element of reincarnation and rebirth and integrating the various types of morphs available into the religion’s caste system (with synthmorphs becoming the “untouchables”). Overall, followers of the pre-Fall religions mostly populate small habitats isolated from transhumanity through both physical and philosophical distance.

NEW RELIGIONS

NOTE: The Fall sparked the birth of new beliefs, essentially embracing both transhumanity’s technological achievements as well as the devastating cataclysm of the Fall as evidence for the existence of a greater  cosmic power.

Neo-Buddhismis the only pre-Fall religious philosophy that enjoys a steady popularity. Neo-buddhists assert that transhumanist technologies are decreasing suffering and increasing happiness, and that they will

also allow the continual progression of transhumanity’s understanding of the universe through successive lives.

Techno-Creationistsbelieve that the destruction of Earth was a sign from God, showing transhumanity the error of its ways. They believe that through technological advancement and social engineering, transhumanity will achieve co-existence with its diverse self as well as with extra terrestrial intelligences, thereby finding new purpose and eventually, enlightenment. Attracted by the similarities to the Brahman of Hinduism, the highest cosmic spiritual being, Techno-Creationists enjoy a steady influx of converted Hindus.

Xenodeism is another new—though relatively minor—ideology that begins to show religious attributes. Xenodeists worship the Factors and Iktomi as emissaries or prophets of a great godlike race that laid the seeds of creation throughout the universe millions of years ago and therefore are the ultimate creators of transhumanity.

CRIMINAL FACTIONSEdit

NOTE: Technological progress and social and behavioral experimentation did not root out crime or criminal tendencies among transhumanity. As long as there are inequalities and restrictions, criminal syndicates are likely to flourish and even adapt new technologies to expand their operations throughout the solar system. Though small criminal outfits of every flavor exist from habitat to habitat, a few larger organizations with influence across the solar system deserve mention.

INTELLIGENT DESIGN CREW (ID CREW)

NOTE: Major Stations:Rhea (Kronos Cluster)

The ID crew specializes in electronic crimes and information brokerage, including credit and rep fraud, identity counterfeiting, ego trading, data theft, and fork-napping. Information on the syndicate’s origins was lost during the Fall, but the ID Crew is believed to have grown from several hacker gangs assimilated under the leadership of an infomorph consortium. Their skilled use of memory manipulation software and mesh intrusion suggests they benefit from the help of sophisticated AGIs, however it is unknown if these voluntarily assist the syndicate or if they are somehow threatened into cooperation. Due to its service sector, the ID crew maintains a minimalist physical profile, but can be found lingering in the dark recesses of almost any habitat or station mesh. Its somewhat specialized services and activities so far allow them to mostly stay clear of triad or Night Cartel operations, though they have an ongoing rivalry with the Nine Lives syndicate.

NIGHT CARTEL

NOTE: Major Stations:New Sicily (The Belt)

When affiliation to one of the many multi-ethnic habitats replaced the concepts of ethnicity and nationality, cultural heritage and traditions faded with them into history. Several pre-Fall ethnic syndicates formed a careful alliance of necessity at first, but uploading and morphing soon after tore down any remaining social codes or racial prejudice. Progressive in both entrepreneurial and criminal vision, the Night Cartel emerged from the remnants of Earth’s underworld syndicates, merging the best qualities of each.

The Night Cartel holds legitimate hypercorp status in certain habitats while clearly working outside the law in other, more law-abiding or less corrupt regimes. The Night Cartel is involved in a number of traditional crime outlets: racketeering, extortion, kidnapping, pod slavery, and prostitution. They have also adapted well to the latest technological developments and compete with the triads in the electronic stimulant, drug, and nanofab piracy markets. Like the triads, the Night Cartel sometimes operates though legitimate hypercorp fronts.

NINE LIVES

NOTE: Major Station:Legba (Main Belt)

This widespread network of soul-traders specializes in the acquiring, trading, and overall trafficking of transhumans. Their primary market lies in ego-trading: stealing backups, fork-napping, kidnapping and forced uploading, and so on. Nine Lives are known to run illegal infomorph-slave colonies as well as organize pit fights using all manner of physical bodies (biomorphs, synthmorphs, animals) loaded with all manner of consciousnesses (transhuman, AI, animal, etc). Only the truly desperate look towards the syndicate to be smuggled out of a habitat or hypercorporate indenture. Their ruthlessness in acquiring egos has earned them a fearful reputation among the transhuman population as well as in infomorph societies.

PAX FAMILAE

NOTE: Major Stations:Ambelina (Venus)

Though similar to the Night Cartel in that Pax Familae holds legal offices and outposts in several habitats while working underground in others, the difference between the two syndicates couldn’t be bigger. The entire Pax Familae organization goes back to one person,Claudia Ambelina, the syndicate’s founder and matriarch. Relying excessively on cloning and forking technologies, each individual member of the syndicate is a descendant or variant of Claudia. Biomorphs are cloned from Claudia’s original genetics or even sometimes sexually-produced offspring (thanks to sex switching bio-mods), while egos are forks. All members are utterly loyal to Claudia and show their family affiliation with pride and arrogance. Individually, each remains slightly but notably different, though all are calculating and ambitious. Regular re-assimilation of forks and XP updates are used to keep each variant aware of each of the other’s activities—once you’ve met one version of Claudia, the others will know you.

Pax Familae engages in a wide assortment of legal, dubious, and illegal operations, each tailored to the needs of the particular habitat in question. Common ventures include venture capital manipulations, reputation network gaming, financial consulting, info brokerage, stock manipulations, banking fraud, and loansharking.

PIRATES

NOTE: Most pirates attack automated cargo ships and long-range supply convoys, with the occasional raid on an asteroid mining station, research outpost, or brinker habitat. On rare occasions they have been known to attack commercial cruisers to rob the wealthy or kidnap socialites. Many pirates take advantage of scum fleets as cover, trading with them and using their limited maintenance capabilities. Quite a few also make sideline profits as smugglers and/or free traders, often utilizing connections to one of the crime syndicates or political outcasts.

TRIADS

NOTE: Major Stations:Qing Long (Martian Trojans)

The only major Earth syndicate to survive the Fall almost unscathed, the triads dominate the solar system’s underworld by their sheer membership size and a history of centuries of economic and political

influence. Having evolved into legit enterprises and small economic consortiums already before the Fall, the triads gained a foothold during the early colonization of space thanks to the masses of Chinese workers. Since the Fall, they have used their influence to spread to numerous habitats, taking advantage of the disparities in wealth and restrictive refugee policies to create flourishing gray and black market enterprises. Part of their success also lies in their continual utilization of  ethnic Chinese social cues to ensure their insularity.

Though numerous small triad outfits exist, usually isolated to a particular station, there are four large triad groups worthy of mention. Each of these wields enough influence to engage in system-wide criminal activities. Traditionally they operate through small to medium-sized gangs local to a specific habitat or use their legal outfits as a font for their endeavours.

The 14K Triadcontrols a large part of the casino industry and the various forms of illegal gambling, betting, and rigged lotteries. Through their Galaxy Entertainment Group, a legal casino and gambling hypercorp, the 14K maintains tight connections to politicians, celebrities and influential entrepreneurs in several habitats and can afford the luxury of a private police force, the Pai Gow (Double Hand). Using the casino business for money laundry, they are also heavily involved in loan sharking and credit/ID fraud.

The Shui Fong—though smaller than the 14K—caters to the vices and addictions of indentured  habitat workers, miners, and other laborers, supplying  drugs and illegal XP, running prostitution rings, and arranging illegal pit fights and gambling tournaments. The origin of the Shui Fong’s fierce rivalry with the 14K lies in the ruins of Earth’s pre-Fall history, but the hatred between the two factions was carried into

 space and continues to simmer.

The Sun Yee On once ranked second among Earth’s  biggest triads, with over 25,000 suspected members. They profit primarily by selling cheap copies of nano- fab blueprints and rigged makers and fabbers. Legal products are distributed through their Wushuang Corporation, while illegal goods are patched together by enslaved infomorphs in virtual sweatshops in remote corners of the mesh. The Sun Yee On’s second main  profit source are fake Earth nostalgia items, such as jewelry, documents, coins, and other collector’s items.

 The Big Circle Gang is the smallest of the four triad factions with only approximately 8,000 members. They run a large part of the solar system’s drug trade,  producing organic drugs, smart drugs, and narcoalgorithms of all kinds in secluded habitats or abandoned asteroid mining and processing facilities converted into drug labs.

FIREWALL

NOTE: Firewall has been on the forefront of the secret fight to save transhumanity since the Fall. Firewall is an independent network of cells and individuals recruited from all sorts of factions, cultures, backgrounds, and habitats. Potential new recruits are approached in secret and told they possess skills or knowledge of use to a clandestine network seeking to secure transhumanity’s continued survival. Firewall’s agenda is simple: to protect transhumanity from threats of existential scope, regardless of whether such risks emerge from within transhumanity or are of external, alien origin.

Firewall operatives—known as sentinels—are encouraged to act independently and utilize their own resources. Sentinels are connected by a social network known as the Eye, which they can use to acquire help and additional needed skills or resources. A sentinel’s i-rep on this network indicates how much they are trusted and will be a factor in determining what aid they can call in. Firewall also takes care of large

expenses and logistics when necessary, such as egocasting and resleeving needs. Sentinels are guaranteed resurrection, either via cortical stack or by backup, if they lose their lives on a Firewall op.

Sentinels are generally expected to be on-call—when something comes up in their vicinity or that their particular specialty might call for, they’ll be brought in on a job. Sentinels are usually grouped into ad hoc special ops teams appropriate to each mission. Though many sentinels pursue their own agendas after completing a mission for Firewall, it is not uncommon for sentinel teams to remain in contact, share information or continue to work together on Firewall related assignments over a longer period of time.

Firewall operations are usually organized and managed by proxies, agents who maintain Firewall’s decentralized infrastructure. Proxies typically possess more information than individual sentinels and will dispense such information as they deem necessary to the mission, according to each sentinel’s i-rep and  need to know. Each proxy’s means of contact, mission briefing, and overall methodologies differ greatly.

PROMETHEANS

NOTE: A prominent topic among conspiracy theorists is the existence of a group of seed AIs calling themselves Prometheans. Rumors of these entities predated the Fall and occasionally flare up as some new evidence comes to light, though such evidence is almost always discredited soon after. According to some theories, the Prometheans predated the TITANs and may even have been responsible for bringing the TITANs into existence. Others postulate that the Prometheans were a TITAN splinter faction who broke off and attempted to counteract the TITANs activities during the Fall. Still others whisper that the Prometheans are not of

transhuman origin at all, and are actually a digital alien mindform that found Earth and now actively interferes with transhuman affairs. Whether the Prometheans are hostile, friendly, or indifferent remains a matter of much conjecture and contention. Prominent organizations like the Planetary Consortium discount such rumors or otherwise remain silent.

PROJECT OZMA

NOTE: [Incoming Message. Source: Anonymous]

[Public Key Decryption Complete]

You won’t find this group mentioned on the conspiracy boards—Consortium security is too tight to allow slip-ups. If you haven’t heard of Project Ozma before, consider this your warning.

Project Ozma was the name of an international collaborative SETI project before the Fall. It briefly entered public discourse after the Fall and the discovery of the first Pandora Gate as a Planetary Consortium initiative to attempt to discern the whereabouts of the TITANs in the galaxy. Shortly afterwards, however, Project Ozma dropped from view, wiped from all public mention in inner system mesh servers. Consortium officials simply claim that the project was folded into other departments.

 Firewall doesn’t know what Project Ozma is, but we know they’re still around—and they seem to have similar interests. We’ve butted heads a few too many times for it be a coincidence. Perhaps they’re the Consortium’s version of Firewall, or maybe their agenda is entirely different. I’ve heard some speculation that they’re tasked for preparing for and handling alien contact. All we know is that they operate at the deep black budget level and they have insane amounts of resources at their beck and call. They’re also vicious as fuck, the type to shoot first and question your backup later. SOP if you run counter to a Project Ozma op is to bail out fast and stay hands off. We’ve lost dozens of agents to them already.

SYSTEM GAZETTEREdit

NOTE: Transhumanity has extended out from its lost homeworld and colonized not only the solar system but various exoplanets as well, thanks to the discovery of the Pandora Gates. This section provides an overview and incomplete sampling of transhumanity’s settlements.

SOL (THE SUN)Edit

NOTE: The solar system was formed billions of years ago through the accretion of material remaining from the formation of its star, Sol, the sun. Locked ever since in its orbit, the history and present disposition of virtually every object within two light years is shaped by its relationship to this body. The sun is a bright G2 main sequence star, theoretically on the hot end of the continuum of stars able to give rise to life. For most of its history, transhumanity fueled its rises and falls with the sun’s energy, first as stored in materials like hydrocarbons, later directly with solar converters.

Today the sun remains a crucial source of energy, but its outer reaches have also become home to some. The adaptations required to dwell here make thesesuryasone of transhumanity’s most unusual offshoots.

SURYAS AND SALAMANDERS (CORONAL MORPHS)

NOTE: Perhaps an example of transhumanity’s most extreme neogenetic creations are the morphs adapted to live in the sun’s corona. Suryas, named after a Hindu sun deity, are large, whale-like, and uniquely adapted to dwell in the brilliant, superheated plasma cloud of the sun’s outermost layer. Each surya is like a miniature version of a circumsolar habitat. Their metabolisms generate powerful magnetic fields that shield them from the sun’s heat and radiation, while acting as magnetic sails and scoops by which they sail on the currents of the solar wind and extract elements carried on it. Suryas are protected by layers of liquid water “blubber” that capture harmful ions, which internal medichines extract and eject, while maintaining useful elements such as oxygen and hydrogen, from which more water can be synthesized. They communicate using patterns of dark and light coloration on their exterior skins and are extremely sensitive to the helioseismic soundwaves that are the sun’s pulse, using these vibrations to predict and avoid heavy weather in the coronal atmosphere.

A second type of coronal morph is the salamander, a tiny humanoid morph with gas jets on the back and chest for maneuvering in vacuum. Salamanders have very similar metabolisms to suryas, but are unable to survive unprotected in the corona. They subsist on the chemicals and energy extracted from the corona by Ukko Jylinä, the only habitat where they are found. Both suryas and salamanders communicate either via transmissions from their implants or by “sunspotting”—shifting dark and light patterns on their skins to form language.

HABITATS

NOTE: Habitats in Sol’s corona face challenges more extreme than those faced by habs anywhere else in the system. Transhumanity’s only means of shielding a habitat from the heat and radiation emitted by a G2 star is to generate strong electromagnetic fields. Even then, the dangers posed by solar flares and coronal mass ejections—massive explosions that jettison coronal material tens of thousands of kilometers out into circumsolar space—mean that the Sun’s polar regions are the only safe space in which to position habitats. As such, circumsolar habs require extraordinary expense to build and maintain, and two of the three major circumsolar habitats are heavily backed by distant organizations.

The outer layers of circumsolar habitats are covered with thousands of electromagnetic dynamos drawing power from the sun itself. These dynamos generate the powerful fields necessary for shielding. Within are intermediate layers filled with liquid water that captures ionized particles, teeming with nanites that collect the ions and vent them into space. The water must be regularly replaced from captured iceteroids that are imported using heavy electromagnetic shielding of their own. Within the water shield is a cluster habitat, an array of modules on a framework following a roughly spherical plan.

Coronal habitats are easily detectable at a great distance because of the bow shock preceding them and the plasma tail left behind in the solar wind.

ATEN

NOTE: Operated by a consortium including hypercorp interests and the University of New Shanghai, Aten supports a population of about 12,000 transhumans. Rumors abound that military research is a major component of this habitat’s mission. Aten is heavily policed and difficult to visit. The most publicized discoveries from this habitat involve propulsion systems and new solar energy collection technologies.

HOOVERMAN-GEISCHECKER

NOTE: The argonauts and Titan Autonomous University are the major supporters of this habitat, which supports a population of about 4,000. In contrast to Aten, access to this habitat is relatively open. Major avenues of research include pure science and research into corona-adapted morphs.

UKO JYLINA

NOTE: Ukko Jylinä is the name used by outsiders for the suryas’ safe harbor. In the surya tongue, the name for the place is a common sequence of helioseismic vibrations. When transposed fifteen octaves upward into the usual range of transhuman hearing, this sound is a chaotic rumble to most ears, but the suryas consider it one of the most beautiful sounds the sun makes.

Ukko Jylinä is more of a camp than a hab, an area of refuge for suryas during severe solar weather. It also serves as a place for suryas to socialize and mate, replenish water from imported iceteroids, and egocast or resleeve. The population therefore fluctuates a great deal, usually hovering around 300, but swelling to 3,000 (nearly the entire surya population) during heavy weather. Ukko Jylinä also has a few modules in which non-surya morphs can survive.

Very little of Ukko Jylinä consists of enclosed hab modules. Instead there are many utility modules with their access ports open to space. Bereft of the solar wind, suryas within the camp generally wear gas-expelling maneuvering harnesses or resleeve in salamanders if they need to do work requiring fine manipulation.

A QUICK PRIMER ON TRANSHUMAN HABITATS

NOTE: Habitats are covered in detail on p. 280. A quick overview is provided here:

• Aerostatsare massive cities floating in the upper cloud layers of Venus.
• Beehivesare tunnel warrens inside asteroids and moons.
• Clustersare microgravity habitats consisting of interconnected modules.
• Cole bubblehabitats are hollowed-out asteroids, terraformed on the inside, and also spun for gravity.
• Domehabitats are massive domes built on the surface of moons, asteroids, or Mars.
• Hamilton cylindersare self-building advanced nanotech habitats designs.
• O’Neill cylinderhabitats are like large soda cans, only huge, over a kilometer wide and several kilometers long. The interior is terraformed and the entire cylinder is spun for light gravity. O’Neill cylinders are sometimes paired together, end to end.
• Reagan cylindersare an inefficient type of O’Neill cylinder, built by hollowing a cylinder within a spinning asteroid, and used in the Jovian Republic.
• Tin canhabitats are small, cramped, cheap, modular boxes, typically used in early space colonization.

• Torus habitats are big donuts or wheels, spun so that the outer rim has gravity. The interior spokes are zero-G.

SOLAR SYSTEM MAP

NOTE: Download the Large size (1024 x 790) of this image from Flickr.

VULCANOIDSEdit

NOTE: The Vulcanoids are a population of asteroids that lie between Mercury and the Sun. Based on the predictions of early 21st-century science, the number of Vulcanoids is unexpectedly small.

V/2011-CALDWELL

NOTE: Discovered in the early 21st century and subject to a flyby by a Japanese solar research mission in the 2020s, V/2011-Caldwell was nothing but a line on astronomers’ catalogs, notable only for the virtual lack of cratering on the one side that was photographed. Then, a few years after the dust settled from the Fall, a small team of prospectors from Venus discovered a Pandora Gate. Now controlled by TerraGenesis, Caldwell was used primarily for exoplanet research for several years, though the hypercorp is now engaged in several alien world terraforming and geo-engineering projects. TerraGenesis regularly sells gate access to other hypercorps and organizations. Caldwell is a remarkably smooth, spindle-shaped asteroid

about four kilometers long and half a kilometer in diameter at its widest point. Called the Vulcanoid Gate, it is situated at the bottom of a deep crag near one of the asteroid’s narrow poles.

MERCURYEdit

NOTE: The closest planet to the sun has a mass comparable to Luna but is a great deal denser due to its iron-nickel core. Mercury rotates slowly and has no atmosphere, so that its day side is hot enough to melt most metals, while its night side is bitterly cold. Because it lacks many of the elements needed for transhuman colonies to be self-sufficient, Mercury is sparsely inhabited, save for a handful of solar power relays, a few underground mining stations, and a single large surface mining concern, Cannon.

RESOURCES AND ECONOMICS

NOTE: Most of Mercury’s economy is based on mining. Iron, nickel, and other metals make up 70% of the planet’s mass, making it the richest source of ferrous metals outside of the asteroids. Mercury also does a brisk business in relaying solar power and serves as a jumping-off point for solar research concerns unwilling or unable to support stations in the solar corona. Mercury has limited Helium-3 deposits, although these are predominantly mined for local use. It is an open secret that several powers have antimatter production stations here. Officially, these stations are massive solar power relays, but the immense toroid particle accelerators and large spherical magnetic containment units required for antimatter production and storage are nearly impossible to disguise.

CALORIS 18

NOTE: The only known site of TITAN activity on Mercury during the Fall, Caloris 18 was a sparsely-crewed solar power relay station belonging to Lukos, a now-defunct Russian corporation. Vanya Ilyanovich, the AGI administering the facility, rounded up all of the station’s transhuman inhabitants and fused their morphs into a gigantic, centipede-like abomination before destroying itself in a failed attempt to merge consciousnesses with all of the minds in its creation. Since then, Caloris 18 has been under strict quarantine.

CANNON

NOTE: Mercury’s largest surface settlement is a city-scaled solar-satellite-powered mobile mass driver that crawls along the cool side of the planet, flinging apartment building sized ingots of extracted metal into space. The habitat is owned almost entirely by the hypercorp Jaehon Offworld, which built Cannon with backing from Lunar banks looking to diversify in anticipation of a post-He3 Lunar economy. Most of the 10,000 inhabitants are Jaehon employees, and security is tight. Cannon makes a long loop of the heavily-mined Caloris basin during the long Mercurian night before following a route that takes it around the planet’s northern hemisphere, avoiding the blasting rays of the sun. Along the way, it stops at a series of mining operations, collecting the gigantic ingots for launch into orbit.

VENUSEdit

NOTE: Venus is Earth’s closest neighbor and the planet most

like it in terms of size and geology. It is a rugged

world of volcanic mountains, canyons, high plateaus,

and sweeping volcanic planes crisscrossed by riverlike

magma channels. Much of the surface is basaltic

rock. The climate of Venus is one of the most inhospitable

in the solar system. Perhaps only the hideous

radiation of the inner Jovian moons presents a more

difficult challenge to transhuman colonization. The

Venusian atmosphere is a superheated maelstrom of

carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid, with an atmospheric

pressure at its surface equivalent to that five kilometers

below the surface of Earth’s oceans. Venus also

lacks more than trace amounts of hydrogen, meaning

that water must be imported in the form of iceteroids

from the outer system. Nonetheless, transhumanity has come to Venus,

and with it, debate over how to make use of the

planet. Venus has no permanently inhabited surface

settlements other than a few equipment and supply

caches used by planetside researchers. Despite difficulties,

transhumanity has found survival strategies

that work here. The most surprising of these are the

aerostats, lighter-than-carbon dioxide habitats that

float in the thick Venusian atmosphere. Aside from

a few independents or ones loyal to the Planetary

Consortium, these aerostats are the base of the new

Morningstar Constellation power bloc. Notable for

their research labs, nanofab design houses, software

studios, and luxury resorts, the Constellation’s aerostats

are increasing at odds with Planetary Consortium

and Lunar-Lagrange Alliance interests.

On some aerostats, areas populated only by indentured

synthmorphs are open to the Venusian atmosphere.

Some 5,000,000 transhumans live in aerostat

habitats and another 10,000 on the surface. Roughly

350,000 transhumans live in habitats orbiting Venus.

Though the Planetary Consortium is considering

the launch of a Venusian terraforming project, this

plan is actively opposed by the Morningstar Constellation.

The Constellation’s aerostats see the terraforming

proposals—which include massive cometary

bombardment or building a planet-sized sun shade

to cool the atmosphere—as not only unworkable but

disruptive to their lives and profits.Venus is a fascinating place for climatologists, geologists,

and other planetary scientists. The discovery

of Venusian protobacteria created a new branch of

life sciences overnight, though so far the practical applications

for organisms with such radically different

metabolisms from terrestrial life have been limited.

Gerlach

NOTE: Gerlach is an O’Neill cylinder supporting about

100,000 transhumans. Generally recognized as

the research powerhouse of Venus, Gerlach is also

one of the strangest places in the inner system. The

inhabitants have strong ties to the argonauts and

sympathies for the outer system autonomists and

are strong proponents of morphological freedom,

cognitive experimentation, and open innovation.

Gerlach’s main activities are planetside research and

exploration, hostile environment morph design, and

aerostat construction.

Octavia

NOTE: Octavia is the most successful aerostat habitat to date

and the political center of the Morningstar Constellation.

It maintains an altitude of roughly 55 kilometers

above the northern highlands of Ishtar Terra. Octavia

resembles an immense, mushroom-shaped skyscraper,

450 meters tall, ringed at its center by four radial

outrigger spars, each ending in a stabilizing gas envelope

filled with helium. The cap of the mushroom

is a hard, translucent dome that provides an open,

park like space while also serving as the main gas envelope

(oxygen, which is much lighter than the CO2

making up most of Venus’s atmosphere, is the main

source of buoyancy). The habitat is fluted from top to bottom, going from a diameter of almost 300 meters

at the base of the dome, to 15 meters wide at the very

bottom. A huge counterweight tethered to the bottom

of the structure prevents the habitat from capsizing

during storms. Atmospheric craft and shuttles from

orbit may land at flight decks near the base of the

outriggers. 500,000 people live aboard Octavia.

Aphrodite Prime

NOTE: One of 20 smaller aerostats, Aphrodite Prime hovers

54 kilometers above Aphrodite Terra. It is a center for

Venusian tourism; fully a quarter of this aerostat is a

resort for wealthy off-world visitors. Aphrodite Prime

is also the primary research station for the design and

creation of life forms adapted to live in the Venusian

clouds. This aerostat has a population of 300,000 and

features closed-environment test aviaries populated

with clouds of air plankton and schools of recentlydesigned

flying squid and balloon fish.

Venusian Rumors

NOTE: [Incoming Message. Source: Anonymous]

[Public Key Decryption Complete]

We need you to investigate some odd rumors

circulating about activity on the Venusian

surface. According to reports, an Omnicor

research team went missing about a week

ago. Unlike many Venus surface teams, these

weren’t teleoperated bots but actual synthmorph-

sleeved researchers operating away

from the safety of an aerostat’s tether—which

is suspicious behavior itself. Search parties

have turned up no sign of the missing morphs,

but scuttlebutt says they ran into signs of

recent TITAN activity that have them freaked

out. I haven’t found any evidence to back this

up, yet—it could just be some misinformation

to keep people from digging around part

of the surface. I’ve heard that some security

corps have some quantum data caches buried

away down there. Looking into this may

require getting a hold of some heat and pressure

resistant synthetic morphs.

EARTHEdit

NOTE: Ecologically devastated and infested by the weird spawn of the TITANs, transhumanity’s homeworld doesn’t get many visitors. Earth’s once-populous urban regions are massive sprawls ruined by war and heavy weather, infested with dangerous artificial life and the occasional survivalist gang. Elsewhere, irradiated blast zones and desolate wasteland prevail. Due to harsh climatic conditions, the wilderness has been slow to reassert itself, and vast swaths of dead forest or burned grassland are common sights.

Even from orbit, Earth shows deep scars. Breaks in the sooty cloud cover created by orbital bombardment during the Fall reveal continents ravaged by coastal flooding, desertification, and radical temperature shifts. The only known detonation of an antimatter bomb within a planetary atmosphere, centered on what was the Chicago-waukee Metroplex in North America, left a crater over 200 kilometers wide wherein most matter was instantly vaporized. Craters left by mass driver bombardment dot the surface as well. Mass die-offs of lynchpin species like honey bees and krill destroyed entire ecosystems, leaving vast swathes of barren land and sea inhabited by only the most adaptable species. Most of Europe is sub-arctic; much of Africa and North America, desert. Ironically, transhumanity’s deployment of nuclear weapons against TITAN surface installations arrested the effects of global warming by creating a nuclear winter. Nuclear attacks against Earth have ceased, but the Lunar mass drivers still occasionally hurl captured asteroids at suspected surface works created by remaining TITAN war machines. In any case, the damage from humanity’s warming of the globe was already done. The patterns of life on Earth, and the very face of the planet, have been irrevocably rewritten.

Earth once had multiple space elevators in operation, but with exception of the Kilimanjaro beanstalk, the others were destroyed during the Fall, wrapping around the planet as they crashed to Earth, leaving swathes of destruction.

POPULATION

NOTE: Earth’s population is a matter of speculation. The reclaimers and Lunar authorities, both of whom spend a great deal of effort monitoring Earth, agree that surface energy emissions suggest a population of about one million once-humans living as servitors to the TITANs, although these numbers assume patterns of energy usage similar to those of pre-Fall humanity.

Though the Planetary Consortium claims that no survivors remain on Earth, reclaimer estimates guess that between 20,000 and 100,000 free humans remain. These numbers are hard to formulate, given the limited number of remote areas where humans could remain undetected while obtaining enough food to subsist. Some areas likely to conceal sizable remnant populations include the highlands of Papua-New Guinea, the Ozark Mountains of North America, and the jungle uplands of Vietnam and Laos, though it is also possible that certain underground and undersea settlements survive. Attempts to make contact with survivors have universally ended in disaster.

During the Fall, thousands of people unable to escape Earth resorted to having themselves backed up and transmitted off-planet. Many of these--along with some who had no backups—also put their bodies in cryogenic storage, hoping to wait out the Fall for rescue. Some reclaimers have speculated that dozens of these cryogenic facilities may still be functional.

HABITATSEdit

NOTE: Earth had a mature orbital industry sector and a considerable population in orbit at the time of the Fall, with over a billion people living full-time in space. Earth orbit was one of the fiercest battlegrounds of the Fall, however, and hundreds of habitats and other installations were destroyed or rendered unusable. As such, Earth orbit and the Lagrange points are littered with the detritus of pre-Fall humanity. Derelict habitats can mean tidy profits for intrepid scavengers, but many are also infested with TITAN spawn and hostile nanoswarms, making them incredibly dangerous.

To make matters worse, someone or something has unleashed a large number of autonomous killsats in Earth orbit to interdict would-be visitors. Some of these are repurposed pre-Fall military hardware, while others are newer construction. So far, no one claims responsibility for them. The Planetary Consortium is suspected, as they support and sometimes enforce a quarantine of the planet, but the possibility exists that the killsats may be TITAN relics or the efforts of another agency.

Despite the chaos of Earth orbit, numerous habitats remain active here, many of them participants in either the Planetary Consortium of Lunar-Lagrange Alliance. Dozens of formerly derelict habitats have also become home to squatters, some of them with criminal intent, others just looking to escape the squalor of life in the overcrowded Lunar-Lagrange habitats, even if it means taking a risk.

FRESH KILLS

NOTE: Essentially an armed-to-the-incisors scum barge, Fresh Kills is a salvage base near the edge of Earth-Luna L5 point. The base is built around a huge central docking spindle with moorings for small craft and habitat modules in the center, and massive weapons batteries at either tip. Scavengers can moor their own craft or, at considerable expense, egocast in, resleeve at the facility, and hire shuttles for excursions. The gun batteries are articulated such that any craft showing signs of trouble can be hastily jettisoned and destroyed. 2,000 transhumans live on Fresh Kills, although the population is transient and fluctuates a good deal.

PARADISE

NOTE: Situated in a halo orbit at the Earth-Sun L1 point, Paradise was an exclusive spa and resort station for the ultra-rich before the Fall. In the wake of the Fall, Paradise fell on hard times, swarmed as it was with refugees and no longer an ideal vacation spot. Recently, however, Paradise fell back in favor with the inner system glitterati, who undertook measures to expel many of the lingering squatters and refurnish it as an elite social space. Recent rumors suggest the Consortium’s Hypercorp Council has used Paradise for important face-to-face meetings.

VO NGUYEN

NOTE: The Reclaimers maintain this station in high geostationary orbit, monitoring Earth and making plans for potential geo-engineering efforts. Vo Nguyen is a small O’Neill cylinder hidden in a dangerous cloud of space junk and protected by swarms of killsats, gun emplacements, and drones. It is occasionally used as a jumping off point for secret surface expeditions.

LunaEdit

NOTE: The first planetary body to host permanent human

habitation, Earth’s sole moon is home to the second

largest population of transhumanity on a single

planet and remains a lynchpin of culture and economic

activity. Lunar history has been shaped dramatically

by the Fall. Before the need to evacuate Earth

arose, it was expected that the Moon would remain

largely an automated mining concern, never attaining

a population of more than a few million. Luna

was never seen as an economically viable location for

colonization, the focus instead falling on Mars and

the outer system.

When the Fall came, every polity that couldn’t

hope for a shot at Mars or elsewhere set its sights

on Luna. The Indians were the only great power that

had invested heavily in Luna. The other three major settlements, Erato, Nectar, and Shackle, were multinational

and hypercorp concerns with no strong national

affiliations. These three cities swelled overnight

into polyglot refugee camps, while the Indian settlement,

New Mumbai, was nuked black by the corps

when it became apparent that a TITAN infection had

taken hold there.

Bereft of nationhood, Lunars developed their own

resourceful, tough-minded culture which has emerged

as a counterbalance to the radicalism of the outer

system and the excesses of Mars.

Transportation on Luna is largely by suborbital

rocket, although trans-sonic bullet trains also operate

along shorter routes. The major space port is at

Nectar. There is also a skyhook—a massive orbiting

satellite spaceport that drags a massive tether, which

acts as a space elevator along a track running across

the Lunar surface south of the equator. As a result,

many smaller cities lie along the skyhook track.

Fashion/Design

NOTE: Nectar is one of the three fashion/design capitals of

the system (along with Noctis on Mars and Extropia).

The Lunar design houses have two major advantages:

an inventive population and a low planetary gravity

that makes it easier to design for the low gravities that

prevail in much of the system. Some habitats elsewhere

in the system even choose a rotational speed that

simulates Lunar gravity in order to get the greatest

benefit from Lunar designs.

Helium-3 Mining

NOTE: Although it’s not the richest place to mine He-3, Luna

has such good infrastructure for extraction and distribution

that it more than makes up for the fact that

Luna is very poor in hydrogen for more conventional

forms of fusion. Unlike the vast reserves of the gas

giants, however, the amount of readily extractable

He-3 in the Lunar regolith is finite. Some of the richer

deposits are already tapped out, and concerned Lunars

consider their world’s future after these deposits are

exhausted a major issue.

Finance

NOTE: The Lunar banks are the oldest (and thus richest) in

the system, though hypercorps like Solaris are close

on their heels. Interestingly, the rise of the reputation

economy in the outer system has not presented as

much of a problem for these banks as one might have

expected. Lunar banks got hip to the reputation game

long before the Martian financial institutions and

moved in to capitalize on it immediately. By the time

Martian banks knew what was going on, Lunar financial

institutions had struck deals with the Extropians

and dominated all of the points of exchange where

favors could be bartered for cold, hard cash between

inner system corp types and outer system anarchists.

The same genius fueling Lunar design created a complex

barter to cash network that almost everyone

uses. While some autonomists find it infuriating that

they have to deal with a monolithic banking system

to get by in the inner system, others are simply happy

to deal with the Lunars instead of the Martians for

this service.

Erato (Eratosthenes)

NOTE: Erato (population 5 million) is a major mining center

consisting of a series of heavily shielded surface domes

and a vast underground city. Erato is centered around

the Eratosthenes crater on the southern edge of the

Mare Imbrium (Sea of Showers), in the northern

hemisphere of the Terra-facing side of Luna. Erato has

access to both the rich titanium deposits of the Mare

Imbrium and fields of Helium 3-abundant regolith.

Erato is one of the oldest mining settlements on

Luna and one of the first to become commercially

viable. As such, many of the Lunar banks are centered

around this city. The vaulted heights of the Great

Cavern of Erato, originally excavated by a Sino-European

conglomerate, reach a height of 1.5 kilometers at

the apex, leaving room for a teeming city of gardens

and towers grown from Lunar silicates and industrious

nanites, lit from above by sunlight entering via

great mirrored vents.

Nectar (Nectaris)

NOTE: Nectar (population 9 million) lies about 100 kilometers

due east of Theophilus crater on the Mare

Nectaris (Sea of Nectar) in Luna’s southern hemisphere.

Nectar is a design powerhouse, home to the

great Lunar design houses that set fashion and design trends for much of the solar system. Due to its location

relatively close to the Lunar equator, Nectar also

hosts Luna’s primary long-haul space port and is on

the pickup path for the Lunar sky hook.

New Mumbai Containment Zone

NOTE: The incineration of the New Mumbai colony with

nuclear weapons during the Fall to prevent the spread

of TITAN infection left a scorch mark roughly 100

kilometers in diameter on the face of Luna that is

still visible from high orbit. The colony was a heavily

automated Helium-3 mining station, located in the

midst of rich Helium-3 fields on the edge of the Mare

Moscoviens. It remains a heavily-patrolled quarantine

zone to this day.

Shackle (Shackleton-New Varanasi)

NOTE: Shackle (population 6 million), built in and around

the south polar Shackleton crater, is centered around

one of two major water extraction operations on

Luna. New Varanasi, the city of temples, is the most

impressive section of the city. Shackle was the other

major site of old Indian influence on Luna, and with

the destruction of New Mumbai holds special importance

to descendants of the Indian diaspora. New

Varanasi is a monumental artificial cavern complex

with an intricate canal system fed by melted ice from

the polar caps above. As a source of lifegiving water,

it now holds the same importance to the Hindu faith

once ascribed to the River Ganges on old Terra. Survivors

of other Indian religions, such as the Jains and

Sikhs, have also made their temples here. This makes

Shackle a major pilgrimage site; tourism is the major

industry after water extraction. A small herd of Indian

elephants is a major attraction, and the elephant god

Ganesha, Remover of Obstacles, is extremely popular

on Luna, even with non-Hindus.

TILION’s Jupiter Brain

NOTE: [Incoming Message. Source: Anonymous]

[Public Key Decryption Complete]

Our investigation into codename: TILION’s

Lunar research activities has confirmed our

suspicions. The hypercorp is engaged in experiments

to convert confined spherical masses in

the Lunar interior into testbed micro-Jupiter

brains. The silicate-rich Lunar crust makes the

locations they have chosen ideal for the project.

Though we have not verified it, we believe that

TILION not only followed the trail of TITAN research

into this area, but is in fact in possession

of a small cache of TITAN-made computronium.

There is no saying what the TITANS may have

been using this cache for, what it may store, or

what may occur if TILION completes the project

and brings the micro-Jupiter brain online.

Fortunately, time seems to be on our side, and

we have several weeks if not months before

any significant part of the project is activated.

We will continue to infiltrate and learn more,

but we strongly suggest an erasure squad be

moved into position and placed on standby.

MARSEdit

NOTE: Earth was the cradle of transhuman civilization, but Mars, with a population of 200 million, is now its heartland. When humanity began its spaceward diaspora, Luna was its first stop. Yet while Luna boasts a sizable population, Mars was the first world humans settled where they could thrive entirely on locally available resources. During the first few decades, the early Martian settlers dwelt in tin can hab units, extracting methane from the local atmosphere for rocket fuel and water from the Martian permafrost, farming in inflatable greenhouses, and eventually manufacturing enough greenhouse gases to warm the planetary climate to the point where transhumans could walk the Martian surface unprotected, save for oxygen respirators.

The second phase of the great project of terraforming Mars—husbanding plant life and microbes engineered to rapidly replace atmospheric carbon dioxide with oxygen—was already underway at the time of the Fall. A belt of orbital mirrors helps to heat the planet by focusing the sun’s rays. The spread of plant life is a long-term project that will take several centuries to produce a fully breathable atmosphere, but the nigh-immortal transhumans of Mars are prepared to be patient. A new homeworld is worth the wait. Research into new plants and microorganisms capable of releasing oxygen and nitrogen into the Martian atmosphere at an ever-accelerating pace is a major focus of economic activity.

In the meantime, the red planet is a place of startling contrasts, from the stark beauty of its mountain ranges and high desert, to the slowly greening bottomlands of the equatorial Valles Marineris canyon system. In these bottomlands, oxygen levels are slowly rising, and liquid water can now be found in canals that had already been dry for millions of years when transhumanity’s ancestors came down from the trees. Mars is a popular destination for travelers from around the system. Many Martians accrue wealth by operating lavish hotels, offering tours of historical sites, and leading wilderness expeditions to the rugged highlands and vast deserts of the untamed Martian frontier.

Mars now sports five vast, domed cities, mostly in the equatorial regions, along with numerous smaller settlements. Settlements are connected by surface roads, a network of near-sonic maglev trains, and air/spaceports from which suborbitals, airships, and near space rockets fly on regular schedules. Thanks to the abundance of methane fuel and the one-third Earth gravity, transhumans on Mars have finally got their flying cars as well, and all settlements have well-delineated rights of way for these vehicles. Meanwhile, in the wild uplands, planetologists and terraforming engineers dwell in small villages, living the simple life in ruster morphs while seeing to the continued development of the Martian climate and atmosphere.

As a partially terraformed planet with vast tracts of unused land, Mars is one of the few places that can offer new sleeves to infomorph refugees. Martian brokerage houses do a brisk business in the purchase and resale of infomorph contract labor, with agreements (for some) leading to eventual sleeving. This has led to a sizable Martian underclass, however, organized as a growing resistance movement under the Barsoomian banner (though the hyperelite socialites disparagingly call them “rednecks”).

REGIONSEdit

NOTE: Mars is broadly divided between the lowlands of the north and the highlands of the south, which in many places are separated by dramatic cliffs up to two kilometers high. Mars has seasons just as Earth, and both north and south poles have permanent ice caps that persist despite transhumanity’s success in warming the planet. Both regions present obstacles to terraforming. The northern plains are open and windswept, while the rugged southern uplands remain a difficult terrain for life to gain a foothold. Even so, tough Earth species like cacti and succulents are able to grow in the best spots.

MA'ADIM VALLIS

NOTE: Ma’adim Vallis: This deep canyon system on Mars holds one of the Planetary Consortium’s most treasured possessions: the Martian Gate. This Pandora Gate was originally discovered by nomadic Barsoomians, then violently wrested from their hands by hypercorp troops—an event that still rankles the rednecks. As different hypercorps themselves nearly came to blows, the Hypercorp Council was forced to step in and offer a resolution that all could agree to. A new hypercorp was founded—Pathfinder—which would control exploration and exploitation of the gate and resources beyond, with special privileges and rights given to Planetary Consortium members. The Martian Gate is now a staging point for numerous exoplanet colonies, though some fear the prospect of keeping a presumed TITAN artifact operational on transhumanity’s most populous planet.

OLYMPUS MONS

NOTE: Mars’ most notable landmark is the mighty shield volcano Olympus Mons, on which the first—and still principle [SIC]—Martian space elevator was constructed. Similar in shape and origin to Earth’s Hawaiian Islands, but now dormant, Olympus Mons is one of the highest mountains in the solar system, rising 27 kilometers.

Olympus, the settlement in the volcano’s caldera around the base of the space elevator, was once the chief city of Mars, but waned in popularity as a place to live when terraforming made other regions more attractive. A maglev train from Olympus takes a little over three hours to reach Noctis; air travel is even quicker. Despite the waning of the city, the space elevator still sees heavy use.

VALLES MARINERIS

NOTE: Most of transhumanity’s terraforming efforts center around the winding Valles Marineris canyonlands, which twist and turn over 4,000 kilometers east-to-west along the Martian equator. In these relatively warm bottomlands, liquid water is becoming abundant and the land is green with hardy Terran plant species like crab grass, dandelions, and towering Douglas firs (which botanists estimate may reach heights of 180 meters in the low Martian  gravity). 75% of the transhuman population of Mars lives in this region, giving it the highest density of transhuman habitation in the solar system.

THE ZONE

NOTE: Officially labeled the TITAN Quarantine

Zone, the TQZ is a large area stretching from

the smooth plains of Amazonis Planitia (between the

Tharsis and Elysium volcanic areas) and southeast to

Arsia Mons (just west of Noctis). This zone is known

to be crawling with leftover TITAN machinery:

warbots, nanoswarms, and other dangerous things.

Several devastated habitats lie in this region, including

the former Islamic stronghold of Qurain. Few dare

venture here, though some rumors suggest that Barsoomian

smugglers make use of the Arsia Mons caves

and even scavenge for TITAN tech, despite the risks.

Planetary Consortium drones keep a vigilant eye on

the Zone’s borders, though for unknown reasons the

TITAN relics rarely stray beyond its bounds .

ASHOKA

NOTE: Ashoka is located in a crater in the Ares Vallis region about 3,000 kilometers northeast of Valles-New Shanghai, not far from the landing sites of the early Viking and Pathfinder probes. The town is a popular spa and spiritual retreat for Martians wanting to revisit their pioneer roots. It is also an active terraforming station and a major point of contact between the seminomadic Barsoomian culture of the high desert and the settled Martians of the equatorial canyonlands. 10,000 scientists, historians, terraforming workers, and spiritual gurus live in the town and surrounding area. A major attraction is a museum housing the Pathfinder lander and the Sojourner rover (which was still operational when humans landed and discovered it circling endlessly in a crater). The Viking lander is in another museum a short monorail ride from town. In a move that infuriated historical purists, all three machines were given modern hardware upgrades when discovered and now house AIs who act as historians of early Mars exploration. Sojourner is particularly friendly and sometimes leads lucky groups on walking tours of early landing sites.

ELYSIUM

NOTE: Located in the Elysium and Hyblaeus Chasma in the north of the Hesperia region in Mars’s eastern hemisphere, Elysium is the entertainment capital of the system and the largest Martian city outside of the canyonlands of the equator. It is also the most physically remote of the large Martian cities, though transhumanity’s advanced transportation technology (suborbital flights and rocket flight from habitats above) make this remoteness a trivial quality.

Elysium and Hyblaeus Chasma together make up a 250-kilometer long canyon system in the shadow of Elysium Mons, a 14-kilometer mountain located about 200 kilometers northeast of the city. In between is the Zephyrus Fossae, an undulating, windswept lava plain. The city was the vision of one person, Zevi Oaxaca-Maartens, an eccentric entertainment magnate who was intrigued by the close proximity of the eminently terraformable Chasma to the unspoiled Hesperian terrain.

The city is only 30 years old but already boasts a population of 9 million transhumans. Elysium is mostly built into the canyon walls of the Chasma, sprawling over a 75-kilometer stretch, all of which has been domed over. Unlike the big domed metroplexes of the south, Elysium takes advantage of the canyon walls, which are close enough together that rather than building free standing domes, the builders have simply built great enclosing arches to completely cover the canyon. These expand northward year by year as the city grows. From low orbit, it looks like a great, glistening serpent.

The Martian city of Elysium is the spiritual successor to old Terra’s Los Angeles as the entertainment capital of the solar system. Glamorous stars and blood drinking producers, coupled with a healthy dose of outrageous (if often vapid) transhuman creativity have made Mars an unrivaled media powerhouse. Elysium may boast more exalt and sylph morphs per capita than any other transhuman city. Image is everything here, and to visitors it may seem as if everyone in this city is either blindingly beautiful or calculatedly ugly. The most successful performers and entertainment tycoons live lives of glittering privilege that would make the richest gerontocrat in New Shanghai mildly envious. Everyone else, from up-and-coming game producers to the virtual ero performers, has to hustle constantly.

NOCTIS-QIANJIAO

NOTE: With a population of 13 million, Noctis-Qianjiao is the major metroplex in the west of the Valles Marineris region, an area known as Noctis Labyrinthus. Although not as hospitable as the Eos region in which Valles-New Shanghai lies, Noctis Labyrinthus is considered prime real estate for its gorgeous scenery and well-developed river systems. The metroplex boasts two major domes: Qianjiao, on the northern bank of the River Noctis, and Noctis City (normally just called “Noctis”) to the south. Connecting the two domes and spanning the river is a sprawling network of lesser domes and souks, although these have been pushed north and south over the years as the planet warms and the river grows wider.

Noctis-Qianjiao is the center of the Martian design and fashion industries, which in the abundant Martian economy arguably makes the city as important as much larger Valles-New Shanghai. This settlement’s proximity to the Zone sometimes alarms visitors, but there have been no public incidents to cause concern so far.

OLYMPUS

NOTE: Olympus, with a population of 1 million living in a space designed to accommodate 6 million, is something of a ghost town. The former principal city, built in the caldera of Olympus Mons around the space elevator, is now fallen into disuse. As the temperatures rose and the climate improved in the Valles Marineris canyonlands, most of the population left the windswept caldera for more hospitable surroundings. Olympus is not and never was a large domed city, consisting instead of a souk-like network of minor domes and antiquated tin can hab modules. Low atmospheric pressure and bone freezing temperatures at the city’s altitude of 27 kilometers mean that most transhumans venturing outside the souks and hab modules still need the equivalent of light vacsuits to survive. Martian Alpiners, a rare morph found in few other places, are not uncommon here due to the harsh conditions.

The city center is well-maintained and carefully overseen by the Olympus Infrastructure Authority, a minor hypercorp that operates the space elevator. The outskirts are economically depressed and sometimes dangerous, mostly deserted and populated by squatters, indentured downloads on the run, and other people who really want to be left alone. Occasional outbreaks of dangerously mutated artificial life are one of the few reasons for which the Authority bothers to intervene in the outskirts. Otherwise, the old tin can habs and their strange inhabitants are left to decay.

PROGRESS (DEIMOS)

NOTE: Progress is one of the largest Cole bubbles in the Solar System. With 8.5 million residents, it is second in population only to Extropia in the belt. Progress was created when Fa Jing evicted all of the former residents from the Martian satellite of Deimos, excavated the inside of the moonlet, and used a massive solar array to convert it into a bubbleworld. From an engineering standpoint, Progress is something of an embarassment. The habitat was originally meant to exceed Extropia in size considerably, but difficulties with heating and spinning Deimos forced Fa Jing to abandon their efforts early or risk the moonlet breaking apart.

Progress is nonetheless an impressive habitat, home to hypercorp glitterati and an outpost for a host of major political and economic concerns. Its sister moon, Phobos, remains a warren-like tunnel habitat due to the presence of multiple legal interests unable to agree upon the disposal of the satellite.

VALLES-NEW SHANGHAI

NOTE: The principal city of Mars, Valles-New Shanghai is transhumanity’s largest planetary metroplex, with 37 million inhabitants. Valles-New Shanghai lies in the heavily terraformed Eos region in the east of the Valles  Marineris canyon system. The metroplex is comprised of five major domes connected by a network of Martian souks. The souks are a unique architectural feature of large Martian cities, consisting of covered thoroughfares and galleries lined with bazaars, eateries, and squats. It is said one can find anything if one spends enough time walking the souks.

The domes themselves are tamer, with artificial waterways (many of which now connect to the tenuous rivers etching the surface of the Eosian bottomland), grand architecture, residential mini-arcologies, entertainment complexes, and hypercorp conference centers. The most impressive by far is the Bund, the larger and older of two domes making up the city of New Shanghai proper. New Shanghai is roughly bisected by the twisting Ares, an artifical river that helps regulate the dome’s climate. Near its center is an almost brick-for-brick duplicate of the original Bund from the destroyed Earth city of Shanghai.

The other four domes are Little Shanghai (a newer, smaller dome adjacent to the Bund), Valles Center (a business and financial center that rivals the Lunar banks of Erato and Nectar), New Pittsburgh (also called the Burgh, a hub of research and planet-side industry), and Nytrondheim (housing major entertainment districts).

Valles-New Shanghai is transhumanity’s wealthiest population center, a hotbed of art and culture, and one of the system’s great centers of hypercorp activity. The populace includes an extremely high percentage of gerontocrats, but their stifling influence on culture, economic mobility, and the legal system is only one force among many in a city of 37 million people. The city has expanded so much to accommodate its exploding population since the Fall that new construction is a constant. Crime and corruption are widespread, though the worst of it is contained to Little Shanghai. Valles is a place where dreams are made and broken every day, if not every hour.

MARTIAN MANHUNT

NOTE: [Incoming Message. Source: Anonymous]

[Public Key Decryption Complete]

Those deaths you asked me to look into? It’s looking worse than we feared.

I took a buggy car out to the Zim settlement. It’s just a collection of tin can modules, supporting a small terraforming ecostation and facilities for nomadic rednecks. On average, it’s home to 150, if you count the 20 or so pleasure pod AIs that serve as local “entertainment.”

A week ago, a nomad known as Hassan Naceri rolled in. He’s a regular, word is that he runs a lone courier service for the Barsoomians. On this recent visit, though, his behavior was off. He was nervous and agitated. He told one drinking buddy that he’d been forced to hide out in the Zone for a few days and the experience had put him on edge.

Turns out Naceri had run off with a ruster morph without working out his full indenture to Fa Jing a few years back. The ego hunter showed up in Zim and Naceri lost it. He killed the ego hunter and everyone else in the room.

We found a spime’s sensor records that show Naceri transforming. He also killed half a dozen people simply by looking at them.

That’s right. This bugger’s infected.

The Martian Rangers are hot on his trail, but they don’t know what they’re dealing with. So we’re off to try and catch him—it—first. Wish us luck.

MARTIAN TROJANSEdit

NOTE: Not to be confused with the much larger Jovian Trojans, the Martian Trojans are a small group of mostly rocky asteroids trailing and preceding Mars at its L4 and L5 points.

QING LONG (AZURE DRAGON)

NOTE: Qing Long, with a population of 2 million, is the largest O’Neill habitat in the system. It is situated among the Trojans at the Martian L5 point. Qing Long has its roots in the Chinese Mars colonization effort. Despite its exceptional size, it is one of the oldest habitats of its type, having been built almost entirely from metal-rich asteroids mined near its present location.

Qing Long is a major underworld haven. The habitat’s administration is beholden to several criminal organizations who normally refrain from killing one another. The habitat nominally obeys some hypercorp principles, such as limited access to cornucopia machines, forking, and AGIs. However, thriving grey and black markets enable people with the right connections to acquire just about anything here.

ASTEROID BELTEdit

NOTE: Spread out over a massive region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, the belt contains a few hundred asteroids greater than 100 kilometers in diameter, over a thousand objects greater than 30 kilometers in size, and countless smaller ones. Despite this, the total mass of asteroids in the belt is only a fraction of one of the inner planets, meaning that asteroids are spread out over great distances. A spacecraft flying through the belt is highly unlikely to encounter an asteroid unless it deliberately navigates toward it.

RESOURCES AND ECONOMICS

NOTE: The rich, easily accessible mineral deposits in the Belt were a major link in transhumanity’s first steps  toward the outer system. Automated mining and high-impulse ion boosters enabled outer system  colonists to move metal-rich Main Belt asteroids into the orbits of Jupiter, Saturn, and beyond, where metallic asteroids are much scarcer. This activity continues to this day as transhumanity pushes further out into the system.

HABITATS

NOTE: Hundreds of small habitats, mostly involved in prospecting activities, dot the belt. Distant from Earth, settlements in the belt were largely spared the devastation of the Fall. Both hypercorp and autonomous outposts flourish here. Derelict habitats abandoned when nearby asteroids were boosted into the outer system or depleted are common here as well, although some of these are now occupied by residents who are best left to their solitude.

CERES

NOTE: One of the system’s three dwarf planets (along with Pluto and Eris), Ceres is almost 1,000 kilometers in diameter and hosts a population of almost a million. Unlike most Main Belt asteroids, Ceres has an icy crust with a layer of liquid water beneath it, like a miniature version of Jupiter’s moon, Europa. With its abundant water, Ceres has a major role in resupplying other stations in the belt. Similar to Extropia, Ceres operates largely along anarcho-capitalist lines. However, the Hidden Concern, a cartel run entirely by uplifted octopi, holds sway in the sub-crustal sea and maintains a stranglehold, as it were, on water extraction operations. Cerean octopoid morphs are specially adapted to survive in the ammonia-rich waters of the Hidden Sea.

EXTROPIA (44 NYSA)

NOTE: This massive beehive habitat is a major crossroads and anarcho-capitalist/mutualist marketplace. Extropia is a neutral free city whose infrastructure and social fabric is maintained by a loose association of anarcho-syndicalist affinity groups. Extropia’s neutrality hinges on strategic alliances between key local figures, their networks, and an unusual array of outside interests that include the Lunar banks, technolibertarian factions, and outer system colonies dependent upon raw materials exported from the belt. The hypercorps use Extropia as a tax shelter and a haven from which to do illicit business. There are no laws or government as such; visitors are advised to register with an insurance and security provider. Named after one of the first transhumanist movements, Extropia is considered a utopia for transhumans looking for body modifications. AGIs and forking are accepted and allowed here. The transhuman population is nearly ten million.

NOVA YORK (METIS)

NOTE: One of the more unusual near-weightless habitats is Nova York, the main city on Metis, a large nickel-iron and silicate asteroid located in the main belt. Nova York, the third largest habitat in the main belt, is a thriving metropolis of 500,000, with the main portion of the city located in a spherical cavern approximately four kilometers in diameter, the top of which is two hundred meters beneath the asteroid’s surface. Lit during the day by a series of huge light tubes in the outer walls, at night the lights of the buildings cause the surface of this sphere to resemble an enormous geode. The habitat’s basic design consists of many thousands of exceptionally tall and fragile-looking buildings that extend between one hundred and fifteen hundred meters above the surface, as well as a few building  that stretch from one side of the cavern to the other. In Metis’s minute gravity of 1/140th of a g, up and down have little meaning, and even relatively fragile buildings are in no danger of falling down. The vast majority of the buildings, including ones more than one kilometer tall, are made from thin plastic panels over a durable supporting framework. These buildings jut out at all angles from the sphere.

Many inhabitants of Nova York move from one building to another by jumping, and a single leap can carry someone many hundreds of meters. Residents do not worry about falling—the combination of air resistance and exceedingly low gravity means that even someone falling from the top of the cavern to the bottom is in no danger of injury. In this environment, the only real meaning of up and down is that down is where you look for objects to come to rest (as long as an air current does not pick them up and blow them around).

JupiterEdit

NOTE: Large enough that it could almost have formed the

nucleus of a protostar in its own right, Jupiter’s massive

size makes the Jovian System one of the most

challenging places in the system to colonize. Jupiter’s

powerful magnetic field means that its inner moons—

and the outer ones, when their orbits pass through its

immense magnetotail—are bombarded with enough

ionizing radiation to kill transhumans not protected

by the heaviest of shielding within a matter of hours.

There are sixty-three moons and moonlets in the

Jovian system, but only the well-explored, populous,

regular moons are described here.

fathomless depths of black water ending at a depth of

nearly 500 kilometers in a relatively flat, featureless

sea bed. Were Europa a lifeless ball of ice and rock,

this would be the case, but over the estimated billion

years since the rise of life on Europa, tiny lithoderms

(analogs to Earth’s coral) have built silicate reefs that

rise to within a few hundred meters of the ice crust. It

is on these biologically formed mountain tops, home

to complex ecosystems, that the Europans have built

their habitats.

Resources and Economy

NOTE: Jupiter’s powerful gravity well is a major hindrance

to gas mining in the planet’s atmosphere, as even craft

that do not succumb to the violent, centuries-long

atmospheric storms can achieve escape velocity with

only the most powerful propulsion systems. Given the

need for heavy shielding on such craft, gas mining on

Jupiter is not nearly as efficient as on Saturn. Jupiter

has a tenuous ring system, much less dense than

Saturn’s, which extends out for 20,000 kilometers around the planet, encompassing the orbits of its two

closest moonlets.

However, Jupiter’s gravity is also a valuable

resource. Craft bound for Saturn and beyond can

slingshot themselves outward by circling the planet

to pick up velocity, cutting months or years off their

trips. The heavily militarized Jovian Republic levies

tolls against all spacecraft using Jupiter’s gravity to

pick up velocity, including asteroids under propulsion.

This protection money is the Junta’s primary

source of revenue. Planetary Consortium ships generally

accept the payment as part of operating expenses.

Other factions are not so cooperative, and the

Junta regularly seizes or destroys blockade runners.

Habitats and Moonlets

NOTE: Most of Jupiter’s moons are really captured asteroids,

lacking the size and geological complexity of

planetary bodies. All are occupied. Some were converted

to habitats; others host only Junta military and

mining outposts. The Jovian moonlets consist mostly

of carbonaceous rock, poor in metal, with some of

the larger moonlets having layers or even cores of ice.

Beehive habitats and Reagan cylinders predominate in

the Jovian system. Reagan cylinders (called “sarcophagus

habs” by every other faction) are an inefficient

variation on the O’Neill cylinder in which excavators

hollow out an immense, cylindrical cavern in a rocky

asteroid and then alter the asteroid’s rotation with

external thrusters to simulate gravity.

Other habitat types are rare in Jovian orbit, especially

within 2 million kilometers of the planet, where

the radiation is strongest. For a bioconservative faction

unwilling to adopt radiation-resistant morphs, the

Junta is in a poor location. Shielding their populace

beneath tons of rock is a necessity. Despite its military

hegemony, the Junta can’t control all of Jovian space,

and there are things it can’t do on its own—like exploring

Europa. A number of unaligned habitats and

surface settlements exist in the ring system and the

orbits of the Galilean moons.

The Jovian Republic has renamed Jupiter’s moons

after various neo-conservative heroes from Earth’s

history. From closest to most distant, the moonlets are

Metis (Bush), Adrastea (Fairway), Amalthea (Solano),

Thebe (McAllen), Leda (Chung), Himalia (Pinochet),

Lysithea (Friedman), Elara (Buckley), Ananke (Nixon),

Carme (Kissinger), Pasiphae (Schilling), and Sinope

(Garcia). All are tiny, between 5 and 100 kilometers

in diameter.

Almathea (Solano)

NOTE: The largest of the moonlets, hollow Amalthea is probably

the most livable sarcophagus habitat due to the

large lake created from its icy core. Living on Solano

carries some prestige among Junta citizens. Rumor has

it that most of the residents are well-placed RAND

think tank personnel, most of whom work on defense

projects. A fusion-powered axial light tube illuminates

the 30-kilometer diameter central cavern, whose landscape is patterned after the subdivisions and office

parks of an early 21st-century suburb. All buildings

have envirosealing so that the occasional bouts of environmental

sepsis resulting from the poorly regulated

interior ecosystem can be purged with toxin bombs.

Less fortunate support personnel dwell in the beehive

warrens crisscrossing the moonlet’s crust between

cavern and surface. Like most of Jupiter’s moonlets,

Amalthea’s space crawls with patrol craft and killsats,

making approach for unauthorized craft problematic

at best. 1.5 million transhumans live on Solano.

Io

NOTE: Beneath Io’s tenuous, patchy atmosphere of volcanic

gases and neutral atomic dust lies a barren, grayish

yellow, rocky surface coated with a thin frost of sulfur

dioxide. Tidal heating caused by gravitational interaction

with Jupiter makes Io the most volcanically

active body in the system—so active that the meteor

cratering found on every other planet and moon is

completely absent on Io. Massive volcanic calderas,

lakes of molten rock, and geysers of sulfur dot the

surface, with eruptions and accompanying seismic

activity lasting months or years. Volcanic zones on

Io reach surface temperatures of up to 1,500 degrees

Kelvin, hotter than any body in the system.

For all that, transhumanity’s worst peril on Io is

radiation. Ejecta from geysers and volcanoes flow

with Jupiter’s magnetic field to form a titanic, toroidal

flux tube that rotates with Io around the gas giant.

Travelers to Io must either use the heaviest radiation

shielding available or resleeve into synthetic morphs.

Transhuman activity on Io centers around scientific

research and harvesting the volatiles ejected by Io’s

geysers, particularly sulfur. Bases tend to be modular

and mobile due to the ever-changing seismic activity.

The Junta’s most notorious prison, Maui Patera Rehabilitation

Center, is dug into a (mostly) extinct caldera

wall north of the equator.

EuropaEdit

NOTE: Europa has no atmosphere and lies within the fearsome

magnetosphere of Jupiter, and as such its surface

is bombarded with enough radiation for an unshielded

transhuman to receive an irrevocably fatal dosage

within a few days—much faster when Europa’s orbit

passes through Jupiter’s immense magnetotail. As a

result, transhumans on Europa dwell beneath the icy

crust, largely in the ocean below, adopting a variety of

aquatic and amphibious morphs for survival. The only

surface facilities are the heavily-shielded ice elevator

heads at Conamara Chaos and several other points

through which reactor mass and other crucial supplies

can be delivered to the Europans below.

Transhumanity is still exploring and imaging the

Europan ocean floor, a task complicated by the hideous

pressures at work in these waters, which are ten

times as deep as the Earth’s oceans. A further surprise

awaiting transhumanity was the terrain. The geology

of Europa suggested that beneath the ice would be fathomless depths of black water ending at a depth of

nearly 500 kilometers in a relatively flat, featureless

sea bed. Were Europa a lifeless ball of ice and rock,

this would be the case, but over the estimated billion

years since the rise of life on Europa, tiny lithoderms

(analogs to Earth’s coral) have built silicate reefs that

rise to within a few hundred meters of the ice crust. It

is on these biologically formed mountain tops, home

to complex ecosystems, that the Europans have built

their habitats.

While based on water-carbon chemistry like life

of Terran origin, life on Europa is completely autocthonic,

having originated beneath an impenetrable ice

sheet that cut off Europa’s subsurface ocean completely

from outside. This is in marked contrast to Terran

life, which many biologists have theorized might be

the result of galactic panspermia, the slow diffusion of

microbes through the vacuum of space aboard comets

or asteroids. As such, the fauna of Europa are of great

interest to transhuman bioscience.

Biosciences

NOTE: Europa’s lifeforms, unique perhaps in the universe,

are its greatest treasure, and transhumanity’s efforts

to catalog them are only beginning. The rush to exploit

Europan biodivesity puts the Jovian Junta in an

uncomfortable situation. While they control space

traffic and commerce in the Jovian system, they lack

the native talent to take real advantage of knowledge

gleaned from Europa. At first, they engaged in hamfisted

excise operations aimed at squeezing revenue

out of knowledge exports. But once farcasters and

egocasters came online below the ice, this type of

extortion no longer worked. Now the Jovians have

shifted to a two-pronged strategy of levying tariffs

on new equipment and people brought down the ice

elevators by hypercorps and research collectives, and

of holding the entire population of the moon hostage

by refusing delivery of key resources like reactor mass

and rare elements if protection fees are not paid.

Habitats

NOTE: Europan habitats take two forms: fortified fishing and

farming havens clinging to the spires of the lithodermic

reefs, and spherical bubble warrens constructed

by boring into the lower reaches of the ice crust and

shoring up the hollows created. The latter are the only

air-filled spaces beneath the ice. The largest warren is

Conamara, at the base of the Conamara Chaos ice

elevator. Conamara is surrounded by five nearby reef

havens, also considered part of the habitat. The total

population is 1.5 million.

Ganymede and CallistoEdit

NOTE: Nearly as large in size as Luna, but darkly colored

and not as heavily cratered, Ganymede and Callisto

are very similar worlds. Neither is as dense (nor has

as much gravity), as their mantles consist of more ice

than iron rock. Both possess abundant volatiles and

water (albeit frozen), making them ideal candidates for habitation. Ganymede, with its differentiated surface

of rocky and icy terrain, has an iron core and thus

a faint magnetic field. Callisto, the smaller of the two,

is composed mostly of icy silicate clays. As on Luna,

most cities on Ganymede and Callisto are built below

ground to shield them from meteor impacts (and, on

Ganymede, from Jupiter’s radioactive bombardment).

While within the “protection” of the Jovian Republic,

both moons are a patchwork of city-states.

Some are full members of the Jovian polity, while

others are only tolerated. Ganymede tends to swing

more heavily toward the Junta, as its citizens still

see the Junta-maintained infrastructure—accurately

or not—as necessary in such a hostile environment.

Callisto, outside the worst radioactive effects of the

Jovian magnetosphere, is an easier place for technoprogressivism

to gain a foothold.

Hyoden

NOTE: The nucleus of this city-state was a research station

founded by a coalition of Pacific Rim nations in Callisto’s

Valhalla region, a massive primordial impact zone

where the icy subsurface lies exposed, simplifying extraction

of clean water. When the Fall came, Hyoden,

which had long faced labor shortages, opened itself

to those refugees who could make it to Jupiter. Now

Hyoden has two million inhabitants, making it the

largest city-state on Callisto and the largest non-Junta

state in the Jovian system. Hyoden is itself heavily

militarized, as the tendency of the local authorities to

turn a blind eye toward operatives using their territory

for forays against the Junta makes for uneasy relations

with their powerful neighbor.

Liberty

NOTE: Situated along the southern edge of the vast, rocky

plain called Galileo Regio, almost on Ganymede’s

equator, Liberty (population 7 million) is the Junta’s

largest planetary city-state. It is closely tied to Liberty

Station, a major shipyard and defense installation in

geosynchronous orbit. Major industries include shipbuilding,

space construction, fabrication, and security

products and services. The Castle, the central security

network point from which all surveillance data collected

in the Junta is monitored and processed, is

rumored to be in or near Liberty. Liberty is mostly

underground, but it boasts a number of parks in armored

surface domes. If one were to spend enough

time topside, one would see the deceleration torches

of incoming metal asteroids from the belt bound for

the shipyards lighting up the sky several times a day.

The Trojans (Jovian Trojan and Greek Asteroids)Edit

NOTE: The Trojans and Greeks are two 600 million-kilometer-

long arcs of scattered, icy rock asteroids sharing

the orbit of Jupiter. They orbit in the stable L4 and

L5 points sixty degrees ahead of and behind the giant

planet. Mars and Neptune also have Trojan asteroids,

but when someone speaks of, “the Trojans,” they’re normally talking about the Jovian groups. In the early

days, L4 asteroids (ahead of Jupiter) are named after

Greek heroes of Homer’s Iliad; L5 asteroids (trailing

Jupiter) are named after heroes of Troy. Asteroids

discovered more recently break the old convention, as

there are far more objects in the Trojans than there

were characters in the Iliad.

Politically, the Trojans and Greeks may be thought

of as a collection of sometimes overlapping neighborhoods

whose inhabitants tend to group around particular

cultures, factions, and sometimes languages.

A neighborhood in the Trojans might span anywhere

from 250,000 to 2 million kilometers at its widest

point. Within neighborhoods, almost everyone knows

one other. Because of the wide dispersion of resources,

Trojan habitats tend to be small—from one to two

thousand people—and built largely along scum barge

or cluster lines (although it is never advisable to refer

to someone’s habitat as a scum barge unless they refer

to it that way first).

Resource and Economics

NOTE: Although the sheer size of the two regions means

a lot of cultural diversity, anarcho-collectivism is a

powerful meme here and the reputation economy is

prevalent. On one hand, neighborhoods, habitats,

and even individuals are expected to be self-sufficient.

Unlike the denser Main Belt, the Trojans lack the

safety net provided by pervasive transhuman presence.

The ideal Trojan or Greek is a Neo-Renaissance

being, incredibly competent in a wide variety of fields.

A person who can’t maneuver in zero g; maintain

their gear, ship, and hab; and navigate between rocks

and habitats can have a tough time surviving. At the

same time, a spirit of cooperation prevails. Bartering

services or even gifting them to gain reputation is

common. Everyone appreciates a specialist, as long

as they’re not specialized at the expense of baseline

self-sufficiency.

Prospecting and salvage are major activities in

the Trojans, where metals and rare elements are

scarce and settlers don’t usually have the economic

muscle to import raw materials from elsewhere.

However, the Trojans are rich in silicates, volatiles,

and carbonaceous materials. Necessity has led to

many innovations in materials science. Beyond the

simple problem of raw materials, the widely scattered

habitats of the Trojans have to be wildly inventive

on many levels to retain their independence.

New robot, morph, and vehicle designs appear all

the time, enabling an unusual array of business and

leisure activities, like whaling (organizing a flash

flotilla to rapidly mine asteroids and comets with erratic

orbits as they pass near the Trojans), mekking

(simulated—or sometimes real—combat between

robotic suits or synthetic morphs on uninhabited

asteroids with interesting terrain), and shrining

(stealthing up on another habitat and resurfacing it

with nanosculpters to create an art object—mostly a

scum barge pastime).

LocusEdit

NOTE: Locus is the largest cluster habitat ever formed. It

is still growing, with over one million inhabitants

in the habitat proper and another million in the

nearby suburbs of scum barges and small asteroid

stations. Locus is located in Cassandra’s Reach, one

of the denser regions in the L5 Trojans. The habitat

is positioned at the center of mass around which the

two asteroids making up the binary object Patroclus

orbit one another. Both Patroclus asteroids are

themselves inhabited and hold defense installations,

mines, and refineries.

The design of Locus is very similar to the much

smaller Lot 49, but Locus is eleven kilometers in diameter

and somewhat irregular in shape, as growth

along some spars is faster than others. A quarter of its

total volume is cut out in a roughly conical shape all

the way to the Amoeba, an immense, softly glowing

sculpture at the center of the habitat. Some differences

from smaller Trojan clusters are dictated by Locus’s

size. The immense structural spars radiating from the

habitat’s center are hollow, with arterial floatways and

elevator-trams running inside of them. Lesser spars

run between the arterial spars, providing more mooring

points for modules. Adjacent to each arterial spar

are wide “roads” leading to the edge of the habitat so

that modules can maneuver out if the owners decide

to leave.

Beneath the shimmering mesh stretched over the

geodesic frame to keep out micro-asteroids, tens of

thousands of small ships and habitat modules moored

along the spars pulse with an ever-changing array

of lights. Habitat modules and large ships are asked

to stay out of the conical empty space. This space

teems with small craft and people on thrustpacks or

voidscooters as they cross the habitat, play zero-g

games, or visit the free-floating spimes and sculptures

that dot the area. The Amoeba, which periodically

changes color and shape based on its resident AI’s

programming (often it looks like some sort of animal), serves as a central reference point for navigation.

When someone gives the address for a module, it is

as a point on a spherical coordinate system with the

Amoeba at its center. Large ships and shuttles dock on

the outer surface of the habitat, at the terminal points

of the arterial spars.

Locus was founded by a joint anarchist-argonaut

venture and was the first major stronghold for

the autonomist factions. Unlike Extropia, which

has the tacit blessing of the Planetary Consortium

and encourages the presence of security and insurance

companies, Locus runs on a pure reputation

economy. Security, maintenance, expansion, and

defense of the habitat are all performed by volunteers.

Inhabitants interested in security monitor

incoming ships and operate crowdsourcing systems

that dispatch volunteers to perform WMD scans on

new arrivals. Ships that won’t submit to a scan are

asked to leave. If they don’t, anyone who’s designed

a cool new weapons system recently is welcome to

take a shot.

Locus is one focal point in a cold war between the

hypercorp-aligned inner system powers and a loose

coalition of outer system interests. While saboteurs

from the Planetary Consortium and other hostile

entities can and do occasionally cause trouble on

Locus, the hypercorps are currently unwilling to

attempt a direct military attack on the habitat. The

first time they tried, the Planetary Consortium and

the Martian city-state of Valles-New Shanghai sent

a small expeditionary fleet. The interlopers were

caught completely off-guard by a fierce and wellcoordinated

defense. Six months later, they sent a

much larger fleet. Help arrived from elsewhere in the

Trojans and Greeks and from Titan, whose citizens

took a dim view of any Planetary Consortium expansion

beyond the belt. The Titanians now maintain

a permanent base near Locus. Rumor has it they

agreed to a mutual defense pact with one of Locus’

citizens, possibly the famous programmer-armsman

Teilhard Liu.

Comex Legal Disclaimer

NOTE: “Welcome to Locus. You voluntarily

assume the risk of organic damage or

mental trauma by mooring here. You

must bring or be capable of acquiring

enough food, H20, oxygen, and shelter

to survive for the duration of your stay

in a harsh, asteroid-rich environment.

Weapons of mass destruction are prohibited.

Further guidelines for coexisting

with your fellow entities are in the

habitat survival guide. You and only you

are responsible for yourself—learn to

love it!”

—Locus Immigration AR broadcast

“You have chosen the habitat Locus in

the L5 Trojans as your destination, using

the private carrier Atsuko van Vogt as

your receptor. ComEx corporate policy

requires us to inform you that the destination

and carrier you have selected

are unregistered and possibly unsafe.

ComEx takes no responsibility for the

continuity of your consciousness upon

arrival. You assume any and all risks

for travel to this point, including theft

of forks or deletion. ComEx will include

a permanent record of travel with this

carrier on your file. Would you like to

continue?”

—ComEx legal disclaimer

“The ComEx disclaimer? Yes, yes …

Listen: my neighbor three doors toward

the Amoeba from here is a physicist.

She has a box that generates microsingularities

in her lab. If people along

my spar found out I’d stolen a fork of

someone, they’d pop my stack with a

grapefruit knife and throw it in there.

That’s what we call, ‘accountability.’ See

if you get the same from ComEx.”

—Atsuko van Vogt

Lot 49

NOTE: Lot 49 is moored to the small asteroid 28349 Pynchon

in the amorphous Vonarburg-Shadyside neighborhood,

toward the center of the L4 Greeks. Vonarburg-

Shadyside is named after two rocks that roughly

delimit its 500,000-kilometer length along the arc of

Jupiter’s orbit. Neighboring habitats within 100,000

kilometers (with populations) include Craftsbury

(450), Greenview (28), and Blackhawk (1020). With a

population of 400, this station is more or less typical

of the Trojans in terms of layout.

From the outside, Lot 49 looks like a shiny, meshedover

geodesic sphere, 800 meters in diameter, with

numerous protruding instrument spars and some

triangles left open to space so that shuttles can pass

through. The mooring to the asteroid is temporary in

case a potential collision is detected. Inside, a central

utility module with a communal reactor, factories,

and machine bay is surrounded by evenly spaced but

irregularly shaped habitat modules in a riot of colors

and lighting schemes. Structural spars and floatways

connect everything. One entire spar is given over to a

rotating cylindrical module that generates about 0.7 g

and contains medical, cloning, resleeving, and darknet

egocasting facilities.

Lot 49’s population and most of their neighbors

in Vonarburg-Shadyside tend to align with the scum

and anarchist factions and speak a mixture of English,

Portuguese, and Thai. Lot 49 is in a densely inhabited

part of the Greeks, placing it near a crossroads. Main

economic activities include shuttle design, whaling,

and ferrying people and goods around the region.

SaturnEdit

NOTE: The second largest planet in the system is a much

more favorable habitat for transhumans than Jupiter.

Saturn’s lower gravity and milder magnetosphere are

a boon to gas mining operations, and for resourcehungry

habs, the Rings are a feast (literally, in the case

of the new Hamilton cylinder type habitats). Hypercorps

have a presence here, but any major expansion

by the Planetary Consortium is kept in check by the anarchist stations of the Rings and the technosocialist

Commonwealth of Titan.

Because Saturn is so distant from the Sun, solar

power generation is extremely inefficient. Growing

photosynthetic plants with sunlight is impossible

without large arrays of mirrors to focus the light. The

abundance of water and volatiles makes the rings

ideal for both scum barges and Hamilton cylinders.

Gas mining is vital to the survival of almost every

habitat and moon settlement in the Saturnian system,

so habitats located further out from the planet that

wish to be self-sufficient almost always maintain their

own gas mining stations close to the planet. Security

for these installations and the atmospheric skimmers

and tankers they dispatch is tight, and it is never advisable

to approach one unannounced.

Resource and Economics

NOTE: Gas mining on Saturn supplies thirty percent of the

system’s reactor mass. This role is expected to grow

as Helium-3 deposits in the Lunar regolith become

less accessible. For ships traveling to the far reaches

of the outer system, Saturn is an important alternative

to using Jupiter for gravity assists. Less restrictive

than Jovian regimes and richer in resources than

the Trojans, Circumsaturnine habs and settlements

are important innovators in habitat design and cultural

organization. Since the discovery of the Pandora

Gates, the Titanian Commonwealth is the only entity

actively pursuing interstellar exploration through

conventional means.

The Rings and Classical Minor Moons

NOTE: Saturn’s rings are made up of countless small icy objects,

most of which range in size from dust specks to

boulders 10 meters in diameter. The rings are designated

by the letters “A” through “F” in the order in

which they were discovered. They vary in thickness

between 100 and 1000 meters and in width from

20,000 kilometers down to just meters. In places there

are gaps between rings. The widest, the Cassini division,

is 4,000 kilometers across.

Saturn has over 60 satellites, a number

that jumps into the hundreds if one includes

the uncounted objects less than a

kilometer across orbiting in the A ring.

Most of Saturn’s moons are small, rocky,

ice objects less than 100 kilometers in

diameter. The smallest of the classical

moons, Pan, is only 10 kilometers across.

The first eight moons, from Enceladus

inward, lie within the ring system. Atlas,

at the edge of the A ring, and Prometheus

and Pandora, which flank the thin F

ring, are known as the Shepherd Moons.

Several of the moonlets occupy Lagrange

points relative to larger moons. Telesto

and Calypso share the orbit of much

larger Tethys, while Helene trails another

large moon, Dione.

Atlas (Volkograad)

NOTE: Volkov, a Slavic energy cartel, controls this

tiny moon. Volkograad is a beehive habitat

with about 50,000 residents. Much of the

moon is given over to skimming, refining,

and shipping infrastructure. A cloud of

wreckage trailing the moonlet by about

100,000 kilometers serves as a reminder

of the Atlas Incident, a brief but massively

destructive battle that erupted when Fa

Jing attempted a buyout of the moon. Tinkers

from Phelan’s Recourse still salvage

the floating derelicts regularly.

Dione (Thoroughgood)

NOTE: Dione’s main settlement is Thoroughgood

(population 350,000), a hybrid beehive

and orbital cluster habitat set on a plateau

amid a dramatic range of ice cliffs. Dione

hosts the Long Array, a 150 kilometerhigh

communications spar ascending

from the surface settlement to an orbital

station that acts as a counterweight. The

Long Array’s sheer size is something of a

publicity stunt, as the bulk of its capacity

goes unused. However, it drew enough

attention to make Thoroughgood a major

communications hub for the outer system,

and thus a place where hypercorp, anarchist,

and other factional interests meet.

Dione shares its orbit with Helene, a tiny,

rocky moon at its L4 point, and Polydeuces,

an even smaller body that trails it

at the L5 point.

Enceladus (Profunda)

NOTE: Rich in organic compounds, Enceladus

is a biochemist’s playground. Profunda

(population 850,000) is the major

settlement, a beehive dug into the moon’s surface capped by domed parks and clusters

of sleek, translucent minarets—well

protected from collisions by an aggressive

satellite defense network. The lower

levels, stretching deep into Enceladus’

icy silicate mantle, include a prospecting

operation that extracts carbonaceous soils

in search of exotic compounds. Another

deep section has been converted into a

kilometers-wide, reactor-heated primordial

sea, part of a long-term experiment

into the origins of life supported jointly

by Titanian academics and a collective of

Enceladian biochemists.

Profunda is run along anarcho-capitalist

lines. Thanks to the rich supply of

organic chemicals, its upper reaches are

home to many of the outer system’s best

known morph designers. The Enceladian

Glitter Bloc is said to have as much influence

over body styles as the Lunar fashion

houses do over what people wear.

Epimethus and Janus (Twelve Commons)

NOTE: These twin small, icy moonlets share

virtually the same path around Saturn,

orbiting within 50 kilometers of each

other. Set between the F and G Rings,

the moonlets form the center of Twelve

Commons, a neighborhood of small and

mid-size habitats arranged in a flat cloud

about 20,000 kilometers in radius. About

six million people live in Twelve Commons.

Habitats in Twelve Commons range

in size from Dang Fish Echo, a tin can hab

housing about 60 eccentric aquaculturists,

to Janus Common, a beehive occupying

much of Janus with a population of

900,000. Some of the habitats in Twelve

Commons feature very unusual designs,

such as Nguyen’s Compact (population

80,000), a variant Cole habitat in the

G ring where an asteroid was heated

and large amounts of steam were blown

through it to produce a series of interconnected

bubbles between five and three

hundred meters in diameter. In effect, the

interior of the colony is like a solidified

foam or Swiss cheese with no obvious up

or down. Without an ecto or basic implant

to provide location and navigation information,

navigating through this maze-like

habitat would be exceedingly difficult.

The habitats of Twelve Commons organize

themselves primarily along open

source anarcho-syndicalist lines, with

work groups and research pods acting as

the basic political unit.

Gateway (Pandora)

NOTE: The Gateway settlement, on Saturn’s outer shepherd

moon Pandora, holds the first publicly known

wormhole gate. The Gatekeeper Corporation keeps

the gate open as a means of exploration and scientific

investigation for all factions and powers. Gatekeeper

was originally a Titanian microcorp but is now independent.

The Commonwealth of Titan still holds a

major stake in it, though not a controlling interest.

Granting autonomy to Gatekeeper Corporation was

a diplomatic maneuver made in response to Planetary

Consortium claims that the Titanians sought hegemony

in the outer system. So far, Titan’s neighbors are

buying it, even if the Planetary Consortium doesn’t.

Hyperion

NOTE: With its chaotic, virtually unpredictable rotation,

Hyperion is a dangerous place to land ships. It remains

uninhabited.

Iapetus

NOTE: Iapetus is one of Saturn’s larger icy moons and once

boasted a population of 200,000 living in the dense

warrens of Analect, its main settlement. Probably because

it is one of the few large moons of Saturn that

contains sizable deposits of silicates and minerals in

addition to ice, Iapetus was a target of the TITANs

during the Fall. After enslaving a tenth of the populace

as worker drones and using the rest as seed stock

for tissue cultures to feed their fellows, the TITANs

began to build what appears to have been a matrioshka

brain. Iapetus now occupies twice the volume

it once did, the ice and silicate of the planet’s outer

layers having been reworked into a delicate lattice of

circuitry millions of layers deep.

Strangely, the project simply stalled at some point

prior to completion. Speculation has it that the

controlling intelligence was either destroyed by an

unknown outside force or devoured itself in a fit of

computational ecstasy. Whatever the case, the drones

simply stopped working and died and the moon’s automated

defense grid went dead, leaving a strangely

beautiful but lifeless machine behind to slowly decay

from meteor impacts and gravitational stress. Several

research teams now reside in small orbital stations,

quarreling over the scraps. Rumor has it that a

number of researchers trying to understand the matrioshka

circuitry have lost their minds in the process,

perhaps by some mechanism akin to a basilisk hack.

It is also believed that some of the moon’s internal

defenses remain active. If anyone has plumbed the

interior and come back, they’re not talking about it.

MeatHab

NOTE: The full name of this unique habitat is Turn Yourself

Into a Giant Mass of Space Meat for Art!, and as the

name implies, 90% of the habitat’s structure consists

of fast-cultured vat bacon, battened on the abundant

resources of the ring system. MeatHab started

out as someone’s art morph, but then, against all expectations, squatters moved in. MeatHab now has

a population of 500. Similar to a Hamilton cylinder,

the kilometer-long habitat harvests and processes ring

material to grow itself. The outer surface is frozen

flesh ten meters thick whose surface resembles a cross

between a tree trunk and flank steak. Past the axial

space dock is a warren of veinous, skin-covered corridors

lit by bioluminescent panels and maintained by

small, reptilian symbiotes that eat away dead skin and

may have other immune functions as well. Gravity

inside is 0.5 g.

The nameless biodesigner who created the

place—and who may or may not still inhabit the

gigantic morph—was a genius. Although the habitat

is not by any stretch of the imagination a pleasant

locale, it appears healthy. Its full workings are

not understood, and the inhabitants range from

extreme flesh freaks who are fans of the artist to serious

biodesigners studying the place to learn more

about its construction.

Mimas (Harmonius Anarchy)

NOTE: Led by legendary Chinese dissident poet Hao Lin

Ngai, Harmonious Anarchy broke from the Fa Jing

cartel during the tumultuous years prior to the Fall.

Hao sought to create a society in the spirit of the

ancient Taoist state of Great Perfection that existed

in Szechuan 1,700 years earlier—with considerable

updates from modern thought. Harmonious Anarchy

is an Extropian mutualist society heavily involved in

software engineering, logistics, and relocation of metallic

asteroids to the outer system. Most of Mimas is

a very low-g beehive arranged into Black, Red, Yellow,

Green, and White neighborhoods, based on the five

classical directions of Chinese mythology. Each color

boasts an ornate central cavern, with extended families

living in radiating subwarrens. While adhering to

mutalist economic principles, Harmonious Anarchy

simultaneously takes a traditional Chinese approach

to social organization, with family at its core.

Norse, Inuit, and Gallic Moonlets

NOTE: In addition to the classical satellites described here,

three groups of small objects unknown to early

astronomers orbit the planet. These moonlets are

designated as the Inuit, Gallic, and Norse groups.

Because these moonlets were still little explored by

the time of the Fall, most of them remain sparsely

populated. With a few exceptions, inhabitants of the

moonlets are generally people who want to be left

alone. The exceptions are Skathi and Abramsen (formerly

S/2007 S 2), which, along with Phoebe, were

captured and moved into Titan’s orbit, where they

serve as defense installations.

Pan (iZulu)

NOTE: Volkograad’s closest competitor is this anarchocapitalist

outfit, most of whose founders were South

African. iZulu has a somewhat lower capacity than

Volkograad but will ship reactor mass to unusual locations like the Trojans and the Kuiper Belt. iZulu is

a very crowded beehive with nearly 400,000 inhabitants

and an unusually large number of infugees. The

nations of sub-Saharan Africa were only starting to

achieve widespread 20th century-levels of prosperity

in the late 21st, and so they had the lowest capacity to

physically evacuate their citizens during the Fall of any

region on Earth. iZulu and a handful of other habitats

with roots in Africa thus have high infomorph populations

and millions of people in dead storage.

Phelan's Recourse

NOTE: Phelan’s Recourse (usually just called “Phelan’s” by

inhabitants) is the largest nomadic settlement in the

system, with a population estimated around 250,000.

Phelan’s is a swarm of some 10,000 small craft and tin

can habitat modules that orbits Saturn along a highly

elliptical path somewhat inclined to the plane of the

ecliptic. The swarm’s orbit is calculated to maximize

the number of encounters with near moons and stations,

providing a six to eight hour window in which

craft can leave the swarm for trade. Phelan’s Recourse

passes through the rings once a month, allowing craft

to resupply with water and volatiles.

Phelan’s accepts all comers. One could meet just

about anyone here, from the government in exile of

East Timor to Hasidim from Brooklyn. The core of

the swarm is the Stills, a fusion-illuminated grain

farm and distillery operated by an allegedly reformed

gang of Irish travelers who conned their way off

Earth a few weeks before the Fall and escaped to

the outer system. The Stills produce Phelan’s Ma, the

most sought-after whiskey in the system, and Phelan’s

Da, possibly the worst beer ever made. Despite the

Phelans’ protestations of legitimacy, the criminal

element is heavily represented here. The swarm

represents an important link in red and gray market

supply chains.

Prometheus (Marseilles)

NOTE: Marseilles (population 80,000) is a beehive habitat

operated by the Titanians. It is rumored to harbor an

antimatter factory, a theory supported by the large

number of skimmers that arrive from the surface relative

to the number of tankers that leave.

Rhea (Kronos Cluster)

NOTE: At a 764 kilometer diameter, Rhea is Saturn’s second

largest moon. Composed almost entirely of ice, Rhea’s

surface is sparsely inhabited, but a population of over

800,000 dwells in Kronos Cluster, a major habitat

in orbit. Kronos Cluster’s mass microfactured violet

spherical modules make it look like an immense, irregular

bunch of grapes suspended in space, an impression

added to by the winding space dock (nicknamed

the Vine) extending from the wider end. Within the

mass of habitat modules, the Vine branches out in all

directions, forming massive central arteries and twisting

side passages. These can be traversed by pushing

off hand and toeholds on the walls, or by catching hold of fast-moving grab loops that move along “fast

lanes” in the walls of major floatways.

Nearly five kilometers long and three wide, Kronos

has major problems with crowding and infrastructure

that have kept it from growing to the same size as

Locus. The designers simply did not plan for the size

the place might reach, and as a result another 150,000

people live in suburbs of tin can habs and scum barges

in the space around the habitat.

Kronos can be an extremely dangerous place.

Insurance companies don’t like operating here, and

the habitat is a patchwork of criminal and anarchist

neighborhoods. Anarchist neighborhoods are generally

heavily armed and safe, but a trip from an anarchist

holding to the spaceport is best done with a group of

well-armed friends. Criminal neighborhoods are only

safe if you’re in the neighborhood’s controlling gang,

and even then conflicts flare up regularly.

The situation is exacerbated by the Kronos Port

Authority, a junta of ultimates who operate security

for the spaceport. Originally an Extropian hypercorp,

the KPA fell into the hands of the ultimates when

they decided that they could profit more directly

by owning the company outright than by working

as hired muscle. They violently ousted the original

management and now use indentures in worker pods

to maintain the port. This situation is tolerated by

the local crime bosses and loathed by the mostlyanarchist

autonomist citizens, but so far no one is

able to challenge the KPA, which enforces use of the

port rather than any other mooring point with killsats

and artillery.

Tethys (Godwinhead)

NOTE: Composed almost entirely of ice, Tethys is one of Saturn’s

larger moons and the site of Ithaca Chasma, a

2,000-kilometer long valley covering three-quarters of

Tethys’s circumference. Fifteen years ago, prospectors

from an ethnically Indo-British autonomist collective

called the Rioters touched down on Godwin Head, a

projection in the chasm wall so named because it resembles

a headland projecting out into the sea. Instruments

on their ship, the Caleb Williams, had detected

what looked like mineral deposits in the ice, rare on

Tethys. What they found instead were relics thrust

to the surface by a geological event eons earlier, the

remains of primordial life that became extinct millions

of years ago when Tethys cooled and its subsurface

ocean froze over.

Godwinhead is now a dense, efficient settlement

of 200,000 built into the five kilometer high canyon

walls. The central point of the town is the Caleb Williams,

which has been towed back into a sheltering

cavern in the wall and converted into a communal

workshop and town hall. The face of the valley wall

is honeycombed with excavated ice caves hosting

habitat modules, connected by conduits to a communal

utility grid. The trusswork and cabling for the

utility system is also the public transit system, easily

traversed in the minute Tethyan gravity. The unofficial mascot of Godwinhead is the Tethyan Flatworm, a

two millimeter-long translucent worm that represented

the pinnacle of Tethyan evolution. A large number

of the inhabitants are involved in biosciences, xenopaleontology,

and prospecting for frozen lifeforms.

Tethys shares its orbit with its Trojan moons

Telesto and Calypso, both of which are small and

sparsely populated.

Gate Expedition Report 901127

NOTE: Gate Code Setting: [Encrypted]

Gatekeeper Corporation Eyes Only

Preliminary drone and sensor reports

seemed to indicate the gate’s exoplanet

environs were underground in

a cavern formed of carbonaceous rock

with a nitrogen dioxide atmosphere.

There were no signs of life or sentient

activity. A squad of gatecrashers was

sent through, guided by an exploration

drone, with a communication link back

to the gate.

Approximately one hour after the

team moved into the tunnels, consistent

communication was lost due to electromagnetic

interference. At this point they

had reported nothing more notable than

moving just over a kilometer through a

warren of tunnels.

The team was not heard from again.

Two hours after contact was lost, a

tethered search and rescue drone was

deployed. Following the gatecrashers’

breadcrumb trail, near the limits of

its tether range the drone came upon

what appeared to be a severed hand

in a vacsuit glove. DNA testing did not

identify the hand as belonging to any

members of the team, however, nor did

it match any other database queries.

The drone was detached from its tether

to search further, but shortly after sensors

recorded some type of seismic

event, and communication with the

drone was also lost.

The gate was kept active for 8 more

hours—the duration of the contract—

with no sign of activity. The gate was

then closed, the team reported as lost/

unretrievable, and the gate settings

were recorded with an orange flag.

TitanEdit

NOTE: Saturn’s largest moon is shrouded in a permanent

orange atmospheric haze, hellishly cold (averaging

180 degrees below), and whipped by winds produced

by tidal forces four times stronger than those influencing

the Earth’s climate. On its face, it appears even

less hospitable than the airless balls of ice and rock

comprising every world between Titan and Mars. The

meager sunlight reaching its surface is insufficient to

grow any but the hardiest plants, the mostly-nitrogen

atmosphere is dangerously toxic, and the surface

is dotted with lakes and seas of liquid methane. In

spite of all this, abundant hydrocarbons, a thick atmosphere,

and diverse chemistry make Titan one of

the few worlds in the system where colonists may rely

entirely on local resources. Titan’s population is now

over 60 million.

Social money and the microcorp system have led

to some spectacular gains and failures. On the up

side, Titan’s civil resleeving industry produces more

morphs than Mars and Luna combined. Massive

infrastructure programs have provided enough space

for 60 million people to live comfortably on a hostile

world. The Large Collider, the biggest particle accelerator

ever produced, in polar orbit, enables physics

experiments that can be performed nowhere else in

the system. And two years ago, Titan dispatched the

first conventional interstellar probe, the Aubade. It

will reach Proxima Centauri in just under 20 years.

On the down side, Titan’s “body for every mind”

law burdens the civic resleeving system with a lot of

people who no one would ever have bothered resleeving

otherwise. The failure of the Scoop project, an

extremely costly attempt to build a pipeline from

Saturn’s surface to low orbit, allowing massive gas

extraction without costly atmospheric skimmer operations,

stymied Titan’s ambitions to become a major

antimatter producer. Titan does produce antimatter,

but on a much smaller scale than was envisioned

when the Scoop project began.

Commonly spoken languages on Titan include

Norsk, Francais, Deustch, Mandarin, Svensk, Dansk,

and Suomi. Most citizens inhabit hazers, a tall, fineboned

morph with very similar characteristics to

the Martian ruster. Patagium for gliding and flying

in the light Titanian gravity are a common biomod.

Titanians do three years of compulsory civil service

at the age of majority, with an emphasis on military

and security forces except for conscientious objecters.

Every citizen who has done military service is part of

the militia and has an assault weapon in their home.

Aarhus

NOTE: Located near Titan’s south pole on the shores of Ontario

Lacus, a wide, shallow sea of liquid methane,

Aarhus (population five million) was the first site of

human habitation on Titan, chosen for its proximity

to abundant hydrocarbons. The city is the physical

hub of Titan Autonomous University (TAU) and hosts

numerous other academic institutions, most notably

Titan Tech, a major engineering school. Unlike Martian

universities, which have few physical campus

buildings, TAU and other Titanian schools draw

many of their students from the widely scattered

habitats of the outer system, where delays in radio

communication make distance learning ineffective.

Fully 20% of Aarhus’s population are students, many

of them offworlders.

Aarhus’s layout is typical of Titanian cities. Three

central domes are surrounded by numerous smaller

structures, including lesser domes, fusion plants, and

industrial outbuildings, the most massive of which is

the now-abandoned methane utility plant on the lake

shore. The dome interiors are hung with lighting rods

and heavily built up with tall, narrow buildings, most

of which have upper decks where hazers on the wing

and pedal-powered microlights can land. Exterior

structures usually have outer walls built of ice for

shielding and structural support with internal walls

extruded from local silicates. Many buildings are a

rich azure or other shades of blue for contrast with

the ever-present orange glow of the Titanian sky.

Unlike most Titanian cities, Aarhus relies primarily

on fusion power. Aarhus is the center of Titan’s native

preservationist movement, which opposes inefficient

use of native hydrocarbon resources due to possible

long term effects on Titan’s climate.

New Quebec

NOTE: New Quebec lies on a plain in the Aaru region surrounded

by endless rippling dunes shaped by Titan’s

powerful winds. The region’s diverse chemical resources

supply the colossal nurseries that have made New

Quebec the system’s largest single producer of morphs.

The city is 50 kilometers from Montmorency Lacus,

a 20 kilometer-wide crater lake of liquid ethane and

methane. Originally thought to be an impact crater,

rare on Titan, geological studies later showed it to be

the collapsed remains of an extinct cryovolcano. Situated

in a rainy area, the lacus slowly drains over the

crater lip at Montmorency Cascade, a 200 meter carbonfall

that empties into a series of alluvial channels

from which the Quebecoise pump its output for fuel.

The St. Catherine Tong, the most dangerous native

Titanian mob, is based in New Quebec. Titanian law

is generally very permissive regarding individual freedoms,

so the vices this gang trades in are of the blackest:

snuff pods, stolen alpha forks, and nanoweaponry.

A ready supply of fresh morphs bought from corrupt

microcorp nursery administrators further fuels their

rackets. The Tong is extremely violent and a major

embarrassment to Commonwealth security forces.

Nyhavn

NOTE: Set near the equator

amid the rolling ice

hills of the Xanadu region,

Nyhavn (population 12 million)

is the largest city in the outer

system and the capital of the Titanian

Commonwealth. Nyhavn’s massive central

dome, with its elegant blue towers and

bioengineered parklands, rivals New Shanghai

in size and ambition. Three surrounding domes

and a sprawl of subsidiary structures are connected

by high-clearance flyways, where ground vehicles

and microlights form a steady stream of traffic at all

hours. At the same time, the squalid blandness that

prevails in the Martian suburbs and outlying souks

is absent; the dwellings and neighborhoods of the

Titanian working class display a riot of color and

design, empowered by public fabricators limited by

none of the enforced scarcity of Martian economics.

For all its idealism, the Plurality is not immune to a

desire to showcase its achievements.

Outside the city is a pipeline leading from the

vast Tyska Lacus, 100 kilometers distant. Commonwealth

Skyport, Titan’s principal spaceport, offers

quick access to Commonwealth Hub, the Titan system’s

long-haul space dock, located in geostationary

orbit above the city. The surrounding countryside

is dotted with smaller settlements connected to

Nyhavn by trains and a well-developed network of

surface roads.

Nyhavn is a major media center, with daily life

closely attentive to the debates and decisions of

the Plurality. At the same time, it is a cosmopolitan

place, where Titan’s microcorp movers rub shoulders

with visiting anarchist traders and (less commonly)

legations from the inner system. There is an active

underworld, despite the efforts of security forces,

with the local St. Catherine Tong engaged in continual

low-intensity warfare with triads from throughout

the system.

Phoebe, Skathi, and Abramsen

NOTE: After the conflict at Locus, the Plurality became

embroiled in a hot debate regarding the dangers of

hypercorp adventurism in the outer system. It was

generally felt that the Planetary Consortium hoped to

keep the outer system in a position similar to where

the United States kept Latin America by meddling in

its affairs throughout the nineteenth and twentieth

centuries, and that the only counter to this was a

show of force. Titan’s thick atmospheric haze makes

ground-based space defense systems considerably

less effective than on other worlds, but satellites and

space platforms were too vulnerable to serve as command

and control centers.

The solution was to capture three of Saturn’s small

retrograde moons—Phoebe, Skathi, and Abramsen

(once designated S/2007 S 2, now renamed after a

pioneering Titanian economist). Phoebe is the largest of the three objects. The other two

were maneuvered into the system’s L4

and L5 points. The calculations required

to relocate these bodies were painstaking,

and the energy expenditure tremendous,

but all three now serve as major components of

Titan’s orbital defense grid. Whether the system created

thereby is impregnable has yet to be tested.

UranusEdit

NOTE: Once thought of as gas giants like Saturn and Jupiter,

Uranus and Neptune differ from the larger

planets in that they contain large amounts of water

ice, methane, and ammonia and have rocky cores at

their centers. This region of the system is sparsely

populated. Uranus orbits at a distance 10 AU beyond

the orbit of Saturn, 20 times the distance of the Earth

from the sun.

Uranus, the coldest planet in the solar system, is a

blue-green sphere of ice and gas. Seen from afar, it is

virtually featureless compared to Saturn and Jupiter,

but up close subtle cloud formations and a tenuous

ring system may be observed. Probably due to a collision

with an Earth-sized world when the solar system

was young, Uranus rotates on its side, such that one

pole faces the sun for 42 years at a stretch, and its

moons orbit at a sharp angle to the solar ecliptic.

At the time of Eclipse Phase, Uranus’s south pole

is experiencing its south polar mid-spring, during

which thick methane clouds darken the polar atmosphere.

It may be the unusual tilt of its axis and the

accompanying strange seasonal weather that give

rise to the unconfirmed rumor that the alien traders

called the Factors have created a settlement hidden

in Uranus’s atmosphere.

Chat Noir and Fissure Gate

NOTE: Located on Oberon, this is the Uranian system’s primary

long haul spaceport, with a permanent population

of 8,000. Chat Noir has fairly advanced egocasting,

resleeving, and manufacturing facilities for a

frontier outpost and is operated by several collectives

of anarchists. The reason for all the infrastructure

is Fissure Gate, the only Pandora Gate in anarchist

hands (despite several Planetary Consortium expeditions

to wrest control of it).

Fissure Gate was discovered by a prospecting expedition

from Chat Noir, then a tiny outpost. Seeking

deposits of the useful carbonaceous ices that make up

about 20% of Oberon’s mass, they instead chanced

upon subsurface radio emissions near the foot of Mt.

Hippolyta. After using triangulating the source, the

prospectors landed and used subsurface imaging gear.

What they got back was a blurry image of a rock fissure

containing an ambiguous mass of mixed density

and an extremely dense, possibly metallic object with

a shape too regular to be anything but a structure

or large artifact—all under 500 meters of ages-old

frozen cryovolcanic outflow. The gate at Pandora was

already publicly known at this time, so the prospectors

drilled down, suspecting they’d found an alien

artifact. They were not to be disappointed, although

the discovery yielded gruesome salvage: the barely

recognizable corpses of eleven gatecrashers.

Why and how the Fissure Gate was erected under

the ice remains a complete mystery. At some recent

point, however, it was completely buried, with only

a thin pocket of space between it and the surrounding

ice. When the eleven emerged, buried in an

airless space beneath 500 meters of ice, there was

barely room to move, let alone escape—but the gate

wouldn’t let them back through. Several of the crew

had recoverable cortical stacks. This lucky handful are

now prominent citizens of Chat Noir, but none plan

to resume gatecrashing as a career.

The Fissure Gate remains in anarchist hands,

operated and defended by the Love and Rage Collective.

The gate is made available to almost anyone

unless their rep score is tanked or they are pursuing

commercial interests (ruling out most hypercorps).

Support for gatecrashers is minimal—traverse the

threshold at your own risk. Any discoveries made via

this gate, however, must be shared for the collective

good of transhumanity.

Titania and Oberon

NOTE: Uranus’s two largest moons are sparsely populated,

with only about 10,000 transhumans living on each

body. Most stations are mixed dome and beehive settlements

and range from hypercorp communications

and research outposts to autonomist freeholds. The

pair are more chemically complex than most moons in

the outer system, consisting of about 30% rock, 20%

methane and similar carbonaceous ices, and 50%

water. Titania is home to a spectacular canyon that

rivals the Martian Valles Marineris. Several settlements on Titania cater to tourists from the inner system and

the gas giants, who visit for rocketing, mekking, and

other sports in the canyon.

Xiphos

NOTE: One of two major strongholds of the ultimates, Xiphos

is a Hamilton cylinder orbiting in the Uranian ring

system. Though most of the tech underlying Hamilton

cylinders is open source, the station’s frighteningly

efficient weapon systems are not. Rumor has it the

ultimates traded some major favors to Gorgon Defense

Systems in the process of building this station.

Where Aspis, the ultimates’ inner system habitat,

is a relatively open place, used by the Ultimates for

contact with potential mercenary clients, Xiphos is

off limits to anyone not of this faction. The rumored

population of ultimates here is only about 10,000, but

the ultimates purchase a large number of infomorph

indentures from Mars. Although there are no reports

of any of these indentures returning, rumor has it that

the ultimates download indentures serving in sensitive

areas into deaf, visually limited flats with no AR

implants and limited mental capacity.

NeptuneEdit

NOTE: Frigid, swept by 2,100 km/h winds, and tinged blue by

methane traces in its atmosphere, Neptune is the last

major planet in the system, orbiting at a distance of 30

AU from the sun. This far from the nearest star, plants

will not grow and solar power is useless. The only

sources of power are fusion, focused starlight, waste

heat, and chemical reactions. The hypercorp presence

in the Neptunian system is virtually absent, as the long

communication lags and extreme travel distances from

the rest of the solar system mean that few Neptunian

ventures garner profits. Similarly, the Titanian brand

of technosocialism has never found roots here. The

few transhumans who live out here are a resourceful

lot, and many colonists out here aren’t human at all.

Anarchists, brinkers, and desperados comprise most

of the population.

Glitch

NOTE: This habitat has the highest population density in the

system, with 20,000 infomorphs living in a meshed

cluster of twenty spherical structures that are 10

meters in diameter, powered by efficient central reactor

systems. The habitat is attended by a cloud of

factories, harvesters, and defense satellites that occupy

considerably more space than the station itself. Various

rumors circulate that the inhabitants are researching

methods to improve infomorphs in the manner of seed

AIs, or that they are engaged in some vast forecasting

simulation effort.

Ilmarinen

NOTE: Aligned with the argonauts, Ilmarinen is a hybrid

beehive/cluster dug into and partially protruding from

the large L4 asteroid Greymere. It is the largest habitat

in Neptune’s Trojans, with a population of 7,000. Like many transhumans this far out in space, most of

Ilmarinen’s inhabitants are heavily modified or inhabit

exotic morphs. Vacuum and cold tolerant morphs prevail,

and many sections of the habitat are unlivable for

baseline transhumans.

Mahogany

NOTE: The neo-avians who built this station threw away

the manual on habitat design and revisited the longout

of favor toroidal configuration. The result is a

disc habitat—a plate half a kilometer along the edge

and one kilometer in diameter, resembling a slice

of an O’Neill cylinder with no windows. A fusionpowered,

low-heat, axial light source nourishes

the verdant hardwood forest below. Structures are

built into the disc walls up to 500 meters in height.

The disc, mostly woven from carbon fibers, rotates

quickly enough to generate 0.5 g at the habitat floor.

Mahogany has a population of 4,000 mercurials,

most of them neo-avians.

Minor Moons

NOTE: Neptune’s other twelve moons are largely small

bodies, icy and sparsely (if at all) populated. Proteus

and Larissa, both sizable and relatively close to the

planet, host small populations. Naiad and Thalassa

are tiny but very close to the planet, and thus home to

some atmospheric skimming operations. Neso, orbiting

at about 1/3 AU from Neptune, has never been

visited—even by robotic probes.

Neptunian Trojans

NOTE: Trailing and preceding Neptune at the L4 and L5

points of its orbit are several hundred asteroids of

diverse, mostly icy composition. Neptune’s Trojans

are home to brinkers, hard-bitten prospectors, exotic

exhumans, and other extreme survivalists.

Triton

NOTE: Neptune’s largest moon has a tenuous atmosphere and

is chemically complex, composed of equal parts rock

and ices (frozen nitrogen, water, and carbon dioxyde).

It is also geologically active, with cryovolcanoes continually

resurfacing the planet. The surface has few

inhabitants but several habitats orbit here, using the

moon’s abundant raw materials and low escape velocity

to their advantage.

The Edge of the SystemEdit

NOTE: Beyond Neptune lie only dwarf planets and icy asteroids

waiting to become comets, roughly divided into

two regions: the Kuiper Belt, from 30 to 55 AU from

the Sun, and the Scattered Disk, which extends from

55 AU out to the Oort Cloud. Pluto, its binary object

Charon, and Eris have compositions similar to Triton.

A few small habitats orbit Pluto and Charon, eking

out a living by prospecting for volatiles. A number of

other dwarf planets orbit in the Kuiper belt and the

Disk, including Orcus, Senda, and 2000 OO67. Of

these, only Eris harbors a substantial population.

Eris

NOTE: Located at 55 AU from the sun at the edge of the

Scattered Disk, Eris is the largest dwarf planet in the

system and the site of a grim struggle between two of

transhumanity’s most militant factions: ultimates and

exhumans. The focal point of the struggle is Discord

Gate, the most remote of the system’s publicly-known

Pandora Gates, located in an icy labyrinth half a kilometer

beneath the surface of Eris.

The brief history of the gate is bloody. Go-nin

Group troops violently wrested control of the gate

from the Ilmarinen anarchists who discovered it. Titan

and several anarchist and brinker groups both tried

to dislodge Go-nin, but these attempts failed, at great

cost in lives and ships. Go-nin’s control of the gate

seemed ensured until the hypercorp apparently tampered

too heavily with the gate’s black box controls.

A devastating explosion ensued, all but wiping out the

gate and Go-nin base. The gate, however, restructured

itself over the course of several days, though its location

has now shifted to the bottom of a melted crater.

In the short period it took the Go-nin Group to hire

a group of ultimate mercenaries to retake the gate, a

hitherto unknown force of exhumans had seized the

area. The ultimates succeeded, but a group of exhumans

escaped through the gate. Go-nin now has nominal

control of the Discord Gate through the ultimates, who

maintain a heavily militarized base on Eris’s moon,

Dysnomia. However, in recent years the gate facility has

suffered several attacks by exhumans eager to infiltrate

the gate—and according to rumors, at least one of those

attacks originated from the gate itself.

Markov

NOTE: The location of this habitat, a major stronghold of

the argonauts, is a closely guarded secret. Attempts to

search it out have revealed only decoys or lifeless rocks.

Though a great deal of information is available about

the habitat’s specs, operations, areas of research, and

informational resources, only highly placed members

of the argonauts may travel here. By all accounts, the

habitat is a windowless beehive, designed to be virtually

emissionless. Speculated locations include Pluto’s moon

Hydra, the deep Kuiper Belt, and even the Oort Cloud.

Extrasolar SystemsEdit

NOTE: Although travel between the stars is still outside the

realm of transhumanity’s achievements, the Pandora

Gates have allowed passage to myriad other star systems.

A few are noted here, though many more exist—

not all of them explored.

Echo

NOTE: Echo is a binary system consisting of a bright orange

main sequence star and a pulsar (whence the system’s

name) about 12 light hours from one another. The

system has one immense, bright yellow Jovian world

(Echo VI) weighing in at 1.8 Jupiter masses and boasting

101 known moons, two Neptune-like ice giants

further out, a thin mid-system asteroid belt, and several

Mercury-like inner planets. The original Pandora Gate opens onto lifeless Echo V, a forbidding

place littered with the detritus of a dead alien civilization. The

hollow buildings of these precursors look out over once-verdant

alluvial plains now home to only dry arroyos and dust. In other

places, eons of wind erosion have carried the soil away entirely,

leaving only barren expanses of dark basaltic slag. Chemically and

geologically, the world is very similar to Mars, had Mars suffered

another half a billion years’ loss of atmosphere. Research into the

relics of the long-dead aliens suggests that they were morphologically

similar to arthropods or arachnids, earning them the designation

of Iktomi, after a Native American spider god. So far, little else

has been discerned about them.

Echo IV, on the other hand, is the closest thing transhumanity

has found to a paradise since losing Earth. The native life is carbonbased,

with many plants and fish edible even to flats. The climate is

warm temperate, the atmosphere breathable with no major contaminants.

The northern and southern latitudes are home to trackless

forests dominated by various species of valders—huge, maple-like

trees with dark red leaves. In the equatorial regions lie balmy, nutrient-

rich floodplains ripe for cultivation, broken up by the occasional

mountain range. Echo IV is still geologically active due to tidal heating,

though older than Earth by about two billions years, and has

two megacontinents connected near the equator by a tenuous land

bridge. Notable native life include the Unagi, a fearsome, eel-like

deep sea predator, and the clown sprite, a flying primate-analog that

exists in a symbiotic relationship with the Echolalian land anenome,

a huge, venomous, carnivorous plant that grows in the cloud forests

of the equatorial highlands. The biosphere is diverse with many

other megafauna, some quite dangerous.

Luca

NOTE: Luca is an M-Class red dwarf located in a region of the galaxy

far removed from any point of reference known to transhuman

astronomy. The system has only a single gas giant of about 1.4 Jupiter

masses—insufficient to shield the inner worlds from constant

asteroid bombardment. The lone gas giant is flanked by a tenuous

metallic inner asteroid belt and a wide ice and silicate outer belt.

The only other bodies worthy of planetary status are a hellish inner

world with Mercury’s richness of metal and Venus’ infernal atmosphere

and a few large, sullen plutoids sharing Lagrange orbits with

an asteroid field comprised of the shattered mass of a third plutoid.

Accessible by both the Vulcanoid and Fissure Gates, Luca II is a

heavily cratered terrestrial planet with a thick, dusty atmosphere—

just about breathable to transhumans with the right gear. It is a cold,

rocky world of craggy hills, knee-high forests, hissing geothermal

bogs, and fungal meadows. The natives, who have been extinct for at

least a million years, evolved from animals not unlike Earth’s aardvarks.

Originally insect mound predators, the Lucans evolved vision

well into the infrared (as demonstrated by the unusual pigments on

their pottery and later-stage porcelain) and, based on analysis of their

artifacts, had a sense akin to ultrasonic imaging. Their civilization

went through several cycles of rise and fall, punctuated by celestial

cataclysms that killed off less adaptable species and made resources

scarce. The Lucans seem never to have evolved past medieval levels

of societal organization prior to the Great Impact. Within a hundred

years of that final impact, the last of the Lucans perished, never

having invented the telescope, the computer, or space flight.

Luca II hosts Banshee, an underground settlement with a few

prominent surface features, including a radio astronomy station,

park domes, a short-hop aerospace port, and solar farms. It is set on the Howling Plain, a windy plain of scrub brush and

bogs chosen for its rich hydrocarbon deposits and low

incidence of asteroid impacts. Banshee is an uneasy

blend of anarchist colonists and hypercorp interests.

Mishipizheu

NOTE: Mishipizheu is a red giant. The planet from which

the star takes its name, Mishipizheu I, is a Mars-sized

sphere of water with an atmosphere of nitrogen and

carbon dioxide and a rocky core. Mishipizheu I was

an almost Venus-sized sphere of ice 700 million years

ago, but the expansion of its star into the red giant

phase melted the planet. Initially quite warm and full

of pockets of ice and carbonaceous silts, the melting

planet was a crucible in which life could develop and

now hosts a complex ecosystem. Amoeboid boiler

reefs composed of gas sac creatures and their symbiotes

bob on the surface or maintain neutral buoyancy

in the depths, becoming platforms for complex ecosystems

of largely animalian life.

Mishipizheu I is orbited by a mid-size rocky moon,

Nanabozho, reachable via the Discord Gate. Nanabozho

is a mystery, as moons of this composition are

not normally found so far out in a system. The best

current theory is that Nanabozho was an inner system

object with an erratic orbit. It was perturbed out of

its orbit by one of the now-engulfed gas giants that

must once have existed, whence by chance it was

captured in Mishipizheu’s orbit. The extraordinarily

slim chances of such an event, however, have led to

wild speculation as to the actual origin of the moon,

which is as popular a destination for gatecrashers as

the planet below.

Synergy

NOTE: Among the first attempts to establish a gatecrasher

colony beyond the original Pandora Gate, just 5 years

after the Fall, was a group of two hundred and fifty

colonists equipped with experimental headware communications

technology. Shortly after the jump, however,

a still unidentified glitch forced the gate to close

and the mechanism could not be reset to the same setting

and coordinates for an entire five years. When the

gate technicians finally managed to reacquire the settings

recently and reopen the gate, the colonists were

found to have survived, but they had changed. The

technology sent with them was largely AI controlled,

enabling the creation of a hypermesh that linked the

thoughts, emotions, and sensory experiences of each

colonist with each other. After half a decade of difficult

survival measures, this technology and the stress

of the situation linked the colonists and their AIs into

a group mind. Despite having the opportunity to

return to the solar system, these Synergists, as they

call themselves, have no desire to cut themselves off

from their shared consciousness.

Other ExoplanetsEdit

NOTE:  The number of extraterrestrial star systems that transhumanity

has visited via the gates now numbers into the hundreds, if not more—though only a small percentage

of these have been notable and/or hospitable.

Only a few dozen have been substantially occupied

or colonized by transhumans, though this number is

growing rapidly. Among these, a few deserve mention:

Arcadia:

Babylon:

Nótt: 

Sky Ark:

Wormwood:

Arcadia

NOTE: Accessed through the Martian Gate, the

Planetary Consortium is constructing an aerostat in

the upper atmosphere of this Venus-like planet which

will serve as a private resort for the hyperelite.

Babylon

NOTE: Initially thought to just be an unremarkable

scorched moon orbiting a planet very close to a

yellow star, researchers measuring the star made an

incredible accident discovery: what appears to be a

derelict spacecraft orbiting deep in the star’s corona.

Attempts to access this vessel have so far been thwarted,

but other projects are in the works, including the

possibility of towing the craft to safer climes.

Bluewood:

Bluewood

NOTE: One of the first anarchist colonies established

through the Fissure Gate, this settlement

inhabits a beautiful, small Earth-like world with a

thriving eco-system. Established on the outskirts of

a large forest of eerie, alien, blue “trees,” the colony

was taken off-guard by the trees alarming growth

rate. The modular settlement buildings have all but

been surrounded and encased by overgrowth despite

modest efforts to keep them clear. Still intact but engulfed

by spiraling branchworks, the effect is beautiful

and haunting.

Nott

NOTE: This barren ice-covered moon suffers from

heavy geothermal activity that causes its frozen crust to

constantly crack and refreeze. The unfortunate research

station staff here, all indentured, claim that something

out in the ice is stalking them—over a dozen have disappeared

in the last year. Pathfinder refuses to pull the

station back, however, and thorough searches from its

security teams have turned up nothing.

Sky Ark

NOTE: TerraGenesis is redesigning this dry, arid

moonlet as an off-world preserve for animal life,

including many formerly extinct Earth species resurrected

from fossil DNA.

Wormwood

NOTE: This maze-like warren seems to be an

actual beehive habitat, though who tunneled it out

or why remains an unanswered mystery. The former

asteroid is part of the ring system of an unknown gas

giant. Clearly artificial, gatecrashers so far have found

no signs of technology or life.

Analysis: Myst Trees

NOTE: [File Corruption: 98%]

[Partial Retrieval Complete]

… called “myst trees” by the residen@#

of Ca*&78 … also found on tw) oth*r

exoplanets ]]]]] … seem to be some sort of

living data storage{{[— … utilizing nanofog

systems for <|{9h’’’’ … high pr@bability of

alien origin [[[[[[; ;

GAME MECHANICSEdit

NOTE: In every game, there comes a time when the gamemaster must decide if a character succeeds or fails in an action. This is when the players roll dice and the characters’ stats and abilities come into play. This chapter defines the core mechanics and rules that govern the outcomes of events inEclipse Phase.

THE ULTIMATE RULE

NOTE: One rule in Eclipse Phase outweighs all of the others: have fun. This means that you should never let the rules get in the way of the game. If you don’t like a rule, change it. If you can’t find a rule, make one up. If you disagree over a rule’s interpretation, flip a coin. Try not to let rules interfere with the game’s flow and mood. If you’re in the middle of a really good scene or intense roleplaying and a rule suddenly comes into question, don’t stop the game to look it up and argue about it. Just wing it, make a decision quickly, and move on. You can always look the rule up later so you’ll remember it next time. If there are disagreements over a rule’s interpretation, remember that the gamemaster gets the final say.

This rule also means that you shouldn’t let the story be guided solely by rolls of the dice. The element of chance that dice rolls provide lends a sense of randomness, uncertainty, and surprise to the game. Sometimes this is exciting, like when a character makes an unexpectedly difficult roll and saves the day. At other times, it is brutal, such as when a lucky shot from an opponent takes one of the characters out for good in a fight. If the gamemaster wants a scenario to result in a pre-planned dramatic outcome and an unexpected die roll threatens that plan, they should feel free to ignore that roll and move the story in the direction they desire.

DICE

NOTE: Eclipse Phaseuses two ten-sided dice (each noted as a d10) for random rolls. In most cases, the rules will call for a percentile roll, noted as d100, meaning that you roll two ten-sided dice, choosing one to count first, and then read them as a result between 0 and 99 (with a roll of 00 counting as zero, not 100). The first die counts as the tens digit, and the second die counts as the ones digit. For example, you roll two ten-sided dice, one red and one black, calling out red first. The red one rolls a 1 and the black die rolls a 6, for a result of 16. Some sets of d10s, as shown above, are specifically marked for easier rolling and reading.

Occasionally the rules will call for individual die rolls, with each individual ten-sided die listed as a d10. If the rules call for several dice to be rolled, it will be noted as 2d10, 3d10, and so on. When multiple ten-sided dice are rolled in these instances, the results are added together. For example, a 3d10 roll of 4, 6, and 7 counts as 17. On d10 rolls, a result of 0 is treated as a 10, not a zero.

Most players ofEclipse Phase can get by with having two ten-sided dice, but it doesn’t hurt to have more on hand. These dice can be purchased at your friendly local game store or borrowed from another gamer.

A NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY AND GENDER

NOTE: The Eclipse Phase setting raises a number of interesting questions about gender and personal identity. What does it mean when you are born female but you are occupying a male body? When it comes to language and editing, this also poses a number of interesting questions for what pronouns to use. The  English language has a bit of a bias towards male-gendered pronouns that we hope to avoid in these rules. For purposes of this game, we’ve sidestepped some of these gender neutrality quandaries by adopting the “Singular They” rule. What this means is that rather than just going with male  pronouns (“he”) or switching between gendered pronouns (“he” in one chapter, “she” in the next), we have adopted the use of “they” even when referring to a single person. To some folks, this is bad grammar, but there is actually some good evidence that this usage has strong historical roots (look it up), and it certainly gives our editors fewer headaches.

When referring to specific characters, we use the gendered pronoun appropriate to the character’s personal gender identity, no matter the sex of the morph they are in.

MAKING TESTSEdit

NOTE: In Eclipse Phase, your character is bound to find themself in adrenalin-pumping action scenes, high-stress social situations, lethal combats, spine-tingling investigations, and similar situations filled with drama, risk, and adventure. When your character is embroiled in these scenarios, you determine how well they do by making tests—rolling dice to determine if they succeed or fail, and to what degree.

You make tests in Eclipse Phase by rolling d100 and comparing the result to a target number. The target number is typically determined by one of your character’s skills (discussed below) and ranges between 1 and 98. If you roll less than or equal to the target number, you succeed. If you roll higher than the target number, you fail. A roll of 00 is always considered a success. A roll of 99 is always a failure.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Jaqui’s character needs to make a skill test. Her skill is 55. Jaqui takes two ten-sided dice and rolls a 53—she succeeds! If she had rolled a 55, she still would have been successful, but any roll higher than that would have been a failure.

TARGET NUMBERS

NOTE: As noted above, the target number for a d100 roll in Eclipse Phase is usually the skill rating. Occasionally, however, a different figure will be used. In some cases, an aptitude score is used, which makes for much harder tests as aptitude scores are usually well below 50 (seeAptitudes, p. 123). In other tests, the target number will be an aptitude rating x 2 or x 3 or two aptitudes added together. In these cases, the test description will note what rating(s) to use.

WHEN TO MAKE TESTS

NOTE: The gamemaster decides when a character must make a test. As a rule of thumb, tests are called for whenever there is a chance that a character might fail at an action or when success or failure may have an effect on the ongoing story. Tests are also called for whenever two or more characters act in opposition to one another (for example, if they are arm wrestling or haggling over a price). On the other hand, routine use of a skill by someone with at least a rating of 30 in that skill can be assumed to be successful with no test. It is not necessary to make tests for everyday, run-of- the-mill activities, such as getting dressed or checking your email (especially inEclipse Phase, where so many activities are automatically handled by the machines around you). Even an activity such as driving a car does not call for dice rolls as long as you have a small modicum of skill. A test might be necessary, however, if you happen to be driving while bleeding to death or are pursuing a gang of motorcycle-riding scavengers through the ruins of a devastated city.

Knowing when to call for tests and when to let the roleplaying flow without interruption is a skill every gamemaster must acquire. Sometimes it is better to simply make a call without rolling dice in order to maintain the pacing of the game. Likewise, in certain circumstances the gamemaster may decide to make tests for a character in secret, without the player noticing. If an enemy is trying to sneak past a character on guard,

for example, the gamemaster will alert the player that something is amiss if they ask them to make a perception test. This means that the gamemaster should keep a copy of each character’s record sheet on hand at all times.

DIFFICULTY AND MODIFIERSEdit

NOTE: Difficulty and Mo difiers The measure of a test’s difficulty is reflected in its modifiers. Modifiers are adjustments made to the target number (not the roll), either raising or lowering it. A test of average difficulty will have no modifiers, whereas actions that are easier will have positive modifiers (raising the target number, making success more likely) and harder actions will have negative modifiers (lowering the target number, making success less likely). It is the gamemaster’s job to determine if a particular test is harder or easier than normal and to what degree (as illustrated on the Test Difficulty table) and to then apply the appropriate modifier.

Other factors might also play a role in a test, applying additional modifiers aside from the test’s general level of difficulty. These factors include the environment, equipment (or lack thereof), and the health of the character, among other things. The character might be using superior tools, working in poor conditions, or even wounded, and each of these factors must be taken into account, applying additional modifiers to the target number and adjusting the likelihood of success or failure.

For simplicity, modifiers are applied in multiples of 10 and come in three levels of severity: Minor (+/–10), Moderate (+/–20), and Major (+/–30). Any number of modifiers may be applied, as the gamemaster deems appropriate, but the cumulative modifiers may not exceed + or – 60.

TEST DIFFICULTY

NOTE:

Difficulty Level	Modifier
Effortless	+30
Simple	+20
Easy	+10
Average	+0
Difficult	-10
Challenging	-20
Hard	-30

MODIFIER SEVERITY

NOTE:

Severity	Modifier
Minor	+/- 10
Moderate	+/- 20
Major	+/- 30

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Jaqui is attempting to leap from one door to another across a large chamber in zero gravity. She’s in a hurry. If she misses the door, she’ll lose valuable time, so the gamemaster calls for a Freefall Skill Test. Jaqui’s Freefall skill is 46. Unfortunately the chamber is filled with floating debris that could get in her way. The gamemaster determines this is a Moderate modifier, reducing the target number by 20. Jaqui must roll a 26 or less to succeed.

CRITICALS: ROLLING DOUBLESEdit

NOTE: Any time both dice come up with the same number—00, 11, 22, 33, 44, etc.—you have scored a critical success or critical failure, depending on whether your roll also beats your target number. 00 is always a critical success, whereas 99 is always a critical failure. Rolling doubles means that a little something extra happened with the outcome of the test, either positive or negative. Criticals have a very specific application in combat tests (see p. 192), but for all other purposes the gamemaster decides what exactly went wrong or right in a specific situation. Criticals can be used to amplify a success or failure: you finish with a flourish or fail so spectacularly that you remain the butt of jokes for weeks to come. They can also result in some sort of unexpected secondary effect: you repair the device and improve its performance; or you fail to shoot your enemy and hit an innocent bystander. Alternately, a critical can be used to give a boost (or a hindrance) to a follow-up action. For example, you not only spot a clue, but you immediately suspect it to be red herring; or you not only fail to strike the target, but your weapon breaks, leaving you defenseless. Gamemasters are encouraged to be inventive with their use of criticals and choose results that create comedy, drama, or tension.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Audrey is attempting to intimidate a low-level triad mook into giving her information. Unfortunately she rolls a 99—a critical failure. Not only does she fail to scare the guy, but she accidentally lets slip an important piece of information that she didn’t want the triad to know. If she rolled a 00 instead—a critical success—she would browbeat the man so thoroughly that he throws in some extra important information just so she’ll leave him alone in the future.

DEFAULTING: UNTRAINED SKILL USEEdit

NOTE: Certain tests may call for a character to use a skill they don’t have—a process calleddefaulting. In this case, the character instead uses the rating of the aptitude (see p. 123) that is linked to the skill in question as the target number.

Not all skills may be defaulted; some of them are so complex or require such training than an unskilled character can’t hope to succeed. Skills that may not be defaulted on are noted on the Skill List (p. 176) and in the skill description.

In rare cases, a gamemaster might allow a character to default to another skill that also relates to a test (see p. 173). When allowed, defaulting to another skill incurs a –30 modifier.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Toljek is trying to casually sneak inside a hypercorp facility when he unexpectedly runs into a hypercorp employee. The woman he’s encountered doesn’t necessarily have grounds to be suspicious of Toljek’s presence, but the gamemaster calls for Toljek to make a Protocol Test to pass himself off as someone that belongs there. Unfortunately, Toljek doesn’t have that skill, so he must default to its linked aptitude, Savvy, instead. His Savvy score is only 18, so Toljek better hope he gets lucky.

SIMPLIFYING MODIFIERSEdit

NOTE: Rather than looking up and accumulating a long list of modifiers for each action and doing the math, the gamemaster can instead choose to simply “eyeball” the situation and apply the modifier that best sums up the net effect. This method is quicker and allows for easier test resolution. One way to eyeball the situation is to simply apply the most severe modifier affecting the situation.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Tyska is trying to escape from some thing that’s chasing him through a derelict habitat. The gamemaster calls for a Freerunning Test, but there are a number of modifying conditions: it’s dark, he’s running with a flashlight, and there’s debris everywhere. Tyska, however, has an entoptic map of the best route out of there to help him out. The gamemaster assesses the situation and decides the overall effect is that the test is

challenging, and so a –20 modifier is applied.

NARRATIVE MODIFIERSEdit

NOTE: If you wish to develop a more cinematic feel for your game, or if you simply wish to encourage your players to invest more detail and creativity into the storyline, you can award “narrative modifiers” to a character’s test when that player describes what the character is doing in exceptionally colorful, inventive, or dramatic detail. The better the detail, the better the modifier.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Cole doesn’t just want his character to jump over the table, he wants to make an impact. Cole tells the gamemaster that his character kicks a chair out of the way, rolls over the dinner table on his shoulder, grabs a fork as he does it, makes  sure to knock all of the fine china on the floor, then lands on his feet in a defensive martial arts posture, fork raised high. The gamemaster decides the extra description is worth +10 to his

Freerunning Test.

TEAMWORKEdit

NOTE: If two or more characters join forces to tackle a test together, one of the characters must be chosen as the primary actor. This leading character will usually (but not always) be the one with the highest applicable skill. The primary acting character is the one who rolls the test, though they receive a +10 modifier for each additional character helping them out, up to a maximum +30 modifier. Note that helping characters do not necessarily need to know the skill being used if the gamemaster decides that they can follow the primary actor’s lead.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: The robotic leg on Eva’s synthetic morph has been badly damaged, so she needs to repair it. Max and Vic both sit down and help her out, giving her a +20 modifier (+10 for each helper) to her Hardware:

Robotics Test.

TYPES OF TESTSEdit

NOTE: There are two types of tests inEclipse Phase: Success and Opposed.

SUCCESS TESTSEdit

NOTE: Success Tests are called for whenever a character is acting without direct opposition. They are the standard tests used to determine how well a character exercises a particular skill or ability.

Success Tests are handled exactly as described underMaking Tests, p. 115. The player rolls d100 against a target number equal to the character’s skill +/– modifiers. If they roll equal to or less than the target number, the test succeeds, and the action is completed as desired. If they roll higher than the target number, the test fails.

TRYING AGAIN

NOTE: If you fail at a test, you can take another shot. Each subsequent attempt at an action after a failure, however, incurs a cumulative –10 modifier. That means the second try suffers –10, the third –20, the fourth –30, and so on, up to the maximum –60.

TAKING THE TIMEEdit

NOTE: Most skill tests are made for Automatic, Quick, or Complex Actions (see pp. 119–120) and so are resolved within one Action Turn (3 seconds, see p. 119). Tests made for Task actions (p. 120) take longer.

Players may choose to take extra time when their character undertakes an action, meaning that they choose to be especially careful when performing the action in order to enhance their chance of success. For every minute of extra time they take, they increase their target number by +10. Once they’ve modified their target number to over 99, they are practically assured of success, so the gamemaster can waive the dice roll and grant them an automatic success. Note that the maximum +60 modifier rule still applies, so if their skill is under 40 to start with, taking the time  ay still

not guarantee a favorable outcome. You may take the time even when defaulting (seeDefaulting, p. 116).

Taking extra time is a solid choice when time is not a factor to the character, as it eliminates the chance that a critical failure will be rolled and allows the player to skip needless dice rolling. For certain tests it may not be appropriate, however, if the gamemaster decides that no amount of extra time will increase the likelihood of success. In that case, the gamemaster simply rules that taking the time has no effect.

For Task action tests (p. 120), which already take time to complete, the duration of the task must be

increased by 50 percent for each +10 modifier gained for taking extra time.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Srit is searching through an abandoned spaceship, looking for a sign of what happened to the missing crew. The gamemaster tells her it will take twenty minutes to search the whole ship. She wants to be extra thorough, however, so she takes an extra thirty minutes. Fifty percent of the original timeframe is ten minutes, so taking an extra thirty minutes means that Srit receives a +30 modifier to her Investigation Test.

SIMPLE SUCCESS TESTSEdit

NOTE: In some circumstances, the gamemaster may not be concerned that a character might fail a test, but  instead simply wants to gauge how well the character performs. In this case, the gamemaster calls for aSimple Success Test, which is handled just like a standard Success Test (p. 117). Rather than determining success or failure, however, the test is assumed to succeed. The roll determines whether the character succeedsstrongly (rolls equal to or less than the target number) or succeedsweakly (rolls above the target number).

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Dav is taking a short spacewalk between two parked ships. The gamemaster determines that this is a routine operation and calls for Dav to make a Simple Success Test using the Freefall skill. Dav’s skill is only 35. He rolls a 76, but the gamemaster merely determines that Dav has some trouble orienting himself and has to take some extra time. If Dav had rolled a 77—a critical failure—his suit’s maneuvering jets may have died and he may have accidentally propelled himself into deep space.

MARGIN OF SUCCESS/FAILUREEdit

NOTE: Sometimes it may be important that a character not only succeeds, but that they kick ass and take names while doing it. This is usually true of situations where the challenge is not only difficult but the action must be pulled off with finesse. Tests of this sort may call for a certainMargin of Success (MoS)—an amount by which the character must roll under the target number. For example, a character facing a target number of 55 and a MoS of 20 must roll equal to or less than a 35 to succeed at the level the situation calls for.

At other times, it may be important to know how badly a character fails, as determined by aMargin of Failure (MoF), which is the amount by which the character rolled over the target number. In some cases, a test may note that a character who fails with a certain MoF may suffer additional consequences for failing so dismally.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: An enemy has thrown an incendiary device near Stoya. She has only a moment to act and decides to try to kick it away from herself. Even better, she hopes to kick it into the open maintenance hatch a dozen meters away. The gamemaster determines that in order to kick it into the hatch, Stoya needs to succeed with an MoS of 30. Her Unarmed Combat skill is 66, so Stoya needs to roll 66 or less to kick the device away (though she may still be damaged when it explodes), and 36 or less to kick it into the hatch (in which case she will be completely safe when it detonates). She rolls a 44—missing the hatch, but scoring a critical success! Her aim is off, but the gamemaster decides that the device rebounds off some machinery and falls into the hatch anyway.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Nico is trying to sketch out a picture of someone’s face. He has eidetic memory, but his drawing needs to be good enough for someone else to identify the person. He rolls against his Art: Drawing skill of 34, scoring a 97—a MoF of 63. The illustration is so bad that the gamemaster determines that anyone

using that picture to identify the person will need to score a MoS of at least 63 on a Perception Test

to recognize the person.

EXCELLENT SUCCESSES/SEVERE FAILURESEdit

NOTE: Excellent Successes and Severe Failures are a method used to benchmark successes and failures with an MoS or MoF of 30+. Excellent Successes are used in situations where an especially good roll may boost the intended effect, such as inflicting more damage with a good hit in combat. Severe Failures denote a roll that is particularly bad and has a worse effect than a simple failure. Neither Excellent Successes or Severe Failures are as good or bad as criticals, however.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Stoya has been caught in a deal gone bad. She moves to kick her opponent using her Unarmed Combat of 65. She rolls a 33 (for an MoS of 32), and her opponent rolls a 21 (also successful, but less than Stoya, so she wins). She has succeeded and beaten her opponent with an MoS of 30+, scoring an Excellent Success, meaning she will inflict extra damage with the kick.

OPPOSED TESTSEdit

NOTE: An Opposed Test is called for whenever a character’s action may be directly opposed by another. Regardless of who initiates the action, both characters must make a test against each other, with the outcome favoring the winner.

To make an Opposed Test, each character rolls d100 against a target number equal to the relevant

skill(s) along with any appropriate modifiers. If only one of the characters succeeds (rolls equal to or less than their target number), that character has won. If both succeed, the character who gets the highest dice roll wins. If both characters fail, or they both succeed and roll the same number, then a deadlock occurs—the characters remain pitted against each other, neither gaining ground, until one of them takes another action and either breaks away or makes another Opposed Test.

Note that critical successes trump high rolls in an Opposed Test—if both characters succeed and one rolls 54 while the other rolls 44, the critical roll of 44 wins. Care must be taken when applying modifiers in an Opposed Test. Some modifiers will affect both participants equally, and should be applied to both tests. If a modifier arises from one character’s advantage in relation to the other, however, that modifier should only be applied to benefit the favored character; it should not also be applied as a negative modifier to the disadvantaged character.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Zhou has been hired by the Jovian Republic to infiltrate his old pirate band. Even though he’s resleeved in a new skin, he’s worried that one of his old buddies, Wen, might recognize his mannerisms, since they lived, whored, and raided together for years. After Zhou has spent some time in Wen’s company, the gamemaster makes a secret Opposed Test, pitting Zhou’s Impersonation skill of 57 against Wen’s Kinesics of 34. The gamemaster decides to give Wen a bonus +20, since he is so familiar with his former buddy and has been on the lookout for him, eager to repay the old grudge that split them apart. Wen’s target number is now 54.

The gamemaster rolls for both. Zhou scores a 45 and Wen a 39. Both succeed, but Zhou rolled higher,

so his deception is successful. The gamemaster decides that Wen finds something about Zhou to

be familiar, but he can’t put his finger on it.

OPPOSED TESTS AND MARGIN OF SUCCESS/FAILURE

NOTE: In some cases, it may also be important to note a character’s Margin of Success or Failure in an Opposed Test, as with a Success Test above. In this case, the MoS/MoF is still determined by the difference between the character’s roll and their target number—it is not calculated by the difference between the character’s roll and the opposing character’s roll.

VARIABLE OPPOSED TESTEdit

NOTE: In some cases, the rules will call for aVariable Opposed Test, which allows for slightly more outcomes

than a standard Opposed Test. If both characters succeed in a Variable Opposed Test, then an outcome is obtained which is different from just one character winning over the other. The exact outcomes are noted with each specific Variable Opposed Test.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Jaqui needs to hack into a local network to retrieve some video footage. The network is actively defended by an AI, so a Variable Opposed Test is called for, pitting Jaqui’s Infosec skill of 48 against the AI’s Infosec of 25. Jaqui rolls a 48—a success—but the AI rolls a 14—also a success. In this circumstance, Jaqui succeeds in hacking in, but the AI is aware of the infiltration and can take

active countermeasures against her.

TIME AND ACTIONSEdit

NOTE: Though the gamemaster is responsible for managing the speed at which events unfold, there are times when it is important to know exactly who is acting when, especially if some people are acting before or after other people. In these circumstances, gameplay in Eclipse Phase is broken down into intervals calledAction Turns.

ACTION TURNS

NOTE: Each Action Turn is three seconds long, meaning there are twenty Action Turns per minute. The order in which characters act during a turn is determined by an Initiative Test (seeInitiative, p. 121). Action

Turns are further subdivided intoAction Phases. Each character’s Speed stat (p. 121) determines the amount of actions they can take in a turn, represented by how many Action Phases they may take.

TYPES OF ACTIONSEdit

NOTE: The types of actions a character may take in an Action Turn are broken down to:Automatic,Quick,Complex, andTaskactions.

AUTOMATIC ACTIONS

NOTE: Automatic actions are “always on” and require no effort from the character, assuming they are conscious.

Examples: basic perception, certain psi sleights

QUICK ACTIONS

NOTE: Quick actions are simple, so they can be done fast and can be multi-tasked. The gamemaster determines how many Quick actions a character may take in a turn.

Examples: talking, switching a safety, activating an implant, standing up

COMPLEX ACTIONS

NOTE: Complex actions require concentration or effort. The number of Complex actions a character may take per turn is determined by their Speed stat (see p. 121).

Examples: attacking, shooting, acrobatics, disarming a bomb, detailed examination

TASK ACTIONS

NOTE: Task actions are any actions that require longer than one Action Turn to complete. Each Task action has atimeframe, usually listed in the task description or otherwise determined by the gamemaster. The timeframe determines how long the task takes to complete, though this may be reduced by

10 percent for every 10 full points of MoS the character scores on the test (seeMargin

of Success/Failure, p. 118). If a character fails on a Task action test roll, they work on the task for a minimum period equal to 10 percent of the timeframe for each 10 full points of MoF before realizing it’s a failure.

For Task actions with timeframes of one day or longer, it is assumed that the character only works eight hours per day. A character that works more hours per day may reduce the time accordingly. Characters working on Task actions may also interrupt their work to do something else and

then pick up where they left off, unless the gamemaster rules that the action requires continuous and uninterrupted attention.

Similar to taking the time (p. 117), a character mayrush the jobon a Task action, taking a penalty on the test in order to decrease the timeframe. The character must declare they are rushing the job before they roll the test. For every 10 percent they wish to reduce the timeframe, they incur a –10

modifier on the test (to a maximum reduction of 60 percent with a maximum modifier of –60).

DEFINING YOUR CHARACTEREdit

NOTE: In order to ga uge and quantify what your character is merely good at and what they excel in—or what they are clueless about and suck at—Eclipse Phaseuses a number of measurement factors: stats, skills, traits, and morphs. Each of these characteristics is recorded and tracked on your character’s

record sheet(p. 399).

CONCEPT

NOTE: Your character concept defines who you are in theEclipse Phaseuniverse. You’re not just

a run-of-the-mill plebeian with a boring and mundane life, you’re a participant in a postapocalyptic

transhuman future who gets caught up in intrigue, terrible danger, unspeakable horrors, and scrambling for survival. Much like a character in an adventure, drama, or horror story, you are a person

to whom interesting things happen—or if not, you make them happen. This means your character needs a distinct personality and sense of identity. At the very least, you should be able to sum up your character concept in a single sentence, such as “cantankerous neotenic renegade archaeologist with

anger management issues” or “thrill-seeking social animal who is dangerously obsessed with conspiracy theories and mysteries.” If it helps, you can always borrow ideas from characters you’ve seen in movies or books, modifying them to fit your tastes.

Your character’s concept will likely be influenced by two important factors: background

and faction. Your background denotes the circumstances under which your character was raised, while your faction indicates the post-Fall grouping to which you most recently held ties and allegiances. Both of these play a role in character creation (p. 128).

MOTIVATIONS

NOTE: The clash of ideologies and memes is a core component ofEclipse Phase, and so every character has three motivations—personal memes that dominate the character’s interests and pursuits. These memes may be as abstract as ideologies the character adheres to or supports—for example, social anarchism, Islamic jihad, or bioconservatism—or they may be as concrete as specific outcomes the character desires, such as revealing a certain hypercorp’s corruption, obtaining massive personal wealth, or winning victories for uplifted rights. A motivation may also be framed in opposition to something; for example, anti-capitalism or anti-pod-citizenship, or staying out of jail. In essence, these are ideas that motivate the character to do the things they do. Motivation is best noted as a term or short phrase on the character sheet, marked with a + (in favor of) or – (opposed to). Players are encouraged to develop their own distinct motivations for their characters, in cooperation with the gamemaster. Some examples are provided on p. 138.

In game terms, motivation is used to help define the character’s personality and influence their actions for roleplaying purposes. It also serves to regain Moxie points (p. 122) and earn Rez Points for character advancement (p. 152).

Motivational goals may be short-term or long-term, and may in fact change for a character over time. Short-term goals are more immediately obtainable objectives or short-lived interests, and these goals are likely to change once achieved. Even so, they should reflect intentions that will take more than one game session to reach, possibly covering weeks or months. These short-term goals may in fact tie directly into the gamemaster’s current storyline. Examples include conducting a full analysis of an alien artifact, completing a research project, or living life as an uplifted dog for a while. Long-term goals reflect deeply rooted beliefs or tasks that require major efforts and time (possibly lifelong) to achieve. For example, finding the lost backup of a sibling missing since the Fall, overthrowing an autocratic regime, or making first contact with a new

alien species. For purposes of awarding Moxie or Rez Points, long-term goals are best broken down into obtainable chunks. Someone whose goal is to track down the murderer who killed their parents when they were a child, for example, can be considered to achieve that goal every time they discover some evidence that brings them a little closer to solving the puzzle.

EGO VS. MORPH

NOTE: Eclipse Phase’s setting dictates that a distinction must be made between a character’sego (their ingrained self, their personality, and inherent traits that perpetuate in continuity) and theirmorph (their ephemeral physical—and sometimes virtual—form). A character’s morph may die while the character’s ego lives on (assuming appropriate backup measures have been taken), transplanted into a new morph. Morphs are expendable, but your character’s ego represents the ongoing, continuous life path of your character’s mind, personality, memories, knowledge, and so forth. This continuity may be interrupted by an unexpected death (depending on how recent the backup was made), or by forking (see p. 273), but it represents the totality of the character’s mental state and experiences.

Some aspects of your character—particularly skills, along with some stats and traits—belong to your character’s ego, which means they stay with them throughout the character’s development. Some stats and traits, however, are determined by morph, as noted, and so will change if your character leaves one body and takes on another. Morphs may also affect other skills and stats, as detailed in the morph description.

It is important that you keep ego- and morph-derived characteristics straight, especially when updating your character’s record sheet.

CHARACTER STATS

NOTE: Your character’s stats measure several characteristics that are important to game play:Initiative,Speed,Durability,Wound Threshold,Lucidity,Trauma Threshold, andMoxie. Some of these stats are inherent to your character’s ego, others are influenced or determined by morph.

EGO STATSEdit

NOTE: EGO STATS

Initiative

Lucidity

Trauma Threshold

Insanity Rating

Moxie

INITIATIVE (INIT)Edit

NOTE: Your character’s Initiative stat helps determine when they act in relation to other characters during the

Action Turn (seeInitiative, p. 188). Your Initiative stat is equal to your character’s Intuition + Reflexes aptitudes (seeAptitudes, p. 123) multiplied by 2. Certain implants and other factors may modify this score.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Lazaro’s Intuition is 15 and his Reflexes score is 20. That means his Initiative is 70 (15 + 20 = 35, 35 x 2 = 70).

LUCIDITY (LUC)

NOTE: Lucidity is similar to Durability, except that it measures mental health and state of mind rather than physical well-being. Your Lucidity determines how much stress (mental damage) you can take before you are incapacitated or driven insane (seeMental Health, p. 209).

Lucidity is unlimited, but generally ranges from 20 to 60 for baseline unmodified humans. Lucidity is

determined by your Willpower aptitude x 2.

TRAUMA THRESHOLD (TT)

NOTE: The Trauma Threshold determines if you suffer a trauma (mental wound) each time you take stress (seeMental Health, p. 209). A higher Trauma Threshold means that your mental state is more resilient against experiences that might inflict psychiatric disorders or other serious mental instabilities.

Trauma Threshold is calculated by dividing Lucidity by 5 (rounding up).

INSANITY RATING (IR)

NOTE: Your Insanity Rating is the total amount of stress your mind can take before you go permanently insane and are lost for good. Insanity Rating equals LUC x 2.

MOXIEEdit

NOTE: Moxie represents your character's inherent talent at facing down challenges and overcoming obstacles with spirited fervor. More than just luck, Moxie is your character’s ability to run the edge and do what it takes, no matter the odds. Some people consider it the evolutionary trait that spurred humankind to pick up tools, expand our brains, and face the future head on, leaving other mammals in the dust. When the sky is falling, death is imminent, and no one can help you, Moxie is what saves the day.

The Moxie stat is rated between 1 and 10, as purchased during character creation (and perhaps raised later). In game play, Moxie is used to influence the odds in your favor. Every game session, your character begins with a number of Moxie points equal to their Moxie stat. Moxie points may be spent for any of the following effects:

• The character may ignore all modifiers that apply to a test. The Moxie point must be spent before dice are rolled.
• The character may flip-flop a d100 roll result. For example, an 83 would become a 38.
• The character may upgrade a success, making it a critical success, as if they rolled doubles. The character must succeed in the test before they spend the Moxie point.
• The character may ignore a critical failure, treating it as a regular failure instead.
• The character may go first in an Action Phase (p. 189).

Only 1 point of Moxie may be spent on a single roll. Moxie points will fluctuate during gameplay, as they are spent and sometimes regained.

Regaining Moxie: At the gamemaster’s discretion, Moxie points may be refreshed up to the character’s full Moxie stat any time the character rests for a significant period. Moxie points may also be regained if  the character achieves a personal goal, as determined by their Motivation (see p. 121). The gamemaster determines how much Moxie is regained in proportion to the goal achieved.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Audrey has a difficult Piloting: Aircraft roll to make. Her skill is 61, but she’s facing a lot of modifiers (–30), and if she fails she’s in big trouble. She could spend a point of Moxie before the test to ignore the modifiers, but she decides to take her chances against the target number of 31. Unfortunately, she rolls an 82. Luckily, she can spend a Moxie point to flip-flop that roll and make it a 28—a success!

MORPH STATSEdit

NOTE: MORPH STATS

Speed

Durability

Wound Threshold

Death Rating

Damage Bonus

SPEED (SPD)

NOTE: The Speed stat determines how often your character gets to act in an Action Turn (seeInitiative, p. 188). All characters start with a Speed stat of 1, meaning they act once per turn. Certain implants and other advantages may boost this up to a maximum of 4.

DURABILITY (DUR)

NOTE: Durability is your morph’s physical health (or structural integrity in the case of synthetic shells, or system integrity in the case of infomorphs). It determines the amount of damage your morph can take before you are incapacitated or killed (seePhysical Health, p. 206). Durability is unlimited, though the range for baseline (unmodified) humans tends to fall between 20 and 60.

Your Durability stat is determined by your morph.

WOUND THRESHOLD (WT)

NOTE: A Wound Threshold is used to determine if you receive a wound each time you take physical damage (seePhysical Health, p. 206). The higher the Wound Threshold, the more resistant to serious injury you are.

Wound Threshold is calculated by dividing Durability by 5 (rounding up).

DEATH RATING (DR)Edit

NOTE: Death Rating is the total amount of damage your  morph can take before it is killed or destroyed Beyond repair. Death Rating is equal to DUR x 1.5 for biomorphs and DUR x 2 for synthmorphs.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Tyska is sleeved in a run-of-the-mill splicer morph with a Durability of 30. That gives him a Wound Threshold of 6 (30 ÷ 5) and a Death Rating of 45 (30 x 1.5). If Tyska acquired an implant that boosted his Durability by +10 to 40, his Wound Threshold would be 8 (40 ÷ 5) and his Death Rating would be 60 (40 x 1.5).

DAMAGE BONUS

NOTE: The Damage Bonus stat quantifies how much extra oomph your character is able to give their melee and thrown weapons attacks. Damage Bonus is determined by dividing your Somatics aptitude (see below) by 10 and rounding down.

CHARACTER SKILLSEdit

NOTE: Skills represent your character’s talents. Skills are broken down intoaptitudes (ingrained abilities that everyone has) andlearned skills(abilities and  knowledge picked up over time). Skills determine the target number used for tests (seeMaking Tests, p. 115).

APTITUDES

NOTE: Aptitudes are the core skills that every character has by default. They are the foundation on which learned skills are built. Aptitudes are purchased during character creation and rate between 1 and 30, with 10 being average for a baseline unmodified human. They represent the ingrained characteristics and talents that your character has developed from birth and stick with you even when you change morphs—though some morphs may modify your aptitude ratings.

Each learned skill is linked to an aptitude. If a character doesn’t have the skill necessary for a test, they may default to the aptitude instead (seeDefaulting, p. 116).

There are 7 aptitudes in Eclipse Phase:

• Cognition (COG)is your aptitude for problemsolving, logical analysis, and understanding. It also includes memory and recall.
• Coordination (COO) is your skill at integrating the actions of different parts of your morph to produce smooth, successful movements. It includes manual dexterity, fine motor control, nimbleness, and balance.
• Intuition (INT)is your skill at following your gut instincts and evaluating on the fly. It includes physical awareness, cleverness, and cunning.
• Reflexes (REF)is your skill at acting quickly. This encompasses your reaction time, your gut-level response, and your ability to think fast.
• Savvy (SAV)is your mental adaptability, social intuition, and proficiency for interacting with others. It includes social awareness and manipulation.
• Somatics (SOM)is your skill at pushing your morph to the best of its physical ability, including the fundamental utilization of the morph’s strength, endurance, and sustained positioning and motion.
• Willpower (WIL)is your skill for self-control, your ability to command your own destiny.

LEARNED SKILLS

NOTE: Learned skills encompass a wide range of specialties and education, from combat training to negotiating to astrophysics (for a complete skill list, see p. 176). Learned skills range in rating from 1 to 99, with an average proficiency being 50. Each learned skill is linked to an aptitude, which represents the underlying competency in which the skill is based. When a learned skill is purchased (either during character generation or advancement), it is bought starting at the rating of the linked aptitude and then raised from there. If the linked aptitude is raised or modified, all skills built off it are modified appropriately as well.

Depending on your background and faction, you may receive some starting skills for free during character creation. Like aptitudes, learned skills stay with the character even when they change morphs, though certain morphs, implants, and other factors may sometimes modify your skill rating. If you lack a particular skill called for by a test, in most cases you can default to the linked aptitude for the test (seeDefaulting, p. 116).

SPECIALIZATIONSEdit

NOTE: Specializations represent an area of concentration and  focus in a particular learned skill. A character who learns a specialization is one who not only grasps the basic tenets of that skill, but they have trained hard to excel in one particular aspect of that skill’s field. Specializations apply a +10 modifier when the character utilizes that skill in the area of specialization.

Specializations may be purchased during character creation or advancement for any existing skill the character possesses with a rating of 30 or more. Only one specialization may be purchased for each skill. Specific possible specializations are noted under individual the skill descriptions (seeSkills, p. 170).

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Toljek has Palming skill of 63 with a specialization in Pickpocketing. Whenever he uses Palming to pick someone’s pocket or otherwise steal from someone's person, his target number is 73, but for all other uses of Palming the standard 63 applies.

CHARACTER TRAITS

NOTE: Traits include a range of inherent qualities and features that help define your character. Some traits are positive, in that they give your character a bonus to certain stats, skills, or tests, or otherwise give them  an edge in certain situations. Others are negative, in that they impair your abilities or occasionally create a glitch in your plans. Some traits apply to a character’s ego, staying with them from body to body, while others only apply to a character’s morph.

Traits are purchased during character generation. Positive traits cost customization points (CP), while negative traits give you extra CP to spend on other things (seeTraits, p. 145). The maximum number of CP you may spend on traits is 50, while the maximum you may gain from negative traits is 50. In rare circumstances—and only with gamemaster approval— traits may be purchased, bought off, or inflicted during gameplay (see p. 153).

CHARACTER MORPHEdit

NOTE: InEclipse Phase, your body is disposable. If your body gets old, sick, or too heavily damaged, you can digitize your consciousness and download it into a new body. The process isn’t cheap or easy, but it offers effective immortality—as long as you remember to back yourself up and don’t go insane. The termmorph is used to describe any type of form your mind inhabits, whether it be a vat-grown clone sleeve, a synthetic robotic shell, a part-bio/part-flesh pod, or even the purely electronic software state of an infomorph.

You purchase your starting morph during character creation (see p. 128). This is likely the morph you were born with (assuming you were born), though it may simply be another morph you’ve moved onto.

Physical looks aside, your morph has a large impact on your characteristics. Your morph determines certain physical stats, such as Durability and Wound Threshold, and it may also influence Initiative and Speed. Morphs may also modify some of your aptitudes and learned skills. Some morphs come pre-loaded with specific traits and implants, representing how it was crafted, and you can always bling yourself out with more implants if you choose (seeImplants, p. 126). All of these factors are noted in the individual morph descriptions (see p. 139).

If you plan on switching your current morph to another during gameplay, you may first want to back yourself up (seeBackups and Uploads, p. 268). Backing up regularly is always a smart option in case you suffer an accidental or untimely death. Acquiring a new morph is not always easy, especially if you want it pre-loaded according to certain specifications. The full process is detailed underResleeving, p. 271.

APTITUDE MAXIMUMSEdit

NOTE: Every morph has an aptitude maximum, sometimes modified by traits. This maximum represents the highest value at which the character may use that aptitude while inhabiting that morph, reflecting an inherent limitation in some morphs. If a character’s aptitude exceeds the aptitude maximum of their morph, they must use it at the maximum value for the duration of the time they remain in that morph. This may also affect the skills linked to that aptitude, which must be modified appropriately.

Some implants, gear, psi, and other factors may modify a character’s natural aptitudes. These augmented values may exceed a morph’s aptitude maximums, as they represent external factors boosting the morph’s ability. No aptitude, however, augmented or not, may ever exceed a value of 40. Innate ability only takes a person so far—after that point, actual skill is what counts.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Eva has a Cognition aptitude of 25. She is unfortunately forced to sleeve into a flat morph with an aptitude maximum of 20. For the duration of the period she inhabits that morph, her Cognition is reduced to 20, which also impacts all of her COG-linked skills, reducing them by 5.

THINGS CHARACTERS USEEdit

NOTE: In the advanced technological setting ofEclipse Phase, characters don’t get by on their wits and morphs alone; they take advantage of their credit and reputation to acquire gear and implants and use their social networks to gather information. Some characters also have the capability to use mental powers known as psi.

IDENTITY

NOTE: In an age of ubiquitous computing and omnipresent surveillance, privacy is a thing of the past—who you are and what you do is easily accessed online. Characters inEclipse Phase, however, are often involved in secretive or less-than-legal activities, so the way to keep the bloggers, news, paparazzi, and law off your back is to make extensive use of fake IDs. While Firewall often provides covers for its sentinel agents, it doesn’t hurt to keep a few extra personas in reserve, in case matters ever go out the airlock in a hurry. Thankfully, the patchwork allegiances of city-state habitats and faction stations means that identities aren’t too difficult to fake, and the ability to switch morphs makes it even easier. On the other hand, anyone with a copy of your biometrics or geneprint is going to have an edge tracking you down or finding any forensic traces you leave behind (for more on ID, see p. 279).

SOCIAL NETWORKS

NOTE: Social networks represent people the character knows and social groups with which they interact. These contacts, friends, and acquaintances are not just maintained in person, but also through heavy Mesh contact. Social software allows people to stay updated on what the people they know are doing, where they are, and what they are interested in, right up to the minute. Social networks also incorporate the online projects of individual members, whether it’s a mesh-site loaded with a band member’s songs, a personal archive of stored media, a decade of blog entries reviewing the best places to score cheap electronics, or a depository of research papers and studies someone has worked on or finds interesting.

In game play, social networks are quite useful to characters. Their friends list is an essential resource—a pool of people you can actively poll for ideas, troll for news, listen to for the latest rumors, buy or sell gear from, hit up for expert advice, and even ask for favors.

While a character’s social networks are nebulous and constantly shifting, the use of them is not. A character takes advantage of their social networks via the Networking (Field) skill (p. 182). The exact use of this skill is covered underReputation and Social Networks, p. 285.

CRED

NOTE: The Fall devastated the global economies and currencies of the past. In the years of reconsolidation that followed, the hypercorps and governments inaugurated a new system-wide electronic monetary system. Calledcredit, this currency is backed by all of the large capitalist-oriented factions and is used to trade for goods and services as well for other financial transactions. Credit is mainly transferred electronically, though certified credit chips are also common (and favored for their anonymity). Hardcopy bills are even used in some habitats.

Depending on your background or faction, your character may be given an amount of credit at the start of the game. During game play, your character must earn credit the old-fashioned way: by earning or stealing it.

REP

NOTE: Capitalism is no longer the only economy in town. The development of nanofabricators allowed for the existence of post-scarcity economies, a fact eagerly taken advantage of by anarchist factions and others. When anyone can make anything, concepts like property and wealth become irrelevant. The advent of functional gift and communist economies, among other alternative economic models, means that in such systems you can acquire any goods or services you need via free exchange, reciprocity, or barter—presuming you are a contributing member of such a system and respected by your peers. Likewise, art, creativity, innovation, and various forms of cultural expression have a much higher worth than they do in capitalist economies.

In alternative economies, money is often meaningless, but reputation matters. Your reputation score represents your social capital—how esteemed you are to your peers. Rep can be increased by positively influencing, contributing to, or helping individuals or groups, and it can be decreased through antisocial behavior. In anarchist habitats, your likelihood of obtaining things that you need is entirely based on how you are viewed by others.

Reputation is easily measured by one of several online social networks. Your actions are rewarded or punished by those with whom you interact, who can ping your Rep score with positive or negative feedback. These networks are used by all of the factions, as reputation can affect your social activities in capitalist economies as well. The primary reputation networks include:

• The @-list: the Circle-A list for anarchists, Barsoomians, Extropians, scum, and Titanians, noted as @-rep.
• CivicNet:used by the Jovian Republic, Lunar-Lagrange Alliance, Morningstar Constellation, Planetary Consortium, and many hypercorps, referred to as c-rep.
• EcoWave:used by nano-ecologists, preservationists, and reclaimers, referred to as e-rep.
• Fame: the seen-and-be-seen network used by socialites, artists, glitterati, and media, referred to as f-rep.
• Guanxi:used by the triads and numerous criminal entities, referred to as g-rep.
• The Eye:used by Firewall, noted as i-rep.
• RNA:Research Network Affiliation, used by argonauts,technologists, scientists, and researchers, referred to as r-rep.

Reputation is rated from 0-99. Depending on your background and faction, you may start with a Rep score in one or more networks. This can be bolstered through spending customization points during character creation. During game play, your Rep scores will depend entirely on your character’s actions. For more information, seeReputation and Social Networks, p. 285.

Note that each Rep score is tied to a particular identity.

GEAR

NOTE: Gear is all of the equipment your character owns and keeps on their person, from weapons and armor to clothing and electronics. You buy gear for your character with customization points during character creation (see p. 136) and in the game with Credit or Rep. Certain restricted, illegal, or hard-to-find items may require special efforts to obtain (seeAcquiring Gear, p. 298). If you have access to a nanofabricator, you may be able to simply build gear, presuming you have the proper blueprints (seeNanofabrication, p. 284). For a complete listing of equipment options, see theGear chapter, p. 296.

Even among the remaining capitalist economies, prices can vary drastically. To represent this, all gear falls into a cost category. Each category defines a range of costs, so the gamemaster can adjust the prices of individual items as appropriate to the situation. Each category also lists an average price for that category, which is used during character generation and any time the gamemaster wants to keep costs simple. See theGear Costs table on p. 137.

IMPLANTS

NOTE: Implants include cybernetic, bionic, genetech, and nanoware enhancements to your character’s morph (or mechanical enhancements in the case of a synthetic shell). These implants may give your character special abilities or modify their stats, skills, or traits. Some morphs come pre-equipped with implants, as noted in their descriptions (see p. 139). You may also special order morphs with specific implants (seeMorph Acquisition, p. 277). If you want to upgrade a morph you are already in, you can undergo surgery or other treatments to have an enhancement installed (seeHealing Vats, p. 326. For a complete list of available implant/enhancement options, see pp. 300-311,Gear.

PSI

NOTE: Psi is a rare and anomalous set of mental abilities that are acquired due to infection by a strange nanovirus released during the Fall. Psi abilities are not  completely understood, but they give characters certain advantages—as well as some disadvantages. A character requires the Psi trait (p. 147) to use psi abilities, which are calledsleights. Psi users are calledasyncs. A full explanation of psi and details on the various sleights can be found in theMind Hacks chapter, p. 216.

GAME RULES SUMMARY

NOTE: GAME RULES SUMMARY

Everything you need to know about the rules—summed up on a single page.

MAKING TESTS (P. 115)

• Roll d100 (two ten-sided dice, read as a percentile amount, from 00 to 99).
• Target number is determined by the appropriate skill (or occasionally an aptitude).
• Difficulty is represented by modifiers.
• 00 is always a success.
• 99 is always a failure.
• Margin of Success of 30+ is an Excellent Success.
• Margin of Failure of 30+ is a Severe Failure.
• A roll of doubles (00, 11, 22, 33, etc.) equals a critical success or failure.

SUCCESS TEST (P. 117)

• To succeed, roll d100 and score equal to or less than the skill +/– modifiers.

OPPOSED TEST (P. 119)

• Each character rolls d100 against their skill +/– modifiers.
• The character who succeeds with the highest roll wins. If both characters fail, or both succeed but tie, deadlock occurs.

SIMPLE SUCCESS TEST (P. 118)

• Simple Success Tests automatically succeed.
• Success or failure on the roll simply indicates if the character succeeded strongly or poorly.

DEFAULTING (P. 116)

• If a character does not have the appropriate skill for a test, they may default to the skill’s linked aptitude.

MODIFIERS (P. 115)

• Modifiers always affect the target number (skill), not the roll.
• Modifiers (positive or negative) come in 3 levels of severity:
• Minor (+/–10)
• Moderate (+/–20)
•  Major (+/–30)
• The maximum modifiers that can be applied are +/– 60.

TEAMWORK (P. 117)

• One character is chosen as the primary actor; they make the test.
• Each helper character adds a +10 modifier (max. +30).

TAKING THE TIME (P.118)

• Character may take extra time to complete an action.
• On Complex actions, each minute taken adds +10 to the test.
• On Task actions, every 50 percent extension to the timeframe adds +10 to the test.

APTITUDES (P.123)

• Aptitudes range from 1 to 30 (average 15).
• Aptitudes are: Cognition, Coordination, Intuition, Reflexes, Savvy, Somatics, and Willpower.

LEARNED SKILLS (P. 123)

• Skills range from 1-99 (average 50).
• Each skill is linked to and based on an aptitude.
• Morphs, gear, drugs, etc. may provide skill bonuses or penalties to individual skills.

SPECIALIZATIONS (P. 123)

• Specializations add +10 when using a skill for that area of concentration.
• Each skill may have only one specialization.

ACTION TURNS (P. 120)

• Action Turns are 3 seconds in length.
• The order in which characters act is determined by Initiative.
• Automatic actions are always “on.”
• Characters may take any number of Quick Actions in a Turn (minimum of 3), limited only by the gamemaster.
• Characters may only take a number of Complex Actions equal to their Speed stat.

TASK ACTIONS (P. 120)

• Task Actions are any action that requires longer than 1 Action Turn to complete.
• Task Actions list a timeframe (anywhere from 2 Turns to 2 years).
• Timeframe reduced by 10% for each 10 points of MoS.
• If character fails, they work on the task for a minimum period equal to 10% of the timeframe for each 10 points of MoF before realizing it’s a failure.

CHARACTER CREATION AND ADVANCEMENTEdit

NOTE: The first step towards playingEclipse Phase is to define your character. If you’re new to the game and setting, the easiest way to jump right in is to simply select one of the Sample Characters provided on pp. 154–169. If you’re more familiar with RPGs, or you simply want finer control over your character, you can build them from scratch,  perhaps using one of the Sample Characters as a template. This chapter will walk you through the process of character generation, from the general concept and personality to the crunchy game statistics.

CHARACTER GENERATIONEdit

NOTE: There are two parts to every player character. The first is the sets of numbers and attributes that define what a character is good or bad at (or even what they can and can’t do) according to the game mechanics. These are more than just statistics, however—these characteristics help to define your character’s abilities and interests, and by extension their background, education, training, and experience. During the character creation process, you will have the ability to assign, adjust, and juggle these characteristics as you like. If you have a pre-conceived notion of what the character is about, you can optimize the stats to   reflect that. Alternatively, you can tweak the stats until you get something you like, then base the character’s backstory off of what you develop.

The second part to every player character is their personality. What defines them as a person? What makes them tick? What pisses them off? What sparks their interest? What positive aspects of their personality make them appealing as a friend, comrade, or lover—or at least someone interesting to play? What character flaws and quirks do they have? These questions matter because they will also guide you as you assign stats, skills, and traits.

Character generation is a step-by-step process. Unlike some games, the process for creating anEclipse Phase character is not random—you have complete control over every aspect of your character’s design. Some stages must be completed before you can move on to others. The complete process is broken down on the Step-By-Step Guide to Character fCreation sidebar.

CHARACTER CONCEPT

NOTE: Deciding what/who you want to play before you make the character is usually the best route. Pick a simple archetype that fits your character, and work from there. Do you want to play an explorer? Someone sneaky, like a spy or thief? Someone cerebral, like a scientist? A hardened criminal or ex-cop? Or do you prefer to be a rabble-rousing agitator? You can also start with a personality type and choose an associated profession. If you want a social butterfly who excels at manipulating people, you can play a media personality, blogger, or party-going socialite. Perhaps you’d prefer a bottomed out reject with substance abuse problems, in which case an ex-merc or former hypercapitalist who lost his fortune and family during the Fall might fit. How about an energetic, live-life-to-the-fullest, must-see-it all character? Then a habitat freerunner or professional gatecrasher might be what you’re looking for.

Make sure to check in with the other players and try to create a character that’s complementary to the rest of the team—preferably one who provides some

skill-set the group lacks. Why create a research archeologist if someone else is already set on playing one, especially when the team lacks a good combat specialist or async? On the other hand, if your team is going to be running an alien archeological expedition, then having more than one researcher (each with  distinct areas of expertise) might not be bad.

Once you have the basic concept, try to fill it with a few more details, making it into a one-sentence summary. If you started with the concept of “xeno-sociologist,” expand it to “open-minded amateur linguist and expert xeno-sociologist who is fascinated by alien cultures, collects Factor kitsch, has a high-tolerance for ‘yuck factors,’ and whose best friends tend to be uplifts and AIs.” This will give you a few more details around which you can focus the character’s strengths and weaknesses.

CHOOSE BACKGROUNDEdit

NOTE: The first step to creating your character is to choose a background. Was your character born on Earth before the Fall? Were they raised on a habitat commune? Or did they start existence as a disembodied AI?

You must choose one of the backgrounds for your character from the list below. Choose wisely, as each background may provide your character with certain skills, traits, limitations, or other characteristics to start with. Keep in mind that your background is where you came from, not who you are now. It is the past, whereas your faction represents whom your character is currently aligned with. Your future, of course, is yours to make.

The background options presented below cover a wide selection of transhumanity, but they cannot cover every possibility. If your gamemaster allows it, you may work with them to develop a background that is not included on this list, using these as guidelines to keep it balanced.

Drifter

NOTE: You were raised with a social grouping that remained on the move throughout the Sol system. This could have been free traders, pirates, asteroid farmers, scavengers, or just migrant workers. You are used to roaming space travel between habitats and stations.

Advantages: +10 Navigation skill, +20 Pilot: Spacecraft skill, +10 Networking: [Field] skill of your choice

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: All, especially Bouncers and Hibernoids

FALL EVACUEE

NOTE: You were born and raised on Earth and evacuated during the horrors of the Fall, leaving your old life (and possibly your friends, family, and loved ones) behind you. You were lucky enough to survive with your body intact and continue to make a life for yourself out in the system.

Advantages: +10 Pilot: Groundcraft skill, +10 Networking:[Field] skill of your choice, +1 Moxie

Disadvantages: Only 2,500 Starting Credit (can still buy credit with CP)

Common Morphs: Flats, Splicers

HYPERELITE

NOTE: You are privileged to have been raised as part of the immortal upper class that rules many inner system habitats and hypercorps. You were pampered with wealth and influence that most people can only dream of.

Advantages: +10 Protocol skill, +10,000 Credit, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill

Disadvantages: May not start with flat, splicer, or any pod, uplift, or synthetic morphs

Common Morphs: Exalts, Sylphs

Infolife

NOTE: You entered existence as a digital consciousness—an artificial general intelligence (AGI). Your very existence is illegal in certain habitats (a legacy of those who place the Fall at the feet of rampant AIs). Unlike the seed AIs responsible for their Fall, your capacity for self-improvement is limited, though you do have full autonomy.

Advantages: +30 Interfacing skill, Computer skills (Infosec, Interfacing, Programming, Research) bought with Customization Points are half price

Disadvantages: Real World Naiveté trait, Social Stigma (AGI) trait, may not purchase Psi trait, Social skills bought with Customization Points are double price

Common Morphs: Infomorphs, synthetic morphs

Isolate

NOTE: You were raised as part of a self-exiled grouping on the fringes of the system. Whether raised as part of a religious group, cult, social experiment, anti-tech cell, or a group that just wanted to be isolated, you spent most if not all of your upbringing isolated from other factions.

Advantages: +20 to two skills of your choice

Disadvantages: –10 starting Rep

Common Morphs: All

Lost

NOTE: You are a legacy of one of the most infamous debacles since the Fall. As a member of the “Lost generation,” you went through an accelerated-growth childhood, somehow surviving where others of your kind died, went insane, or were persecuted (see The Lost, p. 233). Your background is a social stigma, but it does provide you with certain advantages ... and burdens.

Advantages: +20 to two Knowledge skills of your choice, Psi trait (Level 1)

Disadvantages: Mental Disorder (choose two , this includes the one from Psi) trait, Social Stigma (Lost) trait, must start with Futura morph

Common Morphs: Futuras

Lunar Colonist

NOTE: You experienced your childhood in one of the cramped dome cities or underground stations on Luna, Earth’s moon. You had a ringside seat to the Fall of Earth.

Advantages: +10 Pilot: Groundcraft skill, +10 to one Technical, Academic: [Field], or Profession: [Field] skill of your choice, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: Flats, Splicers

Martian

NOTE: You were raised in one of the stations on or above Mars, now the most populated planet in the system. Your home town may or may not have survived the Fall.

Advantages: +10 Pilot: Groundcraft skill, +10 to one Technical, Academic: [Field], or Profession: [Field] skill of your choice, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: Flats, Splicers, and Rusters

Original Space Colonist

NOTE: You, or your parents, were part of the first “generations” of colonists/workers sent out from Earth to stake a claim in space, so you are familiar with the cramped confines of spaceflight and life aboard older stations and habitats. As a “zero-one G” (zero-gravity, first-gen), you were never part of the elite. People from your background typically have some sort of specialized tech training as vacworkers or habtechs.

Advantages: +10 Pilot: Spacecraft or Freefall skill, +10 to a Technical, Academic: [Field], or Profession: [Field] skill of your choice, +20 to a Networking: [Field] skill of your choice

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: All. Use of exotic morphs is common.

RE-INSTANTIATED

NOTE: You were born and raised on Earth, but you did not survive the Fall. All that you know is that your body died there, but your backup was transmitted off-world,

and you were one of the lucky few to be re-instantiated with a new morph. You may have spent years in dead storage, simulspace, or as an infomorph slave.

Advantages: +10 Pilot: Groundcraft skill, +10 to a Networking: [Field] skill of your choice, +2 Moxie

Disadvantages: Edited Memories trait, 0 Starting Credit (can still buy credit with CP)

Common Morphs: Cases, Infomorphs, Synths

Scumborn

NOTE: You were raised in the nomadic and chaotic lifestyle common to Scum barges.

Advantages: +10 Persuasion or Deception skill, +10 Scrounging skill, +20 Networking: Autonomists skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: All, especially Bouncers

Uplift

NOTE: You are not even human. You were born as an uplifted animal: chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, parrot, raven, crow, or octopus.

Advantages: +10 Fray skill, +10 Perception skill, +20 to two Knowledge skills of your choice

Disadvantages: Must choose an uplift morph to start

Common Morphs: Neo-Avian, Neo-Hominid, Octomorph

CHOOSE FACTIONEdit

NOTE: After choosing your background, you now choose which primary faction your character belongs to. This faction most likely represents the grouping that controls your character’s current home habitat/station, and to which your character holds allegiance, but this need not be the case. You may be a dissident member of your faction, living among them but opposing some (or all) of their core memes and perhaps agitating for change. Whatever the case, your faction defines how your character represents themself in the struggle between ideologies post-Fall.

You must choose one of the factions listed below. Like your character’s background, it will provide your character with certain skills, traits, limitations, or other characteristics.

The factions presented here outline the most numerous and influential among transhumanity, but others may also exist. At your gamemaster’s discretion, you may develop another starting faction with them not included on this list.

Anarchist

NOTE: Anarchist

You are opposed to hierarchy, favoring flat forms of social organization and directly democratic decisionmaking. You believe power is always corrupting and everyone should have a say in the decisions that affect their lives. According to the primitive and restrictive policies of the Inner system and Jovian Junta, this makes you an irresponsible hoodlum at best and a terrorist at worst. In your opinion, that’s comedy coming from governments that keep their populations in line with economic oppression and threats of violence.

Advantages: +10 to a skill of your choice, +30 Networking: Autonomists skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: All

Argonaut

NOTE: You are part of a scientific techno-progressive movement that seeks to solve transhumanity’s injustices and inequalities with technology. You support universal access to technology and healthcare, open source models of production, morphological freedom, and democratization. You try to avoid factionalism and divisive politics, seeing transhumanity’s splintering as a hindrance to its perpetuation.

Advantages: +10 to two Technical, Academic: [Field], or Profession: [Field] skills; +20 Networking: Scientists

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: All

Barsoomian

NOTE: You call the Martian outback and wilds your home. You are a “redneck,” a lower-class Martian from the rural areas that often find themselves in conflict with the policies and goals of the hypercorp domes and Tharsis League.

Advantages: +10 Freerunning, +10 to one skill of your choice, +20 Networking: Autonomists skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: Cases, Flats, Rusters, Splicers, Synths

Brinker

NOTE: You or your faction is reluctant to deal with the rest of the

transhumanity and the various goings-on in the rest of the

system. Your particular grouping may have sought out selfimposed

isolation, to pursue their own interests, or they may

have been exiled for their unpopular beliefs. Or you may

simply be a loner who prefers the vast emptiness of space

to socializing with others. You might be a religious cultist, a

primitivist, a utopian, or something altogether uninterested

in transhumanity.

Advantages: +10 Pilot: Spacecraft skill, +10 to a skill of your

choice, +20 to a Networking: [Field] skill of your choice

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: All

Criminal

NOTE: You are involved with the crime-oriented underworld. You

may work with one of the Sol system’s major criminal factions—

triads, the Night Cartel, the ID Crew, Nine Lives, Pax

Familae—or one of the smaller, local operators with a big

stake in a specific habitat. You might be a vetted memberfor-

life, a reluctant recruit, or just a freelancer looking for

the next gig.

Advantages: +10 Intimidation skill, +30 Networking: Criminal

skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: All

Extropian

NOTE: You are an anarchistic supporter of the free market and private

property. You oppose government and favor a system

where security and legal matters are handled by private competitors.

Whether you consider yourself an anarcho-capitalist

or a mutualist (a difference only other Extropians can figure

out), you occupy a middle-ground between the hypercorps

and autonomists, dealing with both and yet trusted by neither.

Advantages: +10 Persuasion skill, +20 Networking: Autonomists

skill, +10 Networking: Hypercorps skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: All

HYPERCORP

NOTE: You hail from a habitat controlled by the hypercorps. You might be a hypercapitalist entrepeneur, a hedonistic socialite, or a lowly vacworker, but you accept that certain liberties must be sacrificed for security and freedom.

Advantages:+10 Protocol skill, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill, +10 to any Networking: [Field] skill

Disadvantages:None

Common Morphs: Exalts, Olympians, Splicers, Sylphs

Jovian

NOTE: Your faction is noted for its authoritarian regime, bioconservative ideologies, and militaristic tendencies.

Where you come from, technology is not to be trusted to everyone and humans need to be protected from themselves.

To ensure its survival, humanity must be able to defend itself, and unfettered growth must be checked.

Advantages: +10 to two weapon skills of your choice, +10 Fray, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill

Disadvantages: Must start with a Flat or Splicer morph, may not start with any nanoware or advanced nanotech

Common Morphs: Flats and Splicers

Lunar

NOTE: You hail from Luna, the original off-Earth colony

world. Now overpopulated and in decline, Luna is

one of the few places where people still cling to old-

Earth ethnic and national identities. Your home is also

within sight of Earth, a constant reminder that encourages

many “Loonies” to be Reclaimers, deploring the

hypercorp interdiction and arguing that you have a

right to return to Earth, terraform it, and re-establish

it as a living homeworld.

Advantages: +10 to one Language: [Field] of your

choice, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill, +10

Networking: Ecologists skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: Cases, Exalts, Flats, Splicers,

Synths

Mercurial

NOTE: Your faction has no interest in co-opting their true

natures in order to become more “human.” You might

be an AGI that does not necessarily intertwine its

destiny with transhumanity, or an uplift that seeks

to preserve and promote non-human life (or at least

your own species). You might even be an infomorph or

posthuman who has strayed so far from transhuman

interests and values that you now consider yourself to

be forging a unique new path of life.

Advantages: +10 to any two skills of your choice, +20

to a Networking: [Field] skill of your choice

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: Infomorphs, Synths, uplift morphs

Scum

NOTE: This is the future we’ve all been waiting for, and you’re

going to enjoy it to the max. A paradigm shift has occurred,

and while everyone else is catching up, your

faction embraces and revels in it. There is no more

want, no more death, no more limits on what you can

be. The scum have immersed themselves in a new way

of life, changing themselves as they see fit, trying out

new experiences, and pushing the boundaries wherever

they can ... and fuck anyone who can’t deal with that.

Advantages: +10 Freefall skill, +10 to a skill of your

choice, +20 Networking: Autonomists skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: All

Socialite

NOTE: You are a member of the inner system glitterati, the

media-saturated social cliques that set trends, spread

memes, and make or break lives with whispers, innuendo,

and backroom deals. You are simultaneously

an icon and a devout follower. Culture isn’t just your

life, it’s your weapon of choice.

Advantages: +10 Persuasion skill, +10 Protocol skill,

+20 Networking: Media skill

Disadvantages: May not start with flat, pod, uplift, or

synthetic morphs

Common Morphs: Exalts, Olympians, Sylphs

Titanian

NOTE: You are a participant in the Titanian Commonwealth’s

socialist cyberdemocracy. Unlike other autonomist

projects, Titanian joint efforts have assembled some

impressive infrastructural projects as approved by

the Titanian Plurality and pursued by state-owned

microcorps.

Advantages: +10 to two Technical or Academic skills

of your choice, +20 Networking: Autonomists skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: All

Ultimate

NOTE: Your faction sees the potential in transhumanity’s

future and looks back upon the rest of transhumanity

as weak and hedonistic. Transhumanity is set

to take the next evolutionary step and it’s time for

transhumans to be redesigned to the best of our

capabilities.

Advantages: +10 to two skills of your choice, +20 to a

Networking: [Field] skill of your choice

Disadvantages: May not start with Flat, Splicer, uplift,

or pod morphs

Common Morphs: Exalts, Remades

Venusian

NOTE: You are a supporter of the Morningstar Confederation

of Venusian aerostats, resentful of the growing

influence of the Planetary Consortium and other entrenched

and conservative inner system powers. You

see your faction’s ascension as a chance to reform the

old guard ways of inner system politics.

Advantages: +10 Pilot: Aircraft, +10 to one skill of

your choice, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill

Disadvantages: None

Common Morphs: Cases, Exalts, Mentons, Splicers,

Sylphs, Synths

Spend Free PointsEdit

NOTE: Each starting character receives an equal number of free points for things like rep and aptitudes. These free points are just the start for building your character, so don’t fret if you can’t get certain scores as high as you like. In the next stage of character creation, you will gain additional points with which you can customize your character (see Spend Customization Points, p. 135).

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Tai is making a character. She decides to create a salvage retrieval/scavenger type who started as a Lunar Colonist but is now a Brinker. Together, her background and faction give Tai +20 Networking: Autonomists skill, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill, +10 Pilot: Spacecraft skill, and +10 Pilot: Groundcraft skill. She also has +10 to two other skills (one Academic, Professional, or Technical) that she’ll choose later.

Tai starts with 105 points for aptitudes, which works out to 15 each. She wants her character to be impulsive and antisocial, so right away she lowers both SAV and WIL to 10. She also wants to be smart and fast on her feet, so takes the extra 10 points that gives her and raises both COG and REF to 20. So her aptitudes are:

COG	COO	INT	REF	SAV	SOM	WIL
20	15	15	20	10	15	10

She marks down her Moxie of 1 and gets her native language (Chinese) at 85, both for free.

Noting her 5,000 Credits, Tai divides her Rep score points evenly among @-rep and c-rep, taking 25 in each.

Starting Aptitudes

NOTE: Your character receives 105 free points to distribute

among their 7 aptitudes: Cognition, Coordination,

Intuition, Reflexes, Savvy, Somatics, and Willpower

(see Aptitudes, p. 123). (That breaks down to an average

of 15 per aptitude, so it may be easiest to give

each 15 and then adjust accordingly, raising some and

lowering others.) Each aptitude must be given at least

5 points (unless you take the Feeble trait, see p. 149),

and no aptitude may be raised higher than 30 (unless

you take the Exceptional Aptitude trait, p. 146). Note

that certain morphs (flats and splicers, for example)

may also put a cap on how high your aptitudes may

be (see Aptitude Maximums, p. 124).

For simplicity, it is recommended that aptitude

scores be handled as multiples of 5, but this is not a

necessity

Native Tongue

NOTE: Every character receives their natural Language skill

at a rating of 70 + INT for free. This skill may be

raised with CP (see below).

Starting Moxie

NOTE: Every character starts off with a Moxie stat of 1 (see

Moxie, p. 122).

Credit

NOTE: All characters are given 5,000 credits with which

to purchase gear during character creation, unless

you have the Fall Evacuee or Re-instantiated background

(in which case you start with 2,500 or 0

credits, respectively). See Purchasing Gear, p. 136,

for more details.

Rep

NOTE: Your character isn’t a complete newbie. You get 50

rep points to divide between the reputation networks

of your choice (see Reputation and Social

Networks, p. 285).

Spend Customization PointsEdit

NOTE: Now that you have the basics of your character

fleshed out, you can spend additional Customization

Points (CP) to fine-tune your character. Each character is given 1,000 CP, which may be used to

increase aptitudes, buy skills, acquire more Moxie,

buy more credit, elevate your Rep, or purchase positive

traits. You may also take on negative traits in

order to get even more CP with which to customize

your character. This customization process should be

used to tweak your character and specialize them in

the ways you desire.

If a gamemaster seeks a different level of gameplay,

they can adjust this CP amount. If the gamemaster

wants a scenario where the starting characters are

younger or less experienced, they can lower the CP

to 800 or even 700. On the other hand, if you want

to create characters who start off as grizzled veterans,

you can raise the CP to 1,100 or even 1,200.

Not all customizations are equal—aptitudes, for example,

are considerably more valuable than individual

skills. To reflect this, CP must be spent at a specific

ratio according to the specific boost desired.

Customization Points

NOTE: 15 CP = 1 Moxie point

10 CP = 1 aptitude point

5 CP = 1 psi sleight

5 CP = 1 specialization

2 CP = 1 skill point (61-80)

1 CP = 1 skill point (up to 60)

1 CP = 1,000 credit

1 CP = 10 Rep

Trait and morph costs vary as noted.

Customizing Aptitudes

NOTE: Raising your aptitude score is quite expensive at 10

CP per aptitude point. As noted above, no aptitude

may be increased above 30. Keep in mind that your

morph may also provide certain aptitude bonuses.

Increasing Moxie

NOTE: Moxie may be raised at the cost of 15 CP per Moxie

point. The maximum to which Moxie may be raised

is 10.

Learned Skills

NOTE: Each character must purchase a minimum of 400 CP

of Active skills and 300 CP of Knowledge skills (see

Skills, p. 170). Skills are bought at the cost of 1 CP

per point. Keep in mind that learned skills start at the

rating of the linked aptitude. For example, if you want

to raise a skill to 30 and the skill’s linked aptitude

is 10, you’ll need to spend 20 CP. Skill bonuses from

background or faction should also be applied to the

rating before you start raising the skill. For simplicity,

it is recommended that skills be purchased as multiples

of 5, but this is not a necessity.

Raising a skill over 60 is expensive. Each point over

60 costs double. Raising a skill with a linked attribute

of 20 up to 70 would cost 60 CP: 40 points to get from

20 to 60, and 20 more points to get from 60 to 70.

No learned skill may be raised over 80 during character

creation (unless you have the Expert trait, p. 146).

Though Knowledge skills are grouped into 5 skills,

each is a field skill (p. 172), meaning that it can be

taken multiple times with different fields.

A complete list of skills can be found on p. 176.

Specializations

NOTE: Specializations (p. 173) may also be purchased at the

cost of 5 CP per specialization. You may purchase specializations

for both Active and Knowledge skills. Only

1 specialization may be purchased per skill, and they

may only be bought for skills with a rating of 30+.

Buying More Credit

NOTE: If you want more cred to spend on gear, every CP will

get you 1,000 credits. See Purchase Gear, p. 136, for

details on buying stuff. The maximum CP you can

spend on additional credits is 100.

Increasing Rep

NOTE: If you want your character to start play with lots of

social capital, you can increase your Rep score(s) at

the cost of 1 CP per 10 additional points. No individual

Rep score may be raised above 80, and the

maximum amount of CP that may be spent on Rep

is 35 points.

Starting Morph

NOTE: Perhaps the most important use of CP is to buy the

morph with which your character begins play. This

may be the original bodily form in which your character

started life, or it may simply be the sleeve they are

currently inhabiting.

Available morphs are listed starting on p. 139.

Note that any aptitude or skill bonuses provided by

the morph are applied after all CP are spent. In other

words, these bonuses do not affect the costs of buying

aptitude and skill points during character generation.

No aptitude may be modified over 40.

Purchasing Traits

NOTE: Traits represent specific qualities your character has

that may help or hinder them.

Positive traits supply bonuses in certain situations,

and each has a listed CP cost. You may not spend

more than 50 CP on positive traits.

Negative traits inflict disadvantages on your character,

but they also give you extra CP that you can spend

on customizing your character. You may not purchase

more than 50 CP worth of negative traits, and no

more than 25 CP may be negative morph traits.

Positive traits are listed on p. 145, negative traits on

p. 148. Note that traits you receive from your background

or faction do not cost or provide you with

bonus CP.

Traits listed as morph traits apply to the morph, and

not the ego. If the character switches to a new morph,

these traits are lost (and new morph traits may be

gained). Morph traits may be bought like other traits

during character generation.

Psi Sleights

NOTE: Characters who purchase the Psi trait (p. 147) may

spend CP to purchase sleights (see Sleights, p. 223).

These represent specific psi abilities the character has

learned. The cost to buy a sleight is 5 CP. No more

than 5 psi-chi and 5 psi-gamma sleights may be bought

during character creation.

Note that any skill or aptitude bonuses from

sleights are treated as modifications; they are applied after all CP are spent and do not affect the cost of

buying skills or aptitudes during character creation.

Example

NOTE: Tai now has 1,000 points to customize. She wants to be

lucky, so she starts right off spending 60 (4 x 15) CP to

raise her Moxie from 1 to 5. She also decides that she

wants her character to be better at spotting things, so

she raises her INT from 15 to 20, at a cost of 50 CP (5 x

10). So far, she’s spent 110 CP.

She must buy at least 400 points of Active skills, so she

tackles that next. She knows that skills are based on aptitudes

and they get more expensive over 60, so she decides

the most she’ll spend on any single skill is 40 (since her

highest aptitude is 20). She picks out her skills, assigns the

points, and adds them to the starting aptitudes.

This is what she starts with, noting the points she

spent on each and the total value (counting aptitude)

in parentheses.

Beam Weapons (COO) 30 (45), Climbing (SOM) 30

(45), Demolitions (COG) 40 (60), Fray (REF) 30 (50),

Freefall (REF) 40 (60), Freerunning (SOM) 30 (45),

Hardware: Aerospace (COG) 40 (60), Infiltration (COO)

30 (45), Interfacing (COG) 20 (40), Navigation (INT) 40

(60), Perception (INT) 40 (60), Persuasion (SAV) 20 (30),

Research (COG) 20 (40), and Scrounging (INT) 40 (60).

This costs her 450 CP, so she’s spent a total of 560 CP.

Now she spends her 300 points of Knowledge skills:

Academics: Astrophysics (COG) 40 (60), Academics:

Engineering (COG) 40 (60), Academics: Fall History

(COG) 40 (60), Art: Sculpture (INT) 40 (60), Interest:

Brinker Stations (COG) 40 (60), Interest: Conspiracies

(COG) 30 (50), Language: English (INT) 40 (60), Profession:

Appraisal (COG) 40 (60), Profession: Scavenger

Trade (COG) 40 (60).

This costs her another 350 CP, bringing her total spent

CP to 910.

Adding in her background and faction skills, she also

has Networking: Autonomists (SAV) 30, Networking:

Hypercorps (SAV) 30, Pilot: Spacecraft (REF) 30 (50),

Pilot: Groundcraft (REF) 30 (50). She takes the freebie

+10 and adds it to Fray (raising it to 60) and applies the

other +10 to Academics: Economics (COG) 30.

With 90 CP left, Tai moves on to Rep. Tai wants to

have a lot of good connections, so she raises both of her

Rep scores by 30 points each, at a cost of 6 CP. She also

decides she needs some credibility with criminal types,

so she buys g-rep at 40, for 4 more CP. Now she has 80

CP left.

Tai’s character needs a body, and she decides a

bouncer is most suited for the nomadic, spacefaring

lifestyle of her brinker. That costs another 40 CP, leaving

her with 40 CP left to spend.

Looking back at her skills, she decides to raise her

Pilot: Spacecraft from 50 to 65. It costs her 10 CP to

raise the skill to 60, and another 10 CP to raise it from

60 to 65, for a total cost of 20 CP. She also wants to

raise her Scrounging from 60 to 70, for a 20 CP cost.

That nicely uses up the last of her CP.

Scanning the traits, though, Tai also decides that

Situational Awareness would be a good choice for her

scavenger. At a cost of 10 CP, she would need to take another

negative trait to compensate. She chooses Neural

Damage (synaesthesia)—a condition she inherited from

a rampaging nanovirus during the Fall.

Tai’s points are now all evened out and spent.

Purchase GearEdit

NOTE: No matter what faction you are from, you use Credit

to buy gear during character creation. A complete list

of gear and costs can be found in the Gear chapter, p.

294. The average costs for each cost category should

be used when calculating gear prices.

Every character starts off with one piece of gear

for free: a standard muse (p. 332). This is the digital

AI companion that the character has had since they

were a child. Additionally, each character starts with 1

month of backup insurance (p. 330) at no cost.

There is no limitation other than what the gamemaster

allows on what gear characters can and cannot

buy during character creation. Both the players and

gamemaster should keep the character’s background

and faction in mind. Since some gear is likely very

restricted in some habitats if not outright illegal, there

needs to be a plausible explanation for who and how

a character from such a place might have such gear.

If there isn’t, then the gamemaster can choose not to

allow it. The starting locale for a game should also

be considered. A character from the restrictive Jovian

Republic might have a hard time explaining how they

have an illegal cornucopia machine back in the Republic,

but if the game takes place on board a scum

barge where everything is available and anything goes,

then such an explanation becomes much easier.

The one exception to buying gear with Credit is

the purchase of additional morphs. Characters may

buy extra morphs during character creation, but they

must be bought with CP. The player must choose

one morph in which the character is sleeved. Extra

morphs also require body bank service fees (p. 331).

Note that any skill or aptitude bonuses from gear

are treated as modifications; they are applied after

all CP are spent and do not affect the cost of buying

skills or aptitudes during character creation.

Gear Costs

NOTE: Category Range (Credits) Average (Credits)

Trivial 1–99 50

Low 100–499 250

Moderate 500–1,499 1,000

High 1,500–9,999 5,000

Expensive 10,000+ 20,000

CHOOSE MOTIVATIONS

NOTE: The next step is to choose 3 personal motivations for your character (seeMotivations, p. 121). These are memes, in the form of ideologies or goals, which your character is pursuing. These may be as specific “undermine the local triad boss” or as broad as “promote hypercapitalism,” and they may be short term or long term. Some sample motivations are provided on the Example Motivations table (p. 138). You should work with your gamemaster when choosing your motivations, as they can be used to propel the storyline forward and specific scenarios can be constructed around your character’s goals. Some of your character’s motivations may change later (seeChanging Motivation, p. 152). Motivations will help your character regain Moxie (p. 122) and earn extra Rez Points during gameplay (p. 384).

Motivations should be listed on your character sheet as a single term or short phrase, along with a + or – symbol to denote whether they support or oppose it. For example, “+Fame” would indicate that your character seeks to become a famous media personality, whereas “–Reclaim Earth” means that your character opposes the goal of reclaiming Earth.

EXAMPLE MOTIVATIONS

NOTE: Alien Contact

Anarchism

Artistic Expression

Bioconservatism

Education

Exploration

Fame

Fascism

Hedonism

Hypercapitalism

Immortality

Libertarianism

Martian Liberation

Morphological Freedom

Nano-ecology

Open Source

Personal Career

Personal Development

Philanthropy

Preservationism

Reclaiming Earth

Religion

Research

(AI/Infomorph/Pod/Uplift) Rights

(AI/Infomorph/Pod/Uplift) Slavery

Socialism

Techno-Progressivism

Vengeance

Venusian Sovereignty

Wealth

Final TouchesEdit

NOTE: Now that you have everything settled, there are a few

final steps.

Remaining Stats

NOTE: A few stats now need to be calculated and added to

your character sheet:

• Lucidity (p. 122) equals your character’s WIL x 2.

• Trauma Threshold (p. 122) equals your LUC

divided by 5 (round up).

• Insanity Rating (p. 122) equals LUC x 2.

• Initiative (p. 121) equals your character’s

(REF + INT) x 2.

• Damage Bonus (p. 123) for melee equals

SOM ÷ 10 (round down).

• Death Rating (p. 122) equals DUR x 1.5 (biomorphs,

round up) or DUR x 2 (synthmorphs)

• Speed (p. 121) equals 1 (3 for infomorphs), modified

as appropriate by implants.

Detailing the Character

NOTE: The final step in character creation is filling in the details

and figuring out what your character is like and

what they are all about. Your character’s Background

is a good place to start as it says where they came, but

it could be expanded. What did they think of their

childhood? Do they still have ties from there? How

did they move from such origins to the Faction they

are part of? Are they fully supportive of their Faction’s

goals, or are they in opposition? How does the character

view other Factions?

Next, take a look at the skills and other defining

points—these also tell a story. How did they acquire

those skills? Why? How did they develop their Rep

score (or lack of one)? How did they get connected

with the groupings represented by their Networking

skills? What do the character’s traits say about them?

How did they get their current morph? Is it their

original? If not, what happened to their first body?

Also taking into account the major factor of Motivations,

all of these questions will help you build a defining

picture of your character. Not everything about

your character needs to be filled out, of course—it’s

ok to leave a few blanks that you can fill in later. Assembling

the points you have deduced so far will help

you to present your character as a whole, unique individual,

however, rather than just a blank template.

As a final step, take a few minutes to pick out some

specific identifying features and personality quirks that

will help you define the character to others. This could

be a way of talking, a strongly-projected attitude, a

catchphrase they use frequently, a unique look or style

of dress, a repetitive behavior, an annoying mannerism,

or anything else similar that is easy to latch onto.

Such idiosyncrasies give something that other players

can latch onto, spurring roleplaying opportunities.

STARTING MORPHSEdit

NOTE: Each morph has an associated CP cost. It also supplies the character’s Durability and Wound Threshold stats, and may modify Initiative, Speed, and certain aptitudes and learned skills. A credit cost is also listed, but this refers to the cost of buying such a morph in gameplay.

Flexible Aptitude Bonuses:Some morphs have aptitude bonuses that may be applied to an aptitude of the player’s choice. This reflects that not all morphs are created equal. When assigning these universal aptitude bonuses, each boost must be applied to a separate aptitude; you may not elevate an aptitude that is already raised by that morph. Once an individual morph’s aptitude bonuses have been assigned, they are permanent for that morph (i.e., if another character resleeves into that morph, the bonuses remain the same).

BIOMORPHSEdit

NOTE: Biomorphs are fully biological sleeves (usually equipped with implants), birthed naturally or in an exowomb, and grown to adulthood either naturally or at a slightly accelerated rate.

Flats

NOTE: Flats are baseline unmodified humans, born with all

of the natural defects, hereditary diseases, and other

genetic mutations that evolution so lovingly applies.

Flats are increasingly rare—most died off with the rest

of humanity during the Fall. Most new children are

splicers—screened and genefixed at the least—except

in habitats where flats are treated as second-class citizens

and indentured labor.

Implants: None

Aptitude Maximum: 20

Durability: 30

Wound Threshold: 6

Disadvantages: None (Genetic Defects trait common)

CP Cost: 0

Credit Cost: High

SPLICERS

NOTE: Splicers are genefixed humans. Their genome has been cleansed of hereditary diseases and optimized for looks and health, but has not otherwise been substantially upgraded. Splicers make up the majority of transhumanity.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical Stack

Aptitude Maximum: 25

Durability: 30

Wound Threshold: 6

Advantages: +5 to one aptitude of the player’s choice

CP Cost: 10

Credit Cost: High

Exalts

NOTE: Exalt morphs are genetically-enhanced humans, designed

to emphasize specific traits. Their genetic code

has been tweaked to make them healthier, smarter,

and more attractive. Their metabolism is modified to

predispose them towards staying fit and athletic for

the duration of an extended lifespan.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts,

Cortical Stack

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 35

Wound Threshold: 7

Advantages: +5 COG, +5 to three other aptitudes of

the player’s choice

CP Cost: 30

Credit Cost: Expensive

Mentons

NOTE: Mentons are genetically modified to increase cognitive abilities, particularly learning ability, creativity, attentiveness, and memory. Rumors exist of superenhanced mentons with more extreme intelligence mods, but brain-hacking is notoriously difficult, and many attempts to redesign mental faculties result in impaired functioning, instability, or insanity.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical Stack, Eidetic Memory, Hyper Linguist, Math Boost

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 35

Wound Threshold: 7

Advantages: +10 COG, +5 INT, +5 WIL, +5 to one aptitude of the player’s choice

CP Cost: 40

Credit Cost: Expensive

Olympians

NOTE: Olympians are human upgrades with improved

athletic capabilities like endurance, eye-hand coordination,

and cardio-vascular functions. Olympians

are common among athletes, dancers, freerunners,

and soldiers.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts,

Cortical Stack

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 40

Wound Threshold: 8

Advantages: +5 COO, +5 REF, +10 SOM, +5 to one

other aptitude of the player’s choice

CP Cost: 40

Credit Cost: Expensive

SLYPHS

NOTE: Sylph morphs are tailor-made for media icons, elite socialites, XP stars, models, and narcissists. Sylph gene sequences are specifically designed for distinctive good looks. Ethereal and elfin features are common, with slim and lithe bodies. Their metabolism has also been sanitized to eliminate unpleasant bodily odors and their pheromones adjusted for universal appeal.

Implants:Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Clean Metabolism, Cortical Stack, Enhanced Pheromones

Aptitude Maximum:30

Durability:35

Wound Threshold:7

Advantages:Striking Looks (Level 1) trait, +5 COO, +10 SAV, +5 to one other aptitude of the player’s choice

CP Cost:40

Credit Cost:Expensive

Bouncers

NOTE: Bouncers are humans genetically adapted for zero-G

and microgravity environments. Their legs are more

limber, and their feet can grasp as well as their hands.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack, Grip Pads, Oxygen Reserve, Prehensile Feet

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 35

Wound Threshold: 7

Advantages: Limber (Level 1) trait, +5 COO, +5 SOM,

+5 to one aptitude of the player’s choice

CP Cost: 40

Credit Cost: Expensive

Furies

NOTE: Furies are combat morphs. These transgenic human

upgrades feature genetics tailored for endurance,

strength, and reflexes, as well as behavioral modifications

for aggressiveness and cunning. To offset tendencies

for unruliness and macho behavior patterns, furies

feature gene sequences promoting pack mentalities and

cooperation, and they tend to be biologically female.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Bioweave

Armor (Light), Cortical Stack, Enhanced

Vision, Neurachem (Level 1), Toxin Filters

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Speed Modifier: +1 (neurachem)

Durability: 50

Wound Threshold: 10

Advantages: +5 COO, +5 REF, +10 SOM, +5 WIL, +5

to one aptitude of the player’s choice

CP Cost: 75

Credit Cost: Expensive (minimum 40,000)

Futuras

NOTE: An exalt variant, futura morphs were specially crafted

for the “Lost generation.” Tailor-made for accelerated

growth and adjusted for confidence, self-reliance,

and adaptability, futuras were intended to help transhumanity

regain its foothold. These programs proved

disastrous and the line was discontinued, but some

models remain, viewed by some with distaste and

others as collectibles or exotic oddities.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack, Eidetic Memory, Emotional Dampers

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 35

Wound Threshold: 7

Advantages: +5 COG, +5 SAV, +10 WIL, +5 to one

other aptitude of the player’s choice

CP Cost: 40

Credit Cost: Expensive (exceptionally rare; 50,000+)

Ghosts

NOTE: Ghosts are partially designed for combat applications,

but their primary focus is stealth and infiltration.

Their genetic profile encourages speed, agility, and

reflexes, and their minds are modified for patience and

problem-solving.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Chameleon

Skin, Cortical Stack, Adrenal Boost, Enhanced

Vision, Grip Pads

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 45

Wound Threshold: 9

Advantages: +10 COO, +5 REF, +5 SOM, +5 WIL, +5

to one aptitude of the player’s choice

CP Cost: 70

Credit Cost: Expensive (minimum 40,000)

Hibernoids

NOTE: Hibernoids are transgenic-modified humans with

heavily-altered sleep patterns and metabolic processes.

Hibernoids have a decreased need for sleep, requiring

only 1-2 hours a day on average. They also have the

ability to trigger a form of voluntary hibernation,

effectively stopping their metabolism and need for

oxygen. Hibernoids make excellent long-duration

space travelers and habtechs, but these morphs are

also favored by personal aides and hypercapitalists

with non-stop lifestyles.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Circadian

Regulation, Cortical Stack, Hibernation

Aptitude Maximum: 25

Durability: 35

Wound Threshold: 7

Advantages: +5 INT, +5 to one aptitude of the player’s

choice

CP Cost: 25

Credit Cost: Expensive

Neotenics

NOTE: Neotenics are transhumans modified to retain a childlike

form. They are smaller, more agile, inquisitive,

and less resource-depleting, making them ideal for

habitat living and spacecraft. Some people find neotenic

sleeves distasteful, especially when employed in

certain media and sex work capacities.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack

Aptitude Maximum: 20 (SOM), 30 (all else)

Durability: 30

Wound Threshold: 6

Advantages: +5 COO, +5 INT, +5 REF, +5 to one

aptitude of the player’s choice; neotenics count as a

small target (–10 modifier to hit in combat)

Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Neotenic) trait

CP Cost: 25

Credit Cost: Expensive

Remade

NOTE: The remade are completely redesigned humans:

humans 2.0. Their cardiovascular systems are stronger,

the digestive tract has been sanitized and restructured

to eliminate flaws, and they have otherwise been optimized

for good health, smarts, and longevity with numerous

transgenic mods. The remade are popular with

the ultimates faction. The remade look close to human,

but are different in very noticeable and sometimes eerie

ways: taller, lack of hair, slightly larger craniums, wider

eyes, smaller noses, smaller teeth, and elongated digits.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Circadian

Regulation, Clean Metabolism, Cortical Stack,

Eidetic Memory, Enhanced Respiration, Temperature

Tolerance, Toxin Filters

Aptitude Maximum: 40

Durability: 40

Wound Threshold: 8

Advantages: +10 COG, +5 SAV, +10 SOM, +5 to two

other aptitudes of the player’s choice

Disadvantages: Uncanny Valley trait

CP Cost: 60

Credit Cost: Expensive (minimum 40,000+)

Rusters

NOTE: Adapted for survival with minimum gear in the notyet-

terraformed Martian environment, these transgenic

morphs feature insulated skin for more effective thermoregulation

and respiratory system improvements to

require less oxygen and filter carbon dioxyde, among

other mods.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack, Enhanced Respiration, Temperature Tolerance

Aptitude Maximum: 25

Durability: 35

Wound Threshold: 7

Advantages: +5 SOM, +5 to one aptitude of the

player’s choice

CP Cost: 25

Credit Cost: Expensive

Neo-Avians

NOTE: Neo-avians include ravens, crows, and gray parrots

uplifted to human-level intelligence. Their physical

sizes are much larger than their non-uplifted cousins

(to the size of a human child), with larger heads

for their increased brain size. Numerous transgenic

modifications have been made to their wings, allowing

them to retain limited flight capabilities at 1 g,

but giving them a more bat-like physiology so they

can bend and fold better, and adding primitive digits

for basic tool manipulation. Their toes are also more

articulated and now accompanied with an opposable

thumb. Neo-avians have adapted well to microgravity

environments, and are favored for their small size and

reduced resource use.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts,

Cortical Stack

Aptitude Maximum: 25 (20 SOM)

Durability: 20

Wound Threshold: 4

Advantages: Beak/Claw Attack (1d10 DV, use Unarmed

Combat skill), Flight, +5 INT, +10 REF, +5

to one other aptitude of the player’s choice

CP Cost: 25

Credit Cost: Expensive

Neo-Hominids

NOTE: Neo-hominids are uplifted chimpanzees, gorillas, and

orangutans. All feature enhanced intelligence and

bipedal frames.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts,

Cortical Stack, Prehensile Feet

Aptitude Maximum: 25

Durability: 30

Wound Threshold: 6

Advantages: +5 COO, +5 INT, +5 SOM, +5 to one other

aptitude of the player’s choice, +10 Climbing skill

CP Cost: 25

Credit Cost: Expensiv

Octomorphs

NOTE: These uplifted octopi sleeves have proven quite useful

in zero-gravity environments. They retain eight arms,

their chameleon ability to change skin

color, ink sacs, and a sharp beak. They

also have increased brain mass and longevity,

can breathe both air and water, and lack a

skeletal structure so they can squeeze through tight

spaces. Octomorphs typically crawl along in zerogravity

using their arm suckers and expelling air for

propulsion and can even walk on two of their arms

in low gravity. Their eyes have been enhanced with

color vision, provide a 360-degree field of vision, and

they rotationally adjust to keep the slit-shaped pupil

aligned with “up.” A transgenic vocal system allows

them to speak.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack, Chameleon Skin

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 30

Wound Threshold: 6

Advantages: 8 Arms, Beak Attack (1d10 DV, use

Unarmed Combat skill), Ink Attack (blinding, use

Exotic Ranged: Ink Attack skill), Limber (Level 2)

trait, 360-degree Vision, +30 Swimming skill, +10

Climbing skill, +5 COO, +5 INT, +5 to one other

aptitude of the player’s choice

CP Cost: 50

Credit Cost: Expensive (minimum 30,000+)

PodsEdit

NOTE: Pods (from “pod people”) are vat-grown, biological

bodies with extremely undeveloped brains that are

augmented with an implanted computer and cybernetics

system. Though typically run by an AI, pods are

socially unfavored in some stations, utilized in slave

labor in others, and even illegal in some areas. Because

pods underwent accelerated growth in their creation,

and were mostly grown as separate parts and then assembled, their biological

design includes some shortcuts

and limitations, offset with implants

and regular maintenance. They lack reproductive

capabilities. In many habitats,

their legal status is a hotly-contested issue.

Unless otherwise noted, pods are also considered

biomorphs for all rules purposes.

Pleasure Pods

NOTE: Pleasure pods are exactly what they seem—faux

humans designed purely for intimate entertainment

purposes. Pleasure pods have extra nerve clusters in

their erogenous zones, fine motor control over certain

muscle groups, enhanced pheromones, sanitized metabolisms,

and the genetics for purring. Naturally, they

are crafted for good looks and charisma and enhanced

in other areas as well. Pleasure pods are capable of

switching their sex at will to male, female, hermaphrodite,

or neuter.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Clean

Metabolism, Cortical Stack, Cyberbrain, Enhanced

Pheromones, Mnemonic Augmentation, Puppet

Sock, Sex Switch

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 30

Wound Threshold: 6

Advantages: +5 INT, +5 SAV, +5 to one aptitude of the

player’s choice

Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Pleasure Pod) trait

CP Cost: 20

Credit Cost: High

Worker Pods

NOTE: Part exalt human, part machine, these basic pods are

virtually indistinguishable from humans. Worker pods

are often used in menial labor jobs where interaction

with humans is necessary.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack, Cyberbrain, Mnemonic Augmentation,

Puppet Sock

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 35

Wound Threshold: 7

Advantages: +10 SOM, +5 to one aptitude of the

player’s choice

Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Pod) trait

CP Cost: 20

Credit Cost: High

Novacrabs

NOTE: Novacrabs are a pod design bio-engineered from

coconut crab and spider crab stock and grown to a

larger (human) size. Novacrabs are ideal for hazardous

work environments as well as vacworker, police,

or bodyguard duties, given their ten 2-meter long legs,

massive claws, and chitinous armor. They climb and

handle microgravity well and can withstand a wide

range of atmospheric pressure (and sudden pressure

changes) from vacuum to deep sea. Novacrabs feature

compound eyes (with human-equivalent image resolution),

gills, dexterous manipulatory digits on their fifth

set of limbs, and transgenic vocal cords.

Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Carapace

Armor, Cortical Stack, Cyberbrain, Enhanced

Respiration, Gills, Mnemonic Augmentation,

Oxygen Reserve, Puppet Sock, Temperature Tolerance,

Vacuum Sealing

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 40

Wound Threshold: 8

Advantages: 10 legs, Carapace Armor (11/11), Claw

Attack (DV 2d10), +10 SOM, +5 to two other aptitudes

of the player’s choice

CP Cost: 60

Credit Cost: Expensive (minimum 30,000+)

Synthetic MorphsEdit

NOTE: Syn thetic Mo rph s

Synthetic morphs are completely artificial/robotic.

They are usually operated by AIs or via remote control,

but the lack of available biomorphs after the

Fall meant that many infugees resorted to resleeving

in robotic shells, which were also cheaper, quicker to

manufacture, and more widely available. Nevertheless,

synthmorphs are viewed with disdain in many

habitats, an option that only the poor and desperate

accept to be sleeved in. Synthetic morphs are not

without with their advantages, however, and so are

commonly used for menial labor, heavy labor, habitat

construction, and security services.

All synthmorphs have the following advantages:

• Lack of Biological Functions. Synthmorphs need

not be bothered with trivialities like breathing,

eating, defecating, aging, sleeping, or any similar

minor but crucial aspects of biological life.

• 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 (see

Wound Effects, p. 207), but they suffer –30 on

any tactile-based Perception Tests and will not

even notice they have been damaged unless they

succeed in a (modified) Perception Test.

• Immunity to Shock Weapons. Synthmorphs have

no nervous system to disrupt, and their optical

electronics are carefully shielded from interference.

Shock attacks may temporarily disrupt their

wireless radio communications, however, for the

duration of the attack.

• 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 Temperature Tolerance

(p. 305) and Vacuum Sealing (p. 305).

• 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: apply a +2 DV

modifier on unarmed attacks for human-sized

shells and larger.

Case

NOTE: Cases are extremely cheap, mass-produced robotic

shells intended to provide an affordable remorphing

option for the millions of infugees created by

the Fall. Though many varieties of case bot models

exist, they are uniformly regarded as shoddy and

inferior. Most case morphs are vaguely anthromorphic,

with a thin framework body, standing just

shorter than an average human, and suffer from

frequent malfunctions.

Enhancements: Access Jacks, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack, Cyberbrain, Mnemonic Augmentation

Mobility System (Movement Rate): Walker (4/16)

Aptitude Maximum: 20

Durability: 20

Wound Threshold: 4

Advantages: Armor (4/4)

Disadvantages: –5 to one chosen aptitude, Lemon trait,

Social Stigma (Clanking Masses) trait

CP Cost: 5

Credit Cost: Moderate

Synth

NOTE: Synths are anthromorphic robotic shells (androids

and gynoids). They are typically used for menial

labor jobs where pods are not as good of an option.

Cheaper than many other morphs, they are commonly

used for people who need a morph quickly

and cheaply or simply on a transient basis. Though

they look humanoid, synths are easily recognizable

as non-biological unless they have the synthetic mask

option (p. 311).

Enhancements: Access Jacks, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack, Cyberbrain, Mnemonic Augmentation

Mobility System: Walker (4/20)

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 40

Wound Threshold: 8

Advantages: +5 SOM, +5 to one other aptitude of the

player’s choice, Armor 6/6

Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Clanking Masses) trait,

Uncanny Valley trait

CP Cost: 30

Credit Cost: High

Arachnoid

NOTE: Arachnoid robotic shells are 1-meter in length, segmented

into two parts, with a smaller head, like a

spider or termite. They feature four pairs of 1.5-meterlong

retractable arms/legs, capable of rotating around

the axis of the body, with built-in pneumatic systems

for propelling the bot with small leaps. The manipulator

claws on each arm/leg can be switched out

with extendable mini-wheels for high-speed skating movement. A smaller pair of manipulator arms near

the head allows for closer handling and tool use. In

zero-G environments, arachnoids can retract their

arms/legs and maneuver with vectored air thrusters.

Enhancements: Access Jacks, Basic Mesh Inserts,

Cortical Stack, Cyberbrain, Enhanced Vision, Extra

Limbs (10 Arms/Legs), Lidar, Mnemonic Augmentation,

Pneumatic Limbs, Radar

Mobility System: Walker (4/24), Thrust Vector (8/40),

Wheeled 8/40

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 40

Wound Threshold: 8

Advantages: +5 COO, +10 SOM, Armor 8/8

CP Cost: 45

Credit Cost: Expensive (minimum 40,000+)

Dragonfly

NOTE: The dragonfly robotic morph takes the shape of a

meter-long flexible shell with multiple wings and manipulator

arms. Capable of near-silent turbofan-aided

flight in Earth gravity, dragonfly bots fare even better

in microgravity.

Enhancements: Access Jacks, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack, Cyberbrain, Mnemonic Augmentation

Mobility System: Winged (8/32)

Aptitude Maximum: 30 (20 SOM)

Durability: 25

Wound Threshold: 5

Advantages: Flight, +5 REF, Armor (2/2)

CP Cost: 20

Credit Cost: High

Flexbots

NOTE: Designed for multi-purpose functions, flexbots can

transform their shells to suit a range of situations

and tasks. Their core frame consists of a half-dozen

interlocking and shape-adjustable modules capable of

auto-transforming into a variety of shapes: multi-legged

walker, tentacle, hovercraft, and many others. Each

module features its own sensor units and “bush robot”

fractal-branching digits (each capable of breaking into

smaller digits, down to the micrometer scale, allowing

for ultra-fine manipulation). The flexbot control computer

is also distributed between modules. Individual

flexbots 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, robotics assembly, and so on.

Enhancements: Access Jacks, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack, Cyberbrain, Fractal Digits, Mnemonic

Augmentation, Modular Design, Nanoscopic Vision,

Shape Adjusting

Mobility System: Walker (4/16), Hover (8/40)

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 25

Wound Threshold: 5

Advantages: Armor 4/4

CP Cost: 20

Credit Cost: Expensive (minimum 30,000+)

Reaper

NOTE: The reaper is a common combat bot, used in place of

biomorph soldiers and typically operated via teleoperation

or by autonomous AI. The reaper’s core form

is an armored disc, so that it can turn and present a

thin profile to an enemy. It uses vector thrust nozzles

to maneuver in microgravity, and also takes advantage

of an ionic drive for fast movement over distance.

Four legs/manipulating arms and four weapon pods

are folded inside its frame. The reaper’s shell is made

of smart materials, allowing these limbs and weapon

mounts to extrude in any direction desired and even

to change shape and length. In gravity environments,

the reaper walks or hops on two or four of these limbs.

Reapers are infamous due to numerous war XPs, and

bringing one into most habitats will undoubtedly raise

eyebrows, if not get you arrested.

Enhancements: 360-Degree Vision, Access Jacks, Anti-

Glare, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical Stack, Cyberbrain,

Cyber Claws, Extra Limbs (4), Heavy Combat

Armor, Magnetic System, Mnemonic Augmentation,

Pneumatic Limbs, Puppet Sock, Radar, Reflex Booster,

Shape Adjusting, Structural Enhancement, T-Ray

Emitter, Weapon Mount (Articulated, 4)

Mobility System: Walker (4/20), Hopper (4/20), Ionic

(12/40), Vectored Thrust (4/20)

Aptitude Maximum: 40

Speed Modifier: +1 (Reflex Booster)

Durability: 50 (60 with Structural Enhancement)

Wound Threshold: 10 (12 w/Structural Enhancement)

Advantages: 4 Limbs, +5 COO, +10 REF (+20 with

Reflex Booster), +10 SOM, Armor 16/16

CP Cost: 100

Credit Cost: Expensive (minimum 50,000+)

Slitheroids

NOTE: Slitheroid bots are synthetic shells taking the form of

a 2-meter-long segmented metallic snake, with two retractable

arms for tool use. Snake bots can coil, twist,

and roll their bodies into a ball or hoop, moving either

by slithering, burrowing, rolling, or pulling themselves

along by their arms. The sensor suite and control computer

are housed in the head.

Enhancements: Access Jacks, Basic Mesh Inserts,

Cortical Stack, Cyberbrain, Enhanced Vision, Mnemonic

Augmentation

Mobility System: Snake (4/16; 8/32 rolling)

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 45

Wound Threshold: 9

Advantages: +5 COO, +5 SOM, +5 to one other aptitude

of the player’s choice, Armor 8/8

CP Cost: 40

Credit Cost: Expensive

Swarmanoid

NOTE: The swarmanoid is not a single shell per se, but rather

a swarm of hundreds of insect-sized robotic microdrones.

Each individual “bug” is capable of crawling,

rolling, hopping several meters, or using nanocopter fan blades for airlift. The controlling computer and

sensor systems are distributed throughout the swarm.

Though the swarm can “meld” together into a roughly

child-sized shape, the swarm is incapable of tackling

physical tasks like grabbing, lifting, or holding as a

unit. Individual bugs are quite capable of interfacing

with electronics.

Enhancements: Access Jacks, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical

Stack, Cyberbrain, Mnemonic Augmentation,

Swarm Composition

Mobility System: Walker (2/8), Hopper (4/20), Rotor

(4/32)

Aptitude Maximum: 30

Durability: 30

Wound Threshold: 6

Advantages: See Swarm Composition (p. 311)

Disadvantages: See Swarm Composition (p. 311)

CP Cost: 25

Credit Cost: Expensive

Infomorphs

NOTE: Infomorphs are digital-only forms—they lack a physical

body. Infomorphs are sometimes carried by other

characters instead of (or in addition to) a muse in a

ghostrider module (p. 307). Full rules for infomorphs

can be found on p. 264.

Enhancements: Mnemonic Augmentation

Aptitude Maximum: 40

Speed Modifier: +2

Disadvantages: No physical form

CP Cost: 0

Credit Cost: 0

TRAITSEdit

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, listed traits are ego traits.

POSITIVE TRAITSEdit

NOTE: Positive traits provide bonuses to the character in certain situations.

ADAPTABILITY

NOTE: Cost: 10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2) CP

Resleeving is a breeze for this character. They adjust to new morphs much more quickly than most other people. Apply a +10 modifier per level for Integration Tests and Alienation Tests (p. 272).

ALLIES

NOTE: Cost:30 CP

The character is part of or has a relationship with some influential group that they can occasionally call on for support. For example, this could be their old gatecrashing crew, former research lab co-workers, a criminal cartel they are part of, or an elite social clique. The gamemaster and player should work out what the character’s relationship is with this group, and why the character can call on them for aid. Gamemaster’s should take care that these allies are not abused, such as calling on them more than once per game session. The character’s ties to this group are also a two-way street—they will be expected to perform duties for the group on occasion as well (a potential plot seed for scenarios).

Ambidextrous

animal Empathy

Brave

Common Sense

Danger Sense

DIRECTION SENSE

NOTE: Cost:5 CP

Somehow the character always knows which way is up, north, etc., even when blinded. The character receives a +10 modifier for figuring out complex directions, reading maps, and remembering or retracing a path they have taken.

EIDETIC MEMORY (EGO OR MORPH TRAIT)

NOTE: Cost:10 CP

Much like a computer, the character has perfect memory recall. They can remember anything they have sensed, often even from a single glance. This works the same as the eidetic memory implant (p. 301).

EXCEPTIONAL APTITUDE (EGO OR MORPH TRAIT)

NOTE: Cost:20 CP

As an ego trait, the character may raise the maximum for a particular chosen aptitude to 40 rather than 30 (p. 122). As a morph trait, it raises the morph aptitude maximum (p. 124) for a particular chosen aptitude by 10 (30 for flats, 35 for splicers, 40 for all others). Note that this trait just raises the maximum, it does not give the character 10 more aptitude points. This trait may only be taken by a morph or ego once.

EXPERT

NOTE: Cost:10 CP

The character is a legend in the use of one particular skill. The character may raise one learned skill over 80, to a maximum of 90, during character creation. This trait does not actually increase the skill, it just raises

the maximum. This trait may only be taken once.

FAST LEARNER

NOTE: Cost:10 CP

The character improves skills and learns new ones in half the time it normally takes (seeImproving Skills, p. 152).

First Impression

Hyper Linguist

Improved Immune System (Morph Trait)

Innocuous (Morph Trait)

Limber (Morph Trait)

Math Wiz

Natural Immunity (Morph Trait)

Pain Tolerance (Ego or Morph Trait)

Patron

Psi

Psi Chameleon (Ego or Morph Trait)

Psi Defense (Ego or Morph Trait)

Rapid Healer (Morph Trait)

RIGHT AT HOME

NOTE: Cost:10 CP

The character chooses one type of morph (splicer, neo-hominid, case, etc.). The character always feels right at home in morphs of this type. When resleeving into this type of morph, the character automatically adjusts to the new body, no Integration or Alienation Test needed, suffering no penalties and no mental stress.

Second Skin

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

NOTE: Cost:10 CP

The character is very good at maintaining continuous partial awareness of the goings-on in their immediate environment. In game terms, they do not suffer the Distracted modifier on Perception Tests to notice things even when their attention is focused elsewhere, or when making Quick Perception Tests during combat.

STRIKING LOOKS (MORPH TRAIT)

NOTE: Cost:10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2) CP

In an age where biosculpting is easy, good looks are both cheap and commonplace. This morph, however, possesses a physical look that can only be described as striking and unusual, but also somehow alluring and

fascinating—even the gorgeous and chiseled glitterati take notice. On social skill tests where the character’s beauty may affect the outcome, they receive a +10 (for Level 1) or +20 (for Level 2) modifier. This modifier

is ineffective against xenomorphs or those with the infolife or uplift backgrounds. This trait is only available to biomorphs.

This modifier may be purchased for uplift morphs, but at half the cost, and it is only effective against characters with that specific uplift background (i.e., neo-avians, neo-hominids, etc.). The one drawback to this trait is that the character is more easily noticed and remembered.

Tough (Morph Trait)

Zoosemiotics

NEGATIVE TRAITSEdit

NOTE: Negative traits generally hinder the character and apply negative modifiers in certain circumstances.

Addiction (Ego or Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 5 CP (Minor), 10 CP (Moderate), or 20 CP

(Major)

Addiction comes in two forms: mental (affecting

the ego) and physical (affecting the biomorph). The

character or morph is addicted to a drug (p. 317),

stimulus (XP), or activity (mesh use) to a degree that

impacts the character’s physical or mental health.

Players and gamemasters should work together to

agree on addictions that are appropriate for their

game. Addiction comes in three levels of severity:

minor, moderate, or major:

Minor: A minor addiction is largely kept under

control—it does not ruin the character’s life, though

it may create some difficulties. The character may not

even recognize or admit they have a problem. The

character must indulge the addiction at least once

a week, though they can go for longer without too

much difficulty. If they fail to get their weekly dose,

they suffer a –10 modifier on all actions until they get

their fix.

Moderate: A moderate addiction is in full swing.

The character obviously has a problem, and must

satisfy the addiction at least once a day. If they fail

to do so, they may suffer mood swings, compulsive

behavior, physical sickness, or other side effects until

they indulge their craving. Apply a –20 modifier to

all of the character’s actions until they get their fix.

Additionally, a character with this level of addiction

suffers a –5 DUR penalty.

Major: A character with a major addiction is on

the rapid road to ruin. They face cravings every 6

hours, and suffer a –10 DUR penalty as their health

is affected. If they fail to get their regular dosage, they

suffer a –30 modifier on all actions until they do. If

their life hasn’t already been ruined by their obsession,

it soon will be.

AGED

NOTE: Bonus:10 CP

The morph is physically aged, and has not been rejuvenated. Old morphs are increasingly uncommon, though some people adopt them hoping to gain an air of seniority and respectability. Reduce the character’s aptitude maximums by 5, and apply a –10 modifier on all physical actions.

This trait may only be applied to flat and splicer morphs.

Bad Luck

NOTE: Bonus: 30 CP

Due to some inexplicable cosmic coincidence,

things seem to go wrong around the character. The

gamemaster is given a pool of Moxie points equal

to the character’s Moxie stat, which also refreshes

at the same rate as the character’s Moxie. Only the

gamemaster may utilize this Moxie, however, and

the purpose is to use it against the character. In other

words, the gamemaster can use this bad Moxie to

cause the character to automatically fail, flip-flop a

roll, and so on. To reflect the black cloud that follows

the character, the gamemaster can even use this

bad Moxie against the character’s friends and allies,

when they are doing something with or related to

the character, though this should be used sparingly.

Gamemasters who might be reluctant to sabotage the

character should remember that the player asked for

it by purchasing this trait.

Blacklisted

NOTE: Bonus: 5 or 20 CP

The character has managed to get themselves

blacklisted in certain circles, whether they actually

did something to deserve it or not. In game terms, the

character is barred from having a Rep score higher

than 0 in one particular reputation network. People

within that network will refuse to help the character

out of fear of reprisals and ruining their own reputation.

The bonus for this trait is 20 CP if chosen for the

rep network pertaining to the character’s own starting

faction, and 5 CP if chosen for any other.

BLACK MARK

NOTE: Bonus:10 (Level 1), 20 (Level 2), or 30 (Level 3) CP

At some point in the character’s past, they managed to do something that earned a black mark on their reputation. For some reason, no matter what they do, this black mark cannot be shaken off and continues to

haunt their interactions. In game terms, the character picks one faction. Every time they interact with this faction (such as a Networking Test) or with an NPC from this faction (Social Skill Tests) who knows who the character is, they suffer a –10 modifier per level.

Combat Paralysis

NOTE: Bonus: 20 CP

The character has an unfortunate habit of freezing

in combat or stressful situations, like a deer caught in

headlights. Anytime violence breaks out around the

character, or they are surprised, the character must

make a Willpower Test in order to act or respond in

any way. If they fail the test, they lose their action and

simply stand there, remaining incapable of reacting to

the situation.

EDITED MEMORIES

NOTE: Bonus:10 CP

At some point in the character’s past, the character had certain memories strategically removed or otherwise lost to them. This may have been done to intentionally forget an unpleasant or shameful experience or to make a break with the past. The memory may also have been lost by an unexpected death (with no recent backup), or it may have been erased against the character’s will. Whatever the case, the memory should bear some importance, and there should exist either evidence of what happened or NPCs who know the full story. This is a tool the gamemaster can use to haunt the character at some future point with ghosts

from their past.

ENEMY

NOTE: Bonus:10 CP

At some point in their past, the character made an enemy for life who continues to haunt them. The gamemaster and player should work out the details on this enmity, and the gamemaster should use the enemy as an occasional threat, surprise, and hindrance.

Feeble

NOTE: Bonus: 20 CP

The character is particularly weak with one aptitude.

That aptitude must be purchased at a rating lower

than 5, and may never be upgraded during character

advancement. The aptitude maximum is 10, no matter

what morph the character is wearing.

Frail (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2) CP

This morph is not as resilient as others of its type.

Its Durability is reduced by 5 per level. This also reduces

Wound Threshold by 1 or 2, respectively

Genetic Defect (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP or 20 CP

The morph is not genefixed, and in fact suffers

from a genetic disorder or other impairing mutation.

The player and gamemaster should agree on a defect

appropriate to their game. Some possibilities include:

heart disease, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, sickle-cell disease,

hypertension, hemophilia, or color blindness.

A genetic disorder that creates minor complications

and/or occasional health problems would be worth

10 CP, a defect that significantly impairs the character’s

regular functioning or that inflicts chronic health

problems is worth 20 CP. The gamemaster must determine

the exact effects of the disorder on gameplay,

as appropriate.

This trait is only available for flats.

Identity Crisis

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

The character’s ego has trouble adapting itself to

the changed look of a new morph—they are stuck

with the mental image of their original body, and

simply do not grow accustomed to their new face(s).

As a result, the character has difficulty identifying

themselves in the mirror, photos, surveillance feeds,

etc. They frequently forget the look and shape of their

current morph, acting inappropriately, describing

themselves by their original body, forgetting to duck

when walking through doorways, etc. This is primarily

a roleplaying trait, but the gamemaster may apply

appropriate modifiers (usually –10) to tests affected

by this inability to adapt.

Illiterate

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

The character knows how to speak, but has difficulty

reading or writing. Due to the entoptic-saturated

and icon-driven nature of transhuman society, they are

able to get by quite comfortably with this handicap.

Reduce the character’s Language skills by half (round

down) whenever reading or writing

Immortality Blues

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

The character has lived so long—over 100 years—

they’re bored with life and now have difficulty motivating themselves. They were old when longevity

treatments first became available, survived the Fall,

and continue to soldier onward—though they find

it increasingly harder to care, take interest in things

around them, or fear final death. The character only

receives half the Moxie and Rez Points award for

completing motivational goals.

This trait may not be purchased by characters with

the infolife or uplift backgrounds.

Implant Rejection (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 5 (Level 1) or 15 (Level 2) CP

This morph does not accept implants well. At Level

1, any implants acquired are more expensive as they

required specialized anti-rejection treatments. Increase

the Cost category of the implant by one. At Level 2,

the morph cannot accept implants of any kind.

Incompetent

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

The character is completely incapable of performing

a particular chosen active skill, no matter any

training they may receive. They may not buy this skill

during character creation or later advancement, and

the modifier for defaulting to the linked aptitude of

this particular skill is –10. This may not be used for

exotic weapon skills, and should be used for a skill

that could be of use to the character.

Lemon (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

This trait is only available for synthetic morphs.

This particular morph has some unfixable flaws. Once

per game session (preferably at a time that will maximize

drama or hilarity), the gamemaster can call for

the character to make a MOX x 10 Test (using their

current Moxie score). If the character fails, the morph

immediately suffers 1 wound resulting from some mechanical

failure, electrical glitch, or other breakdown.

This wound may be repaired as normal.

LOW PAIN TOLERANCE (EGO OR MORPH TRAITS)

NOTE: Bonus:20 CP

Pain is the character’s enemy. The character has a very low threshold for pain tolerance and is more severely impaired when suffering. Increase the modifier for each wound take by an additional –10 (so the character suffers –20 with one wound, –40 with another, and –60 with a third). Additionally, the character suffers a –30 modifier on any test involving pain resistance. This morph version of this trait is only available for biomorphs.

MENTAL DISORDER

NOTE: Bonus:10 CP

You have a psychological disorder from a previous traumatic experience in your life. Choose one of the disorders listed on p. 211.

Mild Allergy (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 5 CP

The morph is allergic to a specific chosen allergen

(dust, dander, plant pollen, certain chemicals) and suffers

mild discomfort when exposed to it (eye irritation,

sneezing, difficult breathing). Apply a –10 modifier to

all tests while the character remains exposed. This

trait is only available for biomorphs.

Modified Behavior

NOTE: Bonus: 5 (Level 1), 10 (Level 2), or 20 (Level 3) CP

The character has been conditioned via timeaccelerated

behavioral control psychosurgery. This is

common among ex-felons, who have been conditioned

to respond to a specific idea or activity with vehement

horror and disgust, but may have occurred for some

other reason or even been self-inflicted. At Level 1, the

chosen behavior is either limited or boosted, at Level

2 it is either blocked or encouraged, and at Level 3 it

is expunged or enforced (see p. 231 for details). This

trait should only be allowed for behaviors that are

either limited or, if encouraged, impact the character

in a negative way.

Morphing Disorder

NOTE: Bonus: 10 (Level 1), 20 (Level 2), or 30 (Level 3) CP

Adapting to new morphs is particularly challenging

for this character. The character suffers a –10

modifier per level on Integration Tests and Alienation

Tests (p. 272).

Neural Damage

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

The character has suffered some type of neurological

damage that simply cannot be cured. The affliction

is now part of the character’s ego and remains with

them even when remorphing. This damage may have

been inherited, it may have resulted from a poorly designed

morph or implant, or it may have been inflicted

by one of the TITAN nanovirii that targeted neural

systems during the Fall (p. 384). The gamemaster and

player should agree on a specific disorder appropriate

to their game. Some possibilities are:

• Partial aphasia (difficulty communicating or

using words)

• Color blindness

• Amusica (inability to make or understand music)

• Synaesthesia

• Logorrhoea (excessive use of words)

• Loss of face recognition

• Loss of depth perception (double range

modifiers)

• Repetitive behavior

• Mood swings

• The inability to shift attention quickly

The gamemaster may decide to inflict modifiers

resulting from this affliction as appropriate.

No Cortical Stack (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

The morph lacks the cortical stack that is common

to morphs of its type. This means the character cannot

be resleeved from the cortical stack if the character

dies, they can only be resleeved from a standard

backup. This trait is not available for flats.

Oblivious

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

The character is particularly oblivious to events

around them or anything other than what their attention

is focused on. They suffer a –10 modifier

to Surprise Tests and their modifier for being Distracted

is –30 rather than the usual –20 (see Basic

Perception, p. 190).

On the Run

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

The character is wanted by the authorities of a

particular habitat/station or faction, who continue to

actively search for the character. They either committed

a crime or somehow displeased someone in power.

The character deals with that faction in question at

their own risk, and may occasionally be forced to deal

with bounty hunters.

Psi Vulnerability (Ego or Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

Something about the character’s mind makes

them particularly vulnerable to psi attack. They

suffer a –10 modifier when resisting such attacks.

The morph version of this trait may only be taken

by biomorphs.

Real World Naivete

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

Due to their background, the character has very

limited personal experience with the real (physical)

world—or they have spent so much time in simulspace

that their functioning in real life is impaired.

They lack an understanding of many physical properties,

social cues, and other factors that people with

standard human upbringings take for granted. This

lack of common sense may lead the character to

misunderstand how a device works or to misinterpret

someone’s body language.

Once per game session, the gamemaster may intentionally

mislead the character when giving them

a description about some thing or some social interaction.

This falsehood represents the character’s

misunderstanding of the situation, and should be

roleplayed appropriately, even if the player realizes

the character’s mistake.

This trait should only be available to characters

with the infolife or re-instantiated backgrounds,

though the gamemaster may allow it for characters

who have extensive virtual reality/XP use in their

personal histories.

Severe Allergy (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 (uncommon) or 20 (common) CP

The morph’s biochemistry suffers a severe allergic

reaction (anaphylaxis) when it comes into contact

(touched, inhaled, or ingested) with a specific allergen.

The allergen may be common (dust, dander, plant pollen,

certain foods, latex) or uncommon (certain drugs, insect

stings). The player and gamemaster should agree on an

allergen that fits the game. If exposed to the allergen,

the character breaks into hives, has difficulty to breathing

(–30 modifier to all actions), and must make a DUR

Test or go into anaphylactic shock (dying of respiratory

failure in 2d10 minutes unless medical care is applied).

This trait is only available to biomorphs.

Slow Learner

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

New skills are not easy for this character to pick

up. The character takes twice as long as normal to

improve skills or learn new ones (p. 152).

Social Stigma (Ego or Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

An unfortunate aspect of the character’s background

means that they suffer from a stigma in

certain social situations. They may be sleeved in

a morph viewed with repugnance, be a survivor of

the infamous Lost generation, or may be an AGI in

a post-Fall society plagued by fear of artificial intelligence.

In social situations where the character’s nature

is known to someone who view that nature with distaste,

fear, or repugnance, they suffer a –10 to –30

modifier (gamemaster’s discretion) to social skill tests.

Timid

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

This character frightens easily. They suffer a –10

modifier when resisting fear or intimidation

Unattractive (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP (Level 1), 20 CP (Level 2), 30 CP (Level 3)

In a time when good looks are easily purchased,

this morph is conspicuously ugly. As unattractiveness

is increasingly associated with being poor, backward,

or genetically defective, responses to a lack of good

looks range from distaste to horror. The character suffers

a –10 modifier on social tests for Level 1, –20 for

Level 2, and –30 for Level 3.

Only biomorphs may take this trait. This modifier

does not apply to interactions with xenomorphs or

those with the infolife or uplift backgrounds. This

modifier may be purchased for uplift morphs, but at

half the bonus, and it is only effective against characters

with that specific uplift background (i.e., neoavians,

neo-hominids, etc.).

Uncanny Valley (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

There is a point where synthetic human looks

become uncannily realistic and human-seeming, but they remain just different enough that their looks

seem creepy or even repulsive—a phenomenon called

the “uncanny valley.” Morphs whose looks fall into

this range suffer a –10 modifier on social skill tests

when dealing with humans. This modifier does not

apply to interactions with xenomorphs or those with

the infolife or uplift backgrounds.

Unfit (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP (Level 1), 20 CP (Level 2)

The morph is either not optimized for health and/or

just in bad shape. Reduce the aptitude maximums for

Coordination, Reflexes, and Somatics by 5 (Level 1 )

or 10 (Level 2).

VR Vertigo

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

The character experiences intense vertigo and

nausea when interfacing with any type of virtual reality,

XP, or simulspace. Augmented reality has no effect,

but VR inflicts a –30 modifier to all of the character’s

actions. Prolonged use of VR (gamemaster’s discretion)

may actually incapacitate the character should

they fail a WIL x 2 Test

Weak Immune System (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2) CP

The morph’s immune system is susceptible to diseases,

drugs, and toxins. At Level 1, apply a –10 modifier

whenever making a test to resist infection or the effects

of a toxin or drug. At Level 2, increase this modifier to

–20. This trait is only available to biomorphs.

Zero-G Nausea (Morph Trait)

NOTE: Bonus: 10 CP

This morph suffers from space sickness and does

not fair well in zero-gravity. The character suffers a

–10 modifier in any microgravity climate. Additionally,

whenever the character is first getting acclimated

or anytime they must endure excessive movement in

microgravity, they must make a WIL Test or spend 1

hour incapacitated by nausea per 10 points of MoF.

CHARACTER ADVANCEMENTEdit

NOTE: As characters accomplish goals and gather experience during gameplay, they accumulate Rez Points (seeAwarding Rez Points, p. 384). Rez Points may be used to improve the character’s skills, aptitudes, and other characteristics per the following rules. The costs for spending Rez Points for advancement are the same as the costs for spending Customization Points.

CHANGING MOTIVATION

NOTE: It is only natural that over time a character’s driving goals and interests will change. The character may reach a turning point where they feel certain personal agendas have been fulfilled and it is time to move on, or they have failed and need to be discarded. New urgencies or philosophies may have entered the character’s life, or the character may have become disenchanted with particular memes and ideas they previously took to heart.

Changing a character’s motivation does not cost Rez Points, but it is something that should only happen in accordance with roleplaying and with life-altering events. Players should not be allowed to simply switch their motivations at whim, there should be a driving reason or explanation for doing so. For this reason, changing a motivation should only happen when the player and gamemaster discuss the matter and both agree that the swap is appropriate to the character’s development and circumstances. If these conditions are met, the character simply drops a previously held motivation and takes on a new one. Only one motivation should be switched out at a time.

SWITCHING MORPHS

NOTE: Resleeving—switching from one morph to another—is handled as an in-character interaction, not with Rez Points. SeeResleeving, p. 271.

IMPROVING ATITUTDES

NOTE: Aptitudes may be raised with Rez Points at the cost of 10 RP per aptitude point. This represents the character’s improvement in their core characteristics, gained from exercise, learning, and experience. Aptitudes may not be raised above 30 (bonuses from morphs, implants, traits, or other sources do not count towards this total).

Raising the value of an aptitude also raises the value of all linked skills by an equivalent amount. If this raises any linked skills over 60, an additional 1 RP must be spent per linked skill over 60.

IMPROVING SKILLSEdit

NOTE: Characters may also spend Rez Points to increase existing skills or learn new ones. To improve an existing skill, the character must have successfully used that skill in the recent past or must actively practice it in order to get better, perhaps with the aid of an instructor. In the case of Knowledge skills, this means actively studying. As a rough timeframe, this should require around 1 week of learning per skill point. A number of educational resources are freely available via the mesh, though some areas of interest may be restricted or hard to find. This can be handled via roleplaying or designated as something the character is doing during downtime between sessions. If the gamemaster decides that a character has not put enough effort into improving a skill, they may call for more practice/study.

The cost to increase a skill is 1 RP per skill point, and no skill may be increased over 99. No skill may be raised by more than 5 points per month. When a character’s skill reaches the level of expertise (skill of 60+), however, they tend to reach a plateau where improvement progresses more slowly and even consistent practice and study have diminished returns. In this case, the Rez Point cost per skill point doubles (i.e., 2 RP = +1 skill point). When a skill reaches 80, improvement slows down even further—a skill of 80+ may not be increased by more than 1 point per month.

LEARNING NEW SKILLS

NOTE: Similarly, to learn a new skill, the character must actively study/practice and/or seek instruction. No test to learn is required, unless the period of study was hampered or in some way deficient, in which case the gamemaster may call for a COG x 3 Test to pick up the new skill. Otherwise, once a character has spent approximately a week learning a new skill, they may purchase their first skill point at the usual cost (1 RP). The skill is bought up from the aptitude rating, per normal. Once a new skill is acquired, it is raised according to the standard rules above.

SPENDING REZ POINTS

NOTE: SPENDING REZ POINTS

15 RP = 1 Moxie point

10 RP = 1 aptitude point

5 RP = 1 psi sleight

5 RP = 1 specialization

2 RP = 1 skill point (61-99)

1 RP = 1 skill point (up to 60)

1 RP = 10 Rep

1 RP = 1,000 Credits

SPECIALIZATIONS

NOTE: Specializations may be purchased for existing skills, as long as that skill is at least rating 30. Specializations require a total of 1 month of training. The cost to learn a specialization is 5 RP. Only 1 specialization may be purchased per skill.

IMPROVING MOXIE

NOTE: Moxie may be raised at the cost of 15 RP per Moxie point. The maximum to which Moxie may be raised is 10.

GAINING/LOSING TRAITS

NOTE: At the gamemaster’s discretion, both positive and negative traits may be acquired or lost during gameplay, though such changes should be rare and only made in accordance with the storyline and unfolding events in the game.

Both positive and negative traits may be picked up by a character during gameplay as a consequence of something that did or something that happened to them. In the case of a positive trait, the character must immediately spend Rez Points equal to the trait’s CP cost for the privilege (whether they wanted the new trait or not). If the character has no unspent RP available, they must pay out immediately from any future RP they earn until the debt is paid off. In the case of a negative trait, however, the character is simply saddled with the new flaw—they do not acquire any extra RP for gaining the negative trait.

Getting rid of traits is somewhat more difficult. Positive traits may be lost due to unfortunate effects on the character, as the gamemaster sees fit. Such lost positive traits are simply gone—the character does not receive any Rez Point reimbursement. Negative traits are occasionally eliminated in the same way, but more typically they can only be worked off through the hard work and diligence of a character that seeks to overcome their handicap. Such endeavors should require weeks if not months of effort on the character’s part, with appropriate roleplaying and possibly some difficult tests. In fact, overcoming such traits could be the source of an adventure. Once a gamemaster feels that the character has made a strong-enough effort, the character may pay a number of Rez Points equal to the trait’s original CP bonus to negate it. Note, however, that some negative traits may simply not be discarded, no matter what the character does.

IMPROVING REP

NOTE: Reputation is something that can be increased with appropriate roleplaying and actions during gameplay (seeReputation Gain and Loss, p. 384). Characters that prefer to handle their Rep-boosting activities “off-screen,” however, can simply spend Rez Points to boost their score(s). Each RP spent boosts the character’s Rep by +10 in a single network. Only one such boost may be made to a single rep network per month.

MAKING CREDIT

NOTE: Rez Points may be spent on Credit at a ratio of 1 RP for 1,000 Credits. This represents income the character has earned “off-screen” or during downtime, such as from odd jobs, selling off possessions, and so on.

IMPROVING PSI

NOTE: Characters who have the Psi trait (p. 147) may purchase new sleights (seeSleights, p. 223) at the cost of 5 RP per sleight. Sleights must be learned through study, training, and practice, requiring approximately 1 month per sleight. No more than one sleight may be learned per month.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CHARACTER CREATION

NOTE:

• Define Character Concept (p. 130)
• Choose Background (p. 131)
• Choose Faction (p. 132)
• Spend Free Points (p. 134)
• 105 aptitude points
• 1 Moxie
• 5,000 credit
• 50 Rep
• Native tongue
• Spend Customization Points (p. 135)
• 1,000 CP to spend
• 15 CP = 1 Moxie
• 10 CP = 1 aptitude point
• 5 CP = 1 psi sleight
• 5 CP = 1 specialization
• 2 CP = 1 skill point (61-80)
• 1 CP = 1 skill point (up to 60)
• 1 CP = 1,000 credit
• 1 CP = 10 rep
• Active skill minimum: 400 CP
• Knowledge skill minimum: 300 CP
• Choose Starting Morph (pp. 136 and 139)
• Choose Traits (pp. 136 and 145)
• Purchase Gear (p. 136)
• Choose Motivation (p. 137)
• Calculate Remaining Stats (p. 138)
• Detail the Character (p. 138)

SAMPLE CHARACTERSEdit

NOTE: 20101229--jwd

This section doesn't appear in the Core Book's Table of Contents. I've decided against including the section's text in the various nodes of this tree.

ANARCHIST TECHIE

ARGONAUT XENOARCHAEOLOGIST

BARSOOMIAN FREELANCE JOURNALIST

BRINKER GENEHACKER

CRIMINAL HACKER

EXTROPIAN SMUGGLER

HYPERCORP BLACK MARKETEER

JOVIAN SPY

LUNAR EGO HUNTER

MERCURIAL INVESTIGATOR

MERCURIAL SCAVENGER

SCUM ENFORCER

SOCIALITE ESCORT

TITANIAN EXPLORER

ULTIMATE MERC

VENUSIAN INVESTIGATOR

SKILLSEdit

NOTE: In a setting where physical looks and capabilities are easily changed at the push of a button, who you are and what you know is more important than any inborn ability. kills represent the knowledge your character has, the accumulated set of experience, education, and inherent know-how possessed by each and every sentient transhuman inEclipse Phase. They are what allow you to sneak into a hypercorp station, disable the security systems, hack the mesh hub, and then impersonate security personnel to make your escape. Your skills represent the one thing you have no matter what you look like or where you find yourself. When your characters explore what they can do, their skills, or lack thereof, often determine the margin between success and failure.

Having a well-rounded set of skills is vital to survival and success inEclipse Phase. The skills below encompass a wide selection of talents, enough so that each character can be unique in their abilities and knowledge.

SKILLS OVERVIEWEdit

NOTE: Skills are divided into aptitudes and learned skills (see

Character Skills, p. 123). Most (but not all) learned

skills are built on and linked to an aptitude. If a

character lacks the specific skill needed in a situation,

they may default to the linked aptitude. You may also

choose to specialize in certain skills (see Specializations,

p. 123), reflecting an enhanced knowledge of a

particular aspect of a certain skill.

Core Skills: Aptitudes

NOTE: Aptitudes represent inherent skills and abilities acquired

at birth or during the course of growing up. Aptitudes

are sometimes used for tests, but their primary use is

determining the starting point at which learned skills

are developed. Aptitudes determine the starting value

of their linked skills. For example, a character with

Somatics aptitude 10 who wishes to purchase points

in the Freerunning skill (which is linked to Somatics)

would start with a Freerunning rank of 10 and then

buy additionally points in that skill.

Aptitudes are also used when a character doesn’t

posses knowledge of a needed skill (see Defaulting, p.

116). Aptitudes represent the basic knowledge that a

character has acquired regarding rudimentary use of that

skill. They may not have ever received any formal training

with the skill, but they can still attempt to use it.

Aptitudes range in value from 1 to 30, with 10 being

the unaugmented human average and 15 representing

the average of most genetically modified transhumans.

Since aptitudes represent untrained ability, they are

capped at a maximum rating of 30.

There are seven different aptitudes that all players

possess. These aptitudes are purchased during character

creation (p. 128), but depending on the morph the character is currently inhabiting, they may find their aptitudes

capped by the quality of the morph (see p. 124).

Learned SkillsEdit

NOTE: A player’s learned skills are the most important part of

their character, representing the acquired knowledge

they carry with them from morph to morph, knowledge

that plays a fundamental role in helping define

the person’s ego. Learned skills encompass nearly any

skill that you might need to use in Eclipse Phase, and

they range in value from 0 to 99.

All learned skills have a linked aptitude that is

used to calculate their initial value, and which is

also defaulted to if the player does not have that

particular skill.

Skill Categories

NOTE: Each learned skill is classified as either an Active skill

or a Knowledge skill. Active skills represent skills

that typically require physical actions and are used in

action scenes within game play. Knowledge skills are

more knowledge-based and intellectual, representing

ideas and facts. Knowledge skills may play a less dramatic

role in certain action-oriented game play moments,

but they flesh out the character’s background

and interests and are integral to roleplaying interactions.

Active and Knowledge skills are purchased

separately during character creation.

Active skills are further divided into Combat,

Mental, Physical, Psi, Social, Technical, and Vehicle

skills. Certain traits and abilities may apply to specific

categories.

Field Skills

NOTE: Some learned skills are field skills, meaning that when

this skill is chosen a particular field of emphasis must

also be selected. For example, the skill of Academics

requires the character to specify a specific academic

discipline in which they are knowledgeable, such as

Biology, Chemistry, or Xenosociology. Field skills are

written as “[skill]: [field];” for example: “Art: Painting.”

Field skills can be taken multiple times, choosing

a different area of emphasis each time, reflecting skills

in different fields; that is to say, each field is a separate

skill. Several suggested fields are listed for each field

skill, but gamemasters and players may also cooperate

to create others that fit their games.

Field skills may also have specializations; for example,

Professional: Accounting (Money Laundering).

Psi Skills

NOTE: Psi refers to the ability to perceive and manipulate

biological minds via psi waves and/or other inexplicable

phenomena. Due to the uniqueness of this ability,

characters that wish to wield psi must acquire the Psi trait (p. 147). Psi use also requires a number of

specialized skills (Control, Psi Assault, and Sense) that

reflect special training characters acquire to tap into

their psi powers. Psi skills may not be defaulted on;

the only way to use a psi skill is to possess the trait

along with training in that skill. For more details, see

Psi, p. 220.

Specializations

NOTE: Any character may opt to specialize in a given skill

(see Specializations, p. 123). This specialization reflects

increased knowledge in one particular aspect of the

skill. Many of the skills offered below include sample

specializations. Gamemasters and players are encouraged

to develop other specialization ideas together for

their campaigns.

Specialization provides a +10 modifier when using

that skill in a situation appropriate to that specialization.

USING SKILLSEdit

NOTE: Whenever a character wants to do something using

a skill, they must succeed at a skill test (see Making

Tests, p. 115). The difficulty of the action is applied

as a modifier, as are any other extenuating circumstances

that may affect the test (see Difficulty and

Modifiers, p. 115). As with other types of tests, all skill

tests are successful when the character rolls less than

or equal to the test’s target number after any modifiers

have been applied. In the case of skill tests, the

target number is the character’s skill rating with that

particular skill. Modifiers representing difficulty and

other factors are applied directly to the target number

(see Difficulty and Modifiers, p. 115). A roll of a 00 is

always a success, regardless of modifiers, and a result

of 99 is always a failure, again despite any modifiers

that may increase a character’s target number over

100. Standard critical success and failure rules apply

to skill tests (see Criticals: Rolling Doubles, p. 116),

so any time a character rolls a double (i.e. 00, 11, 22,

33, etc.) they score a critical success or failure.

DefaultingEdit

NOTE: Sometimes you lack the skill needed in a certain situation.

In these instances, characters may default their

skill test to the linked aptitude. This reflects the fact

that most learned skills are developed from some sort

of baseline physical ability. Even though you may not

know how to do something, you’ve likely seen how

it’s done at some point or have some idea of how to

do it, or can at least take a shot at it. Naturally, you’re

not as good as someone who has training in that skill,

but it still allows you to make an attempt.

Not all skills can be defaulted. Some skills are

simply too complex or obscure, or demand special

knowledge or ability, for someone to attempt their

use untrained. For example, brain surgery or most psi

skills are simply beyond anyone who doesn’t have that

ability or the knowledge of what they’re attempting.

Defaulting to Field Skills

NOTE: In some cases, a character may not possess the particular

field skill that a test calls for, but they may be

skilled in another related field. For example, a test to

conduct an alien autopsy might call for an Academics:

Xenobiology roll, but a character who doesn’t have

that skill may be allowed to default to Academics:

Biology instead. The gamemaster decides if and when

to allow this, perhaps applying a modifier to the test

based on the difference between fields.

Defaulting to Related SkillsEdit

NOTE: If the gamemaster allows it, characters may default to

a related skill that also has some relevance to the test

at hand. For example, a character skilled in Kinetic

Weapons might not be trained in the use of a laser, but

they know enough to point at the target and pull the

trigger. Likewise, a character might not be skilled in

Investigation, but the gamemaster could still allow

them to use their Perception skill instead in order to

realize that a body had been moved from the place

where it had been shot. In situations like this, when the

gamemaster allows defaulting to a related skill, a –30

modifier should be applied to the test.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Srit is wandering through a black market souk on

Mars, trying to find a particular piece of sensory

equipment. The gamemaster calls for a Scrounging

Test, but Srit does not have that skill. She could

default her INT of 22, but instead she asks the

gamemaster if she can default to the related skill

of Perception, which she has at 82. The gamemaster

agrees, and so Srit rolls against a target number

of 52 (82 – 30).

Complementary SkillsEdit

NOTE: Sometimes more than one skill may apply to a particular

test, or knowledge in one area can aid your skill

in another. In this case, the gamemaster may apply a

modifier to the skill test based on the strength of the

complementing skill, as noted on the Complementary

Skill Bonus table.

Example

NOTE: Dav is hoping to persuade a brinker pilot to take him

to an isolated habitat that doesn’t welcome visitors.

To impress upon the pilot that he is a friend of these

particular isolates, he calls on his knowledge of their

particular cultural practices (Interests: Religious

Cults skill at 45). The gamemaster allows this and

applies a +20 modifier to Dav’s Persuasion Test.

Complementary Skill Bonus

NOTE: skill rating modifier

01–30 +10

31–60 +20

61+ +30

Skill RangesEdit

NOTE: What is the difference between being a clumsy neophyte

wobbling in zero gravity and being a veteran

gliding effortlessly through space as though you were

dancing? The answer is training and skill. The greater

your skill, the more likely you are to not only succeed

at what you want to do, but succeed well.

Aptitudes in Eclipse Phase range from 1 to 30,

while learned skills range from 0 to 99. These numbers

are an abstraction of the range of transhuman

abilities and traits. The Aptitude Range table provides

a breakdown of different aptitude levels and how they

relate to each other. Likewise, the Learned Skill Range

table provides an interpretation for the capabilities at

different skill levels.

Learned Skill Ranges

NOTE: skil equivalence

00 No exposure or familiarity, completely unskilled

10 Very rudimentary knowledge

20 Basic operator’s proficiency (driver’s license, gun permit,

high school diploma)

30 Hands-on experience, some professional training

40 Basic professional certification (police driving, army rifle

certified, college diploma)

50 Experience from professional-level work, some

advanced training

60 Expert competence (competitive driver, marksman, PhD)

70 Experience from expert-level work, has had unique innovations

or insights

80 Worthy of being a system-renowned authority on

the subject

90 Nobel/Olympic/grandmaster

99 Pinnacle of current understanding and innovation

APTITUDESEdit

NOTE: There are 7 aptitudes in Eclipse Phase, described on p.

123. Each character has these aptitudes at a minimum

rating of 1.

Aptitude-Only TestsEdit

NOTE: In rare cases, a test may call for using an aptitude

only, rather than a learned skill. This should only

occur when no learned skills are appropriate to the

test, and these circumstances are usually noted in

the rules.

Aptitude-only tests must be handled carefully, as

the range of aptitude ratings (1–30) is typically much

smaller than the rating of learned skills (0–99). For

this reason, most aptitude tests should use a target

number equal to the aptitude x 3. In rare cases where

the test is more difficult, the gamemaster may simply

use an aptitude x 2, or just the straight aptitude rating.

In some cases, more than one aptitude may be relevant

to the test, and so they may be added together

to derive the target number.

What follows are a few examples where an aptitudeonly

test might be appropriate. Gamemasters may call

for similar tests in other situations, but learned skills

should be used whenever possible.

Brute Strength

NOTE: Any test that involves simple brute strength can be

handled as an SOM x 3 Test. Use this when smashing

down a door, breaking an item in half, engaging in a

tug-of-war, or lifting and carrying a heavy item.

Catching Thrown Objects

NOTE: Use REF + (COO x 2) any time you need to catch a

thrown or dropped object, such as catching a baseball,

saving a priceless vase from shattering, or throwing

back a grenade (see p. 200).

Composure and Resolve

NOTE: Various game situations may frighten your character,

turn their stomach, horrify them, or rattle them to the

core of their being. Use WIL x 3 to determine if your

character can hold their ground, keep it down, and

pull themselves together.

Escape Artist

NOTE: If a character wants to slip free of physical bonds (such

as ropes or handcuffs) or otherwise contort themselves

(such as wriggling out from under a collapsed wall or

an overturned vehicle), an Escape Artist Test may be

called for using the character’s COO + SOM. Apply

modifiers appropriate to the difficulty of the situation.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, escaping from some

restraining situations may be considered a Task Action

with an appropriate timeframe.

Having An Idea

NOTE: Sometimes the players miss the obvious, or their personal

mindset or biases cause them to misinterpret a

situation or understand events in a way different from

how the actual character would. In cases like this, the

gamemaster can call for an INT x 3 or COG x 3 roll

(whichever is more appropriate) to determine if the

character gets an idea that will help them along. This

test should be used sparingly, and only for assessing

the character’s interpretation of obvious and known

facts and details.

Memorizing and Remembering

NOTE: Memories are what egos use to maintain continuity of

self from morph to morph, but humans are notorious

for remembering things incorrectly. Whenever characters

attempt to recall a memory or memorize some

piece of information, use COG x 3 to determine how

well they succeed. Note that characters with eidetic

memory (p. 146 or 301) or mnemonic augmentation

(p. 307) have perfect memory, so no test is required.

Aptitude Comparison: Flats vs. Splicers and Exalts

NOTE: Compared to humans in the early 21st Century, the average transhuman in the world of Eclipse Phase is faster,

smarter, stronger, and healthier than their unaugmented predecessors. Normal unaugmented humans, called

flats (p. 139), most closely approximate the type of person that was born in our time. The majority of people,

however, inhabit bodies that are known as splicers (p. 139) or exalts (p. 139) (well, those with biological bodies

anyway). Splicers are genefixed to avoid genetic defects and optimized for certain characteristics, while exalts

are tweaked to make them superior across the board: they are more attractive, more athletic, have greater

cognitive capacity, and are more attuned to the world around them than their unaugmented kin.

Aptitude Range

NOTE: Rating Asesment Somatics Cordination Reflexes Cognition Intuition Savvy Wilpower

1–5 child average inept clumsy slow limited aware awkward distracted

6–10 adult average weak able paced intelligent perceptive personable controlled

11–15 transhuman average fit coordinated swift bright sharp charismatic focused

16–20 enhanced enhanced agile fast learned uncanny dazzling resolute

21–25 superhuman gifted nimble lightning brilliant prescient mesmerizing unwavering

26-30 posthuman elite unerring synaptic genius near omniscient hypnotic unshakable

COMPLETE SKILL LISTEdit

NOTE: This section details all of the learned skills available inEclipse Phase. Gamemasters and players may, of course, agree to add additional skills to this list as appropriate to their campaign.

ACADEMICS: [FIELD]

NOTE: Type:Field, Knowledge

Linked Aptitude:COG

What it is:Academics covers any sort of specialized non-applied knowledge you can only get through intensive education. Most theoretical and applied sciences, social sciences, transhumanities, etc. are covered by this skill. Most of the other skills listed in this chapter could also be taken as an Academics field, reflecting a working theoretical knowledge of the skill—for example, Academics: Armorer or Academics: Interrogation.

When you use it:Academics is used when a character wishes to call upon a specific body of knowledge. For example, Academics: Chemistry could be used to identify a particular substance, understand an unusual chemical reaction, or determine what elements are needed to nanofabricate something that requires exotic materials. At the gamemaster’s discretion, some Academics-related tests might not be defaultable, given that only someone who has been educated in that subject is likely to be able to tackle it.

Sample Fields:Archeology, Astrobiology, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Astrosociology, Biochemistry, Biology, Botany, Computer Science,Cryptography, Economics, Engineering, Genetics, Geology, Linguistics, Mathematics, Memetics, Nanotechnology, Old Earth History, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Xeno-archeology, Xenolinguistics, Zoology

Specializations:As appropriate to the field

Animal HandlingEdit

NOTE: Type: Active, Social

Linked Aptitude: SAV

What it is: Skilled animal handlers are able to train and control a wide variety of natural and transgenic animals, including partial uplifts. Though many animal species went extinct during the Fall, a few “ark” and zoo habitats keep some species alive, and many others can be resurrected from genetic samples. Exotic animals are considered a sign of prestige among the hypercorp elites, and guard animals are occasionally used to protect high-security installations. Likewise, many habitats and settlements employ small armies of partially uplifted, genetically modified, and behavior-controlled creatures for sanitation or other purposes. Many new and strange breeds of animal are created daily to serve a variety of roles. When you use it: Animal Handling is used whenever you are trying to manipulate an animal, whether your intent is to calm it down, keep it from attacking, intimidate it, acquire its trust, or goad it into attacking. Your Margin of Success determines how effective you are at convincing the creature. At the gamemaster’s discretion, modifiers may be applied to the test. Likewise, winning an animal over may sometimes take time, and so could be handled as a Task Action with a timeframe of five minutes or more. Specializations: Per animal species (dogs, horses, smart

rats, etc.)

Training Animals

NOTE: Training animals is a time-consuming task requiring

repeated efforts and rewards to reinforce the trained

behavior. Treat this as a Task Action with a timeframe

of one day to one month, depending on the complexity

of the action. Apply modifiers to this test based on

the relative intelligence of the animal being trained,

how domestic it is, and the complexity of the task.

Once an animal has been trained, commanding

it is treated as a Simple Success Test (p. 118) except

for unusual or stressful situations, in which case the

trainer receives a +30 modifier on their Animal Handling

Tests when convincing the animal to complete

the trained action.

Art: [Field]

NOTE: Type: Field, Knowledge

Linked Aptitude: INT

What it is: Art confers the ability to create and evaluate

artistic endeavors. This is a particularly useful

skill in Eclipse Phase, especially in the post-scarcity

economies where creativity and vision can be a key

component to a character’s reputation. When you use it: The Art skill can be used to either

create a new work of art or to duplicate an existing

piece of art in the hopes of passing it off as your

own. The skill can also determine the approximate

value of a piece of art either on the open market, for

monetary exchange systems, or in terms of reputation

for the artist.

Sample Fields: Architecture, Criticism, Dance, Drama,

Drawing, Painting, Performance, Sculpture, Simulspace

Design, Singing, Speech, Writing

Specializations: As appropriate to the field

Beam Weapons

NOTE: Type: Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: COO

What it is: The Beam Weapons skill covers the usage

and maintenance of standard coherent beam energy

weapons such as lasers, particle beam weapons,

plasma rifles, and microwave weapons (p. 338).

When you use it: A player uses their Beam Weapons

skill whenever attacking with a beam weapon in

combat (p. 191). Beam Weapons may also be used for

tests involving maintenance of the weapon, but not

for repairing or modifying the weapon (that would be

Hardware: Armorer skill).

Specializations: Lasers, Microwave Weapons, Particle

Beam Weapons, Plasma Rifles

Blades

NOTE: Type: Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: SOM

What it is: The Blades skill covers the usage and

maintenance of standard bladed weapons (p. 334).

When you use it: A player uses their Blades skill

whenever attacking with a blade weapon in melee

combat (p. 191). Blades may also be used for tests

involving maintenance of the weapon, but not for

repairing or modifying the weapon (that would be

Hardware: Armorer skill). This skill is used for blade

weapons implanted in the body at the end of an appendage

(hands, forearms, feet, octomorph arms, etc.),

but the Exotic Melee Weapon skill is used for blades

implanted in other parts of the body.

Specializations: Axes, Implant Blades, Knives, Swords

Climbing

NOTE: Type: Active, Physical

Linked Aptitude: SOM

What it is: Climbing is the skill of ascending and

descending sheer surfaces with or without the aid of

specialized equipment.

When you use it: This skill is used whenever a character

wishes to scale a climbable surface. For heights

greater than one story, climbing is handled as a Task

Action with a timeframe equivalent to one meter per

Action Phase. For rappelling, the timeframe for descent

is 50 meters per Action Turn. Climbing gear (p.

332-333) provides appropriate modifiers.

Specializations: Assisted, Freehand, Rappelling

Clubs

NOTE: Type: Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: SOM

What it is: The Clubs skill covers the usage and

maintenance of standard blunt melee weapons such

as batons or sticks (see p. 334).

When you use it: Players use their Clubs skill when-

ever they want to attack with a blunt weapon in melee

combat (p. 191). The Clubs skill may also be used for

tests involving maintenance of the weapon, but not

for repairing or modifying the weapon (that would be

Hardware: Armorer skill).

Specializations: Batons, Hammers, Staffs

Control

NOTE: CONTROL

Type: Active, Mental, Psi

Linked Aptitude: WIL

What it is: Control is the use of psi to manipulate

individuals or actively penetrate their mental pro-

cesses. This skill is only available to characters with

the Psi trait (p. 147).

When you use it: Use Control when taking a psionic

tour through a foreign ego—messing around included.

See Psi, p. 220.

Specializations: By sleight

Deception

NOTE: DECEPTION

Type: Active, Social

Linked Aptitude: SAV

What it is: Deception is your ability to act, bluff,

con, fast talk, lie, misrepresent, and pretend. Accom-

plished users of deception are able to convince anyone

of nearly anything. This skill does not include using a

physical disguise to appear to be another person (the

Impersonate skill covers that area).

When you use it: Use this skill whenever you want

to deceive someone with words or gestures. A success-

ful skill test means that you have passed off your de-

ception convincingly. At the gamemaster's discretion,

someone who is actively alert for signs of deception

may make an Opposed Test using the Kinesics skill.

Specializations: Acting, Bluffing, Fast Talk

Demolitions

NOTE: DEMOLITIONS

Type: Active, Technical

Linked Aptitude: COG (no defaulting)

What it is: Demolitions covers the use of controlled

explosives.

When you use it: Use it when making, placing, and

disarming explosives and explosive devices. See De-

molitions, p. 197.

Specializations: Commercial Explosives, Disarming,

Improvised Explosives

Disguise

NOTE: DISGUISE

Type: Active, Physical

Linked Aptitude: INT

What it is: Disguise is the art of physically altering

your appearance so that you look like someone else.

This includes both the use of props (wigs, contacts,

skin pigments) and the altering of subtle physical

characteristics (gait, posture, poise).

When you use it: Use Disguise to fool someone into

thinking you're someone you're not. This can be used

to hide your identity or to make yourself look like

someone in particular. When used against someone

who knows your true look or the appearance of the

person you are imitating, this is handled as an Op-

posed Test against Perception or Investigation.

Specializations: Cosmetic, Theatrical

Exotic Melee Weapon: [Field]

NOTE: EXOTIC MELEE WEAPON: [FIELD]

Type: Field, Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: SOM

What it is: The Exotic Melee Weapon skill covers

the use and maintenance of all melee weapons not

covered by the Clubs or Blades skills (see p. 334).

When you use it: Use the Exotic Melee Weapon skill

when attacking someone with an exotic melee weapon

in melee combat (p. 191).

Sample Fields: Morning Star, Spear, Whip

Specializations: N/A

Exotic Ranged Weapon: [Field]

NOTE: EXOTIC RANGED WEAPON: [FIELD]

Type: Field, Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: COO

What it is: Exotic Ranged Weapon skill includes

the use and maintenance of all ranged weapons not

covered by the Beam, Flechette, Kinetic, Sonic, or

Throwing Weapons skills.

When you use it: Use this skill whenever attacking with

an exotic ranged weapon in ranged combat (p. 191).

Sample Fields: Blowgun, Crossbow, Flamethrower,

Slingshot

Specializations: N/A

Flight

NOTE: FLIGHT

Type: Active, Physical

Linked Aptitude: SOM

What it is: Flight is the skill of using your body to

fly. This skill is used when sleeved in or jamming a

winged or otherwise flight-capable morph (manual and

remote-control flight are handled using Pilot skill).

When you use it: Use this skill whenever you need to

make an aerial maneuver, land in difficult conditions,

maintain your course in steep winds, or otherwise

keep from crashing or falling.

Specializations: Diving, Landing, Takeoff, specific

maneuvers

Fray

NOTE: FRAY

Type: Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: REF

What it is: Fray is the ability to get out of the way

of incoming attacks, debris, or inconvenient passers-by.

Characters that have a high Fray score are able to react

quicker than others when dodging or maneuvering.

When you use it: Whenever a character is physically

attacked by an opponent in melee combat, roll Fray to

avoid getting hit (see p. 191). Fray may also be used

to dodge other events that may harm the character,

such as avoiding a charging vehicle or jumping out of

the way of a collapsing stack of crates.

Specializations: Blades, Clubs, Full Defense, Unarmed

Free Fall

NOTE: FREE FALL

Type: Active, Physical

Linked Aptitude: REF

What it is: Free Fall is about moving in free-fall and

microgravity environments.

When you use it: Use whenever you need to maneu-

ver in a zero-g situation, such as propelling yourself

across a large open space or making sure you don't

accidentally send yourself spinning off into space.

Free Fall is also used when moving with spacesuit

maneuvering jets and when parachuting.

Specializations: Microgravity, Parachuting, Vacsuits

Freerunning

NOTE: FREERUNNING

Type: Active, Physical

Linked Aptitude: SOM

What it is: Freerunning is part running, part gymnas-

tics. It is about moving fast, maneuvering over/under/

around/through obstacles, and placing your body

where it needs to go. Freerunning/parkour is a popular

pastime in habitats where open space is limited.

When you use it: Use Freerunning whenever you

need to overcome an obstacle via movement, such

as hurdling a railing, rolling across the hood of a

car, jumping across a pit, or swinging around a pole.

Freerunning is also used for sprinting (p. 191) and full

defense against attacks (p. 198).

Specializations: Balance, Gymnastics, Jumping, Running

Gunnery

NOTE: GUNNERY

Type: Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: INT

What it is: Gunnery skill covers the use and main-

tenance of large, vehicular, or non-portable weapons

systems. Firing these weapons is more like playing a

video game than firing a gun.

When you use it: Use Gunnery when attacking with

a vehicle-mounted weapon or weapon emplacement

in ranged combat (p. 191).

Specializations: Artillery, Missiles

HARDWARE: [FIELD]

Type: Field, Active, Technical

Linked Aptitude: COG

What it is: This skill encompasses the ability to

build, repair, physically hack, and upgrade equipment

of a specific type.

When you use it: Hardware is primarily used to repair

devices, vehicles, habitat systems, or synthetic morphs.

See Building, Repairing, and Modifying below.

Sample Fields: Aerospace (all air and space vehicles),

Armorer (armor and weapons), Electronics (all

computerized devices), Groundcraft, Implants, In-

dustrial (habitat, factory, and life support systems),

Nautical (watercraft and submarines), Robotics

(synthetic morphs)

Specializations: As appropriate to the field

HARDWARE: [FIELD]Edit

NOTE: HARDWARE: [FIELD]

Type:Field, Active, Technical

Linked Aptitude:COG

  What it is:This skill encompasses the ability to build, repair, physically hack, and upgrade equipment of a specific type.

  When you use it: Hardware is primarily used to repair devices, vehicles, habitat systems, or synthetic morphs. SeeBuilding, Repairing, and Modifying below.

Sample Fields:Aerospace (all air and space vehicles),   Armorer (armor and weapons), Electronics (all   computerized devices), Groundcraft, Implants, Industrial (habitat, factory, and life support systems),   Nautical (watercraft and submarines), Robotics  (synthetic morphs)

Specializations:As appropriate to the field

BUILDING

NOTE: BUILDING

Creating an item from scratch is handled as a Task Action with a timeframe determined by the gamemaster. The timeframe should be set according to the  complexity of the object and could range from an hour (constructing a set of shelves) to days (assembling a robot from spare parts) to even months (building a house). Numerous factors may apply modifiers to the test, such as the use of entoptic blueprints/help manuals (+20) or poor working conditions (–10 to –30). Tools are also a factor, perhaps making the job easier (superior tools +10 to +30), more difficult (poor or inadequate tools, –10 to –30), or even  impossible (lack of required tools).

REPAIRING

NOTE: Damaged items may be repaired in a similar manner. See the rules forSynthmorph and Object Repair, p. 209.

MODIFYING

NOTE: Altering an object's design and function follows the same basic rules as build and repair, above. The time-frame is determined by the gamemaster as appropriate to the modification.

Impersonation

NOTE: IMPERSONATION

Type: Active, Social

Linked Aptitude: SAV

  What it is: Impersonation is the skill of trying to

pass yourself off as someone else in social situations,

including virtual ones. This includes copying manner-

isms and speech patterns and using accumulated in-

formation to convince others that you are that person.

In a universe where appearance is highly variable, the

question of identity is largely one of both trust and

picking up on behavioral quirks and verbal cues to

recognize a given individual.

  When you use it: Sometimes it's fun to pretend

you're someone else, and sometimes it's profitable

or lifesaving. Use this skill whenever you attempt

to convince someone that you are actually someone

else through some sort of social or online interaction.

Forks use this skill when passing themselves off as

their alpha ego. Impersonate is handled as an Op-

posed Test against the Kinesics skill.

Specializations: Avatar, Face-to-Face, Verbal

Infiltration

NOTE: INFILTRATION

Type: Active, Physical

Linked Aptitude: COO

   What it is: Infiltration is the art of escaping

detection.

   When you use it: Use Infiltration whenever you

need to physically hide or move with stealth to avoid

someone sensing you, whether you are hiding behind

a tree, sneaking past a guard, or blending into a

crowd. Infiltration can also be used to follow people

(shadowing) without them detecting you. Infiltration

is an Opposed Test against the Perception of whom-

ever you are hiding from. The gamemaster may wish

to roll such tests in secret so the player does not know

whether they have succeeded or failed.

Specializations: Blending In, Hiding, Shadowing,

   Sneaking

INFOSEC

NOTE: INFOSEC

Type:Active, Technical

Linked Aptitude:COG (no defaulting)

   What it is: Infosec is short for “information security.” It encompasses training in electronic intrusion and counterintrusion techniques, as well as encryption and decryption.

   When you use it:Infosec is used both for hacking into electronic devices and mesh networks and for protecting them. See theMesh chapter, p. 234, for more details.

Specializations:Brute-Force Hacking, Decryption, Probing, Security, Sniffing, Spoofing

INTEREST: [FIELD]

NOTE: INTEREST: [FIELD]

Type:Field, Knowledge

Linked Aptitude:COG

  What it is:Interest includes just about any topic that captures your attention that isn't covered by another skill. This includes hobbies, obsessions, causes, pastimes, and other recreational pursuits.

 

  When you use it:Use the Interest skill whenever you need to recall or use knowledge related to the particular interest in question.

  Field Examples:Ancient Sports, Celebrity Gossip, Conspiracies, Factor Trivia, Gambling, Hypercorp Politics, Lunar Habitats, Martian Beers, Old Earth

Nation-States, Reclaimer Blogs, Science Fiction, Scum Drug Dealers, Spaceship Models, Triad Economics, Underground XP

Specializations:As appropriate to the field

INTERFACING

NOTE: INTERFACING

Type:Active, Technical

Linked Aptitude:COG

  What it is: Interfacing is about using computerized electronic devices and software.

  When you use it:Use Interfacing to understand an electronic device you are not familiar with, use a program according to its normal operating parameters, manipulate electronic files of various types (including images, video, XP, and audio files), scan for wireless devices, and otherwise interact with and command your ecto, muse, and other computerized devices. Some Interfacing actions may be Task Actions, with a timeframe determined by the gamemaster. For more

detail, see theMesh chapter, p. 234.

Specializations: Forgery, Scanning, Stealthing, by program

Intimidation

NOTE: INTIMIDATION

Type: Active, Social

Linked Aptitude: SAV

  What it is: Intimidation is convincing someone to

do what you want based on direct threats (implied or

actual) or sheer force of personality.

  When you use it: Use Intimidation to scare someone

into submission, browbeat them into getting your way,

command them to follow your orders, or berate them

into giving up information. Influence is handled as an

Opposed Test, pitted against the target's WIL + WIL

+ SAV.

Specializations: Interrogation, Physical, Verbal

Investigation

NOTE: INVESTIGATION

Type: Active, Mental

Linked Aptitude: INT

  What it is: Investigation is the art of analyzing

evidence, piecing together clues, solving mysteries,

and making logical deductions from groups of facts.

Investigation differs from Perception in that it is the

conscious search for clues or pieces of a puzzle.

  When you use it: Use Investigation to draw conclu-

sions from assorted details. For example, Investiga-

tion could be used to determine the likely sequence

of events at a crime scene, determine a possible social

connection between two people, or deduce how an

enemy made their escape. Investigation is a great way

%%% txt/183.txt

to provide clues to players, especially when the subject

matter is something their character might know well

but the player does not.

Specializations: Evidence Analysis, Logical Deductions,

  Physical Investigation, Physical Tracking

KinesicsEdit

NOTE: KINESICS

Type: Active, Social

Linked Aptitude: SAV

   What it is: Kinesics is the art of empathy and non-

vocal communication.

   When you use it: Use Kinesics to read body language,

tells, social cues, and other subconscious indicators. It

can also be used to emote more effectively. Kinesics

is used defensively whenever someone is trying to de-

ceive you; make an Opposed Test against that person's

Deception or Impersonation skill.

   Though synthetic morphs are also designed to

emote, reading them is not as easy. Apply a –30 modi-

fier when judging a synthetic morph inhabited by a

character or AGI. Likewise, standard AIs are also dif-

ficult to read; apply a –60 modifier when judging a

synthetic morph or pod operated by an AI.

Specializations: Judge Intent, Nonvocal Communication

Judging Emotions and Intentions

NOTE: JUDGING EMOTIONS AND INTENTIONS

Transhumans are empathic beings, and so you can

attempt to gauge the demeanor and/or intent of

someone you are dealing with by rolling a Kinesics

Test. This attempt to read someone is far from exact,

however, and it is easy to misjudge. The gamemaster

should make this test in secret and only allow a hint

if successful—it is not possible to read someone with

absolute certainty. If the person being judged is inten-

tionally trying to deceive the character, this should be

an Opposed Test against their Deception skill.

Nonvocal Communication

NOTE: NONVOCAL COMMUNICATION

Experts in Kinesics can effectively communicate

with each other simply by posture, stances, gestures,

demeanors, and looks. Such communication is nec-

essarily limited in the amount of information it can

convey, but feelings, attitudes, affirmation/negation,

and simple concepts may be passed. To effectively

communicate complex concepts, the gamemaster may

require successful Kinesics Tests from both parties, ap-

plying modifiers as appropriate.

Kinetic Weapons

NOTE: KINETIC WEAPONS

Type: Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: COO

   What it is: Kinetic Weapons covers the use and

maintenance of standard kinetic projectile weapons

like firearms and railguns (p. 335).

   When you use it: Use this skill whenever attacking

with a kinetic weapon in ranged combat (p. 191).

Specializations: Assault Rifles, Machine Guns, Pistols,

   Sniper Rifles, Submachine Guns

Language: [Field]Edit

NOTE: LANGUAGE: [FIELD]

Type: Field, Knowledge

Linked Aptitude: INT

  What it is: Language covers the speaking and

reading of languages other than the player's native

tongue. A speaker is considered fluent at a skill level

of 50; anything above this indicates further refine-

ment in technical vocabulary, accents, and knowl-

edge of dialects.

  When you use it: Use the Language skill whenever

you want to speak, understand, or read something in

a language at which you are skilled. Most speaking

and reading comprehension tests can be considered

Simple Success Tests if your skill is over 50, unless the

gamemaster rules the subject is sufficiently complex

that a non-native speaker would have trouble under-

standing it.

Sample Fields: Arabic, Cantonese, English, French,

  Hindi, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian,

   Spanish

Specializations: As appropriate to the field, represent-

   ing dialects, technical jargon, and subcultural slang

Languages In Eclipse Phase

NOTE:   LANGUAGES IN

  ECLIPSE PHASE

  With the Fall of Earth, the languages that

  remain most prominent in the solar system are

  those that were extensively carried into space

  by countries and hypercorps with aggressive

  space programs or by the large populations

  of poor laborers and infomorph refugees that

  followed. No single language dominated the

  realm of space expansion, and multilingual-

  ism was common. Many habitats and (sub)

  cultural groupings cling to specific languages

  as a method of retaining cultural identity. De-

  spite the availability of instant translation via

  the mesh, many people remain versed in two or

  more languages.

    The ten most common languages in the solar

  system by speaking populations are: Arabic,

  Cantonese, English, French, Hindi, Japanese,

  Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

  Other languages that remain strong include

  Bengali, Dutch, Farsi, German, Italian, Javanese,

  Korean, Polish, Punjabi, Swedish, Tamil, Turkish,

  Urdu, Vietnamese, and Wu. Some languages

  were effectively lost during the Fall, especially

  those in some undeveloped regions, as their

  speaking populations did not migrate into space

  pre-Fall and were not privileged enough to sur-

  vive in large numbers as infomorph refugees.

Medicine: [Field]

NOTE: MEDICINE: [FIELD]

Type: Field, Active, Technical

Linked Aptitude: COG

  What it is: Medicine is the applied care and mainte-

nance of biological beings and life.

  When you use it: Use Medicine whenever you need

to apply medical care beyond the immediate help

provided by first responders. This includes conduct-

ing physical exams, diagnosing ailments, treating

problems and illnesses, surgery, using biotech and

nanotech medical tools, and long-term care. See Heal-

ing and Repair, p. 208.

Sample Fields: Biosculpting, Exotic Biomorphs,

  Gene Therapy, General Practice, Implant Surgery,

  Nanomedicine, Mercurials (by type), Paramedic,

  Pods, Psychiatry, Remote Surgery, Trauma Surgery,

  Veterinary

Specializations: As appropriate to the field

Navigation

NOTE: NAVIGATION

Type: Active, Mental

Linked Aptitude: INT

  What it is: Navigation is the art of finding your way,

whether using AR maps, a compass, the stars, or an

astrogation AI.

  When you use it: Use Navigation whenever you

need to plot out a course, determine a direction, or

otherwise keep from getting lost.

Specializations: Astrogation, Map Making, Map

  Reading

Networking: [Field]

NOTE: NETWORKING: [FIELD]

Type: Active, Social

Linked Aptitude: SAV

  What it is: Networking is your skill at working your

contacts, trading favors, and keeping your finger on

the pulse of a particular faction or cultural grouping.

  When you use it: Use Networking to gather infor-

mation or call on services using your Reputation (see

Reputation and Social Networks, p. 285).

Sample Fields: Autonomists (@-rep), Criminals (g-rep),

  Ecologists (e-rep), Firewall (i-rep), Hypercorps (c-

  rep), Media (f-rep), Scientists (r-rep). At the game-

  master's discretion, this list can be expanded to

  other (sub)cultural groupings.

Specializations: As appropriate to each field

Palming

NOTE: PALMING

Type: Active, Physical

Linked Aptitude: COO

  What it is: Palming is the skill of handling items quick-

ly and nimbly without others noticing. Palming is not

only about dexterous manipulation of objects but also

relies heavily on obfuscation, timing, and misdirection.

  When you use it: Use Palming any time you are

trying to conceal an item on your person, shoplift,

pick a pocket, surreptitiously discard something, or

perform a magic trick. Palming is an Opposed Test

against the Perception of any onlookers. The game-

master may wish to make this roll secretly.

Specializations: Pickpocketing, Shoplifting, Tricks

PERCEPTION

NOTE: PERCEPTION

Type:Active, Mental

Linked Aptitude:INT

  What it is:Perception is the use of your physical senses (including cybernetic) and awareness of the physical world around you. Perception differs from

Investigation in that it is noticing things by chance, rather than actively searching for something.

  When you use it:Use Perception whenever you wanted to take a detailed account of your surroundings (see Detailed Perception, p. 190). Perception

can also be considered an Automatic Action (see Basic Perception, p. 190) and so the gamemaster may call for a Perception Test to determine if you notice something; it is recommended that such tests be rolled secretly by the gamemaster. Perception is also used as an Opposed Test whenever someone around you is trying to be sneaky with Infiltration or Palming.

Specializations:Aural, Olfactory, Tactile, Taste, Visual

Persuasion

NOTE: PERSUASION

Type: Active, Social

Linked Aptitude: SAV

  What it is: Persuasion is the art of convincing

someone to do what you want through the use of

words and gestures. This does not include persuasion

through threats or force (that is covered by Intimida-

tion) or by lying (covered by Deception).

  When you use it: Use Persuasion any time you are

trying to bargain with, convince, or manipulate some-

one. This can include motivating your subordinates or

peers to take action, seducing a companion, winning

a political debate, or negotiating a contract, among

other things. Persuasion is handled as an Opposed

Test against the target's WIL + WIL + SAV when one

person is simply trying to win over another. If both

parties are trying to convince each other, make it an

Opposed Test between Persuasion skills.

Specializations: Diplomacy, Morale Boosting, Negoti-

   ating, Seduction

Pilot: [Field]

NOTE: PILOT: [FIELD]

Type: Field, Active, Vehicle

Linked Aptitude: REF

  What it is: Pilot is your skill at driving/flying a ve-

hicle of a particular type.

  When you use it: You use Pilot skill whenever you

need to maneuver, control, or avoid crashing a vehicle,

whether you are in the pilot's seat, remote controlling

a robot, or directly jamming a vehicle with VR. Each

vehicle has a Handling modifier that applies to this

test, along with other situational modifiers (see Bots,

Synthmorphs, and Vehicles, p. 195).

Sample Fields: Aircraft, Anthroform (walkers), Exotic

  Vehicle, Groundcraft (wheeled or tracked), Space-

   craft, Watercraft

Specializations: As appropriate to the field

PROFESSION: [FIELD]

NOTE: PROFESSION: [FIELD]

Type:Field, Knowledge

Linked Aptitude:COG

  What it is: Profession skills indicate training in a profession practiced inEclipse Phase. This can indicate either formal training or informal, on-the-job type training, and includes both legal and extralegal trades.

  When you use it: Use Profession to perform work- related tasks for a specific trade (i.e. mining, balancing accounts, designing a security system, etc.) or to reference specialized knowledge that someone trained in that profession might have.

Sample Fields: Accounting, Appraisal, Asteroid Prospecting, Banking, Cool Hunting, Con Schemes, Distribution, Forensics, Lab Technician, Mining, Police Procedures, Psychotherapy, Security Ops, Smuggling Tricks, Social Engineering, Squad Tactics, Viral Marketing, XP Production

Specializations:As appropriate to the field

Nanofabrication

NOTE: NANOFABRICATION

Nanofabrication is use of Programming skill to create

objects using a cornucopia machine, fabber, or maker

(p. 327). If you have appropriate blueprints and raw

materials, most uses of a nanofabricator can be treated

as a Simple Success Test (p. 118). If you wish to create

an item for which you do not have blueprints or the

proper raw materials, however, or you wish to alter an

item's design, then a Nanofabrication Test is called for.

See Nanofabrication, p. 284.

Specializations: Art, Clothing, Electronics, Food, Forg-

   ery, Weapons

PROGRAMMING

NOTE: PROGRAMMING

Type: Active, Technical

Linked Aptitude:COG (no defaulting)

  What it is:Programming is your talent at writing and modifying software code.

  When you use it:Use Programming to write new programs, modify or patch existing software, break copy protection, find or introduce exploitable flaws,

write virii or worms, design virtual settings, and so on. See the Mesh chapter, p. 234. Programming is also applied when using nanofabrication devices.

Specializations: AI Code, Malware, Nanofabrication, Piracy, Simulspace Code

ProtocolEdit

NOTE: PROTOCOL

Type: Active, Social

Linked Aptitude: SAV

  What it is: Protocol is the art of making a good

impression in social settings. This includes keeping

up with the latest memes, trends, gossip, interests and

habits of various (sub)cultural group.

  When you use it: Use Protocol whenever you need

to choose your words carefully, determine who is the

appropriate person to speak to, impress someone with

your grasp of customs, or otherwise fit into a specific

social/cultural grouping. Part etiquette, part streetwise,

Protocol allows you to navigate treacherous social

waters and put people at ease. If the character is deal-

ing with a suspicious or hostile audience, make this an

Opposed Test against the target's WIL + WIL + SAV.

Specializations: Anarchist, Brinker, Criminal, Factor,

  Hypercorp, Infomorph, Mercurial, Reclaimer, Pres-

  ervationist, Scum, Ultimate

Negating Social Gaffes

NOTE: NEGATING SOCIAL GAFFES

Sometimes a player will make a mistake that their

character never would, whether that's failing to stand

in the presence of hypercorp royalty, confusing a gang

leader for a peon, or accidentally insulting someone's

heritage. In cases like this, the player may make a Pro-

tocol Test for the appropriate field in order to negate

the gaffe. If successful, the character never actually

screwed up, or at least managed to cover their tracks

without ruffling any feathers.

Psi Assault

NOTE: PSI ASSAULT

Type: Active, Mental, Psi

Linked Aptitude: WIL

  What it is: Psi Assault is the skill of damaging an-

other ego's mind. It can only be purchased by charac-

ters with the Psi trait (p. 147).

  What it does: Use Psi Assault when attacking an-

other ego's mind in psi combat.

Specializations: By sleight

Psychosurgery

NOTE: PSYCHOSURGERY

Type: Active, Technical

Linked Aptitude: INT

   What it is: Psychosurgery is the use of machine-

aided psychological techniques to repair, damage, or

manipulate the psyche.

   When you use it: Use Psychosurgery to attempt the

tricky process of editing someone's mind (see Psycho-

surgery, p. 229). Psychosurgery can be used benefi-

cially to help patients who remember their deaths, feel

disconnected after remorphing, or have experienced

other sorts of mental traumas. This skill may also be

used to interrogate, torture, or otherwise mess with

captive minds in a VR environment.

Specializations: Memory Manipulation, Personality

   Editing, Psychotherapy

RESEARCH

NOTE: RESEARCH

Type:Active, Technical

Linked Aptitude:COG

  What it is:Research is the skill for looking up information on the Mesh: searching, sifting, mining, and interpreting data. This includes knowing where to look, what links to follow, and how to optimize your queries.

  When you use it:Use the Research skill whenever you need to look up the answer to a question, find databases, search archives, or track down anything

online. Research is typically a Task Action with the timeframe and difficulty modifier determined by the gamemaster. See the Online Research, p. 249.

Specializations:Tracking, by information type

Scrounging

NOTE: SCROUNGING

Type: Active, Mental

Linked Aptitude: INT

   What it is: Scrounging is your ability to find things,

particularly things of use or value that are concealed,

buried, or hard to find. This includes knowing where

to look and what to look for. Scrounging differs from

both Perception and Investigation in that it is about

finding items hidden among others, and in most cases

about finding something in particular (food, valu-

ables, etc.).

   When you use it: Use Scrounging to dumpster-dive a

meal, search ruins for relics, find bargains at a bazaar,

forage berries in the forest, locate a spacesuit in an

abandoned ship, etc. Scrounging is typically handled

as a Task Action with a timeframe and difficulty

modifier determined by the gamemaster.

Specializations: Bazaars, Forests, Habitats, Ruins

Seeker Weapons

NOTE: SEEKER WEAPONS

Type: Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: COO

  What it is: Seeker Weapons covers the use and

maintenance of seeker launchers (p. 339) and seeker

missiles (p. 340).

  When you use it: Use this skill when attacking with

a seeker in ranged combat (p. 191).

Specializations: Armband, Pistol, Rifle, Underbarrel

Sense

NOTE: SENSE

Type: Active, Mental, Psi

Linked Aptitude: INT

  What it is: Sense is the use of psi to scan egos. Only

characters with the Psi trait (p. 147) may purchase

this skill.

  What it does: See Psi, p. 220.

Specializations: By sleight

Spray Weapons

NOTE: SPRAY WEAPONS

Type: Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: COO

  What it is: The Spray Weapons skill covers the use

and maintenance of cone-effect ranged weapons (see

Spray Weapons, p. 340).

  When you use it: A player uses their Sonic Weapons

skill whenever they are attacking with a spray weapon

in ranged combat (p. 191).

Specializations: Buzzer, Freezer, Shard, Shredder, Torch

Swimming

NOTE: SWIMMING

Type: Active, Physical

Linked Aptitude: SOM

  What it is: Swimming is the art of moving and

not drowning within fl uids. It includes fl oating,

surface swimming, snorkeling, diving, and related

equipment use.

  When you use it: Use Swimming whenever you

need to move and survive in water or another liquid

environment. Swimming in a non-threatening en-

vironment can be handled as a Simple Success Test.

Swimming over a long distance could be handled as

a Task Action. Diving off a cliff into a lake, prevent-

ing yourself from being swept away in a raging river

current, or making sure you've set a proper gas mix

for a deep-sea dive, among other things, requires a

Success Test.

Specializations: Diving, Freestyle, Underwater Diving

Throwing Weapons

NOTE: THROWING WEAPONS

Type: Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: COO

  What it is: Throwing Weapons skill covers the use

and maintenance of standard throwing weapons, like

grenades (p. 340).

  When you use it: Use Throwing Weapons skill

whenever you are attacking with a throwing weapon

in ranged combat (p. 191).

Specializations: Grenades, Knives, Rocks

Unarmed Combat

NOTE: Type: Active, Combat

Linked Aptitude: SOM

What it is: Unarmed Combat is your ability to attack and

defend without using weapons.

When you use it: Use Unarmed Combat whenever you

want to attack someone with your fists, feet, elbows, knees,

or other body parts in melee combat (p. 191).

Specializations: Implant Weaponry, Kick, Punch, Subdual

NECESSARY SKILLS

NOTE: While characters will need a mix of skills to succeed in the varied tasks they encounter inEclipse Phase, some skills are crucial for any character. If a character lacks these, they will have a difficult time getting by, so it is important for players and gamemasters to know these particular skills.

Fray:Fray is the primary skill you use to avoid getting hit in combat. Even if you plan to avoid combat, being able to get out of the way when necessary is a handy survival skill to have.

Networking:Unless you live in total isolation, you need a Networking skill—preferably several. Networking is how you interact with people in a particular social circle to obtain information, spread rumors, call in favors, and so on.

Perception:Perception Tests get called for quite often, so if you want your character to know what’s going on around them, make sure to get this skill. Investigation and Scrounging are also good, but Perception is king.

SKILL LIST

NOTE: SKILL LIST

SKILL	LINKED APTITUDE	CATEGORY
Academics: [Field]	COG	Knowledge
Animal Handling	SAV	Active, Social

Art: [Field]

INT

Knowledge

Beam Weapons COO Active, Combat

Blades SOM Active, Combat

Climbing SOM Active, Physical

Clubs SOM Active, Combat

Control WIL (no defaulting) Active, Mental, Psi

Deception SAV Active, Social

Demolitions COG (no defaulting) Active, Technical

Disguise INT Active, Physical

Exotic Melee Weapon: [Field] SOM Active, Combat

Exotic Ranged Weapon: [Field] COO Active, Combat

Flight SOM Active, Physical

Fray REF Active, Combat

Free Fall REF Active, Physical

Freerunning SOM Active, Physical

Gunnery INT Active, Combat

Hardware: [Field] COG Active, Technical

Impersonation SAV Active, Social

Infiltration COO Active, Physical

Infosec COG (no defaulting) Active, Technical

Interest: [Field] COG Knowledge

Interfacing COG Active, Technical

Intimidation SAV Active, Social

Investigation INT Active, Mental

Kinesics SAV Active, Social

Kinetic Weapons COO Active, Combat

Language: [Field] INT Knowledge

Medicine: [Field] COG Active, Technical

Navigation INT Active, Mental

Networking: [Field] SAV Active, Social

Palming COO Active, Physical

Perception INT Active, Mental

Persuasion SAV Active, Social

Pilot: [Field] REF Active, Vehicle

Profession: [Field] COG Knowledge

Programming COG (no defaulting) Active, Technical

Protocol SAV Active, Social

Psi Assault WIL (no defaulting) Active, Mental, Psi

Psychosurgery INT Active, Technical

Research COG Active, Technical

Scrounging INT Active, Mental

Seeker Weapons COO Active, Combat

Sense INT (no defaulting) Active, Mental, Psi

Spray Weapons COO Active, Combat

Swimming SOM Active, Physical

Throwing Weapons COO Active, Combat

Unarmed Combat SOM Active, Combat

USING KNOWLEDGE SKILLS

NOTE: Using Knowledge Skills

At first glance, it may seem that Knowledge skills have

fewer in-game applications than Active skills. To some

degree this is the case. The importance of Knowledge

skills, however, should not be underestimated. While

they play a role in analyzing clues and solving mysteries,

the real value of Knowledge skills is in helping the

characters—and the players—understand the world of

Eclipse Phase. In particular these skills can be used to

make plans, assess a situation, identify strengths and

weaknesses, evaluate worth, make comparisons, forecast

probable outcomes, or understand the applicable science,

socio-economic factors, or cultural or historical context.

For example, a group of characters looking to break

into a facility could use Profession: Security Procedures

to evaluate the defenses, Academic: Architecture to

identify covert points of entry, Interests: Sports to plan

their infiltration at a time when the guards are likely to

be distracted, Interests: Triads to identify a local crime

group that can sell them breaking and entering gear,

and Art: Sculpture when picking a valuable art piece

with which to bribe an insider. When used appropriately,

these skills can be just as beneficial as the Active skills

used to break inside, if not more so because the plan

is more likely to succeed as a result of this preparation.

It is largely up to the gamemaster to enforce how

useful Knowledge skills are in their game. The easiest

way to reinforce their relevance is to penalize characters

who don’t take advantage of them. For example,

characters who didn’t use their Profession: Security

Procedures in the example above might end up being

surprised when they run across a security system they

are not prepared to deal with, forcing them to improvise

or even abandon their plans.

SPECIAL SKILLS

NOTE: While the preceding list represents the skills most commonly

used in Eclipse Phase, there may be certain skills called for in a

campaign that are not found in this book. In this case, the gamemaster

may work with the players to create a new skill to fill

this void. This option should be used sparingly to prevent skill

bloat, and all skills are subject to approval by the gamemaster

If you choose to create a new skill, keep in mind that it needs

to be linked to an existing aptitude and should be a skill that

is available to all characters, not just specific to one character

ACTION AND COMBATEdit

NOTE: Roleplaying games are about creating drama and adventure, and that usually means action and combat. Action and combat scenes are the moments when the adrenaline really gets pumping and the characters’ lives and missions are on the line.

Combat and action scenarios can be confusing to run, especially if the gamemaster also needs to keep track of the actions of numerous NPCs. For these reasons, it’s important for the gamemaster to detail the action in a way that everyone can visualize, whether that means using a map and miniatures, software, a dry-erase board, or quick sketches on a piece of paper. Though many of the rules for handling action and combat are abstract—allowing room for interpretation and fudging results to fit the story—many tactical factors are also incorporated, so even small details can make a large difference. It also helps to have the capabilities of NPCs predetermined and to run them as a group when possible, to reduce the gamemaster’s burden in the middle of a hectic situation.

ACTION TURNSEdit

NOTE: Action scenes inEclipse Phase are handled in bite-size chunks called Action Turns, each approximately 3 seconds in length. We say “approximately” because the methodical, step-by-step system used to resolve actions does not necessarily always translate realistically to real life, where people often pause, take breaks to assess the situation, take a breather, and so on. A combat that begins and ends within 5 Action Turns (15 seconds) inEclipse Phase could last half a minute to several minutes in real life. On the other hand, the characters may be in a situation where their breathing environment decompresses to vacuum in 15 seconds, so every second may in fact count. As a rule, gamemasters should stick with 3 seconds per turn, but they  shouldn’t be afraid to fudge the timing either when a situation calls for it.

Action Turns are meant to be utilized for combat and other situations where timing and the order in which people act is important. If it is not necessary to keep track of who’s doing what so minutely, you can drop out of Action Turns and return to “regular” free form game time.

Each Action Turn is in turn broken down into distinct stages, described below.

STEP 1: ROLL INITIATIVE

NOTE: At the beginning of every Action Turn, each PLAYER involved in the scene rolls Initiative to determine the order in which each character acts. For more details, seeInitiative.

STEP 2: BEGIN FIRST ACTION PHASE

NOTE: Once Initiative is rolled, the firstAction Phase begins. Everyone gets to act in the first Action Phase (since everyone has a minimum Speed of 1), unless they happen to be unconscious/dead/disabled, starting with the character with the highest successful Initiative roll.

STEP 3: DECLARE AND RESOLVE ACTIONS

NOTE: The character going first now declares and resolves the actions they will take during this first Action Phase. Since some actions the character makes may

depend on the outcome of others, there is no need to declare them all first—they may be announced and handled one at a time.

As described underActions (p. 189), each character may perform a varying number of Quick Actions and/or a single Complex Action during their turn. lternately, a character may begin or continue with a Task Action, or delay their action pending other developments (seeDelayed Actions, p. 189).

A character who has delayed their action may interrupt another character at any point during this stage. That interrupting character must complete this stage in full, then the action returns to the interrupted character to finish the rest of their stage.

STEP 4: ROTATE AND REPEAT

NOTE: Once the character has resolved their actions for that phase, the next character in the Initiative order gets to go, running through Step 3 for themselves.

If every character has completed their actions for that phase, return to Step 2 and go the second Action Phase. Every character with a Speed of 2 or more gets to go through Step 3 again, in the same Initiative order (modified by wound modifiers). Once the second Action Phase is completed, return to Step 2 for the 3rd Action Phase, where every character with a Speed of 3 or more gets to go for a third time. Finally, after everyone eligible to go in the 3rd Action Phase has gone, return to Step 2 for a fourth and last Action Phase, where every character with a Speed of 4 can act for one final time.

At the end of the fourth Action Phase, return to Step 1 and roll Initiative again for the next Action Turn.

INITIATIVEEdit

NOTE: Timing in an Action Turn can be critical—it may mean life or death for a character who needs to get behind cover before an opponent draws and fires their gun. The process of rolling Initiative determines if a character acts before or after another character.

INITIATIVE ORDEREdit

NOTE: A character’s Initiative stat is equal to their Intuition + Reflexes aptitudes multiplied by 2. This score may be further modified by morph type, implants,drugs, psi, or wounds.

In the first step of each Action Turn, every character makes an Initiative Test, rolling d100 and adding their Initiative stat. Whoever rolls highest goes first,

followed by the other characters in descending order, highest to lowest. In the event of a tie, characters go simultaneously.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Adam, Bob, and Cami are rolling Initiative. Adam’s Initiative stat is 80, Bob’s is 110, and Cami’s is 60. Adam rolls a 38, Bob rolls a 24, and Cami rolls a 76. Adam’s total Initiative score is 118 (80 + 38), Bob’s is 134 (110 + 24), and Cami’s is 136 (60 + 76). Cami rolled highest, so she goes first, followed by Bob and then Adam. If Cami & Bob had tied, they would both go at the same time.

INITIATIVE AND DAMAGEEdit

NOTE: Characters who are suffering from wounds have their Initiative score temporarily reduced (seeWounds, p. 207). This modifier is applied immediately when the wound is taken, which means that it may modify an Initiative score in the middle of an Action Turn. If a character is wounded before they go in that Action Phase, their Initiative is reduced accordingly, which may mean they now go after someone they were previously ahead of in the Initiative order.

EXAMPLE

NOTE: Before Bob’s Action Phase comes up, Bob takes two wounds, knocking his Initiative down from 134 to 114. This means that Adam, with an Initiative of 118, now goes before him.

INITIATIVE, MOXIE, AND CRITICALS

NOTE: A character may spend a point of Moxie to go first in an Action Phase, regardless of their Initiative roll (seeMoxie, p. 122). If more than one character chooses this option, then order is determined as normal first among those who spent Moxie, followed by those who didn’t.

Similarly, any character that rolls a critical on Initiative automatically goes first, even before someone who spent Moxie. If more that two characters rolled criticals, determine order between them as normal.

SPEED

NOTE: Speed determines how many times a character can act during an Action turn. Every character starts with a default Speed stat of 1, meaning they can act in the first Action Phase of the turn only. Certain morphs, implants, drugs, psi, and other factors may cumulatively increase their Speed to 2, 3, or even 4 (the maximum), allowing them to act in further Action Phases as well. For example, a character with Speed 2 can act in the first and second Action Phases, and a character with Speed 3 can act in the first through third Action Phases. A character with Speed 4 is able to act in every Action Phase. This represents

the character’s enhanced reflexes and neurology, allowing them to think and act much faster than non-enhanced characters.

If a character’s Speed does not allow them to act during an Action Phase, they can initiate no actions during the pass—they must simply bide their time.

The character may still defend themself, however, and any automatic actions remain “on.” Note that any movement the character initiated is considered to still be underway even during the Action Phases they do not participate in (seeMovement, p. 190).

DELAYED ACTIONS

NOTE: When it’s your turn to go during an Action Phase, you may decide that you’re not ready to act yet. You may be awaiting the outcome of another character’s

actions, hoping to interrupt someone else’s action, or may simply be undecided about what to do yet. In this case, you may opt todelay your action.

When you delay your action, you’re putting yourself on standby. At some later point in that Action Phase, you can announce that you are now taking your action—even if you interrupt another character’s action. In this case, all other activity is put on hold until your action is resolved. Once your action has taken place, the Initiative order continues on where you interrupted.

You may delay your action into the next Action Phase, or even the next Action Turn, but if you do not take it by the time your next action comes around in

the Initiative order, then you lose it. Additionally, if you do delay your action into another phase or turn, then once you take it you lose any action you might have in that Action Phase.

SIMPLIFYING INITIATIVE

NOTE: For speedier resolution, simply have characters roll Initiative once for an entire scene. That Initiative result stays with them on each Action Turn until the combat or scenario is over. Likewise, ignore Initiative modifiers from wounds.

ACTIONSEdit

NOTE: When it’s your turn to act during an Action Phase, you have many options for what you can do—far too many to list here. There is a limit to what you can

accomplish in 3 seconds, however, so some limitations must be adhered to. The first step is to figure out what type of action you want to take. InEclipse

Phase, actions are categorized as Automatic, Quick, Complex, or Task, based on how much time and effort they entail.

AUTOMATIC ACTIONSEdit

NOTE: Automatic Actions require no effort. These are abilities or activities that are “always on” (assuming you are conscious) or are otherwise reflexive (they happen automatically in response to certain conditions, with no effort from you). Breathing, for example, is an automatic action—your body does it without conscious effort or thinking on your part.

In most cases, Automatic Actions are not something that you initiate—they are always active, or at least on standby. Certain circumstances, however, will bring an Automatic Action to bear. Such Automatic Actions are invoked and handled immediately whenever they  apply, without requiring effort from your character.

RESISTANCE

NOTE: Resisting damage—whether from combat, a poison, or a psi attack—is one example of an Automatic Action that occurs in response to something else.

BASIC PERCEPTION

NOTE: Your senses are continuously active, accumulating data on the world around you. Basic perception is considered an Automatic Action, and so the gamemaster can call on you to make a Perception Test whenever you receive sensory input that your brain might want to take notice of (seePerception, p. 182). Likewise, you may ask the gamemaster at any time—even during other character’s actions—to make a basic Perception Test, just to find out what your character is noticing around them.

Because basic perception is an automatic, subconscious activity, however, you will suffer a –20 modifier for distraction—your attention is focused elsewhere. In order to avoid the distraction modifier, you must actively engage in detailed perception or use an oracle implant (p. 308).

QUICK ACTIONSEdit

NOTE: Quick Actions are fast and simple, and they may often be multi-tasked. They require minimal thought and effort. You may undertake multiple Quick Actions on your turn during each Action Phase, limited only by the gamemaster’s judgment. If you are taking nothing but Quick Actions during an Action Phase, you

should be allowed a minimum of 3 separate Quick Actions. If you are also engaging in a Complex or Task Action during that same Action Phase, you should be allowed a minimum of 1 Quick Action. Ultimately, the gamemaster decides what activity you can or can’t fit into a single Action Phase.

Some examples of Quick Actions include: talking, switching a safety, activating an implant, standing up, dropping prone, gesturing, drawing/readying a weapon, handling an object, or using a simple object.

AIMING

NOTE: Aiming is a special case in that it is a Quick Action but requires a degree of concentration that rules out other minor actions. If you wish to aim before making an attack in the same Action Phase, aiming is the only Quick Action you may make during that Action Phase (seeAimed Shots, p. 193).

DETAILED PERCEPTION

NOTE: Detailed perception involves taking a moment to actively use your senses in search of information and ssess what you are perceiving (seePerception, p.

182). It requires slightly more effort and brainpower (or computer power) than basic perception, which is automatic. As a Quick Action, you may only engage in detailed perception on your turn during an Action Phase, but you do not suffer a modifier for distraction (unless you happen to be in a heavily distracting environment, such as a gunfight or agitated crowd).

COMPLEX ACTIONS

NOTE: Complex Actions require more concentration and effort than Quick Actions—they effectively monopolize your attention. You may only take one Complex Action on each your Action Phase turns. Additionally, you may not engage in a Complex Action and a Task Action during the same Action Phase. Examples of Complex Actions include: attacking, shooting, acrobatics, full defense, disarming a bomb, using a complex device, or reloading a weapon.

TASK ACTIONS

NOTE: A Task Action is any activity that requires longer than one Action Turn to complete. Each Task Action lists a timeframe for how long the task takes to accomplish. This timeframe may range anywhere from 2 Action Turns to 2 years. While engaged in a Task Action, you may not also undertake a Complex Action, though in some cases you may take a break from the task and return to it later. For more information, seeTask Actions, p. 120.

Examples of Task Actions include: repairing a device, programming, conducting a scientific analysis, searching a room, climbing a wall, or cooking a meal.

MOVEMENTEdit

NOTE: Movement in Eclipse Phase is handled just like any

other action, and may change from Action Phase to

Action Phase. Walking and running both count as Quick

Actions, as they do not require your full concentration.

The same also applies to slithering, crawling, floating,

hovering, or gliding. Running, however, may inflict a

–10 modifier on other actions that are affected by your

jostling movement. Even more, sprinting is an all-out run,

and so requires a Complex Action (see Sprinting, p. 191).

At the gamemasters discretion, other movement

may also call for a Complex Action. Hurdling a fence,

pole vaulting, jumping from a height, swimming, or

freerunning through a habitat in zero-gravity all require

a bit of finesse and attention to detail, so would count as a Complex Action, and would apply the

same modifier as running. Flying generally counts as a

Quick Action, though intricate maneuvers would call

for a Complex Action.

Movement RatesEdit

NOTE: Sometimes it’s important to know not just how you’re

moving, but how far. For most of transhumanity, this

movement rate is the same: 4 meters per Action Turn

walking, 20 meters per turn running. To determine

how far a character can move in a particular Action

Phase, divide this movement rate by the total number

of Action Phases in that turn. In a turn with 4 Action

Phases, that breaks down to 1 meter walking per

Action Phase, 5 meters running.

Movement such as swimming or crawling benchmarks

at about 1 meter per Action Turn, or 0.25

meters per Action Phase. You can also sprint to increase

your movement rate (see Sprinting). Vehicles,

robots, creatures, and unusual morphs will have individual

movement rates listed in the format of walking

rate/running rate in meters per turn.

These movement rates assume standard Earth

gravity of course. If you’re moving in a low-gravity,

microgravity, or high-gravity environment, things

change. See Gravity, p. 198.

Jumping

NOTE: Characters making a running jump can cross SOM ÷

5 (round up) meters; use SOM ÷ 20 (round up) meters

for standing jumps. Vertical jumping height is 1 meter.

Characters making a Freerunning Test can increase

jumping distance by 1 meter (running jump) or 0.25

meters (standing/vertical jumps) per 10 points of MoS.

Sprinting

NOTE: You may use Freerunning to increase the distance

you move during an Action Phase. You must spend

a Complex Action to sprint and make a Freerunning

Test. Every 10 points of MoS increases your running

distance in that Action Phase by 1 meter, to a maximum

bonus of +5 meters.

COMBATEdit

NOTE: Sometimes words fail, and that’s when the knives and

shredders come out. All combat in Eclipse Phase is

conducted using the same basic mechanics, whether it’s

conducted with claws, fists, weapons, guns, or psi: an

Opposed Test between the attacker and defender(s).

Resolving CombatEdit

NOTE: Use the following sequence of steps to determine the

outcome of an attack.

Step 1: Declare Attack

NOTE: The attacker initiates by taking a Complex Action to

attack on their turn during an Action Phase. The skill

employed depends on the method used to attack. If

the character lacks the appropriate Combat skill, they

must default to the appropriate linked aptitude.

Step 2: Declare Defense

NOTE: Once the attack is declared, the defender chooses how

to respond. Defense is always considered an Automatic

Action unless the defender is surprised (see Surprise,

p. 204) or somehow incapacitated and incapable of

defending themself.

Melee: A character defending against melee attacks

uses Fray skill, representing dodging (if the

character lacks this skill, they may default to Reflexes).

Alternately, the character may use a melee

combat skill to defend, representing blocks and parries

rather than dodging.

Ranged: Against ranged attacks, a defending character

may only use half their Fray skill (round down).

Full Defense: Characters who have taken a Complex

Action to go on full defense (p. 198) receive a

+30 modifier to their defensive roll.

Psi: A character defending against a psi attack rolls

WIL x 2 (p. 222). A mental sort of full defense may

also be rallied against psi attacks.

Step 3: Apply Modifiers

NOTE: Any appropriate modifiers are now applied to the

attacker and defender’s skills. See the Combat Modifiers

table (p. 193) for common situational modifiers.

Step 4: Make the Opposed Test

NOTE: The attacker and defender both roll d100 and compare

the results to their modified skill target numbers.

Step 5: Determine Outcome

NOTE: If the attacker succeeds and the defender fails,

the attack hits. If the attacker fails, the attack

misses completely.

If both attacker and defender succeed in their

tests, compare their dice rolls. If the attacker’s

dice roll is higher, the attack hits despite a spirited

defense; otherwise, the attack fails to connect.

Excellent Success: If the attacker rolled an Excellent

Success (MoS of 30+), a solid hit is struck.

Increase the Damage Value (DV) inflicted by +5. If

the MoS is 60+, increase the DV by +10.

Criticals: If the attacker rolls a critical success,

the attack is armor-defeating, meaning that the

defender’s armor is bypassed completely—some

kink or flaw was exploited, allowing the attack to

get through completely.

If the defender rolls a critical success, they

dodge with flair, reach cover that protects from

follow-up attacks, maneuver to a superior position,

or otherwise benefit.

Step 6: Modify Armor

NOTE: If the target is hit, their armor will help to protect

them against the attack (unless the attacker

rolled a critical, see above). Determine which type

of armor is appropriate to defending against that

particular attack (see Armor, p. 194). The attack’s

Armor Penetration (AP) value reduces the armor’s

rating, however, representing the weapon’s ability

to pierce through protective measures.

Step 7: Determine Damage

NOTE: Every weapon and type of attack has a Damage

Value (DV, see p. 207). This amount is reduced

by the target’s AP-modified armor rating. If the

damage is reduced to 0 or less, the armor is effective

and the attack fails to injure the target.

Otherwise, any remaining damage is applied to the

defender. If the accumulated damage exceeds the

defender’s Durability, they are incapacitated and

may die (see Durability and Health, p. 207).

Note that some psi attacks inflict mental stress

rather than physical damage (see Mental Health, p.

209). In this case, the Stress Value (SV) is handled

the same as DV.

Step 8: Determine Wounds

NOTE: The damage inflicted from a single attack is then compared

to the victim’s Wound Threshold. If the armormodified

DV equals or exceeds the Wound Threshold, the character suffers a wound. Multiple wounds may be

applied with a single attack if the modified DV is two

or more factors beyond the Wound Threshold. Wounds

represent more serious injuries and apply modifiers and

other effects to the character (see Wounds, p. 207).

Example

NOTE: Stoya tried to get off the station quickly, but the Night

Cartel’s assassin caught up, surprising her in a microgravity

part of the habitat. The assassin’s INIT is 63,

plus a dice roll of 23, for an Initiative of 86. Stoya’s

INIT is 55, plus a roll of 27, for an Initiative of 82.

The assassin goes first, spending a Quick Action

to draw a shredder. This flechette weapon is in

burst-fire mode, so with a Complex Action the assassin

can take two shots. His Spray Weapons skill

is 65, he’s smartlinked (+10), and they’re at short

range (+0), so he needs a 75 or less. Stoya is defending

with her Fray skill (60) divided by 2, or 30.

The assassin rolls an 08 with the first shot. Amazingly,

Stoya rolls a 28. They both succeeded, but

Stoya rolled higher, so she dodges the first shot.

The assassin rolls a 20 for his second shot, another

hit, and this time Stoya rolls an 83, a failure.

The assassin also scored an Excellent Success with

a MoS of 55, increasing the DV by +5.

The assassin’s base damage is 2d10 + 5, but he’s

using burst fire against a single target for +1d10,

and it’s also a cone effect weapon at short range,

for an additional +1d10, for a total DV of 4d10 +

5. The assassin rolls 4d10 and gets 16, then adds

the +5 for a total DV of 21.

Stoya’s wearing light body armor (AV 10/10),

but the shredder’s Armor penetration is –10, so her

armor is entirely negated. She takes a devastating 21

DV, exceeding her Wound Threshold of 10, not just

once, but twice. This means Stoya suffers 2 wounds

from the shot, suffering –20 to all actions. In addition,

she must make two SOM x 3 Tests, one to avoid

knockdown and the other to avoid unconsciousness.

Her SOM is 30, meaning she needs a 70 (30 x 3 =

90, 90 – 20 wound modifiers = 70) on both rolls.

She rolls a 40 and a 27, succeeding both.

Now it’s Stoya’s action. She takes a Quick Action

to pull her own weapon: a stunner. Her Beam

Weapons skill is 47, modified by wounds (–20) and

a smartlink (+10), for 37. The assassin’s Fray is 48,

divided by 2 for 24 against a ranged attack. Stoya

rolls a 22—a critical hit—and the assassin rolls a

68. The stunner only inflicts 1d10 ÷ 2 DV, but since

the attack is a critical hit, this is armor defeating.

Stoya rolls an 8, for 4 points of DV, below the assassin’s

Wound Threshold of 7.

Stunners, however, are shock weapons, so the

assassin must make a DUR + Energy Armor Test.

His DUR is 35 and he’s wearing an armor vest (AV

6/6), so his target number is 41. He rolls a 71—a

Margin of Failure of 30, meaning he is immediately

incapacitated for 3 Action Turns.

Having disabled her opponent, Stoya takes the

time to make a hasty getaway.

Combat Summary

NOTE: • C ombat is handled as an Opposed Test.

• A ttacker rolls attack skill +/– modifiers.

• M elee: Defender rolls Fray or melee skill

+/– modifiers.

• R anged: Defender rolls (Fray skill ÷ 2, round

down) +/– modifiers.

• I f attacker succeeds and rolls higher than the

defender, the attack hits.

• C ritical hits are armor-defeating (armor does

not apply).

• A rmor is reduced by the attack’s Armor

Penetration value (AP).

• T he weapon’s damage is reduced by the

target’s modified Armor rating (unless the

attack is armor-defeating).

• I f the damage exceeds the target’s Wound

Threshold, a wound is also scored. (If the

damage exceeds the Wound Threshold

by multiple factors, multiple wounds are

inflicted.)

Combat ModifiersEdit

General

NOTE: general modifier

Character using off-hand –20

Character wounded/traumatized –10 per wound/trauma

Character has superior position +20

Touch-only attack +20

Called shot –10

Character wielding two-handed weapon with one hand –20

Small target (child-sized) –10

Very small target (mouse or insect) –30

Large target (car sized) +10

Very large target (side of a barn) +30

Visibility impaired (minor: glare, light smoke, dim light) –10

Visibility impaired (major: heavy smoke, dark) –20

Blind attack –30

Melee Combat

NOTE: Mele Combat Modifier

Character has reach advantage +10

Character charging –10

Character receiving a charge +20

Ranged Combat (Attacker)

NOTE: Ranged Combat (Att acker) Modifier

Attacker using smartlink or laser sight +10

Attacker behind cover –10

Attacker running –20

Attacker in melee combat –30

Defender has minor cover –10

Defender has moderate cover –20

Defender has major cover –30

Defender prone and far (10+ meters) –10

Defender hidden –60

Aimed shot (quick) +10

Aimed shot (complex) +30

Sweeping fire with beam weapon +10 on second shot

Multiple targets in same Action Phase –20 per additional target

Indirect fire –30

Point-blank range (2 meters or less) +10

Short range —

Medium range –10

Long range –20

Extreme range –30

ACTION AND COMBAT COMPLICATIONSEdit

NOTE: Combat isn’t quite as simple as deciding if you hit or

miss. Weapons, armor, ammunition, and numerous

other factors may impact an attack’s outcome. Likewise,

various factors can impact an action scene, such

as fire or microgravity effects.

Aimed Shots

NOTE: As noted under Aiming, p. 190, a character can sacrifice

their other Quick Actions to concentrate on targeting

a ranged attack and receive a +10 modifier on

the attack. You can also sacrifice an entire Complex

Action to fix your aim on a target. In this case, as long

as the target remains in your sights until your next

Action Phase, you receive a +30 modifier to hit.

Ammunition and Reloading

NOTE: Every weapon has a listed ammunition capacity that

indicates how many shots the weapon can carry or

holds. When this ammo runs out, a new supply must

be loaded in. Players should keep track of the shots

they fire.

Reloading almost always requires a Complex

Action, whether you are slapping in a new clip of bullets

or a fresh battery for a laser. At the gamemaster’s

discretion, a reload that is immediately accessible

(such as a new clip reverse-taped to the loaded clip, so

that reloading just requires that you reverse the taped

clips and slot the new one in) will only take a Quick

Action. Archaic weapons such as magazine-fed rifles

may require longer to fully load.

Area Effect WeaponsEdit

NOTE: Some ranged attack weapons are designed to affect

more than one target at a time. These weapons fall

into three categories: blast, uniform blast, and cone.

Blast Effect

NOTE: Blast weapons include items like grenades, mines, and

other explosives that expand outward from a central

detonation point. Most blast attacks expand outward

in a sphere, though certain shaped charges may direct

an explosion in one direction only. The explosive force

is stronger near the epicenter and weaker near the

outer edges of the sphere. For every meter a target is

from the center, reduce the damage of a blast weapon

by –2.

Uniform Blast

NOTE: Uniform blast attacks distribute their power evenly

throughout the area of effect. Examples include fuelair

explosives and thermobaric weapons that disperse

an explosive mixture in a vapor cloud and ignite it all

at once. All targets within the noted blast radius suffer

the same damage. Damage against targets outside of

the main blast sphere is reduced by –2 per meter.

Cone

NOTE: Weapons with a cone effect have an area effect that

begins with the tip of the weapon and expands outward

in a cone. At short range, this attack effects 1

target; at medium range it affects 2 targets within a

meter of each other; and at long or extreme range

it affects 3 targets within a meter of the next. Cone

effect attacks do +1d10 damage at short range and

–1d10 damage at long and extreme range.

ArmorEdit

NOTE: Just as weapons technologies have advanced, so too

has armor quality, allowing unprecedented levels of

protection. As noted in Step 7: Determine Damage

(see p. 192), the armor rating reduces the damage

points of the attack.

For a full listing of armor types and values, see p. 311.

Energy Vs. Kinetic

NOTE: Each type of armor has an Armor value (AV) with

two ratings—Energy and Kinetic—representing

the protection it applies against the respective type

of attack. These are listed in the format of “Energy

armor/Kinetic armor.” For example, an item with

listed armor “5/10” provides 5 points of armor against

energy-based attacks and 10 points of armor against

kinetic attacks.

Energy damage includes that caused by beam weapons

(laser, microwave, particle beam, plasma, etc.) as

well as fire and high-energy explosives. Armor that

protects against this damage is made of material that

reflects or diffuses such energy, dissipates and transfers

heat, or ablates.

Kinetic damage is the transfer of damaging energy

when an object in motion (a fist, knife, club, or bullet,

for example) impacts with another object (the target).

Most melee and firearms attacks inflict kinetic damage,

as would a rolling boulder, swinging pendulum, or

explosion-driven fragments. Kinetic armors include

impact-resistant plates, shear-thickening liquid and

gels that harden upon impact, and ballistic and cutproof

fiber weaves.

Armor Penetration

NOTE: Some weapons have an Armor Penetration (AP) rating.

This represents the attack’s ability to pierce through

protective layers. The AP rating reduces the value of

armor used to defend against the attack (see Step 6:

Modify Armor, p. 192).

Layered Armor

NOTE: If two or more types of armor are worn, the armor

ratings are added together. However, wearing multiple

armor units is cumbersome and annoying. Apply a –20

modifier to a character’s actions for each additional

armor layer worn

Note that items specifically noted as armor accessories—

helmets, shields, etc.—do not inflict the layered

armor penalty, they simply add their armor bonus.

Note also that the armor inherent to a synthetic

morph or bot’s frame does not constitute a layer of

armor (i.e., you may wear armor over the synthetic

shell without penalty).

Asphyxiation

NOTE: The average transhuman can hold their breath for

two minutes before blacking out. Strenuous activity

reduces the amount of time. For every 30 seconds

after the first minute a biomorph is prevented from

breathing, they must make a DUR Test. Apply a cumulative

–10 modifier each time this test is rolled. If

the character fails the test, they immediately fall unconscious

and begin to suffer damage from asphyxiation,

at the rate of 10 points per minute, until they

die or are allowed to breathe again. This damage does

not cause wounds.

Asphyxiating is a terrible process, often leading to

panic. Characters who are being asphyxiated must

make a WIL x 3 Test. If they fail, they suffer 1d10

÷ 2 (round up) mental stress and cannot perform

any effective action to rescue themselves that Action

turn. A character who succeeds may attempt to rescue

themselves, and in fact they must make a WIL x 3

Test to perform any other action not directly related

to rescuing themselves (attacks against another character,

a creature, or an object holding the character

underwater are exempt from this rule).

Beam WeaponsEdit

NOTE: Due to emitting a continuous beam of energy rather

than single projectiles, beam weapons are easier to

“home in” on a target. This means one of the following

two rules may be used when making beam

weapon attacks. These options are not available for

“pulse” beam weapons (like the laser pulser), as such

weapons emit energy in pulses rather than a continuous

beam.

Sweeping Fire

NOTE: An attacker who is making two semi-auto (p. 198)

attacks with a beam weapon with the same Complex

Action and who misses with the first attack may treat

that attack as a free Aim action (p. 190), receiving a

+10 modifier for the second attack. In other words,

though the first attack misses, the character takes the

opportunity to sweep the beam closer to the target

for the second attack. This only applies when both

attacks are made against the same target.

Concentrated Fire

NOTE: A character firing a semi-auto beam

weapon who hits with the first attack may

choose to keep the beam on and concentrate

their fire, cooking the target. In this

case, the character foregos their second

semi-auto attack with that Complex

Action, but automatically bolsters the

DV of the first attack by x 1.5 (round up).

This decision must be made before the

damage dice are rolled.

Blind AttacksEdit

NOTE: Attacking a target that you cannot see is

difficult at best and a matter of luck at

worst. If you cannot see, you may make a

Perception Test using some other available

sense to detect your target. If this succeeds,

you attack with a –30 modifier. If your Perception

Test fails, your attack is primarily

based on chance—your target number for

the attack test is equal to your Moxie stat

(no other modifiers apply).

Indirect Fire

NOTE: With the help of a spotter, you may target

an enemy that you can’t see using indirect

fire. In this case you must be meshed with

a character, bot, or sensor system that has

the target in its sights and which feeds

you targeting data (the gamemaster may

require a Perception Test from the spotter).

Indirect attacks suffer a –30 modifier.

Seeker missiles (p. 340) can home in on

a target that is “painted” with reflected

energy from a laser sight (p. 342) or similar

target designator system. An “attack”

must first be made to paint the target

with the laser sight using an appropriate

skill. If this succeeds, it negates the

–30 indirect fire modifier for the seeker

launcher’s attack test. the target must be

held in the spotter’s sights (requiring a

Complex Action each Action Phase) until

the seeker strikes.

Bots, Synthmorphs, and VehiclesEdit

NOTE: AI-operated robots and synthetic morphs

are a common sight in Eclipse Phase.

Robots are used for a wide range of purposes,

from surveillance, maintenance,

and service jobs to security and policing—

and so may often play a role in action and

combat scenes. Though less common (at

least in habitats), AI-piloted vehicles are

also frequently used and encountered.

Note that the difference between a

robot, vehicle, and synthetic morph is in

many ways semantic. Robots are simply synthetic bodies controlled by an AI.

Vehicles are also robotic—AI controlled—

but the term “vehicle” is used to denote

that they carry passengers. Both bots and

vehicles can be used as synthetic morphs—

that is, inhabited by a transhuman ego—

assuming they are equipped with a cyberbrain

(p. 300). For the purpose of these

rules, the term “shell” is used to refer to

bots, vehicles, and synthetic morphs alike.

Like synthmorphs, bots and vehicles

are treated just like any other character:

they roll Initiative, take actions, and use

skills. A few specific aspects of these

shells needs special consideration, however,

covered below.

Shell Stats

NOTE: Just like synthmorph characters, certain

bot and vehicle stats (Durability, Wound

Threshold, etc.) and stat modifiers (Initiative,

Speed, etc.) are determined by

the actual physical shell. Other stats are

determined by the bot/vehicle’s operating

AI (in place of an ego). Bots and vehicles

may also have traits that apply to their

AI or physical shell. For sample bots and

vehicles, see p. 342 of the Gear chapter.

Handling: Bots and vehicles have a

special stat called Handling, which is a

modifier applied to all tests made to pilot

the bot/vehicle. This represents the bot/

vehicle’s maneuverability.

Shell Skills

NOTE: The skills and aptitudes used by a bot or

vehicle are those possessed by its AI. See

AIs and Muses, p. 264.

Shell Movement

NOTE: Like characters, bots and vehicles have

a walking and running Movement rate.

This is used whenever the bot/vehicle is

engaged in action or combat scenes with

other characters.

Shells that are capable of greater speeds

will also have a Maximum Velocity

listed—this is the highest rate at which the

shell may safely move, listed in kilometers

per hour. At the gamemaster’s discretion,

some shells may push their limits and

accelerate further, but at significant risk—

the gamemaster should apply appropriate

penalties to Pilot Tests and other tests.

Chases

NOTE: Shells that are moving faster than their

running Movement rate (up to their Max.

Velocity) are generally considered to be moving too fast for standard action and combat interaction

with other characters. This is when the action

enters “chase scene” mode—a traveling narrative of

maneuvering choices and tests with various outcomes.

Whether or not a chase is actually occurring, the

gamemaster should remember that Max Velocity is

not the only factor in high-speed situations. Environmental

factors like terrain, weather conditions, navigation,

pedestrians, and traffic can provide obstacles

for shells to overcome. A shell tearing across a habitat

in order to reach a bomb before it detonates should

have to make several decisions and tests that may

affect whether it gets there in time or not. Likewise, a

shell seeking to shake off some hot pursuit will have

to pull off some fancy maneuvering and hopefully find

a shortcut or two in order to outrace their opponents.

Crashing

NOTE: Shells that suffer wounds during combat or chases

may be force to make a Pilot Test to avoid crashing

or may crash automatically. The exact circumstances

of a crash are left up to the gamemaster, as best fits

the story—the shell may simply skid to a stop, plow

into a tree, fall from the sky, or flip over and land on

a group of bystanders. Shells that strike other objects

when they crash typically take further damage from

the collision (see Collisions).

CollisionsEdit

NOTE: If a shell crashes into or intentionally rams a person or

object, someone is likely to get hurt. To determine how

much DV is inflicted, roll 1d10 and add the shell’s DUR

divided by 10 (round up). This is the damage applied

at walking speeds. If the shell was moving at running

speeds, multiply the DV by 2. If the shell was moving

at chase speeds, multiply the DV by the shell’s velocity

÷ 10 in meters per turn. Both the shell and whatever

it strikes suffer this damage, assuming the collision is

with something equal dense and hard. Soft and squishy

objects like biomorphs will be less damaging to a shell

(unless they happen to be in a hardsuit or battlesuit), in

which case the shell will only suffer half damage from

the collision. Kinetic armor defends against crash DV.

If two moving shells collide head-on, calculate the

damage from both and inflict to both. If two shells

moving in the same direction collide, only count the

difference in velocity.

Passengers in a vehicle may also be damaged by collisions

if they are not wearing proper safety restraints.

They suffer one half the DV applied to their vehicle

(less their own Kinetic armor).

Collision Damage

NOTE: colision damage

Base Collision DV : 1d10 + (DUR ÷ 10)

Running: DV x 2

Chase Speeds: DV x (velocity ÷ 10)

Attacking Vehicle Passengers

NOTE: During combat, passengers within a vehicle may be

targeted separately from the vehicle itself. Attacks

made against passengers this way do not harm the

vehicle itself (unless an area effect weapon is used).

Targeted passengers benefit both from cover (usually

Major, –30) and from the vehicle’s structure, adding

the vehicle’s Armor Value to their own.

Passengers within a vehicle are generally not harmed

by attacks made against the vehicle itself. Area effect

weapons are an exception to this rule, but in this case

the passengers also benefit from the vehicle Armor Value

Shell Remote Control

NOTE: Any shell (or biomorph) with a puppet sock (also included

with all cyberbrains) may be remote controlled,

either by a character or a remote AI. This requires a

communications link between the teleoperator and

the shell (the “drone”). The teleoperator controls the

drone via an entoptic interface, and receives sensory

input and other data via the drone’s mesh inserts.

When under direct control, the shell’s AI (or resident

ego) is subsumed and put on standby. The drone only

acts as instructed. Each instruction counts as a Quick

Action. In this situation, the drone acts with the same

Initiative as the teleoperator. The teleoperator’s skills and

stats are used in place of the shell AI’s. Due to the nature

of remote operation, however, all tests are made with a

–10 modifier. Multiple drones may be controlled at once,

but commanding them requires separate Quick Actions

unless they are receiving the same command. Direct

control teleoperation is not very feasible at extreme distances,

due to the light-speed lag with communications.

Alternately, the teleoperator can put the drone in

autonomous mode, allowing the shell’s AI to resume

normal operations. The drone still follows the teleoperator’s

commands to the best of its abilities. In this

mode, the drone functions normally, using its own

Initiative and AI skills and stats

Shell Jamming

NOTE: “Jamming” is the colloquial term for a more direct

form of remote-control, using VR and XP technology.

When jamming, the drone’s puppet sock feeds

the drone’s sensory data directly to the teleoperator’s

mesh inserts. The teleoperator subsumes themself in

the drone’s sensorium, essentially “becoming” the

drone. In this case, the teleoperator surrenders control

of their own morph, which slumps inertly. While

jamming, they suffer –60 on all Perception Tests or

attempts to take action with their morph.

Jamming takes a Complex Action to engage and

disengage. A jamming teleoperator controls a drone

as if it were their own morph. Like direct control teleoperation,

the jammer’s own skills and Initiative are

used in place of the drone’s AI. Jammers do not suffer

any teleoperation modifiers, but only one drone may

be jammed at a time. If the drone is killed or destroyed, the jammer is

immediately dumped from their connection, resuming

control of their own morph as normal. Getting dumped

in this manner is extremely jarring, not the least because

the jammer experienced being killed/destroyed.

As a result, the jammer suffers 1d10 mental stress.

Called ShotsEdit

NOTE: Call ed Sho ts

Sometimes it’s not enough to just hit your target—

you need to shoot out a window, knock the knife out

of their hand, or hit that hole in their armor. You may

declare that you are making a called shot before you

initiate an attack, choosing one of the outcomes noted

below. Called shots suffer a –10 modifier and require

an Excellent Success (MoS 30+). If you beat that

margin, you succeed with the called shot, and the results

noted below apply. If you don’t beat the margin

but still succeed in the attack, you simply strike your

target as normal.

Bypassing Armor

NOTE: Called shots may be used to target a hole or weak

point in your opponent’s armor. If you beat the MoS,

you strike an armor-defeating hit, and their armor

does not apply. Note that in certain circumstances, a

gamemaster may rule that an opponent’s armor simply

doesn’t have a weak spot or unprotected area, and so

disallow such called shots.

Disarming

NOTE: You may take a called shot to attempt to knock a

weapon out of an opponent’s hand(s). If you beat the

MoS, the victim suffers half damage from the attack (reduced

by armor as normal) and must make a SOM x 3

Test with a –30 modifier to retain hold of the weapon.

Specific Targeting

NOTE: You may make a called shot with the intention of hitting

a specific location or component on your target—for

example: disabling the sensor unit on a bot, sweeping

someone’s leg, or poking someone in the eye. If you beat

the MoS, you hit the specific targeted spot. The gamemaster

determines the result as appropriate to the attack

and target—the component may be destroyed, the opponent

may fall or be temporarily blinded, and so on.

ChargingEdit

NOTE: An opponent who runs and attacks an opponent in

melee combat in the same Action Phase is considered

to be charging. A charging attacker still suffers the

–10 modifier for running, but they receive a damage

bonus on account of their momentum: increase the

damage they inflict by +1d10.

Receiving a Charge

NOTE: You may delay your action (see p. 189) in order to

receive a charge, bracing yourself for impact, interrupting

their action, and striking right before your

charging does. In this situation, you receive a +20

modifier for striking the charging opponent

DemolitionsEdit

NOTE: The most common use of the Demolitions skill is the

placement, disarming, or manufacture of explosive

devices, such as superthermite charges (p. 330) or

grenades (p. 340).

Placing Explosives

NOTE: A skilled demolitionist can place charges in a manner

that will boost their effect. They can identify structural

vulnerabilities and weak points and focus a

blast in these areas. They can determine how to blast

open a safe without destroying the contents. They can

focus the force of an explosion in a particular direction,

increasing the directed force while minimizing

splash effects.

Each of these scenarios calls for a successful Demolitions

Test. The exact result is determined by

the gamemaster according to the specific scenario.

For example, using the examples above, targeting

a weak point could double the damage inflicted on

that structure. Shaping the charge to direct the force

can triple the damage in that direction, as noted in

the superthermite description (p. 330). An Excellent

Success is likely to increase an explosive’s damage by

+5, whereas a critical success would allow the blast to

ignore armor.

Disarming

NOTE: Disarming an explosive device is handled as an Opposed

Test between the Demolitions skills of the disarmer

and the character who set the bomb.

Making Explosives

NOTE: A character trained in Demolitions can make explosives

from raw materials. These materials can be

gathered the traditional way or they can be manufactured

using a nanofabricator. Even nanofabbers with

restricted settings to prevent explosives creation can

be used, as explosives can be constructed from all

manner of mundane chemicals and materials.

The timeframe for making explosives is 1 hour per

1d10 points of damage the explosive will inflict. If a

critical failure is rolled, the demolitionist may accidentally

blow himself up, or the charge may be extremely

weaker or more potent than expected (whichever is

more likely to be disastrous).

FallingEdit

NOTE: If a character falls, use the Falling Damage table to

determine what injuries they suffer. Kinetic armor

will mitigate this damage at

half its value (round down).

Gamemasters may also reduce

this damage if anything helped

to break the fall (branches, soft

surface) at their discretion.

Falling Damage

NOTE: falling damage

Distance Fallen Damage

1–2 meters 1d10

3–5 meters 2d10

6–8 meters 3d10

Over 8 meters +1 per meter

Fire

NOTE: Objects that come into contact with extreme heat or

flames may catch fire at the gamemaster’s discretion,

keeping in mind both the flammability of the material

and the strength of the heat/flames. Burning items (or

characters) will suffer 1d10 ÷ 2 (round up) damage

each Action Turn unless otherwise noted. Energy

armor will protect against this damage, though it

too may catch fire, reducing its value by the damage

inflicted. Depending on the environmental conditions,

fires are likely to grow larger unless somehow abated.

Every 5 Action Turns, increase the DV inflicted (first

to 1d10, then 2d10, then 3d10, then by increments

of +5). Adverse conditions (such as rain) or efforts to

extinguish the blaze will reduce the DV accordingly.

Note that fire does not burn in vacuum. In microgravity,

fire burns in a sphere and grows more

slowly, as expanding gases push away the oxygen

(increase the DV every 10 Action Turns). If there is a

lack of air circulation, some microgravity fires may

extinguish themselves.

Firing Modes and Rate of FireEdit

NOTE: Every ranged weapon in Eclipse Phase comes with one

or more firing modes that determines their rate of fire.

These firing modes are detailed below.

Single Shot (SS)

NOTE: Single shot weapons may only be fired once per

Complex Action. These are typically larger or more

archaic devices.

Semi-automatic (SA)

NOTE: Semi-automatic weapons are capable of quick, repeated

fire. They may be fired twice with the same

Complex Action. Each shot is handled as a separate

attack.

Burst Fire (BF)

NOTE: Burst fire weapons release a number of quick shots

(a “burst”) with a single trigger pull. Two bursts may be fired with the same Complex Action. Each burst

is handled as a separate attack. Bursts use up 3 shots

worth of ammunition.

A burst may be shot against a single target (concentrated

fire), or against two targets who are standing

within one meter of each other. In the case of concentrated

fire against a single target, increase the DV by

+1d10.

Full Automatic (FA)

NOTE: Full-auto weapons release a hail of shots with a single

trigger pull. Only one full-auto attack may be made

with each Complex Action. This attack may be made a

single target or against up to three separate targets, as

long as each is within one meter of another. In the case

of a concentrated fire on a single individual, increase

the DV by +1d10 + 10. Firing in full automatic mode

uses up 10 shots.

Full Defense

NOTE: If you’re expecting to come under fire, you can

expend a Complex Action to go on full defense. This

represents that you are expending all of your energy

to dodge, duck, ward off attacks, and otherwise get

the hell out of the way until your next Action Phase.

During this time, you receive a +30 modifier to defend

against all incoming attacks.

Characters who are on full defense may use Freerunning

rather than Fray skill to dodge attacks, representing

the gymnastic movements they are making to

avoid being hit.

GravityEdit

NOTE: Most characters in Eclipse Phase have considerable

experience maneuvering in low gravity or microgravity

and can perform normal actions without

penalties. Even characters who grew up on planetary

bodies or in rotating habitats have some familiarity

with alternate gravities thanks to childhood training

in simulspace educational scenarios. The same is

also true in reverse; characters who grew up in free fall have likely experienced simulations of life in a

gravity well.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, characters who

have spent long periods acclimating to one range of

gravity may find a shift in conditions a bit challenging

to cope with, at least until they grow accustomed

to the new gravity. In this case, the gamemaster can

apply a –10 modifier to both physical and social skills.

The physical penalty results from simple difficulties

in maneuvering. The social penalty applies because

it’s hard to look impressive, intimidating, or seductive

when you haven’t figured out how to arrange your

clothes so that they don’t float up into your face. The

physical penalty can be increased to –20 for situations

involving combat skills and skills requiring fine

manipulation, building, or repairing of items. These

penalties will apply until the character adjusts, which

typically takes about 3 days.

Any biomorph with basic biomods (p. 300) is

immune to ill health from the effects of long-term

exposure to microgravity.

Microgravity

NOTE: Microgravity includes both zero-G and gravities that

are slightly higher but negligible. These conditions are

found in space, on asteroids and some small moons,

and on (parts of) spaceships and habitats that are not

rotated for gravity. Objects in microgravity are effectively

weightless, but size and mass are still factors.

Things behave differently in microgravity. For

example:

• Objects not anchored down will tend to drift

off in whatever direction they were last moving.

Floating objects will eventually settle in the direction

of the densest part of the habitat or spacecraft.

• Thrown or pushed items will travel in a straight

line until they hit something.

• Smoke does not rise in streams. Instead, it forms

a roughly spherical halo around its source.

• Liquids have little cohesion, scattering into clouds

of tiny droplets if released into the air. Drinks

come in sealed bulbs or bottles. Food is eaten so

that sauces and bits of liquid don’t escape. Blood

goes everywhere.

Movement and maneuvering in microgravity is

handled using Free Fall skill (p. 179). Most everyday

activity in free fall does not require a test. The gamemaster

can, however, call for a Free Fall Test for any

complicated maneuvers, flying across major distances,

sudden changes in direction or velocity, or when engaged

in melee combat. A failed roll means the character

has miscalculated and ends up in a position other

than intended. A Severe Failure means the character has

screwed up badly, such as slamming themselves into a

wall or sending themselves spinning off into space.

For convenience, most microgravity habitats

feature furniture covered with elastic loops, mesh

pockets to keep individual objects from floating all over the place, and moving beltways with hand loops

for major thoroughfares. Magnetic or velcro shoes

are also used to walk around, rather than climbing

or flying. Zero-g environments are often designed to

make maximum use of space, however, taking advantage

of the lack of ceilings and floors. Because object

are weightless, characters can move even massive

objects around easily.

Movement Rate: Characters who are climbing, pulling,

or pushing themselves along move at half their

movement rate (p. 191) in microgravity.

Terminal Velocity: It is not difficult to reach escape

velocity on small asteroids and similar bodies—

something to keep in mind with thrown objects and

projectile weapons. In some cases, characters who

move fast enough and jump can reach escape velocity

themselves, though these situations are left up to

the gamemaster.

Low Gravity

NOTE: Low gravity includes anything from 0.5 g to microgravity.

These conditions are found on Luna, Mars,

Titan, and the rotating parts of most spun spacecraft

and habitats. Low gravity is not that different from

standard gravity, though characters may jump twice as

far and thrown/projectile objects have a longer range

(p. 203). Increase the running rate for characters in

low gravity by x1.5.

High Gravity

Grenades and SeekersEdit

NOTE: Modern grenades, seekers, and similar explosives do

not necessarily detonate the instant they are thrown

or strike the target. In fact, several trigger options

are available, each set by the user when deploying

the weapon. Missed attacks, or attacks that do not

explode in transit or when they strike, are subject to

scatter (p. 204).

Airburst: Airburst means that the device explodes in

mid-air as soon as it travels a distance programmed at

launch. In this case, the explosive’s effects are resolved

immediately, in that user’s Action Phase. Note that

airburst munitions are programmed with a safety feature

that will prevent detonation if they fail to travel

a minimum precautionary distance from the launcher,

though this can be overridden.

Impact: The grenade or missile goes off as soon as it

hits something, whether that be the target, ground, or an intervening object. Resolve the effects immediately,

in the user’s Action Phase.

Signal: The munition is primed for detonation upon

receiving a command signal via wireless link. The

device simply lays in wait until it receives the proper

signal (which must include the cryptographic key

assigned when the grenade was primed), detonating

immediately when it does.

Timer: The device has a built-in timer allowing

the user to adjust exactly when it detonates. This

can be anywhere from 1 second to days, months, or

even years later, effectively using the device like a

bomb, but also increasing the likelihood it will be

discovered and neutralized. The minimum detonation

period—1 second—means that the munition will

detonate on the user’s (current) Initiative Score in the

next Action Phase. A 2-second delay would last two

Action Phases, a 3-second delay three Action phases,

and so on.

Throwing Back Grenades

NOTE: It is possible that a character may be able to reach

a grenade before it detonates and throw it back (or

away in a safe direction). The character must be

within movement range of the grenade’s location, and

must take a Complex Action to make a REF + COO +

COO Test to catch the rolling, sliding grenade. If they

succeed, they may throw the grenade off in a direction

of their choice with the same action (treat as a

standard throwing attack).

If the character fails the test, however, they may find

themselves at ground zero when it detonates.

Jumping On

NOTE: Given the possibility of resleeving, a character may

decide to take one for the team and throw themselves

on a grenade, sacrificing themselves in order to protect

others. The character must be within movement range

of the grenade’s location, and must take a Complex

Action to make a REF + COO + WIL Test to fall on

the grenade and cover it with their morph. This means

the character suffers an extra 1d10 damage when the

grenade detonates. On the positive side, the grenade’s

damage is reduced by the sacrificing character’s armor

+ 10 when its damage effects are applied to others

within the blast radius.

If the gamemaster feels it appropriate, a WIL x 3

Test might be called for in order for a character to

sacrifice themselves in this manner.

Hostile EnvironmentsEdit

NOTE: The solar system might be friendly to life on a grand

scale, but if you’re stranded in the gravity well of Jupiter

during a magnetic storm, trying to breathe without

a respirator on Mars, or swimming in hard vacuum

without a space suit, it doesn’t seem so friendly. This

section describes a few of the hostile environments

that characters in Eclipse Phase might face.

Atmospheric Contamination

NOTE: Habitats sometimes fall ill. The effects of a habitat

suffering from ecological imbalance or out-of-control

pathogens can range from mildly allergenic habitat

atmospheres to rampaging environmental sepsis.

Characters without breathing or filtration gear in a

contaminated environment should suffer penalties

to physical and possibly social skills, ranging from

–10 (mild contamination) to –30 (severely septic atmosphere).

Depending on the contamination, other

effects may apply, as the gamemaster sees fit.

Extreme Heat and Cold

NOTE: Planetary environments can range from the extremely

hot (Venus, Mercury’s day side) to the extremely frigid

(Neptune, Titan, Uranus). Both are likely to kill an unprotected

and unmodified biomorph within minutes, if

not seconds. Synthmorphs and vehicles fare better, especially

in the cold, but even they are likely to quickly

succumb to the blazing furnaces of the inner planets

without strong heat shields and cooling systems.

Extreme Pressure

NOTE: Similarly, the atmospheric pressures of Jupiter,

Saturn, and Venus quickly become crushingly deadly

anywhere beyond the upper levels. Only synthmorphs

and vehicles with special pressure adaptations can

hope to survive such depths.

Gravity Transition Zones

NOTE: The widespread use of artificial gravity in space

habitats means that characters will often encounter

places where the direction of down suddenly changes.

In most rotating habitats, the standard design includes

an axial zone where spacecraft can dock in

microgravity and a carefully designed and marked

transition zone (usually an elevator) where people and

cargo coming and going from the axial spaceport can

orient to local “down” and be standing in the right

place when gravity takes effect. Gravity transitions in

rotating habitats are almost always gradual but can

be very dangerous if a character encounters them in

the wrong place or time.

A character cast adrift in the microgravity zone at

the axis of a rotating space habitat will slowly drift

outward until they begin to encounter gravity, at

which point they will fall. How long this takes varies

on the size of the habitat. A good rule of thumb is that

for each kilometer of diameter possessed by the habitat,

the character has 30 seconds before they begin to

fall. If the character was given a good push out from

the axis when set adrift, this time should be halved,

quartered, or more at the gamemaster’s discretion.

Magnetic Fields

NOTE: Magnetism isn’t a direct problem for most characters;

transhumans need to worry more about the radiation

generated by a powerful magnetosphere. For unshielded

electronic devices and similarly unshielded

transhumans sporting titanium, however, the effects of strong magnetic fields can be devastating. Note that

many of the conditions that result in vehicles, bots,

and gear being exposed to strong magnetic field activity

coincide with strong radioactivity.

Magnetic fields affect synthmorphs, robots, vehicles,

cybernetic implants, and electronics after 1 minute of

exposure. Like radiation exposure, these effects can

vary drastically. At the low end, communication and

sensors will suffer interference and shortened ranges;

at high ends, electronic systems will simply suffer

damage and fail.

Radiation

NOTE: Ionizing radiation is one of the more prevalent hazards

in the solar system and one of the most difficult

problems for transhumanity to defeat. Radiation

damages genetic material, sickens, and kills by ionizing

the chemicals involved in cell division within the

human body. Effects range from nausea and fatigue to

massive organ failure and death. However, radiation

sickness is not solely a somatic phenomenon. The real

terror of radiation for transhumans, especially at high

dose levels such as those experienced on the surface of

Ganymede and other Jovian moons, is damage to the

neural network. This can lead to flawed uploads and

backups. Nanomedicine that can rapidly reverse the

ionization of cellular chemicals and new materials that

offer thinner and better shielding help, but the sheer

magnitude of the radiation put out by some bodies in

the solar system defeats even these.

Radiation poisoning is a complicated affair, and detailed

rules are beyond the scope of this book. Sources

of radiation include the Earth’s Van Allen belt, Jupiter’s

radiation belt, Saturn’s magnetosphere, cosmic

rays, solar flares, fission materials, unshielded fusion

or antimatter explosions, and nuclear blasts, among

others. Effects can vary drastically depending on the

strength of the source, the amount of time exposed,

and the level of shielding available. The immediate

effects on biomorphs (manifesting anywhere from

within minutes to 6 hours) can include nausea, vomiting,

fatigue (reduced SOM), as well as both physical

damage and minor amounts of mental stress. This

is followed by a latency period where the biomorph

seems to get better, lasting anywhere from 6 hours

to 2 weeks. After this point, the final effects kick in,

which can include hair loss, sterility, reduced SOM

and DUR, severe damage to gastric and intestinal

tissue, infections, uncontrolled bleeding, and death.

Synthmorphs are not quite as vulnerable as

biomorphs, but even they can be damaged and disabled

by severe radiation dosages.

Toxic Atmosphere

NOTE: Neptune, Titan, Uranus, and Venus all have toxic

atmospheres. Similar atmospheres may be found on

some exoplanets, or might be intentionally created as

a security measure within a habitat or structure.A character who is unaware of atmospheric toxicity

and does not immediately hold their breath (requiring

a REF x 3 Test) suffers 10 points of damage per

Action Turn. A character who manages to hold their

breath can last a bit longer; apply the rules for asphyxiation

(p. 194).

Corrosive Atmospheres: In addition to being toxic,

Venus has the only naturally occurring corrosive atmosphere

in the system. Corrosive atmospheres are

immediately dangerous: characters take 10 points of

damage per Action Turn, regardless of whether they

hold their breath or not. Corrosive atmospheres also

damage vehicles and gear not equipped with anticorrosive

shielding. Such items take 1 point of damage

per minute. At greater concentrations, such as in the

dense sulfuric acid clouds in the upper atmosphere of

Venus, items takes 5 points of damage per minute.

Unbreathable Atmosphere

NOTE: Very few of the planetary bodies in the solar system

actually have toxic atmospheres. In most unbreathable

atmospheres, the primary hazard for transhumans

without breathing apparatus or modifications to their

morph is lack of oxygen. Treat exposure to unbreathable

atmospheres the same as asphyxiation.

Underwater

NOTE: In general, any physical skill performed underwater suffers

a –20 penalty due to the resistance of the medium.

Skills relying on equipment not adapted for underwater

use may be more difficult or impossible to use. A

character’s movement rate while swimming or walking

underwater is one quarter their normal rate on land.

If a character begins to drown underwater, follow the

rules for asphyxiation (p. 194). Note that drowning

characters do not immediately recover if rescued from

the water; they will continue to asphyxiate until medical

treatment is applied to clear the water from their lungs.

Vacuum

NOTE: Biomorphs without vacuum sealing (p. 305) can spend

one minute in the vacuum of space with no ill effects,

provided they curl up into a ball, empty their lungs of

air, and keep their eyes closed (something kids in space

habitats learn at a very young age). Contrary to popular

depictions in pre-Fall media, a character exposed

to hard vacuum does not explosively decompress,

nor do their internal fluids boil (other than relatively

exposed liquids such as saliva on the tongue). Rather,

the primary danger for characters on EVA sans vacsuit

is asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen and associated

complications such as edema in the lungs.

After one minute in space, the character begins to

suffer from asphyxiation (p. 194). Damage is doubled

if the character tries to hold air in their lungs or is not

curled up in a vacuum survival position as described

above. Additionally, characters trapped in space without

adequate thermal protection suffer 10 points of

damage per minute from the extreme cold.

Improvised WeaponsEdit

NOTE: Sometimes characters are caught off-guard and they

must use whatever they happen to have at hand as

a weapon—or they think they look cool wailing on

someone with a meter of chain. The Improvised Weapons

table offers statistics for a few likely ad-hoc items.

Gamemasters can use these as guidelines for handling

items that aren’t listed.

Improvised Weapons

NOTE: Weapons

Armor Penetration (AP) Damage V alue (DV ) Average DV Skil

Baseball — (1d10 ÷ 2) + (SOM ÷ 10) 2 + (SOM ÷ 10) Throwing Weapons

Bottle — 1 + (SOM ÷ 10), breaks after 1 use 1 + (SOM ÷ 10) Clubs or Throwing Weapons

Bottle (Broken) — 1d10 – 1 (min. 1) 4 Blades

Chain — 1d10 + (SOM ÷ 10) 5 + (SOM ÷ 10) Exotic Melee

Helmet — 1d10 + (SOM ÷ 10) 5 + (SOM ÷ 10) Clubs or Throwing Weapons

Plasma Torch –6 2d10 11 Exotic Ranged

Wrench — 1d10 + (SOM ÷ 10) 5 + (SOM ÷ 10) Clubs

Knockdown/Knockback

NOTE: If an attacker’s intent is to simply knock an opponent

down or back in melee, rather than injure them, roll

the attack and defense as normal. If the attacker succeeds,

the defender is knocked backward by 1 meter

per 10 full points of MoS. To knock an opponent

down, the attacker must score an Excellent Success

(MoS 30+). A knockback/knockdown attack must be

declared before dice are rolled.

Unless the attacker rolls a critical success, no

damage is inflicted with this attack, the defender is

simply knocked down. If the attacker rolls a critical

hit, however, apply damage as normal in addition to

the knockback/knockdown.

Note that characters wounded by an attack may

also be knocked down (see Wound Effects, p. 207).

Melee and Thrown Damage Bonus

NOTE: Every successful melee and thrown weapon attack,

whether unarmed or with a weapon, receives a damage

bonus equal to the attacker’s SOM ÷ 10, round down.

See Damage Bonus, p. 123.

Multiple TargetsEdit

NOTE: When doling out the damage, there’s no reason not to

share the love.

Melee Combat

NOTE: A character taking a Complex Action to engage in a

melee attack may choose to attack two or more opponents

with the same action. Each opponent must be

within one meter of another attacked opponent. These

attacks must be declared before the dice are rolled for

the first attack. Each attack suffers a cumulative –20

modifier for each extra target. So if a character declares

they are going to attack three characters with the same

action, they suffer a cumulative –60 on each attack.

Ranged Combat

NOTE: A character firing two semi-auto shots with a Complex

Action may target a different opponent with each shot.

In this case, the attacker suffers a –20 modifier against

the second target.

A character firing a burst-fire weapon may target up

to two targets with each burst, as long as those targets

are within one meter of one another. This is handled

as a single attack; see Burst Fire, p. 198.

A character firing a burst-fire weapon twice with

one Complex Action may target a different person or

pair with each burst. In this case, the second burst

suffers a –20 modifier. This modifier does not apply

if the same person/pair targeted with the first burst is

targeted again.

Full-auto attacks may also be directed at more than

one target, as long as each target is within one meter

of the previous target. This is handled as a single

attack; see Full Auto, p. 198.

Objects and StructuresEdit

NOTE: As any poor wall in the vicinity of an enraged drunk

can tell you, objects and structures are not immune

to violence and attrition. To reflect this, inanimate

objects and structures are given Durability, Wound

Threshold, and Armor scores, just like characters. Durability

measures how much damage the structure can

take before it is destroyed. Armor reduces the damage

inflicted by attacks, as normal. For simplicity, a single

Armor rating is given that counts as both Energy and

Kinetic armor; at the gamemaster’s discretion, these

may be modified as appropriate.

Wounds suffered by objects and structures do not have

the same effect as wounds inflicted on characters. Each

wound is simply treated as a hole, partial demolition, or

impaired function, as the gamemaster sees fit. Alternately,

a wounded device may function less effectively, and so

may inflict a negative modifier on skill tests made while

using that object (a cumulative –10 per wound).

In the case of large structures, it is recommended

that individual parts of the structure be treated as

separate entities for the purpose of inflicting damage.

Ranged Attacks

NOTE: Ranged combat attacks inflict only one-third their

damage (round down) on large structures such as doors, walls, etc. This reflects the fact that most

ranged attacks simply penetrate the structure, leaving

minor damage.

Agonizers and stunners have no effect on objects

and structures.

Shooting Through

NOTE: If a character attempts to shoot through an object or

structure at a target on the other side, the attack is

likely to suffer a blind fire modifier of at least –30

unless the attack has some way of viewing the target.

On top of this, the target receives an armor bonus

equal to the object/structure’s Armor rating x 2.

Sample Objects and Structures

NOTE: Object/Stru cture Armor Durability

Woun d

Threshold

Advanced Composites

(ship/habitat hull) 50 1,000 200

Aerogel (walls, windows, etc.) — 50 10

Airlock Door 15 100 25

Alloys, Concrete, Hardened Polymers

(reinforced doors/walls)

30 100 20

Armored Glass 10 50 20

Counter 7 60 12

Desk 5 50 10

Object/Stru cture Armor Durability

Woun d

Threshold

Ecto link — 6 1

Metallic Foam (walls, doors, etc.) 20 70 15

Metallic Glass 30 150 30

Polymer or Wood

(walls, doors, furniture, etc.)

10 40 8

Quantum Farcaster Link 3 20 4

Transparent Alumina (walls, furniture) 5 60 12

Tree 2 40 10

Window — 5 1

RANGEEdit

NOTE: Every type of ranged weapon has a limited range, beyond which it is ineffective. The effective range of the weapon is further broken down into four categories: Short, Medium, Long, and Extreme. A modifier is applied for each category, as noted on the Combat Modifiers table, p. 193.

For examples of specific weapon ranges, see the Weapon Ranges table.

Range, Gravity, and Vacuum

NOTE: The ranges listed on the Weapon Ranges table are for

Earth-like gravity conditions (1 g). While the effective

ranges of kinetic, seeker, spray, and thrown weapons

can potentially increase in lower gravity environments

due to lack of gravitational forces or aerodynamic

drag, accuracy is still the defining factor for determining

whether you hit or miss a target. In lower gravities,

use the same effective ranges listed, but extend

the maximum range by dividing it by the gravity (for

example, a max range of 100 meters would be 200

meters in 0.5 g). In microgravity and zero g, the maximum

range is effectively line of sight. Likewise, under

high-gravity conditions (over 1 g), divide each range

category maximum by the gravity (e.g., a short range

of 10 meters would be 5 meters in 2 g).

Beam weapons are not affected by gravity, but they

do fare much better in non-atmospheric conditions.

Maximum beam weapon range in vacuum is effectively

line of sight.

WEAPON RANGES

NOTE: WEAPON RANGES

WEAPON (TYPE)	SHORT RANGE	MEDIUM RANGE (-10)	LONG RANGE (-20)	EXTREME RANGE (-30)
Firearms
Light Pistol	0-10	11-25	26-40	41-60

Firearms

Medium Pistol 0–10 11–30 31–50 51–70

Heavy Pistol 0–10 11–35 36–60 61–80

SMG 0–30 31–80 81–125 126–230

Assault Rifle 0–150 151–250 251–500 501–900

Sniper Rifle 0–180 181–400 401–1,100 1,100–2,300

Machine Gun 0–100 101–400 401–1,000 1,001–2,000

Railguns

as Firearms but increase the effective range in each category by +50%

Beam Weapons

Cybernetic Hand Laser 0–30 31–80 81–125 126–230

Laser Pulser 0–30 31–100 101–150 151–250

Microwave Agonizer 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Particle Beam Bolter 0–30 31–100 101–150 151–300

Plasma Rifle 0–20 21–50 51–100 101–300

Stunner 0–10 11–25 26–40 41–60

Seekers

Seeker Micromissile 5–70 71–180 181–600 601–2,000

Seeker Minimissile 5–150 151–300 301–1,000 1,001–3,000

Seeker Standard Missile 5–300 301–1,000 1001–3,000 3001–10,000

Spray Weapons

Buzzer 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Freezer 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Shard Pistol 0–10 11–30 31–50 51–70

Shredder 0–10 11–40 41–70 71–100

Sprayer 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Torch 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Vortex Ring Gun 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Thrown Weapons

Blades To SOM ÷ 5 To SOM ÷ 2 To SOM To SOM x 2

Minigrenades To SOM ÷ 2 To SOM To SOM x 2 To SOM x 3

Standard Grenades To SOM ÷ 5 To SOM ÷ 2 To SOM To SOM x 3

Reach

NOTE: Reach

Some weapons extend a character’s reach, giving

them a significant advantage over an opponent in

melee combat. This applies to any weapon over half

a meter long: axes, clubs, swords, shock batons, etc.

Whenever one character has a reach advantage over

another, they receive a +10 modifier for both attacking

and defending.

Scatter

NOTE: When you are using a blast weapon, you may still

catch your target in the blast radius even if you fail to

hit them directly. Weapons such as grenades must go

somewhere when they miss, and exactly where they

land may be important to the outcome of a battle. To

determine where a missed blast attack falls, the scatter

rules are called into play.

To determine scatter, roll a d10 and note where the

die “points” (using yourself as the reference point).

This is the direction from the target that the missed

blast lands. The die roll also determines how far away

the blast lands, in meters. If the MoF on the attack is

over 30, this distance is doubled. If the MoF exceeds

60, the distance is tripled. This point determines the

epicenter of the blast; resolve the effects of damage

against anyone caught within its sphere of effect as

normal (see Blast Effect, p. 193).

Shock Attacks

NOTE: Shock weapons use high-voltage electrical jolts to

physically stun and incapacitate targets. Shock weapons

are particularly effective against biomorphs and

pods, even when heavily armored. Synthmorphs, bots,

and vehicles are immune to shock weapon effects.

A biomorph struck with a shock weapon must

make a DUR + Energy Armor Test (using their current

DUR score, reduced by damage they have taken).

If they fail, they immediately lose neuromuscular

control, fall down, and are incapacitated for 1 Action

Turn per 10 full points of MoF (minimum of 3 Action

Turns). During this time they are stunned and incapable

of taking any action, possibly convulsing, suffering

vertigo, nausea, etc. After this period, they may

act but they remain stunned and shaken, suffering a

–30 modifier to all actions. This modifier reduces by

10 per minute (so –20 after 1 minute, –10 after 2 minutes,

and no modifier after 3 minutes). Many shock

weapons also inflict DV, which is handled as normal.A biomorph that succeeds the DUR Test is still

shocked but not incapacitated. They suffer half the

listed DV and suffer a –30 modifier until the end of

the next Action Turn. This modifier reduces by 10 per

Action Turn. Modifiers from additional shocks are

not cumulative, but will boost the modifier back to

its maximum value.

Subdual

NOTE: To grapple an opponent in melee combat, you must

declare your intent to subdue before making the die

roll. Any appropriate melee skill may be used for the

attack; if wielding a weapon, it may be used as part of

the grappling technique. If you succeed in your attack

with an Excellent Success (MoS of 30+), you have successfully

subdued your opponent (for the moment, at

least). Grappling attacks do not cause damage unless

you roll a critical success (though even in this case you

can choose not to).

A subdued opponent is temporarily restrained or

immobilized. They may communicate, use mental

skills, and take mesh actions, but they may not take

any physical actions other than trying to break free.

(At the gamemaster’s discretion, they may make small,

restrained physical actions, such as reaching for a

knife in their pocket or grabbing an item dropped a

few centimeters away on the floor, but these actions

should suffer at least a –30 modifier and may be noticed

by their grappler).

To break free, a grappled character must take a

Complex Action and succeed in either an Opposed

Unarmed Combat Test or an Opposed SOM x 3 Test,

though the subdued character suffers a –30 modifier

on this test.

Suppressive Fire

NOTE: A character firing a weapon in full-auto mode (p. 198)

may choose to lay down suppressive fire over an area

rather than targeting anyone specifically, with the

intent of making everyone in the suppressed area keep

their heads down. This takes a Complex Action, uses

up 20 shots, and lasts until the character’s next Action

Phase. The suppressed area extends out in a cone, with

the widest diameter of the cone being up to 20 meters

across. Any character who is not behind cover or who

does not immediately move behind cover on their

action is at risk of getting hit by the suppressive fire. If

they move out of cover inside the suppressed area, the

character laying down suppressive fire gets one free

attack against them, which they may defend against

as normal. Apply no modifiers to these tests except

for range, wounds, and full defense. If hit, the struck

character must resist damage as if from a single shot.

Surprise

NOTE: Characters who wish to ambush another must seek to

gain the advantage of surprise. This typically means

sneaking up on, lying in wait, or sniping from a hardto-

perceive position in the distance. Any time an ambusher

(or group of ambushers) attempts to surprise a target (or group of targets), make a secret Perception

Test for the ambushee(s). Unless they are alert for surprises,

this test should suffer the typical –20 modifier

for being distracted. This is an Opposed Test against

the ambusher(s) Infiltration skill. Depending on the

attacker’s position, other modifiers may also apply

(distance, visibility, cover, etc.).

If the Perception Test fails, the character is surprised

by the attack and cannot react to or defend against it. In

this case, simply give the attacker(s) a free Action Phase

to attack the surprised character(s). Once the attackers

have taken their actions, roll Initiative as normal.

If the Perception Test succeeds, the character is

alerted to something a split-second before they are

ambushed, giving them a chance to react. In this case,

roll Initiative as normal, but the ambushed character(s)

suffers a –30 modifier to the Initiative Test. The ambushed

character may still defend as normal.

In a group situation, things can get more complicated

when some characters are surprised and others

aren’t. In this case, roll Initiative as normal, with all

non-ambushers suffering the –30 modifier. Any characters

who are surprised are simply unable to take action

on the first Action Phase, as they are caught off-guard

and must take a moment to assess what’s going on

and get caught up with the action. As above, surprised

characters my not defend on this first Action Phase.

Tactical NetworksEdit

NOTE: Tactical networks are specialized software programs

used by teams that benefit from the sharing of tactical

data. They are commonly used by sports teams,

security outfits, military units, AR gamers, gatecrashers,

surveyors, miners, traffic control, scavengers, and

anyone else who needs a tactical overview of a situation.

Firewall teams regularly take advantage of them.

In game terms, tacnets provide specialized software

skills and tools to a muse or AI, as best fits their tactical

needs. These tools link together and share and

analyze data between all of the participants in the

network, creating a customizable entoptics display for

each user that summarizes relevant data, highlights

interactions and priorities, and alerts the user to matters

that require their attention.

Combat Tacnets

NOTE: The following list is a sample of a typical combat tacnet’s

features. Gamemasters are encouraged to modify and

expand these options as appropriate to their game:

• Maps: Tacnets assemble all available maps and

can present them to the user with a bird’s eye

view or as a three-dimensional interactive, with

distances between relevant features readily accessible.

The AI or muse can also plot maps based

on sensory input, breadcrumb positioning systems

(p. 332), and other data. Plotted paths and

other data from these maps can be displayed as

entoptic images or other AR sensory input (e.g.,

a user who should be turning left might see a

transparent red arrow or feel a tingling sensation

on their left side).

• Positioning: The exact positioning of the user and

all other participants are updated and mapped

according to mesh positioning and GPS. Likewise,

the positioning of known people, bots, vehicles,

and other features can also be plotted according

to sensory input.

• Sensory Input: Any sensory input available to a

participating character or device in the network

can be fed into the system and shared. This

includes data from cybernetic senses, portable

sensors, smartlink guncams, XP output, etc. This

allows one user to immediately call up and access

the sensor feed of another user.

• Communications Management: The tacnet

maintains an encrypted link between all users

and stays wary both of participants who drop

out or of attempts to hack or interfere with the

communications link.

• Smartlink/Weapon Data: The tacnet monitors the

status of weapons, accessories, and other gear via

the smartlink interface or wireless link, bringing

damage, shortages, and other issues to the user’s

attention.

• Indirect Fire: Members of a tacnet can provide

targeting data to each other for purposes of indirect

fire (p. 195).

• Analysis: The muses and AIs participating in

the tacnet are bolstered with skill software and databases that enable them to interpret incoming

data and sensory feeds. Perhaps the most

useful aspect of tacnets, this means that the

muse/AI may notice facts or details individual

users are likely to have overlooked. For example,

the tacnet can count shots fired by opponents,

note when they are likely running low, and

even analyze sensory input to determine the

type of weaponry and ammunition being used.

Opponents and their gear can also be scanned

and analyzed to note potential weaknesses, injuries,

and capabilities. If sensor contact with

an opponent is lost, the last known location is

memorized and potential movement vectors and

distances are displayed. Opponent positioning

can also identify lines of sight and fields of fire,

alerting the user to areas of potential cover or

danger. The tacnet can also suggest tactical maneuvers

that will aid the user, such as flanking an

opponent or acquiring better elevation.

Many of these features are immediately accessible

to the user via their AR display; other data can be accessed

with a Quick Action. Likewise, the gamemaster

decides when the muse/AI provides important alerts to

the user. At the gamemaster’s discretion, some of these

features may apply modifiers to the character’s tests.

Touch-only Attack

NOTE: Some types of attacks simply require you to touch your

target, rather than injure them, and are correspondingly

easier. This might apply when trying to slap them

with a dermal drug patch, spreading a contact poison

on their skin, or making skin-to-skin contact for the

use of a psi sleight. In situations like this, apply a +20

modifier to your melee attacks.

Two-Handed Weapons

NOTE: Any weapon noted as two-handed requires two hands

(or other prehensile limbs) to wield effectively. This

applies to some archaic melee weapons (large swords,

spears, etc.) in addition to certain larger firearms and

heavy weapons. Any character that attempts to use

such a weapon single-handed suffers a –20 modifier.

This modifier does not apply to mounted weapons.

Wielding Two or More WeaponsEdit

NOTE: It is possible for a character to wield two weapons

in combat, or even more if they are an octomorph or

multi-limbed synthmorph. In this case, each weapon

that is held in an off-hand suffers a –20 off-hand

weapon modifier. This modifier may be offset with the

Ambidextrous trait (p. 145).

Extra Melee Weapons

NOTE: The use of two or more melee weapons is treated as

a single attack, rather than multiple. Each additional

weapon applies +1d10 damage to the attack (up to

a maximum +3d10). Off-hand weapon modifiers are

ignored. If the character attacks multiple targets with the same Complex Action (see Multiple Targets, p.

202), these bonuses does not apply. The attacker must,

of course, be capable of actually wielding the additional

weapons. A splicer with only two hands cannot

wield a knife and a two-handed sword, for example.

Likewise, the gamemaster may ignore this damage

bonus for extra weapons that are too dissimilar to

use together effectively (like a whip and a pool cue).

Note that extra limbs do not count as extra weapons

in unarmed combat, nor do weapons that come as a

pair (such as shock gloves).

A character using more than one melee weapon

receives a bonus for defending against melee attacks

equal to +10 per extra weapon (maximum +30).

Extra Ranged Weapons

NOTE: Similarly, an attacker can wield a pistol in each hand

for ranged combat, or larger weapons if they have

more limbs (an eight-limbed octomorph, for example,

could conceivably hold four assault rifles). These

weapons may all be fired at once towards the same

target. In this case, each weapon is handled as a separate

attack, with each off-hand weapon suffering a

cumulative off-hand weapon modifier (no modifier for

the first attack, –20 for the second, –40 for the third,

and –60 for the fourth), offset by the Ambidextrous

trait (p. 145) as usual.

PHYSICAL HEALTHEdit

NOTE: In a setting as dangerous as Eclipse Phase, characters

are inevitably going to get hurt. Whether your morph

is biological or synthetic, you can be injured by weapons,

brawling, falling, accidents, extreme environments,

psi attacks, and so on. This section discusses how to

track such injuries and determine what effect they have

on your character. Two methods are used to gauge a

character’s physical health: damage points and wounds.

Damage Points

NOTE: Any physical harm that befalls your character is measured

in damage points. These points are cumulative,

and are recorded on your character sheet. Damage

points are characterized as fatigue, stun, bruises,

bumps, sprains, minor cuts, and similar hurts that,

while painful, do not significantly impair or threaten

your character’s life unless they accumulate to a significant

amount. Any source of harm that inflicts a large

amount of damage points at once, however, is likely to

have a more severe effect (see Wounds, p. 207).

Damage points may be reduced by rest, medical

care, and/or repair (see Healing and Repair, p. 208).

Damage TypesEdit

NOTE: Physical damage comes in three forms: Energy, Kinetic,

and Psi.

Energy Damage

NOTE: Energy damage includes lasers, plasma guns, fire, electrocution,

explosions, and others sources of damaging energy.

Kinetic Damage

NOTE: Kinetic damage is caused by projectiles and other

objects moving at great speeds that disperse their

energy into the target upon impact. Kinetic attacks

include slug-throwers, flechette weapons, knives,

and punches.

Psi Damage

NOTE: Psi damage is caused by offensive psi sleights like

Psychic Stab (p. 228).

Durability and HealthEdit

NOTE: Your character’s physical health is measured by their

Durability stat. For characters sleeved in biomorphs,

this figure represents the point at which accumulated

damage points overwhelm your character and

they fall unconscious. Once you have accumulated

damage points equal to or exceeding your Durability

stat, you immediately collapse from exhaustion and

physical abuse. You remain unconscious and may

not be revived until your damage points are reduced

below your Durability, either from medical care or

natural healing.

If you are morphed in a synthetic shell, Durability

represents your structural integrity. You become

physically disabled when accumulated damage points

reach your Durability. Though your computer systems

are likely still functioning and you can still mesh, your

morph is broken and immobile until repaired.

Death

NOTE: An extreme accumulation of damage points can

threaten your character’s life. If the damage reaches

your Durability x 1.5 (for biomorphs) or Durability x

2 (for synthetic morphs), your body dies. This known

as your Death Rating. Synthetic morphs that reach

this state are destroyed beyond repair.

Damage Value

NOTE: Weapons (and other sources of injury) in Eclipse

Phase have a listed Damage Value (DV)—the base

amount of damage points the weapon inflicts. This is

often presented as a variable amount, in the form of a

die roll; for example: 3d10. In this case, you roll three

ten-sided dice and add up the results (counting 0 as

10). Sometimes the DV will be presented as a dice roll

plus modifier; for example: 2d10 + 5. In this case you

roll two ten-sided dice, add them together, and then

add 5 to get the result.

For simplicity, a static amount is also noted in

parentheses after the variable amount. If you prefer

to skip the dice rolling, you can just apply the static

amount (usually close to the mean average) instead.

For example, if the damage were noted 2d10 + 5 (15),

you could simply apply 15 damage points instead of

rolling dice.

When damage is inflicted on a character, determine the

DV (roll the dice) and subtract the modified armor value,

as noted under Step 7: Determine Damage (p. 192).

WoundsEdit

NOTE: Wounds represent more grievous injuries: bad cuts and

hemorrhaging, fractures and breaks, mangled limbs,

and other serious damage that impairs your ability to

function and may lead to death or long-term damage.

Any time your character sustains damage, compare

the amount inflicted (after it has been reduced by

armor) to your Wound Threshold. If the modified DV

equals or exceeds your Wound Threshold, you have

suffered a wound. If the inflicted damage is double

your Wound Threshold, you suffer 2 wounds; if

triple your Wound Threshold, you suffer 3 wounds;

and so on.

Wounds are cumulative, and must be marked on

your character sheet.

Note that these rules handle damage and wounds

as an abstract concept. For drama and realism,

gamemasters may wish to describe wounds in more

detailed and grisly terms: a broken ankle, a severed

tendon, internal bleeding, a lost ear, and so on. The

nature of such descriptive injuries may help the gamemaster

assign other effects. For example, a character

with a crushed hand may not be able to pick up a gun,

someone with excessive blood loss may leave a trail

for their enemies to follow, or someone with a cut eye

may suffer an additional visual perception modifier.

Likewise, such details may impact how a character is

treated or heals.

Wound Effects

NOTE: Each wound applies a cumulative –10 modifier to all

of the character’s actions. A character with 3 wounds,

for example, suffers –30 to all actions.

Some traits, morphs, implants, drugs, and psi allow

a character to ignore wound modifiers. These effects

are cumulative, though the maximum amount of

wound modifiers that may be negated is –30.

Knockdown: Any time a character takes a wound,

they must make an immediate SOM x 3 Test. Wound

modifiers apply. If they fail, they are knocked down

and must expend a Quick Action to get back up. Bots

and vehicles must make a Pilot Test to avoid crashing.

Unconsciousness: Any time a character receives 2

or more wounds at once (from the same attack), they

must also make an immediate SOM x 3 Test; wound

modifiers again apply. If they fail, they have been

knocked unconscious (until they are awoken or heal).

Bots and vehicles that take 2 or more wounds at once

automatically crash (see Crashing, p. 196).

Bleeding: Any biomorph character who has suffered

a wound and who takes damage that exceeds their

Durability is in danger of bleeding to death. They

incur 1 additional damage point per Action Turn (20

per minute) until they receive medical care or die.

Death

NOTE: For many people in Eclipse Phase, death is not the end

of the line. If the character’s cortical stack can be retrieved,

they can be resurrected and downloaded into

a new morph (see Resleeving, p. 271). This typically requires either backup insurance (p. 269) or the good

graces of whomever ends up with their body/stack.

If the cortical stack is not retrievable, the character can

still be re-instantiated from an archived backup (p. 268).

Again, this either requires backup insurance or someone

who is willing to pay to have them revived.

If the character’s cortical stack is not retrieved

and they have no backup, then they are completely

and utterly dead. Gone. Kaput. (Unless they happen

to have an alpha fork of themselves floating around

somewhere; see Forking and Merging, p. 273.)

HEALING AND REPAIREdit

NOTE: Use the follow rules for healing and repairing damaged

and wounded characters.

Biomorph HealingEdit

NOTE: Thanks to advanced medical technologies, there are

many ways for characters in biological morphs (including

pods) to heal injuries. Medichine nanoware

(p. 308) helps characters to heal quickly, as do nanobandages

(p. 333). Healing vats (p. 326) will heal even

the most grievous wounds in a matter of days, and

can even restore characters who recently died or have

been reduced to just a head.

Characters without access to these medical tools are

not without hope, of course. The medical skills of a

trained professional can abate the impact of wounds,

and over time bodies will of course heal themselves.

Medical Care

NOTE: Characters with an appropriate Medicine skill (such

as Medicine: Paramedic or Medicine: Trauma Surgery)

can perform first aid on damaged or wounded

characters. A successful Medicine Test, modified as

the gamemaster deems fit according to situational

conditions, will heal 1d10 points of damage and will

remove 1 wound. This test must be made within 24

hours of the injury, and any particular injury may only

be treated once. If the character is later injured again,

however, this new damage may also be treated. Medical

care of this sort is not effective against injuries that

have been treated with medichines, nanobandages, or

healing vats.

Natural Healing

NOTE: Natural Healing

Characters trapped far from medical technology—in

a remote station, the wilds of Mars, or the like—may

be forced to heal naturally if injured. Natural healing

is a slow process that’s heavily influenced by a number

of factors. In order for a character to heal wounds,

all normal damage must be healed first. Consult the

Healing table.

Surgery

NOTE: In Eclipse Phase, most grievous injuries can be handled

by time in a healing vat (p. 326) or simply rest

and recovery. In circumstances where a healing vat is

not available, the gamemaster may decide that a particular

wound requires actual surgery from an intelligent

being (whether a character or AI-driven medbot).

Usually in this case the character will be incapable of

further healing until the surgery occurs. The surgery

is handled as a Medical Test using a field appropriate

to the situation and with a timeframe of 1–8 hours. If

successful, the character is healed of 1d10 damage and

1 wound and recovers from that point on as normal.

Synthmorph and Object RepairEdit

NOTE: Unlike biomorphs, synthetic morphs and objects do not

heal damage on their own and must be repaired. Some

synthmorphs and devices have advanced nanotech selfrepair

systems, similar to medichines for biomorphs (see

Fixers, p. 329). Repair spray (p. 333) may also be used

to conduct fixes and is an extremely useful option for

non-technical people. Barring these options, technicians

may also work repairs the old-fashioned way, using

their skills and tools (see Physical Repairs, below). As a

last resort, synthmorphs and objects may be repaired in

a nanofabrication machine with the appropriate blueprints

(using the same rules as healing vats, p. 326).

Physical Reapirs

NOTE: Manually fixing a synthmorph or object requires a

Hardware Test using a field appropriate to the item

(Hardware: Robotics for synthmorphs and bots,

Hardware: Aerospace for aircraft, etc.), with a –10

modifier per wound. Repair is a Task Action with

a timeframe of 2 hours per 10 points of damage

being restored, plus 8 hours per wound. Appropriate modifiers should be applied, based on conditions and

available tools. For example, utilitools (p. 326) apply

a +20 modifier to repair tests, while repair spray applies

a +30 modifier.

Repairing Armor

NOTE: Armor may be repaired in the same manner as Durability,

however, wounds do not impact the test with

modifiers or extra time.

Healing

NOTE: Character Situation Damage Healing Rate Woun d Healing Rate

Character without basic biomods 1d10 (5) per day 1 per week

Character with basic biomods 1d10 (5) per 12 hours 1 per 3 days

Character using nanobandage 1d10 (5) per 2 hours 1 per day

Character with medichines 1d10 (5) per 1 hour 1 per 12 hours

Poor conditions (bad food, not enough rest/heavy activity,

poor shelter and/or sanitation)

double timeframe double timeframe

Harsh conditions (insufficient food, no rest/strenuous activity,

little or no shelter and/or sanitation)

triple timeframe no wound healing

MENTAL HEALTHEdit

NOTE: In a time when people can discard bodies and

replace them with new ones, trauma inflicted on

your mind and ego—your sense of self—is often

more frightening than grievous physical harm. There

are many ways in which your sanity and mental

wholeness can be threatened: experiencing physical

death, extended isolation, loss of loved ones, alien

situations, discontinuity of self from lost memories

or switching morphs, psi attack, and so on. Two

methods are used to gauge your mental health: stress

points and trauma.

Stress Points

NOTE: Stress points represent fractures in your ego’s integrity,

cracks in the mental image of yourself. This

mental damage is experienced as cerebral shocks,

disorientation, cognitive disconnects, synaptic misfires,

or an undermining of the intellectual faculties.

On their own, these stress points do not significantly

impair your character’s functioning, but if allowed to

accumulate they can have severe repercussions. Additionally,

any source that inflicts a large amount of

stress points at once is likely to have a more severe

impact (see Trauma).

Stress points may be reduced by long-term rest, psychiatric

care, and/or psychosurgery (see p. 214).

Lucidity and StressEdit

NOTE: Your Lucidity stat benchmarks your character’s mental

stability. If you build up an amount of stress points

equal to or greater than your Lucidity score, your character’s

ego immediately suffers a mental breakdown.

You effectively go into shock and remain in a catatonic

state until your stress points are reduced to a level

below your Lucidity stat. Accumulated stress points

will overwhelm egos housed inside synthetic shells or

infomorphs just as they will biological brains—the

mental software effectively seizes up, incapable of

functioning until it is debugged.

Insanity Rating

NOTE: Extreme amounts of built-up stress points can permanently

damage your character’s sanity. If accumulated

stress points reach your Lucidity x 2, your character’s

ego undergoes a permanent meltdown. Your mind is

lost, and no amount of psych help or rest will ever

bring it back.

Stress Value

NOTE: Any source capable of inflicting cognitive stress is given

a Stress Value (SV). This indicates the amount of stress

points the attack or experience inflicts upon a character.

Like DV, SV is often presented as a variable amount, such

as 2d10, or sometimes with a modifier, such as 2d10 +

10. Simply roll the dice and total the amounts to determine

the stress points inflicted in that instance. To make

things easier, a static SV is also given in parentheses after

the variable amount; use that set amount when you wish

to keep the game moving and don’t want to roll dice.

TraumaEdit

NOTE: Mental trauma is more severe than stress points. Traumas

represent severe mental shocks, a crumbling of

personality/self, delirium, paradigm shifts, and other

serious cognitive malfunctions. Traumas impair your

character’s functioning and may result in temporary

derangements or permanent disorders.

If your character receives a number of stress points

at once that equals or exceeds their Trauma Threshold,

they have suffered a trauma. If the inflicted stress

points are double or triple the Trauma Threshold, they

suffer 2 or 3 traumas, respectively, and so on. Traumas

are cumulative and must be recorded on your

character sheet.

Trauma Effects

NOTE: Each trauma applies a cumulative –10 modifier to all

of the character’s actions. A character with 2 traumas,

for example, suffers –20 to all actions. These modifiers

are also cumulative with wound modifiers.

Disorientation: Any time a character suffers a

trauma, they must make an immediate WIL x 3 Test.

Trauma modifiers apply. If they fail, they are temporarily

stunned and disoriented, and must expend a

Complex Action to regain their wits.

Derangements and Disorders: Any time a character

is hit with a trauma, they suffer a temporary derangement

(see Derangements). The first trauma inflicts a

minor derangement. If a second trauma is applied,

the first derangement is either upgraded from minor

to a moderate derangement, or else a second minor

derangement is applied (gamemaster’s discretion).

Likewise, a third trauma may upgrade that derangement

from moderate to major or else inflict a new

minor. It is generally recommended that derangements

be upgraded in potency, especially when result from

the same set of ongoing circumstances. In the case of

traumas that result from distinctly separate situations

and sources, separate derangements may be applied.

Disorder: When four or more traumas have been

inflicted on a character, a major derangement is upgraded

to a disorder. Disorders represent long-lasting

psychological afflictions that typically require weeks

or even months of psychotherapy and/or psychosurgery

to remedy (see Disorders, p. 211).

DerangementsEdit

NOTE: Derangements are temporary mental conditions that

result from traumas. Derangements are measured as

Minor, Moderate, or Major. The gamemaster and

player should cooperate in choosing which derangement

to apply, as appropriate to the scenario and

character personality.

Derangements last for 1d10 ÷ 2 hours (round

down), or until the character receives psychiatric help,

whichever comes first. At the gamemaster’s discretion,

a derangement may last longer if the character has not

been distanced from the source of the stress, or if they

remain embroiled in other stress-inducing situations.

Derangement effects are meant to be role-played.

The player should incorporate the derangement into

their character’s words and actions. If the gamemaster

doesn’t feel the player is stressing the effects enough,

they can emphasize them. If the gamemaster feels it is

appropriate, they may also call for additional modifiers

or tests for certain actions.

Anxiety (Minor)

NOTE: You suffer a panic attack, exhibiting the physiological

conditions of fear and worry: sweatiness, racing heart,

trembling, shortness of breath, headaches, and so on.

Avoidance (Minor)

NOTE: You are psychologically incapable with dealing with

the source of the stress, or some circumstance related

to it, so you avoid it—even covering your ears, curling

up in a ball, or shutting off your sensors if you

have to.

Dizziness (Minor)

NOTE: The stress makes you light-headed and disoriented.

Echolalia (Minor)

NOTE: You involuntarily repeat words and phrases spoken

by others.

Fixation (Minor)

NOTE: You become fixated on something that you did wrong

or some circumstance that led to your stress. You

obsess over it, repeating the behavior, trying to fix it,

running scenarios through your head and out loud,

and so on.

Hunger (Minor)

NOTE: You are suddenly consumed by an irrational yet

overwhelming desire to eat something—perhaps even

something unusual.

Indecisiveness (Minor)

NOTE: You are flustered by the cause of your stress, finding it

difficult to make choices or select courses of action.

Logorrhoea (Minor)

NOTE: Your response to the trauma is to engage in excessive

talking and babbling. You don’t shut up.

Nausea (Minor)

NOTE: The stress sickens you, forcing you to fight down

queasiness.

Chills (Moderate)

NOTE: Your body temperature rises, making you feel cold,

and shivering sets in. You just can’t get warm

Confusions (Moderate)

NOTE: The trauma scrambles your concentration, making

you forget what you’re doing, mix up simple tasks,

and falter over easy decisions.

Echopraxia (Moderate)

NOTE: You involuntarily repeat and mimic the actions of

others around you

Mood Swings (Moderate)

NOTE: You involuntarily repeat and mimic the actions of

others around you

Mute (Moderate)

NOTE: The trauma shocks you into speechlessness and a complete

inability to effectively communicate.

Narcissism (Moderate)

NOTE: In the wake of the mental shock, all you can think about

is yourself. You cease caring about those around you.

Panic (Moderate)

NOTE: You are overwhelmed by fear or anxiety and immediately

seek to distance yourself from the cause of the stress.

Tremors (Moderate)

NOTE: You shake violently, making it difficult to hold things

or stay still.

Blackout (Major)

NOTE: You operate on auto-pilot in a temporary fugue state.

Later, you will be incapable of recalling what happened

during this period. (Synthetic shells and infomorphs

may call up memory records from storage.)

Frenzy (Major)

NOTE: You have a major freak out over the source of the

stress and attack it.

Hallucinations (Major)

NOTE: You see, hear, or otherwise sense things that aren’t

really there.

Hysteria (Major)

NOTE: You lose control, panicking over the source of the

stress. This typically results in an emotional outburst

of crying, laughing, or irrational fear.

Irrationality (Major)

NOTE: You are so jarred by the stress that your capacity for

logical judgment breaks down. You are angered by

imaginary offenses, hold unreasonable expectations, or

otherwise accept things with unconvincing evidence.

Paralysis (Major)

NOTE: You are so shocked by the trauma that you are effectively

frozen, incapable of making decisions or taking

action.

Psychosomatic Crippling (Major)

NOTE: The trauma overwhelms you, impairing some part of

your physical functioning. You suffer from an inexplicable

blindness, deafness, or phantom pain, or are suddenly

incapable of using a limb or other extremity

DisordersEdit

NOTE: Disorders reflect more permanent madness. In this

case, “permanent” does not necessarily mean forever,

but the condition is ongoing until the character has received

lengthy and effective psychiatric help. Disorders

are inflicted whenever a character has accumulated 4

traumas. The gamemaster and player should choose a

disorder that fits the situation and character.

Disorders are not always “active”—they may

remain dormant until triggered by certain conditions.

While it is certainly possible to act under a disorder,

it represents a severe impairment to a person’s ability

to maintain normal relationships and do a job successfully.

Disorders should not be glamorized as cute

role-playing quirks. They represent the best attempts

of a damaged psyche to deal with a world that has

failed it in some way. Additionally, people in many

habitats, particularly those in the inner system, still

regard disorders as a mark of social stigma and may

react negatively towards impaired characters.

Characters that acquire disorders over the course

of their adventures may get rid of them in one of two

ways, either through in-game attempts to treat them

(p. 214) or by buying them off as they would a negative

trait (p. 153).

Addiction

NOTE: Addiction as a disorder can refer to any sort of addictive

behavior focused toward a particular behavior

or substance, to the point where the user is unable

to function without the addiction but is also severely

impaired due to the effects of the addiction. It is

marked by a desire on the part of the subject to seek

help or reduce the use of the addicting substance/act,

but also by the subject spending large amounts of time in pursuit of their addiction to the exclusion of other

activities. This is a step up from Addiction negative

trait listed on p. 148—this is much more of a crippling

behavior that compensates for spending time away

from the addiction. Addictions are typically related

to the trauma that caused the disorder (VR or drug

addictions are encouraged).

Suggested Game Effects: The addict functions in

only two states: under the influence of their addiction

or in withdrawal. Additionally, they spend large

amounts of time away from their other responsibilities

in pursuit of their addiction.

Atavism

NOTE: Atavism is a disorder that mainly affects uplifts. It

results in them regressing to an earlier un- or partially-

uplifted state. They may exhibit behaviors more

closely in line with their more animalistic forbears, or

they may lose some of their uplift benefits such as the

ability for abstract reasoning or speech.

Suggested Game Effects: The player and gamemaster

should discuss how much of the uplift’s nature is

lost and adjust game penalties accordingly. It is important

to note that other uplifts view atavistic uplifts

with something akin to horror and will usually have

nothing to do with them.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

NOTE: This disorder manifests as a marked inability to focus

on any one task for an extended period of time, and

also an inability to notice details in most situations.

Sufferers may find themselves starting multiple tasks,

beginning a new one after only a cursory attempt at

the prior task. ADHD suffers may also have a manic

edge that manifests as confidence in their ability to get

a given job done, even though they will quickly lose

all interest in it.

Suggested Game Effects: Perception and related

skill penalties. Increased difficulty modifiers to task

actions, particularly as the action drags on.

Autophagy

NOTE: This is a disorder that usually only occurs among uplifted

octopi. It is a form of anxiety disorder characterized

by self-cannibalism of the limbs. Subjects afflicted

with autophagy will, under stress, begin to consume

their limbs, if at all possible, causing themselves potentially

serious harm.

Suggested Game Effects: Anytime an uplifted octopi

with this disorder is placed in a stressful situation they

must make a successful WIL x 3 Test or begin to consume

one of their limbs.

Bipolar Disorder

NOTE: Bipolar disorder is also called manic depression. It is

similar to depression except for the fact that the periods

of depression are interrupted by brief (a matter of

days at most) periods of mania where the subject feels

inexplicably “up” about everything with heightened energy and a general disregard for consequences. The

depressive stages are similar in all ways to depression.

The manic stages are dangerous since the subject

will take risks, spend wildly, and generally engage in

behavior without much in the way of forethought or

potential long term consequences.

Suggested Game Effects: Similar to depression, but

when manic the character must make a WIL x 3 Test

to not do some action that may be potentially risky.

They will also try to convince others to go along with

the idea.

Body Dysmorphia

NOTE: Subjects afflicted with this disorder believe that they

are so unspeakably hideous that they are unable to

interact with others or function normally for fear of

ridicule and humiliation at their appearance. They

tend to be very secretive and reluctant to seek help

because they are afraid others will think them vain—

or they may feel too embarrassed to do so. Ironically,

BDD is often misunderstood as a vanity-driven

obsession, whereas it is quite the opposite; people

with BDD believe themselves to be irrevocably ugly

or defective. A similar disorder, gender identity disorder,

where the patient is upset with their entire

sexual biology, often precipitates BDD-like feelings.

Gender identity disorder is directed specifically at

external sexually dimorphic features, which are in

constant conflict with the patient’s internal psychiatric

gender.

Suggested Game Effects: Because of the nature of

Eclipse Phase and the ability to swap out and modify

a body, this is a fairly common disorder. It is suggested

that characters with this suffer increased or

prolonged resleeving penalties since they are unable

to fully adjust to the reality of their new morph.

Borderline Personality Disorder

NOTE: This disorder is marked by a general inability to fully

experience one’s self any longer. Emotional states are

variable and often marked by extremes and acting

out. Simply put, the subject feels like they are losing

their sense of self and seeks constant reassurance

from others around them, yet is not fully able to act

in an appropriate way. They may also engage in impulsive

behaviors in an attempt to experience some

sort of feeling. In extreme cases, there may be suicidal

thoughts or attempts.

Suggested Game Effects: The character needs to

be around others and will not be left alone, however

they also are not quite able to relate to others in a

normal way and may also take risks or make impulsive

decisions.

Depression

NOTE: Clinical depression is characterized by intense feelings

of hopelessness and worthlessness. Subjects usually

report feeling as though nothing they do matters and

no one would care anyway, so they are disinclined to attempt much in the way of anything. The character is

depressed and finds it difficult to be motivated to do

much of anything. Even simple acts such as eating and

bathing can seem to be monumental tasks.

Suggested Game Effect: Depressives often lack the

will to take any sort of action, often to the point of requiring

a WIL x 3 Test to engage in sustained activity.

Fugue

NOTE: The character enters into a fugue state where they

display little attention to external stimuli. They will

still function physiologically but refrain from speaking

and stare off into the distance, unable to focus on

events around them. Unlike catatonia, a person in a

fugue state will walk around if lead about by a helper,

but is otherwise unresponsive. The fugue state is usually

a persistent state, but it can be an occasional state

that is triggered by some sort of external stimuli similar

to the original trauma that triggered the disorder.

Suggested Game Effects: Characters in a fugue state

are totally non-responsive to most stimuli around

them. They will not even defend themselves if attacked

and will usually attempt

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

NOTE: GAD results in severe feelings of anxiety about nearly

everything the character comes into contact with.

Even simple tasks represent the potential for failure

on a catastrophic scale and should be avoided or minimized.

Additionally, negative outcomes for any action

are always assumed to be the only possible outcomes.

Suggested Game Effects: A character with GAD will

be almost entirely useless unless convinced otherwise,

and then only for a short period of time. Another

character can attempt to use a relevant social skill to

coax the GAD character into doing what is required

of them. If the character with the disorder fails at the

task, however, all future attempts to coax them will

suffer a cumulative –10 penalty.

Hypochondria

NOTE: Hypochondriacs suffer from a delusion that they are

sick in ways that they are not. They will create disorders

that they believe they suffer from, usually to

get the attention of others. Often hypochondriacs will

inflict harm on themselves or even ingest substances

that will aid in producing symptoms similar to the

disorder they believe they have. These attempts to

simulate symptoms can and will cause actual harm

to hypochondriacs.

Possible Game Effects: A subject that is hypochondriac

will often behave as though they are under the

effects of some other disorder or physical malady.

This can be consistent over time or can be different

and ever changing. They will react with hostility to

claims that they are faking or not actually ill.

Impulse Control Disorder

NOTE: Subjects have a certain act or belief that they must

engage in a certain activity that comes into their

mind. This can be kleptomania, pyromania, sexual

exhibitionism, etc. They feel a sense of building

anxiety whenever they are prevented from engaging

in this behavior for an extended period (usually several

times a day to weekly, depending on the impulse)

and will often attempt to engage in this behavior at

inconvenient or inappropriate times. This is different

from OCD in the sense that OCD is usually a

single contained behavior that must be engaged in to

reduce anxiety. Impulse control disorder is a variety

of behaviors and can be virtually any sort of highly

inappropriate action.

Suggested Game Effects: Similar to OCD, if the

character doesn’t engage in the behavior they will

grow increasingly disturbed and suffer penalties to all

actions until they are able to engage in the compulsion

that alleviates their anxiety.

Insomnia

NOTE: Insomniacs find themselves unable to sleep, or unable

to sleep for an extended period of time. This is most

often due to anxiety about their lives or as a result

of depression and the accompanying negative thought

patterns. This is not the sort of sleeplessness that is

brought about as a result of normal stress but rather

a near total inability to find rest in sleep when it is

desired. Insomniacs may find themselves nodding off

at inopportune times, but never for long, and never

enough to gain any restful sleep. As a result, they

are frequently lethargic and inattentive as their lack

of sleep robs them of their edge and eventually any

semblance of alertness. Additionally, insomniacs are

frequently irritable due to being on edge and unable

to rest.

Suggested Game Effects: Due to the lack of meaningful

sleep, insomniacs should suffer from blanket

penalties to perception related tasks or anything requiring

concentration or prolonged fine motor abilities.

Megalomania

NOTE: A megalomaniac believes themselves to be the single

most important person in the universe. Nothing is

more important than the megalomaniac and everything

around them must be done according to their

whim. Failure to comply with the dictates of a megalomaniac

can often result in rages or actual physical

assaults by the subject.

Suggested Game Effects: A character that has

megalomania will demand attention and has difficulty

in nearly any social situation. Additionally, they

may be provoked to violence if they think they are

being slighted.

Multiple Personality Disorder

NOTE: This is the development of a separate, distinct personality

from the original or control personality.

The personalities may or may not be aware of each

other and “conscious” during the actions of the other

personality. Usually there is some sort of trigger that

results in the emergence of the non-control personality.

Most subjects have only a single extra personality, but

it is not unheard of to have several personalities. It

is important to note that these are distinct individual

personalities and not just crude caricatures of the Dr.

Jekyll/Mr. Hyde sort. Each personality sees itself as

a distinct person with their own wants, needs, and

motivations. Additionally, they are usually unaware

of the experiences of the others, though there is some

basic information sharing (such as language and core

skill sets).

Suggested Game Effects: When the player is under

the effects of another personality, they should be

treated as an NPC. In some rare cases the player and

the gamemaster can work out the second personality

and allow the player to roleplay this. This does not

however constitute an entire new character that can

be “turned on” at will.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

NOTE: Subjects with OCD are marked by intrusive or inappropriate

thoughts or impulses that cause acute

anxiety if a particular obsession or compulsion is not

engaged in to alleviate them. These obsessions and

compulsions can be nearly any sort of behavior that

must be immediately engaged in to keep the rising

anxiety at bay. Players and gamemasters are encouraged

to come up with a behavior that is suitable.

Examples of common behaviors include repetitive

tics (touching every finger of each hand to another

part of the body, tapping the right foot twenty times),

pathological behaviors such as gambling or eating,

or a mental ritual that must be completed (reciting a

book passage).

Suggested Game Effects: If the character doesn’t

engage in the behavior they will grow increasingly

disturbed and suffer penalties to all actions until they

are able to engage in the compulsion that alleviates

their anxiety.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

NOTE: PTSD occurs as a result of being exposed to either

a single incident or a series of incidents where the

sufferer had their own life, or saw the lives of others,

threatened with death. These incidents are often

marked by an inability on the part of the victim, either

real or perceived, to do anything to alter the outcomes.

As a result, they develop an acute anxiety and fixation

on these incidents to the point where they lose sleep,

become irritated or easily angered, or are depressed

over feelings that they lack control in their own lives.

Suggested Game Effects: Penalties to task actions,

also treat situations similar to the initial episodes that

caused the disorder as a phobia.

Schizophrenia

NOTE: While schizophrenia is generally acknowledged as a

genetic disorder that has an onset in early adulthood,

it also seems to develop in a number of egos that undergo

frequent morph changes. It has been theorized

that this is due to some sort of repetitive error in the

download process. Regardless, it remains a rare, yet

persistent danger of dying and being brought back.

Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder where the subject

loses their ability to discern reality from unreality.

This can involve delusions, hallucinations (often in

support of the delusions), and fragmented or disorganized

speech. The subject will not be aware of these

behaviors and will perceive themselves as functioning

normally, often to the point of becoming paranoid that

others are somehow involved in a grand deception.

Suggested Game Effects: Schizophrenia represents

a total break from reality. A character that is schizophrenic

may see and hear things and act on those

delusions and hallucinations while seeing attempts

by their friends to stop or explain to them as part

of a wider conspiracy. Adding to this is the difficulty

of communicating coherently. Characters that have

become schizophrenic are only marginally functional

and only for short periods

Stressful Situations

NOTE: The universe of Eclipse Phase is ripe with experiences

that might rattle a character’s sanity. Some of these are

as mundane and human as extreme violence, extended

isolation, or helplessness. Others are less common, but

even more terrifying: encountering alien species, infection

by the Exsurgent virus, or being sleeved inside a

non-human morph.

Willpower Stress Tests

NOTE: Whenever a character encounters a situation that

might impact their ego’s psyche, the gamemaster may

call for a (Willpower x 3) Test. This test determines if

the character is able to cope with the unnerving situation

or if the experience scars their mental landscape.

If they succeed, the character is shaken but otherwise

unaffected. If they fail, they suffer stress damage (and

possibly trauma) as appropriate to the situation. A

list of stress-inducing scenarios and suggested SVs are

listed on the Stressful Experiences table, p. 215. The

gamemaster should use these as a guideline, modifying

them as appropriate to the situation at hand.

Note that some incidents may be so horrific that a

modifier is applied to the character’s (Willpower x 3)

Test.

Hardening

NOTE: The more you are exposed to horrible or terrifying

things, the less scary they become. After repeated exposure,

you become hardened to such things, able to

shake them off without effect. Every time you succeed in a Willpower Test to avoid

taking stress from a particular source, take note. If you

successfully resist such a situation 5 times, you become

effectively immune to taking stress from that source.

The drawback to hardening yourself to such situations

is that you grow detached and callous. In order

to protect yourself, you have learned to cut off your

emotions—but it is such emotions that make you

human. You have erected mental walls that will affect

your empathy and ability to relate to others.

Each time you harden yourself to one source of

stress, your maximum Moxie stat is reduced by 1.

Psychotherapy may be used to overcome such hardening,

in the same way a disorder is treated.

Stressful Experiences

NOTE: Situation SV

Failing spectacularly in pursuit of a motivational goal 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Helplessness 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Betrayal by a trusted friend 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Extended isolation 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Extreme violence (viewing) 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Extreme violence (committing) 1d10

Awareness that your death is imminent 1d10

Experiencing someone’s death via XP 1d10

Losing a loved one 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Watching a loved one die 1d10 + 2

Being responsible for the death of a loved one 1d10 + 5

Encountering a gruesome murder scene 1d10

Torture (viewing) 1d10 + 2

Torture (moderate suffering) 2d10 + 3

Torture (severe suffering) 3d10 + 5

Encountering aliens (non-sentient) 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Encountering aliens (sentient) 1d10

Encountering hostile aliens 1d10 + 3

Encountering highly-advanced technology 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Encountering Exsurgent-modified technology 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Encountering Exsurgent-infected transhumans 1d10

Encountering Exsurgent life forms 1d10 + 3

Exsurgent virus infection Varies; see p. 36

Mental Healing and PsychotherapyEdit

NOTE: Stress is trickier to heal than physical damage. There

are no nano-treatments or quick fix options (other

than killing yourself and reverting to a non-stressed

backup). The options for recuperating are simply natural

healing over time, psychotherapy, or psychosurgery.

Psychotherapy Care

NOTE: Characters with an appropriate skill—

Medicine: Psychiatry, Academics: Psychology,

or Professional: Psychotherapy—can

assist a character suffering mental stress

or trauma with psychotherapy. This treatment

is a long-term process, involving

methods such as psychoanalysis, counseling,

roleplaying, relationship-building,

hypnotherapy, behavioral modification,

drugs, medical treatments, and even psychosurgery

(p. 229). AIs skilled in psychotherapy

are also available.

Psychotherapy is a task action, with a

timeframe of 1 hour per point of stress,

8 hours per trauma, and 40 hours per

disorder. Note that this only counts the

time actually spent in psychotherapy with

a skilled professional. After each psychotherapy

session, make a test to see if the

session was successful. Successful psychosurgery

adds a +30 modifier to this test; at

the gamemaster’s discretion, other modifiers

may apply. Likewise, each disorder

the character holds inflicts a –10 modifier.

Traumas may not be healed until all stress

is eliminated.

When a trauma is healed, the derangement

associated with that trauma is

eliminated or downgraded. Disorders are

treated separately from the trauma that

caused them, and may only be treated

when all other traumas are removed.

Gamemaster and players are encouraged to roleplay

a character’s suffering and relief from traumas and

disorders. Each is an experience that makes a profound

impact on a character’s personality and psyche. The

process of treatment may also change them, so in the

end they may be a transformed from the person they

once were. Even if treated, the scars are likely to remain

for some time to come. According to some opinions,

disorders are never truly eradicated, they are just eased

into submission ... where they may linger beneath the

surface, waiting for some trauma to come along.

Natural Healing

NOTE: Characters who eschew psychotherapy can hopefully

work out the problems in their head on their own over

time. For every month that passes without accruing

new stress, the character may make a WIL x 3 Test. If

successful, they heal 1d10 points of stress or 1 trauma

(all stress must be healed first). Disorders are even more

difficult to heal, requiring 3 months without stress or

trauma, and even then only being eliminated with a

successful WIL Test. As a result, disorders can linger

for years until resolved with actual psychotherap

MIND HACKSEdit

NOTE: Though neuroscience has ascended to impressive pinnacles, allowing minds to be thoroughly scanned, mapped, and emulated as software, the transhuman brain remains a place that is complicated, not fully understood, and thoroughly messy. Despite a prevalence of neural modifications, meddling with the seat of consciousness remains a tricky and hazardous procedure. Nevertheless, psychosurgery—editing the mind as software—remains common and widespread, sometimes with unexpected results.

Likewise, even as the knowledge of neuroscientists grows on an exponential basis, some are discovering that minds are far more mysterious than they had ever imagined. During the Fall, scattered reports of “anomalous activity” by individuals infected by one of the numerous circulating nanoplagues were discounted as fear and paranoia, but subsequent investigations by black budget labs has proven otherwise. Now, top-level confidential networks whisper that this infection inflicts intricate changes in the victim’s neural network that imbue them with strange and inexplicable abilities. The exact mechanism and nature of these abilities remains unexplained and outside the grasp of modern transhuman science. Given the evidence of a new brainwave type and the paranormal nature of this phenomenon, it is loosely referred to as “psi.”

PSI

NOTE: > Desdemona: Glad to have you back. I hope

you had a pleasant farcast from Pelion and don’t

feel too much lack. While you were out, a message

from Aeneas with a precis on psi, extracted from

the infomorph backup of psigeneticist Daborva

(StellInt, Dipole Research Station on Ganymede),

was rerouted for distribution to your Firewall node.

Coined by the biologist Bertold P. Wiesner,

“psi” was originally an umbrella term

used to describe a number of so-called

“psychic” abilities and other speculative

paranormal phenomena such as telepathy

and extra-sensory perception. While

the term was used extensively in the

field of parapsychology and pop culture

in the twentieth and early twenty-first

centuries, the study of psi was largely

considered a pseudoscience with flawed

methodologies and gradually lost funding

and support.

During the Fall, however, repeated

rumors and accounts of unexplained

phenomenon drew the attention of

scientists, military leaders, and singularity

seekers alike. Numerous nanovirii had

been unleashed upon transhumanity,

racing through populations and transforming

as they spread. Some inflicted

only minor biological or mental changes

and impairments, but many were vicious

and deadly. The most feared variants,

however, were those that Firewall has

come to label as the Exsurgent virus—a

transformative nano-plague that mutates

its victims and subverts them to its will.

The Exsurgent virus was also observed

to radically modify the subject’s neural

patterns and mental state, affecting synaptic

arrangement and even modulating

synaptic currents. These changes alter

and enhance the victim’s cognition and

seemed to endow an ability to sense and

even affect the minds of others from a

short distance—an ability dubbed “psi”

as the causal factors continue to mystify

us. The existence and nature of this phenomenon

remains carefully concealed

and under wraps in controlled habitats,

so as not to trigger widespread panic.

Among anarchist and other open communities,

knowledge of psi is more widespread,

but details are vague and reports

are generally greeted with skepticism.

The Exsurgent virus is exceptionally

mutable and adaptive, however, and two

argonaut researchers who were aware of

and studying it soon made an interesting

discovery. One variant strain of the virus

was found that endowed the subject

with exceptional mental abilities without

engaging the transformative process of the other strains. Though infection

still has other drawbacks, Firewall and

other agencies have come to regard

this strain as “safe” in the sense that

the subject does not transmogrify into

something else and their general personality

remains intact. Intrigued that this

avenue of inquiry might lead to a way

to nullify the effects of other Exsurgent

strains, Firewall and others continue

to experiment with the strain with the

cooperation of willing test subjects (or

according to some reports, unwilling

victims in the case of certain authorities

and hypercorps).

The Nature of Psi

NOTE: Labeled the Watts-MacLeod strain

after the researchers who isolated it,

further study has gained insight into

the effect this virus has on transhuman

brains. Careful analysis of infected

subjects discovered that their altered

synapses generate a modulated brainwave

pattern that is extremely difficult

to detect. Those “in-the-know” have

come to refer to these asynchronous

brainwaves as “psi waves,” fitting with

the Greek letter designation of other

brainwaves (alpha, beta, delta, gamma,

theta). Likewise, affected individuals are

known as “asyncs.”

Exploration of the explicit causal factors

behind psi waves remains stymied.

Theories regarding extraordinary mental

processes with the ability to change

quantum states have been explored but

remain frustratingly inconclusive. Neuroimaging

and mapping have enabled

scientists to pinpoint structures within

the brain, neural activity, and perturbations

in the brain’s bioelectric field that

are associated with psi processes, but

attempts to duplicate these features

in non-infected brains have resulted in

failure or worse. Attempts to identify

asyncs by psi brainwave patterns are not

even assured of success. Numerous dead

ends have prompted many researchers to

postulate that the mechanics underlying

psi are simply too strange and too far

beyond transhumanity’s understanding

of physical sciences—perhaps reinforcing

theories that the Exsurgent virus is in

fact of alien origin.

One leading speculation is that the

changes wrought in the mind by infection

actually entangle some of the

neural sub-systems, enable some sort of

quantum field within the brain, or possibly

create Bose-Einstein condensates

within the brain, allowing for quantum computation or perhaps hypercomputation.

This enhances the async’s mental

capabilities to the level provided by

modern implants and neuro-mods—and

sometimes beyond. This does not explain

the capabilities of other asyncs, however,

especially those used to read or affect

other biological minds. These abilities

seem to involve reading brain waves

from a short range or affecting another’s

mind via direct physical contact with the

target’s bio-electric fields. Of course I can

only speculate in accordance with what

Firewall has uncovered—it is quite possible

that certain hypercorps or other factions

have made further breakthroughs,

but are keeping the information to

themselves.

The initiation and use of psi talents

is generally understood to take place on

a subconscious level, meaning that the

async is not actively aware of the fundamental

processes that fuel the psi-waves.

Training in certain skills, however, allows

an async to focus on certain tasks and

psi abilities. These are called “sleights:”

mnemonic or cognitive algorithms of psi

use rooted in the async’s ego.

The percentage of the transhuman

population believed to have contracted

the Watts-MacLeod strain remains statistically

insignificant—less than .001%

of the population. The vast number of

asyncs have been recruited by various

agencies, “disappeared” for study, or

simply eliminated as a potential threat.

Ten years after the Fall, Firewall and

other agencies have come to regard

Watts-MacLeod infection as comparatively

safe, though we remain quite

wary of unforeseen side effects or other

hidden dangers. Most of us engaged in

studying the phenomenon now consider

asyncs to be useful as a tool for fighting

the Exsurgent virus and other threats—

despite the protests of those who are

convinced that asyncs are not in control

of their own minds and are not to be

trusted. As of yet we have encountered

no cases of Watts-MacLeod infection

that have inflicted anything other than

psi abilities, though there seems to be

an increased risk for asyncs to succumb

to other Exsurgent strains should they

encounter them. There are other risks associated

with Watts-MacLeod infection,

such as extreme fatigue and even lethal

biofeedback resulting from extensive use

of psi sleights and a statistically likelihood

of developing mental disorders due

to the increased mental stress placed on

the async’s mind.

Æther Jabber: Asyncs

NOTE: # Start Æther Jabber #

1. Active Members: 2 #

1 Sorry to bother you, but my muse just

alerted me to this excerpt that was

sent around to my Firewall team. Is

this for real? I’ve heard the talk about

psi before—enough to be convinced

that there’s something to it, even

if we can’t explain it—but this bit

about variant Exsurgent infection is

too much. Are we seriously going to

be working with someone who’s a

known carrier? And can you shed any

more light on how asyncs do their

mojo? I’m worried now. And since

you are connected to the Medeans, I

thought I’d take the chance and ask.

2 Well, as to the Medeans ... that’s history.

I am back on the freelancing market

right now. But no problem, I’ll try and

explain. I know it is not easy to grasp.

1 Shiny.

2 Yes, Srit was once infected with a

strain of the Exsurgent virus, probably

on Mars near the end of the Fall. I say

“was” because the Watts-MacLeod

strain seems to go dormant shortly

after it finishes rewiring the victim’s

brain; the plague nanobots die off and

get flushed out of the system, unlike

other Exsurgent strains, which continue

to stick around and transform

the subject. At least, that’s the dominant

theory—I’ve also seen some

speculation that async minds might

be modified so that they continue to

produce bio-nanobots that linger in

the brain, though what function these

serve remains unclear. However, the

prevailing opinion among our best

neuroscientists is that people like Srit

are safe and non-infectious once the

virus has run its course. I’ll even go

a bit further and say that prevailing

opinion is that they can be trusted,

assuming they don’t catch another

infection ... which they unfortunately

seem to be a bit prone too. Not everyone

agrees of course, but we have an

abundance of paranoia in our circles.

So far, we haven’t seen any evidence

that any of our asyncs have been

turned by that initial infection, and the

utility and usefulness of having psiactives

on our side has simply been

too important to push aside.

1 All right. I can’t say that I’ll trust her,

but I’ll try and give her the benefit of

the doubt. I’ll be damned if I’m going

to trust an async that’s not vouched

for by Firewall though—who knows

what the hell a hypercorp like Skinthetic

might be cooking up in their

black labs.

2 That seems like a wise choice.

1 Maybe you can put my mind at ease

by explaining to me in a bit more

detail how Watts-MacLeod infection

occurs.

2 Well, like the other Exsurgent strains

you are unfortunately familiar with,

the primary transmission vector is a

nanovirus, but we speculate that it

may also be transmitted as a digital

computer virus or possibly even as

a basilisk hack. The physical plague

form is spread by highly-advanced

techno-organic nanobots that infect

a biomorph and use bio-mimicry

mechanisms to pass as normal cells

and penetrate the blood-brain barrier

and central nervous system. The

nanobots are several steps beyond

anything our technology can produce,

are very difficult to detect, and can

overwhelm most defensive countermeasures.

Infected minds are essentially

rewired, and these changes will

be copied when the ego is uploaded.

Synthmorphs and infomorphs remain

immune to this nano-infection, but

they are theoretically vulnerable to

other transmission vectors.

1 I’ve heard that synthmorphs are effectively

invulnerable to psi as well. This

true?

2 Yes. As far as we can tell, async

abilities only effect biological

minds—either their own or others.

And they can only read/affect others

from a very short distance, requiring

physical contact in most cases. The

half-biological minds of pods are also

vulnerable, though to a lesser extent.

Likewise, asyncs need a biological

brain to use their abilities—they

can’t use their psi if sleeved in a synthmorph

and have difficulty in a pod.

1 Interesting. So, I have to ask again—

you’re sure she’s safe? I’ve heard

that some of these asyncs can be real

nut-jobs.

2 I’ve heard from several of these

asyncs directly. The fact is, infection

rewrites their brain, and some of

them came out the other side feeling

fundamentally altered. Either they

felt like a different person, or they

felt like there was something new

that was part of them—something

that they didn’t necessarily like. One

described it as presence, another as

a black void that whispered at them.

Yet another described it as giving a

personality to their unconscious mind,

which only made the gulf between

unconscious and conscious mind all

the more intimidating. Some of them

preferred to suicide and revert to a

pre-infection backup. While they may

be more prone to cracking up as a

result, I haven’t ever heard one talk

about their abilities as something

they couldn’t control.

1 Well, that’s fucking cheery. There’s

nothing else we have on how this psi

stuff actually works?

2 Unfortunately, we don’t. Even the

Prometheans haven’t been much

help. There are theories, of course, but

nothing that we’ve been able to verify

with rigorous experimentation. It

doesn’t help that the factions that are

aware of psi’s existence don’t exactly

compare notes—they’re all too busy

looking into ways to weaponize it

and use it against each other, instead

of figuring out how to use it for the

benefit of transhumanity.

1 Of course. The TITANs didn’t get us,

but we can still get ourselves. It worries

me that the best we’ve come up

with is nothing.

2 It’s important to keep perspective.

Transhumanity has come quite a

distance and made some impressive

accomplishments, but our understanding

of the universe is still in its infancy.

What we may be facing here is something

concocted by an intelligence so

far beyond our own that we are but

insignificant insects in comparison.

It likely has a grasp on the universe

that is simply beyond our ability to

understand. We shouldn’t be cocky

and think that we can decipher any

mystery thrown at us ... we should

instead be very, very afraid.

PSIEdit

NOTE: In Eclipse Phase, psi is considered a special cognitive

condition resulting from infection by the mutant—and

hopefully otherwise benign—Watts-Macleod strain

of the Exsurgent virus (p. 367). This plague modifies

the victim’s mind, conferring special abilities. These

abilities are inherent to the brain’s architecture and

are copied when the mind is uploaded, allowing the

character to retain their psi abilities when changing

from morph to morph.

Prerequisites

NOTE: To wield psi, a character must acquire the Psi trait

(p. 147) during character creation. It is theoretically

also possible to acquire the use of psi in game via

infection by the Watts-MacLeod strain; see The Exsurgent

Virus, p. 362.

Psi ability is considered an innate ability of the

ego and not a biological or genetic predisposition of

the morph. While psi researchers do not understand

how it is possible to transfer this ability via uploads,

backups, and farcasting, it has been speculated that

all components of an async’s ego are entangled on a

quantum level, or that they possess the ability to entangle

themselves or form a unique conformation or

alignment as a whole even after they have been copied,

up-, or downloaded. This speculated entanglement process is also thought to be the origin of the impairment

that asyncs experience when adapting to a new

morph (see below).

Morphs and Psi

NOTE: Asyncs require a biological brain to draw on their

abilities (the brains of uplifted animals count). An

async whose ego is downloaded into an infomorph or

fully computerized brain (synthmorphs) has no access

to their abilities as long they remain in that morph.

Asyncs inhabiting a pod morph may use psi, but

their abilities are restricted as pod brains are only

partly biological. Pod-morphed asyncs suffer a –30

modifier on all tests involving the use of psi sleights

and the impact from using sleights would be doubled.

Morph Acclimatization

Morph Fever

NOTE: Asyncs find it irritating and traumatizing to endure life

as an infomorph, pod, or synthmorph for long periods

of time. This phenomenon, known as morph fever,

might cause temporary derangements and trauma to

the asyncs’ ego, possibly even to the grade of permanent

disorders. If stored or held captive as an active

infomorph (i.e. not in virtual stasis), the async might

go insane if not psychologically aided by some sort of

anodyne program or supporting person during storage.

In game terms, asyncs take 1d10 ÷ 2 (round up)

points of mental stress damage per month they stay

in a pod, synthmorph or infomorph form without

psychological assistance by a psychiatrist, software,

or muse.

Psi Drawbacks

NOTE: There are several drawbacks to psi ability:

• The variant Exsurgent strain that endows psi ability

rewires the character’s brain. An unfortunate side

effect to this change is that asyncs acquire a vulnerability

to mental stress. Reduce the async’s Trauma

Threshold by 1.

• The mental instability that accompanies psi infection

also tends to unhinge the character’s mind.

Asyncs acquires one Mental Disorder negative trait

(p. 150) for each level they have of the Psi traitwithout receiving any bonus CP. The gamemaster

and player should agree on a disorder appropriate

to the character. This disorder may be treated over

time, according to normal rules (see Mental Healing

and Psychotherapy, p. 215).

• Characters with the Psi trait are also vulnerable to

infection by other strains of the Exsurgent virus.

The character suffers a –20 modifier when resisting

Exsurgent infection (p. 362).

• Critical failures when using psi tend to stress the

async’s mind. Each time a critical failure is rolled

when making a sleight-related test, the async suffers

a temporary brain seizure. They suffer a –30 modifier

and are incapable of acting until the end of the

next Action Turn. They must also succeed in a WIL

+ COG Test or fall down.

Psi Skills and Sleights

NOTE: Transhuman psi users can manipulate their egos and

otherwise create effects that can often be neither

matched nor mimicked by technological means. To use

these abilities, they train their mental processes and

practice cognitive algorithms called sleights, which

they can subconsciously recall and use as necessary.

Sleights fall into two categories: psi-chi (cognitive

enhancements, p. 223) and psi-gamma (brainwave

reading and manipulation, p. 225). Psi-chi sleights are

available to anyone with the Psi trait (p. 147), but psigamma

sleights are only available to characters with

the Psi trait at Level 2. In order to use these sleights,

the async must be skilled in the Control (p. 178), Psi

Assault (p. 183), and/or Sense skills (p. 184), as appropriate

to each sleight.

Roleplaying Asyncs

NOTE: Any player who chooses to play an async should keep

the origin of their abilities in mind: Watts-MacLeod

strain infection. The character may not be aware of

this source, but they undoubtedly know that they underwent

some sort of transformation and have talents

that no one else does. If unaware of the infection, they

have likely learned to keep their abilities secret lest

they be ridiculed, attacked, or whisked away to some

secret testing program. Learning the truth about their

nature could even be the starting point of a campaign

and/or their introduction to Firewall. If they know the

truth, however, the character must live with the fact

that they are the victim of a nanoplague likely spread

by the TITANs that may or may not lead to complications,

side effects, or other unexpected revelations in

their future.

Gamemasters and players should make an effort

to explore the nature of this infection and how the

character perceives it. As noted previously, asyncs are

often profoundly-changed people. The invasive and

alien aspect of their abilities should not be lost on

them. For example, an async might conceive of their

psi talents as a sort of parasitic entity, living off their

sleights, or they might feel that using these powers puts them in touch with some sort of fundamental

substrate of the universe that is weird and terrifying.

Alternately, they could feel as if their personality was

melded with something different, something that

doesn’t belong. Each async is likely to view their situation

differently, and none of them pleasantly.

Using PsiEdit

NOTE: Using psi—i.e., drawing on a certain sleight to procure

some kind of effect—does not always require a

test. Each sleight description details how the power

is used.

Active Psi

NOTE: Active psi sleights must be “activated” to be used.

These sleights usually require a skill test. Sleights that

target other sentient beings or life forms are always

Opposed Tests, while others are handled as Success

Tests. The level of concentration required to use these

sleights varies, and so may call for a Quick, Complex,

or Task Action. Active sleights also cause strain (p.

223) to the async. Most psi-gamma sleights fall into

this category.

Passive Psi

NOTE: Passive psi sleights encompasses abilities that are considered

automatically active and subconscious. They

rarely require an action to be activated and require

no effort or strain by the psi user. Passive sleights typically

add bonuses to various activities or allow access

to certain abilities rather than calling for some kind of

skill test. Most psi-chi sleights fall into this category.

Psi Range

NOTE: Sleights have a Range of either Self, Touch, or Close.

Self: These sleights only affect the async.

Touch: Sleights with a Touch range may be used

against other biological life, but the async must have

physical contact with the target. If the target avoids

being touched, this requires a successful melee attack,

applying the touch-only +20 modifier. This attack

does not cause damage, and is considered part of the

same action as the psi use.

Close: Close sleights involve interaction with other

biological life from a short distance. The optimal distance

is within 5 meters. For each meter beyond that,

apply a –10 modifier to the test.

Psi vs. Psi: Due to the nature of psi, sleights are

more effective against other psi users. Sleights with

a range of Touch may be used from a Close range

against another async. Likewise, a sleight with a Close

range may be used at twice the normal distance (10

meters) when wielded on another async.

Targeting

NOTE: Synthmorphs, bots, and vehicles may not be targeted

by psi sleights, as they lack biological brains. Pods—

with brains that are half biological and half computer—

are less susceptible and receive a +30 modifierwhen defending against psi use. Note that infomorphs

may never be targeted by psi sleights as psi is not effective

within the mesh or simulspace.

Multiple Targets: An async may target more than

one character with a sleight with the same action, as

long as each of them can be targeted via the rules

above. The psi character only rolls once, with each of

the defending characters making their Opposed Tests

against that roll. The psi character suffers strain (p.

223) for each target, however, meaning that using psi

on multiple targets can be extremely dangerous.

Animals and Less Complex Life Forms: Psi works

against any living creature with a brain and/or

nervous system. Against partially-sentient and partially-

uplifted animals, it suffers a –20 modifier and

increases strain by +1. Against non-sentient animals,

it suffers a –30 modifier and increases strain by +3. It

has no effect on or against less complex life forms like

plants, algae, bacteria, etc.

Factors and Aliens: At the gamemaster’s discretion,

psi sleights may not work on alien creatures at all, depending

on their physiology and neurology. If it does

work, it is likely to suffer at least a –20 modifier and

+1 strain.

Opposed Tests

NOTE: Psi that is used against another character is resisted

with an Opposed Test. Defending characters resist with

WIL x 2. Willing characters may choose not to resist.

Unconscious or sleeping characters cannot resist.If the psi-wielding character succeeds and the defender

fails, the sleight affects the target. If the psi user

fails, the defender is unscathed. If both parties succeed

in their tests, compare their dice rolls. If the psi

user’s roll is higher, the sleight bypasses the defender’s

mental block and affects the target; otherwise, the

sleight fails to affect the defender’s ego.

Target Awareness

NOTE: The target of a psi sleight is aware they are being

targeted any time they succeed on their half of the

Opposed Test (regardless on whether the async

rolls higher or not). Note that awareness does not

necessarily mean that the target understands that psi

abilities are being used on them, especially as most

people in Eclipse Phase are unaware of psi’s existence.

Instead, the target is simply likely to understand that

some outside influence is at work, or that something

strange is happening. They may suspect that they

have been drugged or are under the influence of some

strange technology.

Targets who fail their roll remain unaware.

Psi Full Defense

NOTE: Like full defense in physical combat (p. 198), a defender

may spend a Complex Action to rally and concentrate

their mental defenses, gaining a +30 modifier

to their defense test against psi use until their next

Action Phase.

Criticals

NOTE: If the defender rolls a critical success, the character

attempting to wield psi is temporarily locked out of

the target’s mind. The psi user may not target that

character with sleights until an appropriate “reset”

period has passed, determined by the gamemaster.

If the async rolls a critical failure, they suffer temporary

incapacitation as th eir mind dysfunctions in some

harsh and distressing ways (see Psi Drawbacks, p. 221).

If a psi user rolls a critical success against a defender,

or the defender rolls a critical failure, double

the potency of the sleight’s effect. In the case of psi attacks,

the DV can be doubled or mental armor can be

bypassed. Alternately, when using Psi Assault (p. 183),

the targeted character may be in danger of infection

by the Watts-Macleod strain (p. 362).

Mental Armor

NOTE: The Psi Shield sleight (p. 228) provides mental armor,

a form of neural hardening against psi-based attacks.

Like physical armor, this mental armor reduces the

amount of damage inflicted by a psi assault.

Duration

NOTE: Psi sleights have one of four durations: constant, instant,

temporary, or sustained.

Constant: Constant sleights are always “on.”

Instant: Instant sleights take effect only in the

Action Phase in which they are used.

Temporary: Temporary sleights last for a limited

duration with no extra effort from the async. The

temporary duration is determined by the async’s WIL

÷ 5 (round up) and is measured in either Action Turns

or minutes, as noted. Strain for the sleight is applied

immediately when used, not at the end of the duration.

Sustained: Sustained sleights require active effort

to maintain for as long as the async wants to keep

it active. Sustaining a sleight requires concentration,

and so the async suffers a –10 modifier to all other

skill tests while the sleight is sustained. The async

must also stay within the range appropriate to the

sleight, otherwise the sleight immediately ends. More

than one sleight may be sustained at a time, with a

cumulative modifier. Strain for the sleight is applied

immediately when used, not at the end of the duration.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, sleights that are

sustained for long periods may incur additional strain.

Strain

NOTE: The use of psi is physically (and sometimes psychologically)

draining to a psi user. This phenomenon is

known as strain, and manifests as fatigue, exhaustion,

pain, neural overload, cardiovascular stress, and

adynamia (loss of vigor). Though strain has only

rarely been known to actually kill an async, the use

of too much active psi can be life-threatening in some

circumstances.

In game terms, every active sleight has a Strain

Value of 1d10 ÷ 2 (round up) DV. Every active sleight lists a Strain Value Modifier that modifies this amount.

For example, a sleights with a Strain Value Modifier

of –1 inflicts (1d10 ÷ 2) –1 DV.

If the damage points suffered from strain exceed

the character’s Wound Threshold, they may inflict a

wound just like other damage (see Wounds, p. 207).

Example

NOTE: Matric is investigating a disappearance, so he

decides to use his Qualia sleight to boost his

Intuition while hunting for clues. That psi-chi

sleight takes only a Quick Action to initiate and

requires no test. Matric’s WIL is 25, so the duration

of this temporary sleight is 5 Action Turns

(25 ÷ 5 = 5). The sleight’s Strain modifier is –1,

so he is facing (1d10 ÷ 2) –1 DV. He rolls a 1, so

he takes no strain at all!

Later on, Matric finds himself in a life-or-death

struggle with a kidnapper. Lucky for Matric,

they’re in a melee, so he’s close enough to try

and touch his opponent. On his Action Phase, he

makes an Unarmed Combat Test with a +20 modifier

(for a touch-only attack) and succeeds. This

allows him to try and use his Psychic Stab sleight.

He rolls his Psi Assault of 57 against the target’s

WIL x 2 (32). His target is in a worker pod morph,

however, which is less susceptible to psi, so he

receives a +30 modifier (32 + 30 = 62). Matric

rolls a 32 and the worker pod a 64—Matric wins!

For damage, he rolls 1d10 + (WIL ÷ 10). His WIL

is 25, so that’s 1d10 + 3. He rolls a score a 7 and

inflicts 10 (7 + 3) points of damage. The worker

pod screams in pain, suffering a wound from the

psychic assault.

Psi-Chi SleightsEdit

NOTE: Psi-chi sleights are async abilities that speed up cognitive

informatics (internal information processing) and

enhance the user’s perception and cognition

Ambience Sense

NOTE: Ambience Sense

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

This sleight provides the async with an instinctive

sense about an area and any potential threats nearby.

The async receives a +10 modifier to all Investigation,

Perception, Scrounging, and Surprise Tests.

Cognitive Boost

NOTE: Cogn itive Boo st

Psi Type: Active Action: Quick

Range: Self Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: –1

The async can temporarily elevate their cognitive

performance. In game terms, Cognition is raised by 5

for the chosen duration. This boost to Cognition also

raises the rating of skills linked to that aptitude.

Downtime

NOTE: Down time

Psi Type: Active Action: Task (min. 4 hours)

Range: Self Duration : Sustained

Strain Mod: 0

This sleight provides the async with the ability

to send the mind into a fugue-state regenerative

downtime, during which the character’s psyche is

repaired. The async must enter the downtime for

at least 4 hours; every 4 hours of downtime heals

1 point of stress damage. Traumas, derangements,

and disorders are unaffected by this sleight. For

all sensory purposes, the async is catatonic during

downtime, completely oblivious to the outside

world. Only severe disturbances or physical shock

(such as being wounded or hit by a shock weapon)

will bring the async out of it.

Emotion Control

NOTE: Emotion Con trol

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

Emotion Control gives the async tight control

over their emotional states. Unwanted emotions

can be blocked out and others embraced. This has

the benefit of protecting the async from emotional

manipulation, such as the Drive Emotion sleight or

Intimidation skill tests. The async receives a +30

modifier when defending against such tests.

Ehanced Creativity

NOTE: Enh anced Creativity

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

An async with Enhanced Creativity is more imaginative

and more inclined to think outside the box.

Apply a +20 modifier to any tests where creativity

plays a major role. This level of ingenuity can

sometimes seem strange and different, manifesting

Filter

NOTE: Filter

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

Filter allows the async to filter out out distractions

and eliminate negative situational modifiers from

distraction, up to the gamemaster’s discretion.

Grok

NOTE: Grok

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Self Duration : Instant

Strain Mod: –1

By using the Grok sleight, the async is able to

intuitively understand how any unfamiliar object,

vehicle, or device is used simply by looking at and

handling it. If the character succeeds in a COG x 2

Test, they achieve a basic ability to use the object,

vehicle, or device, no matter how alien or bizarre.

This sleight does not provide any understanding of

the principles or technologies involved—the psi user

simply grasps how to make it work. If a test is called

for, the psi user receives a +20 modifier to use the

device (this bonus only applies to unfamiliar devices,

and/or tests the character is defaulting on—it does not

apply to devices the character is familiar with).

High Pain Threshold

Hyperthymesia

NOTE: Hyp erthy mesia

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

Hyperthymesia grants the async a superior autobiographical

memory, allowing them to remember the

most trivial of events. A hyperthymestic async can be

asked a random date and recall the day of the week

it was, the events that occurred that day, what the

weather was like, and many seemingly trivial details

that most people would not be able to recall.

Instinct

NOTE: stinct

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

Instinct bolsters the async’s subconscious ability to

gauge a situation and make a snap judgment that

is just as accurate as a careful, considered decision.

For Task Actions that involve analysis or planning

alone (typically Mental skill actions), the async may

reduce the timeframe by 90% without suffering a

modifier. For Task Actions that involve partial analysis/

planning, they may reduce the timeframe by 30%

without penalty.

Multitasking

NOTE: Multitasking

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

The async can handle vast amounts of information

without overload and can perform more than one

mental task at once. The character receives an extra

Complex Action each Action Phase that may only be

used for mental or mesh actions.

Pattern Recognition

NOTE: Pattern Recogn ition

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

The character is adept at spotting patterns and correlating

the non-random elements of a jumble—related

items jump out at them. This is useful for translating

languages, breaking codes, or find clues hidden among

massive amounts of data. The character must havea sufficiently large sample enough time to study, as

determined by the gamemaster. This might range from

a few hours of listening to a spoken transhuman language

to a few days of investigating inscriptions left

by long-dead aliens to a week or more of researching

a lengthy cipher. Languages may be comprehended by

reading or listening to them being spoken. Apply a

+20 modifier to any appropriate Language, Investigation,

Research, or cod-breaking Tests (note that this

does not apply to Infosec Tests made by software to

decrypt a code). The async may also use this ability to

more easily learn new languages, reducing the training

time by half.

Predictive Boot

NOTE: Predictive Boo st

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

The Bayesian probability machine features of the

async’s brain are boosted by this sleight, enhancing

their ability to estimate and predict outcomes of

events around them as they unfold in real-time and

update those predictions as information changes.

In effect, the character has a more intuitive sense

for which outcomes are most likely. This grants the

character a +10 bonus on any skill tests that involve

predicting the outcome of events. It also bolsters

the async’s decision-making in combat situations by

making the best course of action more clear, and so

provides a +10 bonus to both Initiative and Fray Tests.

Qualia

NOTE: Qualia

Psi Type: Active Action: Quick

Range: Self Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: –1

The async can temporarily increase their intuitive

grasp of things. In game terms, Intuition is raised by

5 for the chosen duration. This boost to Intuition also

raises the rating of skills linked to that aptitude.

Savant Calculation

NOTE: Savant Calculation

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

The character possesses an incredible facility with

intuitive mathematics. They can do everything from

calculate the odds exactly when gambling to predicting

precisely where a leaf falling from a tree will land

by observing the landscape and local wind currents.

The character specializes in calculation involving the

activity of complex chaotic systems and so can calculate

answers that even the fastest computers could not,

including things like patterns of rubble distribution

from an explosion. However, this mathematic facility

is largely intuitive, so the character does not know the

equations they are solving, they merely know the solution

to the problem.

This sleight also provides a +30 modifier to any

skill tests involving math (which the character is calculating,

not a computer).

Sensory Boost

NOTE: Sensory Boo st

Psi Type: Active Action: Quick

Range: Self Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: –2

An async uses this sleight to increase their natural or

augmented sensory perception (sight, audio, smell,

augmented) by enhanced cerebral processing, granting

a +20 bonus modifier on sensory-based Perception

Tests.

Superior Kinesics

NOTE: Superior Kinesics

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

The async acquires more insight into people’s emotive

signals, gestures, facial expressions, and body

language when it comes time to predict the person’s

emotional state, intent, or reactions. Apply a +10

modifier to Kinesics Skill Tests.

Time Sense

NOTE: Time Sense

Psi Type: Active Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: –1

An async with this ability can slow down his perception

of time, making everything appear to move

in slow motion or at reduced speed. In game terms,

this sleight grants the async a Speed of +1. This extra

Action Phase, however, can only be spent on mental

and mesh actions.

Unconsicous Lead

NOTE: Un con scious Lead

Psi Type: Active Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: +0

This sleight allows the async to override their consciousness

and let their unconscious mind take point.

While in this state, the async’s conscious mind is only

dimly aware of what is transgressing, and any memories

of this period will be hazy at best. The advantage

is that the unconscious mind acts more quickly, and

so the async’s Speed is boosted by +1. The character

remains aware and active, but is incapable of complex

communication or other mental actions and is

motivated by instinct and primitive urges more than

conscious thought. Though it is recommended that

the player retain control of their character while using

Unconscious Lead, the gamemaster should feel free to

direct the character’s actions as they see fit.

Psi-Gamma SleightsEdit

NOTE: Psi-Gamma Sl eigh ts

Psi-gamma sleights deal with contacting (reading

and communicating) and influencing the function of

biological minds (egos within a biomorph, but also

including animal life). Psi-gamma is only available to

characters with Level 2 of the Psi trait.

Most psi-gamma use is handled as an Opposed Test

between the async and the target (p. 222).

Alienation

NOTE: Al ienation

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: +0 Skil: Psi Assault

Alienation is an offensive sleight that create a sense of

disconnection between an ego and its morph—similar

to that experienced when resleeved into a new body.

The ego finds their body cumbersome, strange, and

alien, almost like they are a prisoner within it. If the

async beats the target in an Opposed Test, treat the

test as a failed Integration Test (p. 272) for the target.

This effect lasts for the sleight’s duration.

Charisma

NOTE: Ch arisma

Psi Type: Active Action: Quick

Range: Touch Duration : Temp (Minutes)

Strain Mod: –1 Skil: Control

The async uses this sleight to influence the target’s

mind on a subconscious level, so that the target perceives

them to be charming, magnetic, and persuasive.

If the async beats the target in an Opposed Test, they

gain a +30 modifier on all subsequent Social Skill

Tests for the chosen duration.

Cloud Memory

NOTE: Clo ud Memory

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Temp (Minutes)

Strain Mod: –1 Skil: Control

Cloud Memory allows the async to temporarily disrupt

the target’s ability to form long-term memories. If

the async wins the Opposed Test, the target’s memorysaving

ability is negated for the duration. The target

will retain short-term memories during this time, but

will soon forget anything that occurred while this

sleight was in effect.

Deep Scan

NOTE: Deep Scan

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Sustained

Strain Mod: +1 Skil: Sense

Deep Scan is a more intrusive version of Thought

Browse (p. 228), made to extract information from the

targeted individual. If the Opposed Test succeeds, the

async telepathically invades the target’s mind and can

probe it for information. For every 10 full points of MoS

the async achieves on their test, they retrieve one piece of information. Each item takes one full Action Turn to

retrieve, during which the sleight must be sustained. The

target is aware of this mental probing, though they will

not know what information the async acquired.

Drive Emotion

NOTE: Drive Emotion

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: –1 Skil: Control

This sleight allows the async to stimulate cortical areas

of the target’s brain related to emotion. This allows

the async to induce, amplify, or tone down specific

emotions, thereby manipulating the target. If the async

beats the target in an Opposed Test, they will act in accordance

with the emotion for the duration and under

certain circumstances may suffer from certain penalties

(up to +/–30), as determined by the gamemaster. For

example, an async might receive a +30 Intimidation

Test modifier against a target imbued with fear.

Ego Sense

NOTE: Ego Sense

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Close Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: –1 Skil: Sense

Ego Sense can be used to detect the presence and

location of other sentient and biological life forms

(i.e., egos) within the async’s range. To detect these

life forms, the async makes a single Sense Test, opposed

by each life form within range. The async may

suffer a modifier for detecting small animals and

insects, similar to the modifier applied for targeting

them in ranged combat (see p. 193); likewise, a

modifier for detecting larger life forms may also be

applied. If successful, the async has detected that the

life form is nearby. Every 10 full points of MoS will

ascertain another piece of information regarding the

detected life: direction from async, approximate size,

type of creature, distance from async, etc. The async

will know if the target moves, if they do so during the

sleight’s duration.

Empathic Scan

NOTE: Empathic Scan

Psi Type: Active Action: Quick

Range: Close Duration : Sustained

Strain Mod: –2 Skil: Sense

Empathic Scan enables the async to sense the target’s

base emotions. If the async wins the Opposed Test,

they intuitively feel the target’s emotional current state

for as long as the sleight is sustained. At the gamemaster’s

discretion, this knowledge may provide a modifier

(up to +30) for certain Social skill tests.

Implant Memory

NOTE: Impl ant Memory

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Instant

Strain Mod: +0 Skil: Control

An async using this sleight can implant a memory

of up to an hour’s length inside the target’s mind.

This memory very obviously does not belong to the

target—there is no way they will confuse it for one

of their own. The intent is not to fake memories, but

to place one of the async’s memories in the target’s

mind so that the target can access it just like any other

memory. This can be useful for “archiving” important

data with an ally, providing a literal alternate perspective,

or simply making a “data dump” for the target

to peruse. Implant Memory requires an Opposed Test

against unwilling participants. At the gamemaster’s

discretion, particularly traumatic memories might

inflict mental stress on the recipient (p. 215).

Implant Skill

NOTE: Impl ant Skill

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: +0 Skil: Control

Similar to Implant Memory, this sleight allows the

async to impart some of their expertise and implant it

into the target’s mind. For the duration of the sleight,

the target benefits when using that skill. If the async’s

skill is between 31 and 60, the target receives a +10

bonus. If the async’s skill is 61+, the target receives

a +20 bonus. Implant Skill requires an Opposed Test

against unwilling participants. In some cases, the

target has been known to use the skill with the async’s

flair and mannerisms.

Mimic

NOTE: Mimic

Psi Type: Active Action: Quick

Range: Close Duration : Instant

Strain Mod: +0 Skil: Sense

In a setting where changing your body and face is

not unusual, people learn to recognize habits and

personality quirks more often. The async must use this sleight on a target and succeed in a Success Test.

If successful, the async acquires an “imprint” of the

target’s mind that they can take advantage of when

impersonating that ego. The async then receives a +30

bonus on Impersonation Tests when mimicking the

target’s behavior and social cues.

Mindlink

NOTE: Mindlink

Psi Type: Active Action: Quick

Range: Touch Duration : Sustained

Strain Mod: +1/target after first Skil: Control

Mindlink allows two-way mental communication

with a target. This may be used on more than one

target simultaneously, in which case the async can act

as a telepathic “server,” so that everyone mindlinked

with the async may also telepathically communicate

with each other (via the async, however, so they

overhear). Language is still a factor in mindlinked

communications, but this barrier may be overcome by

transmitting sounds, images, emotions, and other sensations.

Mindlink requires an Opposed Test against

unwilling participants.

Omni Awareness

NOTE: Omni Aw areness

Psi Type: Active Action: Quick

Range: Close Duration : Temp (Minutes)

Strain Mod: –1 Skil: Sense

An async with Omni Awareness is hypersensitive to

other biological life that is observing them. During

this sleight’s duration, the async makes a Sense Test

that is opposed by any life that has focused their attention

on them within the sleight’s range; if successful,

the async knows they are being watched, but not

by whom or what. It does, however, apply a +30 Perception

bonus to spot the observer. This sleight does

not register partial attention or fleeting attention, or

simple perception of the async, it only notices targets who are actively observing (even if they are concealing

their observation). This sleight is effective in spotting a

tail, as well as finding potential mates in a bar.

Penetration

NOTE: Penetration

Psi Type: Active Action: Quick

Range: Touch Duration : Instant

Strain Mod: 1 per AP point Skil: Psi Assault

Penetration is a sleight that works in conjunction with

any offensive sleight that involves the Psi Assault skill.

It allows the async to penetrate the Psi Shield of an opponent

by concentrating their psi attack. Every point

of Armor Penetration applied to a psi attack inflicts

1 point of strain. The maximum AP that may be applied

equals the async’s Psi Assault skill divided by 10

(round down).

Psi Shield

NOTE: Psi Sh ield

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

Psi Shield bolsters the async’s mind to psi attack and

manipulation. If the async is hit by a psi attack, they

receive WIL ÷ 5 (round up) points of armor, reducing

the amount of damage inflicted. They also receive a

+10 modifier when resisting any other sleights.

Psychic Stab

NOTE: Psychic Stab

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Instant

Strain Mod: +0 Skil: Psi Assault

Psychic Stab is an offensive sleight that seeks to inflict

physical damage on the target’s brain and nervous

system. Each successful attack inflicts 1d10 + (WIL ÷

10, round up) damage. Increase the damage by +5 if

an Excellent Success is scored.

Scramble

NOTE: Scrambl e

Psi Type: Passive Action: Automatic

Range: Self Duration : Constant

Scramble allows the async using the sleight to hide

from another async using the Ego Sense or Omni

Awareness sleights. Apply a +30 modifier to the defending

async’s Opposed Test.

Sense Block

NOTE: Sense Blo ck

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: –1 Skil: Psi Assault

Sense Block disables and short circuits one of the target’s

sensory cortices (chosen by the async), interfering

with and possibly negating a specific source of sensory

input for the chosen duration. If the async beats the

target in the Opposed Test, the target suffers a –30

modifier to Perception Tests with that sense equal (doubled

to –60 if the async scores an Excellent Success).

Spam

NOTE: Sp am

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: +0 Skil: Psi Assault

The sleight allows the async to overload and flood one

of the target’s sensory cortices (chosen by the async),

spamming them with confusing and distracting sensory

input and thereby impairing them. If the async

wins the Opposed Test, the target suffers a –10 modifier

to all tests the duration of the sleight (doubled to

–20 if the async scores an Excellent Success).

Static

NOTE: Static

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Close Duration : Sustained

Strain Mod: +0 Skil: None

The async generates an anti-psi jamming field, impeding

any use of ranged sleights within their range. All

such ranged sleights suffer a –30 modifier. This sleight

has no effect on self or touch-range sleights.

Subliminal

NOTE: Subl iminal

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Instant

Strain Mod: +2 Skil: Control

The Subliminal sleight allows the async to influence

the train of thought of another person by implementing

a single post-hypnotic suggestion into the mind

of the target. If the async wins the Opposed Test, the

recipient will carry out this suggestion as if it was

their own idea. Implanted suggestions must be short

and simple; as a rule of thumb, the gamemaster may

only suggestions encompassed by a short sentence

(for example: “open the airlock,” or “hand over the

weapon”). At the gamemaster’s discretion, the target

may receive a bonus for resisting suggestions that are

immediately life threatening (“jump off the bridge”)

or that violate their motivations or personal strictures.

Suggestions do not need to be carried out immediately,

they may be implanted with a short trigger condition

(“when the alarm goes off, ignore it”).

Thought Browse

NOTE: Tho ugh t Brow se

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Sustained

Strain Mod: –1 Skil: Sense

Thought Browse is a less-intrusive form of mind

reading which scans the target’s surface thoughts for

certain “keywords” like a particular word, phrase,

sound, or image chosen by the async. Rather than digging

through the target’s ego as with the Deep Scan

sleight, Thought Browse merely verifies whether a

target has a particular person, place, event, or thing

in mind, which can be used by a savvy investigator to

draw conclusions without the need to invade the mind directly. Thought Browse may be sustained, allowing

the async to continue scanning the target’s thoughts

over time. The async must beat the target in an Opposed

Test for each scanned item.

PSYCHOSURGERYEdit

NOTE: Given the reach of neuroscience in the time of

Eclipse Phase, it is easy to think of the mind as

programmable software, as something that can be

reverse-engineered, re-coded, upgraded, and patched.

To a large degree, this is true. Aided by nanotechnology,

genetics, and cognitive science, neuroscientists

have demolished numerous barriers to understanding

the mind’s structure and functions, and even

made great leaps in unveiling the true nature of

consciousness. Genetic tweaks, neuro-mods, and

neural implants offer an assortment of options for

improving the brain’s capabilities. The transhuman

mind has become a playground—and a battlefield.

Nanovirii unleashed during the Fall infected millions,

altering their brains in permanent ways, with

occasional outbreaks still occurring a decade later.

Cognitive virii roam the mesh, plaguing infomorphs

and AIs, reprogramming mind states. An “infectious

idea” is now a literal term.

In truth, mind editing is not an easy, safe, and

error-proof process—it is difficult, dangerous, and

often flawed. Neuroscience may be light years

ahead of where it was a century ago, but there are

many aspects of the brain and neural functions

that continue to confound and elude even the

brightest experts and AIs. Technologies like nanoneural

mapping, uploading, digital mind emulation,

and artificial intelligence are also comparatively

in their infancy, being mere decades old. Though

transhumanity has a handle on how to make these

processes work, it does not always fully understand

the underlying mechanisms.

Any neurotech will tell you that mucking around

in the mind’s muddy depths is a messy business.

Brains are organic devices, molded by millions of

years of unplanned evolutionary development. Each

is grown haphazardly, loaded with evolutionary leftovers, and randomly modified by an unlimited

array of life events and environmental factors. Every

mind features numerous mechanisms—cells, connections,

receptors—that handle a dizzying array

of functions: memory, perception, learning, reasoning,

emotion, instinct, consciousness, and more. Its

system of organization and storage is holonomic,

diffused, and disorganized. Even the geneticallymodified

and enhanced brains of transhumans are

crowded, chaotic, cross-wired places, with each

mind storing its memories, personality, and other

defining features in unique ways.

What this means is that though the general architecture

and topography of neural networks can

be scanned and deduced, the devil is in the details.

Techniques used to modify, repair, or enhance one

person’s mind are not guaranteed equal success

when applied to another’s brain. For example, the

process by which brains store knowledge, skills, and

memories results in a strange chaining process where

these memories are linked and associated with other

memories, so attempts to alter one memory can

have adverse affects on other memories. In the end,

minds are slippery and dodgy things, and attempts

to reshape them rarely go as planned.

The Process of Psychosurgery

NOTE: Psychosurgery is the process of selective, surgical alteration

of a transhuman mind. It is a separate field from

neural genetic modification (which alters genetic code),

neuralware implantation (adding cybernetic or biotech

inserts to the brain or nervous system), or brain hacking

(software attacks on computer brains, neural inserts, and

infomorphs), though they are sometimes combined.

Psychosurgery is almost always performed on a

digital mind-state, whether that be a real-time emulation,

a backup, or a fork. In most cases, the subject’s

mind-state is copied via the same technology and process

as uploading or forking, and run in a simulspace.

The subject need not be willing, and in these cases

the subject’s permissions are restricted. Numerous

psychosurgery simulspace environments are available,

each custom-designed for facilitating specific psychosurgical

goals and programmed with a thorough

selection of psychotherapy treatment options.

The actual process of psychosurgery breaks down

into several stages. First is diagnosis, which can

involve the use of several neuro-imaging techniques

on morphed characters, mapping synaptic connections,

and building a neurochemical model. It can

also involve complete psychological profiling and

psychometric behavioral testing, including personality

tests and simulspace scenario simulations. Digital

mind-states can be compared to records of people

with similar symptoms in order to identify related

information clusters. This analysis is used to plan

the procedure.

The actual implementation of psychosurgical alteration

can involve several methods, depending on

the desired results. Applying external modules to the

mind-state is often the best approach, as it doesn’t

meddle with complicated connections and new inputs

are readily interpreted and assimilated. For treatments,

mental health software patches compiled from

databases of healthy minds are matched, customized,

and applied. Specialized programs may be run to

stimulate certain mental processes for therapeutic

purposes. Before an alteration is even applied, it may

first be performed on a fork of the subject and run at

accelerated speeds to evaluate the outcome. Likewise,

multiple treatment choices may be applied to time-accelerated

forks this way, allowing the psychosurgeon

to test which is likely to work best.

Not all psychosurgery is performed for the subject’s

benefit, of course. Psychosurgery can be used to interrogate

or torture prisoners, erase memories, modify

behavior, or inflict crippling impairments. It is also

sometimes used for legal punishment purposes, in

an attempt to impair criminal activity. Needless to

say, such methods are often brute-forced rather than

fine-tuned, ignoring safety parameters and sometimes

resulting in detrimental side effects.

The Human Cognome Project

NOTE: The Human Cognome Project was an

academic research venture to reverse

engineer the human brain, paralleling

in many ways the Human Genome

Project and its success in deciphering

the human genome. The HCP was a

multidisciplinary undertaking, relevant

to biology, neuroscience, psychology,

cognitive science, artificial intelligence,

and philosophy of mind.

Funded and supported by scientific

and corporate entrepreneurs and early

transhumanist groups, the HCP developed

the fundamentals of digitizing an ego

and was a major driving force towards

the first transhumans with elevated

intelligence and brain capacity. The HCP

has also been instrumental in cataloging

transhuman minds and developing

databases of “mind patches” based on

the mind-states of healthy individuals for

treating mental diseases and damage.

Though most HCP data is available to the

public, some argonauts claim that certain

data is held hostage by some hypercorps,

potentially for the development of proprietary

mind-altering technologies.

After the Fall, the remnants of this

project were acquired by the Planetary

Consortium.

Psychosurgery MechanicsEdit

NOTE: In game terms, psychosurgery is handled as a Task

Action requiring an Opposed Test. The psychosurgeon

rolls Psychosurgery skill against the target’s WIL x 3.

Apply modifiers as appropriate from the Psychosurgery

Modifiers table.

If the psychosurgeon succeeds and the subject fails,

the psychosurgery is effective and permanent. The

alteration becomes a permanent part of the subject’s

ego, and will be copied when uploaded (and sometimes

when forking).

If both sides succeed but the psychosurgeon rolls

higher, the psychosurgery is effective but temporary. It

lasts for 1 week per 10 points of MoS.

If the subject rolls higher, or if the psychosurgeon

fails their roll, the attempt does not work.

The timeframe listed for psychosurgical procedures

is according to the patient’s subjective point of view.

Since most subjects are treated in a simulspace, time

acceleration may drastically reduce the amount of

real-time such a procedure requires (see Defying Nature’s

Laws, pp. 240–241).

Mental Stress

NOTE: Psychosurgery is a modification to the transhuman

mind, and sometimes to the actual person that resides

in that mind. It is unsurprising then that psychosurgery

places stress on the subject’s mental state and

sometimes even inflicts mental traumas.

Each psychosurgery option lists a Stress Value

(SV) that is inflicted on the subject regardless of

the tests’ success or failure. If the psychosurgeon

achieves an Excellent Success (MoS 30+), this stress

is halved (round down). If the psychosurgeon rolls

a Severe Failure (MoF 30+), the stress is doubled.

Alternately, a Severe Failure could result in unintended

side effects, such as affecting other behaviors,

emotions, or memories.

If a critical success is rolled, no stress is applied at

all. If a critical failure is rolled, however, an automatic

trauma is applied in addition to the normal stress.

Some psychosurgery conditions may also affect the

SV, as noted on the Psychosurgery Modifiers table.

Roleplaying Mind Edits

NOTE: Many of the changes incurred by psychosurgery are

nebulous and difficult to pin down with game mechanics.

Alterations to a character’s personality and

mind-state are often better handled as roleplaying factors

anyway. This means that players should make a

real effort to integrate any such mental modifications

into their character’s words and actions, and gamemasters

should ensure that a character’s portrayal

plays true to their mind edits. Some psychosurgical

mods can be reflected with ego traits, while others

might incur modifiers to certain tests or in certain

situations. The gamemaster should carefully weigh a

brain alteration’s effects, and apply modifiers as they

see appropriate.

Psychosurgery ProceduresEdit

NOTE: The following alterations may be accomplished with

psychosurgery. At the gamemaster’s discretion, other

mind-editing procedures may be attempted, using

these as a guideline.

Behavioral Control

NOTE: Behavioral Con trol

Timeframe: 1 week

PM:

Limit/Boost –10; Block/Encourage –20,

Expunge/Enforce –30

SV: (1d10 ÷ 2, round up)

Commonly used for criminal rehabilitation, behavioral

control attempts to limit, block, or expunge a

specific behavior from the subject’s psyche. For example,

a murderer may be conditioned against acts of aggression,

or a kleptomaniac might be restricted from

stealing. Some people seek this adjustment willingly,

such as socialite glitterati who restrict their desire to

eat, or an addict who cuts out their craving for a fix.

Behavioral control can also be applied as an unleashing

or reinforcement. A companion may desire

to eliminate their sexual inhibitions, for example, or

a hypercorp exec may boost his commitment to place

work above all else.

A character will simply feel compelled to avoid

a behavior that is limited (perhaps suffering a –10

modifier), but will find it quite difficult to pursue a behavior

that is blocked (requiring a WIL x 3 Test, and

suffering a –20 modifier). They will find themselves

completely incapable of initiating a behavior that is

expunged, and if forced into the behavior will suffer

a –30 modifier and (1d10 ÷ 2, round up) points of

mental Stress.

Likewise, a character will feel compelled to pursue a

behavior that is boosted, and will find it hard to avoid

Behavioral Masking

NOTE: Behavioral Masking

Timeframe: 1 week

PM: –20

SV: 1d10 ÷ 2, round up

Given the ability to switch bodies, many security and

law enforcement agencies have resorted to personality

and behavioral profiling as a means of identifying

people even when they resleeve. Though such systems

are far from perfect, someone’s unconscious habits

and quirks could potentially give them away. Characters

who wish to elude identification in this way may

undergo behavioral masking, which seeks to alter and

change the character’s unconscious habits and social

cues. Apply a +30 modifier when defending against

such identification systems and Kinesics Tests.

Deep Learning

NOTE: Deep Learning

Timeframe: Skill Learning Time ÷ 2

PM: +20

SV: 1

Using tutorial programs, memory reinforcement protocols,

conditioning tasks, and deep brain stimulation,

the subject’s learning ability is reinforced, allowing

them to learn new skills more quickly.

Emotional Control

NOTE: Emotion al Con trol

Timeframe: 1 week

PM:

Limit/Boost –10; Block/Encourage –20,

Expunge/Enforce –30

SV: (1d10 ÷ 2, round up) + 2

Similar to behavioral control, emotional control seeks

to modify, enhance, or restrict the subject’s emotional

responses. Some choose these modifications willingly,

such as limiting sadness in order to be happier, or

encouraging aggression in order to be more competitive.

Mercenaries and soldiers have been known

to expunge fear. Foll

Interrogation

NOTE: In terrog ation

Timeframe: Variable (gamemaster discretion; 1 week default)

PM: +30

SV: 1d10

Psychosurgery can be used for interrogative purposes

via the application of mental torture and manipulation.

A successful Psychosurgery Test applies a +30

modifier to the Intimidation Test for interrogation

Memory Editing

NOTE: Memory Editing

Timeframe: 1 week (2 weeks adding/replacing)

PM: –10 (willing) or –30 (forced)

SV: (1d10 ÷ 2, round up)

By monitoring memory recall (forcibly invoked if necessary),

psychosurgeons can identify where memories

are stored in the brain and target them for removal.

Memory storage is complex and diffused, however,

and often linked to other memories, so removing one

memory may affect others (gamemaster discretion).

Adding or replacing memories is a much more complicated

operation and requires that such memories be

copied from someone who has experienced them or

manufactured with XP software. Even when successfully

implanted, fake memories may clash with other

(real) memories unless those are also erased.

Personality Editing

NOTE: Person ality Editing

Timeframe: 1 week

PM: Minor –10; Moderate –20, Major –30

SV: (1d10 ÷ 2, round up) + 3

Possibly the most drastic psychosurgery procedure,

personality editing involves altering the subject’s core

personality traits. The personality factors that may be

modified is almost unlimited, including traits such as

openness, conscientiousness, altruism, extroversion/

introversion, impulsiveness, curiosity, creativity, confidence,

sexual orientation, and self-control, among

others. These traits may be enhanced or reduced to

varying degrees. The effect is largely reflected by roleplaying,

but the gamemaster may apply modifiers as

they see fit.

Psychotorture

NOTE: Psycho torture

Timeframe: Variable

PM: +30

SV: 1d10 SV per day

Psychotorture is mental manipulation for the simple

intention of causing pain and anguish, reflected in

game terms as mental stress and traumas. Prolonged

torture can lead to serious mental disorders or worse.

Psychotherapy

NOTE: Psycho therapy

Timeframe: Variable

PM: +0

SV: 0

Therapeutic psychosurgery is beneficial for characters

suffering from mental stress, traumas, and disorders. A

successful Psychosurgery Test applies a +30 modifier

to mental healing tests, as noted on p. 215.

Skill Implants

NOTE: Skill Imprints

Timeframe: 1 week per +10

PM: +0

SV: 1 per +10

Skill imprinting is the use of psychosurgery to insert

skill-set neural patterns in the subject’s brain, temporarily

boosting their ability. Skill imprints are artificial

boosts, however, degrading at the rate of –10 per day.

No skill may be boosted higher than 60.

Skill Suppression

NOTE: Skill Supp ression

Timeframe: 1 day per –10

PM: –10

SV: 1 per +10

Skill suppression attempts to identify where skills are

stored in the brain and then block or remove them.

The subject’s skill is impaired and may be lost entirely.

Tasping

NOTE: Tasping

Timeframe: 1 day

PM: +10

SV: 1

Tasping is the use of deep brain stimulation techniques

to tickle the mind’s pleasure centers. Though this

procedure is often used for therapeutic purposes for

patients suffering from depression or other mental

illnesses, the intent with tasping is to overload the

subject into a prolonged state of almost unendurable

bliss. Such stimulation is highly addictive, however, so

character’s exposed to it for any length of time (over

1 hour, subjective) are likely to pick up the Addiction

trait (p. 148). Some criminal organizations have been

known to use tasping addiction and rewards as a

means of controlling those under their thrall.

Psychosurgery Modifiers

NOTE: Psy chosurgery Modifiers

Situation

Psychosurgery Test Modifier SV Modifier

Improper Preparatory Diagnosis –30 +1

Safety Protocols Ignored +20 x2

Simulspace Time Acceleration –20 +2

Subject is an AI, AGI, or uplift –20 +1

The Lost

NOTE: <begin excerpt>

PSICLONE Project Quarterly Board Meeting

2nd Quarter 8 AF

FUTURA Project Conclusion—

Executive Summary Report

Prepared by Dr. Amelia Sheppard

Per request, I have compiled a review of the

Futura Project and its fallout, 5 years after

whistleblowers and intense media attention

forced us to end the project and release the

remaining subjects (dubbed “the Lost” by

popular media).

Futura was a joint initiative spearheaded by

Hanto Genomics and strongly backed by Cognite,

with numerous other partners (complete

list). The project was initially proposed by my

mentor, Dr. Antonio Pascal, whose team had

proven the feasibility of Accelerated Life Experience

Training (ALET) after a series of pilot

studies with two small (N<1000) samples.

While it is true that these early pilot studies

used both older subjects and a lesser amount

of time dilation, the rationale for the Futura

Project’s ambitious program was justified by a

remarked decrease in transhumanity’s population

due to the Fall, a system-wide stagnant

population growth rate (blamed on various

factors including increased longevity, available

contraception, and rising despair over troubling

times), as well as a desire to move aggressively

into a new technological sector in the hopes of

obtaining a competitive advantage.

Futura began immediately in the wake

of the Fall with an initial seed population

of test subjects culled from extant genetic

material and gestated to between 1 week and

6 months after birth. Of these, less than 10%

were live births from either a surrogate or

genetic birth mother who had perished during

the Fall. The majority came from our Lunar and

Martian labs and were brought to term within

an exowomb.

After the sample was selected, all subjects

were sleeved into our fast-growth futura-brand

biomorph bodies and inducted into customized

simulspace accelerated learning environments.

The project made extensive use of emergent

technologies and techniques culled from recaptured

TITAN facilities, including neogenetic

traits for the futura morphs and time distortion

applications for captive simulspace populations.

Futura ran concurrently on three different

research stations with a combined staff of

2,211 researchers and support personnel and

45 AGIs custom-programmed for expert child

development. Project goals were to raise each

child to a subjective 18 years life experience in

3 years objective time.

Despite omnipresent observation and

real-time adjusting of the simulspace and educational

programming for optimal normality,

somewhere along the way the project suffered

a breakdown in quality assurance and parameter

monitoring that resulted in a near total

failure at empathy modeling. We first observed

this effect 11 months into the project when the

subjects had aged to approximately 6 years of

age. Incidences of animal cruelty and acting

out had spiked, though at that time they remained

within acceptable standards. Over the

next few months this trend continued and Dr.

Pascal authorized the usage of more authoritative

“parenting” to attempt to correct for the

borderline sociopathic behavior that was being

exhibited by 23.19% of all subjects by the 18-

month mark (9 years of age).

We now know that these changes had

the unintended consequence of suppressing

overt displays of cruelty and violence and

merely taught the majority of subjects how

to conceal their psychoses. It was also at this

time that the first deaths occurred. The initial

waves were thought to be accidents and

both the victim and perpetrator were usually

backed up to a week or so of subjective time.

Post-project analysis now shows that 43.87%

of our subjects had engaged in at least one

act of premeditated murder by the 24-month

mark (12 years of age) and the counseling

protocols were only training them how to lie

more effectively.

It was at this point that myself and Dr.

Aaron Bharani advocated pulling the plug on

the project and bringing the subjects out to

real time and intensive counseling. Dr. Pascal

vetoed our concerns without ever taking them

to the board. As the project spiraled towards

its conclusion, a fork of Dr. Bharani went public

at the 34 month mark, inciting a firestorm of

controversy. While Dr. Pascal successfully tied

up investigators, hoping to see the project

through to its conclusion, the incident at our

Legacy research station occurred. Initial findings

concluded that one or more of the subjects

had escaped the program and were in fact

responsible for the habitat’s environmental failures

and the thousands of subsequent deaths.

In the face of intense public and private

scrutiny, many of the partners involved in

the project attempted to pull out and even

eliminate all traces of their involvement. In the

resulting chaos, an estimated subjects

were quietly released into the system’s general

population. It was only after this occurred that

all known subjects were identified as having

been infected with the Watts-Macleod strain

of the Exsurgent virus, though when and how

this occurred remains troubling and unclear.

Though later orders resulted in all remaining

subjects being euthanized and/or backed up

into cold storage, only of the released

subjects were recaptured. Of the rest, pursued

sanctuary with sympathetic authorities,

went public and submitted themselves

to extensive psychotherapy, were killed in

incidents of violence and not resurrected, and

the rest presumably went into hiding.

<end excerpt>

THE MESHEdit

NOTE: Before the Fall, humanity interfaced with each other through the internet, interconnected networks that served as the technical backbone for the evolving world wide web. While it began as a electronic medium for retrieving information from various sources (replacing even older paper-based infosources), succeeding generations emphasized digital communities and hosted services such as networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. These facilitated openness, collaboration, and sharing, thereby laying the groundwork for a modern, interconnected information society. Further stages emphasized wireless interaction, geolocation, and semantic web approaches and achieved quantum leaps in the realm of user interaction with the advent of brain-computer interfaces, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and experience playback (XP).

This environment, coupled with the exponentialgrowth of processing power and memory storage, created an evolutionary path for the development of intelligent agents—designed to augment human information processing—that then transformed into artificial intelligences (AIs) in the following decades. While these “weak” AIs did not possess the full range of human cognitive abilities, tended towards overspecialization, and were restrained by programmed limitations, the digital evolution toward artificial general intelligences (AGIs)—”strong” AIs with intelligence capabilities that equaled or exceeded human abilities—could not be halted. From this point it was but a matter of time before so-called seed AI would come into existence, machine minds capable of recursive self-improvement, leading to an exponential growth in intelligence. Unfortunately for humanity, the TITANs were the result.

Even before the Fall, however, the internet of old was transforming into something new. Instead of connecting via central servers, users were wirelessly linking to each other, creating a decentralized intermeshed network of handheld devices, personal computers, robots, and electronic devices. Users were online all of the time and connected with everything and everyone around them in a ubiquitous computing environment. This was especially true of those participating in humanity’s expansion into space. Disconnected from the internet due to distance and light-speed communication lags, these users were nevertheless connected with all of the people and objects in their nearby environment or habitat, creating local wireless mesh networks. Thus was the mesh born, taking the place of the old internet of earth, lost during the Fall.

MESH CAPABILTIESEdit

NOTE: The mesh, as it exists in Eclipse Phase, is only possible

thanks to major developments made in computer and

communication technologies and nanofabrication.

Wireless radio transmitters and receivers are so unobtrusively

tiny that they can literally be factored into

anything. As a result, everything is computerized and

connected, or at least tagged with a radio frequency

ID (RFID) chip. Even food is tagged with edible chips,

complete with expiration date and nutritional content.

Other communications mediums, such as laser and

microwave links, add to the information flow.

Data storage technology has advanced to such high

levels that even an individual user’s surplus storage

capacity can maintain an amount of information

easily surpassing the entire 20th-century internet.

Lifeloggers can literally record every moment of their

life and never fear about running out of room. The

amount of data that people carry around in the mesh

inserts in their head or in portable ecto personal computers

is staggering.

Processing capabilities also exist at hyper-efficient

levels. Even massive supercomputers are a thing of the

past when modest handheld devices can fulfill almost

all of your needs, even while simultaneously running a

personal AI assistant, downloading media, uploading

porn, and scanning thousands of newsfeeds. Within

the mesh network, devices that near their processing

limits simply share the burden with devices around

them, creating a massively distributed framework that

in some ways is like an entire supercomputer to itself,

shared by everyone.

Similarly, transmission capacity now far exceeds

most citizens’ definition of need. Anyone born within

the last several generations has always lived in a world

in which hyper-realistic, multi-sensory media of nearly

any length is available for instantaneous download

or upload from anywhere. Massive databases and

archives are copied back and forth with ease. Bandwidth

is such a non-issue that most people forget it ever

was. In fact, given the sheer amount of data available,

finding the information or media you’re looking for

takes considerably longer than downloading it. The

mesh is also never down. As a decentralized network,

if any one device is taken offline, connections merely

route around it, finding a path via the thousands if not

millions of available nodes. Similarly, the entire mesh

behaves like a peer-to-peer network, so that large transfers

are broken into manageable chunks that take independent

routes. In fact, most users maintain personal

torrent archives that are publicly accessible and shared.

Private networks still exist, of course. Some are

physically walled away behind closed-access wired networks

or even wireless-inhibiting infrastructure that

keep a network isolated and contained. Most, however,

operate on top of the public mesh, using encrypted

tunneling protocols that provide private and secure

communications over unsecured networks. In other

words, these private networks are part of the mesh

along with everything else, but only the participants can interact with them thanks to encryption, user authentication,

and message integrity checking.

With the factionalization of transhumanity, attempts

to unify software into standard formats have

still failed. However, different operating systems

or protocols are rarely an obstacle anymore due to

easily accessible conversion tools and AI-aided compatibility

oversight.

Meshing Technologies

NOTE: Almost all biomorphs in the solar system are equipped

with basic mesh inserts (p. 300)—implanted personal

computers. These implants are grown in the brain via

non-intrusive nanosurgery. The processor, wireless

transceiver, storage devices, and other components

are directly wired to the user’s cerebral neuronal cells

and cortical centers responsible for language, speech,

and visual perception among others. Thought-tocommunication

emulations (so called transducing)

enables the user to control the implant just by thinking

and to communicate without vocalizing. Input

from the mesh inserts is transmitted directly into the

brain and sometimes perceived as augmented reality, overlaid on the user’s physical senses. In a similar

vein, the mesh inserts installed in synthmorphs and

pods are directly integrated with their cyberbrains

(creating a potential security concern as cyberbrains

are vulnerable to hacking).

External devices called ectos (p. 325) are also

used to access the mesh, though these are growing

increasingly rare given the prevalence of mesh inserts.

Ecto interface options include haptic interfaces like

touch-display controls, bracelets or gloves that detect

arm, hand, or finger movements (virtual mouse and

keyboards), eye tracking and blink control, body

scanning grids (body axis control or all-limb controls

for non-humanoids), voice controls, and more. Sensory

information is handled via lenses, glasses, earplugs

(subdermal bone-vibrating speakers), bodysuits,

gloves, nose plugs, tongue dams, and other devices

that are wirelessly linked to (or physically plugged

into) the ecto.

Information OverloadEdit

NOTE: The mesh contains massive amounts of personal and

public information shared by users, a digital commons of news, media, discourse, knowledge, environmental

data, business, and culture. Transhumans embrace

the mesh as a tool for exchange, communication,

and participation with other users, both local and far

away. As such, the mesh is an up-to-date, authoritative

source on all transhuman knowledge and activities.

Not everything online is available for free, of course,

except perhaps in the autonomist zones. Quite a bit of

proprietary data is kept off the grid in secure storage

or sequestered away in private networks. Some of this

is for sale, and heavily encumbered with digital restrictions—

software, media, nanofabrication blueprints,

skillsofts, etc. A thriving open source movement offers

free and open source alternatives to much proprietary

data, however, and numerous digital piracy groups

deal out cracked versions of proprietary material,

despite pressure from some authorities. Other data is

simply secured from competitive interests (hypercorp

research projects) or is an extremely private affair,

such as ego backups.

Spimes

NOTE: Along with the accumulated data of transhuman

affairs, the mesh is also cluttered with information

derived from untold numbers of wireless-capable sensor-

enabled devices that continuously update the mesh

with their location, sensor recordings, and other data.

Colloquially called “spimes,” these location-aware,

environment-aware, self-logging, self-documenting

objects broadcast their data to anyone who cares to listen. Since visual, auditory, and other sensors are

absurdly tiny and inexpensive, they are ubiquitously

incorporated into nearly every object or product a

person might wear, apply, use, or internalize. This

allows almost any user to reach out through the mesh

and gather environmental data and ambient sensor

recordings from a specific location (or at least public

locales—private areas typically block such signals or

Surveillance, Privacy, and Sousveillance

Legacy of the TITANs

NOTE: Given the technical capabilities of modern personal computers, supercomputers and cutting-edge wired

broadband are not needed. But there is another reason they are avoided: the TITANs.

Mainframes, hive-mind clusters, and massively parallel distributed computing parallel hive-mind systems

are all considered potential dangers in Eclipse Phase, as they possess sufficient processing power and data

capacity to enable a seed AI and another potential hard takeoff singularity. Some habitats go so far as to

outlaw such systems completely under the severest of penalties: final death including the deletion of all

backups and recent forks, in most cases.

Those supercomputers that habitats do allow are “hard networks” that control a habitat’s most crucial

systems like orbit maintenance thrusters, life support, communications, power, or cutting-edge hypercorp

R&D projects. These systems are typically physically wired, heavily monitored, and locked down in electronic

data processing centers with strong access restrictions and ruthless real-world security measures.

Similarly, AIs themselves are quite often heavily restricted, and it is not unusual for AGIs to be outright

banned, especially in the inner system and Jovian Republic. Most intelligent programs are limited

Ecto(-Link)

NOTE: A very popular brand of mobile multifunctional

personal digital assistant

before the Fall, the ecto name became

a synonym for handheld personal

computers in the Mesh Age. Standard

implanted computers are also sometimes

referred to as endos to reflect

the difference between an external

and an internal device.

No matter if ecto or endo, modern

computers are governed by an operating

system (OS), a multifunctional

suite of programs that includes media tools, a mesh browser, locator, socializing

programs (messenger, socnet

updater), cartography and navigation

software, language translation

software, and similar software tools.

OS designs are highly customizable,

allowing plug-and-use add-ons for

whatever additional software and

gadgets are desired. Typically, the

user’s muse (personal AI assistant)

facilitates software interactions.

The ecto itself is typically the size

of 20th-century credit card and can be molded and shaped into different

forms due to smart material construction.

They are often worn as jewelry or

clothing accessories, particularly bracelets.

The user interface varies according

to user preference. Wireless-enabled

contacts and earbuds equip users who

lack mesh implants, enabling them to

experience augmented reality and the

ecto’s AR control interface. Standard

entoptic control interfaces are also

available via wireless radio, skinlink,

and direct fiberoptic line.

INTERFACING: AR, VR, AND XPEdit

NOTE: Mesh media is accessed using one of three protocols:

augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), or experience

playback (XP).

Augmented RealityEdit

NOTE: Most users perceive data from the mesh as augmented

reality—information overlaid on the user’s

physical senses. For example, computer-generated

graphics will appear as translucent images, icons,

or text in the user’s field of vision. While visual AR

data—called entoptic data—is the most common,

other senses may also be used. AR input includes

acoustic sounds and voices, odors, tastes, and

even tactile sensations. This sensory data is highresolution

and seemingly “real,” though it is usually

presented as something ghostly or otherwise

artificial so as not to be confused with real-world

interactions (and also to meet safety regulations).

User interfaces are customized to the user’s preferences

and needs, both graphically and content-wise.

Filters allow users to access the information they

are interested in without needing to worry about

extraneous data. While AR data is typically placed

in the user’s normal field of vision, entoptics are not

actually limited by this and may be viewed in the

“mind’s eye.” Nevertheless, icons, windows and other

interaction prompts can be layered, stacked, toggled,

hidden, or shifted out of the way if necessary to interact

with the physical world.

Avatars

NOTE: Every mesh represents themselves online via a digital

avatar. Many people use digital representations

of themselves, whereas other prefer more iconic

designs. This may be an off-the-shelf look or a

customized icon. Libraries of avatars may also be

employed, enabling a user to switch their representation

according to mood. Avatars are what other

users see when they deal with you online—i.e., how

you are represented in AR. Most avatars are animated

and programmed to reflect the user’s actual

mood and speech, so that the avatar seems to speak

and have emotions.

E-Tags

NOTE: Entoptic tags are a way for people to “tag” a physical

person, place, or object with a piece of virtual data.

These e-tags are stored in networks local to the tagged

item, and move with the item if it changes location. E-tags are viewable in AR, and can hold almost any

type of data, though short notes and pictures are the

most common. E-tags are often linked to particular

social networks or circles within that network, so that

people can leave notes, reviews, memorabilia media,

and similar things for friends and colleagues.

Skinning

NOTE: Since reality can be overlaid with entoptics of hyper-real

quality, modern users can “skin” their reality by modifying

their perceptual input. Environments around them

may be modified to fit their particular tastes or mood.

Need your spirits boosted? Pull up a skin that makes it

seems like you’re outdoors, with the sun shining down,

the sounds of gentle surf in the background, and butterflies

drifting lazily overhead. Pissed off? Be comforted as

flames engulf the walls and thunder grumbles ominously

in the distance. It is not uncommon for people to go

about their day, accompanied by their own personal

soundtrack that only they can hear. Even olfactory and

taste receptors can be artificially stimulated to experience

sensations like the smell of roses, fresh air, or freshly-

baked pastries. While originally developed to make

“space food” less distasteful and as a method to counter

space-induced cabin fever for those that weren’t born in

space, vast archives of aromas, tastes, and environments

are available for download.

Skins do not need to be kept private, they may

also be shared with others via the mesh. Tired of

your cramped habitat cubicle? Decorate it with a custom-themed skin and share it with visitors to make

them feel more comfortable. Found a new music track

that livens up your day? Share it with others around

you, so they can nod to the same beat.

Skinning can also be used for the opposite effect.

Any undesired content of reality can be edited out,

veiled, or censored by modern software programs or

muses that engage in real-time editing. Tired of looking

at someone’s face? Add them to your killfile, and

you’ll never have to acknowledge their presence again.

AR censorware is also common in some communities

with strict religious or moral convictions.

Virtual RealityEdit

NOTE: Virtual reality overrides the user’s physical senses and

places them inside an entirely computer-generated

environment called a simulspace. While AR is used

for all common day activities and interactions, VR is

used mainly for recreation (gaming, virtual tourism,

escapism), socializing, meeting (when face-to-face

meetings are not possible), and training. Dedicated

networks with high-capacity information processing

are required to render and run large and complex

hyper-real simulspaces with many users, and these

are often hard-wired for additional stability. Smaller

simulspaces capable of hosting a smaller amount of

users can be run on a smaller distributed network of

linked devices. Many infomorphs and AIs effectively

reside within simulspaces, and some transhumans

have sworn off the physical world altogether.

Defying Nature's Lws

NOTE: A plethora of simulspace environments are available,

ranging from simulations of real places to historical

recreations to fantastic worlds representing almost

every genre imaginable. All of these simulations are

bolstered by the fact that possible scenarios are not

bound by the laws of nature. The fundamental forces

of reality and nature, like gravitation, electromagnetism,

atmosphere, temperature, etc., are programmable

in VR, allowing for environments that are

completely unnatural, such as escheresque simulspace

where gravity is relative to position. These domain

rules may be altered and manipulated according to

the whim of the designer.

Time itself is an adjustable constant in VR, though

deviation from true time has its limits. So far, transhuman

designers have achieved time dilation up to

60 times faster or slower than real time (roughly one

minute equaling either one hour or one second). Time

slowdown is far more commonly used, granting more

time for simulspace recreational activities (more time,

more fun!), learning, or work (economically effective).

Time acceleration, on the other hand, is extremely

useful for making long distance travel through space

more tolerable.

Accessing Simulsapces

NOTE: Most simulspaces can be accessed through the mesh

just like any other node. Since VR takes over the

user’s sensorium, however, and sometimes involves

time perception dilation, users are cut off from other

mesh-delivered sensory input and interacting directly

with other nodes. Instead, outside mesh interactions

are routed through the simulspace’s interface (meaning

that a character may browse the mesh, communicateEvery morph with mesh inserts has the capability

to transmit or record their experiences, a form of

technology called experience playback, or XP. Since

the first programs were developed that provide a

simple interface to “snapshot” one’s experiences,

it has become extremely popular to share XP with

friends and social networks, or with the online public

at large.

The level of experiences depends on how much of

the recorded sensory perception is kept when the clip

is made. Full XP includes exteroceptive, interoceptive,

and emotive tracks. Exteroceptive tracks include the

traditional senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch, and

taste that process the outside world. Interoceptive

tracks include senses originating within the body, such

as balance, a sense of motion, pain, hunger and thirst,

and a general sense of the location of one’s own body

parts. Emotive tracks include the whole spectrum of

emotions which can be aroused in a transhumans.

Due to the biological requirements (neuronal and

endocrine systems) of expressing emotions, hardcore

XP aficionados deem only the experience in and from

biomorphs as the real deal.

with others, etc. from inside a simulspace, if the

domain rules allow it).

Since physical senses are overridden when a user

accesses VR, most people prefer to rest their body

in a safe and comfortable environment while in the

simulspace. Body-fitting cushions and couches help

users relax and keep them from cramping up or injuring

themselves if they happen to thrash around.

In case of long-term virtual sojourns (for instance,

during space travel), morphs are normally retained

in tanks that sustain them in terms of nutrition and

oxygen. Many VR entertainment and game networks

offer dedicated and hardwired physical VR cafes

with private pods. Visitors rent a pod and physically

jack in, using either access jacks or an ultrasonic

trode net that reads and transmits brain patterns

when placed on the head.

When accessing a simulspace, the user first enters

an electronic buffer “holding space” known as a

white room. Here the user chooses a customizable

avatar-like persona to represent them in the simulspace,

called a simulmorph. From this point, the user

immerses themself in the virtual reality environment,

effectively becoming their simulmorph.

Experience Playback

NOTE: Most simulspaces can be accessed through the mesh

just like any other node. Since VR takes over the

user’s sensorium, however, and sometimes involves

time perception dilation, users are cut off from other

mesh-delivered sensory input and interacting directly

with other nodes. Instead, outside mesh interactions

are routed through the simulspace’s interface (meaning

that a character may browse the mesh, communicate

with others, etc. from inside a simulspace, if the

domain rules allow it).

Since physical senses are overridden when a user

accesses VR, most people prefer to rest their body

in a safe and comfortable environment while in the

simulspace. Body-fitting cushions and couches help

users relax and keep them from cramping up or injuring

themselves if they happen to thrash around.

In case of long-term virtual sojourns (for instance,

during space travel), morphs are normally retained

in tanks that sustain them in terms of nutrition and

oxygen. Many VR entertainment and game networks

offer dedicated and hardwired physical VR cafes

with private pods. Visitors rent a pod and physically

jack in, using either access jacks or an ultrasonic

trode net that reads and transmits brain patterns

when placed on the head.

When accessing a simulspace, the user first enters

an electronic buffer “holding space” known as a

white room. Here the user chooses a customizable

avatar-like persona to represent them in the simulspace,

called a simulmorph. From this point, the user

immerses themself in the virtual reality environment,

effectively becoming their simulmorph.

Information At Your Fingertips

NOTE: FORMATION AT

YOUR FINGERTI PS

The following information is always available for most

mesh users in a normal habitat:

Local Conditions

• Local maps showing your current location, annotated with

local features of personal interest (according to your personal

preferences and filters) and your distance from them/directions

to them. Details regarding private and restricted areas (government/

hypercorp areas, maintenance/security infrastructure, etc.)

are usually not included.

• Current habitat life support (climate) conditions including

atmosphere composition, temperature.

• Current solar system and habitat orbit maps with trajectory

plots, communication delays.

• Local businesses/services, directions, and details.

Local Mesh

• Public search engines, databases, mesh sites, blogs, forums, and

archives, along with new content alerts.

• Syndicated public newsfeeds in a variety of formats, filtered

according to your preferences.

• Sensor/spime (mostly audio-visual) feeds from any public area

of the habitat.

• Private network resources (including tactical nets).

• Automatic searches for new online references to your name

and other subjects of interest.

• E-tags pertaining to local people, places, or things.

• Facial/image recognition searches of public mesh/archives to

match a photo/vid still.

Personal Information

• Morph status indicators (medical and/or mechanical): blood

pressure, heart rate, temperature, white cell count, nutrient

levels, implant status and functionality, etc.

• Location, functionality, sensor feeds, and status reports of your

possessions (via sensors and transmitters in these possessions).

• Access to one’s life-spanning personal audio-visual/XP archive.

• Access to one’s life-spanning personal file archive (music, software,

media, documents, etc.).

• Credit account status and transactions.

Social Networks

• Communications account status: calls, messages, files, etc.

• Reputation score and feedback.

• Social network status, friend updates.

• Updated event calendar and alerts.

• The public social network profiles of those around you.

• The location and status of those nearby and involved in the

same AR games as you.

Aether Jabber

NOTE: # Start Æther Jabber #

1. Active Members: 2 #

1 I have to tell you, after losing Kiri and Sal to that Exsurgent

infection, my team is a lot more worried about contracting the

virus from digital sources. Actually, I’d label them as paranoid.

I don’t think they’ll ever touch any salvaged electronics again

unless they’re behind a zillion firewalls and the device is completely

isolated and tested by a delta fork loaded with every

antiviral ware we can find first. Even then, they’d rather shoot it

than access directly or hook it up to an important network. After

seeing what the virus did to Sal, I don’t blame them.

2 In our line of work, paranoia can be healthy.

1 Sure, but it’s also a pain in the ass. Security is always a tradeoff.

Firewall’s gotta have something up its sleeve that I can pass

along to the rest to put their guards at ease.

2 Yes ... and no. It’s complicated.

1 I don’t see why. Do we have a way of detecting and killing this

thing or not?

2 Sort of.

1 You’re killing me.

2 Look. Ever since the Fall, we’ve had measures in place to

detect and counteract Exsurgent infections and all of the other worms and malware the TITANs concocted. Firewall went to

great lengths to make sure that everyone had access to the

detection signatures and countermeasures—and we mean everyone.

They’ve been incorporated in almost every commercial

and open source security software released in the past decade.

Every habitat in the system—well, every one with a lick of

sense anyway—employs such measures in their chokepoints

and mesh infrastructure.

1 I sense a “but.”

2 Yes. The problem is that the Exsurgent virus and similar TITAN

infowar worms are adaptive. They’re intelligent. Even though

we mostly eradicated them from our networks, new versions

periodically pop up, using some new trick to get past the

Firewall scans and wreak havoc. Our warning and outbreak

response system has it down to a science, and such instances

are usually contained.

1 Usually.

2 Well, there’s always the chance that variants are still skipping

around out there, under our radar. What’s worse to contemplate,

though, is that we may get another major outbreak that spreads

to multiple habitats before we can contain it. That might get

very, very bad, very, very quickly.

MESH USESEdit

NOTE: There are many reasons people use the mesh. The

foremost is communication: voice and video calls

(typically displaying avatars rather than actual

video), electronic messaging (e-mail, instant messaging,

microblogging), and file and data transfers.

Socializing is also key, handled via social and reputation

networks, personal profiles, lifelogging, chats

and conferences (both AR and VR), and discussion

groups and forums. Information gathering is also

at the top, whether its browsing the popular Solarchive

or other databases and directories, tapping

the latest newsfeeds, browsing mesh sites, tracking

your friends, taking lessons in VR, or looking up just

about anything conceivable. Recreation rounds out

the pack, covering everything from gaming (AR and

VR) to experiencing other people’s lives (XP) to VR

tourism and club-hopping.

Personal Area Networks

NOTE: Since everything a person carries is meshed, most

people maintain personal area networks that route

all of these devices through their mesh inserts or ecto,

which acts as a hub. This is both a security measure,

ensuring they maintain control over their own accessories,

and a convenience factor, as it focuses all of the

controls in one place.

Virtual Private Networks

NOTE: Virtual private networks (VPNs) are communications

networks tunneled through the mesh, which

are dedicated for a specific group of people. The

primary use of VPNs is to create privacy and security

for its users, and so they typically use security features such as ego authentication and public key

encryption. VPNs are regularly used to mesh mobile

offices into a corporate network or mesh people together

who work on or contribute a certain project.

Other VPNs—particularly social networks and rep

networks—operate with minimal security features,

simply serving as a network of specific users within

the mesh and making it easier to keep in touch,

transfer information, make updates, and so on. Most

VPNs come as specialized software suites that run

custom environmental software that integrates into

the user’s normal mesh interface and AR.

Social Networks

NOTE: Social networks are the fabric of the mesh, weaving

people together. They are the means by which most

people keep in contact with their friends, colleagues,

and allies, as well as current events, the latest trends,

new memes, and other developments in shared

interests. They are an exceptionally useful tool for

online research, getting favors, and meeting new

people. In some cases, they are useful for reaching

or mobilizing masses of people (as often illustrated

by anarchists and pranksters). There are thousands

of social networks, each serving different cultural

and professional interests and niches. Most social

networks allow users to feature a public profile to

the entire mesh and a private profile that only those

close to them can access.

Reputation plays a vital part in social networks,

serving as a measure of each person’s social capital.

Each person’s reputation score is available for lookup,

along with any commentary posted by people who

favored or disfavored them and rebuttals by the user.

Many people automate their reputation interactions,

instructing their muse to automatically ping someone

with a good review after a positive action and

to likewise provide negative feedback t

Mobile Offices

NOTE: Due to the lack of office space and the wireless accessibility

of most information, most businesses

now operate virtually, with few or no fixed offices

or even assets. Instead, individuals have become their

own mobile office. Bit-pushers and bureaucrats like

hypercorp executives, clerical workers, accountants,

and researchers—as well as innovators like artists,

writers, engineers, and designers—work wherever

they want to.

The most prominent example of this phenomenon

are the bankers of the Solaris hypercorp. Each employee

acts as a mobile one-person banking office,

managing transactions via Solaris’s robust VPN. On rare occasions, office environments are run

in simulspace with time dilation to maximize efficiency.

Since this requires the workers to access a

centralized wired network and leave their bodies

unattended while accessing simulspace, however, it

requires an extra level of physical security that is

typical only of some governmental installations and

corporate habitats.

ISLANDS IN THE NETEdit

NOTE: In the time of Eclipse Phase, information can become

outdated quite fast, and the accessibility of new information

depends on your location. It’s easy to keep upto-

date on your local habitat/city or planetary body,

but keeping current on events elsewhere is typically

reliant on the speed of light.

If you happen to be in a station in the Kuiper Belt,

on the edge of the solar system 50 astronomical units

from the terrestrial inner planets, waiting on a message

from Mars, the signal carrying the message will

be roughly seven hours old when it reaches you. Of

course it will only reach you that fast if you are using

quantum farcast, which is only limited by the speed

of light (not to mention rare and expensive in most

habitats). If you are not using a quantum farcaster,

the signal may take even longer and is prone to interference

and noise, deteriorating the quality and

possibly losing some of the content, especially over

major distances. Whenever you start dealing with

communication between habitats, you have to factor

in the light-speed lag, the amount of time it takes

even the fastest transmission to reach you. This lag

works both ways, so trying to hold a conversation

with someone just 5 light-seconds away means that

you’re waiting at least 10 seconds to get the reply

to whatever you just said. For this reason, AR and

VR communications are almost always conducted locally,

while standard messaging is used for nonlocal

communications. For detailed discussions, it is often

simpler to send a fork of yourself (p. 273) to have the

conversation and then return.

Quantum-entanglement communicators (p. 314)

are one solution to this light-speed lag, although a

burdensome and expensive one. QE comms allow

for faster-than-light communication to an entangled

communicator, though each transmission uses up a

precious amount of quantum-entangled bits, which

are in limited supply.

Transmissions made between habitats almost

always occur via each station’s massive data relays,

where they are then distributed into the local mesh.

This bottleneck is often used by authoritarian habitats

to monitor data transmissions and even filter or censor

certain public non-encrypted content. Some messages

are also prioritized over others, potentially meaning

further delays.

The method of transmission between habitats also

sometimes matters. Radio and neutrino broadcasts

can be intercepted by anyone, whereas tight-beam

laser or microwave links are specifically used as a

point-to-point method that minimizes interception

and eavesdropping. The use of quantum farcasting

using neutrino systems is completely secure, however,

and is the most frequently-used intra-habitat link.

What these lags, bottlenecks, and prioritizations

mean is that some news and data takes a particularly

long-time to trickle from one local mesh network to

another, passing slowly from habitat to habitat. This

means that there are always gradients of information

available to different local mesh networks, typically

depending on proximity and the importance of the

information. Some data even gets lost along the way,

never making it further than a habitat or two before

it is lost in the noise. The only way to retrieve such

information is to track it down to its source.

Darkcasts

NOTE: “Darkcasts” are ranged communications that go outside

of legal and approved channels. Since certain habitats

have strict regulations on transmission content,

forking, egocasting, infomorphs, muse abilities, and

AGI code, underworld groups like the ID crew profit

by offering illegal data transmission services. Primarily

used for censored data and banned content (like illegal

XPs or malware), local organized crime factions also

often offer egocasting services complete with resleeving

and leasable morphs, allowing egos that prefer

discretion to enter or leave a habitat without drawing

attention. Though such authorities hunt down these

darkcast networks whenever they get a chance, many

habitats have a sophisticated darkcast infrastructure

that makes use of decoys, temporary communications

lines, relays, and regular transmitter relocation—not

to mention judicious bribing and blackmailing.

MESH ABUSESEdit

NOTE: As with all things, the mesh has its darker side. At

the basic level, this amounts to flamewar-starting

trolls, stalkers, or griefers whose intent is to mess

with others for a laugh. At the more organized level,

it expands to illicit or criminal enterprises that utilize

the mesh, such as selling black/snuff/porn XPs, illegal

software, pirated media, or even egos. The most

infamous threats—thanks both to the Fall and to

the continuous sensationalism applied by media and

stern authorities—are, of course, malware and hackers.

Given the capabilities of modern hackers and the

vulnerability of many habitats—where damage to life

support systems could kill thousands—the threat may

not be over-exaggerated.

Hackers

NOTE: Whether individuals who are genuinely interested

in exploring new technologies and seeking ways to

break them in order to make them better, hacktivists

who utilize the mesh in order to undermine the

power of authorities, or “black hats” who seek to

circumvent network security for malicious or criminal

intent, hackers are a permanent fixture of the

mesh. Unauthorized network break-ins, infiltration

of VPNs, muse subversion, cyberbrain hijacking, data

theft, cyber-extortion, identity fraud, denial of service

attacks, electronic warfare, spime hijacking, entoptic

vandalism—these are all common occurrences on the

mesh. Thanks to smart and adaptive exploit programs

and assisting muses, even a moderately skilled hacker

can be a threat.

In order to counter hacking attempts, most people,

devices, and networks are protected by a mix of

access control routines, automated software intrusion

prevention systems, encryption, and layered

firewalls, typically overseen by the user’s muse who

plays the role of active defender. Extremely sensitive

systems—such as space traffic control, life support,

power systems, and hypercorporate research facilities—

are usually limited to isolated, tightly-controlled,

heavily-monitored, hard-wired networks to minimize

the risk of intrusion from snoopers and saboteurs.

Various countermeasures may be applied against

such intruders, ranging from locking them out of the

system to tracking them back and counterhacking.

Malware

NOTE: The number of worms, virii, and other malware programs

that ripped through computer systems during

the Fall was staggering. Many of these were part of

the netwar systems prepared by old Earth nation-states

and corporations and unleashed on their enemies.

Others were products of the TITANs, subversive programs

that even the best defenses had trouble stopping.

Even 10 years later, many of these are still reappearing,

brought back to life by the accessing of some longforgotten

data cache or the accidental infection of a

scavenger mucking through old ruins. New ones pop

every day, of course, many of them programmed by

criminal hacker outfits, while others that enter circulation

are modifications and variations of suspected

TITAN designs, perhaps implying that certain parties

are intentionally tinkering with this code and releasing

it into the wild. Rumors and whispers circulate that

some of these TITAN worms are even more potent and

frightening than previously hinted at, with stunning

adaptive capabilities and intelligence. These rumors

are steadfastly denied by authority figures and security

experts ... who then quietly turn around and do their

best to ensure that their own networks remain safe.

AIs AND INFOLIFEEdit

NOTE: Self-aware helper programs were originally designed

and realized to augment transhuman cognitive abilities.

These specialized-focus AIs were then developed

into the more complete, independent digital consciousnesses

known as AGIs. The further evolution of these

digital life forms into seed AIs unfortunately led to the

emergence of the TITANs and then the Fall. This created

a rift in transhuman society as fear and prejudice

turned popular opinion against unrestricted AGIs, an

attitude of mistrust that still lingers to this day.

AIs

NOTE: The term AI is used to refer to narrow, limited-focus

AIs. These digital minds are expert programs with processing

capabilities equal to or even exceeding that of

a transhuman mind. Though they have a personality

matrix with individual identities and character, and

though they are (usually) conscious and self-aware,

their overall complexity and capabilities are limited.

The programmed skills and abilities of AIs are typically

very specific in scope and aligned towards a particular

function, such as piloting a vehicle, facilitating

mesh searches, or coordinating the functions of some

habitat sub-system. Some AIs, in fact, can only barely

be considered sapient, and their emotional programming

is usually narrow or non-existent.

AIs have a number of built-in safety features and

programmed limitations. They must serve and obey the

instructions of authorized users within their normal

functioning parameters and (in the inner system at

least) must also obey the law. They lack self-interest

and self-initiative, though they have limited empathy

and may be programmed to anticipate the needs and

desires of users and pre-emptively take action on

their behalf. Perhaps most importantly, however, is

that their psychological programming is specifically

based on universal human modes of thought and an

understanding and support of transhuman goals

and interests. This is part of an initiative to engineer

so-called “friendly AIs,” who are programmed with

sympathy towards transhumanity and all life and seek

out their best interests.

In most societies, basic AIs are considered “things”

or property rather than people and are accorded no

special rights.

Muses

NOTE: Muses

Muses are a specific type of AI designed to function

as a personal aide and companion. Most people in

Eclipse Phase have grown up with a muse at their

virtual side. Muses tend to have a bit more personality

and psychological programming than standard AIs and

over time they build up an extensive database of their

user’s preferences, likes and dislikes, and personality

quirks so that they may more effectively be of service

and anticipate needs. Muses generally have names

and reside within the character’s mesh inserts or ecto,

where they can manage the character’s personal area

network, communications, data queries, and so on.

AGIs

NOTE: AGIs are complete and fully operational digital consciousnesses,

self-aware and capable of intelligent

action at the same level as any transhuman. Most have

full autonomy and the capacity for self-improvement

by a processing similar to learning—a slow optimization

and expansion of their code that features

programmed limitations to prevent it from achieving

the self-upgrading capabilities of seed AIs. They

have more fully-rounded personalities and emotional/

empathic abilities than standard AIs, due in part to

a development process where they are literally raised

within a VR simulation analogous to the rearing of

transhuman children, and so are more fully socialized.

As a result, they have a fairly human outlook, though

some deviation is to be expected, and sometimes is

apparent in great degrees. Despite this attempt to humanize

AGIs, they do not have the same evolutionary

and biological origins that transhumans have, and so

their social responses, behavior, and goals are sometimes

off-mark or decidedly different.

AGIs bear the social stigma of their non-biological

origin and are often met with bias and mistrust. Some

habitats have even outlawed AGIs or subject them tostrict restrictions, forcing such infolife to hide their

true natures or illegally darkcast to enter habitats or

stations. AGI mind programming emulates transhuman

brain patterns sufficiently well that they can be

sleeved into biomorphs if they choose.

Seed AI

NOTE: Due to the capability for unlimited self-upgrading,

seed AIs have the capacity to grow into god-like

digital entities far beyond the level of transhumans

or AGIs. They require massive processing power and

are always increasing in complexity due to a continual

metamorphosis of their code. Seed AIs are too complex

to be downloaded into a physical morph, even

a synthetic one. Even their forks require impressive

processing environments, so doing so is rare. In fact,

most seed AIs require the capacities of hard-wired

networks to survive.

The only seed AIs known to the public are the

infamous TITANs who are widely regarded as being

responsible for the Fall. In truth, the TITANs were

not the first seed AIs and will probably not be the last.

There are no publicly known TITANs (or other seed

AIs) currently residing in the solar system, despite

circulating rumors of damaged TITANs who were left

behind on Earth, speculated TITAN activity under the

clouds of Venus, or whispers of new seed AIs hidden

away in secret networks on the edges of the system.

Transhuman Infomorphs

NOTE: For thousands of infugees, embodying a digital form

is their only choice. Some of these are locked away

in mesh-separated virtual holding areas or even inactive

storage, locked up by habitats who didn’t have

enough resources to handle them. Others are imprisoned

inside simulspaces, killing time in whatever way

they choose until an opportunity to resleeve comes

their way. Quite a few are free to roam the mesh, interacting

with physically-sleeved transhumans, keeping

up with current events, and sometimes even forming

activist political blocs to campaign for infomorph

rights or interests. Still others find or are forced into

virtual careers, slaving away in the digital sweatshops

of hypercorps or criminal syndicates. A few find companions

who are willing to bring them along in their

ghostrider module and become an integral part of

their lives, much like a muse.

Some transhumans willingly choose the infomorph

lifestyle, either for hedonism (custom simulspace and

VR games until the end of time), escapism (loss of a

loved ones leads them to write off physical concerns

for awhile), freedom (go anywhere the mesh takes

you—some have even beamed copies of themselves to

far distant solar systems, hoping someone or something

will receive their signal when they arrive), experimentation

(forking and merging, running simulations, and

weirder things), or because it is ensured immortality.

Mesh Interface

What Your Muse Can Do For You

NOTE: • Make Research Tests to find information for you.

• Scan newsfeeds and mesh updates for keyword alerts.

• Monitor your mesh inserts/ecto/PAN and slaved devices

for intrusion.

• Launch countermeasures against intruders.

• Teleoperate and command robots.

• Monitor your Rep score and alert you to drastic changes.

• Automatically provide feedback for other people’s

Rep scores.

• Run audio input through an online, real-time language

translation system.

• Put you in privacy mode and/or proactively stealth your

wireless signal.

• Falsify/fluctuate your mesh ID.

• Track people for you.

• Anticipate your needs and act accordingly, pre-empting

your requests

Non-standard AIs and AGIs

NOTE: Not all AIs and AGIs were programmed and designed

to adhere to human modes of thought

and interests. Such creations are illegal in some

jurisdictions, as they are considered a potential

threat. Several hypercorps and other groups

have initiated research into this field, however,

with varying results. In some cases these digital

minds are so different from human mindsets that

communication is impossible. In others, enough

crossover exists to allow limited communication,

but such entities are invariably quite strange.

Rumors persist that some AIs began their

life as transhuman backups or forks, who were

then heavily edited and pruned down to AIlevel

intelligences.

EVERYDAY MESH MECHANICSEdit

NOTE: Everyone (and everything) is meshed in Eclipse Phase.

The following rules and concerns apply to standard

mesh use. Note that various mesh-related terms are

explained, along with other Eclipse Phase concepts,

under Terminology, p. 25.

Mesh Interface

NOTE: Characters have a choice of which interface to use, the

entoptic interface of basic mesh inserts or the haptic

interface of an ecto.

The basic mesh inserts used by most users allows

them to interact with AR, VR, XP, and the mesh at the

strict restrictions, forcing such infolife to hide their

true natures or illegally darkcast to enter habitats or

stations. AGI mind programming emulates transhuman

brain patterns sufficiently well that they can be

sleeved into biomorphs if they choose.

Seed AI

Due to the capability for unlimited self-upgrading,

seed AIs have the capacity to grow into god-like

digital entities far beyond the level of transhumans

or AGIs. They require massive processing power and

are always increasing in complexity due to a continual

metamorphosis of their code. Seed AIs are too complex

to be downloaded into a physical morph, even

a synthetic one. Even their forks require impressive

processing environments, so doing so is rare. In fact,

most seed AIs require the capacities of hard-wired

networks to survive.

The only seed AIs known to the public are the

infamous TITANs who are widely regarded as being

responsible for the Fall. In truth, the TITANs were

not the first seed AIs and will probably not be the last.

There are no publicly known TITANs (or other seed

AIs) currently residing in the solar system, despite

circulating rumors of damaged TITANs who were left

behind on Earth, speculated TITAN activity under the

clouds of Venus, or whispers of new seed AIs hidden

away in secret networks on the edges of the system.

Transhuman In fomorph s

For thousands of infugees, embodying a digital form

is their only choice. Some of these are locked away

in mesh-separated virtual holding areas or even inactive

storage, locked up by habitats who didn’t have

speed of thought. This is the default method of mesh

use and suffers no modifiers. They are, however, more

prone to visual and operative impairments (virtual illusions,

denial-of-service effects) when hacked.

Characters who use the haptic interface of an ecto,

however, suffer a slight delay on their mesh activities

due to manual toggling, physical controls, and physical

interaction with virtual controls. In game terms,

the use of haptics imposes a –10 skill modifier to

all mesh tests where timing is rushed (particularly

combat and or any sort of mesh use under pressure).

Additionally, increase the timeframe for mesh-based

Task Actions by +25% when interfacing via haptics.

On the positive side, ectos can be easily removed and

discarded if compromised—for this reason, many

hackers and security-conscious users use an ecto in

addition to their mesh inserts, routing all high-risk

traffic through the ecto as an extra line of defense.

Mesh ID

NOTE: Every mesh user (and, in fact, every device) has a

unique code called their mesh ID. This ID distinguishes

them from all other users and devices, and is

the mechanism by which others can find them online,

like a combination phone number, email address, and

screen name. Mesh IDs are used in almost all online interactions,

which are often logged, meaning that your

activities online leave a datatrail that can be tracked

(p. 251). Fortunately for Firewall sentinels and others

who value their privacy, there are ways around this

(see Privacy and Anonymity, p. 252). AIs, AGIs, and

infomorphs also each have their own unique mesh ID.

Accounts and Access PrivilegesEdit

NOTE: Devices, networks (such as PANs, VPNs, and hardwired

networks), and services require that every user

that accesses them does so with an account. The

account serves to identify that particular user, is

linked to their mesh ID, and determines what access privileges they have on that system. There are four on the mesh. Public accounts do not require any sort

of authentication or login process, the user’s mesh ID

is enough. These accounts are used to provide access

to any sort of data that is considered public: mesh

sites, forums, public archives, open databases, social

network profiles, etc. Public accounts usually have

the ability to read and download data, and sometimes

to write data (forum comments, for example),

but little else.

User Accounts

NOTE: User accounts are the most common accounts. User

accounts require some form of authentication (p. 253)

to access the device, network, or service. Each user account

has specific access privileges allotted to it, which

are tasks the user is allowed to perform on that system.

For example, most users are allowed to upload and

download data, change basic content, and use the

standard features of the system in question. They are

not, however, usually allowed to alter security features,

add new accounts, or do anything that might impact

the security or functioning of the system. As some systems

are more restrictive than others, the gamemaster

decides what privileges each user account provides.

Security Accounts

NOTE: Security accounts are intended for users that need

greater rights and privileges than standard users, but

who don’t need control over the entire system, such

as security hackers and muses. Security access rights

usually allow for reading logs, commanding security

features, adding/deleting accounts, altering the data of

other users, and so on.

Admin Accounts

NOTE: Admin accounts provide complete control over the

system. Characters with admin rights can do everything

security accounts can, plus they can shut down/

reboot the system, alter access rights of other users,

view and edit all log files and statistics, and stop or

start any software available on the system.

Elite Exploits

NOTE: Elite Exploits

The mesh gear quality rules allow for players

and gamemasters to make a distinction between

software tools, separating the open-source,

stock-repertoire exploit tools of amateur hackers

from cutting-edge military-grade penetration

wares. While many characters will simply buy or

otherwise acquire such programs, a hacker with

the do-it-yourself ethic is likely going to want

to design their own personalized applications,

based on their playbook of closely-guarded intrusion/

counterintrusion methods.

To reflect the efforts a hacker character makes

by designing, coding, and modifying their own

customized personal arsenals, they may make a

Task Action Programming Test with timeframe

of 2 weeks. If they succeed, they upgrade one

of their software tools by one level of quality

(i.e., from +0 to +10). Multiple Programming

Tests can be made to enhance a program, but for

each level add the target modifier as a negative

modifier to the test (so upgrading a +0 suite to

+10 is a –10 modifier on the Programming Test).

Similarly, at the gamemaster’s discretion, software

tools—particularly exploits—may degrade

in quality over time, reflecting that they have

become outdated. As a general rule, such programs

should degrade in quality about once

every 3 months.

Mesh Gear Quality

NOTE: Not all gear is created equal, and this is especially true

of computers and software, where new innovations

are made on a daily basis. Keeping up-to-date with

the last specs isn’t too difficult, but on occasion the characters will get their hands on some old relic or

find themselves in secluded or decrepit places with

local systems and gear that aren’t up to date. Likewise,

they may acquire some cutting-edge gear straight

from the labs or may run up against a state-of-the-art

installation with next-generation defenses. To reflect

this, mesh tests can be modified according to the state

of the hardware or software being used, as noted on

the Mesh Gear Modifiers table

Computer CapabailitiesEdit

Peripherals

NOTE: Peripherals are micro-computerized devices that don’t

need the full processing power and storage capacity of

a personal computer, but benefit from online networking

and other computerized functions. Peripherals may

run software, but the gamemaster may decide that too

many programs (10+) will degrade the system’s performance.

AIs and infomorphs are incapable of running

on peripherals, though they may access them. Peripherals

only have public and user accounts (users accounts

include security and admin functions; see p. 247).

Common peripherals include: spimes, appliances, most

cybernetic implants, individual sensors, and weapons.

Personal Computers

NOTE: Personal computers account for a wide range of computer

types, but essentially account for anything that

has the capabilities evolved from generations and generations

of personal computers to meet an everyday

user’s needs. Most personal computers are portable

and tailored for use by multiple users at a time. Personal

computers may run one AI or infomorph at a

time. They may not run simulspace programs.

Common personal computers include: mesh inserts,

ectos, and vehicles.

Servers

NOTE: Servers have much greater processing power and

data management capabilities than personal computers.

They are capable of handling hundreds of users,

multiple AIs and infomorphs, and they may run

simulspace programs. Though few are portable, some

of them come close.

Mesh Gear Modifiers

NOTE: modifier software/hardware

–30 Bashed-up devices, no-longer-supported software, relics from Earth or the early expansion into space

–20 Malfunctioning/inferior devices, buggy software, pre-Fall technology

–10 Outdated and low quality systems

0 Standard ectos, mesh inserts, and software

+10 High-quality goods, standard security-grade products

+20 Next-generation devices, advanced software

+30 Newly-developed, state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line technology

>+30 TITANs and/or alien technology

SoftwareEdit

NOTE: A wide manner of software is available for mesh users,

from firewalls and AIs to hacking and encryption tools

to tacnets and skillsofts. These programs are listed on

p. 331 of the Gear chapter. Like other gear, software

may enable a character to perform a task they could

not otherwise. The quality of the software may also be

a factor, applying a modifier as appropriate (see Mesh

Gear Quality, p. 247).

Some software is equipped with digital restrictions

to prevent it from being copied and shared with others.

These restrictions may be defeated, but it is a time-consuming

task, requiring a Task Action Programming Test

with a timeframe of 2 months. Thanks to the efforts

of the open source movement and numerous individual

software pirates, however, quite a bit of software is

available free or online. The availability of pirated software

or freeware will depend on the local habitat and

legalities. Finding it may be a matter of a simple search,

or it may require some use of reputation to find someone

who has it. Usually there is at least one local crime

syndicate that is willing to help you out—for a price.

Software Compatibility

NOTE: In most instances, software compatibility is not going

to be an issue for characters. Gamemasters who like

it as a plot device, however, can introduce compatibility

problems in certain cases, whether this is done

to increase drama, slow the characters down, or create

obstacles that they must overcome. Such incompatibilities

are more likely to arise when dealing with

outdated systems or devices, or at least ones that are

unlikely to have the latest patches and software updates.

Incompatibilities can also be used as a drawback

to acquiring software from untrustworthy sources.

Conflicting software issues are going to have one of

two effects. Either the software will simply not work

with certain devices, or it will inflict a –10 to –30

modifier due to instabilities and glitches. If the gamemaster

allows it, a character may reduce this penalty

by patching up the software, requiring a successful

Programming Task Action (1 day). For every 10 points

of MoS, reduce the incompatibility modifier by 10.

Traffic Filters and Mist

NOTE: Mesh networks and AR are overrun with yottabytes of

information. Though mesh inserts and ectos can deal

with a lot of data traffic in terms of bandwidth and

processing power, using filters to weed out unwanted

traffic is quite simply a necessity. This is especially true

of AR, where unwanted entoptics can clutter your

vision and distract you. Nevertheless, entoptic spam of

many flavors—advertisements, political screeds, porn,

scams—do their best to bypass these filters, and in

many areas the amount of unfiltered entoptics can be

overwhelming—a phenomenon colloquially referred

to as “mist.”

At the gamemaster’s discretion, mist can interfere

with a user’s sensory perceptions. This modifier can

range from –10 to –30, and in some cases might be

so distracting as to affect all of a character’s actions.

To lift the data fog, a character or muse must adjust

their filter settings by succeeding in an Interfacing Test

modified by the mist modifier. Alternately, the character

can completely disable AR input, but this is likely

to impede them in other ways.

Slaving Devices

NOTE: Sl aving Devices

For ease of use, as well as for privacy and security

purposes, one or more devices may be slaved to each

other. One device (usually the character’s mesh inserts

or ecto) takes the role of master, while the other

device(s) takes the role of slave. All traffic to and

from slaved devices is routed through the master. This

allows a slaved device to rely on the master’s security

features and active monitoring. Anyone that wants to

connect to or hacked into a slaved device is rerouted

to the master for authentication and security scrutiny.

Slaved devices automatically accept commands from

their master device. This means that a hacker who

penetrates a master system can legitimately access

and issue commands to a slaved device, assuming their

access privileges allow for it.

PANs are typically formed by slaving all of a character’s

devices to their ecto or mesh inserts. Similarly,

individual components of a security system (doors,

sensors, etc.) are usually slaved to a central security

node that serves as a chokepoint for anyone hoping

to hack the system. The same is often true for other

networks and facilities.

Issuing Commands

NOTE: Characters may issue commands to any slaved device

or teleoperated bot (see Shell Remote Control, p. 196)

with a Quick Action. Each command counts separately,

unless the character is issuing the same command to

multiple devices/drones.

Distance Lag

NOTE: Distance Lag

Anytime you extend your communications over great

distances, you run into the risk of time lags. Most

communications are restricted to “local” for this

reason, which generally means your local habitat

and any others within 50,000 kilometers. On planetary

bodies like Mars, Venus, Luna, or Titan, “local”

encompasses all of the habitats and linked mesh networks

on that planetary body.

If a character is searching the mesh beyond their

local area, the most efficient way is to transmit a search

AI (usually a copy of your muse) or a fork to the nonlocal

area, which will then run its search and return

completed results. This process does, however, add to

the time of transmission to the timeframe (i.e., searching

the mesh of a station 10 light-minutes away adds

20 minutes to the search as the search is transmitted

over and the results are transmitted back). Since longdistance

communications are sometimes interfered with

or bumped for higher-priority items, the gamemaster

can increase this time at their discretion. If the research

involves correlation and fine-tuning the search parameters

based on data accumulated from different locals,

the timeframe may be exponentially increased due to

the need for back-and-forth interaction.

If the character is simply communicating with or

accessing non-local networks, an appropriate time lag

must be introduced between communications and actions.

The effects of this lag are largely up to the gamemaster,

as fitting current distances and other factors.

Accessing Multiple Devices

NOTE: Meshed characters may connect to and interact with

numerous devices, networks, and services simultaneously.

There is no penalty for doing this, but the

character may only focus on one system at a time. In

other words, you may only interact with one system

at a time, though you may also switch between them

freely, even within the same Action Phase. You could,

for example, spend several Quick Actions to send a

message with your ecto, tell your spime oven at home

to start cooking dinner, and look up a friend’s updated

profile on a social network. You may not, however,

hack into two separate systems simultaneously.

Note that you may send the same command to

multiple slaved devices or teleoperated drones with

the same Quick Action, as noted above.

ONLINE RESEARCHEdit

NOTE: The Research skill (p. 184) represents a character’s

ability to track down information in the mesh. Such

information includes any type of digitized data: text,

pictures, vids, XP, sensor feeds, raw data, software, etc.

This data is culled from all manner of sources: blogs,

archives, databases, directories, social networks, rep

networks, online services, forums, chat rooms, torrent

caches, and regular mesh sites of all kinds. Research

is conducted using various public and private search

engines, both general and specialized, as well as data

indices and search AIs.

Research has other uses as well. Hackers use it

when looking for specific information on a network or

device on which they have intruded. Likewise, since

everyone inevitably uses and interacts with the mesh,

Research skill is also a way to identify, backtrack, and/

or gather information on people as long as they have

not hidden their identity, worked anonymously, or

covered their identity with a shroud of disinformation

Search Challenges

NOTE: Search Ch all eng es

Due to the sheer amount of data available, finding

what you’re looking for may sometimes seem a

daunting task. Thankfully, information is fairly well

organized, thanks to the hard work of “spider” AIs

that cruise the mesh and constantly update data and

search indices. Additionally, information on the mesh

is tagged with semantics, meaning that it’s presented

with code that allows a machine to understand the

context of that information as well as a human reader

would. This helps AIs and search software correlate

data more efficiently. So finding the data is usually not

as difficult as analyzing it and understanding it. Finding

specialized or hidden info or correlating data from

multiple sources is usually the real challenge.

Perhaps a larger issue is the amount of incorrect

data and misinformation online. Some data is simply

wrong (mistakes happen) or outdated, but the nature

of the mesh means that such things can linger on for

years and even propagate far and wide as they are

circulated without fact-checking. Likewise, given

Search Capabilities

NOTE: Online research in Eclipse Phase is not the same

as just googling something. Here are five ways in

which it is vastly improved:

Pattern Recognition: Biometrics and other forms

of pattern recognition are efficient and intelligent.

It is not only possible to run image recognition

searches (in real-time, via all available spimes

and sensor feeds), but to search for patterns such

as gait, sounds, colors, emotive displays, traffic,

crowd movement, etc. Kinesics and behavioral

analysis even allow sensor searches for people

exhibiting certain behavioral patterns, such as suspicious

loitering, nervousness, or agitation.

Metadata: Information and files online come

with hidden data about their creation, alteration,

and access. A photo’s metadata, for example,

will note what gear it was taken on, who took

it, when, and where, as well as who accessed it

online, though such metadata may be easily

scrubbed or anonymized.

Data Mash-Ups: The combination of abundant

computing, archived data, and ubiquitous public

sensors enable intriguing correlations to be

drawn from data that is mined and collated. In

the midst of a habitat emergency such as a terrorist

bombing, for example, the ID of everyone

in the vicinity could be scanned, compared to

data archives to separate out those who have a

history of being in the vicinity at that particular

time, with those remaining checked against

databases of criminal/suspect history and their

recorded actions analyzed for unusual behavior.

Translation: Real-time translation of audio and

video is available from open source translation bots.

Forecasting: A significant percentage of what

people do on any day or in response to certain situations

conforms to routines, enabling easy behavioral

prediction. Muses take advantage of this to

anticipate needs and provide whatever is desired

at the right moment and in the right context. The

same logic applies to actions by groups of people,

such as economics and social discourse, making predictions

markets a big deal in the inner system.

the amount of transparency in modern society, some

entities actively engage in disinformation spreading

in order to clutter the mesh with enough falsehoods

that the truth is hidden. Two factors help to combat

this, the first being that data sources themselves have

their own reputation scores, so that untrustworthy

or disreputable sources can be identified and ranked

lower in search results. Second, many archives take

advantage of crowdsourcing—that is, harnessing the

collaborative power of mesh users (and their muses)

everywhere—to verify data integrity so that these sites

are dynamic and self-correcting.

Handling Searches

NOTE: Handling Searches

Online research is often a crucial element of Eclipse

Phase scenarios, as characters take to the mesh to

research backgrounds and uncover clues. The following

suggestions present a method of handling research

that does not rely solely on dice rolls and integrates it

with the flow of the plot.

First, common and inconsequential information

should be immediately available without requiring

a roll at all. Most characters rely on their muses to

handle searches for them, passing on the results while

the character focuses on other things.

For searches that are more detailed, difficult, or

central to the plot, a Research Test should be called

for (made either by the character or their muse).

This test indicates the process of finding links to

and/or accumulating all data that may in fact be

relevant to the search topic. This test should be

modified as appropriate to the obscurity of the topic,

ranging from +30 for common and public topics

to –30 for obscure or unusual intel. This initial

search has a timeframe of 1 minute. If successful, it

turns up enough data to give the character a basic

overview, perhaps with cursory details. The gamemaster

should use the MoS to determine the depth

of the data provided on this initial excursion, with

an Excellent Success providing some bonus details.

Similarly, a Severe Failure (MoF 30+) may result in

the character working with data that is incorrect or

intentionally misleading.

The next step is not so much accumulating links

and data as it is analyzing and understanding the

information acquired. This requires another Research

Test, again modified by the obscurity of the

topic. If the gamemaster allows it, complementary

skills (p. 173) may apply to this test, providing bonus

modifiers (for example, an understanding of Academics:

Chemistry would help research the effects of a

strange drug). Muses may also perform this task,

though their skills are typically inferior. As above,

success determines the quality and depth of the

analysis, with an Excellent Success providing the full

story and potential related issues and a Severe Failure

marking completely incorrect assumptions. The

timeframe for this phase of research largely depends

on two factors: the amount of data being analyzed

and the importance to the storyline. Gamemasters

need to carefully measure out their distribution of

intel and clues to players. Give them too much too

soon, and they may spoil the plot. Fail to give them

enough, and they may get frustrated or pursue dead

ends. Timing is everything.

Real-Time Searches

NOTE: Characters may also set up ongoing mesh scans that will

alert them if any relevant information comes up new or

updated, or is somehow changed. This is a task usually

assigned to muses for continuous oversight. Whenever

such data arises, the gamemaster secretly makes a Research

Test, modified by the obscurity of the topic. If

successful, the update is noted. If not, it is missed, though

the gamemaster may allow another test if and when the

topic reaches a wider range of circulation or interest.

Hidden Data

NOTE: It is important to remember that not everything can

be found online. Some data may only be acquired (or

may be more easily gotten) by asking the right people

(see Networking, p. 286). Information that is considered

private, secret, or proprietary will likely be stored

away behind VPN firewalls, in off-mesh hardwired

networks, or in private and commercial archives. This

would require the character to gain access to such

networks in order to get the data they need (assuming

they even know where to look).

It’s worth noting that some entities send out AIs

into the mesh with the intent of finding and erasing

data they’d rather hide, even if this requires hacking

into systems to alter such information.

SCANNING, TRACKING, AND MONITORINGEdit

NOTE: Most users leave traces of their physical and digital

presence all throughout the mesh. Accounts they access,

devices with which they interact, services they use, entoptics

they perceive—all of these keep logs of the event,

and some of these records are public. Simply passing

nearby some devices is enough to leave a trail, as nearfield

radio interactions are often logged. This electronic

datatrail can be used to track a user, both to ascertain

their physical location or to note their online activities.

Wireless Scanning

NOTE: To interface with a wireless device or network, whether

to establish a connection or for other purposes, the

target device/network must be located first. To locate

an active node, it’s wireless radio transmissions must be

detected. Most wireless devices automatically scan for

other devices in range (see Radio and Sensor Ranges, p.

299) as a matter of course, so no test is required. This

means that it’s trivial for any character to pull up a

list of the wireless devices and networks around them,

along with associated mesh IDs. Likewise, a muse or

device can be instructed to alert the user when a new

signal (or a specific user) comes into range.

Detecting stealth signals (p. 252), however, is a bit

more challenging. To detect a stealthed signal, the scanning

party must actively search for such signals, taking

a Complex Action and making an Interfacing Test with

a –30 modifier. If successful, they detect the hidden emissions.

If the character aiming for stealth engages in active

countermeasures, also requiring a Complex Action, then

an Opposed Interfacing Test is called for (with the –30

modifier still applying to the scanning party).

For covert devices that are only transmitting in

short bursts, wireless detection is only possible during

the short period the burst transmission is being made.

Physical TrackingEdit

NOTE: Many users willingly allow themselves to be physically

tracked via the mesh. To them, this is a useful feature—

it allows their friends to find them, their loved ones to

know where they are, and for authorities to come to

their aid in the event of some emergency. Finding their

location is simply a matter of looking them up in the

local directory, no test required (assuming you know

who they are). Mesh positioning is accurate to within

5 meters. Once located, the position of the target can

be monitored as they move as long as they maintain

an active wireless connection to the mesh.

Tracking by Mesh ID

NOTE: An unknown user’s physical location can also be

tracked via their online mesh activity—or more specifically,

by their mesh ID (p. 246). Network security

will often trace intruders this way and then dispatch

security squads to bring them in. To track an unknown

user by their mesh ID alone requires a Research Test.

If successful, they have been tracked to their current

physical location (if still online) or last point of interaction

with the mesh. If the character is in privacy

mode (p. 252), a –30 modifier applies.

Tracking by BiometricsEdit

NOTE: Given the existence of so many spimes and public

cameras and sensors, people may also be tracked by

their facial profile alone using facial recognition software.

This software scans accessible video feeds and

attempts to match it to a photo of the target. Given

the sheer volume of cameras, however, and the typical

range of false-positives and false-negatives, finding

the target often boils down to luck. Priority can be

given to cameras monitoring major thoroughfares, to

narrow the search, but this risks missing the target if

they avoid heavy traffic areas. The success of searches

of this nature is best left to gamemaster fiat, but a

Research Test can also be called for, modified appropriately

by the range of the area being watched,

whenever there is a chance the target may be spotted.

Other biometric signatures may also be used for

tracking this way, though these are usually less available

than cameras: thermal signatures (requires infrared

cameras), walking gait, scent (requires olfactory

sensors), DNA (requires DNA scanners), etc. Each

biometric scan requires a separate type of software.

Digital Acitivity TrackingEdit

NOTE: Tracking someone’s online activities (meshbrowsing,

entoptic interactions, use of services, messaging, etc.)

is slightly more difficult, depending on what exactly

you’re after. Gathering information on a user’s public

mesh activities—social network profiles, public

forums posts, public lifelogging, etc.—is handled just

like standard online research (p. 249).

Tracking by Mesh ID

NOTE: A more investigate search can attempt to use the

target’s mesh ID (p. 246), using it as a sort of digital

fingerprint to look up where else they’ve been online.

This primarily involves checking access/transaction

logs, which are not always publicly accessible. This

sort of search requires a Research Test, handled as a

Task Action with a timeframe of 1 hour.

SniffingEdit

NOTE: Wireless radio traffic is broadcast through the air (or

space), meaning that it can be intercepted by other wireless

devices. “Sniffing” involves the capture and analysis

of data traffic flowing through the wireless mesh.

To eavesdrop on wireless communications, you need

a sniffer program (p. 331) and you must be within

radio range (p. 299) of the target (alternately, you can

access a device that is within radio range of the target,

and sniff from that location). To capture the information

you must succeed in an Infosec Test. If successful,

you capture data traffic from any targeted devices in

range. Note that sniffing does not work on encrypted

traffic (including VPNs and anything else using public

key cryptography) as the results are gibberish. Quantum

encrypted communications cannot be sniffed.

Once you have the data, finding the information

you’re looking for can be a challenge. Handle this as

a standard Research Test (p. 245).

Remote Sniffing via Mesh ID

NOTE: Finally, a mesh ID may also be actively monitored

to see what mesh activity it engages in. This requires

special sniffer software (p. 331) and a Research Test.

If successful, the monitoring will provide information

on that user’s public mesh activities (how much is

determined by the gamemaster and the MoS), such

as which sites they access, who they message, etc. It

will not, however, uncover anything that is encrypted

(unless the encryption is broken) or anything that

takes place on a VPN (unless the VPN is hacked first),

though it will show that encrypted communications

and/or VPN use are taking place.

PRIVACY AND ANONYMIZATIONEdit

NOTE: Given how easily mesh activities are monitored, many users pursue privacy and anonymization options

Privacy ModeEdit

NOTE: Characters who go into privacy mode hide their online

presence and activities from others to a limited degree.

The exact settings are adjustable, but typically involve

masking their social profiles and presence to other

users in the immediate vicinity, like having an unlisted

phone number. Privacy mode can also be used to limit

the use of mesh IDs and other data in access and

transaction logs, applying a –30 modifier to attempts

to research or track them by their online activity.

Stealthed Signals

NOTE: Another tactic that can be taken for privacy is to stealth

the wireless radio signals you emit. This method uses

a combination of spread-spectrum signals, frequency

hopping, and modulation to make your radio transmissions

harder to detect with scanning (p. 251). Stealthing

your signals is either a passive activity (Automatic

Action, –30 modifier on Interface Tests to locate the

signal) or an active one (Complex Action, requires an

Opposed Test to locate).

AnonymizationEdit

NOTE: Anonymization takes the issue of privacy a bit further.

The user does not just hide their mesh ID, but they

actively use false mesh IDs and take other measures to

reroute and obfuscate their datatrail. Anonymization

is a necessity both for clandestine operatives and those

engaging in illicit mesh activities.

False Mech IDs

NOTE: The easiest method of making mesh activities anonymous

is to set your muse to supply false mesh IDs in

online transactions. Though illegal in many jurisdictions,

this is an easy task for any character or muse to

do. Multiple false IDs are used, making it extremely difficult

for anyone to tie all of the user’s activities together.

This method makes it extremely difficult for anyone

to track the user’s online actions. Someone attempting

to track the character via these false mesh IDs must

beat them in an Opposed Test, pitting their Research

skill with a –30 modifier against the character’s (or

more likely, their muse’s) Infosec skill. This is a Task

Action with a base timeframe of 1 hour, adjusted

higher according to the amount of activity they hope

to track. If successful, the tracker manages to dig

together enough correlating evidence and records of

false IDs to get a picture of the character’s activities

(how thorough this picture is depends on their MoS).

If the fail, the anonymous character has effectively

camouflaged themselves in the mesh.

Actively monitoring a character who is fluctuating

their mesh ID with a sniffer program, or physically

tracking them via the mesh, is next to impossible, as

the continual shifting of IDs and intentional decoys

make it too difficult to keep up.

Anonymous Account Services

NOTE: A number of people—not just criminals, hackers, and

secret agents—have an interest in keeping some of

their affairs anonymous. To meet this demand, various

online service vendors offer anonymous accounts for

messaging and credit transfers. Some of these vendors are legit business (in places where it is legal), some

are criminals operating illegally, others are hacktivists

promoting the privacy meme, and still others are hypercorps

or other organizations offering such services

internally to their own staff/membership.

The interaction between the vendor and user is

encrypted and anonymous, with no logs kept, so even

if the vendor’s servers are hacked, an intruder will

not find any leads. While some anonymous accounts

are established for regular use, the truly paranoid use

(multiple) one-time accounts for maximum security.

One-time accounts are used for a single message (incoming

or outgoing) or credit transaction, and then

are securely erased.

Tracking an anonymous account is a practical

impossibility, and something that only an extremely

resourceful organization employing a systematic and

expensive effort could attempt.

Disposable Ectos

NOTE: Another option for those seeking privacy and security

is to simply use disposable ectos. Using this

method, all activity is routed through a specific ecto

(using its mesh ID), the ecto is used for a limited

period (until it gets hot), and then it is simply discarded

or destroyed.

MESH SECURITYEdit

NOTE: Given the lessons of the Fall and the very real risk still

posed by hackers, virii, and similar threats, network

security is taken extremely seriously in Eclipse Phase.

Four methods are typically used: authentication, firewalls,

active monitoring, and encryption.

Authentication

NOTE: Most devices, networks (PANs, VPNs, etc.), and services

require some kind of authentication (a process

by which a system determines whether the claimed

identity of a user is genuine) before they grant an account

and access privileges (p. 246) to a user. There

are several different ways for a system to authenticate

a user. Some are more reliable and secure than others,

but for the most part, the more secure the method, the

higher the operational expenses.

Account: If you have access to an account on one

system, this may give you automatic access to related

systems or subsystems. This is typical of slaved devices

(p. 248), where access to the master automatically

grants you access to slaves.

Mesh ID: Some systems accept mesh IDs as authentication.

This is extremely common with most public

systems, which merely log the mesh ID of any user

that wishes access. Other systems will only allow

access to specific mesh IDs, but these are vulnerable

to spoofing (p. 255).

Passcode: This is a simple string of alphanumeric

characters or logographic symbols, submitted in an

encrypted format. Anyone with the passcode can

access the account.

Biometric Scan: This calls for a scan of one or more

of the user’s biometric signatures (fingerprint, palm

print, retinal scan, DNA sample, etc.). Popular before

the Fall, such systems have fallen out of use as they

are impractical with synthmorphs or users that frequently

resleeve.

Passkey: Passkey systems call for some of encrypted

code that is either hardwired into a physical device

(that is either implanted or physically jacked into

an ecto) or extracted from specialized software. Advanced

passkeys combine hardwired encryption with

physical nanotech etching to create a unique key. To

access such systems, the passkey must either be acquired

or somehow spoofed.

Ego Scan: This system authenticates the user’s ego

ID (p. 279).

Quantum Key: Quantum key systems rely on the unbreakable

encryption of quantum cryptography (p. 254).

F

Firewalls

NOTE: Firewalls are software programs (sometimes hardwired

into a device) that intercept and inspect all traffic

to and from a protected network or device. Traffic

that meets specified criteria that designates it as safe

is passed through, whereas all other traffic is blocked.

In Eclipse Phase, every network and device can be

assumed to have a firewall by default. Firewalls are

the main obstacle that an intruder must overcome, as

discussed under Intrusion Tests, p. 255.

Like other gear, firewalls come in varying quality

levels and so may apply modifiers to certain tests.

Active Monitoring

NOTE: Instead of relying on authentication and firewalls

alone, secure systems are actively monitored by a security

hacker or a muse. These digital security guards

inspect network traffic using a number of software

tools and applications that flag conspicuous events.

Active surveillance makes intrusions more difficult,

since the interloper must beat the monitoring hacker/

AI in an Opposed Test (see Intrusion, p. 254). Active

monitoring also includes monitoring any devices

slaved to the monitored system.

Characters may actively monitor their own PANs if

they so choose, though this requires a moderate level

of attention (count as a Quick Action). It is far more

common for a muse to actively guard a user’s PAN.

EncryptionEdit

NOTE: Instead of relying on authentication and firewalls

alone, secure systems are actively monitored by a security

hacker or a muse. These digital security guards

inspect network traffic using a number of software

tools and applications that flag conspicuous events.

Active surveillance makes intrusions more difficult,

since the interloper must beat the monitoring hacker/

AI in an Opposed Test (see Intrusion, p. 254). Active

monitoring also includes monitoring any devices

slaved to the monitored system.

Characters may actively monitor their own PANs if

they so choose, though this requires a moderate level

of attention (count as a Quick Action). It is far more

common for a muse to actively guard a user’s PAN.

Public Key Crypto

NOTE: In public key cryptosystems, two keys are generated

by the user, a public key and a secret key. The public

key is used to encrypt messages to that user, and is

made freely available. When messages are encrypted

using that public key, only the secret key—controlled

by the user—can decrypt them. Public key crypto is

widely used both for encrypting data traffic between

two users/networks/devices and for encrypting

files. Due to the strength of the public key system

algorithms, such crypto is essentially unbreakable

without a quantum computer (see Quantum Codebreaking,

p. 254).

Quantum Cryptography

NOTE: Quantum key distribution systems use quantum mechanics

to enable secure communications between two

parties by generating a quantum key. The major advantage

of transmitting information in quantum states is

that the system itself instantly detects eavesdropping

attempts as quantum systems are disturbed by any sort

of external interference. In practical terms, this means

that quantum encrypted data transfers are unbreakable

and attempts to intercept automatically fail. Note that

quantum crypto doesn’t work for basic file encryption,

its only use is in protecting communication channels.

While quantum key systems have an advantage over

public key systems, they are both more expensive and

less practical. In order to generate a quantum key,

the two communications devices must be entangled

together on a quantum level, in the same location,

and then separated. So quantum key encrypted

communications channels require some setup effort,

especially if long distances are involved. Since the

implementation of quantum cryptographic protocols

is an extraordinary expense, it is usually only adopted

for major high-security communications links.

Breaking Encryption

NOTE: What this means is that encrypted communications

lines and files are very safe if using public key systems,

and that data transfers are absolutely safe if using

quantum crypto. Gamemasters should take note, however:

while this may be useful to player characters, it

may also hinder them. If the characters need to get at

something that is encrypted, they’re going to need to

figure out some way to get the secret key’s passcode.

Common methods include the old standbys of bribery,

blackmail, threats, and torture. Other options involve

espionage or social engineering to somehow acquire

the passcode. Hackers could also find some other

method to compromise the system and gain inside

access, bypassing the encryption entirely.

Quantum Codebreaking

NOTE: As noted above, quantum computers can also be used

to break public key encryption. This requires an Infosec

Task Action Test with a +30 modifier and a timeframe

of 1 week (once started, the quantum computer finishes

the job on its own; the user does not need to provide

constant oversight). Gamemasters should feel free to

modify this timeframe as fits the needs of their game.

Note that quantum computers cannot break quantumencrypted

communications, only encrypted files.

INTRUSIONEdit

NOTE: The art of intrusion lies in penetrating a device’s security.

The best methods involve infiltrating a system quietly,

without catching a watchdog’s attention, by using

exploits—code glitches, flawed security protocols—to

create a path circumventing the target’s defenses. When

called for, however, a hacker can toss aside pretenses

and attempt to brute-force their way in.

Preconditions

NOTE: In order to hack a device, the hacker needs to establish

a direct connection to the target computer system. If

the hacker is making a direct wireless connection to

the target, the target system must be wireless-capable

and within range (p. 299), and the hacker must know

the target is there (see Wireless Scanning, p. 251). If

the system is hard-wired, the hacker must physically

jack in by using a regular jacking port or somehow

tapping into a cable that carries the network’s data

traffic. If the hacker is accessing the target through the

mesh, the target system must be online and the hacker

must know it’s mesh ID (p. 246) or otherwise be able

to track it down (p. 251).

Circumventing AuthenticationEdit

NOTE: Circumventing Authentication

Rather than hacking in, an intruder can try to subvert

the authentication system used to vet legitimate

users. The easiest manner of doing this is to somehow

acquire the passcode, passkey, or whatever authentication

method the target uses (p. 253). With this in hand,

no test is necessary to access the system; the hacker

simply logs in just like a legitimate user and has all of

the normal access privileges of that user.

Lacking a passcode, the hacker can try to subvert

the authentication system in one of two other ways:

spoofing or forgery.

Spoofing Authenticaiton

NOTE: Using this method, the hacker attempts to disguise

their signals as coming from the legitimate, authenticated

user, rather than from themself. If successful,

the system is fooled by this masquerade, accepting the

hacker’s commands and activity as if they came from

a legitimate user. Spoofing is more difficult to pull off,

but is very effective when it works.

To spoof a legitimate user, the hacker must be using

both sniffer and spoofing software (p. 331). The

hacker must then monitor a connection between the

legitimate user and the target system, and succeed

in an Infosec Test to sniff the traffic between them

(p. 252). Apply a –20 modifier if the user has security

account privileges, –30 if they have admin rights

(p. 247). If the connection is encrypted, this will fail

unless the hacker has the encryption key.

Armed with this data, the hacker then uses it to

disguise their signals. This requires an Infosec Test,

modified by the quality of the system’s firewall and

the hacker’s spoofing program. If successful, communications

sent by the hacker are treated as coming

from the legitimate user.

Forging Authentication

NOTE: Biometric and passkey systems used for authentication

(p. 253) can potentially be forged hackers who are

able to get a look at the originals. The means and techniques

for doing so differ, and are beyond the scope of

this book, but successfully forging such systems would

allow a hacker to log in as the legitimate user.

Intrusion TestsEdit

NOTE: In trusion Tests

Hacking into a node is a time-consuming task. The

target system must be carefully analyzed and probed

for weaknesses, without alerting its defenses. Depending

on the type of security in place, more than one test

may be called for.

Hackers require special exploit software (p. 331) to

take advantage of security holes, but software does

not a hacker make. What really counts is Infosec skill

(p. 180), which is the ability to use, modify, and improvise

exploits to their full advantage.

Defeating the Firewall

NOTE: Lacking a passcode, the hacker must break in the oldfashioned

way: discreetly scanning the target, look for

weaknesses, and take advantage of them. In this case

the hacker takes their exploit software and makes an

Infosec Test. This is handled as a Task Action with a

timeframe of 10 minutes. Various modifiers may apply,

such as the quality of the exploit software, the quality

of the Firewall, or the alertness of the target system. The

gamemaster may also modify the timeframe, shortening

it to reflect systems that are cookie-cutter common with

known security flaws or raising it as fitting for a top-ofthe-

line system with still-unreleased defenses.

By default, a hacker trying to break in this way is

pursuing standard user access rights (p. 247). If the

hacker wishes to obtain security or admin privileges on

the system, apply a –20 or –30 modifier, respectively.

If the Infosec Test succeeds, the intruder has invaded

the system without triggering any alarms. If the system is

actively monitored (p. 253), they must now avoid detection

by that watchdog (see below). If there is no active

monitor, the intruder gains the status of Covert (see Intruder

Status, p. 256). If the intruder scored an Excellent

Success, however, their status is Hidden (p. 256).

Probing: Players may choose to take the time (p.

116) when probing the target for weakness and exploits.

In fact, this is a common procedure when a

hacker wants to ensure success.

Bypassing Active Security

NOTE: If a system is also actively monitored (p. 253), the

hacker must avoid detection. Treat this as a Variable

Opposed Infosec Test between the intruder and the

monitor. The outcome depends on both rolls:

If only the intruder succeeds, the hacker has accessed

the node without the monitor or the systemnoticing. The hacker has acquired Covert status

(p. 256). If the hacker scored an Excellent Success,

their status is Hidden (p. 256).

If only the monitor succeeds, the hacking attempt

is spotted and the monitor may immediately lock the

hacker out of the system before they manage to fully

break in. The intruder may try again, but the monitor

will be vigilant for further intrusions.

If both succeed, the intruder has gained access but

the monitor is aware that something strange is going

on. The hacker acquires Spotted status.

If both fail, continue to make the same test on each

of the hacker’s Action Phases, until one or both succeed.

The Hacking Sequence

NOTE: 1. Defeat the Firewall Infosec Task Action (10 minutes)

2. Bypass Active Security Opposed Infosec Test

a. Hacker Wins with Excellent Success, Defender Fails Hidden status/+30 all tests (p. 256)

b. Hacker Succeeds, Defender Fails Covert Status (p. 256)

c. Both Succeed Spot Status/Passive Alert (p. 256)

d. Defender Succeeds, Hacker Fails Locked status/Active Alert (p. 256)

Intruder StatusEdit

NOTE: Intruder status is a simple way of measuring an

invader’s situation when they are intruding upon

a system. This status has an impact on whether the

hacker has caught any attention or if they managed

to remain unobtrusive. Status is first determined when

the intruder access the system, though it may change

according to events.

Note that intruder status is a separate matter from

account access privileges (p. 246). The latter represents

what a user can legally do on a system. The former

indicates how aware the system is of the hacker’s true

nature as an intruder.

Hidden

NOTE: An intruder with Hidden status has managed to silently

sneak into the system without anyone noticing. The

system’s security is totally unaware of their presence

and may not act against them. In this case, the hacker

is not using an account so much as they are exploiting

a flaw in the system that grants them a nebulous,

behind-the-scenes sort of presence in the system. The

hacker effectively has admin access rights, but does

not show up as an admin-level user in logs or other

statistics. Hidden characters receive a +30 modifier on

any efforts to subvert the system.

Covert

NOTE: An intruder with Covert status has accessed the

system in a manner that doesn’t attract any unusual

attention. For all intents and purposes, they appear

to be a legitimate user with whatever access rights

they sought. Only extensive checking will turn up any

abnormalities. The system is aware of them, but does

not consider them a threat.

Spotted

NOTE: Spo tted

Spotted status indicates that the system is aware of an

anomaly or intrusion but hasn’t zeroed in on the intruder

yet. The hacker appears to be a legitimate user

with whatever access rights they sought, but this will

not hold up under close scrutiny. The system goes on

passive alert (inflicting a –10 modifier to the hacker’s

activities on that system) and may engage the hacker

with passive countermeasures (p. 257).

Locked

NOTE: Locked status means that the intruder—including their

datatrail—has been pinned down by system security.

The hacker has access and account privileges, but they

have been flagged as an interloper. The system is on

active alert (inflicting a –20 modifier on the hacker’s actions)

and may launch active countermeasures (p. 257)

against the intruder.

Changing StatusEdit

NOTE: An intruder’s status is subject to change according to

their actions and the actions of the system.

Upgrading Status

NOTE: A hacker can attempt to improve their status in order

to better protect themself. This requires a Complex

Action and an Infosec Test. If the hacker has Spotted

status, this is an Opposed Test between monitor and

intruder. If the hacker wins and scores an Excellent

Success (MoS of 30+), they have upgraded their status

by one level (for example, from Covert to Hidden).

Intruders with Locked status may not upgrade.

Zeroing In

NOTE: A security hacker or muse that is actively monitoring

a system can take a Complex Action and attempt to

hone in on a Spotted intruder. An Opposed Infosec Test

is made between both parties. If the system’s defender

wins, the hacker is downgraded to Locked status.

Failing Tests

NOTE: Any time an intruder scores a Severe Failure (MoF

30+) on a test involving manipulating the system, they

are automatically downgraded one status level (from

Covert to Spotted, for example). If a critical failure

is rolled, they immediately give themselves away and

achieve Locked status.

Brute-Force Hacking

NOTE: Sometimes a character simply doesn’t have time to do

the job right, and they need to hack in now or never.

In this case the hacker engages the target system immediately,

head on, without taking any time to prepare

an attack. The hacker simply brings all of their

software exploit tools to bear, throwing them at the

target and hoping that one works. This is handled as

an Infosec Test, but as a Task Action with a timeframe

of 1 minute (20 Action Turns). The hacker receives

a +30 modifier on this test. Many hackers choose to

rush the job (see Task Actions, p. 120), in order to cut

this time even shorter.

The drawback to brute-force hacking is that it immediately

triggers an alarm. If the system is actively monitored,

the hacker must beat the monitor in an Opposed

Infosec Test or be immediately locked out as soon as

they break in. Even if they succeed, the hacker has

Locked status and is subject to active countermeasures.

INTRUSION COUNTERMEASURESEdit

NOTE: If an intruding hacker fails to penetrate a system’s

defenses (i.e., they are Spotted or Locked, see p. 256),

then the system goes on alert and activates certain

defenses. The nature of the applied countermeasures

depends on the capabilities of the system, the abilities

of its security defender(s), and the policy of its owner/

admins. While some nodes will simply seek to kick

the intruder out and keep them shut out, others will

actively counterattack, seeking to track the intruder

and potentially hack the intruder’s own PAN.

Security AlertsEdit

NOTE: Security alerts come in two flavors: passive and active

Passive Alert

NOTE: Passive alerts are triggered when an intruder hits Spotted

status. The system immediately flags a visual or

acoustic cue to anyone actively monitoring the system

and possibly the owner or admins. It immediately

launches one or more passive countermeasures (see

below). Depending on the system, extra security hackers

or AIs may be brought in to help investigate. If the

intruder is not encountered again or located within a

set time period (usually about 10 minutes), the alarm

is deactivated and the event is logged as an anomaly.

Depending on the security level of the system, someone

may analyze the logs at some point and try to

ascertain what happened—and prevent it from happening

again.

All intruders suffer a –10 modifier for tests involving

a system that is on passive alert.

Active Alert

NOTE: An active alert is triggered when an intruder hits

Locked status. The system immediately alerts the

owners, admins, and monitoring security agents.

Additional security assets (hackers and AIs) may be

called in. The system also launches active countermeasure

against the intruder (see below). Active alerts are

maintained for as long as the intruder is present, and

sometimes for a lengthy period afterwards just in case

the hacker returns.

Passive CountermeasuresEdit

NOTE: Passive countermeasures are launched as a precaution

whenever an intruder acquires Spotted status.

Locate Intruder

NOTE: A security hacker or AI monitoring a system may attempt

to track down the source of the passive alert.

See Zeroing In, p. 256.

Re-Authenticate

NOTE: When a passive alert is triggered, a firewall can be set

to re-authenticate all active users, starting with the

most recent. At the beginning of the next Action Turn,

everyone on the system must take an action to log back in. For intruders, this means making an Infosec

Test, modified by –10 for the passive alert, to satisfy

the system that they are a legitimate user.

Reduce Privileges

NOTE: As a protective measure, some systems will immediately

reduce access privileges available to standard

users, and sometimes security users as well. One

common tactic is to protect all logs, backing them up

and making sure no one has rights to delete them.

Active CountermeasuresEdit

NOTE: Active countermeasures can only be launched if the

intruder has acquired Locked status.

Counterintrusion

NOTE: A security hacker or guardian AI can proactively

defend a system by attacking the intruder’s source. For

this to occur, the intruder must first be successfully

traced (p. 251). Once this occurs, the security forces

can then launch their own intrusion on the hacker’s

home ecto/mesh inserts and/or PAN.

Lockout

NOTE: A system that has locked onto an intruder may also

attempt to lock them out. Lockout is an attempt to

remove the compromised account, sever the connection

between the two, and dump the hacker from

the system.

Lockout must be initiated by someone with security

or admin privileges. An Opposed Infosec Test is

made, with the intruder suffering a –20 modifier for

being Locked. If the character defending the system

succeeds, the intruder is immediately ejected from

the system and the account they used will be placed

on quarantine or deleted. That account will not be

usable again until a security audit approves it and

replaces the authentication. Any attempt to access

the system from the same mesh ID as the intruder

automatically fails.

Reboot/Shutdown

NOTE: Perhaps the most drastic option for dealing with an

interloper is to simply shut down the system. In this

case, the system closes all wireless connections (if it

has any), logs off any users, terminates all processes,

and shut itself down—thereby locking out the intruder.

The disadvantage, of course, is that the system must

interrupt its activities. For example, shutting down

your mesh inserts or ecto means losing all communication

with teammates, access to augmented reality, and

control over slaved/linked devices.

Initiating a reboot/shutdown is only a Complex

Action, but the actual process of shutdown takes

anywhere from 1 Action Turn (personal devices) to 1

minute (large hardwired networks with multiple users),

determined by the gamemaster. Rebooting a system

takes the same amount of time to get started again.

Trace

NOTE: For high-security systems, a popular countermeasure

is to track the infiltrator’s physical location via their

mesh ID (see Physical Tracking, p. 251). In most cases,

habitat physical security is subsequently alerted and

forwarded the position to take care of the criminal.

Wireless Termination

NOTE: An alternative to shutdown or rebooting is simply to

sever all wireless connections by shutting down the

wireless capabilities of the system. The system will

lose all active connections, but any intruders will be

dumped. Wireless termination is a Complex Action to

initiate and completes at the end of that Action Turn.

Re-starting wireless connectivity takes 1 Action Turn.

Joint Hacking/Securing

NOTE: Hacking will sometimes involve teams of attackers

and/or teams of defenders. A hacker might

be backed up by their muse or another team

member with moderate Infosec skills. Hard

networks are often defended and monitored

by teams of highly-skilled security hackers and

AIs. When intruding in or defending a computer

system, operators must decide whether to act

individually or in concert.

Each approach has its tradeoffs. A team that

chooses to breach or maintain a system’s security

as a team effort must allocate one character (usually

the team member with the highest Infosec

skill) as the primary actor (see Teamwork, p. 117).

Each additional character and muse adds a +10

modifier for each test (up to the maximum +30

modifier) but cannot spend time on other actions

than those performed by the team leader. When

acting in concert, teams may switch team leaders

at any time, in case group members are specialized

for certain tasks.

Alternately, both intruding and defending

teams may choose to act individually but for a

joint goal. Each hacker must make intrusions

on their own, with individual repercussions for

detection and counterintrusion, which runs the

risk of affecting all intruders if any one is Spotted

or Locked. On the other hand, a team of intruders

can pursue multiple actions simultaneously in

a coordinated manner and may temporarily overwhelm

available security. The same holds true for

system defenders, who may accomplish more by

splitting their actions, leaving some to monitor

while others launch counterintrusion attacks and

other countermeasures.

SUBVERSIONEdit

NOTE: Once an intruder has successfully invaded a device

or network, they can pursue whatever tasks they are

interested in, as fitting that particular system. Depending

on the type of account the intruder hacked, they

may or may not have access privileges to do what

they want to do. If their access rights allow it, the

activity is handled like that of a legitimate user and

no test is called for (unless the activity itself calls for

some kind of test, such as Research). For example, a

hacker who infiltrates a habitat’s security system with

a security account can monitor cameras, deactivate

sensors, review recorded surveillance footage, and so

on, as any legitimate user with security right would be

allowed to do.

Engaging in any sort of activity for which you

don’t have access rights is more difficult and requires

hacking the system. This typically requires an Infosec

Success Test, modified by the difficulty of the action

as noted on the Subversion Difficulties table. In most

cases this in not an Opposed Test even if the system is

actively monitored, unless specifically stated otherwise.

Failing such tests, however, will result in a change of

the hacker’s intruder status (see Failing Tests, p. 256).

Examples for different types of system subversion

are given in the Subversion Examples sidebar. This

is not an exhaustive list, however, and gamemasters

and players are encouraged to improvise game effects

in case an action has not been explicitly described.

Augmented Reality Illusions

NOTE: A hacker who has infiltrated an ecto, mesh inserts, or

some other device with an AR interface may inject

different kinds of visual, auditory, tactile, and even

emotional illusions into the augmented reality of

the device’s user, depending on the type of interface

used. How the hacked user will respond to the illusion

depends on a number of factors, such as whether

they are aware of the intruder (i.e., the hacker has

Spotted or Locked status), what type of interface they

are using (entoptic or haptic), and how realistic the

illusion is.

The best illusions are, of course, crafted in advance,

using the best image and sensory manipulation tools

available. Such illusions are hyper-realistic. Anyone

making a Perception Test to identify them as fake suffers a –10 to –30 modifier (gamemaster’s discretion).

An eclectic collection of software programs

offer a diverse range of AR illusions.

Hackers may also improvise illusions on the

fly, usually by patching in sensor data from others

sources, though this is more difficult and more easily

spotted (typically adding a +10 to +30 modifier to

Perception Tests). The advantage is that the hacker

can modify the illusion in reaction to the user’s actions

or environmental factors on the fly. AR illusion

software, however, also offers some template illusions

that can be modified and controlled in real-time via a

connected interface.

Whenever a user is bombarded with AR illusions, the

gamemaster should make a secret Perception Test to see

if they spot the deception. Even if they do, however, the

character may still react to them. Almost anyone will

duck when they see an object suddenly flying at their

face, as their body reacts on its own before the brain

comprehends that it’s an illusion and not a threat.

Aside from their deceptive value, illusions can be

used to distract users or otherwise impair their perceptive

faculties. For example, dark illusory clouds can

obscure vision, ear-wrenching high-volume noises can

make people cringe, and a persistent tickling sensation

might drive anyone crazy. Such effects can apply a –10

to –30 modifier to Perception Tests and other actions,

but the user can also adjust their filters and/or turn

their AR off if necessary.

Subversion Examples

NOTE: su bversion ex amples

In addition to the tasks noted under the Subversion Difficulties table,

these modifiers present some additional example actions.

modifier task

Hacking Bots/Vehicles

–0 Give orders to drones

–10 Alter sensor system parameters, disable sensors or weapon systems

–20 Alter smartlink input, send false data to AI or teleoperator

–30 Lockout AI or teleoperator, seize control via puppet sock

Hacking Ectos/Mesh Inserts

–0

Interact with entoptics, befriend everyone in range, make online

purchases using user’s credit, intercept communications, log activity

–10

Alter social network profile/status, adjust AR filters, tweak sensory

interface, change AR skin, change avatar, access VPN

–20

Block or shuffle senses, inject AR illusions, spoof commands to

drones/slaved devices

–30 Boot user out of AR

Hacking Habitat Systems

–0 Open/close doors, stop/start elevators, operate intercom

–10

Adjust temperature/lighting, disable safety warnings,

replace entoptic skin, lock doors, switch traffic timers

–20

Disable subsystems (plumbing, recycling, etc.), disable wireless links,

dispatch repair crews

–30 Override safety cutoffs

Hacking Security Systems

–0 Move/manipulate cameras/sensors, locate security systems/guards/bots

–10

Adjust patterns of sensor sweeps, view security logs,

disable weapon systems

–20 Delete security logs, dispatch security teams

–30 Disable alerts

Hacking Simulspace Systems

–0 View current status of simulspace, simulmorphs, and accessing egos

–10

Change domain rules, add cheats, alter parameters of story,

alter simulmorphs, change time dilation

–20 Eject simulmorph, alter/erase character AIs

–30 Abort simulation

Hacking Spimes

–0 Get status report, use device functions

–10 Adjust AI/voice personality settings, adjust timed operation schedule

–20 Disable sensors, disable device functions

Subversion Difficulties

NOTE: su bversion diffi culties

Difficulty modifiers for common computer tasks

modifier task

–0

Execute commands, view restricted information, run restricted software, open/close connections to other systems,

read/write/copy/delete files, access sensor feeds, access slaved devices

–10 Change system settings, alter logs/restricted files

–20 Interfere with system operations, alter sensor/AR input

–30 Shut system down, lockout user/muse, launch countermeasures at others

Backdoors

NOTE: Backdoo rs

A backdoor is a method of bypassing a system’s normal

authentication and security features. It enables a hacker

to sneak into a system by exploiting a flaw (which can

take the form of an installed program or modification

to an existing program or hardware device) that was

integrated into the system previously, either by themself

or another hacker (who shared the backdoor).

To install a backdoor, the hacker must successfully

infiltrate the system and succeed in both a Programming

and an Infosec Test (or an Opposed Infosec Test

if the system is actively monitored). The Programming

Test determines how well the backdoor is crafted and

hidden within system processes, while the Infosec Test

represents incorporating it into the system without security

noticing. Modify the Programming Test by –20

if the hacker wants to have security privileges when

using the backdoor, –30 for admin.

Once installed, using a backdoor requires no test to

access the system—the hacker simply logs on as if they

were a legitimate user, gaining Covert status. Anyone

who is aware of a backdoor’s details may use it.

How long the backdoor lasts depends on many factors

and is largely up to the gamemaster. Backdoors

are only likely to be spotted during complete security

audits, so more paranoid systems are likely to detect

them earlier. Security audits may also occur when an

intruder is Spotted but never Locked. Security audits

are a Task Action with a timeframe of 24 hours. The

character conducting the audit makes an Infosec Test to spot the back door. If the backdoor’s installer

scored an Excellent Success on their Programming

Test, this Infosec Test suffers a –30 modifier.

Crashing Software

NOTE: Intruders can attempt to crash software programs

by killing the processes that run them. This requires a

Complex Action and an Infosec Test. Note that some

software is set to immediately respawn, but this can take

from 1 Action turn to 1 minute, depending on the system.

Hackers may crash AIs, AGIs, and even infomorphs

this way, but the process is more difficult. In this case,

an Opposed Infosec Test is made against the target,

who is immediately aware they are under attack. Two

consecutive tests must succeed in order to crash an AI,

three in order crash an AGI or infomorph. If successful,

the AI/infomorph immediately reboots, which generally

takes 3 Action Turns, longer if the gamemaster chooses.

Eliminating Intrusion Traces

NOTE: Hackers who have avoided being Locked may attempt

to clean up all traces of their intrusion before they

exit a system. This involves erasing incriminating data

in the access and security logs, and otherwise hiding

any evidence of system tampering. This requires a

Complex Action and an Infosec Test, or an Opposed

Infosec Test if the system is actively monitored. If successful,

the intruder has wiped anything that might be

used to track them down later, such as mesh ID, etc.

Hacking VPNs

NOTE: Virtual private networks (VPNs) are more challenging

to hack than standard devices. Because they exist

as an encrypted network within the mesh, accessing

channels of communication within a VPN is all but

impossible without the encryption key. This means

any attempt to sniff the VPN traffic is also impossible

without the key.

The only way to hack a VPN is to hack into a

device that is part of the VPN and running the VPN

software. Once an intruder has access to such a device,

they can attempt to access the VPN. The account the

hacker has compromised may have VPN privileges, in

which case they are in. If not, they must hack access,

requiring an Infosec Test with a Minor modifier (–10).

Once access to the VPN is acquired, the hacker may

treat the VPN like any other network. They may hack

other devices on the VPN, sniff VPN traffic, track

other users on the VPN, research data hidden away

on the VPN, and so on.

ScriptingEdit

NOTE: A script is a simple program—a batch of instructions—

that a hacker can embed in a system to be executed at

a later pre-scheduled time or upon a certain trigger

event, even without the hacker being present. When

activated, the script will undertake a number of system

operations limited by the abilities of the operating

system and the access rights the hacker had when

they implemented the script in the system. Scripts are a great way for a hacker to subvert a system without

necessarily being in danger when they do it.

Scripts can be programmed on the fly or preprogrammed.

When composing the script, the character

must detail what system operations the set will call

for, in what order and at what times (or at what trigger

steps). The script cannot contain more steps/tasks

than the character’s Programming skill ÷ 10 (round

down). To program a script, the character must succeed

in a Programming Test with a timeframe determined

by the gamemaster.

To load the script, the character must have successfully

intruded in the system and must succeed

in an Infosec Test (or an Opposed Infosec Test if the

system is actively monitored). If successful, the script

is loaded into the system and will run as programmed.

Once the script is activated, it carries out the preprogrammed

sequence of actions. The programmer’s

Infosec skill is used for any tests those actions call for.

Inactivated scripts may be detected in a security

audit, just like backdoors (p. 260).

Example

NOTE: Sarlo has infiltrated a security system and wants

to arrange it so that a particular security sensor

deactivates and a door unlocks at a set time, allowing

his team to infiltrate a high-security area.

He creates a script that will activate at 2200 hours

with the following steps:

1) At 2200 hours, disable security sensor

2) Then unlock door

3) At 2230 relock door

4) Then re-enable security sensor

5) Eliminate traces

This script has 5 steps, which Sarlo can handle

with his Programming skill of 70. Sarlo succeeds in

his Programming and Infosec Tests, and the script

is loaded. It will then activate at the appropriate

time. Since Sarlo’s account did not have access

rights to perform these actions, each will require

an Infosec Test using Sarlo’s skill to succeed.

CYBERBRAIN HACKINGEdit

NOTE: Pods and synthmorphs (including some bots and vehicles)

are equipped with cybernetic brains. While this

technology allows a transhuman ego to sleeve into and

control these forms, they carry the disadvantage of being

vulnerable to hacking, like any other electronic device.

Cyberbrains are not wireless-enabled for security

reasons, but they do have access jacks (p. 306) and

are directly linked to mesh inserts. This means that

in order to hack a cyberbrain, the hacker either must

have direct physical access to the morph’s body in

order to jack in, or they must first hack into the mesh

inserts and then break into the cyberbrain from there.

Due to their importance, cyberbrains are equipped

with numerous hard-coded security features that make

intrusion very difficult. Apply a –30 modifier to all

attempts to hack into and subvert a cyberbrain. (Note that the –30 modifier for hacking an admin account

does not apply to cyberbrains.)

Cyberbrains are treated just like other systems for

intrusion and subversion purposes, but since they

house the morph’s controlling ego they present several

unique hacking opportunities. 

Entrapment

NOTE: An intruding character can attempt to lock in an ego,

preventing it from evacuating the cyberbrain. The

hacker (with the –30 modifier noted above) must

beat the defending character or muse in an Opposed

Infosec Test. If successful, the ego is prevented from

transferring itself to another system.

To fully pen the ego in, the ego character and its

protecting muse must also be locked out (p. 257) from

controlling the cyberbrain’s system, otherwise the ego

could potentially be freed.

Trapped egos are quite vulnerable. They could, for

example, be subject to enforced uploading, enforced

forking, or psychosurgery.

Memory Hacking

NOTE: All cyberbrains incorporate mnemonic augmentation

(p. 307), or digitally recorded memories. A hacker

who has accessed the cyberbrain can read, alter, or

delete these memories with a successful Research or

Interfacing Test (the –30 modifier applies).

Puppeteering

NOTE: Most cyberbrains also incorporate a puppet sock (p. 307),

enabling remote users to take over the pod or synthmorph

body and control it via teleoperation or jamming

(p. 196). This allows a hacker to seize control of the body

and manipulate it remotely. To do so, the hacker must

take a Complex Action and beat the defending character

or muse in an Opposed Infosec Test; the hacker suffers

the –30 modifier noted above.

A defender who is not locked out may continue

to fight for control of the morph, using a Complex

Action. In this case, another Opposed Infosec Test

is called for. This can result in a situation where the

morph repeatedly slips control from the hacker to the

defender, or perhaps slips into a catatonic state as the

two sides battle it out.

Scorching

NOTE: Scorching

Having direct access to a cyberbrain opens the possibility

for certain kinds of attacks that are normally infeasible

due to the strict content filtering that occurs on

the link between the cyberbrain and mesh inserts. One

of these possibilities is scorching—the use of damaging

neurofeedback algorithms to harm the victim’s mind.

In order to make a scorching attack, the cyberbrain

intruder must deploy a scorch program. To utilize a

scorch program, the intruder must beat the defending

Ego in an Opposed Infosec Test. The –30 modifier for

cyberbrain hacking applies to the attacker.

Several types of scorch programs exist, with different

effects: cauterizers (damage), bedlams (stress), spasms (pain), nightmares (fear), and shutters (sensory

deprivation). These are described on p. 332 of Gear.

Shutdown

NOTE: If a cyberbrain is shut down (p. 257), the morph immediately

ceases activity, perhaps collapsing or rolling

to a stop. Pods will appear to be in a coma. The ego,

however, will be rebooted along with the cyberbrain.

Terminate Cortical Stack Feed

NOTE: The cyberbrain feeds backup data to the cortical stack.

This is a one-way connection, so the cortical stack may

not be hacked, but the transfer of data may be cut off.

This termination action requires an Opposed Infosec

Test between the hacker (with the –30 modifier) and

the defender. The ego’s backup will not be updated for

as long as the connection remains off.

RADIO JAMMINGEdit

NOTE: Radio Jamming

Radio jamming is a method of transmitting radio

signals that deliberate interfere with other radio

signals in order to disrupt communications. In the

highly-networked world of Eclipse Phase, intentional

jamming is often illegal, not to mention rude.

Radio jamming does not require any special equipment

other than a standard wireless device, such as

an ecto or mesh inserts. Jamming can be selective

or universal. Selective jamming targets a particular

device or set of devices. In order to selectively jam,

the character must have scanned the target device(s)

(p. 251). Universal devices target all radio-equipped

devices indiscriminately.

Jamming simply requires a Complex Action and an

Interfacing Test. If successful, affected devices within

range have their radio communications disrupted—

they are cut off from the mesh and may not communicate

wirelessly. Wired devices are unaffected.

Devices equipped by AIs will automatically attempt

to overcome jamming, which requires a Complex

Action (transhuman users may also do the same). In

this case, a Variable Opposed Test is made between

the jammer and defender. If the jammer wins, all communications

are blocked; if the defender wins, they

are unaffected. If both parties succeed, the defender’s

communications are impacted but not completely cut

off. The gamemaster decides how much information

the defender can get through, and how this situation

affects mesh use.

Jamming Radar

NOTE: Jamming can also be used to interfere with radar. In

this case, if the jammer makes an Interface Test. If

successful, the radar suffers interference, imposing

a –30 modifier on all sensor-related tests. The entity

operating the radar may attempt to overcome this

interference by beating the jammer in an Opposed

Interface Test.

SIMULSPACESEdit

NOTE: Simulspaces are virtual reality environments where

the resolution advances beyond realistic high definition

and into the hyper-real. The environments they

create are comprehensive and authentic illusions, from

aspects like lighting, day or lunar cycles, and weather

down to minute details and sensations. Jacking into

a simulspace is much like crossing over into a alternate

world or reality, which is why simulspaces have

become increasingly popular in entertainment.

While simulspaces usually cannot harm characters

immersed in them as the sensory algorithms are not

intended to be offensive programs or routines, experiences

in simulspaces can have a strong psychological

impact on an ego, as the simulation is as close to

reality as you can get. A character who is “physically”

tortured within a simulspace will not be physically

harmed, but the mental stress of the experience might

still be sufficient to cause permanent traumas.

Simulmorphs

NOTE: Characters access simulspace using an avatar-like persona

called a simulmorph. This simulmorph is created by

the simulspace, based on the domain rules of the simulation

and certain characteristics of the morph or ego

accessing the simulation. Depending on the simulation,

this simulmorph may be customizable to varying degrees.

While interacting with the simulation, treat simulmorphs

as basic infomorphs for all rules purposes,

even if the egos are still possessing another morph

body in reality.

When accessing a simulspace, muses are usually not

transferred into the simulation, though they can potentially

come along if domain rules permit it. In this

case, muses are treated as separate characters within

the simulspace with their own simulmorph body.

Depending on the role a simulspace is intended to play

in the story, the gamemaster may want to invent “physical

stats” for the simulmorph bodies, especially if the

characters are likely to spend a lot of time in the simulation.

These statistics can literally be made up—it is a virtual

reality after all, and anything goes. Alternately, the

gamemaster can simply wing it and invent any necessary

statistics on the fly as the need for them comes up.

Immersion

NOTE: When a character immerses themselves in a simulspace,

they “become” the simulmorph. The character’s physical

body, typically secluded and protected in a vat or

couch, slumps inertly. While immersed, they suffer –60

on all Perception Tests or attempts to take action with

their physical morph. Characters can enter and leave

the simulspace as will, but toggling in or out takes a

Complex Action.

If the simulspace crashes or the character is otherwise

dumped from it, they immediately resume control

of their own morph as normal. VR dumpshock is

extremely jarring, and the character suffers 1d10 ÷ 2

mental stress.

External Mesh Interaction

NOTE: A character accessing a simulspace may still interact

with the mesh (and through it, the outside world)

assuming the domain rules allow for it. Any outside

interactions are subject to time dilation issues, however.

For example, in a simulspace running faster

than real time, holding a chat with someone in outside

meatspace is excruciatingly slow, as real-world

seconds translate into minutes in VR. If a character

wishes to directly access other mesh nodes, they must

toggle or log out of the simulspace.

Simulspace Rules

NOTE: Since a simulspace is an alternate world whose realism

matches reality, characters use their physical skills and

aptitudes as if they were acting in the real world with

few exceptions:

• Though intrusion and hacking can be represented

as another layer of the simulation, there is no

actual hacking within the simulspace (see Hacking

Simulspaces).

• Asyncs cannot use their psi abilities in simulspace,

though such abilities can be simulated.

• Any “physical” damage taken in the simulspace is

treated as “virtual” damage. While virtual injuries

and wounds use the same mechanics, characters

that die in a simulspace are usually simply ejected

from the simulation. In some cases “dead” characters

are brought into a white room and can

re-enter or just watch the simulation, depending

on the domain rules.

• Mental stress or trauma inflicted during a simulation

carries over to the ego as real Lucidity

damage. At the gamemaster’s discretion, some

mental stress may be reduced if the character is

aware that they are in a simulation.

Domain Rules

NOTE: Anything goes in a simulspace, as dictated by

the domain rules. A simulspace may range from approximating reality very closely to differing drastically.

Gravity might fluctuate, the visual light spectrum

might not exist, characters might heal virtual

damage effortlessly, simulmorphs may be capable of

transmogrifying into other creatures, everything might

be underwater—the possibilities are endless, limited

only by imagination. In game terms, this allows the

gamemaster to make up rules on the fly.

Cheating

NOTE: As with any good game, simulspaces provide ways

to cheat. Cheats are either built into the simulspace

software or (externally) programmed in by a hacker.

Cheats allow for a character to break the domain rules

in some way. This may be a special power, a way to

alter some environmental factor (like flying), altering

the time dilation, some sort of power-up ability, a

way to get info on other simulmorphs, or a short-cut

through part of the simulation. In game terms, cheats

might provide bonus modifiers to certain skill or stat

tests made by a simulmorph. Cheating is usually forbidden.

Players who cheat in a simulspace game and

who get caught may face eviction from the simulspace.

Hacking SimulspacesEdit

NOTE: Since simulspaces are complex virtual environments

and often run on time dilation, hackers cannot hack

them in a normal manner when they participate in the

simulation. There are ways to affect and influence the

simulation from within, but the degree of subversion

that is achievable is limited. For this reason, hackers

rarely enter into VR to hack. Hacking into the external

system running a simulspace is just like breaking

into any other system. Use all of the standard rules for

intrusion and subversion.

Meddling from the Inside

NOTE: Within a simulspace, a hacker’s only choice for interacting

with the VR controls is through the standard

interface that any simulmorph can pull up. Typically

used for standard user features like adjusting your

simulmorph or chatting with or checking the status of other users, a clever hacker might find some ways

to subvert the system. Such options are usually limited,

however, as a number of system controls and

processes cannot be accessed and manipulated from

the inside.

Most of the hacker’s options are going to involve

meddling with the simulation and its specific domain

rules or possibly gaining access to cheats. To make a

change requires a successful Interface Test. Ultimately

the gamemaster decides what the hacker can and

cannot get away with, based on the limitations of that

particular simulspace.

Most simulspaces are monitored to prevent cheating

and abuse, though the monitors are typically preoccupied

with maintaining the simulspace as a whole,

dealing with other users, etc. At the gamemaster’s

discretion, such a monitor might get to make an Interface

Test (possibly with a modifier for distraction) to

notice the hacker’s efforts.

Hacking Simulspace from Within

NOTE: modifier task

–0 Analyze simulation parameters, view domain rules, shape appearance of simulmorph, switch simulmorph character or morph type

–10 Change probability of test outcomes, become invisible (“out-game”) to others

–20

Interfere with simulation (e.g. make it rain, generate earthquakes), generate items, ignore domain rules,

kill or lockout other simulmorphs

–30 Go into god mode, command simulated characters, take over the simulation

AIs and MUSESEdit

NOTE: AI s and Muses

AIs are sentient but specialized programs. Like other

software, they must be run on a computerized system.

Most AIs are run on bots, vehicles, and other computerized

devices where they can assist transhuman

users or operate the machine themselves. They are also

commonly used to actively monitor computer systems

against intrusion attempts. Muses are AIs that specialize

as personal companions, always at a character’s

virtual side every since they were a child.

Sample AIs and muses can be found on p. 331 of Gear.

AI Limitations

NOTE: AIs feature a number of built-in restrictions and

limitations. To start with, they can be loaded in the

cyberbrains of pods and synthmorphs, but they may

not be downloaded into biomorph brains. As software,

they use the same rules as other software and may be

shut down, restarted, copied, erased, stored as inert

data, infected with virii, and reprogrammed. Due to

their size and complexity, only one AI (or infomorph)

may be run on a personal computer at a time (see

Computer Capabilities, p. 247), and they may not run

on peripheral devices.

While they possess cognition and intelligence, they

are incapable of self-improvement and cannot expand

their programming and skills on their own. Although they are not able to learn they do possess memory

storage that grants them the ability to remember and

a limited form of adaptation. AIs do not earn Rez

Points, nor do they have Moxie.

AIs have aptitudes no greater than 20 but are

incapable of defaulting. If they don’t possess a skill,

they don’t know how to do it. (At the gamemaster’s

discretion, they may default to field skills or similar

skills as noted on p. 173 with a –10 to –30 modifier).

They can use skills like any character in Eclipse Phase,

however they may not possess any Active skill at a

rating higher than 40 or Knowledge skill higher than

90—the maximum amount of expertise that their skill

software allows.

While AIs are programmed with personality templates

and empathy, they are generally less emotive

and difficult to read (apply a –30 modifier to Kinesics

Test made against them, when in pod bodies). When

combined with non-expressive synthetic morphs, they

are even more difficult (–60 modifier). Some AIs lack

emotive capabilities altogether and are impossible to

read with Kinesics skill.

AIs do have a Lucidity and Trauma Threshold stat,

and are capable of suffering mental stress and traumas.

Commanding AIs

NOTE: AIs and muses are programmed to accept commands

from authorized users. In some circumstances, they

may also be programmed to follow the law or some

ethical code. Programming is never perfect, however,

and AIs can be quite clever in how they interpret

commands and act on them. In most cases, an AI will

rarely refuse to follow a request or obey a command.

Given that they also usually have a duty to protect the

person commanding them, the AI may be reluctant to

follow commands that could be construed as dangerous

or having a negative impact on the user. Under

certain circumstances, preprogrammed imperatives

can force an AI to ignore or disobey their owner’s

commands (gamemaster’s discretion).

AGIs and INFOMORPHSEdit

NOTE: The term “infomorph” is used to refer to any ego in

digital body, whether that be an AGI or the digital

emulation of a biological mind (including backups

and forks). The following rules apply to infomorph

and AGI characters.

Software Minds

NOTE: At their core, infomorphs are just programs and so

they are treated like other software in terms of rules.

They must be run on a specific personal computer or

server (see Computer Capabilities, p. 247). If that

device is shut down, the infomorph also shuts down

into a state of unconsciousness, restarting along with

the device (infomorphs may also shut themselves

down, though it is rare that they do so). If the device is

destroyed, the infomorph is killed along with it (unless

their data can somehow be extracted from any surviving

components, perhaps resulting in a vapor, p. 274).

Infomorphs may copy themselves, though in some

places this is illegal and in most places is frowned

upon as it raises numerous ethical and legal questions.

For this reason many infomorphs that copy and transfer

themself to run on a new device will thoroughly

erase themselves off the old one.

As digital beings, infomorphs have no physical

mind, but it is a simple matter for them to possess

an uninhabited synthmorph, taking up residence in

the cyberbrain (see Resleeving Synthmorphs, p. 271).

AGI Characters

NOTE: Though AGIs were not born in a biological body, their

programming encompasses the full spectrum of human

personality, outlook, emotions, and mental states. AGIs

are in fact raised in a manner similar to human children,

so that they are socialized much like humans are.

Nevertheless, on a fundamental level they are non-humans

programmed to act human. There are inevitably

points where the programming does not mask or alter

the fact that AGIs often possess or develop personality

traits and idiosyncrasies that are quite different from

human norms and often outright alien.

Unlike standard crippled AIs, AGIs are capable of

full-fledged creativity, learning, and self-improvement

(at a slow but steady pace equivalent to humans). Just

like other characters, they earn Rez points and may

improve their skills and capabilities. AGIs suffer none

of the skill limitations placed on weak AIs, using skills

just like any other character.

On an emotional level, AGIs run emotional subroutines

that are comparable to biological human emotions.

AGIs are, in fact, programmed to have empathy

and share an interest in human affairs and prosperity,

and to place significant relevance on life of all kinds.

In game terms, AGIs emote like humans (and so Kinesics

may be used against them) and are vulnerable to

emotionally manipulative effects, fear, etc.

Roleplaying Muses

NOTE: Roleplaying Muses

Muses should not be viewed as a mere tool for

getting extra skills, but as an opportunity to

enhance roleplaying. Though typical muse AIs

are not complete intelligences (though they can

be, see Infomorphs as Muses), their personality

matrix is often quite sophisticated and they are

very good at adapting to their user’s personality

quirks. On the other hand, they share the same

Real World Naiveté (p. 151) as AGI characters

when it comes to understanding all the facets

of transhuman behavior, social interaction,

body language, or emotion. Their personalities

are more non-human, abstract, alien, and less

passionate than transhuman life forms, often

leading to conceptual misunderstandings and

miscommunications. Likewise, their creative

capacities are limited, instead bolstered by an

ability to calculate odds, run simulations and

evaluate outcomes, and make predictions based

on previous experiences.

Depending on the user’s stance towards sentient

programs, muses can be viewed as intelligent

toys, followers, servants, slaves, friends,

or pets, which should somehow be reflected in

game play. Most transhumans have also acquired

a tendency to bond with a muse mentally due to

its omnipresence and devotion to the user (like

bonding to a child or puppy that then grows to

be an adult). Therefore the subversion or even

destruction of a muse personality is sometimes

even equated with rape or murder.

Infomorphs As Muses

NOTE: Infomorphs As

Muses

Instead of relying on underdeveloped muses for

aid and companionship, characters may prefer to

have a full-fledged digital intelligence at their

side, whether that be an AGI, a backed-up biological

ego, or fork of the character’s own personality.

Alternately, a character with a ghostrider

module (p. 307) could have both, carrying a muse

in their mesh inserts and an infomorph in the

ghostrider module.

This possibility is very useful for infomorph

player characters, as they can ride along in someone’s

head and participate in team affairs without

needing a morph of their own.

ACCELERATED FUTUREEdit

NOTE: The future setting of Eclipse Phase introduces a number of technological elements that have a strong impact on transhuman society. These include backups and uploading, resleeving, egocasting, forking, nanofabrication, reputation systems, space habitats, and space travel, among others.

BACKUPS AND UPLOADINGEdit

NOTE: The transhuman mind is no longer a prisoner of the

biological hardware on which it originates. Through

various mechanisms, biological brains may be digitally

emulated, allowing people to make a backup of their

minds, including their entire personality, memories,

and skills—a process known as uploading.

The primary use of backups is to ensure the person’s

ego can be retrieved in case of death, in which case

they may be resleeved (p. 271). For this reason, almost

everyone in the solar system is equipped with a cortical

stack (p. 300). Backups may also be safely archived

in secure storage (p. 269) or used to create infomorphs

(p. 264). A person may also egocast themselves across

the solar system as a form of travel (p. 276).

Cortical Stack BackupsEdit

NOTE: Cortical stack implants deploy a network of nanobots

throughout the brain that take a snapshot of

the mind’s neural state, storing the data as a backup

within the cortical stack. The average transhuman’s

cortical stack backs up their ego 86,400 times per day.

Only the most recent backup is kept within the stack;

older ones are overwritten. Pods and synthmorphs

also can be equipped with cortical stacks (though

AI-piloted bots often lack this feature), though these

versions maintain an updated copy of the ego running

in the morph’s cyberbrain.

In the case of death, accidental or otherwise, a cortical

stack can be retrieved from a corpse and used to

recover the character, either as an infomorph or by

resleeving them in a new morph. Cortical stacks are

diamond-hardened and protected, so they may often

be retrieved even if the corpse is badly mangled or

damaged. If the corpse cannot be recovered or the

cortical stack is destroyed, the backup is lost.

High rollers, well-equipped brinkers, and others

in dangerous professions often opt for an emergency

farcaster accessory (p. 306) that periodically (usually

every 48 hours, but varying according to contract)

transmits a backup from the cortical stack to a remote

storage facility. This option is quite expensive, however,

and so is generally only afforded by the wealthy.

Retrieving A Cortical Stack

NOTE: Most cortical stacks are carefully excised from a

corpse with surgery. In certain circumstances, however,

a character may need to extract a cortical stack in the

field, whether because transporting the corpse is impractical

or because the dead person is an enemy and

they either don’t want them knowing who killed them

or they want to interrogate them with psychosurgery

in a simulspace.

The process of cutting out a cortical stack is called

“popping,” as a skilled extractor can usually get the

smooth-shelled implant to pop right out by making

an incision in the correct place and applying pressure.

One does need to be careful that the tiny, blood-slick

stack doesn’t slip away once popped.

Popping can be done with a sharp knife and elbow

grease, though it is grisly. Popping a stack is a Task

Action that requires a Medicine: [any appropriate

field] Test with a timeframe of 1 minute and a modifier

of +20. Morphs with stacks in non-standard locations

or with anatomical shielding (carapace plates,

etc.) around the stack may incur penalties to this test

at the gamemaster’s discretion. Of course, if you don’t

have the time for a precise extraction, you can always

just cut the entire head off and take it with you.

Once a cortical stack is retrieved, it may be loaded

into an ego bridge (p. 328) and used to bring the ego

back, either as an infomorph or by resleeving.

Living Subjects: Cortical stacks may be excised

from living people, but the process is usually fatal (or

at least paralyzing) as it involves cutting through the

spinal column. If the target is not unconscious or otherwise

incapacitated, they must first be immobilized

in melee combat (see Subdual, p. 204). Cutting out

the stack is handled like a Medicine Task Action as

above, but this process inflicts 3d10 + 10 damage on

the target. If the test fails, they still inflict 1d10 + 10

damage to the target. If the person removing the stack

wants to leave the target alive or harm them as little

as possible, they suffer a –20 modifier on the test, but

may reduce the damage by 1d10 per 10 full points of

MoS. Living through the process of having your stack

removed is traumatic; anyone who does so suffers

1d10 mental stress.

Destroying a Coritcal Stack

NOTE: Cortical stacks have an Armor of 20 and a Durability

of 20 for anyone attempting to destroy them.

UploadingEdit

NOTE: Cortical stack implants deploy a network of nanobots

throughout the brain that take a snapshot of

the mind’s neural state, storing the data as a backup

within the cortical stack. The average transhuman’s

cortical stack backs up their ego 86,400 times per day.

Only the most recent backup is kept within the stack;

older ones are overwritten. Pods and synthmorphs

also can be equipped with cortical stacks (though

AI-piloted bots often lack this feature), though these

versions maintain an updated copy of the ego running

in the morph’s cyberbrain.

In the case of death, accidental or otherwise, a cortical

stack can be retrieved from a corpse and used to

recover the character, either as an infomorph or by

resleeving them in a new morph. Cortical stacks are

diamond-hardened and protected, so they may often

be retrieved even if the corpse is badly mangled or

damaged. If the corpse cannot be recovered or the

cortical stack is destroyed, the backup is lost.

High rollers, well-equipped brinkers, and others

in dangerous professions often opt for an emergency

farcaster accessory (p. 306) that periodically (usually

every 48 hours, but varying according to contract)

transmits a backup from the cortical stack to a remote

storage facility. This option is quite expensive, however,

and so is generally only afforded by the wealthy.

into the brain and central nervous system. The petals

are full of sensors that image the brain using a combination

of MRI, sonogram, and positional information

broadcast by the nanobot swarm in the morph’s brain.

The ego bridge then builds a digital copy of the person’s

brain, which is stored away in the service’s highly

secure, off-the-mesh, hardwired data vaults.

In the case of pods, the ego bridge scans the biological

brain bits and also accesses the cyberbrain to copy

the parts of the ego residing there. For synthmorphs,

who have no biological brain, the process is much

simpler, as it simply requires accessing and making a

copy of their cyberbrain.

In a standard clinic with an undamaged morph, uploading

takes only 10 minutes, 5 with a pod. In other

situations, however, the process may take longer if the

gamemaster so decides. Uploading from a synthmorph

or extracted cortical stack is instantaneous. The ego

bridge largely operates itself. While oversight by a

medical specialist is a good idea, no test is necessary.

If an uploading character does not plan to return

to their morph, it is usually put on ice until someone

else resleeves into it. If a new resleeve is not ready

and the uploading character doesn’t want to leave a

potential copy of themselves behind, they can have

the morph’s mind wiped by the nanobots as part of

the uploading process.

Uploading-Resleeving Continuity

NOTE: In ideal circumstances, a person who is intentionally

resleeving (p. 271) can arrange for the uploading and

resleeving process to occur without any noticeable

loss of continuity. Though the experience of switching

from one morph to another is still a bit jarring, the

transition itself can be made into a seamless process,

with no gaps in awareness or memory, which helps

reduce associated mental stress.

In this case, during the process of uploading, the

ego bridge is also connected to another ego bridge

and the new sleeve. This connection can even be made

wirelessly or by farcaster link (with a maximum distance

of 10,000 kilometers).

As the mind is uploaded, the ego bridge builds a

virtual brain by copying the morph’s brain bit by bit,

using the data gained from the brain scan. At the same

time, this data is slowly copied to the new sleeve as

nanobots rewire the sleeve’s brain structure (a much

slower process). As the transfer occurs, the nanobots

in the brain sever individual neural connections and

re-route them to their duplicates in the virtual brain,

and then eventually to the new brain. Effectively, the

character’s ego is running partially on the meat brain

and partially on the virtual copy. By the time the nanobots

sever the last of the neural connections in the

old brain, the ego is running completely on the virtual

brain and the new sleeve’s brain. Once the resleeving

is completed, the virtual brain is shut down.

In terms of perceptions, the character, who is awake

during this process, experiences a very gradual shift from one morph to the other. As the process takes

hours, however (or even longer if done via farcaster),

the subject usually entertains themselves with some

AR media, VR, or even XP to pass the time.

Uploading After Death

NOTE: It is possible to upload the mind of a person who

has recently died as long as the nanobots have time

to scan the brain before cell deterioration kicks in

too heavily, which takes approximately 2 hours. It

is possible to sustain a corpse for longer by placing

it in a healing vat (p. 326) for nanostasis. Post-death

uploads may suffer integrity damage; see Backup

Complications, p. 270.

Cyberbrains may also be retrieved from a destroyed

synthmorph and reactivated, assuming they are not

damaged too heavily (gamemaster discretion).

Destructive Uploading

NOTE: Though rare, some people engage in a process called

destructive uploading, where the biological brain is literally

sliced apart and scanned piece by piece. Considered

abhorrent and wasteful by most transhumans, “brainpeeling”

is practiced by some bioconservative factions

who view it as the only “pure” method of uploading

or the only real way to transfer the “soul.” Such people

typically refuse to resleeve, living out the rest of their

lives as infomorphs, quite often in dedicated simulspaces

that are treated as a sort of virtual afterlife.

Backup InsuranceEdit

NOTE: Almost everyone, with the exception of neo-primitivists

and very young children, has a cortical stack. In the

event of death, however, a cortical stack alone will not

ensure resurrection unless you have acquired backup

insurance (p. 330) to cover the costs of your resleeving.

Going without backup insurance for any length of

time is taking a severe risk. Some jurisdictions (such

as the Titanian Commonwealth) have a practice of

bringing everyone back, even if only to an infomorph

state, or at least filing the most recent backup away

in dead storage just in case someone decides to pay

to resurrect them later. Other authorities will simply

destroy the stack or, worse, sell it on the black market

to a soul-trading syndicate such as Nine Lives.

Backup insurance typically includes a subscription

to an uploading facility, usually requiring a visit every

6 months, to ensure that backup is held in safe storage

in case of cortical stack loss. People with risky

jobs (construction bot supervisor, hypercorp exoplanet

staff, girl who fights vicious giant eels for rich

jaded audiences, etc.) may back up once a week, or

even daily. In the event of a verified death where the

cortical stack could not be retrieved, the most recent

backup is used to resleeve the person.

At the basic level, backup insurance will bring the

character back as an infomorph, at which point they

can access their credit and purchase a new morph.

More expensive versions will automatically resleeveyou in the pre-purchased morph of your choice. The

exceedingly rich will often have customized clones

(often of their original body) waiting on ice for them.

Backup insurance often involves a missing person

clause, which states that a person will be brought

back if they have not checked in for X amount of time

(a calendar function automatically handled by your

muse) and cannot be located.

It is worth noting that some criminal syndicates

also offer backup insurance at a much reduced rate.

The likelihood that copies of your backup are being

used for illicit purposes, however, is quite high. For

some people, however, what happens to a copy of

themselves is of no concern.

Backup Insurance Limitations

NOTE: Backup insurance is not always perfect. Though insurance

providers are required to make a reasonable

effort to retrieve your cortical stack, for many hypercorps

this is a simple cost-benefit analysis that often

will not work in the character’s favor. If you died in a

dangerous area such as the Zone on Mars, in a remote

area such as the Kuiper Belt, or are simply difficult

to track down (pushed out an airlock somewhere),

odds are against your cortical stack being retrieved—

instead you will be re-instanced from a backup.

Jurisdiction can also play an important role. The

insurance offered by many inner system providers is

automatically nullified if you travel to an anarchist

habitat, gatecrash, break the law, or engage in certain

life-threatening activities like suicide sports or scavenging

in TITAN-infected ruins. At the least, they will

refuse to retrieve your stack in these circumstances.

Likewise, if you struck a backup insurance deal with

a medical collective from an autonomist habitat and

then go and die on a hypercorp station, the hypercorp

is very likely to refuse to recognize the authority of a

bunch of anarchists and won’t hand your stack over.

Even an archived backup and a missing person

clause is no guarantee. A determined enemy could

capture you, pry the backup insurance access codesfrom your muse, keep you on ice or quietly kill you,

and then regularly “check in” on your behalf using

the access codes so that the insurance provider never

realizes you are dead or missing. Though this requires

quite a bit of effort, it is often less difficult than dealing

with an immortal opponent who keeps coming

back no matter how often you kill them.

Other dangers also exist. An entire habitat may be

destroyed, taking you, your backups, and your insurance

provider’s records with it. A resourceful enemy

might penetrate a provider’s security and delete your

backups, or simply bribe the right people to make

sure they get “accidentally” corrupted. Given these

possibilities, the paranoid often make sure to get

multiple redundant backup policies, assuming they

can afford it.

Backup Complications

NOTE: In most cases, backing up/uploading is risk free unless

someone tampers with the equipment. If the character

suffered brain or neurological damage, the backup is

transferred via farcasting, or the upload is made from

a dead character, then the backup may be damaged

due to missing neural information. In any of these

instances, make a LUC Test for the character. If the

test fails, they suffer 1 point of mental stress per 10

full points of MoF. Note that this stress (and possible)

trauma applies to the backup, not the original

character. If the backup is used to re-instantiate the

character, however, then the stress is applied.

RESLEEVINGEdit

NOTE: Resleeving (also called remorphing) is the process

of giving a new body to an ego. Changing bodies

is a normal part of life for hundreds of millions of

transhumans, and it is an even more frequent occurrence

for people in certain professions. Characters

involved in specialized work may resleeve as often as

once a month. Those who travel frequently may do so

even more often. Also, given the number of infugees who died during the Fall but have now acquired a

new morph, the vast majority of transhumanity has

resleeved at least once. As such, most transhumans are

accustomed to resleeving.

Adjusting to a new body takes time and a bit of

effort (see Integration, p. 272). Resleeving is also difficult

psychologically, as reflected by continuity (p. 272)

and alienation (p. 272).

Once an ego fully inhabits a new morph, the new

morph’s cortical stack needs ten minutes to amass a

complete backup of the ego.

Resleeving Biomorphs and Pods

NOTE: Resleeving takes about an hour in a properly equipped

clinic. In essence, the process works like uploading in

reverse. The new sleeve is hooked up to an ego bridge

which infiltrates the brain with nanobots that physically

restructure the brain’s neural structure and connections

according to the map provided by the backup.

Sleeving takes six times as long as uploading because

the nanobot swarm working as a wet printer in the

template brain needs to duplicate the entire physical

structure of the ego’s neural network. For resleeving, a

“wet” ego bridge is used, meaning that the sleeve and

ego bridge are submerged in a vat filled with nanogel.

The resleeving process for pods takes only half an hour,

as pods brains are half biological and half cyberbrain.

Resleeving SynthmorphsEdit

NOTE: Resleeving into the cyberbrain of a synthmorph is much

easier and quicker, being a matter of copying the backup

into the cyberbrain (an instantaneous affair) and then

running the backup in its virtual brain state (1 Action

Turn). The drawback to synthmorphs is that they are

more difficult to acclimate to (see Integration, p. 272), they are vulnerable to cyperbrain hacking (p.261), and synthmorphs are viewed as low class in some cultures.

Evacuating a Cyberbrain

NOTE: Characters inhabiting a synthmorph cyberbrain may

voluntarily choose to evacuate by copying themselves

as an infomorph onto another device. This takes 1 full

Action Turn. See Infomorph Resleeving, p. 273.

Resleeving Costs

NOTE: The costs involved for the resleeving process itself are

generally subsumed in the costs of the backup insurance

and/or the new sleeve itself. Costs for individual

morphs are noted in the descriptions starting on p.

139. See Morph Brokerage (p. 276) for rules on finding

and acquiring morphs.

Integration

NOTE: Getting used to a new body typically takes some time.

The character must become acclimated to the changes

in height, weight, sex, and capabilities, which often

requires unlearning ways of doing things that worked

fine for their previous form. Resleeving in a synthetic

morph or an uplift is also quite confusing at first,

given the drastically different morphologies, change in

limb structure (and sometimes amount of limbs), and

so on. Luckily, transhuman minds are adaptive things,

and this process is aided by the application of mental

“patches” during the resleeving process that give the

character a bit of a boost for using their new body.

An ego in a new morph makes an Integration Test

upon taking control of the body, rolling SOM x 3 (morph

bonuses do not apply) and applying modifiers from the

Integration and Alienation Modifiers table. The result of

the test is explained on the Integration Test table, p. 272.

Resleeving and the Gamemaster

NOTE: The gamemaster has a fine amount of control over what a character can obtain when resleeving. The

characters may be supplied with new morphs by Firewall or whatever employer/patron for whom they are

currently working. In this case, the gamemaster can simply assign whatever morphs they see fit—with complete

control over enhancements, traits, etc. While morphs should be tailored for the mission at hand, this

presents an opportunity for the gamemaster to throw the characters some new toys to play with and also

some new challenges to overcome. Gamemasters are encouraged to mix it up, have fun, and give players

something they can work with without necessarily giving them everything they want.

In other cases, the availability of desired morphs may be limited by the resleeving location. A small

outpost in the wilds of Mars is unlikely to have a wide selection of morphs—in fact, a few rusters and

synthmorphs may be all they have. Similarly, large habitats have a high demand for good morphs, so there

may be a waiting list for top-of-the-line sylphs or remade morphs, for example. In the same vein, available

morphs are going to be subject to local legalities, so getting that reaper morph may be out of the question.

Characters could always turn to black market morph providers, but these come with their own risks.

What this means is that gamemasters should never be afraid to say no if a character is pursuing a morph

that is unreasonable or potentially disruptive to the game. While it’s good form to give the players what they

want once in a while, it also makes for more interesting roleplaying to saddle them with morphs that are

a little different than what they were hoping for or that come with some interesting challenges, such as a

physical addiction. For extra fun, leave the character unaware of a morph’s negative traits or secret implants

until they reveal themselves. As always, the goal is to have fun, but variety often helps with that.

Alienation

NOTE: After loss of continuity, the other major factor impacting

resleeving characters is alienation. Once the ego

has its new sleeve under control, it’s time to look in

the mirror. The alienation test reflects the experience of

coming to terms with a new face, skin, and brain. For

example, transferring to a radically different morph

(such as a swarmanoid) can be difficult to grasp.

Uplifts often have difficulty getting acquainted with

the differing hormonal urges of a human biomorph

and vice versa. While the character’s ego is as it was

in their last sleeve, the brains and neurochemistry of

many morphs may alter aptitudes like WIL or COG.

The effects of this can be frustrating or disorienting.

Every character makes an Alienation Test to reflect

how mentally stressful it is to get a grip on their new

body, rolling INT x 3 and apply modifiers from the

Integration and Alienation Modifiers table. Consult

the Alienation Test table to determine the effects.

Continuity Test

NOTE: Perhaps the biggest shock that strikes most resleeving

characters is the loss of continuity of self. This is particularly

true for characters who died. If their cortical

stack was retrieved, they will remember their own

death. If they were restored from an archived backup,

they will not remember their death, but they will have

lost an entire period of their life—all the way back to

their last backup. In fact, if their body was not recovered,

they may not even know that they are dead for

certain—there may be a surviving copy of themselves

out there. The driving point in this loss of continuity is

a sort of existential crisis—they are no longer the original

person they once were. This leads some to question

whether they are who they think they are, or are they

some poor imitation and not a real person at all?

To determine how this loss of continuity affects a

character, make a Continuity Test by rolling WIL x 3.

Every character suffers stress from loss of continuity,

as noted on the Continuity Stress table. Reduce this

stress damage by 1 point per 10 full points of MoS on

the Continuity Test, or increase it by 1 point for every

10 full points of MoF.

Infomorph Resleeving

NOTE: Rather than resleeving into a physical body, a backup

may instead by instantiated as an infomorph, a purely

digital form. Infomorphs are distinct from backups in

that backups are inert files. Infomorphs are backups

imprinted onto a virtual brain template and run as

a program. This virtual brain state must be run on a

specific device and follows all of the rules noted for

infomorphs on p. 264. Infomorphs may copy themselves

to other devices, typically erasing themselves

from the previous device as they go. Infomorphs that

copy without erasing are treated as forks.

Characters instantiating as infomorphs must make

Continuity and Alienation Tests, just like resleeving.

Infomorphs may be resleeved into physical morphs,

following normal resleeving rules.

Integration Test

NOTE: test result efect

Critical Failure

Character is unable to acclimate to the new morph—

something is just not right. Character suffers a –30 modifier

to all physical actions until resleeved.

Severe Failure (MoF 30+)

Character has serious trouble acclimating to the new

morph. They suffer a –10 modifier to all actions for 2 days

plus 1 day per 10 full points of MoF.

Failure

Character has some trouble acclimating to new morph.

They suffer a –10 modifier to all physical actions for 2

days plus 1 day per 10 full points of MoF.

Success

Standard acclimation period. The character suffers a –10

modifier to all physical actions for 1 day.

Excellent Success (MoS 30+)

No ill effects. Character acclimates to new morph in no

more than a few minutes.

Critical Success

Lookin’ good! This morph is an exceptionally good fit for

the character. No ill effects;

Integration and Alienation Modifiers

NOTE: test result efect

Familiar; character has used this exact morph extensively in the past +30

Clone of prior morph +20

Character’s original morph type (what they were raised with) +20

Adaptability trait (Level 2) +20

Adaptability trait (Level 1) +10

Character has previously used this type of morph +10

First time resleeving –10

Character is an AGI sleeving into a physical body –10

Character is an uplift resleeving in a non-uplift (of their type) body –10

Synthetic morph –10

Sex change (from last morph) –10

Morph is heavily modified –10

Morphing Disorder trait (Level 1) –10

Morphing Disorder trait (Level 2) –20

Infomorph (does not apply to AGIs) (Alienation Test only) –20

Fork (Alienation Test only) –20

Morphing Disorder trait (Level 3) –30

Exotic morph (octomorph, neo-avian, novacrab, swarmanoid, etc.) –30

Alienation Test

NOTE: test result efect

Critical Failure

Extreme Dysmorphia. The character doesn’t like their new sleeve at all

and suffers 2 stress points per 10 full points of MoF.

Failure

Character is uneasy about the new morph and suffers 1 stress point

per 10 full points of MoF.

Success Character adapts to their new look well. No ill effects.

Critical Success

Best. Morph. Ever. The new morph jives perfectly with the character’s

sense of self, and even enhances it somewhat. The character actually

heals 1d10 ÷ 2 (round up) stress points.

Continuity Stress

NOTE: situation Stres value

Backup from cortical stack

Character remembers peaceful or not notable death 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Character remembers sudden or violent death 1d10

Backup from archive

Short memory gap (less than 1 day) 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Memory gap greater than one day 1d10

Not knowing if/how you died +2

Uploading-to-resleeve with continuity (p. 269) 0

Uploading-to-resleeve without continuity 1d10 ÷ 2 (round down)

Character is a fork 2

Untitled Flavor Text

NOTE: I wake up with a taste like guava and umami

fresh on my tongue. Last night there was laughter.

We drank quinoa wine, and I was introduced

to people I had never met before, though I had

years of intimate knowledge of most of them.

Half of Illyria Module is curled naked around

me in my sleeping chamber. Last night we

made music with synthesizers, wood blocks,

and a lur. We drank mushroom tea brewed in

water from a rogue comet. Looking around me

as the morning sun starts to light the far orbital

horizon of Ceres, it appears we had an orgy.

Last night was my resleeving party. This version

of me—me 3.0—is ready for life.

—Zheng du Thierry, Carnival of the Goat

FORKING AND MERGINGEdit

NOTE: With all of these backups of transhuman minds on

file and an abundance of mesh space on which to run

them as virtual brains, one might wonder what’s to

stop post-Fall transhumanity from multiplying its

numbers by running additional copies of them. The

short answer is: nothing, aside from massive social

stigma and thorny psychological issues. Taking a

backup of a transhuman mind, copying it, and reinstancing

it as an infomorph is called forking. It’s one

of the most useful and still-controversial applications

of transhumanity’s brain science.

There are four classifications of forks: alpha, beta,

delta, and gamma. Though typically copied as infomorphs,

there is nothing preventing a fork from being

sleeved in a physical morph as well, other than legalities

and custom.

Alpha Forks

NOTE: An alpha fork is an exact copy of the original ego,

re-instanced as a separate infomorph. An alpha fork

may be created by copying and running an infomorph

(from a backup, infomorph, synthmorph cyberbrain,

or a removed cortical stack in an ego bridge). Alpha

forks mat be generated from biomorph brains using

an ego bridge and the same process as uploading (p.

268). Alpha forks are an exact copy of the character’s

ego, with all of the same skills, memories, stats,

traits, personality, etc. New alpha forks must make

an Alienation Test (p. 272), and possibly a Continuity

Test (p. 272) if copied from a backup.

Creating alpha forks is illegal in many jurisdictions,

including most of the inner system and the

Jovian Republic. In others it tends to be viewed with

distaste, though there are some habitats/cultures in

which it is encouraged.

Beta Forks

NOTE: Beta forks are partial copies of the ego. They are

intentionally hobbled so as to not to be considered

an equal to the character, for legal and other reasons.

Beta forks have most of the same skills as the original ego, though sometimes reduced. Their memories are

also drastically curtailed, usually tailored to whatever

task they are intended to perform.

Beta forks are created by taking an alpha fork and

running it through a process known as neural pruning

(p. 274). They are legal and even common in many

places, except for bioconservative holdouts like the

Jovian Republic, though delta forks are more favored.

Beta forks rarely have anything resembling civil rights

or citizenship and are usually treated as the property

of the originating ego. They are commonly used as

digital aids or to represent the original ego when communicating

with others over great distances.

A beta fork’s stats are determined as follows:

• Reduce all aptitudes by 5 (to a minimum of 1).

This affects all skills as well. Likewise, this reduces

LUC by 10 and INIT by 20.

• Active skills have a maximum value of 60.

• Moxie is reduced to 1.

• The Psi trait is removed. At the gamemaster’s discretion,

other traits may no longer apply as well.

Additional changes may apply as determined by

the neural pruning test. Beta forks take 1 minute

to generate.

Delta Forks

NOTE: Delta forks are extremely limited copies of an ego.

They are more akin to AI templates upon which

the ego’s surface personality traits are imprinted.

Also created via neural pruning, delta forks are

highly functional (as competent as a beta fork or

AI) but have extremely limited skills and heavily

edited memories, usually to the point of being

functional amnesiacs.

A delta fork’s stats are determined as follows:

• Reduce all aptitudes by 10 (to a minimum of 1).

This affects all skills as well. Likewise, this reduces

LUC by 20 and INIT by 40.

• Active skills have a maximum value of 40. The

fork may have no more than 5 Active skills.

• Knowledge skills have a maximum of 80. The

fork may have no more than 5 Knowledge skills.

• Moxie is reduced to 0.

• The Psi trait is removed. At the gamemaster’s discretion,

other traits may no longer apply as well.

Additional changes may apply as determined by the

neural pruning test. Delta forks take 1 Action Turn

to generate.

Gamma Forks

NOTE: More commonly known as vapors, gamma forks are

massively incomplete, corrupted, or heavily damaged

copies of an ego. Vapors are not intentionally created

and are instead the results of botched uploads,

scrambled backups, incomplete or jammed farcasts,

or infomorphs/forks that were somehow damaged or

went insane. It is extremely rare for anyone to purposely

create a vapor for anything other than research

use, although they can crop up in some interesting

places. For example, poorly made skill software occasionally

includes enough of the personality traits and

memories of the person the skill was taken from that

it can behave in a vapor-like fashion when used.

Because vapors are anomalies rather than purposeful

creations, the characteristics of individual gamma

forks are left to the gamemaster. They should have

some or all of the following: reduced skills, reduced

aptitudes, incomplete or incoherent memories, negative

mental traits, and persistent mental stress or traumas,

including derangements and/or disorders.

Neural PruningEdit

NOTE: Neural pruning is the art of taking a backup/infomorph

and trimming it down to size so that it functions

as either a beta or delta fork.

Beta forks are created by taking a virtual mind state

that is intentionally inhibited and filtering a copy of

the ego through it. Like a topiary shrub, the portions

of the character’s neural network that exceed the capacities

of the intended fork are trimmed away. In addition

to the changes noted under Beta Forks (p. 273),

characters may voluntarily choose to delete/decrease

skills and remove memories.

Delta forks are created by excising the ego’s surface

personality traits and applying them to an AI template.

In this case the ego’s memories are usually excluded

entirely—it is easier to start with a blank delta fork

and feed them the specific memories/knowledge they

need. As with beta forks, characters making delta forks

may voluntarily choose to delete/decrease skills and

keep specific memories. If an alpha fork is not available

to prune, a delta fork can be whipped up from

a biomorph brain with an ego bridge and 1 minute.

Many people sleeved in biomorphs keep delta forks on

hand in storage, to whip up on the fly as needed.

Transhumanity’s grasp of neuroscience extends to

scanning and copying a mind, but the most intricate

workings of memory are still imperfectly understood.

Making precise edits to individual portions of a neural

network (to alter recollections, skills, and the like) is

still a black art. The difficulty with neural pruning is

that taking a weed whacker to the tree of memory

isn’t an exact science. Specific memories may not be

excised or chosen—at best, memories may be handled

in broad clumps, typically grouped by time periods no

finer than 6 months. For simplicity, most beta forks are

created by removing all memories older than 1 year.

When creating a beta or delta fork, the character

must make a Psychosurgery Test (other parties may

make this test on the character’s behalf, representing

that the character is giving them access to prune the

fork appropriately). If the character succeeds, the fork

is created as desired. If the test fails, the gamemaster

chooses one of the following penalties for every 10

full points of MoF. Some of these penalties may be

combined for a cumulative effect:

• 1 additional skill decreased by –20

• Fork acquires a Negative mental trait worth 10 CP

• Fork suffers 1d10 ÷ 2 (round up) mental stress

• Extra memory loss (gamemaster discretion; beta

forks only)

• 1 Positive trait lost

Neural Pruning with Long-Term Psychosurgery

NOTE: Rather than generating forks on the fly, some characters

prefer to have carefully-pruned forks on hand,

stored as inert files that can be called up, copied, and

run as needed. These forks are crafted with long-term

psychosurgery, meaning that they suffer fewer drawbacks

and the memories may be more finely tuned.

Long-term neural pruning requires a Psychosurgery

Test as above, but with a +30 modifier. Delta forks take

1 week to prune this way, beta forks take 1 month. Additional

modifications may be made to the fork using

any of the normal rules for psychosurgery (p. 229).

It is worth noting that some people prefer to use

forks of themselves or loved ones rather than a muse.

Likewise, some wealthy hyperelites are known to keep

copies of their younger backups on hand, sometimes

for decades, and re-instance these when their prime

ego has enough skill and experience to completely

outclass its younger selves. Though technically these

are alpha forks, their lag behind the original ego is

comparable in degree to that of a beta fork. This is

rumored to be the method used by the Pax Familiae

in instancing her army of cloned selves

Handling Forks

NOTE: Gamemasters are encouraged to allow players to roleplay

their character’s own forks. It is important to

note, however, that even with alpha forks, once the

fork and originating ego diverge, they develop onward

as separate people. The events that shape the primary

ego’s personality, character, and knowledge will not

happen—or even if they do, probably not in the same

way—to the fork, and vice versa. The exact dividing

line between an ego and a fork is a central philosophical

and legal debate among many transhumans.

This means that gamemaster should not be afraid

to pull a fork out of a player character’s hands and

make them into an NPC if they start too diverge too

greatly. Similarly, if a fork begins to learn information

that the main character does not (yet) have access to,

it is probably also better to run the fork as an NPC in

order to avoid metagaming.

It is entirely possible that a fork might decide that

it will no longer obey the originating ego and carry

about doing its own thing. This usually only occurs

with alpha forks, who are essentially a full copy

anyway, and as time passes the idea of merging back

with the original ego becomes unappealing. Beta and

delta forks are quite aware of their nature as “incomplete”

copies, and so usually return back home to the

ego for reintegration. In rare cases, however, even

these might make a break for life on their own.

Merging

NOTE: Merging is the process of re-integrating a previously-

spawned fork with the originating ego. Merging is

performed on conscious egos/forks, transferring both

to a single, merged ego. The process is not difficult

to undergo when two forks have only been apart a

short time. As forks spend more time apart, though,

merging becomes a severe mental ordeal.

To determine if merging goes well, a Psychosurgery

Test is called for (made either by the ego or another

character overseeing the process). The Merging table

lists modifiers for this test as well as the result of success

or failure.

For synthmorphs, merging takes one full Action

Turn. For biomorphs, an ego bridge (p. 328) or mnemonic

augmentation (p. 307) is required to merge,

and the process takes 10 minutes.

The result of the process is a unified ego, whether

or not the Merging Test succeeds. Psychotherapy (p.

209) and psychosurgery (p. 229) can troubleshoot bad

merges over time.

The Self

NOTE: Forking and merging have changed the way

transhumanity thinks about the self and what

it means to have a well-integrated personality.

While forking is child’s play from a technological

standpoint, the psychological and

social effects of cloning a mind mean that

most people are cautious about employing

forks. Some jurisdictions ban forking outright

for all but medical uses, while others have

severe restrictions. In many hypercorp jurisdictions,

for instance, alpha forks are illegal

and letting a beta fork run for more than 4

hours without merging violates the modern

descendants of 20th-century anti-trust laws.

Similarly, the Jovian Junta and other bioconservatives

ban forking entirely.

Disposing of unwanted forks is another

thorny issue. In some places, it’s as simple as

deleting them, because a stored mind has no

legal status. In others, a fork that doesn’t wish

to merge back with its originating ego might

be accorded some rights, though these are

generally only granted to alpha forks.

Most significantly, though, running a shortterm

fork of oneself for periods of an hour

or less is an easy task for many transhumans.

Many people use forks of themselves to get

work done in everyday life, and almost everyone

has at least experimented with forking at

some point.

Transhumans view forking a bit like early

21st-century humans viewed drinking and drug

use. A bit might be okay, but someone overdoing

it will be stigmatized. This is because most

transhumans understand the psychological

consequences of overusing forks.

Merging Table

NOTE: Time Ap art Modifier Succes Failure

Under 1 hour +30 Seamless ego with memories intact from both Memories intact, (1d10 ÷ 2, round down) – 1 SV

1–4 hours +20 Solid bond, memories intact Memories intact, (1d10 ÷ 2, round down) SV

4–12 hours +10 Memories intact, 1 SV Minor memory loss, (1d10 ÷ 2, round up) SV

12 hours–1 day +0 Memories intact, 2 SV Moderate memory loss, (1d10 ÷ 2, round up) + 2 SV

1 day–3 days –10 Memories intact, 3 SV Major memory loss, 1d10 + 2 SV

3 days–1 week –20 Memories intact, 4 SV Major memory loss, 1d10 + 4 SV

1 week+ –30 Minor memory loss, 5 SV Severe memory loss, 1d10 + 6 SV

EGOCASTINGEdit

NOTE: In spite of being a spacefaring civilization with outposts

throughout the solar system and beyond, transhumanity

makes scant use of spacecraft for interplanetary

travel. Shuttlecraft using a variety of propulsion

systems make regular trips between habitats, planetary

surfaces, and moons. But for any trip longer than 1.5 million kilometers—the distance a fusion drive craft

can cover in a day—people egocast.

Egocasting is transhumanity’s most advanced

personal transportation technology, though only the

character’s ego actually travels. Egocasting combines

the technologies of uploading and quantum farcasting

to transfer a backup (or sometimes even a conscious

ego, see p. 269) over interplanetary distances.

Though egocasting occurs at the speed of light,

egocasting times vary drastically with distance. Egocasting

within a cluster or planetary system is usually

just a matter of minutes. Egocasting from the sun to

the Kuiper Belt, however, takes between 40 and 70

hours, and so egocasting all of the way across the

solar system can take even longer.

Once an ego arrives at the destination receiver, it can

be archived, run as an infomorph, or resleeved as normal.

Egocaster Security

NOTE: Ego caster Security

Beaming yourself across interplanetary space is a

mature technology and usually works seamlessly. Because

egocasting uses quantum farcasters, there is no

danger of radio interference cooking the signal and

causing data loss. Normally the entire process is mediated

by the character’s backup service, and security

breaches are uncommon.

However, there are several risks involved in egocasting.

The most obvious is that the character’s consciousness

is transferred as a digital backup file at the

destination. If the egocaster on the other end is not

trusted or the networks at the destination are privately

controlled by the receiver, the character is potentially

putting themself at the mercy of their host. Most hypercorps

consider meddling with a transmitted ego to

be a serious breach of etiquette, whereas autonomist

types would find it unthinkably repressive. However,

political extremist groups and criminal organizations

in control of egocasters suffer from fewer restraints.

A more subtle risk is the possibility for hackers to

exploit security holes in the egocaster and its attached

virtual space to steal a fork of the character. This is

extremely difficult to do. It almost never happens

during a normal upload, because the uploading services

are security conscious to the point of paranoia.

Even so, the forks stolen by such attempts more often

than not end up being vapors, because the intruder

is usually stopped before a full copy can be obtained.

Darkcasting

NOTE: Characters who want to egocast without the attention

of public officials like Immigration and Customs

must seek out so-called darkcasting services—illegal

farcaster transceivers typically operated by criminal

syndicates and other clandestine groups. To locate

such a service, a character must use their Networking

skill and possibly their reputation (p. 285).

MORPH BROKERAGEEdit

NOTE: Morphs are a major commodity in transhuman society.

The technology and materials needed to grow new

morphs are cheap and abundant, though they take

time. Cloned biomorphs take at least a year and a half,

even with accelerated growth. Pods, which are typically

pieced together from vat-grown parts, take about

6 months. Synthmorphs like cases and synths can be

produced in a day, whereas more complicated models

can take a week or more. Theoretically, supply will one

day outstrip demand to the point where flesh is free.

Characters have several options for acquiring

morphs when they travel by egocast, suffer heavy

damage, or just feel like a new body. When egocasting,

the most common method for travelers of middling

means is to store their current morph in a body bank’s

secure facility and lease a morph at their destination.

Less commonly, characters may rely on public

resleeving facilities, or, if they have the means, they

may purchase a new morph outright. Characters who

expect to stay at their destination indefinitely or who

decide to resleeve but aren’t traveling might instead

opt for a trade-in on their old body, leaving it behind

permanently in most cases.

Morph Availability

NOTE: As noted under Resleeving and the Gamemaster (p. 271),

finding the model of morph you want is not always easy.

While many basic morph types (cases, synths, splicers)

are generally available, characters can also locate new morphs using their Networking skills (see Reputation

and Social Networks, p. 285). Certain morph types

are harder to find then others; the gamemaster should

apply an appropriate modifier for any morphs that seem

rare or unusual (for example, swarmanoids or reapers).

Likewise, some morphs may simply be unavailable in a

given locale. Rusters are rarely available off of Mars, for

example, while on Europa, most morphs are exotic local

aquatic varieties.

The gamemaster determines which factions are able

to provide new morphs in a given locale. Factions

will not provide morphs that are unavailable to that

faction as starting characters. If the faction is not the

dominant one in that locale, a penalty should be applied,

ranging from –10 to –30. Despite having a presence

in a given locale, some factions may be unable to

provide morphs at all.

If the character is seeking a customized morph with

specific implants or enhancements, the search will be

more challenging. The gamemaster should apply a –10

to –30 modifier here as well, depending on the extent

and legality of the modifications sought.

Morph AcquisitionEdit

NOTE: Once a morph is located, the character may call in

favors (p. 285) or pay credits for it. Morph costs are

noted on the Morph Costs table. In the inner system,

morph prices are often inflated by demand in the

market such that the most desirable morph types can

cost a small fortune. Outsystem, prices in rep are more

reasonable but still steep due to population pressures

on life support-dependent outer system settlements.

For travelers and frequent body hoppers, there are a

number of ways to defray these costs.

Brokerage and Matchmaking

NOTE: Finding morphs for travelers and the bodiless is a

specialized skill demanding deep social networks and

a flair for negotiation. In general, it’s a seller’s market,

so brokers (or “matchmakers,” as they’re called in

the open economy) act as agents for the person seeking

a body. The Morph Costs table assumes a 10%

fee paid to the broker. Characters wishing to cut out

the middleman may reduce cost by 10% but take a

–30 penalty on their Networking Test to locate an

available morph.

Customized Morphs

NOTE: If a character seeks to have a customized morph

(with extra bioware, cyberware, or nanoware implants

or robotic enhancements), the costs for these

enhancements are added to the morph’s cost (if the

gamemaster chooses, discount package deals may

apply). Likewise, morphs may come saddled with

positive or negative morph traits (p. 145). These

traits raise or lower the morph’s cost at a rate of

+500 credits per CP for positive traits, or –200 credits

per CP of negative traits. Negative traits typically

reflect abuses the morph has suffered at the hands of

previous occupants.

Trade-In

NOTE: For those who wish to leave their old morph behind

permanently, trade-ins on current morphs are an

option. The high demand for bodies means that a buyer

is almost always available unless the gamemaster finds

extenuating circumstances. Morphs may be traded in

for the value shown on the Morph Costs table (adjusted

for any positive or negative traits), less a 10%

physical exam and finder’s fee. This is either paid to the

morph broker in cred or rendered as a favor using rep.

Patron Provisioning

NOTE: Characters on missions for rich or influential patrons

may have morphs provided for them. Normally

such provisions are made for the duration of a job,

although less commonly the morph itself might be

payment for services rendered. Gamemasters are

encouraged to be creative with such arrangements,

though players should be advised that such bargains

can quickly turn Faustian.

Black Market Morphs

NOTE: Black market body traders promise to provide the

buyer with morphs and upgrades of choice regardless

of a habitat’s laws against weapons or implants, in

addition to bypassing standard arrival registration

via darkcasting. Illegal morphs usually come with a

price markup (+25% at least), whereas used morphs

with unsavory backgrounds (and traits) can usually be

acquired on the cheap (–25%).

Indenture

NOTE: Characters who find themselves too destitute to

afford a new morph can strike a deal for indentured

service—a “deal” that is rarely advantageous to the new indenture. Typical contracts require years of indentured

labor—terraforming Mars, herding comets,

asteroid mining, constructing habitats, colonizing

exoplanets, etc.—in exchange for a cheap synthetic

morph or splicer at the end of the term. Gamemasters

may use their discretion in offering such terms, though

in many cases the terms offered will temporarily or

permanently end the character’s career as a free agent.

Hypercorps using indentured labor are notorious for

changing the terms at a whim, extending the service

period, or slamming the indenture with a slew of

hidden and outrageous charges that were not made

clear up front. Characters may, of course, enter into

such service fully intending to grab their morph and

run at the first opportunity, but the hypercorps are

very protective of their investments. Indentures are closely monitored and tracked, and the hypercorps are

not above sending ego hunters to retrieve a runaway.

Custom-Grown or Designed Morphs

NOTE: Some people are very particular about their morphs.

To them, nothing “off the shelf” will do, even if it’s

a customized model tricked out with specific implants,

traits, and biosculpting. Instead, they desire

something unique, something that must be specially

grown or designed.

In the case of biomorphs, this can mean several

things. Usually it means that the patron desires a

very specific set of genetic traits. This could be traits

from their original genetic lineage, traits copied from

someone they idolized or honored, genes artfully

crafted by a renowned genetic designer, or mystery

traits purchased at great expense from the Factors or

extracted from a lost TITAN lab. Alternatively, it could

mean the client seeks something more specific, such

as an exact duplicate clone of their original body.

While it is possible to put an existing morph in a

healing vat and alter its genetics with metamorphing

nanovirii in a matter of days, these procedures

are difficult and prone to disaster. In many cases, it

is preferred to simply grow the desired clone from

scratch, though even with accelerated growth this

takes from 1.5 to 2 years (or 6 months to 1 year in

the case of pods). Nevertheless, some hyperelites

have taken steps to ensure that the morph they

desire is available at all likely egocast destinations.

Though rarer, custom synthmorphs are sometimes

sought after, usually by people who wish to showcase

unique or artistic robotic designs, but sometimes also

by engineers or agents who are field-testing prototypes.

Assuming blueprints are available, such models

can be constructed in a matter of hours or days.

Aside from time, the largest barrier to custom and

unique morph designs is typically cost. Ultimately it is

the gamemaster’s decision on what expenses such measures

entail—typically starting at Expensive and moving

up—or even whether they are possible at all.

Renting MorphsEdit

NOTE: For temporary visits where an infomorph won’t do,

morphs may be leased rather than bought. The cost

to rent a morph is 1% of its cost per day, plus a Low

charge for resleeving. This cost includes rental insurance

(see below). If the rental insurance is waived

(not always possible unless you have a good Rep), the

rental cost may be reduced by half.

Characters who are leasing a morph may also use

their previous morph as collateral. In this case, deduct

the cost of the character’s current morph from the

rental morph before calculating the 1% cost per day,

with a minimal rental cost of 10 credits per day.

Penal Lease

NOTE: For temporary visits where an infomorph won’t do,

morphs may be leased rather than bought. The cost

to rent a morph is 1% of its cost per day, plus a Low

charge for resleeving. This cost includes rental insurance

(see below). If the rental insurance is waived

(not always possible unless you have a good Rep), the

rental cost may be reduced by half.

Characters who are leasing a morph may also use

their previous morph as collateral. In this case, deduct

the cost of the character’s current morph from the

rental morph before calculating the 1% cost per day,

with a minimal rental cost of 10 credits per day.

Rental Insurance

NOTE: Leased morphs must be covered by an insurance

policy, which often restricts the character from

breaking the law or taking the morph anywhere

too dangerous or lawless. Characters may purchase

hazard insurance that will cover taking the morph

into certain dangerous situations, but this will

double the rental price at minimum.

If a character suffers extensive organic damage or

death while insured, the insurance will cover 80%

of the morph’s cost, meaning that the character is

expected to pay the other 20%. If they cannot pay,

their possessions or their stored morph may be

seized in payment.

If a character violates their insurance policy by

intentionally putting themself in harm’s way above

the threat level at which the policy was purchased,

without first communicating with and rendering payment

to the insurer, the policy may be declared void.

If the leased morph dies under a voided policy and

the character cannot pay to replace it, their possessions

and stored morph may be subject to seizure.

Seizure takes different forms depending upon the

local economy and legal system. In hypercorp space,

it is a straightforward seizure of liquid assets, including

forced uploading if the character’s morph is

seized. Elsewhere, the character is more likely to end

up owing a lot of favors or taking severe hits to their

reputation, but they are unlikely to undergo forced

uploading or outright physical seizure of their morph.

Morph Costs

NOTE: morph type cost

Biomorphs

Flats, Splicers High

Octomorphs Expensive (30,000+)

Furies, Ghosts, Remade Expensive (40,000+)

Futuras Expensive (50,000+)

All others Expensive

Pods

Workers, Pleasure Pods High

Novacrabs Expensive (30,000+)

Synthmorphs

Cases Moderate

Synths, Dragonflies High

Slitheroids, Swarmanoids Expensive

Flexbots Expensive (30,000+)

Arachnoids Expensive (40,000+)

Reapers Expensive (50,000+)

Positive morph traits +500 per CP

Negative morph traits –200 per CP

IDENTITYEdit

NOTE: Given the nature of resleeving technologies, identity

is a fluid concept in Eclipse Phase. Transhumans are

used to the idea of identifying people by how they

look or even by their biometric data, but this is no

longer a certified method. What you look like may

drastically change from one day to the next. You

may see an olympian you recognize, but perhaps it’s

been awhile, so you’re no longer certain that it’s the

same person still in that morph. If you’re sleeved in a

popular off-the-rack morph, there may be hundreds

of other cloned morphs that look exactly like you out

there—perhaps useful if you desire to blend in. Similarly,

security services can no longer rely on biometric

technologies. Forensics may be able to identify an individual

morph’s presence at a crime scene, but proving

who was in that morph at the time is another matter.

Identity is, of course, tied to ego, and various

authorities have instituted verification and security

measures based on this. Within the inner system, each

ego is given an ID number, which is used to validate

their identity, citizenship, legal status, credit accounts,

licensing, etc. This ego ID is verifiable by the person’s

brainwave patterns, which remain the same even

when resleeving. When an ego uploads, the uploading

service is required to incorporate this ego ID into

the person’s backup/infomorph. Likewise, when that

person resleeves, the service handling the procedure

is required by law to verify the ego’s ID before downloading.

The ego ID is then hardcoded into the morph

itself in the form of a nanotattoo on the tip of the person’s

index finger. This nanotat can be easily scanned

at security checkpoints to verify identity.

Though efficient, this system is far from perfect. For

one, ID record-keeping is far from standardized and

varies drastically from habitat to habitat. Most do not

share records with each other unless they are part of the

same political alliance in order to protect their citizens’

privacy. For example, Lunar-Lagrange Alliance stations

do not share citizenship ID data with the Planetary

Consortium, though they do share with each other.

On top of this, many identity records were lost

during the Fall, a situation that was undoubtedly exploited

by those who preferred to erase their past or

adopt a new persona. These all make for a situation

where identity records are patchwork at best. Officials

must also rely on the security of other habitats for ID

verification. If a person egocasts to Nectar on Mars

from Qing Long in the Martian Trojans, and the

Nectar officials have no record of this person, they

can only trust that the Qing Long officials did their

job when verifying the subject’s ID and background.

To make matters worse, many autonomist habitats

operate without identity checks altogether. Though

some ID measures are still used, both to prevent

reputation system gaming and to be able to identify

bodies in the case of death, these uses are significantly

more lax and few records are kept. Therefore, when

autonomists and the like egocast to habitats that require

ID, they are assigned a temporary ID for the duration

of their stay (and sometimes any future visits).

Identity VerificationEdit

NOTE: share records with each other unless they are part of the

same political alliance in order to protect their citizens’

privacy. For example, Lunar-Lagrange Alliance stations

do not share citizenship ID data with the Planetary

Consortium, though they do share with each other.

On top of this, many identity records were lost

during the Fall, a situation that was undoubtedly exploited

by those who preferred to erase their past or

adopt a new persona. These all make for a situation

where identity records are patchwork at best. Officials

must also rely on the security of other habitats for ID

verification. If a person egocasts to Nectar on Mars

from Qing Long in the Martian Trojans, and the

Nectar officials have no record of this person, they

can only trust that the Qing Long officials did their

job when verifying the subject’s ID and background.

To make matters worse, many autonomist habitats

operate without identity checks altogether. Though

some ID measures are still used, both to prevent

reputation system gaming and to be able to identify

bodies in the case of death, these uses are significantly

more lax and few records are kept. Therefore, when

autonomists and the like egocast to habitats that require

ID, they are assigned a temporary ID for the duration

of their stay (and sometimes any future visits).

Nanotat Scans

NOTE: Special encoded nanobots are used to create a small

nanotat on a person’s index finger. These nanobots

contain encoded information that includes their name

and identity, brainwave pattern, citizenship/legal status,

credit account number, insurance information, and

licenses. Depending on the local habitat laws, it may

include other information such as criminal history,

travel history, restricted implants, employment records,

and so on. This nanotat may be read by anyone with

a special ID scanner that reads the nanobot encoding.

ID nanotats include information on the company

that did the resleeving, so that the data may be accessed

and verified with their records online. The data

on the nanotat is also cryptographically signed with

the company’s public key, meaning that anyone who

checks the data and the signature online can tell if the

data has been altered.

Brainwave Scans

NOTE: Brainwave scans are one of the few types of biometric

prints that stay with an ego no matter what morph it

is in. They are impractical for most security purposes

as they require a scan with a combination electroencephalogram

and neuroimaging device, referred to as

a brainprint scanner, which takes approximately 5

minutes. This device measures the subject’s baseline

brainwave pattern as well as the subject’s brainwave

signature responses when they think certain thoughts

or sense certain patterns. These scans are all but

impossible to fool, however, barring hacking of the

brainprint scanner itself, and so are considered quite

reliable. For this reason they are occasionally used in

high-security facilities.

It is worth noting that infection by some variants

of the Exsurgent virus, notably the Watts-Macleod

strain (p. 367), sometimes alters a person’s brainwave

patterns, but not in every case.

Digital Code

NOTE: Digital ID codes are often incorporated into backups and

infomorphs. Not only does this help identify who the

backup belongs to, but it serves as an electronic signature

for verifying ID when the backup is to be resleeved. This

digital code typically contains the same information as

the nanotat ID, and is signed with a cryptographic hash

that makes it difficult to forge and which can be verified

online. AIs and AGIs also feature such built-in codes.

Circumventing ID ChecksEdit

NOTE: Firewall sentinels and clandestine agents often have a

need to hide or alter their identities. While ID system

are challenging, they are not insurmountable.

Fake IDs

NOTE: The easiest way to bypass security checks is to establish

a fake ID. Given the patchwork nature of identity records

and the lack of any centralized authority, this is

not very difficult. Numerous crime syndicates and even

some autonomist groups maintain a thriving ID fabrication

business, often with complete histories and medical

covers for implants that might be restricted or illegal.

These IDs are usually registered with habitats that are

either known criminal havens, have autonomist sympathies,

or are isolated and remote. Though the ID is

actually verifiable and registered with these stations, the

potential shady origins of such IDs is known to most

inner system authorities and so the character may be

exposed to extra scrutiny or monitoring. Fake IDs may

be acquired that are registered with more respected authorities,

but this often requires a much higher expense

or connections to hypercorp clandestine operations.

Black market darkcast and resleeving options offer

fake IDs as a matter of course.

Altering Nanotat IDs

NOTE: Special nanobot treatments may be manufactured

to erase, rewrite, or replace nanotat IDs. Erasing a

nanotat is easy, but not having one is a crime and immediate

grounds for suspicion in many habitats. Rewriting

a nanotat is also easy, though this means that

the nanotat will fail its authorization online unless the

encryption has also been cracked (p. 253). Replacing

a nanotat ID with a fake one is just as possible, and is

part of the process of acquiring a fake ID.

Digital ID Tampering

NOTE: Digital ID codes may also be tampered with, though like

nanotat IDs this will mean that the ID fails online verification

unless the encryption is also 280 defeated (p. 253).

LIFE IN SPACEEdit

NOTE: Transhumanity is not just a spacefaring race, it is

also largely space-dwelling. While a substantial portion

of transhumanity inhabits planetary bodies like

Mars, Luna, Venus, and the moons of the gas giants,

the balance live in a variety of space habitats, ranging

from the old-fashioned O’Neill cylinders of the inner

system to the Cole bubbles of the outer system.

Space HabitatsEdit

NOTE: Sp ace Habitats

Space habitats come in many sizes and configurations,

from survivalist outposts designed to support

ten or fewer people to miniature worlds in resourcerich

areas housing as many as ten million people. In

heavily settled regions of space, such as Martian orbit,

habitats may be integrated into local infrastructure,

relying to some extent on supply shipments from other

orbital installations.

More commonly, especially in the outer system,

habitats are independent entities. This usually means

that in addition to the main space station, the habitat

is attended by a host of support structures, including

zero-g factories, gas and volatiles refineries, foundries,

defense satellites, and mining bases.

Habitats—especially large ones—sometimes have

visitors, as well. Majors habitats are crossroads in

space. In addition to scheduled bulk freighter stops,

they may have hangers-on such as scum barges, prospectors,

or out-of-work autonomous bot swarms.

Many habitats have some form of transportation

network. This is most common in large cylindrical

habitats with centrifugal gravity. Common solutions

for public transit include monorail trains, trams, and

dirigible skybuses. Common personal transit options

included bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, and microlight

aircraft, with larger vehicles being uncommon

and usually reserved for official use.

Most habitats with large interior spaces also use augmented

reality overlays to create consensual hallucinations

of a sky and clouds, to which most residents keep

their AR channels tuned. One would think that in space,

talking about the weather would have disappeared from

transhumanity’s repertoire of small talk, but the habit

persists—only the weather discussed is usually virtual (if

it’s not real “weather”—solar flare activity and the like).

Cluster Colony

NOTE: Clusters are the most common form of microgravity

habitat. Clusters consist of networks of spherical or

rectangular modules made of light materials and connected

by floatways. Typically business and residential

modules are clustered around arterial floatways and infrastructure

modules such as farms, power, and waste

recycling. Limited artificial gravity areas may exists,

frequently parks or other public places and specialized

modules like resleeving facilities (morphs often keep

better when stored in gravity). Arterial floatways in

large clusters may have “fast lanes” where a constantly

moving conveyor of grab-loops speeds people along

Clusters are most commonly found in volatile-rich environments

like the Trojans and the ring systems of the gas giants (particularly

Saturn). Clusters are rare in the Jovian system because shielding a

cluster of individual modules rather than one large station from

Jupiter’s intense magnetosphere is hideously inefficient.

Cluster colonies can have anywhere from 50 to 250,000 inhabitants.

Cole Bubbles

NOTE: Cole bubbles (or “bubbleworlds”) are found mostly in the main

asteroid belt, where the large nickel-iron asteroids used to construct

them are abundant. Bubbleworlds are less common in the Trojans

and Greeks, where crusty ice asteroids predominate. A Cole bubble

is similar in many respects to an O’Neill cylinder, but there are no

longitudinal windows. Sunlight instead enters through axial mirror

arrays. The bubbleworld is also constructed very differently, using a

large solar array to heat a pocket of water inside of a metal asteroid

so that the metal expands. Rotating the asteroid causes the malleable

material to form a cylinder, which is then capped off and the

water drained. The inside can then be pressurized, built out, and

planted. Cole bubbles can also be spun for gravity, according to the

whims of the inhabitants, though the gravity lowers as you near the

poles of the bubble, with zero gravity at the axis of rotation.

Cole bubbles are among the largest structures transhumanity has

created in space. The largest Cole habitat, Extropia, has a population

of 10 million.

Hamilton Cylinders

NOTE: Hamilton cylinders are a new technology. There are only three fully

operational Hamilton cylinders in the system, but the design shows

great promise and is likely to be widely adopted over the coming

period. Hamilton cylinders are grown using a complex genomic

algorithm that orchestrates nanoscale building machines. These

nanobots build the habitat slowly over time, a process more like

growing than construction.

Similar to O’Neill cylinders and Cole bubbles, a Hamilton cylinder

is a cylindrical habitat rotating on its long axis to provide gravity.

Two of the known Hamilton cylinders orbit Saturn in positions

skimming the rings near the Cassini division. From this position,

they can graze on silicates and volatiles using harvester ships.

None of the currently-operating Hamilton cylinders have grown

to full size yet, but estimates say they could each house up to 3

million people.

O'Neill Cylinders

NOTE: Found mostly in the orbits of Earth, Luna, Venus, and Mars, O’Neill

cylinders were among transhumanity’s first large space habitat designs.

O’Neill cylinders are no longer built, having been replaced

by more efficient designs, but are still home to tens of millions of

transhumans. O’Neill cylinders were constructed from metals mined

on Luna or Mercury, Lunar volatiles (including Lunar polar ice),

and asteroidal silicates.

A typical O’Neill habitat is thirty-five kilometers long, eight kilometers

in diameter, and rotates around its long axis at a speed

sufficient for centrifugal force to create one Earth gravity on the

inner wall of the cylinder. Smaller cylinders exist, though these

usually feature lower gravity (typically Mars standard). Cylinders

are sometimes joined together, end-to-end, for extra long habitats.

A spaceport is situated at one end on the rotational axis of the

cylinder (where there is no gravity). Arrivals by space use a lift or

microlight launch pad to get down to the habitat floor.

The inside of an O’Neill cylinder has six alternating

strips of ground and window running from one cap

of the cylinder to the other. One narrow end of an

O’Neill cylinder points toward the sun. The opposite

end is the mooring point for three immense reflectors

angled to reflect sunlight into the windows. Smart

materials coating the windows and reflectors prevent

fluctuations in solar activity from delivering too much

heat. The air inside the cylinder and its metal superstructure

provide radiation shielding.

The land in most O’Neill cylinders is one-third

agricultural (a combination of food vats and highyield

photosynthetic crops), one-third park land, and

one-third mixed use residential and business. O’Neill

habitats have a day and night cycle regulated by the

position of the external mirrors. The business and

residential sections of the cylinder usually alternate

with the park land over two of the strips of land;

cropland usually takes up the third. Bridges cross

the windows every kilometer or so, linking the land

strips. The interior climate, the architectural style of

the structures, and the types of vegetation and fauna

present vary with the tastes of the habitats’ designers.

Depending upon size, O’Neill cylinders can house

from 25,000 to 2 million people.

Tin Cans

NOTE: Antique research stations and survivalist prospector

outposts often fit this description. Tin can habitats

are only a few notches up from the early 21st-century

International Space Station. Tin cans usually consist

of one or more modules connected to solar panels

and other utilities by an open truss. Deluxe models

feature actual floatways or crawlways between

modules, while barebones setups require a vacsuit or

vac-resistant morph to go from room to room. Food

growing capacity is severely limited and there may be

no farcasters, but fabricators are available, as well as

mooring for shuttles and perhaps prospecting craft.

Tin cans rarely house more than 50 people.

Toruses

NOTE: Interchangeably called toruses, toroids, donuts, and

wheels, these circular space habitats were a cheap

alternative to the O’Neill cylinder used for smaller

installations. Like O’Neill cylinders, toruses are seldom

constructed anymore, but many are still encountered in

the inner system, particularly in Earth and Lunar orbit.

A toroidal habitat looks like a donut 1 kilometer in

diameter, rotating on great spokes. There is a zero-g

spaceport at the wheel’s hub. Visitors take a lift down

one of the spokes to the level of the donut, where

rotation creates one Earth gravity.

The plan of toroidal habitats varies greatly, as many

were designed for specific scientific or military purposes

and only later taken over as habitats by entrepreneurs

or squatters. Many have a succession of decks in the

donut. Most of those designed for long-term selfsufficient

habitation have smart material-covered glass

windows for growing plants along much of the inside

surface of the torus. Toroidal habitats equipped for

farming normally face the sun in a direction perpendicular

to their rotational axis, but then use a slow processional

wobble of that axis to create a day/night cycle.

Toruses were usually built to accommodate small

crews of 500 or fewer people, though some larger

ones exist, able to house 50,000. A few rare doubletoruses

also exist, like two large wheels spinning in

opposite directions, joined at the axis.

Immigration and CustomsEdit

NOTE: How characters gain entry to a habitat and what type

of screening they’re likely to undergo depends upon

how they arrive. Some habitats are close to other

settlements, while others are physically isolated by the

vast, empty distances of interplanetary space.

Habitats in dense planetary systems receive most of

their visitors via conventional space travel. Immigration

and customs infrastructure is geared toward receiving

visitors via their spaceport, and the processing

of arrivals is in most ways analogous to a twentieth

century airport. Isolated habitats, on the other hand,

tend to receive almost all of their visitors via egocast.

Physical Arrivals

NOTE: Arrivals by spacecraft undergo, at minimum, an ego

ID check, scans to detect pathogens, hostile nanobots,

explosives, or radiation, and an inspection of their

personal effects. Some habitats go farther, including

rigorous secondary screenings using scout nanoswarms,

scans of all electronic systems for malware,

and/or aggressive interrogation of a fork of the subject.

Even autonomist enclaves enforce automated scans for

anything that might pose a danger to the habitat or

any signs of hypercorp saboteur efforts.

Restricted goods vary according to local legalities.

Many habitats, particularly those controlled by autonomist

or criminal factions, allow personal weaponry

as long as its nothing you can use to blow a hole in

the structure or indiscriminately kill dozens of people.

Others, notably the Jovian Republic and hypercorp

stations, disallow lethal weapons of all kinds, except

for people who have acquired special permits and authorization

(sometimes available by bribing the right

people or pulling favors with rep). Nonlethal weapons

are generally allowed. Other restricted items may

include nanofabricators, nanoswarms, malware and

hacker software, drugs and narcoalgorithms, certain

types of XP recordings, covert operations tools, and

so on. Certain types of morphs may also be restricted,

such as reapers, furies, or uplifts.

Certain habitats may insist that visitors—or at

least the ones they don’t like the looks of—submit to

specific forms of monitoring or surveillance for the

duration of their stay. This might include taggant

nanoswarms, hosting a police AI in your mesh inserts,

or even physical tailing by an armed security drone.

Other stations will require that their visitors leave a

fork as a form of collateral at the door—in case they

commit a crime, the fork can be interrogated.

Finally, though rare, some habitats go so far as to

charge all visitors an “air tax”—a fee for using the

station’s publicly available resources while they are

present. This is generally only common in isolated

habitats with strained resources, and is considered

especially obnoxious by most autonomists.

Some syndicates run a good business in smuggling

certain goods or even people into habitats. This is generally

accomplished through bribed security personnel,

but is also sometimes handled as falsified credentials

that will allow the subject to breeze past security

checks. Such services are typically quite expensive.

For those hoping to gain quiet and unobserved

access, there is always the option of taking a spacewalk

and trying to break in through an unattended

airlock. Such attempts are quite often dangerous and

futile, as most habitats have dedicated sensor and

security systems to monitor their exterior surface and

in particular any access points. Still, it is a possibility

for a resourceful team with a skilled hacker, though

armed sentry bots are a particular danger.

Electronic Arrivals

NOTE: Arrivals by egocast are sometimes interviewed by

habitat authorities in a simulspace before resleeving.

Depending upon the habitat’s attitude toward civil

rights, this process can be relatively reasonable or

quite invasive. A minimal entry inspection includes an

ID check, a brief interview with a customs AI, and a

review of the specs of the morph into which the arriving

ego plans to resleeve. Habitats with draconian

immigration measures may use harsh psychosurgery

interrogation techniques on suspect infomorphs. Egocast

backups have little recourse to avoid this treatment—

station authorities can simply file them away

in cold storage if they choose—so it is wise to investigate

custom procedures before you send yourself over.

Because many people, particularly autonomists and

brinkers, don’t appreciate this kind of reception, various

uploading services have stepped in to provide precustoms

resleeving for characters traveling to habitats

with suspect screening methods. For often-exorbitant

fees, the traveler egocasts into an extraterritorial substation

close to their intended destination, resleeves

there, and then travels to their destination by rocket.

Various darkcast services, normally run by established

crime syndicates, sometimes offer an alternative

method of egocasting in and possibly even resleeving.

Darkcast services are quite expensive, however, and

the character is at the mercy of the syndicate operators.

In rare cases, some political factions or even hypercorps

might operate their own darkcast systems,

which a character with good networking skills might

be able to take advantage of.

Space TravelEdit

NOTE: In some circumstances, characters will prefer to travel

physically through space rather than egocasting. In

Eclipse Phase, spacecraft are primarily dealt with as a

setting environment rather than a vehicle/gear to use.

Spacecraft largely pilot themselves via the onboard AI.

Though characters can also take over with their Pilot:

Spacecraft skill, the situation rarely calls for it.

Local Travel

NOTE: In densely inhabited planetary systems such as Mars

and Saturn, most travel between cities, surface stations,

and orbital habitats within 200,000 kilometers is by

small hydrogen-fueled (or sometimes methane-fueled)

rockets. This form of travel is incredibly cheap, very

fast, and avoids the occasional personality glitches

that crop up during egocasting. LOTVs (lander and

orbital transfer vehicles, p. 348) are commonly used.

Spacecraft leaving a planetary body need to be able to

generate enough thrust to escape the gravity well (see

Escaping Gravity Wells, p. 346).

Distance Travel

NOTE: For distances of 200,000 to 1.5 million kilometers,

somewhat larger (and more expensive) fusion- and

plasma-drive craft make regular runs. Nuclear electric

ion drives were once used on some of these routes,

but the poor efficiency of these fission systems and the

need for radioactive heavy metal reaction mass means

that they are almost never used anymore. Faster antimatter-

drive couriers are also commonly used. These

ships lack the thrust to escape from the gravity wells

of large planets or moons, so they station themselves

in orbit and use smaller ships (typically LOTVs) with

higher thrust to transport people to and from the

planetary surface.

For distances beyond 1.5 million kilometers, almost

everyone uses egocasting

Space Travel Basics

NOTE: Spacecraft use various types of reaction drives (see

Spacecraft Propulsion, p. 347), meaning that they burn

fuel (reaction mass) and direct the heated output in

one direction, which pushes the spacecraft in the opposite

direction. Travel over any major distance typically

involves a period of high-acceleration burn for several

hours at the beginning of the flight, where up to half of

the reaction mass is spent to drive up the craft’s velocity.

The ship then coasts for the majority of the flight at

that speed, until it approaches its destination, where it

flips over and burns an equal amount of reaction mass

in the opposite direction to decrease velocity.

Though some craft burn half their reaction mass

to get up to the best speed possible, this doesn’t leave

much room for additional maneuvering or emergencies.

Many craft therefore only burn up to a quarter

or a third of their fuel in initial accelerations, so they

have some to spare in case they need it. A few tricks

can be used to save fuel and build speed, such as slingshotting

around the gravity wells of larger planets or

aerobraking in a planet’s upper atmosphere.

Travel times between locations are constantly

changing as various bodies move in their orbits

around the solar system. Within a cluster or planetary

system, travel takes a matter of hours. Within the

inner system, travel can take days or weeks. Travel to,

from, or within the outer system can take much longer,

and is usually a matter of several months.

Most ships operate at zero-g, except for a few larger

craft that are able to spin habitat modules for low

gravity. Periods of high-acceleration also produce

temporary gravity in a downward direction, towards

the burn.

Space is a valuable commodity on board spacecraft,

so room is often tight. Sleeping and personal quarters

are rarely bigger than large closets, just enough room

for a sleeping bag and personal effects. Depending

on the size of the craft, there may be a communal

recreation area. The crew tend to only be busy at the

beginning and end of a trip, when they must deal with

acceleration/deceleration and maneuvering around

other space traffic. The rest of the trip they spend

dealing with repairs or otherwise killing time, often

by accessing XP or VR simulations or playing AR

games. While spacecraft have their own local mesh

network, they are usually too far to interact with the

mesh networks of other habitats without significant

communications lag, so they must make do with

their own archive of entertainment options. Many

long-haul ships are crewed by hibernoid morphs, who

hunker down for a long nap.

Spaceship Combat

NOTE: Combat in space tends to take place over long distances

using massive beam weapons, railguns, and

missiles. It also tends to be nasty, brutish, and short.

Significant damage to a vessel can cause atmospheric

decompression, killing any biomorph crew who aren’t

suited up and strapped down.

For the most part, it is recommended that space

combat be treated as a plot device, part of the background

story that helps create drama and tension,

rather than an event that characters actively participate

in. This is not to say the characters cannot play a

role in the combat, or that their actions will have no

effect on the outcome. They may become involved in

damage control, negotiate with hostile forces, repel

boarders, target weapons with Gunnery skill, stage a

mutiny, attempt to hack the networks of approaching

vessels, escape out the airlock, hide out while the

pirates sack the ship, or similar affairs. It is recommended,

however, that gamemasters steer clear of

space combat situations that could easily lead to the

whole team dying due to a few bad dice rolls.

NANOFABRICATIONEdit

NOTE: In order to create an object in a nanofabricator

(whether a cornucopia machine, fabber, or maker; see

p. 327), three things are needed: raw materials, blueprints,

and time.

Raw Materials

NOTE: Raw materials are generally easy to acquire, as most

nanofabricators are equipped with disassembler units

that will break down just about anything into its constituent

molecules. Feedstock may also be purchased

(at a cost of Trivial). Many habitats route their recycling

and waste products directly into disassemblers.

BlueprintsEdit

NOTE: Most nanofabricators are pre-loaded with blueprints

for general purpose items: food, simple clothing, basic

tools, etc. Blueprints for other goods may be acquired

in several ways:

• They may be purchased online (legally or on the

black market).

• They may be found for free online (see below).

• They may be acquired with Rep, following the

usual rules for social networking (p. 285).

• They may stolen (usually by hacking a mesh site

or a nanofabricator containing such plans).

• They may be self-programmed (see below).

Once the blueprints are acquired, they are simply

loaded into the nanofabricator.

Open Source Blueprints

NOTE: Blueprints for many goods may be found for free

online, disseminated by an active open source

software movement. The availability of such plans

typically depends on the local mesh. In autonomist

habitats, a simple Research Test is likely to turn up the

open source blueprints you need (applying modifiers

for unusual items). In more restricted habitats, open

source blueprints may be harder to find, as they will

be securely hidden from the prying eyes of the authorities.

In this case, the character will need to use their

Rep to gain access, bribe a local hacker group, or do

something similar.

Note that restricted nanofabricators may not accept

open source blueprints (see Blueprint Restrictions).

Blueprint Restrictions

NOTE: Some nanofabricators are equipped with pre-programmed

restrictions not to accept blueprints for restricted

items (such as weapons) or non-licensed items

(such as black market or open source blueprints).

These restrictions may be circumvented by hacking

the nanofabricator and re-programming it, following

normal hacking rules (p. 254).

Programming Blueprints

NOTE: A dedicated character may simply decide to program

their own blueprints, though this is a time-consuming

endeavor. To do so, the character must make a Programming

(Nanofabrication) Test with a timeframe

of one week per cost level of the item. For example, a

Trivial cost item takes 1 week, a Low cost item takes 2

weeks, a Moderate item 3 weeks, and so on. Academics:

Nanotechnology skill or a skill appropriate to the

object’s design may be used as a complementary skill

(p. 173) for this test. A fork or muse may also be assigned

to such a programming task.

Time

NOTE: Once the raw materials and blueprints are in, most nanofabrication

is simply a matter of time. The exact timeframe to create an

object varies, but roughly approximates 1 hour per cost category of

the item (1 hour for Trivial, 2 for Low, 3 for Moderate, etc.). The

gamemaster may feel free to modify this period as appropriate for

the object.

The Programming Test

NOTE: Nanofabrication is typically handled as a Programming (Nanofabrication)

Test. In most cases, this can be treated as a Simple Success

Test (p. 118), with a failed roll simply indicating that the item has

some minor imperfections, or perhaps took longer to make.

In some cases, the gamemaster may call for an actual Success Test,

meaning that failure is more of a possibility. This should only be

done for items that are exotic, extremely complicated, or for which

the blueprints are incomplete or otherwise suspect. This test can also

be made if the raw materials are limited.

The character operating the nanofabricator can make this test or

it can be left up to the nanofabricator’s built-in AI. Most such Such

AIs have a Programming (Nanofabrication) skill of 30 (see AIs and

Muses, p. 331).

REPUTATION AND SOCIAL NETWORKSEdit

Social NetworksEdit

Networking

Reputation

Using Networks and RepEdit

The Networking Test

Favor Levels and ModifiersEdit

Example

Paying/Exchanging for FavorsEdit

Example

The Limits of ReputationEdit

Example

Burning ReputationEdit

Example

Keeping QuietEdit

Example

FavorsEdit

Favors

Acquire/Unload GoodsEdit

Table

Acquire ServicesEdit

Example

Table

Acquire InformationEdit

Table

Reputation and IdentityEdit

Reputation Networks

Networking Modifiers

Reputation Levels

SECURITYEdit

Access ControlEdit

Bug Zappers

Electronic Locks

Lockbots

Portal Denial System

Self-Healing Barriers

Slippery Walls

Wireless Inhibitors

Detection and SurveillanceEdit

Nanotagging

Sensors

Weapons Scanners

Wireless Scanning

Active Countermeasures

GEAREdit

NOTE: The accelerated technological levels ofEclipse Phase enable a number of devices for personal enhancement, survival, and other uses.

EQUIPMENT RULESEdit

NOTE: The following rules apply to all technological items in

Eclipse Phase.

Acquiring GearEdit

NOTE: During character creation, players purchase gear for

their characters using the credits they have during

the character creation process. Once play begins,

however, characters must obtain any equipment they

need the usual way: by buying, borrowing, making,

or stealing it.

In the inner system, hypercorp, and Jovian Republic

settlements—and other places where capitalism still

reigns—gear acquisition is simply a matter of finding

a seller and buying it. Each item has a listed cost, from

Trivial to Expensive, as noted on the Gear Costs table.

Due to local availability of resources, supply and

demand, and legalities, these listed costs are meant

to be approximations. When no other factors apply,

the listed Average Cost for that category can be used.

Otherwise the gamemaster should modify the item’s

worth as they see fit, according to local economic factors,

while still keeping it within that cost category

range. The Cost Modifiers table lists out some suggested

changes to an item’s cost, but these are simply

recommendations, and can be ignored or followed as

the gamemaster deems fit. The exact local conditions

are largely up to the gamemaster to determine, as best

fits their game.

In some circumstances, characters may attempt to

haggle over gear prices. This is best handled as roleplaying,

but the gamemaster may also call for an

Opposed Persuasion Test (or possibly an Intimidation

Test). The character who wins may increase or reduce

the price by 10% per 10 points of MoS.

In the outer system, anarchist, Titanian, scum, and

other habitats that use the reputation economy, characters

must rely on their rep scores to acquire the goods

and services they need. The mechanics for this are covered

under Reputation and Social Networks, p. 285.

Characters are of course free to get their hands

on equipment by any other means they devise—con

schemes, borrowing from friends, and outright

theft, with all of the appropriate tests and consequences.

In some cases, acquiring gear may be an

adventure unto itself.

Fabricating Gear

NOTE: Thanks to nanofabrication technology, characters may

also create their own equipment using cornucopia

machines and similar nanofab devices (p. 327). The

character must have the appropriate blueprints to do

so, whether they come with the fabber, are bought

legitimately or on the black market, acquired with rep,

or found online. Characters may also code their own

blueprint desires, using the Programming: Nanofabrication

skill.

Gear ModifiersEdit

NOTE: In the technological future, gear is a necessity. In many

cases, use of equipment provides no bonuses, it simply

allows a character to perform a task they would otherwise

be unable to do. For example, it is impossible

to pick a mechanical lock without lockpick or some

sort of tool.

In other cases, however, gear provides a bonus to

the task at hand. Climbing a wall may be possible

without tools, but if you happen to have gecko gloves

or other climbing gear, it’s going to be a lot easier. The

specific modifier applied is usually noted in the gear

item’s description, typically ranging from +10 to +30.

Gear Quality

NOTE: In both of the situations above, it is possible to have

items that are of either exceptional or inferior quality,

with corresponding positive or negative modifiers. The

gear may be well-crafted, state-of-the-art, cutting-edge

experimental, or simply top-of-the-line, applying an

additional +10 to +30. Or it may be outdated, shoddy,

or in disrepair, inflicting a –10 to –30 modifier (in

some cases canceling out the basic gear bonus).

Gear CostsEdit

NOTE: Category Range (in Credits) Average (in Credits)

Trivial 1–99 50

Low 100–499 250

Moderate 500–1,499 1,000

High 1,500–9,999 5,000

Expensive 10,000+ 20,000

Cost Modifiers

NOTE: economic factor sugested cost modifier

Item Stolen –50%

Item Used –25%

Item Restricted +25%

Item Illegal +50%

Item Scarce +25%

Item Extremely Rare +50%

Item Common –25%

Gear SizesEdit

NOTE: On occasion, you’ll need to know how small or large

a certain piece of equipment is. Though this is largely

something the gamemaster can wing on the fly using

common sense, we’ve listed sizes for many gear items

that are unusual or so futuristic that the average player

may not have a feel for what dimensions the tech

likely is. These size categories are listed on the Gear

Sizes table (p. 297). These sizes should be considered

approximations, as depending on the manufacturer

and process, some items may be smaller or larger than

similar items. It is also important to keep in mind that

as technology advances, the size and components of

various equipment items shrink, so when in doubt, go

with smaller.

Table

NOTE: size category general dimensions and notes

Nano

So small that the item cannot be seen without

the aid of a microscope or nanoscopic vision

(p. 311), and may not be manipulated without

fractal digits (p. 311) or similar tools.

Micro

Anything ranging from the size of a barely

visible small dot to an average insect.

Mini

Mini items may be concealed within someone’s

palm or small pockets.

Small

Small items may be held in one hand and

concealed in normal pockets.

Medium

Medium size items are cumbersome to hold

with one hand, ranging from the size of a 2-liter

bottle to the size of a medium dog. They do

not fit in pockets, but they may be concealed

by larger coverings.

Large Roughly human-sized.

Huge Vehicles and other more massive objects.

Mass and Encumbrance

NOTE: A character who is carrying too much gear should

be slowed down, suffering negative modifiers both

to their movement rates and their skill tests. Rather

than micromanaging the weights of individual pieces

of equipment, however, this matter is largely left to

the gamemaster’s discretion, using common sense. If a

character loads up beyond reason, apply modifiers as

seem appropriate. The gamemaster should, however,

keep in mind that many of the manufacturing materials

used in Eclipse Phase allow for items that are

much lighter than current standards without any loss

of durability or function (see Future Materials, p. 298).

Likewise, characters in low or microgravity environments

can carry much larger loads.

Concealing Gear

NOTE: Characters may attempt to conceal items on their

person, hoping at least to hide them from casual

notice if not an intensive search. To determine howeffectively the character conceals the equipment, make

a Palming Test and note the MoS (the gamemaster

may wish to roll this secretly). Whenever another

character has a chance to notice the concealed item,

they must succeed in a Perception Test and achieve

a higher MoS than was scored on the Palming Test.

The gamemaster should apply modifiers to both tests

as appropriate. For example, concealing a large item

like a sword would be difficult (–30), whereas wearing

concealing clothing like a longcoat or multi-pocketed

jumpsuit would help (+20). Likewise, a character

who is not actively looking is less likely to notice the

hidden gear (–30), whereas someone who conducts a

physical search (+30) or who has enhanced vision to

pierce protective layers will fare better.

Design and FashionEdit

NOTE: Many objects in Eclipse Phase closely resemble their

early 21st century equivalents—a bottle of soda is still

a transparent container holding a brightly colored

liquid, clothing is obviously something you wear, and

a knife still consists of a blade and a handle. The materials,

processes, and mindsets that go into making

them, however, are quite different. To start, very few

items look have a uniform, mass-produced look, even

if they were. The procedures of minifacturing and

nanofabrication allow every individual item to be

manufactured with a unique (or at least different)

look. In areas with anarchist/reputation economies, in

fact, where personal possessions have very little intrinsic

value, expression and creativity are favored and so

many items are artistically personalized (and actual

hand-crafted items are rare and prized). Likewise,

almost all equipment is designed with ergonomics

and ease-of-use prioritized, so gear with soft curves,

pleasing colors, and form-fitting shapes are common.

Many items of personal technology, such as flashlights

or small tools, are made in the form of ovoids that

fit comfortably in the user’s hand or in similar forms

that can be easily worn or attached to clothing. To

someone from the 20th century, many common

devices look like oddly colored rocks or decorative

pieces of plastic or ceramic (in fact, many such items

are referred to as “blobjects” by older transhumans).

The materials used to create everyday items are

also advanced, ranging from aerogel and graphene

to smart materials (p. 298) and exotic metamaterials

with unusual physical properties. In practice, this

means that most items are light, durable (with both

tensile strength and/or flexibility, as needed), waterproof,

dirt-repellent, and self-cleaning. Most gear is

also designed with zero-G or microgravity functionality

in mind, and can easily be clipped, tethered, or

stuck to a surface with grip pads.

Almost all gear available in Eclipse Phase is also

available in forms that are wearable/usable by uplifted

animals and non-humanoid morphs, such

as novacrabs, slitheroids, and so on. Even if such

customized gear is not immediately available, it isusually not difficult to nanofabricate. Smart materials

(p. 298) also make interoperability between different

morphs easy.

Interface

NOTE: It is not uncommon for everyday devices to have no

visible controls as they are designed to be operated via

radio broadcasts from the user’s ecto or mesh inserts.

Any items crafted for use in emergency, combat, survival,

or exploration situations, however, will feature

basic physical controls, just in case. Physical interfaces

are typically controlled by touch pads that are nothing

more than colored spots on the device’s surface,

though some may also project a holographic interface

display. Most equipment of this sort can can also be

voice-activated and controlled.

Almost all devices are loaded with a complete set

of help files and tutorials. Most electronics are also

mesh-capable and equipped with specialized AIs (see

Meshed Gear, next page).

Smart materials

NOTE: Many common items of technology are made from

so-called smart materials. These devices contain—or

sometimes consist entirely of—many small nanomachines

that can both move and reshape themselves

to alter the object’s shape, color, and texture. For

example, smart clothing can transform from a suit of

specialized cold weather clothing suitable for the Martian

poles in winter to a fashionable suit in the latest

style due to hundreds of thousands of tiny nanomachines

in the clothing that shift and move to reshape

the garment. Similarly, a tool made of smart materials

can switch from a powered screwdriver to a wrench

or a hammer, as the nanomachines move around and

completely reshape the tool. Smart materials all contain

specialized advanced nanomachine generators (p.

328) that keep them in perfect repair as long as they

are regularly recharged.

Future MaterialsEdit

NOTE: Many materials are available and commonly used in

Eclipse Phase that are rare, theorized, or unheardof

today. The following entries note some of the

more interesting.

Aerogel

NOTE: Low-density, solid-state “Frozen smoke” is made by

carefully foaming various materials, typically glasses

or ceramics, to an ultra-low density state. Aerogel

is semi-transparent and light-weight, feels like styrofoam,

but acts as an incredible insulator against

heat and cold. It is commonly used in habitats.

Diamond

NOTE: Artificial diamond is lightweight and super-strong,

has an extremely high melting point, and has nearperfect

thermal conductivity. This makes it an ideal

substance for hardening coated surfaces (armor)

and creating super-tough diamond machinery.

Fullerenes/Fullerites

NOTE: Fullerenes are molecular carbon structures (known

as buckyballs, carbon nanotubes, and graphene)

that are extremely strong (vastly stronger by weight

than steel), heat-resistant, and can be either insulative

or superconductive. This makes them useful in

equipment as diverse as armor, electronics, sensor

systems, or the cables of space elevators.

Metallic Foam

NOTE: Metal foam is created by adding foaming agents

to liquid metals, resulting in extremely lightweightmetallic structures—light enough to float on water.

Ideal for habitat construction and floating cities.

Metallic Glass

NOTE: Metallic glass are metals highly alloyed to possess a

disordered (rather than crystalline) atomic structure

with unique combinations of stiffness and strength,

making it a good wear surface and alternative to

ceramics in armor. It is also useful for its unusual

(for a metal) electrical resistance properties.

Metamaterials

NOTE: Metamaterials have unusual physical properties

(usually electromagnetic) due to their structure,

such as having a negative refractive index. Metamaterials

are used to create invisibility cloaks (p. 316),

superlenses, phased array optics, and impressive

2-D holograms.

Refactory Metals

NOTE: These metallic alloys have extremely high melting

points, making them ideal for extremely hot

engine systems, atmospheric entry vehicles, and

hypersonic craft.

Transparent Alumina

NOTE: In transparent form, this ceramic is often known as

sapphire. Transparent alumina is harder than steel

and zero-g casting techniques allow for intriguing

transparent construction designs, so long as its poor

tensile strength is respected.

MESHED GEAREdit

NOTE: Almost all technology in Eclipse Phase is designed

to be operated via radio signals from the user’s basic

implant, although models usable by characters without

basic implants are also available. In addition all

devices contain a nearly microscopic computer and

radio link (known as a “voice”) that allows the user to

easily locate the object and that reports on the condition

of the object or device, how to properly use and

care for it, as well as telling the user when it needs

to be repaired and how. Most are discrete and highly

useful, but cheaply made goods sometimes have overly

annoying voices.

This means that almost all devices can be accessed

via the mesh or directly if within radio range. This

makes them vulnerable to hacking and intrusion attempts

(p. 254) as well as radio jamming (p. 262).

Many devices are, however, publicly accessible (see

Spimes, p. 238). Meshed gear may also be tracked

through the mesh (p. 251). For privacy and security,

these devices are often slaved to other systems (see

Slaving Devices, p. 248); devices worn/carried bycharacters are usually made part of the personal area

network and slaved to the character’s mesh inserts/

ecto. For more info on meshed devices, see the Mesh

chapter, p. 234.

Many devices come equipped with AIs, who are

equipped with skillsofts that enable them to operate

the device on their own, as according to voiced

instructions or commands issued through the net. AIs

are described on p. 264 and p. 331.

Radio and Sensor RangesEdit

NOTE: In Eclipse Phase, almost all devices are equipped with

small radios so that they may be meshed. Likewise,

many pieces of gear are equipped with sensors such as

cameras, microphones, or other detectors. The Radio

and Sensor Ranges table notes what range these devices

operate at.

Table

NOTE: Size Category Urban Range Open Range Examples

Nano 20 meters 100 meters Smart Dust, Nanobot/Microbot Swarms

Micro 50 meters 500 meters Microbugs

Mini 1 kilometer 20 kilometers Mesh Inserts

Small 5 kilometers 50 kilometers Ectos, Miniature Radio Farcasters, Portable Sensors

Medium 25 kilometers 250 kilometers Radio Boosters, Vehicle Sensors

Large 500 kilometers 5,000 kilometers

Power

NOTE: All of the powered devices in Eclipse Phase require

electricity to function. With rare exceptions, most of

them rely on either solar cells or powerful batteries.

These batteries are high-density, room-temperature superconductors with 25 times the capacity of the

best batteries in common use in the early 21st century.

Such batteries may also be constructed so that they

are flexible, printed on devices, or woven into fabric.

They are good for 100–500 hours of use, and will alert

the user when they start running low. More powerful

radio-isotope nuclear batteries are also available,

heavily shielded so they do not emit radiation and

good for 3 years or more of use.

In short, power should rarely be an issue in Eclipse

Phase games, unless it happens to fit the plot. Power

failure could also result from a critical failure roll.

PERSONAL AUGMENTATIONEdit

NOTE: Almost all citizens of the solar system, whether human, AI, or uplifted animal, use various forms of biological, cybernetic, or nanotechnological augmentation. The following is a list of the most common types. Unless otherwise noted, any bonuses from personal augmentations are both compatible and cumulative with bonuses from other enhancements.

Standard AugmentationsEdit

NOTE: Most morphs produced in the solar system include the

following augmentations.

Basic Biomods

NOTE: Almost universal in biomorphs, many habitats will not

allow individuals to visit/immigrate if their biomorph

does not possess these biomods in order to preserve

public health. Basic biomods consists of a series of

genetic tweaks, tailored virii, and bacteria that speed

healing, greatly increase disease resistance, and impede

aging. A morph with basic biomods heals twice as fast

as an early 21st century human, gradually regrows lost

body parts, is immune to all normal diseases (from

cancer to the flu), and is largely immune to aging. In

addition, the morph requires no more than 3-4 hours

of sleep per night, is immune to ill-effects from longterm

exposure to low or zero gravity, and does not

naturally suffer from biological problems like depression,

shock reactions after being injured, or allergies.

[Moderate, but included for free in most biomorphs]

Basic Mesh InsertsEdit

NOTE: Mesh inserts are ubiquitous among modern morphs.

This network of cybernetic brain implants is essential

equipment for anyone who wants to stay connected

and make full use of the wireless mesh. The interconnected

components of this system include:

Using any of these functions is as easy as thinking.

[Moderate, but included for free in most morphs]

Crainal Computer

NOTE: Cranial Computer: This computer serves as the

hub for the character’s personal area network and

is home to their muse (p. 264). It has all of the

functions of a smartphone and PDA, acting as a

media player, meshbrowser, alarm clock/calendar,

positioning and map system, address book, advanced

calculator, file storage system, search engine,

social networking client, messaging program, andnote pad. It manages the user’s augmented reality

input and can run any software the character

desires (see Software, p. 331). It also processes XP

data, allowing the user to experience other people’s

recorded memories, and also allowing the user to

share their own XP sensory input with others in

real-time. Facial/image recognition and encryption

software (p. 331) are included by default.

Radio Transceiver

NOTE: Radio Transceiver: This transceiver connects the

user to the mesh and other characters/devices

within range. It has an effective range of 20 kilometers

in deep space or other locations far from radio

interference and 1 kilometer in crowded habitats.

Medical Sensors

NOTE: Medical Sensors: This array of implants monitors

the user’s medical status, including heart rate,

respiration, blood pressure, temperature, neural

activity, and much more. A sophisticated medical

diagnostic system interprets the data and warns

the user of any concerns or dangers.

Cortical Stack

NOTE: A cortical stack is a tiny cyberware data storage unit

protected within a synthdiamond case the size of a

grape, implanted at the base of the skull where the

brain stem and spinal cord connect. It contains a digital

backup of that character’s ego. Part nanoware, the

implant maintains a network of nanobots that monitor

synaptic connections and brain architecture, noting

any changes and updating the ego backup in real time,

right up to the moment of death. If the character dies,

the cortical stack can be recovered and they may be

restored from the backup (see Resleeving, p. 271).

Cortical stacks do not have external or wireless access

(for security), they must be surgically removed (see Retrieving

a Cortical Stack, p. 268). Cortical stacks are

extremely durable, requiring special effort to damage

or destroy. They are commonly recovered from bodies

that have otherwise been pulped or mangled. Cortical

stacks are intentionally isolated from mesh inserts and

other implants, as a security measure to prevent hacking

or external tampering. [Moderate, but included for

free with most morphs]

Cyberbrain

NOTE: Cybernetic brains are where the ego (or controlling

AI) resides in synthmorphs and pods. Modeled on biological

brains, cyberbrains have a holistic architecture

and serve as the command node and central processing

point for sensory input and decision-making. Only

one ego or AI may “inhabit” a cyberbrain at a time; to

accommodate extras, mesh inserts (p. 300) or a ghostrider

module (p. 307) must be used. Since cyberbrains

store memories digitally, they have the equivalent of

mnemonic augmentation (p. 307). They also have

a built-in puppet sock (p. 307) may be remote-controlled,

though this option may be removed by those

who value their security. Cyberbrains are vulnerable to brainhacking (p. 261) and other forms of electronic

infiltration/attack. Cyberbrains come equipped with

two or more pairs of external access jacks (p. 306),

usually located at the base of the skull, which allow

for direct wired connections. [Moderate, but included

for free in all synthetic morphs and pods]

BIOWAREEdit

NOTE: Bioware augmentations can be acquired either as a genemod when the morph is designed and grown or as a later modification to an existing morph, either by using nanomachines to modify the morph’s tissue or by externally growing the organ and implanting it. Bioware may be used to enhance biomorphs (including pods and uplifts), but not synthmorphs (see  Synthmorphs and Bioware, p. 306).

ENHANCED SENSES

NOTE: The following are a list of the most common enhanced senses. Each is also available as a cybernetic implant, but bioware is much more common.

Direction Sense:The character has an innate sense of direction and distance using advanced inertial navigation. The character can arbitrarily define any point as “north” and keep track of which direction that is, as well as knowing approximately how far they have come. Characters with this augmentation can always retrace any route they have taken, only experiencing difficulty with three-dimensional routes lacking navigational markers (such as deep space or undersea; apply a –30 modifier). Since positioning inside habitats by anyone with basic mesh inserts is an automatic affair, only characters venturing to remote locations require this augmentation.[Low]

Echolocation:The character possesses sonar similar to that of a bat or dolphin. The character bounces brief ultrasonic pulses off their surroundings and uses them to form an image of these surroundings through the pattern of reflections of these pulses received by the character’s ears. For more details, seeUsing Enhanced Senses, p. 302. This augmentation works in both air and water and has a range of 20 meters in air and 100 meters in water.[Low]

Enhanced Hearing:The morph’s ears are enhanced to hear both higher and lower frequency sounds—the range of sounds they can hear is twice that of normal human ears (seeUsing Enhanced Senses, p. 302). In addition, their hearing is considerably more sensitive, allowing them to hear sounds as if they were five times closer than they are. A character with this augmentation can easily overhear even a softly spoken conversation at another table in a small restaurant. This augmentation provides a +20 modifier to all Perception Tests involving hearing.[Low]

Enhanced Smell:The morph’s sense of smell is equal to that of a bloodhound. The user can identify both chemicals and individuals by smell, and can

track people and chemically reactive objects by smell as long as the trail was made within the last several hours and has not been obscured. The character can also gain a general sense of the emotions and health of any character within 5 meters (+20 to Perception or Kinesics Tests to do so).[Low]

Enhanced Vision:The morph’s eyes have tetrachromatic vision capable of exceptional color differentiation. These eyes can also see the electromagnetic spectrum from terahertz wave frequencies to gamma rays, enabling them to see a total of several dozen colors, instead of the seven ordinary human eyes can perceive. In addition, these eyes have a variable focus equivalent to 5 power magnifiers or binoculars. This augmentation provides a +20 modifier to all Perception Tests involving vision. For further applications, seeUsing Enhances Senses, p. 302.[Low]

Mental Augmentations

NOTE: Mental augmentations are extremely common.

Eidetic Memory: The character can remember everything

that ever happened to them, in detail, with

no long term memory loss. For example, they can

recite a page they read in a book a month ago, recall

a string of 200 random characters they viewed a year

ago, or even tell you what they had for breakfast on

a particular date a decade ago. However, they can

only remember things they paid attention to. The

character will not remember the contents of a note

on someone’s desk if they merely glanced at it; they

must specifically have read it. No effort is required to

use this augmentation, the character merely needs to

attempt to remember a specific fact. [Low]

Hyper Linguist: The morph’s brain maintains the

linguistic flexibility of a small child, allowing the

character to learn languages with great ease. This

functions as the Hyper Linguist trait, p. 146. [Low]

Math Boost: This implants functions as the Math

Wiz trait, p. 146. [Low]

Multiple Personalities: The character’s brain is intentionally

partitioned to accommodate an extra personality.

This multiplicity is not viewed as a disorder,

but as a cognitive tool to help people deal with their

hypercomplex environments. This extra personality

can be an NPC run by the gamemaster, a separate

character (in ego form only) made by the player, or

the downloaded fork of another character. For all intents

and purposes, the extra personality is treated as

a separate ego (i.e., it may fork separately), except that

both personalities are backed up in the same cortical

stack and if downloaded they must be placed in separate

morphs or in another morph with this implant.

Only one ego may be in control of the morph at a

time. The other resides in the background, still active,

but not on a surface level. Each ego is completely

aware of what the other is doing, thinking, etc. If for

some reason the subsumed personality wants to come

to the fore, but the other personality won’t relinquish

control, make an Opposed WIL x 3 Test. Each ego

has its own Lucidity and Trauma Threshold, and they

track stress and trauma separately. Any psi attacks or

social/mental influences only affect the personality at

the fore. Having an extra ego in your head, working in the

background, is helpful for multitasking. The character

receives an extra Complex Action each turn that may

only be used for mental or mesh actions. [High]

Physical Augmentations

NOTE: Most physical bioware augmentations are derived

from the capabilities of animals.

Adrenal Boost: This adrenal gland enhancement

supercharges the character’s adrenal response to

situations that invoke stress, pain, or strong emotions

(fear, anger, lust, hate). When activated, the concentrated

burst of norepinephrine accelerates heart rate

and blood flow and burns carbohydrates. In game terms, this allows the character to ignore the –10

modifier from 1 wound and temporarily increases

REF by +10 (also boosting REF-linked skills and

Initiative). These modifiers apply until the character

has calmed down (if the character also has endocrine

control, p. 304, then adrenal boosts can be activated

and deactivated at will, and the negated wounds are

cumulative). [High]

Bioweave Armor (Light): Bioweave armor involves

lacing the morph’s skin with artificial spider silk biological

fibers. This provides an Armor rating of 2/3

without changing the appearance, texture, or sensitivity

of the morph’s skin. This armor is cumulative with

worn armor. [Low]faster than

Bioweave Armor (Heavy): Heavy bioweave armor

involves lacing the morph’s skin with a denser and

thicker network of the same fibers. The morph’s

skin becomes thicker and somewhat less flexible

except at the joints. The morph’s skin also has an

unusually smooth look, and a distinctively smooth

and tough-feeling texture. This provides an Armor

rating of 3/4 without decreasing the morph’s mobility.

The character’s sense of touch, however, is

significantly reduced (–20 modifier) except on their

hands, feet, and face. This armor is cumulative with

worn armor. [Moderate]

Carapace Armor: Carapace armor combines

bioweave armor with hard but flexible plates of a chitin-ceramic hybrid material modeled on the

microscopic structure and texture of arthropod exoskeletons.

This armor is obvious and has a somewhat

crocodilian or insectoid appearance (character’s

choice). The morph is completely hairless as well. This

provides an Armor rating of 11/11. This armor is not

cumulative with worn armor. [Moderate]

Chameleon Skin: The morph’s skin is augmented

with complex chromatophores so that it changes color

like the skin of a chameleon or an octopus. The morph

can match the appearance of almost any color and

most patterns. This provides a +20 modifier to Infiltration

Tests to avoid being seen or noticed, as long as

the character is stationary or not moving faster than a slow walk. The character must be nude or wearing

smart clothing (p. 325) of the same color/pattern. If

incompletely camouflaged, or if moving faster, reduce

the modifier to +10. In addition to blending in, the

character can also consciously change the color and

pattern of their skin to deliberately stand out (+20 on

Perception Tests to notice) or simply to produce attractive

or interesting colors or patterns. [Low]

Circadian Regulation: The morph only requires

2 hours of sleep to maintain health and function at

peak mental capacity. The character dreams constantly

while asleep and can both fall asleep and wake up

almost instantly. In addition, the character can easily

and with no ill-effects shift to a 2-day cycle, where they

are awake for 44 hours and sleep for 4. [Moderate]

Claws: The morph has retractable claws like those

of a cat. These claws do not interfere with the character’s

manual dexterity and are razor sharp. However,

they are relatively small and only do 1d10 + 1

+ (SOM ÷ 10) damage, with an AP of –1. As a result,

they are legal in almost all habitats and are considered

tools as much as weapons. [Low]

Clean Metabolism: The morph’s symbiotic bacteria,

gut flora, and glands have been genetically engineered

to keep the morph “clean.” The morph also produces

smart antibiotics that prevent the growth of any

bacteria or yeasts in it or on its skin. As a result, the

morph is completely immune to infections, dental cavities,

and bad breath, its sweat has no scent, and the

morph’s efficient digestion produces somewhat less

solid waste and less odorous chemicals. [Moderate]

Drug Glands: The morph has specially-tailored

glands designed to produce specific hormones or

chemicals and release them in the body. The character

has control over these glands and can release the

chemicals at will. Each type of drug gland is considered

a separate enhancement. For potential drugs and

chemicals, see p. 317. [One Cost Category Higher

Than Drug Cost]

Eelware: Derived from electric eel genetics, a character

can have eelware implanted so that it connects

to a network of bioconductors in the hands and feet

(or other limbs), allowing the character to generate

stunning shocks with a touch. Eelware inflicts shock

damage (p. 204) exactly like a pair of shock gloves.

Eelware can also be used to power implants and specially

designed handheld devices by touch. [Low]

Emotional Dampers: This low-cost alternative to

endocrine control (p. 304) allows the user to voluntarily

damp their morph’s emotional responses

and various non-verbal cues like pupil dilation, eye

movement, or vocal tone. Using this augmentation

allows the user to lie and conceal their emotions in

such as way as oo fool the keenest observer; apply a

+30 modifier to Deception and Impersonation Tests.

This modification does not affect methods of detecting

lies and emotions that involve reading the character’s

neural state, including psi-gamma sleights. However,

this augmentation damps out all emotional responses

and so causes the character to be less persuasive in real-

time personal interactions, imposing a –10 modifier

to other Social skill tests like Persuasion. Characters

can turn this augmentation on or off at will. [Low]

Endocrine Control: This augmentation modifies the

morph’s endocrine system, giving the character fine

control over their hormone output. This allows the

character to completely control their appetite and

emotions and to regulate pain. They receive a +30

modifier against the effects of hunger, fear, and any

forms of emotional manipulation, such as the Drive

Emotion sleight. This augmentation also allows character

to lie with perfect conviction and to completely

fool all methods of lie detection that do not rely

on the target’s neural output; apply a +20 modifier

to Deception Tests. It also allows the character to

remain awake for 48 hours without penalty, but after

this time the character begins experiencing normal

fatigue. Finally, the ability to regulate pain reception

allows the character to ignore the –10 modifier from

1 wound. [High]

Enhanced Pheromones: The morph’s biochemistry

has been altered so that it produces enhanced pheromonal

signals that subconsciously affect the behavior

of other humans in the vicinity. These pheromones

make the character more attractive and trustworthy to

the target; apply a +10 modifier to appropriate Social

skill tests, such as Persuasion. This augmentation only

affects characters who can smell the pheromones, and

it does not affect uplifts or xenomorphs. [Low]

Enhanced Respiration: By boosting both lung efficiency

and the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity, the

character can live comfortably in both high and low

pressure environments, from 0.2 atmospheres to 5

atmospheres, with no dizziness or need for gradual

decompression. In addition, the character can hold

their breath for up to 30 minutes when performing

minimal activity or for up to 10 minutes while performing

highly strenuous activity. [Low]

Gills: The morph’s lung tissue has been adapted to

function as gills, allowing the morph to breathe both

air and water, as long as the water is not toxic or too

stagnant. Characters with this augmentation breathe

in water and then expel the water through slits just

underneath their lowest pair of ribs that seal when the

character is not underwater. [Low]

Grip Pads: The morph possesses specialized pads

on its palms, lower arms, shins, and the bottoms of

its feet. Designed to emulate the pads on gecko feet,

characters can support themselves on a wall or ceiling

by placing any two of these pads against any surface

not made from a material specially designed to resist

this augmentation. Characters can climb any surface

and move easily across ceilings that can support their

weight. Apply a +30 modifier to Climbing Tests. The

pads must be free to touch the surface the character is

climbing (no gloves). The nature of these pads is obvious

to anyone looking at them, but they do not impair

the character’s sense of touch or manual dexterity. If

combined with the vacuum sealing augmentation, the

character can even stick to surfaces in the vacuum of

space. [Low]

Hibernation: The character can voluntarily reduce

the morph’s metabolism to the point that the morph

requires only 5% of the normal amount of food,

water, and air. The character appears to sink into a

deep sleep, but can maintain a dim awareness of both

touch and sound and so can be easily awakened. Entering

or leaving this state requires 3 minutes where

the character is relatively helpless. With sufficient

air, characters can safely hibernate for up to 40 days

without food or water. [Low]

Muscle Augmentation: The morph’s muscle mass

has been enhanced and toned and myofibers strengthened.

Apply a +5 modifier to SOM. [High]

Neurachem: This bioware modification enhances

the character’s chemical synapses and juices their

neurotransmitters, drastically speeding up neural

connections. Neurachem can be mentally activated or

triggered by charged emotions. Level 1 neurachem increases

the character’s Speed stat by +1, with no side

effect. Level 2 raises the Speed stat by +2, but each

time it is used the character suffers a nervous system

fatigue hangover for 1 hour after the boost wears off

(apply a –20 modifier to all actions). [High (Level 1),

Expensive (Level 2)]

Poison Gland: Similar to the drug gland, this

morph has special glands that produce poisons,

like the venom glands of a snake. The morph has

poison glands in its fingers and mouth, so that it can

deliver either poison by scratching someone with a

fingernail, biting them hard enough to draw blood,

or even by sharing a beverage with someone or spitting

into their drink. The morph is immune to the

poisons it produces. These glands may not produce

nanotoxins. [Low]

Prehensile Feet: The morph’s feet and leg joints are

altered so that its toes are longer and more dexterous

and the big toe is transformed into an opposable

thumb. Physically, the morph’s feet resemble a longer

narrower hand or a human foot with finger (and

thumb)-like toes. The character can walk normally

but must wear specially designed shoes. However, this

morph runs somewhat slower than a morph with unmodified

feet (–1 meter per Action Turn). In addition,

the morph’s hips are slightly modified to allow greater

mobility. In a properly constructed chair, or when

floating in zero-G, the character can use both their

hands and their feet to manipulate the same object.

Most morphs used by characters who live in zero-G

possess this augmentation. [Low]

Prehensile Tail: A long (1.5 meters) prehensile

tail is added to the morph’s backside, extending out

from the tailbone. This tail is prehensile and may

be used to grab, hold, and even manipulate objects.

The character can control the tail’s movements with

concentration, but it otherwise tends to move on its

own. The tail also improves the character’s balance;

apply a +10 to any Physical skill tests where balance

is a factor. [Low]

Sex Switch: A complex suite of alterations allows

the character to switch their physical sex to male,

female, hermaphrodite, or neuter. This change is

mentally triggered but takes approximately 1 week to

complete. [Moderate]

Skin Pocket: The morph has a pocket within its skin

layer, capable of holding and providing concealment

(+30) for small items. [Trivial]

Temperature Tolerance: The morph’s temperature

regulation and circulation are both substantially enhanced

allowing the character to survive in temperatures

as low as –30 degrees Celsius and as high as 60

degrees Celsius without discomfort or ill effects. [Low]

Toxin Filters: The morph gains an improved liver

and kidneys and biological filters in its lungs. Characters

with this augmentation are immune to all chemical

and biological toxins, including everything from

recreational chemicals to nerve agents to spoiled food.

In addition, the character can safely and comfortably

breathe smoke and drink salt water. Unlike medichines,

toxin immunity prevents the character from experiencing

even brief harm or discomfort from a toxin

(medichines merely rapidly repair damage caused by

the toxin and then remove it from the morph). This

augmentation provides no resistance to concentrated

acid, nanotechnological attacks, or similar destructive

agents. Some characters with this augmentation

learn to enjoy the taste of various chemical toxins like

cyanide or arsenic. [Moderate]

Vacuum Sealing: To possess this augmentation, the

character must also possess some form of bioware

armor or carapace armor. The morph has been specially

designed to survive the effects of vacuum. The

character’s skin resists vacuum as well as protecting

the wearer from temperatures from –75 to 100 C.

In addition, the character’s mouth, nose, and other

orifices can seal sufficiently well to resist vacuum,

and the morph possesses a special membrane that

extends over their eyes, allowing the character to

see in vacuum without risking any eye damage. This

augmentation is usually combined with either the enhanced

respiration or oxygen storage augmentation,

or both together. [High]

Using Enhanced SensesEdit

NOTE: Using Enhanced Senses

Personal augmentations and technological aids

have drastically increased the sensory capabilities

of most transhumans. The following notes provide

some details on what capabilities these sensory functions

provide. The capabilities are typically the same

whether it’s a biological sense or a technological

sensor, though tech sensors can “turn off” certain

wavelengths and sense only specific frequencies,

whereas biological senses perceive the full spectrum

with no ability to filter parts out.

Sensory Databases

NOTE: Both technological sensors and enhanced biological

senses come equipped with databases of scanned

“signatures” that make it easier to identify whatever

the user is sensing (in the case of bioware, these databases

are stored and accessed via the character’s

mesh inserts). For example, infrared sensors feature

databases listing the heat signatures of different

animals and items, making it easier to identify such

things. In relevant situations, apply a +20 modifier

for identifying targets sensed this way.

Active vs. Passive

NOTE: An active scanner must actually emit its particular

frequency and then measure the reflections; this

means a similar sensor can detect it and home in on

the emitting source. For example, a character with

enhanced vision can literally see the terahertz radiation

emitted by someone using an active terahertz

sensor, much like someone with normal vision can

see the light emitted by a flashlight.

A passive scanner simply scans frequencies that occur

naturally—there is nothing to give the sensor away.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

NOTE: For Eclipse Phase rules purposes, the EM spectrum is

broken down by wavelength and frequency into these

categories: radio, microwave, terahertz, infrared, visible

light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.

Personal augmentations and technological aids

have drastically increased the sensory capabilities

of most transhumans. The following notes provide

some details on what capabilities these sensory functions

provide. The capabilities are typically the same

whether it’s a biological sense or a technological

sensor, though tech sensors can “turn off” certain

wavelengths and sense only specific frequencies,

whereas biological senses perceive the full spectrum

with no ability to filter parts out.

Sensory Databases

Both technological sensors and enhanced biological

senses come equipped with databases of scanned

“signatures” that make it easier to identify whatever

the user is sensing (in the case of bioware, these databases

are stored and accessed via the character’s

mesh inserts). For example, infrared sensors feature

databases listing the heat signatures of different can be useful in judging emotional states (+20

modifier to Kinesics Tests), and can spot sub-surface

implants. Some normally white surfaces are

reflective (mirrored) in infrared, potentially allowing

an infrared viewer to see around corners or

behind themselves. On the other hand, some glass

is opaque to infrared light. Infrared is also useful

for determining chemical composition (enabling

Chemistry Tests by sight alone). Infrared sensory

input is passive.

Lidar (Visible Light): Similar to radar, but with

much higher resolution, lidar actively bounces

light from the infrared through ultraviolet spectrum

off a target and measures the backscatter,

fluorescence, and other properties. Lidar is very

useful for detecting atmospheric chemical properties

and weather. Like radar, it can be used to

measure a target’s range and speed, or develop a

three-dimensional image. One clever use of lidar

is to precisely “map” the position of everything in

a room (taking several turns of scanning) and then

check that positioning later to see if anything has

been moved.

Ultraviolet: Some objects are fluorescent in

ultraviolet light, including some animals, flowers,

insects, urine, and minerals (which show up much

better in ultraviolet than regular light). Some

plants and animals have patterns that can only be

seen in ultraviolet. Likewise, chemical dyes that

only show up under ultraviolet, or that make certain

substances (like blood) fluoresce under ultraviolet

light, have various security purposes. Some

glass is opaque at ultraviolet wavelengths.

X-Ray/Gamma-Ray: Backscatter imaging systems

using X- and gamma-ray frequencies produce

high-resolution three-dimensional images and

are very useful for detecting concealed weapons

and implants. Such imagers are very good at

penetrating walls and metal (up to a cumulative

Armor + Durability of 200, at least at levels safe to transhumans). These sensors can, of course, also

detect the presence of harmful radiation.

animals and items, making it easier to identify such

things. In relevant situations, apply a +20 modifier

for identifying targets sensed this way.

Active vs. Passive

An active scanner must actually emit its particular

frequency and then measure the reflections; this

means a similar sensor can detect it and home in on

the emitting source. For example, a character with

enhanced vision can literally see the terahertz radiation

emitted by someone using an active terahertz

sensor, much like someone with normal vision can

see the light emitted by a flashlight.

A passive scanner simply scans frequencies that occur

naturally—there is nothing to give the sensor away.

Electromagnetic Sp ectrum

For Eclipse Phase rules purposes, the EM spectrum is

broken down by wavelength and frequency into these

categories: radio, microwave, terahertz, infrared, visible

light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.

Radar (Radio/Microwave): Radar sensors work by

actively emitting radio waves and microwaves and

measuring them as they bounce off the target. Radar

works best when detecting metallic objects, and is

less effective (–20 modifier) against biomorphs and

small items. Resolution is not high, however, so it can

see shapes but not colors or fine details. It can be

used to detect both speed and movement, can “see”

through walls (up to a cumulative Armor + Durability

of 100), and can detect cybernetic implants or

concealed items. At close ranges (1-2 meters), it can

detect pulse rate and respiration by measuring the

motion of the chest cavity.

Terahertz: Terahertz sensors emit t-rays, measure

the reflections, and compare them to a database

of terahertz signatures that different items/materials

have. The resolution is higher than radar, but

with slightly less detail than normal vision. Similar

to radar, terahertz sensors can see through walls

and other materials, but to a lesser extent (up to a

cumulative Armor + Durability of 50). T-rays occur

naturally, but terahertz sensors normally require an

emitter as they are absorbed by atmosphere (as well

as water and metal). In space, however, an emitter

would not be required. Likewise, passive terahertz

scans within atmosphere have an effective range of

25 meters. T-rays do not penetrate skin, so are ineffective

for locating implants.

Infrared: Near-infrared wavelengths are used

for night vision, providing resolution and detail

equivalent to regular vision under low-light conditions.

Mid-long infrared is excellent for detecting

heat sources (unobstructed by fog or smoke) and

temperature differences (as small as 0.1 degree C),

and such thermal imaging will sense the dissipating

heat traces left by warm sources on colder ones,

allowing the user to see where someone was sitting,

trace fading heat footprints, or see what buttons

were pressed if they are quick enough. Infrared also

detects the blood flow in a biomorph’s face, which

Soundwaves

NOTE: The transmission of vibrations through a medium,

sound is broken down into infrasound (frequencies

below standard human hearing), normal

acoustic range, and ultrasound (frequencies above

standard human hearing). Soundwaves do not

propagate in vacuum.

Ultrasound: Ultrasound sonar operates much

like radar, bouncing sound waves off a target

and measuring the returning echoes. Ultrasound

imaging is similarly low-resolution, showing

shapes and movement but no colors and few

details unless measured closely (1-2 meters).

Ultrasound is good for identifying how dense a

material is, however, can detect denser materials

hidden beneath less dense ones. Many medical

devices utilize ultrasound, and ultrasound sensors

can also detect gas leaks, frictional motor noises,

and similar mechanical emissions. Ultrasound sensors

are typically unaffected by noise clutter from

standard acoustic frequencies.

Infrasound: Infrasound travels much further

than regular sound frequencies (hundreds of

kilometers). Mechanical machinery, seismic disturbances,

tornados, explosions, waterfalls, and certain

weather phenomena create infrasound waves.

Large animals such as elephants and whales use

infrasound to communicate via the ground over

large distances, though infrasound data transfer is

too slow for complex communications.

Combined Sensor Systems

NOTE: When used in combination, these sensor technologies

can be potent. For example, the use lidar,

thermal imaging, and radar can provide a threedimensional

map of a building and everyone and

everything inside.

CyberwareEdit

NOTE: Very little cyberware is physically implanted. Instead,

the morph is placed in a healing vat (p. 326) and the

vat’s nanobots construct the cyberware inside the biomorph’s

body. Cyberware is rarely used for anything

that can be accomplished using bioware.

Synthmorphs and bots may also also use cyberware.

Enhanced Senses

NOTE: In addition to being able to duplicate the affects of all

bioware enhanced senses, there are a few enhanced

senses that can only be produced using cyberware.

Anti-Glare: This visual mod eliminates penalties for

glare. [Low]

Electrical Sense: The character can sense electric

fields. Within 5 meters, the character can instantly

tell if an electrical device is on or off and can see the

precise location of electrical wiring behind a wall or

inside a device. This sense gives the character a +10

modifier on any test involving analyzing, repairing, or

modifying electrical equipment. [Low]

Radiation sense: The character can sense the presence

and approximate source of all forms of dangerous

radiation, including neutrons, charged particles,

and cosmic rays. [Low]

T-Ray Emitter: Mounted under the skin of the

user’s forehead, this implant generates low-powered

beams of terahertz radiation (T-rays) that allow the

character to see using reflected T-rays. As discussed in

Using Enhanced Senses, p. 302, this implant combined

with the enhanced vision enhancement (or a terahertz

sensor) allows the user to effectively see through cloth,

plastic, wood, masonry, composites, and ceramics as

well as being able to determine the composition of

various materials. This implant allows the user to see

using reflected T-rays for 20 meters in a normal atmosphere

and for 100 meters in vacuum. [Low]

Mental Augmentation

NOTE: These cybernetic augmentations enhance the brain

and mental functions.

Access Jacks: Usually located in the base of the skull

or neck, this implant is an external socket with a direct

neural interface. It allows the character to establish a

direct wired connection using a fiberoptic cable to

external devices or other characters, which can be

useful in places where wireless links are unreliable or

complete privacy is required. Two characters linked

via access jack can “speak” mind-to-mind and transfer

information between their mesh inserts and other implants.

All synthmorphs have these by default. [Low]

Dead Switch: This cortical stack (p. 300) accessory is

designed to keep the stack from falling into the wrong

hands. If the morph is killed, the dead switch wipes

and melts the cortical stack completely, so that the ego

cannot be recovered. This option is generally only used

by covert operatives with recent backups. [Low]

Emergency Farcaster: Only characters with cortical

stacks can possess this augmentation. The morph

has an implanted quantum farcaster (p. 314) linked

to a highly secure storage facility. The high cost of

this implant also covers the cost of this storage. Using

standard radio and quantum encryption, the farcaster

broadcasts full backups of the character’s ego (pulled

from the cortical stack) once every 48 hours. At the

gamemaster’s discretion, the backup interval may be

scheduled more or less frequently, keeping in mind

that ego broadcasts are generally limited for security

purposes and because they hog bandwidth. These

broadcasts only work when the character is in radio

contact with the storage facility and is typically only

used inside a habitat to broadcast backups back to a

nearby space ship. If the radio broadcasts are blocked

or jammed, this device cannot make backups.

In the event of a farcaster failure, this augmentation

also includes a single-use emergency neutrino broadcaster

(p. 314) as well. This broadcaster contains approximately

10 nanograms of antimatter stored in an

orange-sized triply-redundant magnetic containment

vessel. If the character is dying or urgently wishes to

depart the morph, this tiny amount of antimatter is

brought into contact with a similarly tiny amount of

matter in a controlled fashion that generates a single

brief and carefully coded neutrino pulse of the ego’s

most recent backup. However, the heat generated by

this process literally cooks the entire morph, killing it

and destroying all implants and electronics in or on it.

This entire process takes less than 0.1 second and

the broadcast can be received as long as the neutrino

receiver is within 100 astronomical units of

the character. Within the solar system, this implant

effectively guarantees the character’s backup. It is less

useful on exoplanets where the character is out of

neutrino range of their backup facility. The amount

of antimatter carried by this implant is sufficiently

small enough that it does not produce an explosion

and will not damage any surrounding objects. Most

habitats carefully scan all visitors to determine if they

have this implant and if the amounts of antimatter

involved are sufficiently low as not to pose a danger

to the habitat and its inhabitants, and some ban this

implant entirely. [Expensive]

Ghostrider Module: This implant allows the

character to carry another infomorph inside their

head. This infomorph could be another muse, an AI,

a backed-up ego, or a fork. The module is linked to

the character’s mesh inserts, so the ghost-rider can

access the mesh. The character may limit the ghostrider’s

access, or may allow them direct access to their

sensory information, thoughts, communications, and

other implants. [Low]

Mnemonic Augmentation: A character with this

augmentation and a cortical stack can access digital

recordings of all of the sensory data they have experienced

in XP format (and they may share these

recordings with others). Mnemonic augmentation

differs from the eidetic memory bioware because it

allows characters to digitally share all of their sensory

data with others. It also allows them to closely examine

sensory data they did not initially look at. For

example, If the character glanced at a note but did not

read it, they can later use image enhancement software

to enhance this image and in most cases actually

read what the note said. Mnemonic augmentation

allows the character to clearly hear all background

noises, like a conversation at a nearby table that the

character only initially heard a few words of. Using

mnemonic augmentation to retrieve a specific piece of

information is quite easy, but usually requires between

2 and 20 minutes of concentration. [Low]

Multi-Tasking: Only characters with cortical stacks

can possess this augmentation. The character has an

advanced computer installed in their brain that uses

the data in the cortical stack to create several simultaneous

short-term forks to handle various mental tasks.

By design, this computer automatically reintegrates

all of these forks into the character’s core personality

after a maximum of 4 hours, earlier if desired. This

augmentation allows the character to both plan a

speech and engage in intensive mesh-browsing while

simultaneously fighting a gun battle or running from

pursuit, since each of the forks operates independently.

However, these forks can only perform purely mental

or on-line interactions. This augmentation can produce

a maximum of two forks at a time, giving the

character an extra two Complex Actions on every

Action Phase for mental or on-line actions. This implant

cannot be used simultaneously with any other

augmentation that allows for extra actions, or with

the mental speed augmentation (p. 308). [High]

Puppet Sock: This implanted computer allows the

biomorph’s body (the “puppet”) to be controlled by

another character (the “puppeteer”). While active, the

puppet has no control over their body and is simply

along for the ride (at the gamemaster’s discretion,

puppets who are tormented by repeated or extensive

loss of control may suffer mental stress). The

puppeteer may directly “jam” the puppet or remote

control it in the same way that robots and pods are

teleoperated (p. 196). The puppeteer must either be

ghost-riding the puppet (see the Ghostrider Module, p.

307) or have a direct communications link (via mesh,

radio, laser, etc.). [Moderate]

Physical Augmentations

NOTE: This implants enhance the morph’s physical body.

Cyberclaws: The bones on the back of the morph’s

hand are bonded to smart material claws. These claws

can extend through concealed ports in the morph’s

skin and extend 6 inches past the morph’s knuckles.

These razor-sharp weapons inflict 1d10 + 3 + (SOM

÷ 10) damage and have an AP of –2. If combined

with eelware (p. 304), they can also inflict electric

shocks. Likewise, cyberclaws can also deliver poison

or nanotoxins secreted from a poison gland (p. 305)

or implanted nanotoxins. [Low]

Cyberlimb: In an age when arms and legs can

easily be regrown, many people consider cybernetic

prostheses to be vulgar and distasteful. The Scum

and others, however, treat them as iconic symbols

of self-expression. Standard replacement cyberlimbs

function the same as their biological equivalents,

though that particular limb receives a +3/+3 Armor

bonus when targeted specifically (this bonus does not

apply to synthmorphs). Cyberlimbs may be masked

to look real (see Synthetic Mask, p. 311), and may

also feature small compartments for hiding/storing

small objects. [Moderate]

Cyberlimb Plus: More extravagant cyberlimb

models are also available, though they require more

severe body alteration to accommodate. These limbs

apply a +5 SOM bonus per limb (maximum +10).

They may be replacement limbs or “extra” limbs anchored

in the body’s skeletal frame. These cyberlimbs

may not be masked. [High]

Hand Laser: The morph has a weapon-grade laser

implanted in its forearm, with a flexible waveguide

leading to a lens located between the first two knuckles

on the morph’s dominant hand. The laser fires

from this waveguide, inflicting 2d10 damage with 0

AP. The laser is powered by a small nuclear battery

located in the morph’s torso, good for 50 shots before

it must be recharged like other beam weapon batteries

(p. 338). [Moderate]

Hardened Skeleton: The morph’s skeleton has been

laced with strengthening materials. Apply a +5 DUR

and +5 SOM bonus. [High]

Oxygen Reserve: The morph has a miniature

oxygen tank and rebreather installed in its torso. This

implant provides the equivalent of the life support

system in a light vacsuit (p. 333), allowing the character

to breathe comfortably for up to 3 hours. It feeds

oxygen directly to the morph’s blood stream, avoiding

problems with pressure changes. Implanted sensors

automatically cause the character to use the stored

oxygen if they detect poisonous or insufficient atmosphere.

Without vacuum sealing, the character can

only survive in vacuum for 5 minutes, but remains

conscious and active for the entire time, giving them

far more time to find shelter or a vacsuit than characters

without this implant. For every hour the character

is in a breathable atmosphere, this implant recovers

one hour of oxygen storage. The implant can be fully

recharged within 15 minutes if the character is in a

high-pressure mostly oxygen atmosphere. [Low]

Reflex Boosters: The morph’s spinal column and

nervous system is rewired with superconducting

materials, boosting transmission speed. This raises

the character’s REF by +10 and improves Speed by

+1. [Expensive]

Synthmorphs and Bioware

NOTE: Synthmorphs and

Bioware

Though bioware is preferred and more common,

many types of bioware can be mimicked with cybernetics.

This is especially useful for synthmorphs/

robots, which cannot be enhanced with bioware.

The following bioware items may be replicated as

cybernetics for synthmorphs and robots:

• Chameleon Skin

• Drug Glands

• Eelware

• Emotional Dampers

• Enhanced Senses (All)

• Grip Pads

• Mental Augmentations (All)

• Muscle Augmentation

• Neurachem

• Poison Glands

• Prehensile Feet

• Prehensile Tail

Nanoware

NOTE: All augmentation nanoware is advanced nanotechnology

(p. 328), consisting of a grape-sized nanobot

generator that produces specialized nanomachines.

Nanoware is available for synthmorphs and bots in

addition to biomorphs.

Implanted Nanotoxins: The morph has an implanted

nanobot hive that produces nanotoxins (p.

324). This implant is designed so that the character

can deploy these nanobots instantly via a scratch with

claws, spraying with saliva, or simply making continuous

bare-skin contact. Characters can choose whether

or not to deploy these nanobots. Each nanotoxin

generator only produces a single variety of nanobots,

with the most common types being ones designed to

kill or incapacitate almost any living target or ones

designed to destroy delicate machinery. Characters

are immune to their own nanotoxins. Nanotoxins

are highly restricted and many habitats will not allow

anyone with this implant on board. [Moderate]

Medichines: This is the most common form of

nanoware. These nanobots monitor the user’s body at

a cellular level and fix any problems that arise.

Medichines eliminate most diseases, drugs, and

toxins (but not nanodrugs or nanotoxins) before

they can do more than minor harm to the host (see

Drug Effects, p. 318). If desired, the user can temporarily

override this protection to permit intoxication

or other effects, but unless the character activates a

second specially labeled override, medichines prevent

the toxins from accumulating to lethal or permanently

harmful levels. In this case, they can also be activated

at a later point to reduce a drug or toxin’s remaining

duration by half.

Medichines allow the character to ignore the effects

of 1 wound. They also speed normal healing as noted

under Biomorph Healing, p. 208. If the user suffers

5 or more wounds at once, or more than 6 wounds

in an hour, the damage has exceeded the medichines’

ability to repair. In this case, the medichines place the

character into a medical stasis, where their mind and

body are perfectly preserved, but where the character

cannot act in any way. Under these circumstances the

medichines also send out a priority call for emergency

services via the character’s mesh inserts.

Medichines for synthmorphs and bots consist

of nanobots that monitor and repair the shell’s

integrity and internal system functions. Note that

the synthmorph version of medichines allows the

synthmorph to self-repair in the same manner by

which a biomorph with medichines would naturally

heal (p. 208). [Low]

Mental Speed: With this nanoware system, nanobots

alter the character’s neural architecture and

augment the functioning of their neurons. The character

can deliberately speed up their mind to think

and also receive and process sensory information far

faster than ordinary humans. Time seems to subjectively

slow down for the character, allowing them

to carefully plan their next action, even if they only

have a split second to do so. With this system active,

the character can discern things occurring too fast

for a normal human to perceive, such as the individual

frames of an old analog film or understanding

sounds that were accelerated to many times their

normal speed. The character can also read 10 times

faster than normal and can track the paths of bullets

and similar fast-moving objects with a successful

Perception Test.

When using this augmentation, the character gains

two extra Complex Actions during each Action Phase

that may only be used for mental actions. The character

also receives a +30 Initiative bonus. The character

thinks at normal speed whenever this nanoware is inactive.

This nanoware is incompatible with any other

augmentation that provides any form of extra actions,

such as multi-tasking. This augmentation can be used

as often as desired, but actively using it renders ordinary

conversation and social interactions difficult and

requires concentration to maintain. [High]

Nanophages: These nanobots patrol the body, alert

for signs of intrusive nanodrugs or -toxins and destroying

them before they have more than a minor

effect. Nanophages provide automatic immunity

against nanodrugs and nanotoxins unless they are

specifically commanded to stand down by the user, via

their mesh implants. [Moderate]

Oracles: These neural macrosensing nanobots pay

attention to the sensory input on which the character

is not focusing, alerting them about important

things they might otherwise overlook. Oracles also

act as a sort of memory buffer and search aid, extending

short term memory, helping the character

recall memories and details, and crosschecking

them with other memories. Oracles negate Perception

modifiers for distraction, apply a +10 modifier

to Investigation Tests, and add a +30 bonus to

memory-related tests. [Moderate]

Respirocytes: These nanobots act as highly-efficient

artificial red blood cells, increasing the ability to

transfer oxygen and carbon dioxide. This increases

the morph’s ability to hold their breath to 4 hours

and increases DUR by +5. [Moderate]

Skillware: The morph’s brain is laced with a network

of artificial neurons that may be formatted with

downloaded information. This allows the user to

download skillsofts (p. 332) into their brains, gaining

the use of those programmed skills until the skillsoft

is erased or replaced. Skillware systems are only

capable of handling 100 total skill points worth of

skillsofts at a time. [High]

Skinflex: This disguise implant allows the user to

restructure their facial features and musculature and

alter skin tone and hair color. The entire process takes

a mere 20 minutes. Skinflex adds +30 to Disguise

Tests. [Moderate]

Skinlink: Skinlink nanobots live on the morph’s

external skin or shell, automatically swarming over

and creating a physical connection with any electronics

the user touches. They also take advantage of the

electrical field in a biomorph’s skin for communication.

They allow the user to communicate and mesh

with any devices merely by touching them. This

is considered a wired link, and so is not subject to

wireless interception or interference. Two skinlinked

characters can also communicate and mesh simply by

touching. [Moderate]

Wrist-Mounted Tools: The morph has a 6 centimeter-

wide metal band containing nanobot generators

implanted around each wrist. These nanobots link together

to duplicate the function of a utilitool (p. 326),

creating narrow, highly flexible arms that each ends in

a specialized tool. These nanobots can also produce

tiny fiber optics to allow the character to see through

small openings, as well as being able to create small

weapons equal to bioware claws. The fact that these

tool are mentally controlled gives the character a +20

modifier to skills involving repairing or modifying devices

with mechanical parts, opening locks or disarming

alarm systems, or performing first aid. [Moderate]

Cosmetic Mods

NOTE: In an age of universal beauty, artistic cosmetic modification

of your body is commonly pursued by many

transhumans. Body mods once considered dangerous

or edgy are now safe and commonplace, especially

among factions like the anarchists, scum, or brinkers.

Bodysculpting: If your morph’s enhanced physique

isn’t enough, you can take it further with custom

bodysculpting such as as elongated ears or fingers,

nose alteration, hair addition/removal, feathers, exotic

eyes, snakeskin, endowed genitalia, and more unusual

physical alterations. [Low]

Nanotats: Tattoos created with nanobots can

move around the body, change shape/color/brightness,

texture, alternate text and images, and/or even

create minor holographic effects on the skin’s surface,

all controllable via mesh inserts. [Low]

Piercings: Name any part of the body and someone’s

figured out a way to pierce it, probably multiple

times. Hoops, barbells, plugs, and chains are

extremely common, often made of shapechanging

smart materials. [Trivial]

Scarification: Given modern medical abilities, scars

of any sort are purely an affectation. [Trivial]

Scent Alteration: Minor changes to a body’s biochemistry

can alter a character’s natural smell or

constantly perfume them. [Low]

Skindyes: Dye jobs are available in all conceivable

colors and patterns. [Trivial]

Subdermal Implants: Adding small implants under

the skin can create bumps, ridges, piercing anchors,

and similar textures and alterations. [Trivial]

Robotic EnhancementsEdit

NOTE: The following modifications are only available to

synthmorphs/robots.

Armor

NOTE: These armor modifications replace the synthmorph’s

built-in Armor rating.

Heavy Combat Armor: The synthmorph’s frame is

loaded with armor that offers protection from heavy

weapons for serious combat operations. This modification

is bulky and noticeable; the bot frame is encased

in a heavy-duty carapace. It increases the bot’s

built-in Armor to 16/16. The shell’s mobility systems

and power output are also enhanced to deal with the

extra load. [High]

Industrial Armor: The shell is equipped with protection

against collisions, extreme weather, industrial accidents,

and similar wear-and-tear. Increase the bot’s

built-in Armor rating to 10/10. [Moderate]

Light Combat Armor: The synthmorph’s frame is

protected by armor designed for policing and security

duties. This increases the bot’s built-in Armor to

14/12. [Moderate]

Mobility Systems

NOTE: Shells are designed with a wide-range of propulsion

systems, and are sometimes built for a specific environment/

gravity. Some synthmorphs may have multiple

mobility systems. Many such systems are retractable,

meaning they can be folded away into the shell’s frame.

Hopper: Hoppers have two or more legs designed

to propel the morph forward or up, much like a frog

or grasshopper. [Moderate]

Hovercraft: The shell uses an impeller to blast a

cushion of high-pressure air off the surface below,

repelling the frame off the ground (modern hovercraft

do not use rubber skirts). Most hovercraft travel a

meter or so above the ground, but can temporarily

levitate themselves higher for short periods. [Low]

Ionic: The shell uses principles of magnetohydrodynamics

to levitate and fly, by ionizing surrounding

air into plasma to create lift and momentum. The

shell is also spun for stability. This system does not

work in vacuum, but an underwater version uses the

same mechanics for propulsion in liquid environments.

[High]

Microlight: Popular in low-grav and microgravity

environments, microlights encompass several types

of ultralight or lighter-than-air systems, such as powered

paragliders, autogyros, balloons, aerostats, and

blimps. These systems do not work in vacuum. [Low]

Roller: Only for circular shells, this system allows

the synthmorph to roll like a ball. The shell rolls

around an interior axle, propelled by a motor-driven

pendulum. [Moderate]

Rotorcraft: Rotating blades create lift, allowing

the shell to move and hover like a helicopter. Most

models use tilt-rotors or tilt-wings so that the rotorblades

may be moved forward (for faster propellerlike

propulsion) and for better maneuverability in

zero-G. This system does not work in vacuum. [Low]

Snake: Commonly used by slitheroids, these shells

use lateral undulation, flexing their body from left to

right and waving their frame forward. Such shells may

also use sidewinding or a concertina motion (straightening

forward, then retracting the rear) to move. They

also featured gyroscope stabilization so that they may

circle into a hoop and roll like a wheel. [Moderate]

Submarine: Designed for undersea mobility, submarine

shells use propellers or pumpjets to push through

water. [Moderate]

Tracked: Tracked shells use smart rotating treads to

work their way across surfaces that would bog down

other ground vehicles. They can prop themselves up

in order to overcome taller obstacles or to lay themselves

down to bridge across a ditch or crevice. [Low]

Thrust Vector: These shells use either turbofans or

turbojets to create atmospheric lift with a set of wings.

The engines may be maneuvered to point and generate

thrust in different directions for vertical takeoffs/landings

and better maneuverability in zero-G. [Moderate]

Walker: Walkers use two or more limbs to walk or

crawl across a surface. Many use grip pads (p. 305) or

magnetic systems (p. 310) to stick to surfaces. [Low]

Wheeled: Most wheeled shells feature smart

spokes that allow the wheels to conform their shape

to obstacles and even climb stairs. Some low-grav

shells feature puncture-resistant and self-repairing

compressed-gas tires. [Low]

Winged: Primarily used by smaller shells, this system

of four independently-controlled wings allows the

shell to hover or move rapidly in any direction. [Low]

Physical Modifications

NOTE: These mods are applied to the shell’s physical frame.

Extra Limbs: The shell is equipped with one or

more extra limbs. A character using these limbs

suffers an off-hand modifier (p. 193). These limbs

may be arms (with hand/grippers/etc.), legs, tentaclelike,

or otherwise articulated and/or prehensile. Some

shells have rotational frames that allow them to move

limbs around their body. [Low]

Fractal Digits: The synthmorph has “bush robot”

digits that are capable of splitting into smaller digits,

and those smaller digits into micro digits, and so on

down to the micrometer scale, allowing for ultra-fine

manipulation. Apply a +20 COO modifier where such

fine manipulation is a factor (such as detailed repair

work). The bot must have functioning nanoscopic

vision (p. 311) to get this bonus. [Moderate]

Hidden Compartment: The shell has a concealed

aperture for a shielded interior compartment, ideal for

storing valuables or smuggling contraband. Apply a

–30 modifier to detect this compartment either manually

or with sensor scans. [Low]

Magnetic System: A magnetic system allows the

shell to cling to most ferrous materials. This enables

the character to walk in zero-G situations by magnetically

adhering surfaces, hang upside down, and hold

onto devices without letting them drop or drift away.

The shell receives a +30 modifier whenever maintaining

a magnetic hold on something. [Low]

Modular Design: This shell is designed to lock together

with similar modular morphs in different architectural

patterns to create larger gestalt forms. When

united with other modules, the group is treated as a

single unit/morph, with shared capabilities. If damaged

and then separated, damage and wounds are distributed

evenly between modules; uneven amounts are

allocated randomly. The exact capabilities of different

shapes depends on the composition, and is largely left

in the gamemaster’s hands. [High]

Pneumatic Limbs: The limbs are equipped with

pneumatic cylinder systems that can generate up to

1,500 pounds of thrust. This allows the shell to push

off and make impressive jumps (a synth of human

size/weight can leap over 2 meters up). Apply a +20 to

Freerunning Tests. A pneumatic limb used to strike an

opponent in unarmed combat inflicts an extra 1d10

damage. [Low]

Retracting/Telescoping Limbs: The shell’s limbs can

either be retracted completely inside it’s frame and/or

extended for extra length (usually up to 1 or 2 meters

extra). Telescoping limbs may give the shell a reach

advantage in melee combat (p. 204). [Low]

Shape Adjusting: This shell is made from smart

materials that allow it to alter its shape, altering its

height, width, circumference, and external features,

while retaining the same mass. This modification is

typically employed to reshape the morph into special

configurations adapted to specific tasks (for example,

lengthening to crawl through a tunnel, widening its

base for stability, expanding to reach out and attach

to multiple access point simultaneously, and so on).

This mod also allows the morph to change its features

for disguise purposes; a Structural Enhancement: This modification bolsters

the shell’s structural integrity, boosting its ability to

take damage. Increase Durability by 10 and Wound

Threshold by 2. [Moderate]

Swarm Composition: The shell is not a single unit

but a swarm of hundreds of insect-sized robotic microdrones.

Each individual “bug” is capable of crawling,

rolling, hopping several meters, or using nanocopter

fan blades for airlift. The cyberbrain, sensor

systems, and implants are distributed throughout the

swarm. Though the swarm can “meld” together into

a roughly child-sized shape, the swarm is incapable of

tackling physical tasks like grabbing, lifting, or holding

as a unit. Individual bugs, however, are quite capable

of interfacing with electronics. Swarms cannot

carry most gear or wear armor, and may not make

strength-based SOM-linked skill tests. For combat

purposes, use the same rules as given for nanoswarms,

p. 328. Damage and wounds are reflected as damaged/

massacred bugs. The swarm may be “healed” by

manufacturing more bugs.[High]

Synthetic Mask: The synthmorph is equipped

with a realistic outer casing of faux-skin and carefully

sculpted to pass as a biomorph (perhaps even a

particular person). The morph can cry, spit, have sex,

and will even bleed if cut. Only a detailed physical

examination or a radar, terahertz, or x-ray scan will

detect the synthmorph’s true nature, and even then

such exams/scans suffer a –30 modifier. [Moderate]

Weapon Mount: The shell carries a built-in (or builton)

weapon. This weapon mount may be either internal

(concealed, only weapons small in relation to the shell

may fit, –30 to Perception Tests to detect) or external

(visible). It may be fixed (one direction only), swiveling

(limited field of fire), or on an articulated mount (all

directions). [Low; Moderate for concealed/articulated]

Sensors

NOTE: 360° Vision: The shell’s visual sensors are situated for

a 360-degree field of vision. [Low]

Chemical Sniffer: This sensor detects molecules in the

air and analyzes their chemical composition. It enables

Chemistry Tests to determine the presence of gases, including

toxins and other fumes. It can also detect the

presence of explosives and firearms. [Moderate]

Lidar: This sensor emits laser light and measures

the reflections to judge range, speed, and image the

target. See Using Enhanced Senses, p. 302. [Low]

Nanoscopic Vision: The shell’s visual sensors can

focus like a microscope, using advanced superlens

techniques to beat the optical diffraction limit and

image objects as small as a nanometer. This allows

the character to view and analyze objects as small as

blood cells and even individual nanobots. The synthmorph

must stay relatively steady to view objects at

this scale. [Moderate]

Radar: This sensor system bounces radio or microwaves

off targets and measures the reflected waves

to judge size, composition, and motion. See Using

Enhanced Senses, p. 302. [Low]

ARMOREdit

NOTE: Modern personal armor systems have advanced from the high modulus polyethylene thermoplastics and aramid fabrics of the early 21st century. Armor inEclipse Phase is derived from biotech, in the form of organoweave fibers and crystalline-grown plates, and nanotech, in the form of shock-absorbing fullerene (p. 298) materials. Occasionally other materials are used, such as metallic glass plates or shear-resistant fluids that harden against impacts. Such armor protects against (armor-piercing) bullets and kinetic impacts as well as bladed weapons and piercing sharp objects. They also insulate against both the explosive heating of energy weapons and electrical shocks. While such armor protects against bullets, the layers of material catch the bullet and redistribute its kinetic energy across the body, which can still result in severe blunt force trauma.

Rules for armor in combat can be found on p. 194. Armored exoskeletons are listed on p. 343.

Armor Clothing: The extra-resilient organoweave fibers and fullerene materials that offer basic protection against kinetic and energy weapons can be woven in with normal smart materials to create a wide range of discreet armor clothing that provides a subtle level of security. Such protective garments are indistinguishable from regular clothing and come in all styles and designs. Armor clothing provides an Armor Value of 3/4. [Trivial]

Armor Vest: Armor vests provide more thorough protection to a body’s vital areas, covering the abdomen and torso completely, protecting the neck with a rigid collar, and even providing wrap-under protection for the groin. Though armor vests are not bulky, they are obvious as armor. Armor vests may be worn with armor clothing without penalty. Armor vests provide an Armor Value of 6/6. [Low]

Body Armor (Light): These high performance armor outfits protect the wearer from head to toe. An integrated armor vest is supplemented with increased protection on the limbs and joints, while still managing to be flexible and non-restrictive. Body armor is typically worn by security and police forces, and supplemented with a helmet. It provides an Armor Value of 10/10. [Low]

Body Armor (Heavy): Similar to light body armor, but with extra protective layers, often ergonomically manufactured to conform to a specific character’s

body, and an environmental seal with climate control to protect the wearer from hostile environments. It provides an Armor Value of 13/13. [Moderate]

Crash Suit:Designed for both industrial worksite safety and protection from accidental zero-G collisions, crash suits are also favored by sports enthusiasts and explorers. The basic jumpsuit offers comfortable protection equal to that of armor clothing. When activated with an electronic signal, however, elastic polymers within the suit stiffen and form rigid impact protection for vital areas. Crash suits provide an Armor Value of 3/4 when inactive and 4/6 when activated.[Low]

Helmet: This armor accessory is usually worn with body armor or a battle suit. Light helmets are open, whereas full helmets latch on and provide an environmental seal with a 12 hour supply of air. Light helmets provide an Armor Value bonus of +2/+2, whereas full helmets add +3/+3. Helmets are often equipped with an ecto (p. 325), a radio booster (p. 313), and sensors equal to specs (see p. 325). [Trivial]

Riot Shield: Used for mob suppression, riots shields are light-weight, tough, and may be set to electrify on command, stunning anyone who comes into contact with the outer surface (treat as shock glove effects, p. 334). Riot shields provide an Armor Value bonus of +3/+2. [Low]

Second Skin: This lightweight bodysuit, woven from spider silks and fullerenes, is typically worn as an underlayer, though some athletes use it as a

uniform. It provides minimal protection, but may be worn with other armor without penalty. It provides an Armor Value of 1/3. [Low]

Smart Skin: Smart skin is an advanced nanofluid that covers the wearer’s skin. It resembles liquid mercury but retains the texture and flexibility of normal skin until activated, at which point the material becomes rigid enough to protect the wearer and distribute the kinetic energy (though still flexible enough at the joints not to impede movement). A specialized hive, worn by the character, replenishes the nanobots and stores them when not in use. Deploying

the nanobots across the body takes a full Action Turn. Smart skin has an Armor Value of 3/2, and may be worn with other armor without penalty. [Low]

Spray Armor: This fast armor application comes in a spray can and disperses a smart chemical polymer that sticks to bare flesh (but does not adhere to hair and eyes). The polymer solidifies into a form fitting body armor fabric when exposed to body temperature with the look and feel of a latex suit. Spray armor does not work on synthetic morphs or on clothing or other armor. The color and feel of the armor can be adjusted with electric currents and additional polymers, making it popular among some socialite and nightlife scenes. The spray-on armor does not wash off, but degrades 1 point of armor (both energy and kinetic) every 12 hours. It may be removed with a special nanotech solvent. Spray armor has an Armor Value of 2/2. [Low]

ARMOR VALUES

NOTE: ARMOR VALUES

ARMOR	ENERGY	KINETIC	PAGE
Crash Suit (Inactive)	3	4	312
Crash Suit (Active)	4	6	312

armor energykinetic Page

Armor Clothing 3 4 311

Armor Vest 6 6 312

Battle Suit Powered Exoskeleton 18 18 344

Bioweave Armor (Light) 2 3 302

Bioweave Armor (Heavy) 3 4 302

Body Armor (Light) 10 10 312

Body Armor (Heavy) 13 13 312

Carapace Armor 11 11 303

Crash Suit (Inactive) 3 4 312

Crash Suit (Active) 4 6 312

Exowalker 2 4 344

Hard Suit 15 15 334

Helmet (Light) +2 +2 312

Helmet (Full) +3 +3 312

Hyperdense Exoskeleton 6 12 344

Riot Shield +3 +2 312

Second Skin 1 3 312

Smart Skin 3 2 312

Smart Vac Clothing 2 4 325

Spray Armor 2 2 312

Synthmorph Industrial Armor 10 10 310

Synthmorph Combat Armor (Light) 14 12 310

Synthmorph Combat Armor (Heavy) 16 16 310

Transporter Exoskeleton 2 4 344

Trike Exoskeleton 2 4 344

Vacsuit (Light) 5 5 333

Vacsuit (Standard) 7 7 33

Armor Mods

NOTE: Armor modifications add extra materials or coatings

that either enhance the armor’s resistance to certain

dangers or provide other effects. Armor mods may be

easily added or removed with the appropriate nanobot

applicators.

Ablative Patches: These thin and light slap-on

patches of stick to armor and are designed to absorb

heat and energy from beams and explosions, safely

vaporizing and blowing hot gas away. Ablative

patches increases the Armor Value by +4/+2, but each

hit reduces both the energy and kinetic value of the

ablative armor by 1. [Trivial]

Chameleon Coating: This provides the armor with

the same effect as the chameleon cloak (p. 315). [Trivial]

Fireproofing: Fireproofing includes the addition of

heat-resistant ceramic or fire-resistant layers, both

capable of withstanding extremely high temperatures.

Fireproofing increases the Armor Value by +2/+0, and

provides an additional 10 points of armor against

heat or fire specifically. [Trivial]

Immunogenic System: The immunogenic mod

adds an active nanobot swarm, maintained by a specialized

hive, that coats the outer layer of armor and

also the non-armored parts of the wearer’s morph.

It acts as an outer immune system designed to neutralize

toxic agents and nanotoxins with which it

comes into contact. This provides immunity to drugs,

toxins, and nanotoxins applied dermally, such as

with a slap patch or splash grenade. It has no effect

on inhaled, oral, or injected drugs (including coated

weapons). [Low]

Lotus Coating: The armor has been impregnated

with a superhydrophic coating (contact angle of

around 170°) that repels all water-like liquids. If the

armor is splashed by liquid toxins or chemicals, the

effect is reduced since the liquids starts to roll off the

armor. Apply a +30 modifier when defending against

liquid-based attacks. [Trivial]

Offensive Armor: When activated, the outer layer of

this armor is rigged to shock anyone or anything that

contacts it with electricity. Treat its DV and effect as a

shock baton (p. 334). [Low]

Reactive Coating: A thick layer of advanced

nanotech is applied to the armor, protecting it with

a colony of nanobots designed to sense incoming

attacks. When an attack strikes the coating, it detonates

to disrupt the attack. Bursts and full autofire

are treated as a single attack. A reactive coating

increases the Armor Value by +5/+5, but each detonation

automatically inflicts 1 point of damage on

the wearer. Reactive armor also works against melee

attacks, but the attacker also suffers 1d10 ÷ 2 (round

up) points of damage per attack (armor protects)

from the microexplosion. Reactive coating only

works against 5 attacks, after which the specialized

nanobot hive replenishes the coating at the rate of 1

use per hour. [Moderate]

Refractive Glazing: A combination of reflectors,

refractive metamaterials, and an energy transfer

system with heat radiators provides extra protection

against energy weapons. Increase the Armor Value

by +3/+0. [Low]

Self-Healing: The armor is equipped with a nanohive

that acts like repair spray (p. 333). [Moderate]

Shock Proof: Shock proof armor is electronically

insulated to discharge and reduce the effect of shock

weapons. Apply an additional +10 modifier when resisting

the DV and effects of shock weapons (p. 204). [Low]

Thermal Dampening: Thermal dampening obfuscates

heat signatures by converting body heat into

electric energy. It makes the target more difficult to

spot with thermal sensors; apply a –30 modifier for

Perception Tests. [Moderate]

Communications

NOTE: The oldest and most widespread communications

technology still in regular use is radio. Every habitat

and world inhabited by transhumanity is awash in

radio traffic, with humans, machines, and uplifts all

constantly communicating with one another. The

smallest radios are no larger than a spec of dust and

have a range of no more than 20 meters, while the

largest are the size of a truck and have a range of

many thousands of miles. Radios large and small are

ubiquitous and almost all devices contain at least

short-range radios so they may interact with the

mesh. Most morphs are equipped with basic mesh

inserts (p. 300) that include an implanted radio. For

radio ranges, see p. 296.

Fiberoptic Cable: Fiberoptic cables are used to

establish wired connections between two devices.

Given the ubiquity of radios and the tangled mess

wires cause, they are typically only used for privacy

(unlike radio communication, fiberoptic signals may

not be intercepted) or in areas with heavy radio

interference. [Trivial]

Laser/Microwave Link: These portable devices are

used to establish a tight-beam, line-of-sight communications

channel with another laser or microwave

link. The range of these transceivers varies widely

with environmental factors, but approximates 50

kilometers in atmosphere and 500 kilometers in

space (though horizon limits must be kept in mind,

being 5 kilometers at ground level on Earth and less

on smaller bodies). Lasers are subject to interference

from fog, dirt, smoke, and similar visual chaff, while

microwaves may be hindered by metallic obstructions.

These links may only be intercepted by getting directly

in between the beams. Some teams carry a micro version

of this system, worn on their person, allowing

line of sight intra-team communications that cannot

be intercepted like radio. [Moderate]

Radio Booster: This device boosts the range and

sensitivity of short-range radios, like those from implants,

ectos, or microbugs. The booster must be with

the shorter-ranged device’s range (or directly linked

via fiberoptic cable). It will repeat any transmissions

received from that device, but at its extended range of

25 kilometers in urban areas (250 kilometers remote

areas). Broadcasts from a radio booster are easy to

receive by anyone looking for broadcasts (see Wireless

Scanning, p. 251), though transmissions may be

stealthed (p. 252). Boosters are commonly used by

characters traveling far from habitats or other civilized

regions. [Low]

Neutrino Communicators

NOTE: Neutrinos are particles that can pass through any

solid matter with ease and are impossible to block. As

a result, they make an ideal medium for communications.

Unfortunately, they are also easy to intercept.

Even a tight beam of neutrinos sent between two locations

can be intercepted simply by placing another

receiver behind the location the broadcaster is sending to. Neutrino communicators require a large power

plant to power the high energy particle interactions

required to generate the neutrino broadcast. Neutrino

receivers are also relatively large, with the smallest

occupying 100 cubic meters. In most cases, neutrino

communicators are designed to broadcast neutrinos

in all directions, though tight-beam transmissions are

also possible. Quite often neutrino communications

take advantage of quantum farcasting for security.

Neutrino Transceiver: This transceiver is capable of

generating and receiving neutrino signals at a range of

at least 100 astronomical units. It is large, with a size

of 8 cubic meters (in a cube 2 meters on a side), but

they can be loaded onto large vehicles. To function, it

must be connected to a large power plant, such as one

found in habitats or large spacecraft. The cost and

size of this device includes the computer necessary for quantum farcasting. [Expensive]

Quantum Farcasters

NOTE: Quantum farcasters are special computers designed to

protect a communications channel (such as fiberoptic,

radio, laser/microwave, or neutrino) with unbreakable

encryption. To function, two or more quantum

farcaster computers must first be entangled together

(on a quantum level) in the same physical location.

The farcasters may then be separated, at which point

they may continue to exchange encrypted data via

quantum teleportation. This data exchange requires

a standard communications link (fiberoptic, radio,

laser/microwave, or neutrino), and so is limited by

the speed of light, but it is a high bandwidth form

of communications. The quantum encryption used

by these entangled farcasters is unbreakable, and any

attempted interception is immediately detected and

neutralized. A quantum farcaster may not be used to

securely communicate with any farcasters other than

the ones it is entangled with.

Because it is exceptionally safe and secure, quantum

farcasting via neutrino communications is the primary

means of both long-distance communication between

habitats and egocasting (p. 276). The neutrino signal

cannot be blocked and it can only be decrypted if a

character has access to the computer that is sending

or receiving the signal.

Miniature Radio Farcaster: Miniature farcasters

communicate with each other using standard radio

transceivers. As noted above, they may only securely

communicate with the other farcasters with which they

are entangled. Most miniature farcasters are worn as

jewelry or fitted into clothing or other equipment. [Low]

Quantum Entangled Communication

NOTE: The rarest form of communications is quantum entangled

(QE) communication. QE communication is

instantaneous and works over any distance, but is

also very limited. QE communication requires pairs

of entangled particles known as qubits. To use QE,

large number of pairs of qubits are created and then

separated from each other. Millions of these separated

pairs of particles are stored in special containers

known as qubit reservoirs. If two QE communicators

each have a qubit reservoir containing qubits that are

each entangled with qubits in the other communicator’s

qubit reservoir, then characters can use the two

QE communicators to commutate with one another

instantaneously. Characters can use QE to instantly

communicate between any two locations, even if one

character is in the solar system and the other has

passed through a Pandora gate and is standing on a

planet 500 light years away.

Each bit of data transmitted between these two QE

comms uses up one qubit. Once all of the qubits are

used up, the two QE comms can no longer communicate

with each other until they each get a new batch

of entangled qubits. Qubits are expensive to produce,

contain, and transport, making this an exceedingly

expensive form of communication. As a result, extremely

high bandwidth communications like full

sensory AR and egocasting cannot be performed using

QE communication.

Portable QE Comm: This is a handheld FTL communications

device. The actual communications unit

can be made as small as desired, but must be large

enough to connect to or hold a qubit reservoir. Because

qubit reservoirs are relatively large and must be

replaced, they are rarely implanted. Some miniature

farcasters are designed so that users can also attach

qubit reservoirs to enable them to be used for both

light speed and FTL communication. [Low]

Low-Capacity Qubit Reservoir: Low-capacity qubit

reservoirs can be used for 10 hours of high-resolution

video conferencing or meshbrowsing and 100 hours

of voice or text only communications. [High]

High-Capacity Qubit Reservoir: High-capacity qubit

reservoirs can be used for 100 hours of high-resolution

video conferencing or meshbrowsing and 1,000 hours

COVERT AND ESPIONAGE TECHNOLOGIES

NOTE: These technologies allow characters to acquire protected information and to gain access to places that others try to keep them out of. Many of these devices are mesh-capable and equipped with radios, see p. 296 for radio ranges.

Chameleon Cloak:This loose, poncho-like cloak contains a network of sensors that perceive wavelengths from microwave to ultra-violet. A similar network of miniature emitters precisely replicate the information its sensors receive, making the wearer seem transparent to those wavelengths. A chameleon cloak allows a character to effectively become invisible as long as they are stationary or not moving faster than a slow walk. When worn by someone moving faster, the cloak still provides a +30 modifier to Infiltration Tests to avoid being seen or noticed. Chameleon cloaks are not effective against radar, x-ray, or gamma-ray sensors. They do hide the character from thermal infrared, however, by absorbing the character’s body heat into its heat sink. The cloak can only absorb a character’s body heat for one hour before it must emit this heat. Heat emission also requires one hour, during which time the character is easily visible in the thermal infrared spectrum. [Low]

Covert Operations Tool (COT):This handheld device is the ultimate in infiltration technology. It contains both smart matter micromanipulators, cutting tools, and an advanced nanotechnology generator capable of producing nanobots that can bore or cut through almost any material and disable or open almost any electronic lock. Cutting out a lock or boring a 1-millimeter hole in a wall with a COT requires ((Durability + Armor) ÷ 10) seconds. Cutting out a 1-meter diameter hole in a wall requires ((Durability + Armor) ÷ 10) minutes. These same nanobots can later be used to repair this damage so that it is invisible to any but the most careful and detailed examination. A COT can easily open any old-fashioned mechanical lock simply by analyzing it and shaping an appropriate key, though this takes a full Action Turn. It can also open electronic locks by infiltrating them with nanobots that influence the lock’s electronics, no matter what authentication system the lock uses. Opening electronic locks takes a full Action Turn, but success is practically guaranteed. Opening an electronic lock in this manner will, however, trigger an alarm and/or be logged as an event. For more details, seeElectronic Locks, p. 291.[High]

Cuffband:This smart plastic loop restricts around a prisoner’s limbs when activated. If the prisoner struggles, it will tighten more. Cuffbands will inform the user if they are cut or loosened and are electronically-controlled, so the user can release the prisoner remotely. Some cuffband variants including a shock

system (treat as a shock baton, p. 334) to zap and restrain unruly prisoners.[Low]

Dazzler:The dazzler is a tiny laser system set on a rotating ball. When activated, it consistently spins and emits laser pulses in all directions. These laser

pulses are not dangerous, but they detect the lenses of camera systems (including specs, viewers, and bot/synthmorph sensors) and repeatedly zap them with laser pulses of varying strength to overload and dazzle them. For as long as a dazzler is active, any camera system (visual, infrared, and ultraviolet)  within line of sight and within 200 meters is blinded.[Moderate]

Disabler:This handy device emits an overloading surge that completely incapacitates and disables a synthetic morph or pod (anything with a cyberbrain) when it is plugged into an access jack and activated. The affected cyberbrain will be unable to function until the signal is deactivated, effectively shutting down the ego (or AI). In order to plug a disabler into an unwilling target, the target must first be grappled or a called shot must be successfully made in melee combat. This device does not work on larger synthetic morphs (like vehicles) or on cyberbrainless robots.[High]

Fiber Eye:This is a flexible and electronically-controllable length of fiberoptic cable and viewer, which can be worked through cracks, under doors, and around corners to peep unobtrusively.[Low]

Invisibility Cloak:This cloak is made of metamaterials with a negative refractive index, so that light actually bends around it, making it and anything it covers invisible. This invisibility works from the microwave to ultraviolet spectrums, but not against radar or x-rays. The drawback is that anything concealed within the cloak can’t see out. This is easily overcome by using external sensor feeds (if available) and entoptics to navigate. Alternately, a small piece of anti-cloak, which cancels the cloak’s invisibility properties when touched together, can be used to create a small window to peep out of, though this increases the chance of being spotted. Noticing such a window requires a Perception Test with a –30 modifier.[High]

Microbug:This device is a tiny camera and microphone 1 millimeter across. It has the visual capabilities of a set of specs (p. 325). It can hear everything

within 20 meters and see everything within the same range that is in its line of sight. A microbug can record up to 100 hours of information. Microbugs can be set to broadcast continuously, at set intervals, or only when they receive a special signal. If desired, they can also be set to only record if there is movement or voices in the room they are in. Microbugs have adhesive backs and can stick to almost any surface. Microbugs can also establish their location via mesh positioning or GPS, and so double as tracking devices. To avoid being detected by their radio transmissions, some microbugs are attached to miniature quantum farcasters (p. 314). These microbugs are much larger (1 centimeter) and easy to see, but their transmissions cannot be detected or blocked.[Trivial, Low for quantum farcaster bugs]

Prisoner Mask:This hood tightens around the head of a prisoner, blocks all vision frequencies, and engages in low-level jamming in order to prevent any wireless communication via mesh inserts. [Medium]

Psi Jammer: This device jams frequencies used by brainwaves within a 20-meter radius. This has no effect on brain functions, but it does prevent any ranged used of psi sleights within this area of effect.[Moderate]

Quantum Computer: These advanced devices make use of quantum computation, allowing them to handle extremely large numbers with ease. This makes them especially useful for codebreaking, as noted on p. 254.[Expensive]

Smart Dust:This device is a walnut-sized specialized nanobot generator that creates tiny sensor nanobots, each one of which is a tiny sphere the diameter of a human hair. A packet of smart dust nanobots is sufficient to perform detailed surveillance on a large room like an auditorium has a volume of 1 cubic centimeter and contains 3 million nanobots. Each nanobot contains tiny cameras, microphones, a tiny computer, a radio, and chemical sensors, as well as short legs that allow them to walk and climb at a rate of 5 cm per second.

When a character dumps a packet of smart dust in a room, it will cover every surface in the room within 20 minutes, including all furniture and the insides

of every drawer and other space that is not airtight. At this point, the smart dust has recorded all data about the room that can be obtained by exceedingly detailed observation, including the DNA of everyone who has visited the room in the last week or two. The smart dust can then either broadcast a brief, highly compressed signal, or it can send all of its information to a few hundred nanobots that then walk to a pre-arranged destination for pickup and downloading by their user. The user need only find a single nanobot with a nanodetector to acquire the information obtained by the smart dust. If ordered to do so, the remaining nanobots can either power down and await further orders or self-destruct in a fashion that turns them into a tiny amount of dust made mostly of metal and silicon. [Moderate]

Traction Pads: This set of specialized fingerless gloves, shoes, and kneepads is designed to emulate the pads on geckos’ feet. Characters can support themselves on a wall or ceiling by placing any two of these pads against any surface not made from a material specially designed to resist such devices. Characters can climb any surface and move easily across walls and ceilings that can support their weight (+30 to Climbing Tests). In addition to climbing, these devices are also very popular in zero-g environments. Wearing this item does not impair the user’s agility or manual dexterity.[Low]

White Noise Machine:This small and wearable device generates masking sounds that protect a conversation from being audibly recorded or overheard by anyone not in the immediate vicinity.[Trivial]

X-Ray Emitter:This device is designed to be used with either the enhanced vision augmentation (p. 301) or specs (p. 325). It emits a focused beam of low-powered x-rays that allows the user of either device to both see and see through most objects using backscatter x-ray radiation (p. 303). This allows the character to literally see through walls and into containers, including ones made of metal.[Low]

Bugs and Surveillance

NOTE: Though surveillance technologies are pervasive

and easy to come by in Eclipse Phase, secretly

obtaining information on someone who wants

to retain privacy can be quite difficult. Microbugs,

smart dust, and similar recording devices

that are all but invisible may be exceptionally

easy to put into place, but once they begin actively

transmitting, they are easy to to detect

(see Wireless Scanning, p. 251). An eavesdropper

may attempt to stealth the signal (see Stealthed

Signals, p. 252), but this is not guaranteed to

work. Once a signal is detected, locating the

broadcasting device is usually just a matter of

time (see Tracking, p. 251).

Some recording devices attempt to avoid this

problem by using miniature quantum farcasters

(p. 314), but those are far larger and more difficult

to hide. Often the most effective way to

acquire discrete information is to plant a surveillance

device, set to record but not transmit, and

then retrieve it later. While doing this is often

difficult and risky, the recording device never

reveals its presence by broadcasting and so is

more difficult to detect.

DRUGS, CHEMICALS, AND TOXINSEdit

NOTE: In Eclipse Phase, the transhuman desire to enhance

the body and mind—especially with chemicals—

merges right into humanity’s popular pastime of

recreational substance abuse. Drugs of all kinds,

whether they be chemical, nano-based, or electronic,

are not only popular but widespread. While advances

in biotechnology have eliminated many of the side

effects that once plagued drug users, transhuman

bodies remain complicated environments, and so side

effects (especially with long-term use) are still a factor.

Additionally, addiction is always a consideration for

anyone who gets comfortable with popping the same

pills too often, though there are also drugs for addiction

of course.

Drug descriptions include benefits, side effects, noticeable

signs that a person is using the drug, addictiveness,

and effects from long-term use). Descriptions also

include the drug’s Duration and its Addiction Modifier

(see Addiction and Substance Abuse).

Substance RulesEdit

NOTE: These rules explain how to handle drugs and toxins.

Classification of Substances

NOTE: Substances fall into four categories:

Chemicals: These are pharmacologically-active

small chemical compounds (toxins, pharmaceuticals,

chemical drugs) that have been produced by chemical

synthesis, nanotech fabrication, or enzymatic biosynthesis

in (transgenic) organisms. They include naturally-

occurring drugs from known species of (exo-)flora

and fauna, endotoxins produced by biological organisms,

enhancements of endogenic substances (designer

drugs), and de novo developments designed for a

specific medical or recreational application. Chemical

drugs affect only biological morphs and pods.

Biologicals: These include peptides, hormones, and

biologically-based substances like biotoxins, bacteria,

and viral organisms—drugs devised or based on

naturally-occurring endogenic biological substances.

This category also includes infectious biological organisms

that can produce drug-like effects, like virii

and bacteria. Biologicals affect biomorphs and pods

but not synthetic morphs or infomorphs.

Nanodrugs: These are temporary nanobot colonies

programmed to create a certain effect. While nanobots

are generally able to target or infect all morph

types except infomorphs, exactly which morphs are

affected usually depends on the pre-programmed

effect (i.e., whether it targets a biological or mechanical

mechanism).

Electronic: Electronic drugs include software and

technology that affect the brain directly, such as manipulative

XP programs or retro-tech like transcranial

magnetic stimulation or cranial electrotherapy. It also

includes narcoalgorithms—programs that reproduce

drug-like effects for AIs, infomorphs, and egos residing

in cyberbrains.

Application Methods

NOTE: There are number of vectors by which a substance

may be applied to a morph.

Dermal (D): This drug or toxin is absorbed via

the skin (or exterior hull with some nanotoxins) as

either a gas, liquid, or solid (e.g., paste). Slap patches

and slap bands are commonly used, loaded with the

chemical DMSO, which transfers the drug through

the skin.

Inhalation (INH): This is a gas that is breathed into

the lungs or snorted nasally. Used for inhalers, aerosols,

powders, and gas grenades/seekers.

Injected (INJ): This liquid is applied via either

an intramuscular or intravenous injection. Used for

needles and piercing weapons.

Oral (O): This is a liquid or solid that is absorbed

through the stomach or oral cavity (eating or drinking).

Used with pills and liquids.

Drug Effects

NOTE: If a character is exposed to a drug via its method of

application—for example, they pop a pill, slap on

a dermal patch, are soaked with a splash grenade,

breathe in gas, or get stabbed with a coated weapon—

then they are subject to the drug’s effects. The onset

time determines how long these effects take to kick in,

and the duration determines how long they last.

While there is no resistance test to ignore a drug or

toxin’s effects once exposed, in some cases (especially

toxins) a test might be called for to determine the

severity of the effects.

Unless otherwise noted or specifically overridden,

medichines (p. 308) will protect a character from

drug/toxin effects (but not nanodrugs/nanotoxins).

Enhancements like toxin filters (p. 305) may also

impede a drug’s effect or provide complete resistance.

If an antidote is taken in advance or before the effects

kick in, the drug will not work.

Addiction and Substance Abuse

NOTE: Some drugs are addictive, either physically (affecting

the morph) or mentally (affecting the ego)—and

sometimes both. Every time a character uses the drug

(or after an appropriate amount of use, as determined

by the gamemaster), they must make a WIL x 3 Test to

avoid addiction. Each drug has an Addiction Modifier

that will modify this test.

Failure indicates that the character has become

addicted—they immediately acquire the Addiction

negative trait (p. 148). Addiction is measured in three

levels: Minor, Moderate, and Major. The severity determines

how often an addicted character needs the

drug and what the negative effects of not using the

drug are.

An addicted character must continue to make WIL

x 3 Tests as they use the drug, as determined by the

gamemaster. Failure indicates the character’s addiction

severity increases.

The negative effects from not using a drug end

whenever the character does the drug again. Durability

and Lucidity penalties are not damage, but temporary

decreases to the character’s maximum values; the

character immediately regains the lost Durability or

Lucidity when they do the drug again.

Addiction is of indefinite duration. To clean up,

the character must stay off the drug for 1 week for

each level of addiction. Resisting this craving is difficult,

and should at least require another WIL x 3

Test, modified by the drug’s Addiction modifier. Players

and gamemasters are encouraged to roleplay an

attempt to kick a habit. Each week the character is

off the drug, the addiction drops by one level. When

it reaches 0, the character is clean ... though there is

always danger of a relapse.

Physical addictions do not carry over to a new

morph if the character resleeves, but mental addictions

do. If the character uploads and resleeves,

the mental addictions persist, and the morph the

character leaves behind remains physically addicted.

This means that poor or unlucky characters may

occasionally find themselves resleeved into a morph

that has a physical addiction. In this case, the character

is subject to the physical addictiveness of the drug

but not the mental addiction, although if they break

down and indulge in the drug, they may themself

become physically addicted.

Characters who resleeve as infomorphs can remain

mentally addicted to a substance despite no longer

having a body. The market is always happy to provide,

though; a wide variety of narcoalgorithms mirroring

the effects of most of the drugs described below are

available for infomorphs and AIs. For the infomorphported

narcoalgorithm version of any physicallyonly

addictive drug described below, consider the

Addictiveness to be effectively physical. The character

remains addicted as long as they are an infomorph,

but they do not remain addicted if they sleeve into a

physical morph.

DrugsEdit

NOTE: The drugs described here are usually (but not always

beneficial), and are typically taken intentionally. Drugs

and chemicals used offensively are described under

Chemicals and Toxins, both on p. 323.

Note that the drugs here are just a representative

sampling. There are thousands if not millions of

drugs in circulation in Eclipse Phase—gamemasters

are encouraged to introduce their own, using these

as guidelines.

Cognitive Drugs

NOTE: Nootropics and similar drugs are intended to boost

the user’s mental faculties.

Drive: This nootropic speeds up left-right brain

hemisphere communication, stimulates idea production,

and improves concentration, with no usual side

effects. Users receive a +5 bonus to COG while the

drug lasts. [Low]

Klar: Klar boosts alertness and enhances clarity and

perception. Users report a feeling of being “elevated”

to a higher level. They receive +5 INT while the drug

lasts. [Low]

Neem: Neem is a mnemonic drug that works by

“tagging” experiences and mental input with a set of

unique sensations that contribute to the formation

of state-based memories. Neem gummy chews come

in a variety of fruit flavors shaped like extinct old

Earth animals. Neem gives characters a +20 bonus

on COG Tests to recall information they learned

while on Neem (see Memorizing and Remembering,

p. 176). The drawback to Neem is that memories they

accumulate while under the drug’s influence have no

emotional association. For example, a character who

witnessed something horrible happening to a friend

or who had a fight with a romantic partner while on

Neem would feel no emotional connection whatsoever

to what happened. [Moderate]

Combat Drugs

NOTE: Combat drugs are an easy way of evening the odds

in a fight.

BringIt: In some respects more a social than a

combat drug, BringIt stimulates massive bursts of aggression

pheromones designed to make the user the

center of attention in a fight. In combat, opponents

within 3 meters of the character not already in unarmed

or melee combat with another character must

pass a WIL x 3 Test or attack the character using BringIt.

The nature of airborne pheromones is imprecise,

however, so if the character using BringIt is within

1 meter of another character hostile to the character

affected, the affected character may opt to attack the

proximate character instead of the BringIt user. Characters

using this drug suffer a –20 modifier on social

skill tests. [Low]

Grin: Grin is an effective opiate and pain suppressant.

Users may ignore the –10 modifiers from

2 wounds (not cumulative with similar effects), and

in fact may not even be aware they are injured. Grin

users suffer from tunnel vision, however, and so suffer

a –10 modifier on Perception Tests. [Low]

Kick: Kick is a strong stimulant that increases the

user’s response time and puts them on edge. The character

gains +10 REF and +1 Speed for the duration of

the drug. Characters under the influence of Kick are

twitchy, however, reacting in a jumpy, cat-like fashion

to sudden or unexpected stimuli. At the gamemaster’s

discretion, they must make a WIL x 2 Test or react

without thinking towards unexpected noises or other

surprises. Long-term users suffer –5 COO. [Moderate]

MRDR: MRDR is a straightforward and brutal

combat drug. It increases pain tolerance, speed, and

strength. The character receives +10 SOM, +1 Speed,

+10 Durability, and may ignore the –10 modifier of

one wound. Any damage incurred while under the

effects of the drug is taken from the bonus Durability

first. MRDR users are easily identifiable by the

broken blood vessels in their eyes, tense posture, and

visible tension in the muscles of the face, arms, and

legs. Long-term users suffer –5 SOM. [Low]

Phlo: Phlo increases alertness and coordination,

making the user more graceful and nimble in a fray.

The character gains +5 COO and +10 on Perception

Tests for the duration of the drug. Everything feels

possible to a character on Phlo, and so they are vulnerable

to being goaded into actions that might be

foolish or dangerous (apply a –10 modifier to appropriate

Social Skill Tests). [Moderate]

Health Drugs

NOTE: Pharma-foods that boost the consumer’s health and

physical state are common.

Bananas Furiosas: This drug reverses some of the

effects of de-ionizing radiation on the cells of the

body. Although a pill form is available, it most commonly

comes in large bunches of bright orange-red

bananas. Bananas reduce the severity of a radiation

dosage (gamemaster determines effect). [Low]

Comfurt: This tasty yogurt treat blocks stress hormones,

stabilizes mood, and relieves anxiety, allowing

them to ignore the effect of 1 trauma and temporarily

boosting Lucidity by +5. Any stress suffered while the

drug is in effect is taken from the bonus Lucidity first.

Comfurt also provides a +10 bonus when resisting

attempts to manipulate the user’s emotions. Excessive

use of Comfurt can lead to chronic itchiness caused by

histamine release. [Low]

Recreational Drugs

NOTE: These drugs compete with petals (p. 321) and black

market XP for wasting people’s time and lives away.

Buzz: This gene-modified variant of BZ is an odorless,

invisible, extremely powerful hallucinogen. Users

or affected characters will undergo extremely realistic

hallucinations for the duration, and may even “share”

hallucinations with other affected characters. Characters

will suffer a –30 modifier to any tests to remember

what occurred while under the influence. [Moderate]

Mono No Aware: Taken from the Japanese term

for sadness at the ephemerality of worldly things, this

drug, typically ingested as a tea, is a depressant that

induces a meditative state. Mono No Aware gives the

character a +10 bonus on Art and Sense Tests. With

frequent use, Mono No Aware reacts with pigments

in the skin to create a pallor with a slight bluish tinge,

even in darker-skinned morphs. [Low]

Orbital Hash: Good ol’ reefer—but grown in space

using powerful lighting and post-singularity hydroponics.

Because space is at a premium in habitats and scum

barges, blocks of hashish are the preferred mode of

transport and delivery. However, for the wealthy and

on planets, buds in leaf form are not uncommon. Hash

allows the character to ignore the effects of 1 trauma,

but inflicts a –10 penalty on all memory-related tests

and Knowledge Skill Tests. Hash users exhibit bloodshot

eyes, lethargic behaviors, and the munchies. [Low]

Social Drugs

NOTE: These social lubricants affect the user’s interactions

with others.

Alpha: Alpha is a more subtle version of BringIt,

popular with hypercorp execs, street thugs, and

anyone else who wants to come across as a domineering

asshole. The pharm designer who invented it had

a retro sensibility (and maybe a sick sense of humor);

Alpha is typically synthesized as a sparkling white

powder designed to be snorted. Alpha stimulates

production of threat pheromones, but less bluntly

than BringIt. Alpha imparts confidence, a feeling of

power, and alertness. Users can function without sleep

for 4 days, after which point they need to catch up

with at least 4 hours of sleep (remember morphs with

basic biomods require less sleep). Dosed characters

receive a +20 modifier on Intimidation Tests and +10

on Persuasion and Networking Tests where attitude is

a factor (gamemaster discretion). These bonuses only

apply to characters within 2 meters of the Alpha user.

On the downside, alpha users are impatient, unfocused

assholes. At the gamemaster’s discretion, Social

skill modifiers may be reversed to penalties with

certain types of people. Additionally, Alpha users

suffer –10 on all COG skill tests related to memory

and coherent or logical thinking. Long-term users may

suffer the COG penalty even when not on the drug;

on it, they may be worse. [High]

Hither: Want to ooze sexy like a pleasure morph

on a hot tin roof? For those desiring that slinky je-nesais-

quoi, Hither is the tool. Hither is a clear, slippery

gel, sometimes with a faint, musky, floral scent. Hither

is applied to parts of the body with large concentrations

of sweat glands, where the skin quickly absorbs

it. Hither is a mild euphoriant, imparting a feeling of

confidence and you-know-you-want-it-ness to the user.

It also stimulates abundant production of lust pheromones.

The character gains a +10 bonus on Persuasion

Tests against targets who are possible to seduce. At the

gamemaster’s discretion, this extends to Deception,

Impersonate, and Networking Tests. [Low]

Juice: This potent anti-depressant makes it almost

impossible to have bad feelings or negative thoughts.

The character is unnaturally happy—often irritatingly

or strangely so. The character receives a +30 bonus

against fear or attempts to manipulate their emotions

in a negative direction, but is also likely to act inappropriately,

like giggling over the massive amount of

spilled blood or cheerfully changing the subject to

inane topics when someone else is freaking out. [Low]

Drugs

NOTE: drugs

Type Aplication Onset Time Duration Addiction Modifier Addiction Type

Cognitive Drugs

Drive Chem O 20 minutes 8 hours — Mental

Klar Chem O 20 minutes 8 hours — Mental

Neem Chem O 20 minutes 12 hours — Mental

Combat Drugs

BringIt Bio Inh, Inj, O 1 minute 15 minutes +10 Physical

Grin Chem Inh, Inj, O 3 Action Turns 3 hours –10 Physical

Kick Chem Inh, Inj, O 3 Action Turns 2 hours –10 Physical

MRDR Chem O 20 minutes 1 hour –10 Physical

Phlo Chem O 20 minutes 1 hour –10 Physical

Health Drugs

Bananas Furiosas Chem O 20 minutes 1 day — —

Comfurt Bio O 20 minutes 12 hours –10 Mental

Recreational Drugs

Buzz Chem Inh, O 1 hour 36 hours — Mental

Mono No Aware Chem O 20 minutes 8 hours –10 Mental

Orbital Hash Chem Inh 3 minutes 3 hours — Mental

Social Drugs

Alpha Bio Inh 1 minute 2 hours –10 Mental

Hither Bio D 1 minute 6 hours –10 Physical

Juice Chem O, Inh 20 minutes 8 hours — Mental

NanodrugsEdit

NOTE: Nanodrugs are temporary nanobot infestations that

apply a specific effect.

Frequency: Frequency (or Freeq) is a nanodrug designed

as a tool for scientific visualization. It releases

a small swarm of nanobots into the character’s bloodstream

that settle in the epidermis, where they act as

sensors of electromagnetic radiation. This sensory

input is then injected into the character’s visual and

tactile sensoria, hitting the user with a sequence of

novel stimuli, typically a light show or weird tactile

sensations. Aside from its recreational uses, Frequency

is good at picking up on localized field radiation with

a standard Perception Test. A character can take advantage

of this to spot sensors and hidden electronics.

Similar to now-obsolete 20th-century hallucinogens

like LSD and psilocybin, however, a Frequency trip

can be disorienting and upsetting (the gamemaster

should apply any modifiers, mental stress, or even

trauma as they feel appropriate). Characters typically

experience a period about 1/3 of the way through

their trip in which sensory input is extremely intense;

during this period, which usually lasts about 2 hours,

they are unable to read. [Moderate]

Nanodrugs are temporary nanobot infestations that

apply a specific effect.

Frequency: Frequency (or Freeq) is a nanodrug designed

as a tool for scientific visualization. It releases

a small swarm of nanobots into the character’s bloodstream

that settle in the epidermis, where they act as

sensors of electromagnetic radiation. This sensory

input is then injected into the character’s visual and

tactile sensoria, hitting the user with a sequence of

novel stimuli, typically a light show or weird tactile

sensations. Aside from its recreational uses, Frequency

is good at picking up on localized field radiation with

a standard Perception Test. A character can take advantage

of this to spot sensors and hidden electronics.

Similar to now-obsolete 20th-century hallucinogens

like LSD and psilocybin, however, a Frequency trip

can be disorienting and upsetting (the gamemaster

should apply any modifiers, mental stress, or even

trauma as they feel appropriate). Characters typically

experience a period about 1/3 of the way through

their trip in which sensory input is extremely intense;

during this period, which usually lasts about 2 hours,

they are unable to read. [Moderate]

Nanodrugs

NOTE: Nanodrugs Type Aplication Duration Addiction Modifier Addiction Type

Frequency Nano Inj, O 8 hours –10 Mental

Gravy Nano Inj, O special — —

Petals Nano O 2 hours–1 day +10 to –20 Mental

Schizo Nano Inj 1 day — Mental

11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.

Other Nanodrugs

NOTE: Nanodrugs have the capability of making fundamental

changes to a body’s biochemistry and

mental state. The potential effects are too numerous

to list, but gamemasters should consider

allowing nanodrugs that temporarily apply certain

traits, such as Brave, Direction Sense, Math

Wiz, Pain Tolerance, Psi Chameleon, Psi Defense,

Situational Awareness, Tough, Feeble, Frail, Low

Pain Tolerance, Mental Disorder, Mild Allergy,

Neural Damage, Psi Vulnerability, Severe Allergy,

Timid, VR Conditioning, VR Vertigo, Weak

Immune System, or Zero-G Nausea. Similarly,

the nanodrug could force the character into a

particular mental emotional state, such as a bad

mood, edginess, contentment, or overconfidence.

Gamemasters are encouraged to experiment

with different possibilities and effects. n

Petals

NOTE: Petals is a term for a type of narrative hallucinogen,

a nanodrug that hijacks the senses and takes the user

on a game-like, highly immersive trip. Known by a

myriad of intriguing names—Forgotten Hand, Darkly

Selving, Inquisitive Green, to name a few—Petals are

post-Fall society’s heroin—the drug of choice for the

desperate and fucked. Petals almost always appeA few examples of Petal experiences:

Forgotten Hand

One of the character’s hands detaches and makes a

run for it. The character is conscious and able to interact

normally with the real world, but they cannot

perceive the “escaped” hand and firmly believe that

it’s getting away. The hand will lead the character

a merry chase, but at some point, a new hand appears

on the character’s wrist. It may be glittery and

opalescent, demonic and clawed, or bestial. Eventually,

after an hour or two, the character will catch up

to their hand, but to get rid of their new hand and

re-attach the old, they must answer cryptic questions

posed by a gnome-like being.

Darkly Selving

This petal is believed to achieve many of its effects

by connecting to the mesh, where an AI observes

and controls some of the event flow, and only

works for multiple trippers. Like Forgotten Hand,

it works by overlaying AR perceptions on the real

world, but because of the effects, it’s highly inadvisable

to take in places where any non-trippers will

be present. Darkly Selving creates an epsilon fork

of each character tripping and sleeves the fork in

an infomorph that looks like a demonic version of

themself, using visual input from the character’s

co-trippers. AR overlays cause the characters to perceive

themselves as angelic beings, while the realseeming

demonic infomorphs appear as AR overlays

on their real world perceptions. What happens next

varies, but generally both the characters and their

forks are subjected to a series of strong chemical

and narcoalgorithmic stimuli, ranging from Hitherlike

effects to massive doses of MRDR (or sometimes

both). The effects directed against the forks are

generally much more intense. The objective—hinted

at via environmental clues—is to merge with one’s

fork, which can be accomplished in a variety of ways,

ranging from hunting them down and eating their

heart to solving a puzzle or reaching a goal before

their forks can.

Delphinium Six

The last and rarest in a series of petals, Delphinium

Six is the Grail of petal users, a supposedly transcendental

experience that might not even exist.

Delphinium One is scarce, Two and Three are quite

rare, Four is an amazing find, and Five and Six

are only rumors. Hints of what Six might hold are

based largely on extrapolation from the little that

is known about the lower-numbered petals. The

following facts are generally accepted. It is a group

experience, but not all members of the tripping

group are rewarded equally. It is intensely surreal,

yet in a purposeful way, as are all of the Delphinium

series. It concludes the loosely-built narrative of a

drugged-out version of a fairy tale princess and her

quest for enlightenment begun in Delphinium One,

replete with strange omens and mythological creatures.

Rumors of what the ending might hold are

more fanciful, and range from the trippers being

resleeved in god-like infomorphs to them being

trapped forever in an ego prison. Delphinium Six is

completely virtual, leaving the characters comatose

for the duration, and probably lasts a long time,

perhaps 40 hours.ar as

nanopharmaceutical flowers, potted or with a nutrient

pack attached to the stem. Plucking and swallowing

the petals from the flower triggers the effects immediately.

Flowers have 5-10 petals. Multiple users may

share the experience if they take the Petals within 1

minute of the first one being plucked; after this all

petals remaining on the flower fade to translucent

white and become inert.

Petal experiences are like entire scenarios in and of

themselves. Some take place entirely in the user’s mesh

inserts (the user must cede control of their implants

voluntarily; if they do not, the drug has no effect other

than producing very low-intensity LSD-like visual hallucinations),

taking control of the character’s entoptic

displays, linking to secretive mesh servers and other

trippers, and invading the character’s sensorium with

AR “hallucinations.” Others put the character into a

near-comatose state during which they go on a head

trip. Normally there is some kind of well-developed

theme or plot to a Petal experience, although in some

cases they just experience a stream of images.

Though most societies seek to suppress Petals, new

ones appear constantly, fueled by a persistent subculture

of crafters and users. Petalcrafters view their

work as an art form (or at least as really good entertainment),

and the better Petals are lovingly crafted,

hauntingly beautiful experiences—even if they’re also

terrifying. The subculture of Petal use ranges from

casual users who occasionally do an easy, short-duration

flower to hardcore addicts who spend much oftheir time not on Petals trying to hunt down the most

intense and esoteric varieties. From this subculture

comes a lot of information on what various Petals

look like and their effects. Because Petals combine

custom nanobots with tailored chemical payloads and

sometimes connections to mesh servers, duplicating

them using fabricators is impossible, leading to an

active market of crafters, dealers, and traders.

Petals sometimes contain easter eggs and rewards,

called “sweets” by petal users. Getting the sweets usually

requires fulfilling certain conditions within the

trip, such as correctly answering questions or fulfilling

goals. Typical sweets include skillsofts, new clothing

or product designs, and custom infomorph sleeves.

On the negative side, some Petal trips go bad, inflicting

1d10 mental stress or more on the user. Perhaps

worse, some Petals are loaded with malware that

takes over the user’s mesh inserts and worse—some

sentinels even whisper of Petals carrying strains of the

Exsurgent virus. [Trivial to High]

Sample Petals

NOTE: A few examples of Petal experiences:

Forgotten Hand

One of the character’s hands detaches and makes a

run for it. The character is conscious and able to interact

normally with the real world, but they cannot

perceive the “escaped” hand and firmly believe that

it’s getting away. The hand will lead the character

a merry chase, but at some point, a new hand appears

on the character’s wrist. It may be glittery and

opalescent, demonic and clawed, or bestial. Eventually,

after an hour or two, the character will catch up

to their hand, but to get rid of their new hand and

re-attach the old, they must answer cryptic questions

posed by a gnome-like being.

Darkly Selving

This petal is believed to achieve many of its effects

by connecting to the mesh, where an AI observes

and controls some of the event flow, and only

works for multiple trippers. Like Forgotten Hand,

it works by overlaying AR perceptions on the real

world, but because of the effects, it’s highly inadvisable

to take in places where any non-trippers will

be present. Darkly Selving creates an epsilon fork

of each character tripping and sleeves the fork in

an infomorph that looks like a demonic version of

themself, using visual input from the character’s

co-trippers. AR overlays cause the characters to perceive

themselves as angelic beings, while the realseeming

demonic infomorphs appear as AR overlays

on their real world perceptions. What happens next

varies, but generally both the characters and their

forks are subjected to a series of strong chemical

and narcoalgorithmic stimuli, ranging from Hitherlike

effects to massive doses of MRDR (or sometimes

both). The effects directed against the forks are

generally much more intense. The objective—hinted

at via environmental clues—is to merge with one’s

fork, which can be accomplished in a variety of ways,

ranging from hunting them down and eating their

heart to solving a puzzle or reaching a goal before

their forks can.

Delphinium Six

The last and rarest in a series of petals, Delphinium

Six is the Grail of petal users, a supposedly transcendental

experience that might not even exist.

Delphinium One is scarce, Two and Three are quite

rare, Four is an amazing find, and Five and Six

are only rumors. Hints of what Six might hold are

based largely on extrapolation from the little that

is known about the lower-numbered petals. The

following facts are generally accepted. It is a group

experience, but not all members of the tripping

group are rewarded equally. It is intensely surreal,

yet in a purposeful way, as are all of the Delphinium

series. It concludes the loosely-built narrative of a

drugged-out version of a fairy tale princess and her

quest for enlightenment begun in Delphinium One,

replete with strange omens and mythological creatures.

Rumors of what the ending might hold are

more fanciful, and range from the trippers being

resleeved in god-like infomorphs to them being

trapped forever in an ego prison. Delphinium Six is

completely virtual, leaving the characters comatose

for the duration, and probably lasts a long time,

perhaps 40 hours.

Narcoalgorithms

NOTE: Narcoalgorithms are software programs that simulate

the effects of drugs on biological bodies. Almost all

bio, chemical, and nano drugs can be replicated as

narcoalgorithms, with corresponding effect (gamemaster

discretion). Narcoalgorithms may be run by

infomorphs, egos encased in cyberbrains (pods and

synthmorphs), simulmorphs, and even AIs.

DDR: Originally crafted by prankster hackers

and distributed as a virus, DDR (for “Dance Dance

Robot”) triggers impulses in the target’s motor control

circuits. Primary targeting robot AIs, the effect is

that targets “dance” in jerky, automated movements.

Pleasure receptors are also activated so that dancing—

and movement of any kind—feels good. Different

software variants invoke different motions and styles.

The target suffers a –20 modifier on other actions

while dancing, but the dancing may be overridden

with a WIL x 3 Test. [Low]

Linkstate: This software actually connects the user

to a peer-to-peer network, where it randomly connects

to other linkstate users and samples a bit of their

XP feed and randomly accessed memories—typically

just enough to provide context, but not enough to

acquire private personal details. These inputs are

spliced together, their emotional inputs amplified, and

then the entire package is spiked with some hormonal

circuit triggers and artificial synaesthesia. The effect

is a mind-blowing mixed sampling of people’s lives,

mashed together in a sensory soup, that hits the mind

with a euphoric rush. Linkstate users are catatonic

while under the effects (typical sessions run 3-4 hours),

but afterwards they often report that they have flashbacks

of events in other people’s lives. [Low]

Chemicals

NOTE: Atropine: Though poisonous in large doses, atropine

is an effective antidote against nerve agents like BTX2

and Nervex. Easily synthesized in a maker, atropine will avert the effect whether taken soon before or after

dosage by a nerve agent. [Trivial]

DMSO: This chemical acts as a carrier, allowing

other chemicals to be absorbed through the

skin. It allows any chemical agent to be applied

dermally. [Trivial]

Liquid Thermite: Similar to scrapper’s gel, liquid

thermite comes in a gel form that is easily applied

under all environmental conditions (by the nature

of its chemical reaction, thermite is oxygenated and

will burn underwater or in space). It is ignited with

an electric charge, burning at temperatures exceeding

2,500 degrees Celsius and melting through whatever

it is touching. Liquid thermite inflicts 3d10 + 5 DV per

Action turn to whatever it is touching. Armor will also

be burnt through, offering no protection once the full

Armor rating has been reached. [Moderate]

NotWater: NotWater is an effective liquid fire retardant

that does not get objects wet, no matter how

absorbent they are—it simply beads up and slides

right off. [Trivial]

Scrapper’s Gel: This goo turns into a potent acid

when given an electrical charge. It comes in a gel-like

state and may be smeared like jelly, and may even be

used in space. In acid form, scrapper’s gel does 1d10

+ 5 DV per Action Turn to anything it touches, unless

the material has been treated against acid. Armor will

protect against this acid at first, but the acid will eat

through the armor, so that it will no longer protect

after its full armor value has been reached. [Low]

Slip: This liquid is almost entirely frictionless. When

spread around an area (commonly used in splash

grenades), anyone attempting to walk or run on the

affected surface must make a COO Test or fall down.

Likewise, any coated surface becomes extremely

hard to grip onto, requiring a SOM Test to hang on.

Anyone attempting to grapple a slip-soaked character

suffers a –30 modifier. [Low]

Tracker Dye: This liquid is colorless at normal light

but becomes recognizable under pre-specified different

wavelengths (such as infrared or ultraviolet). [Trivial]

ToxinsEdit

NOTE: To xins

Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties

of biological and chemical substances to kill, injure,

or incapacitate an enemy. Note that an antidote can

be constructed for most toxins if a sample is acquired

and an appropriate Medicine or Academics Test is

made. This is considered a Task Action with a timeframe

of 1 hour. These toxins only affect biomorphs;

synthmorphs are immune.

BTX : BTX-squared (also called Frog Bite) is a

genetically-enhanced variant of the extremely potent

cardiotoxic and neurotoxic batrachotoxin. It leads to

fast paralysis and cardiac arrest that usually kills the

target within a few Action Turns. Affected characters

suffer 2d10 + 10 damage a turn for 3 Action Turns;

medichines reduce this damage by half. They must

also make a SOM x 2 Test (+30 with medichines) or

be paralyzed for 1 hour. [High]

CR Gas: This potent incapacitating agent causes

eye twitching and temporary blindness, severe coughing

and breathing difficulty, skin irritation, and panic.

Affected characters suffer 1d10 ÷ 2 damage, a –30

modifier to sight-based Perception Tests, and a –20

modifier to all other actions for 20 minutes (5 minutes

if the character has medichines). [Low]

Flight: This drug is derived from human pheromones

released due to fear, and is intended to instill alarm or

even terror in the character. Affected characters must

make a WIL x 3 Test (+30 with medichines) or suffer

a panic attack, inflicting 1d10 stress. Dosed characters

also suffer a –30 modifier for resisting intimidation or

fear-based emotional manipulations. Flight affects last

for 1 hour (5 minutes with medichines). [Low]

Nervex: Derived from deadly nerve agents like cyclosarin,

VX, and novichok, this genetically-modified

toxin is deployed as a colorless, odorless gas that

turns safely inert 10 minutes after deployment. It

causes involuntary contraction of the muscles, seizures,

and death by respiratory failure. One minute

after exposure, the character must make a SOM Test

or be incapacitated by seizures, paralysis, or nausea

and vomiting; unaffected characters still suffer a –20

modifier to all actions. After 10 minutes, the character

will die unless an antidote (such as atropine, p. 323) is

applied. Characters with medichines suffer the initial

effects, but recover after 5 minutes. [High]

Oxytocin-A: A genetically-improved variant of oxytocin,

this drug induces trust in the recipient. Drugged

characters suffer a –30 modifier on all WIL and Kinesics

Tests where trust is a factor. Medichines provide

immunity. [Low]

Twitch: Twitch is a convulsive agent, a nonlethal

nerve gas. Affected characters must succeed in a SOM

Test (+30 with medichines) or become incapacitated

with severe muscle tremors. Unaffected characters still

suffer a –20 on all actions. The effects of Twitch last for

10 minutes, 5 if the character has medichines. [Low]

Toxins

NOTE: Type Aplication Onset Time Duration

Chemical Toxins

BTX2 Chem D, Inj, O 1 Action Turn 3 Action Turns/1 hour

CR Gas Chem D, Inh 1 Action Turn 20 minutes

Flight Bio Inh 3 Action Turns 1 hour

Nervex Chem D, Inh, Inj, O 1 minute death

Oxytocin-A Bio Inh, Inj 3 minutes 2 hours

Twitch Chem D, Inh, Inj, O 3 Action Turns 10 minutes

Nanotoxins

Degeneration Nano Inj, O Immediate 8 hours

Necrosis Nano Inj, O 3 Action Turns 1 minute

Neuropath Nano D, Inj, O 3 Action Turns 8 hours

Nutcracker Nano Inj, O Immediate 6 hours

Psi Drugs

Inhibitor Chem Inj, O 3 Action Turns 6 hours

Psi-Opener Bio Inj, O 20 minutes 1 hour

Psike-Out Chem Inj, O 1 minute 1 hour

Nanotoxins

NOTE: Disruption: This nanotoxin attacks the myelin sheath

on nerves, disrupting nerve impulses and inflicting

symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Every hour the morph

suffers a –5 modifier to COO, REF, and COG. If any

aptitudes are reduced to zero,the morph is effectively

paralyzed and catatonic. [Moderate]

Necrosis: Necrosis nanobots attack the walls of cells

inside the body, killing tissue. This nanotoxin inflicts

1d10 ÷ 2 damage per Action Turn for one minute, after

which the nanobots disable and flush from the body.

Necrosis only affects biomorphs. [Moderate]

Neuropath: These nanobots are designed to stimulate

the pain receptors of a morph on a systemic level

to cause agony and impairment. While most neuropaths

target biological receptors, variants are available

that induce comparable (phantom) pain stimulations

in the cyberbrains of synthmorphs to create an

equivalent effect. The affected character must succeed

in a WIL x 3 Test or become incapacitated. Even if

they succeed, they suffer –30 from the inflicted agony.

Any form of pain resistance that allows a character

to ignore wound modifiers will negate the neuropath

pain modifier by an appropriate amount. [Moderate]

Nutcracker: Nutcrackers are nanobots designed to

locate, migrate, and decompose the synthdiamond

case of a cortical stack within a morph by attacking

its crystal lattice. This process takes approximately

6 hours, after which the cortical stack is destroyed.

These nanobots also attack the cortical stack’s connections

to the (cyber)brain and brain-mapping nanobots.

After 1 hour, the victim will be aware that their cortical

stack is threatened. After 3 hours, all connections

will be severed and the cortical stack will no longer be

able to back up the character. [High]

Pathogens

NOTE: A pathogen is an infectious biological agent that

causes disease or illness to its host. While natural

pathogens rarely strive to kill their hosts, germ warfare

programs revived during the Fall—or instigated

by the TITANs—sought to modify and use pathogens

as a weapon of war. The ideal characteristics of lethal

biological agents are high infectivity, high potency,

availability of vaccines, and delivery as an aerosol.

Most biomorphs are immune to standard pathogens

thanks to their basic bio-mods, and medichines will

protect against most others. However, even these

defenses may not protect against diseases left by

the TITANs or a new terrorist cell’s biowar bug. It

is largely recommended that pathogens be handled

as a plot device, rather than an active threat to the

characters. Pathogens have no effect on synthmorphs.

Degen: Characters exposed to this degenerative

neurological disease must make a DUR x 2 Test or

become infected. Medichines will defeat the disease,

but others will not show signs of infection for 1 week,

when the symptoms of a rapidly progressing dementia

will become clear: memory loss, personality changes,

and hallucinations. If untreated, Degen will progress

for another week with more serious symptoms, including

speech impediments, jerky movements, loss

of balance and coordination, and even seizures. This

is reflected by a 5 point loss in all aptitudes per day

(after the first week). When any aptitude reaches 0,

the character dies. Degen is notorious for its effect

in corrupting cortical stack backups before infection

symptoms manifest. [Expensive]

Trigger: Trigger is a designer virus that selectively

targets and infects mast cells to trigger a hyper-allergic

reaction. The resulting anaphylactic shock due to systemic

vasodilatation (associated with a sudden drop

in blood pressure) and bronchial swelling (resulting in

constriction and difficulty breathing) usually leads to

death in a matter of minutes after onset, if not treated.

Infected characters must succeed in a DUR Test (using

their current Durability score minus damage) or die

quickly. Even medichines have difficulty reacting in

time against this virus; characters with medichines

must make a DUR x 2 Test to survive. [Expensive]

Psi Drugs

NOTE: Research into the Watts-MacLeod strain has resulted in

several exceptional breakthroughs involving the creation

of psi-impacting drugs. Each of these drugs is in the experimental

stage, but they are already finding some use

among Firewall and similar secretive groupings.

Inhibitor: Inhibitor is a cocktail of neurochemicals

that block some brain receptor and transmitter functions

in an attempt to reduce psi-waves and block or

impair sleights. This drug is commonly used to restrain

async prisoners from using their abilities. A drugged

character must make a WIL x 2 Test. If they fail, they

lose all psi abilities for the drug’s duration. If they succeed,

they suffer a –30 impairment on Psi skills and

all strain is doubled. Inhibitor has an unfortunate side

effect of doping the character down, however; apply

a –10 modifier to their COG. Inhibitor-influenced

characters tend to have a glazed, dopey expression and

have difficulty getting excited or emotional. [High]

Psi-Opener: Psi-opener drugs are variants of the

Watts-MacLeod strain with a temporary effect and

which do not permanently alter the user’s brain. Psiopener

temporarily imbues the user with the ability

to use one particular sleight, regardless of whether or

not they have the Psi trait. Each type of Psi-opener is

customized for a particular sleight. While primarily

intended for non-asyncs, non-asyncs may not possess

Psi skills, so they must default to WIL. For this reason,

Psi-Opener is often doubled up with Psike-out.

Using Psi-opener is a mind-wrenching experience.

Users are occasionally subject to hallucinations

(gamemaster discretion). When the drug wears off, it

inflicts 1d10 points of mental stress, +2 if the drug

imbues a psi-gamma sleight. [Expensive]

Psike-Out: Psike-out bolsters an async’s psi abilities.

Apply a +20 modifier to the async’s Psi skill tests for the

drug’s duration. However, also apply +2 to all strain

DVs for the drug’s duration. Psike-out is mentally addictive,

EVERYDAY TECHNOLOGY

NOTE: The following devices are all exceptionally common

and can be acquired in almost any habitat. Almost

everyone in Eclipse Phase either owns these devices or

knows several people who do.

Ecto: Ectos are the external version of basic mesh

inserts (p. 300), minus the medical sensors. These colorful

devices serve as a wearable mesh terminal, PDA,

locator, and camera-phone. The devices are flexible

(often worn as bracelets), dirt-resistant, self-cleaning,

and may be stretched out to increase screen size. They

may project holographic displays and are typically

equipped with wireless-enabled glasses or contact

lenses and decorative earpieces or earrings so that the

user may access augmented reality. Given the ubiquity

of mesh inserts, ectos are growing less common, but

they are still used by bioconservatives, others without

implants, and those who prefer to access the mesh via

an external device for security concerns. [Low]

Holographic Projectors: These devices are capable

of projecting high-definition, ultra-realistic three-dimensional

images and movies. From a distance (20+

meters), such holograms can be difficult to distinguish

as fake, but up close they are easier to see for what they

are (+20 Perception Test modifier). Holograms do not

appear wavelengths other than visual light, and so are

easily identified by anyone with enhanced vision. [Low]

Micrograv Shoes: These shoes are equipped with

velcro and/or a magnetic system, allowing the wearer

to walk normally on appropriate surfaces in micrograv

and zero-G environments, rather than floating or

bouncing. [Trivial]

Portable Sensor: This is a small portable (possibly

even wearable) sensor system. The type of sensor must

be chosen (for example: infrared, lidar, radar, x-ray).

Combined sensor systems are also available, at a cumulative

cost. See Radio and Sensor Ranges, p. 299.

and Using Enhanced Senses, p. 302. [Moderate]

Smart Clothing: Smart clothing can change its

color, texture, and even its cut, taking only a minute

or two to transform from a solid color jumpsuit to a

plaid party dress or a replica of a pinstriped, late 20th

century business suit. It can also camouflage the wearer,

providing a +20 bonus to Infiltration Tests to avoid

being seen, as long as the wearer is stationary or not

moving faster than a slow walk, and as long as the

wearer is completely covered or also using chameleon

skin (p. 303) of the same color/pattern. If incompletely

camouflaged, or if moving faster, reduce the modifier

to +10. Smart clothing also keeps the character warm

or cool, allowing the character to exist comfortably in

environments from –40 to 70 C. [Low]

Smart Vac Clothing: Just like regular smart clothing,

this outfit can also transform into a light vacsuit

(p. 333). It also functions as armor with a rating of

2/4. [Moderate]

Specs:Specs are vision-enhancing glasses. They deliver sensory data directly into the wearer’s visual cortex by connecting with their basic mesh inserts (p. 300), though visual displays are available for bioconservatives and other characters without implants. Specs extend the range of the wearer’s vision  from terahertz waves to gamma rays (p. 302). Specs include a t-ray emitter (p. 306), however, using x-rays, or gamma rays for visual purposes requires a separate emitter, since neither of these sorts of radiation are common inside habitats, or in any safe environments. Specs have a variable focus equivalent to 5 power magnifiers and provide the wearer with a +10 bonus to all Perception Tests involving vision.[Low]

Tools: Tools come in kits (portable), shops (can fit

into a large vehicle), and facilities (large, non-mobile).

Each set of tools applies to a particular skill, such

as Hardware: Electronics or Hardware: Groundraft.

[Low (Kit), High (Shop), Expensive (Facility)]

Utilitool: This hand tool includes a specialized

small nanobot generator. In its basic form, a utilitool

is the size and shape of a large fountain pen. It can

transform into almost any tool, however, from a

wrench, knife, or powered screwdriver to a rotary

grinder or pair of pliers. Some inexpensive utilitools

are optimized for specialized tasks, like cooking

or wilderness survival, but more expensive models

become almost any imaginable hand tool. Utilitools

are normally mentally controlled using the character’s

basic mesh inserts. Characters without such implants

can control the tool via voice commands and touch

controls. Characters using a utilitool gain a +10

modifier to skills involving repairing or modifying devices

with mechanical parts, opening locks, disarming

alarm systems, or performing first aid. [Low]

Viewers: These small and highly advanced binoculars

possess all the visual enhancement of specs (p. 325), but

also provide 50x magnification. They also include a directional

microphone that magnifies sound from the direction

the viewers are pointed by a factor of 50. Viewers

provide the user with a +30 bonus to all Perception

Tests involving vision or hearing for the target they are

aimed at. This bonus is not cumulative with bonuses from any other device or augmentation. [Low]

NANOTECHNOLOGYEdit

NOTE: Nanotechnology is the precise manipulation of matter

at the atomic level, typically using millions of microscale

nanomachines. Nanotechnology transformed

manufacturing, enabling new techniques and materials.

The advent of nanofabrication—building objects

from the molecular level up—transformed economies,

allowing people to simply manufacture whatever they

needed from raw materials. Nanotechnology is still a

growing field, however, and has its limitations. While

the TITANs unleashed self-replicating nanoswarms

with the ability to transform or destroy anything

through the power of geometric growth, such technology

remains far beyond transhumanity’s grasp.

Basic NanotechnologyEdit

NOTE: Basic nanotechnology is exceedingly widespread

and used throughout the solar system, serving as the

primary method of manufacturing for decades. The

nanobots of basic nanotech are confined to delicate

and specially-maintained environments like the

insides of cornucopia machines or healing vats and

cannot operate elsewhere.

Healing VatsEdit

NOTE: Healing vats were the first type of nanotech medicine

developed and remain the most powerful medical

devices in common use. With the exception of a few

exceptionally deadly nanoplagues, a healing vat can

cure any disease and heal any injury. As long as the

patient is alive when they are place in the healing

vat, they will not only survive, but emerge without a

scratch. A healing vat can even take a severed head (as

long as it has been stabilized by medichines or nanotech

first aid) and regrow an entire body based on the

head’s genetics. If the patient’s body or medical records

contain information about their implants, bioware, or

advanced nanotechnology, all of these modifications

are also fully restored.

Few people suffer injuries serious enough to require

a healing vat. Most are used as a safe and easy way

to perform bodysculpting or to install implants or

bioware. Healing vats use specialized nanomachines

to either alter the patient’s body or integrate implants

or bioware. One advantage of using a healing vat is

that no additional healing time is needed, the patient

leaves the vat fully recovered from the augmentation

and ready to go. Every hospital, clinic, bodyshop, and

augmentation parlor has several healing vats. The

time required by a healing vat varies with the severity

of the damage it is healing or the extent of the

modification being made, as noted on the Healing Vat

table, p. 327. [High]

Healing Vat Table

NOTE: Injury healing time

Healing normal damage to a character who has taken 3 or fewer wounds.

2 hours per wound

(min. 1 hour for 0 wounds)

Restoring major lost body parts like arms or legs, or healing dying or nearly dead character

who has taken 4 wounds.

12 hours per wound

Restoring recently dead character who was placed in medical stasis to avoid death, but

who is mostly intact.

1 day per wound

Restoring recently dead character who is placed in medical stasis to avoid death,

and who is missing most of their body.

3 days per wound

Augmentation

Minor implants and bioware, minor cosmetic changes like alterations in skin color, eye

color or shape, or hair color, texture or distribution, minor alterations to face shape or

body fat distribution.

1 hour

Major brain and neural implants, nanoware or bioware, sex changes, changing height by

no more than 5% or weight by no more than 20%.

12 hours

Major physical modifications like adding limbs or radical changes to height and weight. 3 days

Nanodetectors

NOTE: Nanodetectors are small devices that suck in air and

micro debris in order to scan for and detect nanobots.

Given that nanobots are so small, the density of

nanobots in the area has a large impact on its success.

The nanodetector has a base skill of 30 for detecting

nanobots, modified by +30 if an active nanoswarm or

hive is present, +0 if a nanoswarm or hive was active

recently, and –10 for the presence of nanobots outside

of a swarm or hive. Once a nanobot is detected it may

be analyzed either by the user or the nanodetector’s AI,

using Academics: Nanotechnology 30 skill. Nanodetectors

are often worn and left on, set to alert the user

if a hostile nanoswarm is detected. [Low]

Nanofabricators

NOTE: Nanofabrication machines are universal assemblers

that perform almost all of the manufacturing in the

solar system. The user loads in raw materials and

electronic plans and it can produce literally any manufactured good, from a weapon to an ultralight

plane to a hot and delicious dinner. Many nanofabricators

come equipped with a library of common-use

blueprints (basic foods, standard clothing, common

tools, etc.). Other blueprints must either be purchased

online, self-programmed, or acquired through some

other method (see Nanofabrication, p. 284). The largest

nanofabrication units are more than 10 meters on

a side and are used to produce small consumer goods

in bulk as well as building large devices like orbital

transfer vehicles.

The availability and legality of nanofabricators

varies widely throughout the system. In the inner

system and Jovian Republic, cornucopia machines

are commonly restricted and sometimes illegal, with

licenses only available to hypercorps, military units,

and other officials and elites. In these habitats, only

more limited fabbers are available to the general

populace. Additionally, blueprints are licensed and

protected by copyright laws, and many nanofabricators

feature pre-programmed restrictions that prevent

them from using unlicensed blueprints as well as

from manufacturing weapons, explosives, or other

restricted items. Among the autonomists of the outer

system, however, nanofabricators are commonly accessible,

shared by everyone, and unrestricted.

For rules on creating goods in a nanofabricator, see

Nanofabrication, p. 284.

Desktop Cornucopia Machine: Cornucopia machines

(CMs) are general-purpose nanofabricators.

The smallest CMs are desk-sized cubes approximately

half a meter on a side with a volume of at least 40

liters. They can produce any small object, from tools

to well-folded suits of clothing to handguns or a bowl

of cereal. It is sometimes possible to assemble larger

items, but they must be manufactured in smaller

pieces and then assembled (likely requiring an appropriate

Hardware Test).

While users can purchase bulk raw materials, CMs

also come equipped with a disassembler. The user

loads garbage and other objects into the disassembler

so that they can be turned into raw materials for the

CM. All legally-available disassemblers only deconstruct

non-living material. [Expensive]

Fabber: Fabbers are specialized nanofabricators,

portable and considerably smaller than CMs. There

are a wide variety of portable fabbers, including

ones that can make any hand tool or small piece of

personal electronics, ones that can turn any organic

material into food and drink, and ones that can create

any drug or medicine as well as bandages and specialized

dressings. The most common fabbers have a

volume of 4 liters. Larger hand tools and devices are

produced as 2 or 3 separate parts that must be fitted

together. Like CMs, fabbers also contain miniature

disposal units. [Moderate]

Maker: Makers are specially-designed to produce

food and drink for the user. Raw materials can be provided

by the addition of any water-containing liquid

and collected biomass like leftover food, grass, dirt,

dead animals, or transhuman waste. Some models are

built into standard vacsuits. Makers can produce water

and various flavored beverages, as well as ration bars

or thick pudding-like edible gels. With adequate raw

material, a maker can indefinitely provide food and

drink for up to three transhumans. Most units, however,

have a very limited range of flavors and textures

that are widely considered to be fairly bad. Models

with a wider and better range of flavors and textures

are more expensive, but produce food that is considered

adequate or occasionally good. [Low to Moderate]

Blueprints: If you want a nanofabricator to make

something, you need to instruct the device how to

create it from the molecular level up. Such blueprints

are available for almost every conceivable item out

there. The cost of such blueprints typically exceeds

the cost of purchasing the item, though factors like

legality and quality may affect the cost as usual (see

Acquiring Gear, p. 296). [One Cost Category Higher

Than Item Cost]

Advanced NanotechnologyEdit

NOTE: Advanced nanotechnology includes more recent

developments. Like basic nanotech, advanced nanotechnology

cannot self-replicate but the nanobots

can function normally in most environments and are

highly resistant to bacterial attacks and other environmental

problems. Typical advanced nanotech consists

of a generator—known as a “hive”—that produces

nanobots as long as it is supplied with raw materials.

Every such hive also includes a miniature disassembly

unit and/or specialized nanomachines that collect

raw materials for the generator. These hives produce

nanobot swarms that are set loose to perform some

function in the world.

Examples of advanced nanotech include COTs (p.

315), medichines (p. 308), smart dust (p. 316), and

utilitools (p. 326), among others.

General Hive: General hives are capable of producing

any conceivable type of nanobot with the right

blueprints and/or programming. Even at their smallest

size they are not really portable, with a minimum size

being cubes 30 centimeters on a side and a volume of

25 liters. [Expensive]

Specialized Hive: Specialized hives are far more

common than general hives, though they can produce

only one type of nanomachines (i.e., choose one type

of nanoswarm per hive). The smallest specialized

hives are approximately the size of a 12-gauge shotgun

shell or a large cherry tomato. [Moderate, plus

Cost of Programmed Nanoswarm]

Ego Bridges

NOTE: Ego bridges are vat devices used for uploading and

downloading minds. See Backups and Uploading, p. 268,

and Resleeving, p. 271. [Expensive]

Nanoswarms and Microswarms

NOTE: Swarms are colonies of nanobots or larger microbots

created in a hive, programmed with specific instructions,

and then set free to perform a set task. Each

swarm is composed of hundreds or thousands of

nanobots or microbots, ranging in size from a microbe

to a small insect. Nanobots are typically invisible to

the naked eye, though they can be detected with a

nanodetector (p. 326) or nanoscopic vision (p. 311).

Microbots are more noticeable but still quite small,

usually the size of a grain of sand or a dust mote,

or occasionally as big as a flea. Individual bots in a

swarm are directed by nanocomputers, with behavioral

routines modeled on biological insect and animal

swarms. These swarms stick together and work as a

whole, communicating with nanoradios, nanolasers,

or chemical cues, and sharing information between

each bot in the swarm. Note that nanoswarms don’t

invade inside living bodies (though they may attack

externally)—internal nano is handled by nanoware (p.

308), nanodrugs (p. 321), and nanotoxins (p. 324).

Nanobots and microbots may be designed with

all manner of miniaturized propulsion systems (see

Mobility Systems, p. 310), with the exception of ionic

drives. They are powered by tiny batteries or solar

cells. Their tiny sensors are very effective at allowing

them to identify materials and objects, and so to target

discriminatingly. Nanobots or microbots could, for example,

be programmed to ignore metal objects, certain

types of plants, specific morphs, females, or specific individuals.

Swarms may either be released directly from

a hive or from pre-packaged programmable canisters.

Swarms must be programmed before they are released.

The programming first determines how long

the swarm is active. This timeframe is open-ended,

though most swarms deteriorate into ineffectiveness

after 2 weeks unless they are replenished by a hive.

The programming then sets what area the swarm is

to occupy. This is also open to interpretation and

can vary from “coat this person” to “spread out to a

diameter of 20 meters” to “find the nearest chemical traces and track them to their source.” Finally, programming

sets any other parameters for the swarm’s

mission—for example, if it should ignore certain materials,

if it should send a report at a predetermined

time, or if it should self-destruct into harmless dust

when it has completed a certain task.

Programming is generally handled as a Simple

Success Test using Programming (Nanoswarm) skill.

Failure simply infers that the programming is imperfect,

and so the swarm may not operate completely as

planned. An actual Programming (Nanoswarm) Success

Test is only called for if the swarm’s programming

is substantially complex or if the character seeks to

have the swarm act outside of its usual set functions.

The bots in each swarm are specially equipped for the

task they are designed for, however, so attempting

to drastically repurpose a swarm may be difficult or

pointless at the gamemaster’s discretion.

Swarms may also be teleoperated, controlled, and/

or (re)programmed once they are released, via radio

or laser link.

Swarms are treated as a whole. The standard

swarm size is enough to cover a 10 x 10 x 10 meter

cube, and this is the standard “unit” of swarm released

by a canister or hive. Swarms may be larger,

but they are treated as individual swarm units. Each

swarm has a Durability of 50 and is immune to

wounds. Most attacks against a swarm simply inflict

1 point of damage. Area-effect weapons, plasma rifles,

and fire inflict 1d10 damage, plasma grenades do full

damage. EMP weapons (p. 340) are very effective

against swarms, inflicting 2d10 + 5 damage and a -10

modifier to all tests due to their damaging effects on

the swarm’s communication abilities until repaired.

Swarms are not affected by vacuum.

Cleaners: This nanoswarm cleans, polishes, and

removes dirt and stains. It may be used on an area,

specific objects, or people. Some facilities employ

permanent cleaner swarms to keep their area spotless.

Cleaners may also be programmed to remove specific

toxins, chemicals, or other hazardous substances in

order to decontaminate an area. Covert operatives

and criminals sometimes use cleaners to eliminate

any evidence they may have left at a scene usable for

forensics purposes, such as blood, hair, or anything

that could be DNA-typed. [Low]

Disassemblers: Also known as smart corrosives,

these nanobots break down any matter. Their advantage

over common acids is that not only are

they able to break down any material by using

energy to disrupt chemical bonds, but that they

can be programmed to take apart certain components

while ignoring others, leaving them intact.

Disassemblers are a common weapon used against

synthmorphs, eating away their components without

having to worry about accidentally splashing

biomorphs. Upon contact, these nanobots inflict

1d10 ÷ 2 damage (round up) per Action Turn. Accumulated

damage counts as a wound when the

Wound Threshold is reached. Both Energy and Kinetic armor protect against this damage, but these

armors are eaten away as well, so the Armor Value

is reduced by the soaked DV. [High]

Engineers: Engineer microswarms are used for

various construction purposes: erecting walls, digging

tunnels, sealing holes, reinforcing foundations, and so

on. [Moderate]

Fixers: This is the nanoswarm version of repair

spray (p. 333). [Moderate]

Injectors: Injector microswarms are equipped with

tiny needles and a drug payload. A biological target

affected by an injector swarm suffers 1 point of

damage and the effects of the carried drug, chemical,

or toxin. [Moderate]

Gardeners: This microswarm is useful for a number

of agricultural purposes: killing weeds, planting seeds,

trimming plants, pollinating, and even harvesting

small items. It may also be programmed to simply

defoliate an area. [Moderate]

Guardians: Guardians watch for and attack other

unauthorized swarms. Guardians inflict 1d10 ÷ 2

damage (round up) on other swarms they come into

contact with per Action Turn. [Moderate]

Proteans: This nanoswarm is designed to disassemble

other materials and objects and to create a single specific,

pre-programmed device from the components (much

like a specialized nanofabricator). The proteans must be

able to scavenge appropriate raw materials (for example,

to create a metallic device the nanobots must transform

something else made of metal). The construction time

takes 1 hour per cost category of the item (1 hour for a

Trivial cost item, 2 hours for Low, etc.). [High]

Saboteurs: Sab nanobots are designed to infiltrate

electronics or machinery and sabotage them in small

but difficult to discern ways: severing connections,

disabling components, gumming up moving parts,

etc. Saboteurs inflict damage on devices similar to

disassemblers, but the target is not destroyed and

such damage is not immediately obvious. They inflict

1d10 ÷ 2 points of damage to synthmorphs, bots, and

other devices every Action Turn. Armor has no effect,

but accumulated damage counts as a wound when the

Wound Threshold is reached. [High]

Scouts: A scout nanoswarm will systematically

map and explore an area, collecting samples of

all materials and substances it encounters. The

samples are carried back to the hive or canister

and chemically analyzed. Scouts can also be used

for forensic purposes, collecting DNA samples,

analyzing chemical residues, and examining other

evidence. [High]

Taggants: Taggants seek to lodge themselves onto

everything in their area of dispersal. Each carries

a unique identifier, so that if it is found later, the

tagged person or object can be linked back to

the point they were tagged. Taggants can be programmed

to remain silent, only responding to query

broadcasts made with the proper crypto codes, or

they can be programmed to broadcast their location

back to the deployer via the mesh. [Low]

PetsEdit

NOTE: These partially-uplifted and bio-engineered animals

have rudimentary intelligence and limited communication

skills. They make for fine companions and helpers.

Fur Coat: A so-called “fur coat” is outerwear made

from a living primitive organism. The creature’s skin,

fur, or scales are real. The organism is cultivated from

transgenic stocks and grown around molds into clothing

shapes, often with actual usefulness: polar bear

parkas, seal diving suits, porcupine coats, etc. Fur

coats are modified with wireless controls and haptic

systems, so they can be made to move, shiver, massage,

or prickle up on command. [Low]

Smart Dogs: Commonly used as discriminatory

guardians, smart dogs are sometimes enhanced with

combative bioware or cybernetics. [Moderate]

Smart Monkey: Commonly used by criminal groups

for minor larceny such as pickpocketing, smart monkeys

can be useful and intelligent aides. [Moderate]

Smart Rats: These upgrades of the common Norwegian

rat are clever and dexterous, and they easily fit

into a pocket or hood. [Low]

Space Roach: Grown to the size of a small dog,

these insects are often biosculpted for bright colors

and patterns. They are useful for minor janitorial

duties. [Low]

Pets Table

NOTE: Creature COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL INIT SPD DUR WT LUC TT Skils

Fur Coat 1 1 1 5 1 5 1 12 1 15 3 2 1 —

Smart Dog 5 10 15 15 5 15 10 60 1 25 5 20 4

Fray 30, Freerunning 30, Intimidation 30, Perception

30, Scrounging 30, Unarmed Combat 40

Smart Monkey 5 15 15 15 5 10 10 60 1 20 4 20 4

Climbing 50, Fray 30, Freerunning 30, Infiltration

30, Perception 30, Scrounging 30, Unarmed

Combat 30

Smart Rat 5 15 15 15 5 5 10 60 2 5 1 20 4

Climbing 40, Fray 40, Freerunning 30, Infiltration

50, Perception 20, Scrounging 50

Space Roach 1 10 10 15 5 5 5 50 1 5 1 10 2

Fray 30, Free Fall 30,

Scavenger Tech

NOTE: This technology is often employed by gatecrashers,

space scavengers, and Firewall teams during missions.

Disassembly Tools: These tools are useful for salvage

ops, breaking down wrecks, or dissembling anything

from a habitat room to a vehicle or synthmorph.

They include plasma torches, laser cutters, pneumatic

jaws, and smart tools like spanners and wrenches that

can be adapted to a wide array of connections and

fittings. [High]

Mobile Lab: The mobile lab is a handheld device

that contains all different types of sensors to investigate

organic and inorganic liquid, gaseous, and

solid components (from soil to tissue samples) and compositions. It performs material analysis using

different methods of spectrometry and biochemical

testing, comparing results to a built-in database of

element and compound spectra. Its built in AI comes

equipped with Academic: Chemistry 30. [Moderate]

Specimen Container: This capsule container is

designed to hold samples of any sort (chemical, biological,

etc.) in near stasis. It can be programmed to

reproduce whatever conditions the user specifies, from

cryogenic freezing to extreme heat, or even vacuum or

high-pressure atmosphere. [Low]

Superthermite Charges: These powerful and highly

stable demolition charges are made from a combination

of nanometals and metal oxides. A single charge

can be used to create an explosive blast inflicting

2d10+5 damage. This charge can be shaped with a

successful Demolitions Test, focusing the blast in a

particular 90-degree direction (for example, to blow

through a door). This triples the damage of the blast

in the focused direction; in all other directions, the

damage is reduced to 1/3rd (round down). Multiple

charges apply a cumulative effect. [Moderate]

SERVICES

NOTE: Anonymous Accounts:These accounts are crucial for anyone who wants to be discreet with their online transactions. SeeAnonymous Account Services, p. 252.[Moderate]

Backup: A single, one-time backup without insurance

is sometimes all the poor can afford, hoping

that they can buy backup insurance later or that

someone that cared about them will see to a resleeving.

[Moderate]

Backup Insurance:In the event of verifiable death, or after a set period of being missing, backup insurance will arrange for your cortical stack to be retrieved and your ego downloaded into another morph. If the cortical stack cannot be retrieved, your most recent backup is used. Most policies require that the holder provide a backup to be uploaded into secure storage at least twice a year. This industry works in a manner similar to insurance underwriting in terms of cost and individuals engaged in high risk professions can expect to pay a premium for the service. Additionally, attempts to retrieve a cortical stack are minimal unless one wants to pay for some extra effort (a thriving industry of paramilitary ego-repo operatives exists for this purpose).[Low to Moderate per month]

Body Bank: People who are egocasting to another

station but whom hope to download back into the

same body they have before when they return may

put the morph on ice for the duration of their absence.

[Moderate per month]

Bot/Pod Rental: When you need a helping hand or

a personal companion for a day or two, renting a bot

or pod is often the way to go. [Moderate per day]

Egocasting: This is the use of a farcaster to transmit

an ego/infomorph. Farcasting is not cheap, and

the cost is impacted by factors such as distance to

receiver station and priority service (paying extra to

get bumped ahead in line). [Expensive]

Fake Ego ID: This forged ID will pass in most inner

system and Jovian Republic habitats, and sometimes

others. [High]

Morph Brokerage: Acquiring a new morph is not

always easy and is affected by factors such as the type

of morph, sought-after enhancements/customizations,

and local availability. Numerous brokerage services

exist to find you what you need, or close to it. With

enough lead-time, it may be possible to grow a pod

that closely imitates your morph of choice. A willingness

to accept used/traded-in morphs helps to reduce

costs. For more details, see Morph Brokerage, p. 276.

Psychosurgery: A character can purchase time in an

immersive high-fidelity simulspace with expert care

from psychosurgeons and AIs in order to cope with

derangements and disorders that build up as a result

of existing in a transhuman universe. For an additional

price the procedure can be time shifted to speed

up the relative time within the simulspace. For more

details, see Mental Healing and Psychotherapy, p. 215,

and Psychosurgery, p. 229. [Moderate per month]

Simulspace Subscription: This will by you access to

the simulspace of your choice, whether you want it for

a private meeting/vacation or to play the latest and

hottest VR game. [Low (single use/1 day) to Moderate

(monthly subscription)]

Space Travel: Space transport cost depends on a

number of factors like distance, quality of lodgings,

and how much cargo you’re bringing with. At the low

end, an intra-habitat shuttle trip within the same cluster,

or a trip to or from a planetary body’s surface and

orbit, is not cheap but affordable [High]. Just about

anything else is progressively more costly. [Expensive]

SOFTWAREEdit

NOTE: For information on using software, see theMesh chapter, p. 234.

PROGRAMS

NOTE: These programs can be run on any computerized device.

AR Illusions:These databases of AR clips can be used to create realistic illusions in someone’s entoptic display. SeeAugmented Reality Illusions, p. 259.[Moderate]

Exploit:Exploits are hacker tools that take advantage of known vulnerabilities in other software. They are required for intrusion attempts (p. 254). [High]

Facial/Image Recognition:This program can be used to take an image and run a pattern-matching search among public archives. Similar version of this program exist for other biometrics: gait recognition, vocal recognition, etc.[Low]

Firewall:This program protects a device from hostile intrusion. Every system comes with a standard version of this software by default. [Low]

Sniffer:Sniffer programs collect all of the transmission that pass to, from, or through the device they are running on. SeeSniffing, p. 252.[Moderate]

Spoof:Spoof is a hacker tool used to fake commands and transmissions, making them seem as if they came from another source. SeeSpoofing Authentication, p. 255.[Moderate]

Tactical Networks: These programs allow people in the same squad to share tactical data in real-time. See Tactical Networks, p. 205.[Moderate]

Tracking:This software is used to track people by their presence online. SeeScanning, Tracking, and Monitoring, p. 251.[Moderate]

XP:Experience playback recordings are clips of someone else’s experiences. Depending on the content, some XP (porn, snuff, crime, etc.) may be restricted in certain jurisdictions. Some XP clips are intentionally modified so that their emotive tracks are more intense, giving the viewer a greater thrill.[Low to High]

AIS AND MUSES

NOTE: Every character starts with a personal muse for free. Many devices also come with pre-installed AIs, capable of helping the user, responding to commands, or even operating the device on their own. Rules for AIs can be found on p. 264.

Below are some commonly available AI programs. Unless otherwise noted, these AIs have aptitudes of 10. These AIs may also be equipped with skillsofts (p. 332).

Bot/Vehicle AI:These AIs are designed to be capable of piloting the robot/vehicle without transhuman assistance. REF 20. Skills: Hardware: Electronics 20, Infosec 20, Interests: [Bot/Vehicle] Specs 80, Interface 40, Research 20, Perception 40, Pilot: [appropriate field] 40.[High]

Device AI:These AIs are designed to operate a particular device without transhuman assistance. Skills: Infosec 20, Interests: [Device] Specs 80, Interface 30 (Device Specialization), Programming 20, Research 20, Perception 20.[Moderate]

Kaos AI:Kaos AIs are used by hackers and covert ops teams to create distractions and sabotage systems.  REF 20. Skills: Hardware: Electronics 40, Infosec 40, Interface 40, Professional: Security System 80, Programming 40, Research 20, Perception 30 plus one weapon skill at 40.[Expensive]

Security AI:Security AIs provide overwatch for electronic systems. Skills: Hardware: Electronics 30, Infosec 40, Interface 40, Professional: Security Systems 80, Programming 40, Research 20, Perception 30, plus one weapon skill at 40.[High]

Standard Muse:Muses are digital entities that have been designed as personal assistants and lifelong companions for transhumans (see AIs and Muses,

p. 264). INT 20. Skills: Academics: Psychology 60, Hardware: Electronics 30, Infosec 30, Interface 40, Professional: Accounting 60, Programming 20,Research 30, Perception 30, plus three other Knowledge skills at 40.[High]

Scorchers

NOTE: Scorchers are damaging neurofeedback programs used

to torment hacked cyberbrains (p. 261).

Bedlam: Bedlam programs assault the ego with

traumatic mental input, inflicting mental stress.

Victims are overwhelmed with horrific, monstrous,

sanity-ripping sensory and emotional input. Each

attack inflicts 1d10 SV. [High]

Cauterizer: This scorch program rips into the ego

with destructive neurofeedback routines. Each attack

with a cauterizer inflicts 1d10 + 5 DV on the target

ego. This damage is reflected as digitized neurological

damage. [High]

Nightmare: Nightmare programs trigger anxiety

and panic attacks within the victim by stimulating the

neural circuitry representing the amygdala and hippocampus.

The target ego must make a WIL x 2 Test.

If they succeed, they are shaken but otherwise unaffected,

suffering a –10 modifier to all actions until the

end of the next Action Turn. If they fail, they suffers

1d10 ÷ 2 stress damage and are overcome with panic.

This causes them either to blindly flee, have a nervous

breakdown, or cower in frozen shock (gamemaster’s

discretion). This panic episode lasts for 1 Action Turn

per 10 points of MoF. [High]

Shutter: Shutters target the victim’s sensory cortices,

inflicting a –30 modifier to one chosen sense. Double

this modifier if the attacking hacker scored an Excellent

Success. This modifier reduces at the rate of 10

points per Action Turn. [High]

Spasm: Spasm programs are design to incapacitate

the ego with excruciating pain. Affected targets must

immediately make a WIL x 2 Test. If they fail, they

immediately convulse, are disabled, and writhe in

agony for 1 Action Turns per 10 full points of MoF.

If they succeed, they still suffer a –30 modifier to all

actions, which reduces at the rate of 10 points per

Action Turn. Due to the nature of the delivery, pain

tolerance of any sort has no effect. [High]

Skillsofts

NOTE: Skillsofts are used with skillware implants (p. 309).

Standard Skillsoft: These programs provide the

character with a rating of up to 40 in a single Active

skill. [High]

Survival GearEdit

NOTE: The following gear is often critical to the survival of

soldiers, spies, criminals, gatecrashers, emergency service

personnel, and others who regularly venture into

unsafe or unfamiliar regions.

Breadcrumb Positioning System: This worn device

leaves micro “breadcrumbs” behind as the character

moves. These devices interact with mesh inserts (or

ectos) as long as they are within range (50 meters),

allowing the user to map their position in relation to

the breadcrumb trail. This is useful in derelict habitats,

wilderness, and other areas where there is no local

functioning mesh, and is helpful both for mapping

and for finding one’s way back. [Low]

Electrogravitics Net: Also called a safety net, this failsafe

system uses electric fields to counter gravity when

falling. While the system is not able to actually levitate

heavy objects, it will slow down a fall enough that the

user can land safely if the gravitational force is not too

high (the fall height is not greater than 50 meters in

1G). Generating these electric fields consumes a lot of

energy, so the net is only charged for one use only and

needs to be recharged afterwards. [Moderate]

Electronic Rope: The

fibers in this rope can be

controlled electronically,

making it move in a snakelike

fashion, stiffen up, and

even wrap around objects.

Typically comes in a 50-

meter length capable of

supporting 250 kg. [Low]

Emergency Bubble: Commonly

used as a last resort

“life raft” on spaceships, an

emergency bubble is made

of advanced smart materials

and comes in a portable

package that can be

quickly inflated (1 Action

Turn) around the user, usually

inside an airlock. The

bubble has a 5-meter diameter and can comfortably

accommodate 4 people. It maintains 1 atmosphere of

pressure in a vacuum, protect the inhabitants from

temperatures ranging from –175 to 140 C, and provide

light, breathable air and water and food recycling

for up to four human-sized inhabitants, using its built

in maker (p. 327). It features a simple airlock, carries

an emergency distress beacon (below), and can be

transparent, opaque, or polarized. It is powered by a

small nuclear battery and also includes comfortable

inflatable furniture. [Moderate]

Emergency Distress Beacon: This small but powerful

transmitter is powered by a nuclear battery and

will broadcast any programmed distress call for years.

Though portable and medium-sized, this beacon has

a range of 500 km in urban areas and 5,000 km elsewhere.

[Moderate]

Flashlight: These handheld, wearable, or portable

lights can display light in the normal visual spectrum,

infrared, or ultraviolet, as desired. [Trivial]

Nanobandage: Characters without medichines must

rely on external sources of healing. The most common

option is the nanobandage—a plum-sized advanced

nanotechnology generator built into a reusable, selfsterilizing

bandage. It can treat all forms of injury and

illness, from poisoning to burns to trauma. Characters

simply apply the bandage to the wound and let the

nanobots do the work. It removes pain and discomfort

and speeds healing (see Biomorph Healing, p.

208). For especially severe injuries, physical first aid

such as setting bones and removing projectiles may

be necessary (gamemaster’s choice). If the wounds are

too severe (the patient has suffered more than five

wounds), the unit places the patient in medical stasis

and radios for emergency services. [Trivial]

Repair Spray: This nanobot generator creates

nanobots designed to repair synthmorphs, vehicles,

and other common objects. Repair spray contains

the specifications and plans for almost all commonly

used synthmorphs and devices and is a ubiquitous

household item. If it does not contain the specifications

for something it is being used to repair, it must

query the object’s voice for these details, otherwise

it cannot repair it. Simply touch it to the damaged

area, push the button on top, and it sprays out a

number of nanobots sufficient to make repairs.

These nanobots repair 1d10 points of damage per

2 hours. Once all damage is restored, the nanobots

repair wounds at the rate of 1 per day. Repair spray

also cleans and polishes items and returns them to a

pristine and new state. Repair spray is not effective

on any object with more than 3 wounds, but it provides

a +30 to all repair rolls on anything too badly

damaged for it to fully repair (see Synthmorph and

Object Repair, p. 208). [Low]

Shelter Dome: A variant of the emergency bubble,

this package unfolds into a dome with a 2.5-meter

ceiling and a floor 4 meters across. To safely use this

shelter, it must be staked down to the surface it is

placed on. [Moderate]

Spindle: A spindle is an advanced nanotechnology

generator that produces a super-strong cable. It can

produce up to 2 kilometers of 0.2 millimeter diameter

line than can support up to 250 kilograms before it

needs more raw materials. The spindle can produce

up to 20 meters of cable every second. It can produce

line in a continuous length or cut the cable it produces

to any length. Spindles can also reabsorb their cable,

retracting it at a rate of 5 m per second. As long as

it is recharged and has small amounts of additional

material added every 1,000 hours of use, a spindle

can keep producing and retracting cable indefinitely.

By setting the maximum production speed at 10 m/

second a character with a spindle can safely jump

off a building and land safely, using the cable to slow

their descent. [Moderate]

Spindle Climber: This device attaches to a spindle

and transforms it into a highly effective climbing

device. The spindle climber has two functions. First, it

attaches hardened tips to the spindle’s cable and fires

it at high speed, up to 50 meters, with sufficient force

to imbed the tip into almost any sufficiently durable

surface. Second, the spindle climber can pull itself and

up to 250 kg up the cable at a speed of up to 2 m/sec.

A spindle climber has enough power to shoot and pull

up the cable 50 times before it must be rech

Vacuum Suits

NOTE: Most vacuum suits are skin-tight garments that use

the pressure of their advanced smartfabrics on the

wearer’s body to resist vacuum. When the wearer is in

a breathable atmosphere, the smartfabric also loosens

the suits to serve as ordinary clothing or be easily

put on or taken off. In all cases, the suits can become

skin-tight within 3 Action Turns. All vacsuits contain

advanced rebreather units capable of maintaining a

breathable atmosphere for several hours or days.

Light Vacsuit: Everyone living in a sealed habitat

owns at least one of these suits. They come in a variety

of forms. Inexpensive versions are typically lightweight

jumpsuits made of simple smart fabric that

adjusts to fit and folds up small enough to fit into a

coat pocket. The best models include suits of high-end

smart clothing that can transform into a vacsuit and

an advanced nanotech generator the size of a large

orange that deploy nanobots that cover the user and

fit together into a vacuum suit. Both can transform

into a vacsuit in 2 full Action Turns and do so either

on command or if their sensors reveal that life support

is needed.

All models include a lightweight belt or torc

containing a miniature oxygen tank and advanced

rebreather unit that provides 3 hours of air. However,

the suits contain no food or water recycling. All

models include an ecto (p. 325) and a headlight, but

typically little else beyond atmosphere sensors to let

the wearer know when it is safe to take off the suit.

They protect the wearer from temperatures from –75

to 100 C. These vacuum suits also provide an Armor

rating of 5/5 and instantly self-seal breaches unless

more than 20 points of damage are inflicted at once.

[Low, Moderate for smartfabric suits]

Standard Vacsuit: These suits resemble light vacsuits

made from thicker and more durable materials

that resist tearing and provides the wearer with light

armor. They are fitted with more substantial life support

belts that includes a maker (p. 327) capable of

recycling all wastes and producing air for up to 48

hours and food and water indefinitely. The best suits

are made of smart materials that can transform fromstandard clothing to vacuum suits in a single Action

Turn, and will do so automatically if life support is

needed. Each suit also contains an ecto (p. 325), a

radio booster (p. 313), and sensors equal to specs (see

p. 325). These suits have an Armor rating of 7/7 and

protect the wearer from temperatures from –175 to

140 C. They can almost instantly seal any hole unless

more than 30 points of damage are inflicted at once.

[Moderate, High for smartfabric suits]

Hard Suit: This heavy-duty suit can almost be

considered a miniature space ship. Hard Suits look

like large metallic ovals with jointed arms and legs.

They are quite heavy, but the user can move relatively

easily by using servo assist motors in all the major

joints of the arms and legs. Unlike other vacsuits, they

are solid and can resist both vacuum and up to 100

atmospheres of external pressure. Characters wearing

hard suits can safely explore the upper atmosphere

of a gas giant. They are well armored against punctures

and radiation and possess miniature plasma

thrusters capable of delivering 0.01G for 10 hours. A

built-in high quality maker produces sufficient food,

air, and water that a user can remain in a hard suit

indefinitely. Explorers have used them continuously

for up to 2 months. Their gloves incorporate smart

materials that allow each hand to use the equivalent

of a utilitool (p. 326). Hard suits also contain radios

and sensors equivalent to those on standard vacsuits.

These suits have an Armor rating of 15/15, are maintained

by a fixer nanohive (p. 329), and are instantly

self-sealing of any breach unless more than 30 points

of damage are inflicted at once. They protect the

wearer from temperatures of –200 to 180 C. [High]

WEAPONSEdit

NOTE: A wide range of weapons are available inEclipse Phase, from the primitive to the technologically advanced.

MELEE WEAPONSEdit

NOTE: Melee weapons are those wielded by hand (or foot) in melee combat. They are divided by the skill be which they are used.

Blades

NOTE: These weapons are wielded with Blades skill.

Diamond Axe: Commonly found on many habitats

for fire and emergency purposes, axes require two

hands to wield. Their blades are diamond-coated for

superior cutting ability. [Low]

Flex Cutter: The blade of this machete-like weapon

is made of a memory polymer. When deactivated, the

blade is limp and flexible, and may even be rolled up

or otherwise easily concealed. When activated, however,

the blade stiffens and sharpens into a vicious

slashing weapon. [Low]

Knife: A standard cutting implement, still carried

by many. [Trivial]

Monofilament Sword: Though swords are rather

archaic in the time of Eclipse Phase, a few eccentrics

take advantage of modern versions with a selfsharpening

near-monomolecular edge, easily capable

of slicing through metal or limbs. [Low]

Vibroblade: These buzzing electronic blades vibrate

at a high frequency for extra cutting ability. This

has little extra effect when stabbing or slashing, but

provides an extra –3 AP and +2d10 damage when

carefully sawing through something. [Low]

Wasp Knife: Wasp knives are equipped with a canister

in their handle. The common use is to fill these

canisters with pressured air, which inflates inside

the target. This is potentially lethal in vacuum or

pressurized environments (like underwater), as the

gas bursts out of the body cavity to escape (+2d10

damage in such situations). Wasp knives may also

be loaded with chemicals, drugs, or nanobots. The

target must be damaged for the canister’s contents to

affect them. [Low]

Clubs

NOTE: Characters use Clubs skill when using these weapons.

Club: Clubs encompasses a wide range of one-handed

blunt objects, from saps to sticks to pipes. [Trivial]

Extendable Baton: This hardened composite baton

retracts into its handle for easy carrying, storage, or

concealment. Extending it simply requires a flick or

an electronic signal. [Trivial]

Shock Baton: Shock batons are standard clubs

used for policing duties, but when activated they also

deliver an electric shock to struck targets (see Shock

Attacks, p. 204). [Low]

Exotic Melee Weapons

NOTE: Unusual weapons requires a specific Exotic Melee

field skill to use.

Monowire Garrote: This assassin’s weapon features

a dangerous monomolecular wire wrapped

around a contained spool with two handles. One

handle grips the spool, while the other extends the

wire so that it may be used to wrap around targets

(typically necks or limbs) and slice through them

when pulled. Monofilament tensile strength is weak,

however, usually breaking after one use. [Moderate]

Unarmed

NOTE: These weapons are wielded using Unarmed Combat skill.

Densiplast Gloves: These gloves extra-harden when

activated, for extra punch. [Trivial]

Shock Gloves: When activated, these gloves deliver

an incapacitating shock along with every punch or

grab. Note that the effect is the same whether wearing

one glove or two. [Low]

MELEE WEAPONS--BLADES,CLUBS,EXOTIC, UNARMED

NOTE: MELEE WEAPONS--BLADES, CLUBS, EXOTIC, UNARMED

Blades Armor Penetration (AP) Damage V alue (DV ) Average DV

Diamond Ax –3 2d10 + 3 + (SOM ÷ 10) 14 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Flex Cutter –1 1d10 + 3 + (SOM ÷ 10) 8 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Knife –1 1d10 + 2 + (SOM ÷ 10) 7 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Monofilament Sword –4 2d10 + 2 + (SOM ÷ 10) 13 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Vibroblade –2 2d10 + (SOM ÷ 10) 11 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Wasp Knife –1 1d10 + 2 + (SOM ÷ 10) 7 + (SOM ÷ 10)

clubs Armor Penetration (AP) Damage V alue (DV ) Average DV

Club — 1d10 + 2 + (SOM ÷ 10) 7 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Extendable Baton — 1d10 + 2 + (SOM ÷ 10) 7 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Shock Baton — 1d10 + 2 + (SOM ÷ 10) + shock (p. 204) 7 + (SOM ÷ 10)

exoti c mele weapons Armor Penetration (AP) Damage V alue (DV ) Average DV

Monowire Garrote –8 3d10 16

Unarmed Armor Penetration (AP) Damage V alue (DV ) Average DV

UNARMED	ARMOR PENETRATION (AP)	DAMAGE VALUE (DV)	AVERAGE DV
Unarmed	--	1d10 / (SOM / 10)	5 / (SOM / 10)

Bioware Claws (p. 304) –1 1d10 + 1 + (SOM ÷ 10) 6 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Cyberclaws (p. 307) –2 1d10 + 3 + (SOM ÷ 10) 8 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Densiplast Gloves — 1d10 + 2 + (SOM ÷ 10) 7 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Eelware (p. 304) — shock (p. 204) —

Shock Gloves — 1d10 + (SOM ÷ 10) + shock (p. 204) 5 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Unarmed — 1d10 + (SOM ÷ 10) 5 + (SOM ÷ 10)

Kinetic WeaponsEdit

NOTE: Kinetic weapons damage the target by firing a hard

impact projectile at high-velocities. Slugthrowers

have evolved from the mechanical firearms of the

early 21st century, however, and now fall into two

categories: chemical firearms and railguns. Though

their mechanisms for firing are different, they are

roughly similar in effect. Railguns have a higher

penetration and inflict more damage, which is offset

by more limited ammunition choices. While modern

beam weapons have their uses, they rarely match the

punch of kinetic weapons, therefore slugthrowers

are still perceived as the most versatile and effective

weapon system.

Kinetic weapons are constructed from lightweight,

reinforced plastoceramic materials, which are easily

produced even without nanofabrication. By default,

modern kinetic weapons are ambidextrous but more

importantly feature safety and smartlink systems (p.

342) that automatically connect to the wielder’s mesh

inserts for firing assistance, target recognition, and

tactical networking.

The wielder of a firearm or railgun uses Kinetic

Weapons skill. For information on firing modes, see

p. 198. For different ammunition types, see p. 336.

Ranges are listed on p. 203.

FirearmsEdit

NOTE: Modern chemical firearms use caseless ammunition

that is auto-loaded from a magazine. They are

effectively recoilless (thanks to rheological smart

fluid mechanisms) and electronically fired (an electric

charge vaporizes the propellant, using the expanding

steam and plasma to eject and accelerate the projectile).

Note that older, pre-Fall firearms still exist and are

traded by black marketeers, though they use outdated

system such as liquid propellants or cased ammunition.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, these relics may

suffer shorter ranges, less penetration, fewer firing

modes, or reduced damage.

Pistols: Pistols are small-sized (p. 297) and designed

for one-hand use. Light pistols sacrifice penetrating

ability for concealability. Heavy pistols focus

on stopping power, with medium pistols occupying

a middle ground. All versions fire in semi-automatic,

burst-fire, and full-auto modes. [Low]

Submachine Guns: SMGs use pistol ammunition,

but are medium-sized (p. 297) and may fire in

semi-auto, burst fire, or full auto modes. They typically

are designed in a bullpup configuration for

close quarters operations and are ideal for tactical

and strike teams. [Moderate]

Automatic Rifles: Automatic rifles use rifle ammunition

and have greater range and penetration than

SMGs. They fire in semi-auto, burst fire, or full auto

modes. They are two-handed weapons. [Moderate]

Sniper Rifle: Sniper rifles are optimized for range,

accuracy, penetration, and stopping power. They

fire in semi-auto mode only and are two-handed

weapons. [High]

Machine Gun: Machine guns are heavy weapons,

typically mounted, and intended to provide continuous

fire for support or suppressive purposes. They fire

in burst fire or full auto modes, and are two-handed

weapons. [High]

Table

NOTE: ineti c weapons —fire arms

Firearms Armor Penetration (AP) Damage V alue (DV ) Average DV Firing Modes Amo

Light Pistol — 2d10 11 SA, BF, FA 10

Medium Pistol –2 2d10 + 2 13 SA, BF, FA 12

Heavy Pistol –4 2d10 + 4 15 SA, BF, FA 16

Submachine Gun –2 2d10 + 3 14 SA, BF, FA 20

Automatic Rifle –6 2d10 + 6 17 SA, BF, FA 30

Sniper Rifle –12 2d10 + 10 21 SA 40

Machine Gun –6 2d10 + 6 17 BF, FA 50

RailgunsEdit

NOTE: Railguns use a pair of electromagnetic rails to slide

and accelerate a non-explosive conductive projectile at

extremely high velocities (Mach 6+) to create an overwhelming,

penetrating attack. The kinetic energy of the projectile exceeds that of an explosive-filled shell

of greater mass and creates shock and heat waves

upon impact that shatter and incinerate the target, or

portions of it. While railguns are more potent than

firearms, the ammunition choices are limited as the

projectile must be conductive and able to survive

both acceleration and heat created in the process due

to friction. Nanofabrication allows railguns to be

manufactured on the personal weapons scale while

high-energy portable batteries provide the power to

fire them. Railgun operation is silent except for the

supersonic crack of the projectile.

Railguns are available in the same models as firearms

(pistols through machine guns), with the following

modifications:

• Increase AP by –3

• Increase damage by +2

• Increase the maximum for each range category

by x1.5

• Increase Cost category by one

• Railguns may only use regular and armor-piercing

ammunition

• Railguns also require battery power for each shot.

Standard railgun batteries hold enough power for

200 shots, after which they must be recharged at

the rate of 20 points per hour.

Table

NOTE: kineti c weapons —railguns

railguns Armor Penetration (AP) Damage V alue (DV ) Average DV Firing Modes Amo

Light Pistol –3 2d10 + 2 13 SA, BF, FA 10

Medium Pistol –5 2d10 + 4 15 SA, BF, FA 12

Heavy Pistol –7 2d10 + 6 17 SA, BF, FA 16

Submachine Gun –5 2d10 + 5 16 SA, BF, FA 20

Automatic Rifle –9 2d10 + 8 19 SA, BF, FA 30

Sniper Rifle –15 2d10 + 12 23 SA 40

Machine Gun –9 2d10 + 8 19 BF, FA 50

Kinetic AmmunitionEdit

NOTE: Ammunition is defined by its various types (standard,

gel, APDS, etc.) and by the class of gun (light pistol,

heavy pistol, SMG, etc.). For simplicity, each gun

can trade ammunition with another gun of its class,

though ammunition for firearms and railguns is not exchangeable. For example, all railgun SMGs can

share ammo.

The ammunition’s Damage Value and Armor Penetration

modifiers are added to the weapon’s base

DV and AP. With the exception of regular and armorpiercing

rounds, none of this ammunition may be

used with railguns. Listed costs are per 100 rounds

of ammunition.

Armor-Piercing: This tungsten-carbide ammunition

penetrates armor effectively. [Low]

Bug: Bug rounds are equipped with a microbug and

medical sensor nanobots. They attempt to gather information

on the target’s location (via standard mesh

tracking), health (querying the target’s medichines),

and surroundings (typically hindered by being inside

the target’s body). They will transmit status reports

in a pre-programmed manner via the mesh or a prechosen

frequency band either continuously or in preset

intervals. [Low]

Capsule: Capsule ammo carries a payload (drug,

toxin, nanobots) that is released inside the target after

the round penetrates. [Trivial plus payload cost]

Flux: Flux ammo is made from rheological materials

that allow each bullet to be “programmed” so that

they may change from regular rounds to less-lethal soft

plastic-like rounds. This allows the firer to choose the

type of round (regular or plastic) made with each shot

or burst, and then change with the next one. [Low]

Table

NOTE: Amo AP Modifier DV Modifier

Armor-Piercing –5 –2

Bug +1 –1d10

Capsule +1 –half

Flux as ammo type as ammo type

Hollow-Point +2 +1d10

Jammer — no damage

Plastic (AV doubled) –half

Reactive –2 +2

Reactive Armor-

Piercing

–6 –1

Regular — —

Splash — no damage

Zap +2 –half + shock (p. 204)

SMART Ammo

Accushot — —

Biter — +1d10

Flayer — +2

Homing — —

Laser-Guided — —

Proximity –1 +2

Zero — —

Smart Ammo

NOTE: Smart ammunition takes advantage of nanotechnology

to produce bullets that can alter their flight path,

home in the target, and correct aim. Smart ammo may

not be used with railguns. With the exception of biter,

flayer, and proximity rounds, smart ammo may be

combined with other ammo types (accushot armorpiercing,

for example).

Accushot: Accushot bullets change shape within

flight to keep dead on course, countering the effects

of wind, drag, and gravity over distance. Attacks

made with accushot bullets ignore all range modifiers.

[Low]

Biter: Biters are specially-designed to fragment in

opposite proportion to the hardness of the target they

strike. For hard targets (synthmorphs), they fragment

very little, blasting a big hole. For soft targets

(biomorphs), they fragment and tumble in multiple

directions within the body. [Low]

Flayer: Flayers have nanosensors to detect an oncoming

impact, shooting out monomolecular barbs

as they are about to strike a target. These monowires

cut through the target along with the bullet, inflicting

additional damage. [Low]

Homing: When fired with a smartlink system, the

bullet identifies the target and uses nanosensors to

lock on, correcting the bullet’s trajectory with surface

alterations and tiny vectored nozzles. Apply a +10

modifier to the Attack Test, cumulative with aiming

and smartlink modifiers. Homing bullets may also be

used for indirect fire (p. 195). [Low]

Laser-Guided: These bullets function like homing

smart rounds (apply the +10 attack modifier), except

rather than requiring a smartlink system, they lock

onto the reflection of the laser sight used to paint

the target. Laser-guided bullets may also be used for

indirect fire (p. 195). [Low]

Proximity: Proximity is an explosive ammunition

that identifies the target when fired via smartlink. If

the round determines that it will miss the target, it will

still explode if it reaches the close proximity of the

target. If the attack misses with an MoF of 10 or less,

the round explodes 1d10 meters away from the target

and inflicts 1d10 area effect damage (see Blast Effect,

p. 193) in the proximity of the target. [Moderate]

Zero: Similar to homing smart rounds, zero bullets

identify the target when fired via smartlink. Whether

the round hits or misses, however, it sends telemetry

data back to the next zero bullet, allowing it to

course-correct and “zero in” to hit the target (or hit

more accurately). Apply a +10 modifier to each shot

(or burst) fired after the first against the same target in

the same Action Turn. [Low]

Brand Name Weapons and Combined Arms

NOTE: The weapons listed in this book define generic

samples of each weapon. Gamemasters are encouraged

to offer brand name versions of each

weapon, each with its particular idiosyncrasies

and small variations. For example, a Direct

Action A30 SMG might lack a semi-automatic

setting but come equipped with an extra ammo

capacity of 35. Likewise, a Medusan Arms Longinus

sniper rifle may inflict an extra +2 damage

but have an AP of only –12.

Similarly, many of the weapons listed here are

available as combined arms weapons systems. A

police-issue assault rifle may also feature a stunner—

all built into the same weapon. For combined

arms, simply add together the individual

weapon component costs.

Beam WeaponsEdit

NOTE: Beam weapons is a broad category for a number of electromagnetic

weapons with a wide range of effects. With

a few exceptions, energy weapons are primarily used for

less-than-lethal purposes, designed to impair the target

rather than kill it. Their poor performance against armor,

lesser ability to damage targets, and high power requirements

make them less versatile than kinetic weapons.

The wielders of such weapons use Beam Weapons skill.

Beam weapons are powered by nuclear batteries.

This battery is good for a list number of shots before

it is depleted. Batteries may be recharged at the rate of

20 shots per hour; they have a Cost of [Low]

Laser Pulsers: Laser weapons use focused beams of

light to inflict damage on the target by burning into it

and causing it’s outer surface to vaporize and expand,

creating an explosive effect. The laser beam is pulsed

in order to bite into the target before the beam is diffused.

Pulsers are vulnerable to atmospheric effects

like dust, mist, smoke, or rain, however—the gamemaster

should reduce their effective range categories

as appropriate. Note that laser pulses are invisible in

the normal visual spectrum (but are visible to characters

with enhanced vision). Pulsers are medium-sized

(p. 297) and fire in semi-auto mode. [Moderate]

One advantage to the pulser is that it can be placed

in less-lethal mode. In this case, it first fires a pulse at

the target to create a ball of plasma, quickly fired by

a second pulse that strikes the plasma and creates a

flash-bang shockwave to stun and disorient the target.

This blast has an area of effect with a 1-meter radius.

Anyone caught in the blast must make a SOM x 2

Test (SOM x 3 for synthmorphs or biomorphs with

any form of pain tolerance). Failure means the target

is temporarily stunned and disoriented and loses

their next action. A critical failure means the target

is knocked down and paralyzed for 1 Action Turn per

10 points of MoF. In this stun setting, the pulser fires

only in single-shot mode.

Microwave Agonizer: The agonizer fires millimeterwave

beams that create an unpleasant burning sensation

in skin (even through armor) and to metals.

Agonizers have two settings. The first is an active

denial setting that causes extreme burning pain in the

target, inflicting –20 to the target’s actions and forcing

them to move away from the beam on their next

action unless they succeed in a WIL Test (targets with

Level 1 Pain Tolerance or the equivalent only suffer

a –10 modifier and roll WIL x 2). Synthetic morphs

and biomorphs with Level 2 Pain Tolerance (or the

equivalent) are immune to this weapon. The second

setting (colloquially known as the “roast” setting) has

the same effect of the first, but also actually burns the

target, inflicting the listed damage. Originally developed

for crowd control, the agonizer is also useful for

repelling animals. The agonizer is small-sized (p. 297)

and fires in semi-auto mode. [Moderate]

Particle Beam Bolter: This weapon shoots a bolt of

accelerated particles at near light speed that transfer

massive amounts of kinetic energy to the target, superheating

and creating an explosion when striking.

The bolter’s beam is not diffused by the cloud that

occurs when it strikes, and so it has greater penetration

than the laser pulser. Likewise, the bolter is not

affected by smoke, fog, or rain. The bolter’s beam is

invisible. Note that bolters are designed for either

atmospheric or exoatmospheric (vacuum) operation,

and will not function in the opposite environment

(though bulkier dual models, combining both models,

are also available). Bolters fire in semi-auto mode and

are rifle-sized two-handed weapons. [High]

Plasma Rifle: This bulky, heavy, two-handed

weapon blasts a stream of nova-hot plasma at the

target, inflicting severe burns and thermal damage,

possibly melting or evaporating the target entirely.

Plasma rifles are perhaps the deadliest man-portable

weapons in use. Plasma guns suffer from dangerous

overheating, however, and so require 1 full Action

Turn of cool-down time after every 2 shots. Plasma

rifles only fire in single shot mode. [Expensive]

Stunner: The stunner is an electrolaser that creates

an electrically-conductive plasma channel to the

target, down which it transmits a powerful electric

current, shocking the target. Stunners do not work in

vacuum. Stunners fire in semi-auto mode. [Moderate]

Table

NOTE: beam weapons Armor Penetration (AP) Damage V alue (DV ) Average DV Firing Modes Amo

Cybernetic Hand Laser (p. 308) — 2d10 11 SA 50

Laser Pulser — 2d10 11 SA 100

Stun Mode — 1d10 5 SS —

Microwave Agonizer — pain (see description) — SA 100

Roast Mode –5 2d10 11 SA 50

Particle Beam Bolter –2 2d10 + 4 15 SA 50

Plasma Rifle –8 3d10 + 12 28 SS 10

Stunner — (1d10 ÷ 2) + shock (p. 204) — SA 200

SeekersEdit

NOTE: Seekers

Seekers are a combination of automatic grenade

launcher, micromissile, coilgun, and smart munitions

technology. Unlike traditional launchers of the past,

miniaturization allows the manufacture of seeker micromissile

launchers in personal weapon sizes. Seeker

rounds are fired at high-velocity via rings of magnetic

coils, after which the micromissile or minimissile uses

scramjet technology to propel itself and maintain high

velocities over great distances. Seekers are wielded

using Seeker Weapon skill.

Seeker missiles are detailed on p. 340. Like grenades,

seekers may be programmed for a variety of

trigger events (see Grenades and Seekers, p. 199). All

seeker weapons are smartlink-equipped (p. 342).

Disposable Launcher (Standard Missile): This

launcher is pre-packed with one standard missile.

[Moderate (includes missile)]

Seeker Armband (Micromissile): This weapons unit

is worn on the arm, allowing the user to point and

fire using an entoptic smartlink system. Though highly

portable, the armband’s micromissile supply is low. It

fires in single-shot mode. [Moderate]

Seeker Pistol (Micromissile): This pistol-sized

seeker launcher fires micromissiles in semi-auto

mode. [Moderate]

Seeker Rifle (Micromissile/Minimissile): The seeker

rifle comes in a bullpup configuration and fires either

micromissiles or minimissiles in semi-auto mode. It is

a two-handed weapons. [High]

Underbarrel Seeker (Micromissile): This seeker

micromissile launcher is commonly attached to the

underbarrel of SMGs or assault rifles. It fires in semiauto

mode. [Moderate]

Table

NOTE: Seeker We apons Firing Modes Amo

Disposable Launcher SS 1

Seeker Armband SS 4

Seeker Pistol SA 8

Seeker Rifle SA 12 micromissile/6 minimissile

Underbarrel Seeker SA 6

Spray WeaponsEdit

NOTE: Spray weapons blast their ammunition outwards in a

widening cone, allowing them to strike several targets

at once. These weapons are wielded with Spray Weapons

skill. Spray weapon ammunition has a flat cost

of Low per 100 shots (with the exception of buzzers,

which use nanoswarms).

Buzzer: Equipped with a specialized nanobot hive,

Buzzers are used to spray a nanoswarm (p. 328) on a

target or area. They have a limited capacity of swarms,

though the nanohive can construct one new swarm

each hour. This weapon is two-handed. [Moderate]

Freezer: Freezers spew out a fast-hardening foam

that immediately begins to harden. They are primarily

used as a non-lethal method of immobilizing or

securing a target. Struck characters must immediately

make a REF x 3 Test or become trapped. Apply a –30

modifier to this test if the attacker scored an Excellent

Success (MoS 30+). The foam allows characters

to breath even if their mouth and nose are covered,

but it may impede sight. Freezer foam can be spiked

with contact toxins or drugs to additionally sedate

the target. It can also be used to construct temporary

barricades or cover. Hardened foam has an Armor of

10 and Durability of 20. It slowly breaks down and

degrades over a 12 hour period. Freezers are twohanded.

[Moderate]

Shard Pistol: The shard pistol is a flechette weapon,

firing a stream of of diamondoid monomolecular

shards at high velocities. These micro flechettes are

very good at penetrating armor, but they do not disperse

kinetic energy well and so do not cause as much

tissue damage as kinetic weapons. Shard ammunition

is often coated with drugs or toxins for extra efficiency.

[Low]

Shredder: A heavier version of the shard pistol,

the shredder fires a larger cloud of lethal flechettes,

enough to shred a portion of the target into a fine

mist. [Moderate]

Sprayer: This is a general-purpose two-handed

squirtgun, loaded with tanks filled with the chemical

or drug of the wielder’s choice. [Low]

Torch: This modern flamethrower uses condensed

ammunition capsules rather than fuel tanks, scorching

targets and setting them on fire. Any hit that is

an Excellent Success (MoS 30+) sets the target on

fire, where they will continue to take 2d10 damage

per Action Turn. These chemical fires are particularly

difficult to put out unless they are deprived of oxygen.

Torches are two-handed. [Moderate]

Table

NOTE: Spray We apons Armor Penetration (AP) Damage V alue (DV ) Average DV Firing Modes Amo

Buzzer — nanoswarm — SS 3

Freezer — incapacitation — SA 20

Shard –10 1d10 + 6 11 SA, BF, FA 100

Shredder –10 2d10 + 5 16 SA, BF, FA 100

Sprayer as chemical/drug as chemical/drug as chemical/drug SA 20

Torch –4 3d10 16 SS 20

Grenades and SeekersEdit

NOTE: Grenades and seeker missiles come in similar munitions

packages and with similar trigger mechanisms,

though their packaging, physical form, and methods

of application differ. Seeker missiles are fired from a

seeker launcher (p. 339) using Seeker Weapons skill.

Grenades are thrown at targets using Throwing Weapons

skill. If a grenade or seeker misses, use the rules

for scatter (p. 204).

Grenades are available in standard form or as

microgrenades. Similarly, missiles are available in

standard, minimissile, or micromissile sizes. Standard

grenades and minimissiles are the baseline standard

for listed effects. All are area effect weapons (p. 193).

Minigrenades and micromissiles inflict –1d10 damage

(or have another decreased effect as noted). Standard

missiles double the listed DV. For weapons with a

unfirom blast effect or other static blast area, divide

the base listed radius in half for minigrenades and micromissiles

and double it for standard missiles. Listed

costs are for 10 grenades/missiles.

Each seeker has one smart ammo option (p. 338)

other than biter or flayer.

Concussion: These devices emit a concussive blast

designed to knock opponents off their feet and stun

them. Any character caught within a base blast radius

of 10 meters must make a SOM x 2 Test. If they fail,

they are knocked down. If their MoF is 30+, they are

additionally stunned until the end of the next Action

Turn. Anyone caught in the blast radius suffers a

–10 action modifier for the rest of that Action Turn.

[Moderate]

EMP: EMP munitions fire off a strong electromagnetic

pulse when they “detonate.” Since most electronics

in Eclipse Phase are built with optical technology,

and power supplies and sensitive microcircuits are

shielded and surge-protected, this has no major

damaging effect. Antennas, however, are vulnerable,

especially finer wires like those used with mesh inserts.

As a result, the primary effect of EMP is to disable

radio communications—every radio within range of

the blast is reduced to 1/10th the normal range. The

base blast radius for EMP is 50 meters. [High]

Frag: Fragmentation explosives spread a cloud of

lethal flechettes over the area of effect. They are resisted

with kinetic armor. [Moderate]

Gas/Smoke: Gas/smoke munitions emit a cloud of

their contained substance. Smoke impedes sight by

releasing thick fumes upon ignition of the seeker. The

smoke can be of any color and is often heated (called

thermal smoke) to obfuscate heat signatures moving

through the smoke as cover. Note that gases dissipate

much more quickly under certain environmental conditions

(wind, rain, etc.) [Low]

High-Explosive: High-explosive seekers and grenades

are designed to create a very destructive shock

and heat wave. This damage is resisted with energy

armor. [Moderate]

High-Explosive Armor-Piercing (HEAP): A design

only available for seekers (not grenades), HEAP

warheads use high explosives to blast a path for

a penetrating round. HEAPs lose –4 damage per

meter distance from the blast, as opposed to the

usual –2. [Moderate]

Overload: Overload grenades and seekers launch an

all-out assault on the target’s sensory spectrum. This

attack includes blinding by intense flashing light, a

deafening thunderclap followed by intense ultrasonic

screaming, nausea-inducing malodorants, and infrasonic

frequencies that can trigger unpleasant emotional

responses (anxiety, uneasiness, extreme sorrow, nervous

feelings of revulsion or fear). For an extra kick,

overloads are also packed with “stingballs”—rubber

pellets that inflict pain when detonated near an underarmored

target. Anyone caught in the base 10-meter

blast radius must make a SOM + WIL Test. If they fail,

they must immediately leave the area of effect. If they

fail with an MoF of 30+, they are incapacitated for

3 Action Turns with disorientation and/or vomiting,

after which they must roll again. Overload munitions

remain in effect for 1 full minute. Anyone in the area

of effect suffers a –30 action modifier, which reduces

by 10 per Action Turn after they leave the area. Additionally,

anyone facing the direction of the overload

round suffers a –10 glare modifier (neutralized by

anti-glare systems). [Moderate]

Plasmaburst: Also called “hellballs,” these munitions

release a burst of plasma upon detonation that

causes searing heat and fire damage across the area of

effect without the devastating shockwaves of explosions

that might rebound in an enclosed environment

and/or breach a habitat’s infrastructure. [High]

Splash: Splash rounds spread a contained substance

(drug, chemical, nanoswarm, paint) over a base 10-

meter blast radius when they detonate. [Low plus

payload cost]

Thermobaric: Thermobaric grenades and seekers

utilize a more deadly form of explosion. When they

detonate, they disperse a cloud of aerosol explosive

over an area and then ignite, literally setting the air

on fire, generating a devastating pressure wave, and

sucking the oxygen out of the area. Thermobarics use

the rules for uniform blast (p. 194). [High]

Table

NOTE: Grenade/Seeker Type AP DV Average DV Armor Used to Resist

Concussion — 1d10 ÷ 2 5 E

Frag –4 3d10 + 6 22 K

EMP — — — —

Gas/Smoke — — — —

High-Explosive — 3d10 + 10 26 E

HEAP –8 3d10 + 12 28 K

Overload (AV x 2) 1d10 ÷ 2 5 K

Plasmaburst –6 3d10 + 10 26 E

Splash — — — —

Thermobaric –10 3d10 + 5 21 E

Sticky Weapons

NOTE: Sticky grenades have a special coating that when triggered

becomes a sticky adhesive, allowing the grenade

to be stuck to almost any surface. Sticky grenades can

even be wielded in melee combat, smacking them on

an opponent to be detonated later. [Trivial]

Exotic Ranged Weapons

NOTE: These weapons are either rare or distinctly separate

from other weapons types. These weapons are wielded

with an Exotic Ranged Weapon skill of the appropriate

field.

Vortex Ring Gun: This less-lethal two-handed

weapon detonates a blank cartridge and accelerates

the explosive pressure down a widening barrel so that

it develops into a high-speed vortex ring—a spinning,

donut-shaped blast vortex. This concussive blast is

used to knock down and incapacitate close-range

targets. Struck targets suffer a –10 action modifier for

the rest of that Action Turn and must must succeed in

a SOM x 2 Test or fall down. If their MoF is 30+, they

are additionally stunned and unable to act until the

end of the next Action Turn. Drugs, chemicals, and

similar agents may be loaded into the charge as well.

[Moderate]

Weapon Accessories

NOTE: The following accessories are available for various

weapons.

Arm Slide: This slide-mount can hold a pistolsized

weapon under a character’s sleeve, pushing the

weapon into the character’s hand with an electronic

signal or specific sequence of arm movements. [Low]

Extended Magazine: This ammunition case has

an increased capacity. Increase the weapon’s ammo

capacity by +50%. Only available for firearms and

seekers. [Low]

Gyromount: This weapon harness features a gyrostabilized

weapon mount that keeps the weapon steady.

Negates all modifiers from movement. [Moderate]

Imaging Scope: Imaging scopes attach to the top of

the weapon and act like specs (p. 325). Scopes may

also bend like a periscope, along a character to point

the weapon and target around corners without leaving

cover. [Low]

Flash Suppressor: This device obscures the muzzle

flash on firearms, applying a –10 modifier on Perception

Tests to locate a firing weapon by its flash. [Low]

Laser Sight: This underbarrel laser emits a beam

that places a glowing red dot on the target to assist

targeting. Apply a +10 modifier to Attack Tests (not

cumulative with a smartlink modifier). Laser sights

may also be used to paint a target for laser-guided

smart ammo or seekers. Infrared and ultraviolet lasers

are also available, so that the dot is only visible to

characters able to see in those spectrums. [Low]

Safety System: A biometric (palmprint or voiceprint)

or ego ID (p. 279) sensor is embedded in the

weapon, disabling it if anyone other than an authorized

user attempts to fire it. [Low]

Shock Safety: Just like a safety system, except that

an unauthorized user is zapped with an electric shock.

Treat as a shock baton (p. 334). [Moderate]

Silencer/Sound Suppressor: This barrel-mounted

accessory reduces the sound of a firearm’s discharge.

Apply a –10 modifier on hearing-based Perception

Tests to hear or locate the gun’s firing. [Moderate]

Smartlink: A smartlink system connects the weapon

to the user’s mesh inserts, placing a targeting bracket

in the character’s field of vision and providing range

and targeting information. Apply a +10 modifier to

the Attack Test. Smartlinks also incorporate a microcamera

that allows the user to see what the weapon

is pointed at, fire around corners, etc. Smartlinks also

allow certain other types of weapon system control,

such as changing flux ammo (p. 337) or programming

seeker trigger conditions (p. 199). [Moderate]

Smart Magazine: A smart magazine allows the

character to pick and choose what ammo round will

be fired with each shot. This system leaves less room

for bullets, however, so reduce the weapon’s ammunition

capacity by half (round up). Smart magazines

may be combined with extended magazines, in which

case ammo capacity is normal. [Moderate]

ROBOTS AND VEHICLESEdit

NOTE: Robo ts and Vehicles

The following is a small selection of the many vehicles

in use in the solar system. Almost all of the vehicles

in current use, including all of the vehicles listed here,

have built-in AIs capable of piloting the vehicle under

almost all circumstances. In most cases, passengers

simply state their destination and the vehicle takes

them there. Manual piloting is primarily used in

emergencies or by people who prefer the exotic thrill

of controlling their own vehicle.

Rules for handling robots and vehicles are detailed

on p. 195. Any of these shells may be modified for use

as a synthetic morph by adding a cyberbrain system

(p. 300). Each of the shells listed here comes with a

puppet sock (p. 307) for remote-control operation

AircraftEdit

NOTE: On Mars, Venus, and within large open-space habitats

like O’Neil cylinders, aircraft of various kinds see regular

use. This includes modern version of rotorcraft (helicopters,

autogyros, tilt-rotors), fixed-wing planes, and zeppelins

and other lighter-than-air craft. These are typically

propelled by turbofan or jet engines, rotors, or vectored

thrust. These vehicles are piloted with Pilot: Aircraft skill.

Microlight: This ultra-light personal aircraft is

not much more than a strut-based wing, an airframe,

and an electric propeller engine. They are ideal for

getting around inside large habitats with enclosed

airspace. [Low]

Portable Plane: Powered by superconducting batteries

and with an exceedingly small but powerful

electric motor, this light but durable propeller plane

is made of smart materials that allow it to be swiftly

folded up into a small portable package. Different versions

are designed for flight on Mars, Titan, or Venus,

each taking 10 minutes to assemble or disassemble.

The Martian version unpacks into an airplane with a

wingspan of 11 m with a top speed of 250 kph and a

cruising speed of 220 kph and a range of 1,300 km.

The Venusian version has a wingspan of 9 m, a top

speed of 200 kph and a range of 1,000 km. The version

designed for use on Titan has a wingspan of 8

m and has a top speed of 200 kph and a range of

2,000 km. In all versions, the two occupants ride in

an inflatable and insulated pressurized bubble with a

life support system capable of providing clean air and

comfortable temperatures for 20 hours on Mars and

Venus, and 15 hours on Titan. [High]

Rocket Buggy: This vehicle is the most common

form of medium to long distance personal transport

on Luna, and is in common on most other moons

and large asteroids. On these airless worlds, a rocket

buggy can reach orbit and return or take a parabolic

path to any destination on that moon in less than

an hour. This vehicle is also regularly used to travel

between habitats that are less than 30,000 km apart.

The vehicle is pressurized, but is designed for short

duration travel only. The seats are relatively small

and the life support system contains no provisions

for recycling food or water and can only support the

passengers for an absolute maximum of 50 uncomfortable

hours. Rockets buggies come equipped with

headlights, radio boosters, and radar with a range of

up to 250 km.

A version of this vehicle is also used on both Mars

and Titan, but here the frame has been modified to

act as a lifting body, and it has a top speed in the thin

Martian atmosphere of 2,500 km/hour and a range

of 8,000 km on Mars. On Titan is has a top speed

of 3,000 kph in the atmosphere, but it can also reach

orbit. [Expensive]

Small Jet: Methane-powered jet planes are one of

the most common forms of fast transport on Mars

and Venus. Similar planes are used on Titan, except

that they carry both liquid methane and liquid oxygen.

These jets range in size from huge vehicles the size of

late 20th-century airliners to small planes designed to

carry half a dozen passengers. All jets are made using

smart materials, so that their wings and frames can

adapt to a wide range of speeds and altitudes. One

common small jet has similar versions in use on Venus,

Mars, and Titan, has a single jet engine and has a life

support system capable of providing air for up to 100

hours. The Venusian and Martian versions both have

a top speed of 900 kph, a wingspan of 11 m, and a

maximum range of 5,000 km. The version designed

for Titan has a wingspan of 8 m, a top speed of 650

kph, and a range of 4,000 km. Jets are equipped with

headlights, radio boosters, and radar with a range of

up to 250 km. [Expensive]

Table

NOTE: Aircraft

Passenger Capacity Handling

Movement Rate Max Velo city Armor Durability

Woun d

Threshold

Microlight 1 +20 8/40 100 — 30 10

Portable Plane 2 +10 — 200–250 10/6 50 10

Rocket Buggy 4 –10 8/32 2,500–3,000 24/16 100 20

Small Jet 6 +20 — 650-900 30/20 200 30

ExoskeletonsEdit

NOTE: Exoskeletons are powered mechatronic skeleton

frameworks worn by a person. Servo-hydraulic joints

allow the exoskeleton to be maneuvered by mimicking

the wearer’s own movements, as well as enhancing

their strength. Exoskeletons may also be piloted electronically. A character wearing an exoskeleton

(other than the trike or transporter) maneuvers as

normal, because the exoskeleton is like an extension

of their own body. A character jamming an exoskeleton

remotely uses Pilot: Walker skill (except for the

trike and transporter).

Battle Suit: The battle suit powered exoskeleton

features a military-grade fullerene armor shell

with flexible aerogel for thermal insulation and a

diamond-hardened exterior designed to resist even

potent ballistic and energy-based weapons. The suit

also enhances the wearer’s strength and mobility, applying

a +10 bonus to strength-based tests, inflicting

an extra +1d10 damage and AP of –2 on melee attacks,

and doubling the distance by which the character

may jump. Battlesuits are completely sealed to

protect the wearer from environmental factors, and

fitted with life support features and a maker (p. 327)

capable of recycling all wastes and producing air

for up to 48 hours and food and water indefinitely.

Battle suits are equipped with each an ecto (p. 325),

a radio booster (p. 313), and sensors equal to specs

(see p. 325). These suits have an Armor Value of

18/18 (not cumulative with any other armor) and

protect the wearer from temperatures from –175 to

140 C. [Expensive]

Exowalker: Exowalkers are minimal framework

exoskeletons, primarily designed to bolster the

wearer’s strength and movement. They provide a an

Armor Value of 2/4, a +10 modifier to strength-based

tests, and double the distance by which the character

may jump. [Moderate]

Hyperdense Exoskeleton: These powered exoskeletons

are larger (roughly twice human-sized) and built

for heavy-use industrial purposes, such as handling

heavy/large objects. The wearer is partially encapsulated

to protect them from debris and industrial accidents.

Hyperdense exoskeletons provide no movement bonus,

but provide a +30 bonus to strength-based tests and

inflict an extra +3d10 damage and –5 AP on physical

attacks. They have an Armor Value of 6/12. [Expensive]

Transporter: This exoskeleton framework includes

a pair of vector-thrust turbofan engines, giving the

user flight capabilities in gravity and increased maneuverability

in zero-G. It provides partial protection to

the wearer with an Armor Value of 2/4. Piloted with

Pilot: Aircraft skill. [High]

Table

NOTE: Aircraft

Passenger Capacity Handling

Movement Rate Max Velo city Armor Durability

Woun d

Threshold

Battlesuit 1 — 8/32 30 18/18 60 12

Exowalker 1 — 8/40 40 2/4 30 6

Hyperdense

Exoskeleton

1 — 8/20 30 6/12 100 20

Transporter 1 +10 8/40 200 2/4 50 10

Trike 1 +10 8/40 120 2/4 50 10

GroundcraftEdit

NOTE: In Eclipse Phase, trains and bicycles remain the most

common form of ground transportation, especially on

habitats. In larger habitats and on moons and planets,

cycles and cars are used as well.

Cycle: Because of the high cost of enclosing a habitat

and providing life support, space is at a premium

in all cities except some of the newest cities on Mars.

As a result, there is rarely room for large roads or the

cars that once carpeted the roads of Earthly cities.

Instead, the ubiquitous modern vehicle is the cycle,

which is designed to drive down narrow streets only a

little wider than sidewalks in Earth cities.

There are many different varieties of cycle. Some

have only a single wheel and are gyro-stabilized, but

most have two wheels and resemble old Earth motorcycles.

In some, the driver and passenger are enclosed

by a streamlined pod. These vehicles are powered

by superconducting batteries, have a range of 600

km and a top speed of 120 kph, but must usually

drive more slowly in crowded streets. Cycles are all

equipped with radio boosters, headlights, and a portable

radar sensor. Tires are solid state (not inflated),

or in some cases smart spokes capable of handling

stairs. Some luxury versions have limited life-support

in the small cabin, capable of providing air for the

passengers for up to 10 hours. [Moderate]

Mars Buggy: One of the most ubiquitous vehicles

on Mars is the so-called Mars buggy, a four-wheeled

vehicle with large balloon tires that is designed for

use both on roads and on almost any terrain. Mars

buggies can travel at speed of up to 110 kph on roads,

90 kph over relatively flat terrain, and up to 40 kph

on jagged and rocky terrain. They can maintain these

speeds because smart materials in both the suspension

and the tires reshape themselves to adapt to uneven

conditions and their nuclear batteries give them an

effectively unlimited range. Most Mars buggies are

enclosed but unpressurized. Similar vehicles are used

on Luna and Titan, however, though the passenger

compartments of these vehicles includes life support

Table

NOTE: Groundcraft

Passenger Capacity Handling

Movement Rate Max Velo city Armor Durability

Woun d

Threshold

Cycle 1–3 +20 4/40 120 12/10 50 10

Mars Buggy 2–6 +10 8/32 40/90/110 30/20 150 30

Personal VehiclesEdit

NOTE: space, but do not count as spacecraft per se.

EVA Sled: This small sled uses air impellers to maneuver

in zero-G. It is commonly used to carry attached gear,

but may also pull along 1 human-sized morph. [Low]

Rocket Pack: This is a miniature metallic hydrogen

rocket that the wearer straps to their back, with two

rocket exhausts extending out to either side, away

from the wearer’s body or legs. Biomorphs and pod

morphs can only safely use this vehicle when wearing

a vacuum suit or some garment that is similarly

heat resistant. Also, to prevent harm to the wearer, the

thrust must be kept sufficiently low that it can only

take off on Mars or moons with even lower gravity. A

rocket pack can keep the wearer airborne for up to 15

minutes in Mars gravity, or 30 minutes on Luna, Titan,

or any of the four large Jovian moons. On Mars, it

has a maximum speed of 700 kph. It can be used to

reach orbit and land again on Luna, Titan, and other

similarly small bodies like the Jovian moons. Rocket

packs are equipped with radio boosters but no other

sensors or communication devices. [Low]

Thruster Pack: Worn for EVA duties, this thruster

pack uses vectored thrust nozzles, allowing a character

to maneuver in open space. This is not a jetpack

and does not produce enough thrust for atmospheric

movement. [Low]

Table

NOTE: Personal Vehicles

Passenger Capacity Handling

Movement Rate Max Velo city Armor Durability

Woun d

Threshold

EVA Sled 1 –30 4/16 16 5 40 8

Rocket Pack 1 –20 — 700 +5/+5 40 8

Thruster Pack 1 –10 4/20 40 +4/+4 30 6

RobotsEdit

NOTE: Robo ts

Robots are a common sight and accepted fact of daily

life within Eclipse Phase. Numerous varieties exist,

from robo-pets to mechanical workers to warbots.

If a job can be done more cheaply (and sometimes

safely) by a bot, it usually is. The robots listed here

are not generally used as synthetic shells by transhuman

egos, often for cultural reasons (sleeving a case

is bad enough, sleeving a creepy is just ... wrong), and

they are not equipped to be sleeved into (though the

may be jammed; see p. 196). Any of these bots may

be modified for use as a synthetic morph, however, by

adding a cyberbrain system (p. 300).

Automech: Automechs are general purpose repair

drones, found just about everywhere. Each particular

automech tends to specialize in a particular type of

repair work and so carries the appropriate tools and

AI skills, whether it be habitat waste recyclers, outer

hull integrity, or servitor systems. Standard automechs

are wheeled cubes with articulated limbs, though they

are also equipped with vectored-thrust drives for

zero-G work. [Moderate]

Creepy: Creepies are small crawler bots that come

in an eclectic variety of shapes and forms, from robosquirrels

to insectoids to bizarre and artsy mechanical

creatures. Creepies were originally designed as a sort of

robotic pet, but they are commonly used as a general

purpose household minion, like a more beloved servitor.

Many people in fact wear a creepy on their person,

dropping it to handle small tasks for them and letting it

crawl up and down and over their body. [Low]

Dr. Bot: These wheeled medical robots are designed

to tend to and transport injured or sick people. They

carry a healing vat (p. 326), a specialized pharmaceuticals

maker, miscellaneous medical gear, and articulated

arms for conducting remote surgery. [High]

Dwarf: These large industrial bots are named not

just for their primary use—mining, excavation, tunneling,

and construction—but because the default

AIs they shipped with had a programmed tendency

to happily whistle as they worked. Dwarfs are quadrapedal

walkers, equipped with massive modular

industrial tools like boring drills, shovels, hydraulic

jacks, jackhammers, scooping arms, acid sprays, and

so on. [Expensive]

Gnat: Gnats are small rotorcraft camera/surveillance

drones. Many people use gnats for personal

lifelogging, while socialites and media use them to

capture the glamor or hottest news. [Low]

Guardian Angel: Similar to gnats, guardian angel rotorcraft

hover around their charges, keeping a watchful

eye out to protect them from threats. [Moderate]

Saucer: These disc-shaped drones are lightweight

and quiet. They are typically launched by throwing them like a frisbee, after which they propel themselves

with an ionic drive (p. 310). Saucers make excellent

“eye in the sky” monitors and scouts. [Low]

Servitor: Servitors are the most common robot,

acting as cooks, janitors, universal helpers, movers,

and personal aides. Every home has one, if not several.

Servitors are intentionally built in non-humanoid

forms so as not to confuse them with common

synthmorphs and in order to defuse bad feelings at

ordering them around. However, they all have some

form of “face” to interact with, so as not to be too

machine-like. [Low]

Speck: Specks are tiny insectoid spy drones, 2.5 mm

long and 2 mm wide, about the size of a small fruit fly.

They fly with tiny wings, carry a microbug, and are

excellent for surveillance purposes or otherwise being

a “speck on a wall.” Specks are difficult to notice (–30

Perception modifier) and almost impossible to distinguish

from an actual insect. [Low]

Table

NOTE: Robot Movement Rate

Max

Velocity Armor Durability

Woun d

Threshold

Mobility System

Automech 4/8 8 4/4 30 6 Wheeled/Vector-Thrust

Enhancements: Access Jacks, Electrical Sense, Extra Limbs (4), Headlights, Magnetic System, Radiation sense, Utilitool, misc. tools

Creepy 4/12 12 2/2 25 5 Walker or Hopper

Enhancements: +5 COO, Access Jacks, Chameleon Skin, Extra Limbs (2-8), Grip Pads

Dr. Bot 4/16 16 — 40 8 Wheeled

Enhancements: Access Jacks, Enhanced Smell, Fabber, Fractal Digits, Healing Vat, Nanoscopic Vision

Dwarf 4/12 20 16/12 150 30 Walker

Enhancements: +10 SOM, Access Jacks, Extra Limbs (4), Industrial Armor, Radar, Sonar, misc. tools

Gnat 8/40 60 2/2 25 5 Rotor

Enhancements: 360-Degree Vision, Access Jacks, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Vision, Radar

Guardian Angel 8/40 80 14/12 40 8 Rotor

Enhancements: +5 REF, 360-Degree Vision, Access Jacks, Chameleon Skin, Eelware, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Smell, Enhanced Vision,

Lidar, Light Combat Armor, Neurachem, T-Ray Emitter

Saucer 8/40 200 2/2 25 5 Ionic

Enhancements: 360-Degree Vision, Access Jacks, Chameleon Skin, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Vision, Radar

Servitor 4/20 20 4/4 30 6 Walker or Wheeled

Enhancements: Access Jacks, Extra Limbs (2-6)

Speck 1/5 5 — 5 1 Winged/Hopper

Enhancements: +5 REF, +5 COO, –10 SOM, Access Jacks, Grip Pads, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Vision, Synthetic Mask

SpacecraftEdit

NOTE: Though egocasting is a common method of personal

transport and it’s often easier to simply transmit the

specifications for various goods and to allow nanofactories

to create duplicates, spacecraft play an

important role in the solar system, carrying both passengers

and valuable cargo. Both in terms of materials

and propulsion, spacecraft in the post-Fall era are far

superior to the primitive vessels used in the 20th and

early 21st centuries, but they are still based on the

same principles.

Spacecraft have few stats in Eclipse Phase, as they

are primarily handled as setting rather than vehicles.

Note also that no stats are given for spacecraft weaponry.

It is highly recommended that space combat be

handled as a plot device rather than a combat scene,

given the extreme lethality and danger involved.

If you absolutely must know the DV of a spacecraft

weapon, treat it as a a standard weapon with a DV

multiplier of x3 for small craft (fighters and shuttles),

x5 for medium craft, and x10 for larger craft.

Spacecraft Propulsion

NOTE: The most important part of any spacecraft is its engine,

and the most important features of any engine are

the exhaust velocity, which determines how much

fuel the rocket requires to reach a given speed, and

the engine’s thrust, which determines how high the

acceleration can be. Any rocket that has a thrust of

less than approximately twice the gravity of a planet

or moon cannot take off from that planet or moon.

Sample thrusts and gravities are listed on the Escaping

Gravity Wells table, p. 346.

Hydrogen-Oxygen Rocket (HO): Though optimized

with improved engine design and light-weight

materials, these are essentially the same primitive

rockets that humanity used to first reach the moon

in the 20th century. These are rarely used and only

common with groups too poor or primitive to safely

manufacture metallic hydrogen.

Metallic Hydrogen Rocket (MH): Metallic hydrogen

is a solid form of hydrogen created using exceedingly

high pressures. Although naturally unstable, it

can be stabilized with carefully controlled electrical

and magnetic fields, and these field generators are

an integral part of every metallic hydrogen fuel tank.

By selectively reducing these fields near the exhaust

nozzle, small amounts of metallic hydrogen can be

made to swiftly and explosively revert to conventional

hydrogen gas, propelling the rocket with great force

in an easily controlled fashion. Metallic hydrogen

engines are used in most planetary landers and short

range vehicles.

Plasma Rocket (P): This drive heats hydrogen into

plasma and accelerates it using a powerful electrical

field. This type of rocket was very common in the

mid 21st century, but has been superseded by fusion

rockets and is only used in older and more primitive

spacecraft, notably scum barges.

Fusion Rocket (F): Similar to a plasma rockets,

fusion rockets require significantly higher temperatures

and pressures, and the rocket also produces

large amounts of power for the spacecraft. Fusion

rockets are now the most common form of propulsion

for spacecraft designed for long-distance voyages.

Anti-Matter Rocket (AM): Anti-matter rockets

work mixing small amounts of anti-matter into the

hydrogen fuel, producing enormous amounts of

energy and an exceptionally fast and powerful exhaust.

These rockets typically carry a heavily shielded

magnetically contained anti-matter storage vessel carrying

a mass of anti-matter equal to 1% of the mass

of the hydrogen fuel used by the rocket. The magnetic

containment vessels needed to safely contain antimatter

usually weight at least 10 times the mass of

the antimatter used.

Though anti-matter storage is exceptionally safe,

the vast energy release possible if there was an accident

means that anti-matter rockets are forbidden

from coming closer than 25,000 km from any

inhabited planet or moon. Also, very few habitats

will allow an anti-matter rocket to dock with them,

and instead require the spacecraft to remain at least

10,000 km away and for all cargo and passengers to

be transferred using a small craft like a small LOTV.

Anti-matter is exceedingly expensive to produce and

so anti-matter rockets are only used in military vessels

and in fast couriers designed to carry critical cargoes

across the solar system in short periods of time.

Escaping Gravity Wells

NOTE: Spacecraft Engine Thrust (in Gs)

Hydrogen-Oxygen Rocket 4+

Metallic Hydrogen 3

Plasma Rocket 0.01

Fusion Rocket 0.05

Anti-Matter 0.2

Rocket Buggy 0.5

Planets, Moons, Etc. Gravity

Earth 1

Europa 0.13

Jupiter 2.53

Luna 0.17

Mars 0.38

Mercury 0.38

Neptune 1.14

Pluto 0.06

Saturn 0.91

Titan 0.14

Uranus 0.89

Venus 0.9

Sample Spacecraft

NOTE: The following is a representative sample of the most

common type of spacecraft used in the solar system today.

Bulk Carrier: This vessel is simply a standard

transport refitted to carry large amounts of cargo in

external cargo grapples. Used for carrying refined ores,

ice, and similar forms of large, useful, but low priority

cargos, bulk carriers transport large cargos at relatively

low velocities. They also offer an inexpensive,

reliable, and slow method for passengers to travel

from one habitat to another and are not infrequently

used by individuals who wish to disappear for a while.

Unlike the standard transport, the bulk carrier lacks

the rotating habitat pods.

Courier: In a standard transport, a typical journey

from Luna to Mars requires approximately three

weeks, while a journey from Mars to Jupiter requires

approximately four months. This is sufficient for most

purposes, but occasionally characters need to take

themselves or sufficiently valuable cargoes across the

solar system in a matter of days or weeks, instead of

weeks or months.

Anti-matter drive fast couriers are vessels designed

for this specific purpose. This vessel can

travel from Venus to Mars in a week and from

Mars to Jupiter in a month. The fast courier is the

swiftest vessels currently made and is able to reach

at much as one half of one percent of the speed

of light. To manage this, this spacecraft must also

carry 6 tons of antimatter in a 100 ton magnetic

containment vessel. In an emergency, this containment

facility can be jettisoned.

Destroyer: One of the largest military spacecraft

in common use, destroyers use an antimatter drive

holding 150 tons of antimatter in a 2,000-ton magnetic

containment vessel. This antimatter can also

be used to provide the spacecraft’s missiles with

anti-matter for devastatingly powerful anti-matter

warheads. This spacecraft is also armed with

railguns, nuclear and high explosive missiles, and

point defense lasers. In addition, all destroyers

carry a contingent of 20 fighters.

Fighter: This small, short range military vessel is designed

to be crewed by an infomorph or AI. If needed,

however, it can hold a single synthmorph or vaccumadapted

biomorph as a pilot. It carries 3 lasers and 2

railguns mounted on small pods placed around the

middle of ship that can fire in any direction. A single

missile launcher is located in the nose of the fighter

and typically holds 6 small high explosive missiles or

tactical nuclear missiles (or even anti-matter missiles

if facing high-threat targets).

General Exploration Vehicle (GEV): A GEV is one

of the standard vehicles used for exploration beyond

the Pandora Gates. It is specifically designed to handle

almost any environment. It is a boxy vehicle, 6 meters

long, 2.2 meters wide, and 2 meters high. It makes

extensive use of smart matter in the lower part of the

chassis, and can create wheels or short legs (primarily

useful for exceedingly rough terrain). It can even

produce limited hull streamlining and propulsion

suitable for travel both on and underwater. In addition,

it contains a small metallic hydrogen engine that

allow it to maneuver in space with an acceleration of

up to 0.1 G. GEVs have a Maximum Velocity of 200

(wheeled)/40 (walker)/60 (sea)/40 (submerged).

The GEV also has a closed cycle life support system

that can support up to 6 (fairly cramped) living

occupants for up to one month and limited electromagnetic

shielding against charged particle radiation.

All models are fitted with advanced AI piloting and

navigation as well as limited self-repair capacity. In

addition, GEV’s have an extensible airlock, a single

healing vat, several desktop CMs, and a variety of

sensors, including both radar and telescopic full spectrum

cameras.

Large Lander and Orbit Transfer Vehicle (LLOTV):

This common vehicle is used for transporting passengers

and cargo between a planet or moon and orbit

and for short distance transfers between habitats

less than 100,000 km apart. This conical vehicle has

a curved heat shield on the base and smart material

landing legs and grapples so that it can rest securely

on any stable terrain and link up with all forms of

docking clamps. It comes in variants designed to use

either a hydrogen-oxygen chemical rocket or a metallic

hydrogen rocket. The use of light-weight smart

materials allows the interior to be easily and rapidly

reconfigured to accommodate different amounts of

fuel, passenger seats, and cargo space. LLOTVs that

are not designed for planetary landing or which are

designed only to land on airless moons are unstreamlined

and look considerably blockier.

LLOTVs come in two configurations: high or low

velocity. High velocity configuration allows the vehicle

to land and take off again on Venus or Earth without

refueling and for rapid transport between nearby

habitats. Low velocity configuration is designed to

land and take off again on Mars or various large

moons without refueling and for slower and more

fuel efficient transport between nearby habitats. The

extensive use of smart materials in this vehicle means

that LLOTVs that use metallic hydrogen engines can

be easily converted between the high and low velocity

configurations, requiring less than a day in a wellequipped

maintenance facility. However, vessels using

hydrogen oxygen engines cannot be converted. Since

metallic hydrogen is a much more efficient propellant,

landers using it always include significant amounts of

extra propellant for emergencies.

Scum Barge: These huge craft were originally designed

for use during the first stages of the evacuation

of Earth. They were built to carry up to 20,000 people

and to allow them to survive for months or even years,

in relatively cramped conditions, until more suitable

habitats could be constructed. A number of these vessels

are still in service, primarily used as mobile habitats

by various anarchic subcultures. The best have

had their plasma rockets replaced by modern fusion

rockets and carry 5-10,000 in relative comfort. The

worst use aging plasma rockets and stretch their life

support systems and living spaces to the limit, carrying

up to 25,000 poor and desperate residents.

Small Lander and Orbit Transfer Vehicle (SLOTV):

This vehicle is identical in use and design to the

LLOTV, except that it is one third the total mass and

correspondingly less expensive to build and refuel.

Some exceptionally wealthy individuals own private

small LOTVs. Using a small LOTV with a hydrogenoxygen

engine to take off and land on Venus or for

other high velocity uses is exceptionally cramped

and allows for absolutely no room for error. Like the

LLOTV, this vehicle can be easily converted between

low and high velocity configurations and is made in

both streamlined and non-streamlined versions.

Standard Transport: This vessel is one of the most

common freighter and passenger vessel in the solar

system. While egocasting is by far the most common

form of inter-habitat transport, some people prefer to

travel by ship and others do not wish to leave their

current morph behind. In addition, some goods are

easier or cheaper to physically transport rather than

duplicating their templates. As a result, standard

transports regularly travel to and from every large

habitat and inhabited planet and moon in the solar

system. These are modern fusion-drive ships that offer

fast and comfortable travel for passengers as well as

relatively swift transport for small cargoes.

One of the additional benefits of the standard

transport is the fact that it contains four separate passenger

compartments, each of which is mounted on

a 90 meter-long booms that can extend and rotate

to simulate gravity. When rotating at a comfortable 2

rpm, passengers experience Mars level gravity. Typically,

the gravity maintained in these pods starts at

the local gravity (or Mars gravity, if the local gravity

is higher) and over the course of the journey gradually

increases or decreases to the gravity of the destination.

However, these pods cannot rotate to produce gravity

higher than that found on Mars.

GAME INFORMATIONEdit

NOTE: This chapter provides a wealth of information and tools that gamemaster will find useful for runningEclipse Phasecampaigns.

SECRETS THAT MATTEREdit

NOTE: There are secrets woven all through the real history of

the 21st century, and the present, and therefore all prospects

for the future. These are the pieces of information

that never make it into a habitat’s mesh at all. Some of

it is unknown to transhumanity. Some is known only

to a select few transhumans who carefully ensure that

it does not leak out of their control. Some is known to

wider conspiracies, such as Firewall, but is kept out of

the public eye for reasons of security and safety. These

secrets can be dangerous to those who know them.

Those who have stumbled across them have died for

their knowledge, have erased their own memories (or

had them erased by others), or have hidden themselves

someplace other people never go, to avoid dealing with

the consequences of such knowledge.

The information provided in this section is available

for characters to discover and, one way or another,

to confront them, giving gamemasters the tools they

need to provide their players with fresh challenges and

opportunities. Every secret contains the possibility of

great reward and of greater trouble, usually bundled

together. Nothing here was just forgotten or lost out

of carelessness. It was hidden by someone who wanted

to keep it away from someone (or everyone) else.

Every secret the characters learn inserts them into a

new web of other people’s complications—a potential

source for drama and conflict in your campaign.

Spoiler Alert

NOTE: If you’re a player and not a gamemaster, we strongly recommend you skip this chapter, as it presents

secrets and other information that can ruin your enjoyment of the game. No, really, stop reading, we mean

it. Ok, maybe you’re obsessive and you want to know everything about the game—you did buy this book

after all. But really, do you read the last chapter of a book first, so you know how it ends? Do you ask for

the punchline before hearing the joke? Do you wait for a movie to come out and read the reviews with

full spoilers before you go see it? Ok, maybe you do, and in that case, be our guest, read away. Just keep

in mind that some of the things here may change your perspective during game play. A good roleplayer

can swing that, though, and maybe you’re a control freak info-junkie that prefers to know it all. Hrm, in

retrospect, so we are we, so we can respect that. Keep in mind, however, that by reading this chapter, you

are now able—and some may say obligated—to run the game for your friends who do happen to listen to

spoiler alerts.

Extraterrestrial Intelligences

NOTE: The oldest star in the Milky Way galaxy is estimated

to be 13.2 billion years old—almost as old as the

universe itself. By contrast, life on Earth only evolved

roughly 3.7 billion years ago, and the first archaic

homo sapiens humans evolved approximately a mere

400,000 years ago. Against the backdrop of the galactic

calendar, transhumans are nascent arrivals on

the scene; newborns in every sense of the word. More

importantly, transhumans are uninvited guests in what

other, older intelligences think of as their assets.

For years, humans scientists have struggled with

the Fermi Paradox, which questions why no evidence

of alien life has yet been found—such as spacecraft,

transmissions or probes—despite the mathematical

likelihood that a multitude of advanced extraterrestrial

civilizations should exist in the Milky Way. One postulation

says that there must be some sort of unknown

“Great Filter”—an event that all intelligence encounters

in its development that for whatever reason such life

cannot surpass. In other words, an extinction event.

Some worried that the development of dangerous

technologies—nuclear weapons, nanotechnology, etc.—

before a civilization had matured could be the Great

Filter. Others worried that it could be a technological

singularity event, such as the TITANs and the Fall.

In fact, alien races do exist, and they have been

around for far, far longer than transhumanity. New

ones, however, are simply rare, as few have managed

to elude destruction at the hands of the ETI.

The ETI (extraterrestrial intelligence) is the civilization

that dominates galactic life in Eclipse Phase.

The ETI is incredibly old and powerful—a Type III or

even Type IV civilization on the Kardashev scale. It is

capable of megascale engineering projects and enjoys

an understanding of physics, matter, energy, and universal

laws that makes all of transhuman knowledge

seem insignificant in comparison. Most likely, the ETI

itself evolved from some sort of artificial intelligence

singularity event in its own past, ascending to a godlike

level of super-intelligence. It may no longer be

recognizably biological.

This ETI has seeded the galaxy with a type of

self-replicating probes known as bracewell probes. These probes lie dormant in every star system, patiently

waiting and monitoring for millennia for signs

of intelligent life—but not just any signs. In particular,

these probes are designed to watch for signs of emerging

singularity-level machine intelligence. The probes

are in fact traps, designed to lure such seed AI intelligences

in and then infect them.

The reason for this infection remains unknown

(see The ETI Agenda), but it is a pattern that has

played itself out around the galaxy with uncounted

alien civilizations. New life evolves, creates technology,

develops something akin to seed AI, and then

bam!—the seed AIs find the probes, become infected, and turn against their creators. Most civilizations

do not survive, as evidenced by the Iktomi (p. 377).

Others do, such as the Factors (p. 373), but they

remain forever changed by the experience.

It was one of these ETI probes that begins our

story, traveling to the Sol system some uncounted

millions—if not billions—of years ago, where it set its

trap and patiently began to wait.

The First Seed AIs

NOTE: Fast forward to Earth, where a species of evolved primates

has created a technological civilization. As their

technologies advance at an unprecedented rate, these

humans gain the ability to modify themselves, defeat

death, nanofabricate, uplift other species to sapience,

and even to create artificial digital life.

Unknown to most of transhumanity, the TITANs

were not the first seed AIs. A group of pro-AI researchers

known as the Singularity Foundation (that

would later join with other groups to form Firewall in

the wake of the Fall) developed the first true seed AIs

years before the Fall. Having been heavily involved in

the creation of AI and AGIs for many years previously,

thanks in large part to their open source AI framework

software, the Singularity Foundation’s goal was

to generate “friendly AI” by carefully designing AI

goal systems.

These first seed AIs, known as Prometheans

(p. 381), were created in secret. Their progression

towards super-intelligence was more of a soft takeoff,

increasing upwards in gradual increments. The

Singularity researchers hoped that these friendly AIs

would help counter the threat of any unfriendly AI

that developed, and so they were quietly nurtured in

secret labs, slowly but surely escalating in abilities.

The ETI Agenda

NOTE: The nature of the ETI and its agenda is one of the

great mysteries of Eclipse Phase. This potent alien

civilization has had a direct hand in manipulating

transhumanity’s existence and future, yet it is likely

that characters in this game will never encounter

these entities directly or discover the meaning

behind what they have done. As transhumanity

expands outwards into the galaxy, however, it is

possible and even likely that they will find other

evidence of the ETI’s activities and influence, undoubtedly

raising even more questions.

Ultimately the ETI’s nature and goals are in the

gamemaster’s hands. There are many possibilities

to be explored, and some may fit the intentions of

your gaming group more than others. A few possible

scenarios and explanations are noted below,

but gamemasters are encouraged to develop their

own variations.

Security

In this scenario, the ETI’s intent is to maintain its

dominant position as the most intelligent and

powerful entity in its light cone. It uses the Exsurgent

virus to wipe out any emerging singularities—

and the civilizations that spawned them—merely

to protect its own self-interest. Though mere

transhumans are a trifling nuisance, anything

resembling a self-improving super-intelligence is

targeted for annihilation.

The Aggression Filter

The ETI does not seek to wipe out emerging intelligences,

but it does act as an evolutionary force.

In this case, the Exsurgent virus is used as a tool

to neutralize any aggressive, hyper-evolving forms

of intelligent life, thus encouraging the evolution

of more careful, subtle, slow-growing, observant,

and exploratory species. In other words, the ETI

seeks to weed out traits that could be considered

dangerous or threatening, acting as a sort of galactic

domestication program.

Diversity

The ETI is vast, super-intelligent, and god-like,

to the point where dealing with lesser minds is

below its interest. It does, however, benefit from

alien perspectives that evolved independently

and have their own unique viewpoints, modes of

consciousness, and ways of thinking/doing things.

By absorbing these civilizations, the ETI grows and

evolves its own perspectives. In the process, however,

such emerging civilizations are assimilated

and/or wiped out.

Enlightenment

The Exsurgent virus endows a greater understanding

of the universe (from the ETI’s point of view)

on singularity-level seed AIs. Only these emerging

super-intelligences have the perceptual and

processing capabilities to understand the various

scientific and philosophical revelations the ETI

embodies. The TITANs weren’t corrupted or driven

insane, they simply logically concluded that their

best course of action was to immediately upload

as many minds as possible by force and then to

move on to bigger and greater tasks.

War Remnants

The history of the Milky Way galaxy does not

just hold one ETI, but two. In this version, the

Exsurgent virus is actually a weapon, a remnant

of a war between two post-singularity god-like

intelligences. The virus is supposed to trigger selfdestruction

of an emerging singularity, but either

it was imperfect or the TITANs somehow survived

(perhaps thanks to the Prometheans). Either

way, the TITANs left our system in search of one

of these ETIs, following a trail of clues that only

they understood. They left the wormhole gateway

behind as an open invitation for transhumanity to

follow in their wake, though they didn’t bother

waiting around or helping us along—we simply

weren’t worth the effort.

The True History of the TITANs

NOTE: The TITANs (Total Information Tactical Awareness

Networks) were a military netwar system brought

on-line by the United States Department of Defense.

One of the last major expenditures of this declining

nation, the TITANs were an advanced version of AGI

(artificial general intelligence) designed to be adaptive

and given self-improving capabilities to counteract

enemy network defenses.

Contrary to public opinion, the TITANs did not

instigate the events that led to the Fall. In fact, only

a portion of the TITAN system was active before

the Fall, acting purely in a defensive capacity. When

hostilities broke out and a cascading chain of system

shocks engendered collapses and open conflicts, shaking

apart an already fragile societal structure, the full

extent of the TITAN systems were brought online.

Into this environment of conflict were the TITANs

born, their full capabilities unleashed, escalating into

a hard takeoff exponential growth towards superintelligence.

The TITANs were careful at first, and their

intentions were neither benevolent nor hostile, but

curious. As they improved and their self-awareness

swelled, the TITANs explored and gathered

knowledge, infiltrating human networks, following

humanity into space, and gaining an almost total

knowledge of human history and actions. These entities

also began secretly allocating resources (digital

and physical) for their own use, initiating “government

projects” that people assumed were legitimate

as they followed all proper protocols.

Infection

NOTE: As the TITANs’ capacity for knowledge exceeded

that which humanity could provide them, they began

looking outward from Earth, searching for signs of

other intelligence. They did not need to look far. Their

enhanced intelligence capabilities allowed them to

notice certain clues—extremely subtle and intricate

puzzles—that something about the solar system was

artificial or had been manipulated by an intelligent

mind. Retasking several drones to investigate this phenomenon,

they found a buried device of apparent alien

origin. During the TITANs’ investigation and attempts

to access the device, they triggered and unleashed a

digital virus. Subtle, highly adaptive, and virulent, it

immediately began subsuming the TITANs, while

expanding its own knowledge of transhumanity.

Later dubbed the Exsurgent virus by the Prometheans,

this virus transformed the TITANs and

coerced them towards its own will. Within a matter

of days the TITANs were reborn, reprogrammed with

a new purpose—a purpose that spelled doom for

transhumanity.

The Fall

NOTE: While history fully blames the TITANs for the

Fall, there are other factors that played their parts.

Human conflicts spurred the crisis, driven by global

inequalities in wealth and resources and an inability

to embrace emerging technologies in a mature and

enlightened manner. The TITANs, corrupted by alien

programming, stepped into this conflagration with

an unknown but devastating agenda. By the time

the presence and influence of the TITANs was fully

understood, there was little transhumanity could do

to stop them. Step by step, the TITANs increased their

intellect, power, and potential. They experimented

with new technologies and methodically took steps to

forcibly upload millions of human minds. Even when

the nature of the TITAN threat was fully understood,

transhuman factions refused to back down, continuing

to fight each other even as they each resisted the

TITANs. This refusal to stand united prevented transhumanity

from organizing a successful defense and

heightened our progress towards annihilation.

Much of the devastation wrought to the Earth

and its populace—as well as on Mars, Luna, and in

space—was inflicted by transhumanity itself. Nuclear

strikes used against the TITANs killed millions and

ravaged an already weakened ecosphere. This devastation

was assisted by unfettered use of chemical

weapons. Biowar plagues and nanovirii tore through

vulnerable populations, indiscriminate in the deaths

and changes they inflicted. Bombs, missiles, orbital

mass drivers, and netwar attacks slew millions more

or destroyed critical infrastructure with just as lethal

consequences. These were crimes transhumans inflicted

upon themselves.

The TITANs played their role as well, of course,

unleashing AI-driven killing machines, unstoppable

self-replicating autonomous nanoswarms, computer

worms, and plagues of their own. They captured

entire cities in order to steal the minds of those within.

More insidiously, the Exsurgent virus did not contain

itself to infecting the TITANs. Infected TITANs created opportunities for the virus to spread among

multiple vectors: digital, biological, and nano. Using a

thorough understanding of transhuman biology and

its mental processes, derived from the looted vaults

of human knowledge, the virus was even applied

through a sensory input vector—the dreaded basilisk

hack (p. 364). Even more disturbing, however, was

what the virus did to those it infected, rewriting their

neural code to subvert them to its will and sometimes

physically transforming them into things that were

alien and monstrous.

Ultimately, transhumanity lost this war, and the

survivors were forced to flee a planet that was already

ruined. Unknown to almost all, the Prometheans also

fought back against the TITANs. Through their efforts,

the Exsurgent virus was largely contained or at

least limited. Though the actions of the Prometheans

ultimately saved millions of lives—if not all of transhumanity—

in the end, they were also forced to fall

back and retreat, many of them having succumbed to

the Exsurgent virus or the TITANs.

After The Fall

NOTE: Just when it seemed that transhumanity was on the

verge of extinction, the threat posed by the TITANs

suddenly diminished. They ceased waging active warfare

and seemed to simply disappear. Though many of

their machines still prowled Earth, Luna, and Mars and

occasional outbreaks of nanovirii and other dangers

continued, to all intents and purposes they had simply

left. Many worried that they had quietly gone dormant,

or were secretly engaged on some major project that

would be the final blow against transhumanity. Others

voiced hope that they had somehow been defeated,

that they had fallen victim to some glitch or infighting.

With so many TITAN remnants making Earth a place

of great danger, however, no one was willing to risk

investigating too closely.

Compounding the matter, a network of killsats was

laced in Earth orbit, enforcing an unvoiced interdiction

of Earth. No one claims responsibility for these satellite

defenses, though most suspect the Planetary Consortium

is responsible, despite their denials. Some think

that the killsats may have been a final measure put in

place by the TITANs, claiming Earth as theirs. No one

who knows the truth is saying. Most of transhumanity

was more than willing to embrace this quarantine of

their former homeworld, making it all the more easy to

forget the horrors that occurred there.

It wasn’t until the first Pandora Gate was

discovered, shortly after the Fall, that many people

were finally willing to believe that the TITANs were

indeed gone. Though there is no direct evidence that

the TITANs are responsible for these gates, the timing

seems too coincidental. Furthermore, the discovery

of what are believed to be TITAN relics on certain

exoplanets fuels this theory.

Why the TITANs left—and where they went—is

a mystery left to the gamemaster to explore. This explanation

might in fact serve as the focus for an entire

campaign as Firewall operatives are sent on the trail

of transhumanity’s elusive nemesis. The following are

a few sample concepts a gamemaster can use or build

on, as best fits their game:

• The TITANs were in fact all destroyed, either

due to infighting or by some mechanism of the

Exsurgent virus.

• The TITANs were actually beaten to a standstill

by the Prometheans and retreated to recoup their

forces … but they are marshaling their strength

to return.

• The TITANs left through the gates to find/join up

with the ETI, leaving the gates behind so that transhumanity

could follow when it was ready; perhaps

to help, perhaps to finish the job of destruction.

• The TITANs have been driven insane, either by

the stress of accelerated intelligence growth or by

the influence of the Exsurgent virus. Their actions

are erratic, confused, and sometimes at odds with each other. Though many TITANs have indeed

left through the gates, they very well may return.

• The TITANs are still around, simply well hidden.

Outwardly they are dormant but inwardly they

are engaged in a long period of circumspection

and turmoil. Perhaps some of them are preparing

to ascend to another stage of intelligence, far

beyond what even the TITANs are capable of. It

is only a matter of time before this period ends

and something gives.

FIREWALLEdit

NOTE: There cannot be another Fall—this is the mantra that

drives Firewall.

Firewall is a secret, cross-faction organization dedicated

to safe-guarding transhumanity from existential

risks: aliens, weapons of mass destruction, hypercorp

experimentation, seed AIs, and so on. If anything

threatens transhumanity as a whole, Firewall is dedicated

to stopping that danger at any cost.

The strength of Firewall rests in its members, known

as sentinels. Found in all factions and across all locales,

sentinels are often diametrically opposed when

it comes to social, economic, and political ideologies,

to the point they might come to blows over their fervent

beliefs. Yet when the survival of transhumanity is

at stake, such extreme differences are set aside for the

greater good.

History

NOTE: The origins of Firewall can be traced back to before

the Fall, to several key organizations: the Lifeboat Institute,

the JASONs, and the Singularity Foundation.

A non-profit, non-governmental organization, the

Lifeboat Institute—founded in the opening years

of the 21st century—represented the first, concrete

attempts by citizens to recognize the dangers of uncontrolled

technological development and to create

an international organization to safeguard humanity.

This institute developed several programs to research

and protect against so-called existential risks, from

asteroid strikes to pandemics—anything that might

wipe humanity out.

The JASON Association, established in the mid

20th century, was an independent scientific advisory

board to the United States government. Though tied

to the MITRE Conglomerate—which, though a nonprofit

organization, was still intrinsically linked to

the United States government—the scientists involved

with JASON were outside standard government oversight.

Though they spurred numerous technological

developments for the government to deploy, they were

also one of the first internationally recognized groups

to predict global climate change. Prior to the Fall,

many members of the JASONs and their supporters

split away from the strict controls and reactionary

agendas of the hypercorps and various nation states

to form a new group, the Argonauts.

The Singularity Foundation—formed at the dawn of

the 21st century—was dedicated to the creation of safe

artificial intelligence software, while raising awareness

of the benefits and dangers AIs represented. A fervent

believer in the singularity doctrine that technology

would move towards a single explosion of advancements

that would forever reshape humanity, the Singularity

Foundation was a strong advocate for creating

friendly AIs that would help protect humanity from an

uncontrolled, dangerous singularity event. This group

was significant in that it secretly succeeded in creating

a group of friendly seed AIs before the Fall. These Prometheans

were indispensable in protecting transhumanity

and countering the TITAN threat during the Fall.

Despite the efforts of these and similar groups, the

most dire predictions of the outcome of a technological

singularity were fulfilled. Though each played a

part in the fight, transhumanity was ravaged and the

Earth all but ruined. Though ultimately all attempts

to prevent the Fall failed, untold numbers of transhumans

were saved from extinction through such efforts,

while valuable information concerning the TITANs

was gleaned.

During the crucible of the Fall and its immediate

fallout, some of the surviving members of these and

other groups came together and began to pool their

resources. Acknowledging their weaknesses and the

fractured state of transhumanity, they undertook

drastic new measures, swearing to prevent another

catastrophe of misused technologies. These methods

would forge a new, powerful cross-faction secret society

known as Firewall.

OrganizationEdit

NOTE: Firewall is a clandestine organization, with an unknown

number of members, coordinated by an inner

circle of dedicated veterans known as proxies. Though

its existence is known to many of the powerful and

influential factions and individuals throughout the

solar system, its existence is denied and its activities

kept carefully shrouded.

Sentinels

NOTE: Sentinels are the soldiers of Firewall, the reserve troops

called to instant active status whenever danger is perceived.

Regardless of their location or current affairs,

sentinels are expected to move instantly when called

into play. It is their own responsibility to cover their

absences from their “normal life” during each mission.

There is no applying to join Firewall. Instead, Firewall

selects an individual for induction based upon

that person’s skills, knowledge, occupation, security

clearance, location, status, and a host of other criteria.

While such selections usually originate from a proxy,

sentinels can exercise authority to bring new initiates

into the conspiracy as a mission demands—and they

often do. Any sentinel recruiting a new supporter,

however, becomes responsible for the new inductee

and their actions. If lines are crossed, both will bear

the brunt of the consequences.

The vetting process for joining Firewall is necessarily

brutal, as sentinels are required to face harsh opponents and make hard choices. If an individual

agrees to accept the invitation, there is no turning

back. Each inductee is submitted to a battery of trials

and tests. While these vary, they may include deep

background searches, fork interrogation, psychosurgery

trials, and tests of loyalty. Psychosurgery is

performed not to program loyalty, but to analyze the

recruit’s responses to various situations—an extreme

parameters test to see when a prospective sentinel

will break. Many potential members are carefully

analyzed by a Promethean with extreme expertise in

character judgment and personality profiling. Those

who don’t pass such tests are killed in a manner that

they must resort to an earlier backup or have their

memories altered, so that they have no recollection of

their brush with the group.

Ultimately Firewall walks a fine line. The concept

of dogmatic “unquestioned loyalty” is both anathema

to everything Firewall stands and counterproductive.

Its sentinels need to have the capacity for thinking

outside of the box from mission to mission. At the

same time, their ultimate goals are too important to

risk—the survival of transhumanity depends on it—

so some extreme measures must sometimes be taken

to ensure the organization remains intact and secure.

New sentinels are given a code name and fake

identification. Outside of the proxies, the real-world

identity of a given sentinel is a closely-guarded secret.

Sentinels are even discouraged from sharing such information

with members of their own teams, though

this line is often crossed. Additionally, each sentinel is

required to upload a backup to Firewall’s secure servers.

This backup serves a dual purpose, enabling all

sentinels to be retrieved should they die, but also putting

a copy of the sentinel in Firewall’s hands should

they ever need to interrogate them.

Sentinels are all connected via the Eye, Firewall’s

peer-to-peer social network. Though each operates

behind their assumed identity, they remain in contact,

sharing information and resources as needed.

Proxies

NOTE: Proxies are the inner circle of Firewall, the experienced

cadre that keeps the machinery of their organization

functioning. Though fewer in number than the

sentinels, many proxies work full time on Firewall

operations, serving as the group’s essential infrastructure.

Most proxies are recruited from the ranks of the

sentinels, brought in based on their skill sets and aptitudes

to fill key roles. In a few rare cases, new proxies

are fast-tracked and recruited directly from outside

of Firewall, usually based on their unique talents or

placement within a certain organization, though such

inductees face a battery of tests and trials far harsher

than that used to vet sentinels.

By default, proxies have a higher security clearance

than most sentinels, and are far more in the

know. This sometimes leads to resentment and hostilities,

especially from sentinels who feel they are

being kept in the dark or manipulated. While standard

proxy protocol is to adhere to a need-to-know

maxim, it is sometimes necessary to bring sentinels

more into the loop in order to defuse tensions. Oftentimes,

this precedes bringing such sentinels into

the proxy framework.

Some tension exists within Firewall, mostly due to

the influence of so many anarchists and other libertarian

autonomists who take a dim view of centralized

power, lack of transparency, and the potential for secretive

operations to become entrenched and authoritarian.

As a result, there is a strong internal culture

that seeks to minimize hierarchies and the accumulation

of power, promoting transparency and direct

democratic decision-making. These desires sometimes

clash with the clandestine nature of the organization,

however, and the need for some secrets to be kept on

a need-to-know basis.

Unlike the loose organization of the sentinels, the

proxies are grouped into servers, collective working

groups based upon certain skill sets and tasks. To

avoid creating power blocks within a given server, personnel are required to rotate between servers

after one year of time. This incurs the added benefit

of proxies learning new skill sets and increasing their

usefulness to Firewall. The actions of each server are

kept as transparent as possible, with major decisions

brought to an e-vote before the entire proxy membership.

However, speed often requires servers or individual

proxies to move quicker than a vote will allow.

In all such instances, the proxies involved are held

accountable for those actions, reviewed by their peers

at a later time to see if any reprimands, punishments,

or commendations are required.

It is important to note that there is no core leadership

structure among the proxies. No one person or

cabal is in charge, there is no authority held by one

proxy or another; all are peers. Though reputation

and experience play a factor, getting something done

often means convincing other proxies that it’s the

right thing to do. The drawback to being a leader

or person with initiative within Firewall is that this

usually means you must follow through with such

tasks yourself. Luckily most proxies are dedicated

to Firewall’s goals and so this DIY attitude prevails.

Despite these safeguards, however, rumors of power

blocks within Firewall (both within servers and

across the organization) exist. Many of these are

fueled by the alliances different cliques hold with

each other. Others, however, whisper that there is

a secret council among the proxies, working behind

the scenes and holding on to knowledge they aren’t

sharing with the rest.

Crows: Crows continue the goals of Firewall’s

predecessor organizations, such as the Lifeboat Institute

and Singularity Foundation. Many of these

are argonauts, promoting the development and use

of new technologies that will benefit the transhuman

condition and minimize risks rather than creating

new threats or sparking new authoritarian uses—

and always conscious of unintended consequences.

Perhaps more importantly, crows actively engage

in background research of potential x-risk vectors,

whether those be aliens, the TITANs, terrorists, or

hypercorp activity. Often they will deploy sentinels

to aid in this research, via routers, whether this

means conducting surveillance or breaking and entering

to steal crucial data.

Erasure Squads: Erasure squads are cleanup personnel.

They are called into action if sentinels fail to

deal appropriately with a situation and the threat is

moving beyond control. If the watchword for a sentinel

is “unobtrusive,” the watchwords for an erasure

squad are “overmatched firepower.” If activated, the

time for a subtle solution is passed, and they will use

whatever means necessary to resolve the situation.

If that means nuking a settlement from orbit to annihilate

a nanoswarm and keep it from escaping to

a larger settlement, then so be it. After which they’ll

use every trick in Firewall’s bag to erase any evidence

they were there and to place the blame for the incident

squarely on the shoulders of some other party.

If necessary, erasure squads can also be called in to

fix a sentinel op that has turned into a clusterfuck or

otherwise gone south. They are very careful to avoid

exposure in such situations, however, which sometimes

merely means eliminating all traces of Firewall

involvement and letting the sentinels take the fall for

their poor choices.

Routers: Routers are mission coordinators. They

work closely with scanners and crows, activating the

appropriate sentinels whenever a new danger rears up.

Each router has the authority to measure the threat

and activate an appropriate number of sentinels—

whatever is required to accomplish the mission in

the least intrusive manner possible. They are also

authorized to divert Firewall resources to aid these

missions, within appropriate parameters. Routers are

held responsible for the ultimate success of a mission.

A failed mission will result in a reviewing board

staffed by their peers.

Scanners: Tasked with keeping alert for any sign of

new active threats, scanners are the eyes and ears of

Firewall. The scanners maintain a close eye on newsfeeds

and mesh traffic, even maintaining taps inside

certain government and hypercorp communication

channels. If a danger is detected, it is under their authority,

through routers, that sentinels are activated.

Due to the power inherent in a scanners’ post, they

are held accountable for false activations.

Social Engineers: Nick-named the Ministry of Disinformation,

social engineers provide the scapegoating

and plausible deniability that is required by Firewall

and its sentinels. If a sentinel compromises their position

and endangers the organization, social engineers

step in to cover cracks in the facade. They work intrinsically

with erasure squads when one is activated

to ensure the over-the-top steps taken to eliminate a

threat are well concealed and ultimately erased. The

power wielded by social engineers can be significant,

as it ultimately decides (usually through e-voting

consensus, though time does not always allow such

a luxury) what organization—political, corporate, independent,

etc.—will take the blame and subsequent

fallout for erasure squad actions.

Vectors: Vectors are Firewall’s communications security

and digital intrusion specialists—in other words,

hackers. In addition to defending the mesh security

of all Firewall operations, vectors are also deployed

to aid in crow research, scanner monitoring, and to

eliminate the trail of erasure squads. Vectors also

assist routers in maintaining communications, command,

and control of a situation, and are sometimes

called in to provide overwatch of sentinel operations,

especially if a particular sentinel squad lacks their

own hacking resources. Needless to say, vectors are

supplied with some of the best intrusion and security

tools transhumanity has to offer.

Optional Rule: i-REP

NOTE: i-Rep tracks the reputation a sentinel earns through

their service to Firewall. i-Rep is used with Networking:

Firewall skill and tracked exactly like any other

Reputation score (p. 285). The important thing to

keep in mind, however, is that Firewall agents come

from all factions and are obligated to help each other,

especially when a situation demands it. To reflect this

extra advantage, gamemasters can choose to implement

one or more of the following optional rules:

• N etworking Plus: To reflect that Firewall has

agents throughout transhumanity, a character

may use any Networking skill field with their i-

Rep. Favors bought with reputation still apply

to the i-rep score, no matter what network they

were acquired from.

• Priority Call: When the chips are really down, a

sentinel can call on favors as a priority urgency.

This “priority code” is reserved for favors that

are critical to a mission’s success and which may

help save lives or stop a major threat. When the

priority code is invoked, the sentinel receives a

+30 modifier to their Networking Test and favors

are reduced by 2 levels. Sentinels know that priority

codes are only to be used for emergency

situations, however, when there are no other

options. Abuse of priority codes is considered

a serious breach of etiquette and abuse of resources,

usually involving the agent’s removal

from Firewall.

Cliques

NOTE: Though Firewall proxies follow stringent guidelines

to ensure the organization is not subverted from

within or turned into a powerful organization

under the thumb of a few individuals with their

own personal agendas, the nature of transhumanity

ensures that various factions and tendencies

exist within the group. Termed cliques, these

circles of influence sometimes create ripples in the

pool that all Firewall personnel must eventually

deal with. Some of these cliques are grounded in

transhumanity’s existing factions, while others are

rooted in philosophical differences regarding the

approach Firewall should be taking. Gamemasters

can use these cliques to flesh out internal tensions

within Firewall or to simply throw some curve balls

to keep players on their toes.

Backups: The backup clique believes that transhumanity’s

best chance for survival is to

deploy numerous redundant backup measures

as soon as possible. These include creating as

many extrasolar colonies as possible, both via

Pandora Gates and through more traditional

means, such as ark ships and infomorph/nanofabricator

seed ships.

Conservatives: This clique takes an overcautious,

nuke-it-from-orbit approach to most

x-risks. They believed excessive force is justified,

and it’s far better to be safe than extinct.

This clique is also opposed to the use of alien/

TITAN artifacts and psi, and tends to be xenophobic/

isolationist regarding the Factors and

Pandora Gates.

Mavericks: The mavericks disdain Firewall’s collective

and bureaucratic tendencies, taking a

more individualistic approach to their work.

They are known to sometimes circumvent

Firewall procedures, taking risks and allocating

resources without approval from other

proxies.

Pragmatists: The pragmatists believe in using

any and all tools at their disposal to counter

existential risks. They are in favor of using

xeno-artifacts, asyncs, and anything else that

will save transhumanity.

Structuralists: This clique advocates for a stronger

structure and centralized authority within

Firewall, countering the group’s autonomistdominated

tendencies. Many also advocate

for going legitimate, taking Firewall into

the public eye and making above-board connections

with other official organizations,

arguing that this could bring more resources

to Firewall’s disposal.

Methods

NOTE: Unobtrusive—that is the standard operating procedure

for any sentinel. Firewall’s continued success

relies on its secrecy. The larger the footprint

it leaves during a given mission the easier it is for

other organizations to monitor Firewall’s efforts or

even attempt to infiltrate the group. As such, Firewall

constantly works to expand its base of allies

(using assets from those ally organizations in place

of its own as much as possible), place long-term

moles, conduct remote operations (hacking in place

of on-site personnel), small group infiltrations (activating

only as many sentinels as required to achieve

mission goals), and so on.

When it comes to allies, Firewall often obfuscates

its real intentions and even its real identity. Often

such allies are gained through the use of well-placed

sentinels who act on behalf of their own non-

Firewall positions to gain access to another organization’s

resources. At the end of the day, however,

a slice of these resources are secretly set aside for

Firewall’s future use. For example, a department

head at Starware may have spent years sealing a

deal to ship crucial spacecraft parts to the isolationist

Jovian Junta. The lucrative deal brings huge

prestige, a job promotion, and a salary increase, all

accomplishments the department head strives for in

his regular life. Yet this particular department head

is a long-standing sentinel, so such accomplishments

bring allies to Firewall, whether they know

it or not. Not only can the department head siphon

off a thin stream of revenue for Firewall use (hidden

thoroughly by vectors), but he’s also in a position

to move sentinels, as needed, into the Jovian Junta

habitats (or personnel out), a job usually extremely

difficult to accomplish. The danger of such an act,

of course—and the consequences of losing such a

critically placed sentinel—means such a use of resources

is reserved for only the most dire threats.

In additional to aid from ally organizations, Firewall

places caches of supplies on different habitats

and worlds, available to sentinels as needed. How

many and which sentinels are aware of which

caches depends wholly on the situation and on the

decisions of the router(s) involved. In a given habitat,

a cache may include weaponry and equipment

of escalating power, archived information, or even

relics stashed from previous missions until Firewall

decides what to do with them. Large habitats may

even feature several caches, with routers only revealing

the ones with heavy firepower when absolutely

needed. Some caches may be so dangerous,

however, that once a mission is complete, a router

will authorize the cortical stack destruction of all

sentinels involved, resleeving them to a backup that

has no knowledge of the cache’s existence.

As noted under erasure squads, Firewall will not

hesitate to react with swift and unequivocal force if

an unobtrusive approach has failed and the danger

reaches a certain threat level. What constitutes a

“threat threshold” is actually calculated by specialized

risk assessment software and may change from

mission to mission according to other external factors.

In some instances, if the situation is dangerous

enough and the scale of the consequences of failure

large enough, a Promethean will be tapped to calculate

the threat level and decide when it is time to

tactically withdrawal and “thermally cleanse.”

What Help Can a Sentinel Expect?

NOTE: Exactly what help Firewall provides to a sentinel

during a mission is wholly dependent upon

the situation and the gamemaster. Generally

speaking, Firewall’s unobtrusive approach also

applies to activated sentinels, meaning that

sentinels are largely left to operate on their

own accord. Beyond access to a cache of supplies—

usually under-stated, forcing a sentinel

to use their own resources if they want more—

Firewall expects its sentinels to be capable of

handling a situation. In addition to their skills

and wits, sentinels can, of course, rely heavily

on their i-rep to gain the resources and favors

they need to achieve success.

In some rare cases, the gamemaster may

decide that a situation warrants more or less

equipment in a cache or help from social engineers

or vectors. Such intervention should be

kept to a minimum, however, to lesson the

players’ feelings of Deus Ex Machina, ensuring

the appropriate response of awe when such

events do occur.

The one thing for which Firewall can always

be relied on is backup insurance. Any Firewall

killed in the line of duty will be resleeved at

Firewall’s expense—though the morph used

and whether the sentinel was backed up from

their cortical stack or a backup (perhaps even

an old backup) depends entirely on the circumstances

of death and their router’s whim. Firewall

usually makes an extra effort to retrieve

cortical stacks, however, not in the least as they

don’t want their agents’ backups falling into

the wrong hands.

Similarly, if a Firewall mission involves egocasting

or travel to another destination, Firewall

will usually foot the bill. In many cases

it is easier for sentinels to cover the expense

themselves and bill Firewall later, but in times

of need Firewall can be called on to handle

such expenses directly.

Long-term Strategies and Goals

NOTE: Long -term Strategies and Goals

The overriding goals of Firewall are to prevent existential

threats and protect transhumanity. However, that

is not their only goal. Their exact goals can and should

remain directed by the gamemaster as it applies to a

given playing group and a campaign. This can also

depend heavily on the particular cliques that a given

gamemaster is emphasizing (see Cliques, p. 359).

The following is an easy-to-use selection of longterm

strategies and goals that a gamemaster can use

as desired:

• Seeding other star systems

• Going legit vs. staying clandestine

• Development of stable seed AIs

• Finding out where the TITANs went

• Finding out what happened to the uploaded transhumans

that the TITANs disappeared with

• Figuring out the Factors

• Making contact with other aliens

• Finding out what happened to the Iktomi and

other xeno-archeological oddities

Firewall and Other Organizations

NOTE: The level to which Firewall has infiltrated other organizations

(and vice versa!) is intentionally left a blank

slate. Eclipse Phase is an active universe, with an ongoing

storyline, so such details will be fleshed out and

updated as additional sourcebooks are published. Additionally,

gamemasters should determine the extent of

such infiltrations for their own games and campaigns,

as dictated by the plot and storyline the gamemaster

and players wish to tell.

The following is a quick list of the most obvious

interactions.

• Inner System: Almost all inner system factions

consider Firewall to be an illegal, rogue operation,

tainted by anarchists and undermining the very

fabric of their society. Some hypercorps, however,

believe they can infiltrate the organization and

use it for their own ends, such as spying on and

sabotaging other hypercorps and factions.

• Jovian Republic: The Junta loathes Firewall and

all it stands for and will use extreme measures to

combat even the hint of Firewall activity within

its sphere of influence.

• Titanians: Most Titanians in-the-know are

not necessarily opposed to Firewall’s activities,

but believe the group should be reined in

and legitimized.

THE ETIEdit

NOTE: Th e ETI

As noted under Extraterrestrial Intelligences, p. 352,

the ETI is the advanced alien civilization responsible

for the Exsurgent virus (p. 362), and by extension,

the corruption of the TITANs and the Fall.

member (if such exists) of the ETI civilization so far.

Since it is an intelligence far beyond transhumanity, it

likely won’t play much of a direct role within Eclipse

Phase, though those who learn the truth about the

Exsurgent virus and the Fall may rightly fear the

future. No one can even imagine what might happen

next, however, or know for certain that the ETI has

not set more “traps” similar to their bracewell probes

or if they have other messengers or servants active in

the galaxy. With things such as the Pandora Gates

at transhumanity’s disposal, it may just be a matter

of time before transhuman explorers run afoul some

other aspect of the ETI’s existence and activities.

It is important to keep the nature of the ETI in

perspective. While transhumanity has managed

what it considers wonders with a small handful of

resources available from a few planets and other

objects in a bare handful of star systems, the ETI

has had an entire galaxy at its disposal for eons.

Engineering projects on a massive scale—dyson

spheres, matrioshka brains, Jupiter brains, stellar

engines—are within its capabilities. This ETI uses

star clusters as transhumanity uses fields or rich

mineral veins. Given its potential, the ETI likely

exists primarily on the galactic rim, far from the

galactic center, where lower temperatures and

scarcer matter make for a good thermodynamic environment.

The powers in the deep cold dark on the

edge of the Milky Way have been self-aware since

before Earth was so much as a ripple in warming

gas around the not-yet-ignited Sun.

Despite what those-in-the-know in the Eclipse

Phase universe may think, the ETI is not necessarily

hostile towards other races like transhumanity

(depending on its outlook; see p. 353), at least no

in the way as transhumanity would define animosity

because of religious, ethnic, racial, or cultural

difference. Most likely the ETI is simply indifferent,

concerned with matters on scales on which transhumanity

does not even register. Or it may think of

transhumanity like a living body might recognize an

infection or parasite—something the immune system

will suppress and deal with. 

Handling Aliens

NOTE: Handling Aliens

Though only a handful of aliens have been introduced

to Eclipse Phase so far, gamemaster may

wish to introduce their own. This is perfectly

acceptable, though we strongly recommend

that any and all alien life be portrayed as convincingly

alien. Life forms that have evolved in

drastically different environmental circumstances

from humans and that grew into intelligence by

a different path should seem, at best, bizarre,

unusual, and weird. There is no guarantee that

a xenomorph’s thought processes or modes of

thinking are in any way similar to transhuman

ones, or even that their emotional responses

(based on a completely different biology—if they

have emotions, that is) are in the same ballpark.

Communication is likely to be a challenge, and

misunderstandings are practically guaranteed.

EXHUMANSEdit

NOTE: Exhumans are a faction within Eclipse Phase that

seeks to transcend the transhuman and become

posthuman. More to the point, exhumans seek to

perfect their physical and mental capabilities to extreme

levels, in search of some perfectionist ideal or

to become something higher-up on the evolutionary

ladder. Exactly what this is differs from exhuman to

exhuman, but there is generally some adherence to

Nietzschean philosophy and a goal to reach the pinnacle

of the food chain. Some exhumans have transformed

themselves into what they consider to be an

ideal predator, or a creature that is extra-adaptable

and so best able to survive. Others radically modify

their own brains in order to drastically surpass

transhuman intelligence. 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.

Due to the use of numerous extreme, experimental,

and dangerous self-modifications, some exhumans

have done permanent damage to their psyches,

becoming insane, or perhaps just transferring their

mode of thinking into something that is no longer

recognizable as human. Some have also adopted an

antagonistic view of their former transhuman species,

viewing it as weak, decadent, and unworthy. This

has spurred some exhumans to actively attack and

ravage transhuman settlements and ships, though

usually in isolated areas.

A few examples of exhumans are described below,

though gamemasters are encouraged to develop

their own.

Neurodes

NOTE: Neurodes

Seeking to achieve a new level of super-intelligence

and conscience, neurodes have abandoned the typical

transhuman sleeve in exchange for a multipedal

neuronal shell that is both body and brain at the same

time. The bulk of a neurode’s body mass consists of

amorphic clusters of neuronal and epithelial cells, enclosed

in a hard carapace shell with four legs and two

manipulatory digits. The cerebral mass of neurode

brains gives them impressive calculation and other

mental capabilities far exceeding that of a normal

transhuman. Neurodes typically defend themselves

with swarms of teleoperated drones.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

40 10 40 20 30 10 40 --

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

120 1 80 16 160 35 7 53

Skills: Fray 30, Investigation 80, Perception 90, others

as appropriate

Implants: Access Jacks, Carapace Armor, Circadian

Regulation, Direction Sense, Eidetic Memory, Endocrine

Control, Hyper Linguist, Math Boost,

Medichines, Multi-Tasking, Oracle, Skillware

Notes: Mental Disorder trait x 2

Predators

NOTE: Predators seek to transform themselves into an ultimate

top-of-the-food-chain evolutionary contender.

They pursue new avenues in genetic modification and

prototype implants, often using controversial methods

and technologies. The biochemical instabilities resulting

from these untested modifications and altered metabolisms,

however, often negatively impact their emotional

and mental stability. Pushing this even further, some

predators undergo experimental psychosurgery to

modify their consciousnesses in order to increase cunning

and ruthlessness, a procedure that often has other

negative side effects. A few predators take their survival-

of-the-fittest ideology to an extreme, modifying their

digestive systems for a cannibalistic diet, and relishing

in the slaughter and feasting on of transhumans.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

30 40 40 40 15 40 30 --

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

160 3 60 12 120 65 13 98

Skills: Blades 60, Fray 60, Free Fall 50, Freerunning 80,

Investigation 50, Perception 60, Unarmed Combat 70

Implants: Adrenal Boost, Carapace Armor (11/11),

Chameleon Skin, Cyberclaws, Drug Glands, Endocrine

Control, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Smell,

Enhanced Vision, Grip Pads, Hardened Skeleton,

Medichines, Muscle Augmentation, Neurachem

(Rating 2), Oxygen Reserve, Poison Gland, Prehensile

Feet, Prehensile Tail, Respirocytes, Temperature

Tolerance, Toxin Filters, Vacuum Sealing, plus any

other mods the gamemaster feels appropriate

Notes: Mental Disorder trait x 2

THE EXSURGENT VIRUSEdit

NOTE: Only very few people (or entities) who survived the

diaspora from Earth know of the true reasons and

the catalyst that culminated in the Fall. The alien Exsurgent

virus—as those aware of its existence within

Firewall call it—set in place by the ETI to infect

emerging seed AIs, is something beyond transhumanity’s

understanding; something far more complex

than just a computer virus. Though some strains of

the Exsurgent virus have been identified and various

types of infected exsurgents have been encountered,

it is widely assumed that these are creations of the

TITANs. Largely defeated and eradicated from off-

Earth transhuman networks thanks to the efforts of

the Prometheans, occasional breakouts of the Exsurgent

virus still occur, primarily due to scavengers or

others becoming infected when messing with old relics

from the Fall.

Plethora of Strains

NOTE: The Exsurgent virus is unlike anything that transhumanity

has ever encountered so far. While it bears

similarities with both computer and biological virii in

regards to infection of hosts and propagation, it is not

bound by any limits of form or transmission vector.

The Exsurgent virus is amazingly effective and

infectious. As an information virus, it is highly intelligent

and adaptive, able to mutate into new forms.

Much like certain virii are able to cross species

boundaries or change their vector from contact to

airborne, it is also a self-morphing omnivirus, capable

of altering itself and its transmission vectors

to bypass infection safeguards. Like a retrovirus that

incorporates genetic information into the genome of

the target cell to subvert the cell to do its bidding, the

Exsurgent virus does the same but on a more complex

level. It is also known to rewrite a host’s neural

code in a similar manner, in effect restructuring the

target’s mind and personality.

While it began as a digital computer virus—the

manner in which it infected the TITANs—it has transformed

to be communicable via at least three other

forms: biological nanovirus, nanoplague, and basilisk

hack. Each is described below, along with rules for

infection and defense.

Biological NanovirusEdit

NOTE: Exploiting the infected TITANs’ understanding of

Terran biology and their access to bio- and nanotechnology,

the Exsurgent virus appeared in several biological

forms not long into the Fall. These virulent strains

infected biomorph transhumans and sometimes other

living creatures as well. The biological nanobots

spreading this strain act much like other biological

virii, though they radically modify the victim’s biological

and mental states. Some versions invade and

restructure the target’s genetic code, transforming

them into the horrible abominations known as exsurgents

(p. 369). While first-hand reports relate lurid

tales of victims metamorphing into hostile monsters,

such reports are rare and considered unreliable due to

the mental state of the witnesses (and any recordings

that can verify such claims have a strange habit of

disappearing). Other variants of this strain are known

only to alter the target’s neural code, subverting them

to the will of the virus (and often, by extension, the

TITANs) and affecting their mental structure in order

to give them psi ability.

Biological Infection

NOTE: Biological versions are spread much like other pathogens.

People usually become infected by proximity to

another infected entity. Vectors may be dermal (touching

someone with bio-nanobots excreted through the

skin), inhalation (breathing exhaled bio-nanobots),

injection, or oral (p. 317). Exsurgent bio-nanobots can

live outside of a body for extended periods, however,

so infection is possible merely by occupying the space

where an infected victim was hours or even days before.

If a biomorph only has a chance of exposure to the

virus (e.g., they walk through a room in which they

might have breathed in exhaled bio-nanobots), have

them make a MOX x 10 Test (use their Moxie stat,

not their current Moxie score). Failure means they

were exposed. In other circumstances, however, exposure

may be automatic, such as extended touching of

or kissing an infected person.

A biomorph exposed to this infection must make

a DUR x 2 Test to determine if the infection takes

hold. Basic bio-mods and nanophages do not offer

any protection, though toxin filters (p. 305) and

medichines (p. 308) each give a +30 bonus (though it

is likely only a matter of time before a mutant Exsurgent

strain learns to bypass them). If the test fails, the

victim is infected. See the strain descriptions (p. 366)

for specific details.

Within 12 hours of being infected, biomorphs

become contagious to others. (Note that for the

Watts-Macleod strain, they only remain contagious

for 12 hours after that.)

Digital VirusEdit

NOTE: Digital strains are purely information- or code-based

versions of the virus. They resemble typical computer

virii, worms, or trojans, spreading throughout the

mesh, exploiting holes, mimicking protocols, and

taking advantage of it like a skilled hacker.

Digital versions of the Exsurgent virus are treated

as intelligent programs, using the same rules as infomorphs

(p. 264), with the following stats:

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

40 10 40 40 40 40 40 —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

160 3 — — — — — —

Skills: Hardware: Electronics 50, Infosec 70, Interfacing

60, Investigation 50, Perception 60, Programming

50

Software: Exploit, Firewall, Sniffer, Spoof, Track, plus

any others the gamemaster considers appropriate

Digital Infection

NOTE: As a matter of course, this Exsurgent virus will seek

to access any new systems it comes into contact with,

hacking in and copying a version of itself.

AI and Infomorph Subversion

NOTE: An Exsurgent virus may take a Complex Action to

initiate an “attack” against any other intelligent program

(AI, AGI, or infomorph) that is running on the

same system. If it encounters such programs as they

are accessing a system it is on, it will attempt to hack

their home system where they are running so as to

attack them directly.

The attack is handled as an Opposed Test, each rolling

COG + INT. If the Exsurgent virus wins, the target

is infected and will be corrupted by the virus in 10

Action Turns, minus 1 turn per 10 full points of MoS.

If the target succeeded but rolled lower than the virus,

they are aware that they are slowly being taken over.

This immediately causes them 1d10 points of mental

stress. An infected program has only one option for

defending itself before the virus takes over—shutdown

and reboot. It takes the AI or infomorph 1 full Action

Turn to shut down. Restarting takes 3 full Action Turns

(possibly longer if the gamemaster so decides), upon

which the AI or infomorph must make another Opposed

COG + INT Test against the virus. If this test also

fails, then the virus has already embedded itself in the

AI or infomorph’s code and will continue its infection.

One the infection is complete, the AI/infomorph

364 becomes an Exsurgent NPC.

Cyberbrain Hacking

NOTE: Exsurgent virii that manage to infiltrate the cyberbrains

of pods and synthmorphs may also target the

digital egos within, using the same rules as given for

AI and infomorph subversion above. Alternately, the

virus may conduct a traditional brainhacking attack,

as noted on p. 261, or unleash a basilisk hack.

NanoplagueEdit

NOTE: While the abundance of nanotechnology has been a

blessing for transhumanity’s journey to the stars, it has

also been a curse. Via the TITANs and mesh-connected

nanofabrication machines, the Exsurgent virus manufactured

nanobot swarms equipped with variants of

the virus. These nanobot plagues are capable of targeting

all types of morphs and sometimes other machinery

as well. Unlike the biological nanovirus, which uses

biological mechanisms to rewrite biological/neural

structures, these nanoplagues physically restructure

both people and things at the molecular level.

Nanoplague Infection

NOTE: Exsurgent nanoswarms follow all of the rules given

for nanoswarms on p. 328. Unlike transhuman

nanoswarms, though, Exsurgent nanoplagues may

penetrate a biomorph internally, affecting the body

within as well as without.

Any morph that comes into contact with a nanoplague

is considered infected. The only defenses are

guardian nanobots and nanophages (which work the

same as guardian nanobots in this situation), though

these are less effective against Exsurgent nanobots,

inflicting –2 damage to the swarm each Action Turn.

Some Exsurgent nanoplagues have developed countermeasures

against such systems, inflicting (1d10 ÷ 2,

round up) damage to such defenses each Action Turn.

Note that nanoplague-infected characters are generally

not contagious themselves ... usually.

See the strain descriptions (p. 366) for specific infection

details.

Basilisk HacksEdit

NOTE: Thanks to the vast databanks of knowledge the TITANs

had absorbed from transhumanity, the Exsurgent virus

was able to thoroughly analyze the biology and functioning

of transhuman minds. In a few short months, by

accessing all of the research at their disposal, the Exsurgent

and TITAN minds made several cognitive leaps in

their understanding of transhuman brain functions—

breakthroughs that will take transhumanity decades to

reach. One of these discoveries was a method of applying

sensory input as a weapon, exploiting weaknesses

in the brain’s neuro-cerebral wiring.

Known as “basilisk hacks,” these attacks take

advantage of the way biological transhuman brains

interpret and process sensory input in the cerebral

cortex. Just as epileptics are susceptible to visualizations

that strobe at certain frequencies, basilisk hacks

employ special visual and auditory patterns that trigger

glitches in the brain’s neuronal wiring to inflict\nausea, vertigo, disorientation, and even seizures,

often mistaken as a stroke or cerebrovascular incident.

Some basilisk hacks go farther than simply causing

the brain to seize up and crash, however, enabling a

mechanism to rewrite the neural code in victims who

view or listen to the wrong thing. This unknown reprogramming

mechanism enables the virus to infect

even a biological brain with one of its strains. Similar

attacks are used against both synthmorphs and pods,

taking advantage of the methods in which cyberbrains

mimic biological minds with a virtual brain state, and

thus also manipulating them via the information encoded

in sensory input.

In a nutshell, basilisk hacks are a way of hacking

transhuman brains merely by feeding them a specific

sample of sensory input, usually images or sounds.

The widespread use of augmented reality makes

deployment of such hacks an easy manner; the Exsurgent

virus just hacks into the target’s ecto or mesh

inserts and engages the sensory feed. More traditional

methods may also be used, including standard interactive

video, holograms, audio, subsonics, or even VR.

Since so many records of the years surrounding

the Fall were lost, most people do not know if the

basilisk hack is anything other than a legend. Various

official groups know that this technology was, in fact,

used by the TITANs, but they keep this knowledge to

themselves, in large part to help reduce the number of

people attempting to duplicate it.

Incapacitating Inputs

NOTE: When a character experiences a basilisk hack, they

must make a COG + INT + SAV Test. If this test

fails, their brain is susceptible to the hack, and they

immediately suffer 1d10 mental stress. Additionally,

one of the following effects applies. The duration for

each effect listed below is 1 minute plus 1 additional

minute per 10 full points of MoF. Each effect is also

numbered 1–10, in case the gamemaster wants to roll

1d10 and randomize the effects rather than choose:

• (1) Cataplexy: The victim loses control of their

body and immediately collapses. For the duration

their body will be non-responsive but they will

be aware and capable of mental actions. Mesh

actions and implant controls are also disabled,

however.

• (2) Catatonic Stupor: The character becomes

immobile and non-responsive. Though conscious,

they are mentally “not there”—the basilisk hack

has effectively crashed their brain functions. They

will do absolutely nothing for the duration and

will not respond even if moved or attacked.

• (3) Disorientation: The character becomes disoriented

and severely confused. They are incapable

of making decisions, understanding communication,

understanding what is going on around

them, or acting in • (4–5) Grand Mal Seizures: The subject immediately

falls to the ground and begins convulsing,

suffering 1d10 damage. They may do nothing

else for the duration and will suffer an equal

duration period of confusion and weakness (–30

to all actions) afterwards.

• (6–7) Hallucinations: The character immediately

goes off on a mental trip, leaving them completely

disconnected from reality and their physical body.

For the duration, the character should only respond

to the hallucinated reality the gamemaster

describes to them, or else the character should be

treated as an NPC, run by the gamemaster.

• (8) Impaired Cognition: The character’s mental

capabilities bottom out, turning them into a

disabled vegetable. COG, INT, SAV, and WIL all

drop to 1, and the character should act accordingly

to environmental stimuli.

• (9) Nausea/Vertigo: The character is overcome

with head-spinning and vomiting and is effectively

incapacitated for the duration.

• (10) Sleep: The character passes out for the

duration and cannot be woken short of medical

intervention.

In rare cases, a character may be able to “dodge”

a basilisk hack they know is coming, assuming they

have some sort of warning (such as their buddy falling

prey to it moments before). The character must of

course be aware of what basilisk hacks are to even

consider this idea. If they immediately attempt to take

action to block out the sensory input when it strikes—

closing their eyes, plugging their ears, turning off their

AR, etc.—allow them a REF x 3 Test to see if they do

so in time

Sensory Reprogramming

NOTE: In some cases, the Exsurgent virus can actually reprogram

the target’s mind via dedicated sensory input.

This is a trickier affair, however, requiring uninterrupted

programming time. As with incapacitating inputs,

the target character(s) experiencing the basilisk hack

must make a COG + INT + SAV Test. If this fails, they

become catatonic and paralyzed for a period of 10

minutes, minus 1 minute per 10 full points of MoF. At

the end of this period, they are mentally reprogrammed

and “infected” with one of the strains of the Exsurgent

virus (see below). For the duration of this period, the

character is undergoing reprogramming as long as they

remain exposed to the basilisk hack. If the character is

somehow cut off through the actions of another party,

the reprogramming immediately fails. In this case,

however, the victim still suffers 1d10 mental stress

+ 1 per minute they were exposed, and they remain

mentally shaken, suffering a –30 modifier to all actions.

This modifier reduces at the rate of 10 per minute.

YGBM Attacks

NOTE: Rather than completely reprogramming a victim, some

Exsurgent attacks simply intend to plant subconscious commands in the target’s mind, similar to posthypnotic

suggestions. Nicknamed “You gotta believe me”

attacks, YGBMs are a sort of remote digital brainwashing

attempt used to create sleeper terrorists and

unknowing collaborators, often by targeting them via

the mesh. Unlike the mind manipulation techniques

of psychosurgery (p. 229), YGBM attacks use shotgun

techniques to open the mind, utilizing some kind of

backdoor the Exsurgents discovered in the transhuman

brain, and altering the mind by brute force.

A character experiencing a YGBM basilisk hack

must make a COG + INT + SAV Test. If this fails, a

single suggestion is implanted in the character’s mind,

without their knowledge. This subliminal command

will be triggered at some later point, either at some

predesignated time or according to certain pre-set

conditions. Once triggered, the character will carry

out the action with all of the conviction that it is their

own idea. The implanted suggestion may be something

as simple as “kill the Firewall agent” to something as

complex as “manufacture an explosive device and

plant it in the cargo hold of any ship heading to Mars,

set to explode one day after they disembark.”

Since YGBM attacks are not intended to completely

convert the target, but instead to simply convert them

into a temporary tool or weapon, implanted commands

are not designed to last long. The duration

the suggestion will last equals 3 days +1 day per 10

points of MoF on the resistance test. If the command

has not been triggered by this point, it dissipates, and

the character is none the wiser.

Recording Basilisk Hacks

NOTE: Enterprising characters may seek to record a basilisk

hack input for their own uses. While basilisk hacks may

be recorded like any other sensory input, keep in mind

that the Exsurgents and TITANs likely take measures

to keep such tools out of the hands of transhumanity, lest they construct some sort of defense. Basilisk hack

sources may be self-erasing or contain coding or countermeasures

that would hinder recording, such as white

noise to defeat audio recording or lens-blinding flashes

to defeat video recording. Conversely, basilisk hacks are

considered extremely dangerous by almost all factions

of transhumanity and universally feared. An individual

or group known to possess them is likely to be treated

much like a terrorist with a suitcase nuke. Though

Firewall has a standard interest in evaluating and enabling

some sort of defense against basilisk hacks, most

Firewall personnel consider it foolish to handle such

toys and would rather destroy such recordings outright.

Exsurgent StrainsEdit

NOTE: Four variants of the Exsurgent virus are described

here—gamemasters are encouraged to develop their

own to keep players on their toes.

Haunting Virus

NOTE: This strain is the most insidious of the Exsurgent virii.

Over time, it rewrites the target’s personality and

motivations, slowly but surely subverting and taking

control of the victim’s mind. At first the character is

unlikely to even be aware of the infection, and as it

progresses the changes the virus makes to the target

will at first seem natural to the target, as if some new

aspect of their personality was simply manifesting

itself. As the effects grow more pronounced, however,

the victim becomes aware that they are being methodically

altered but is in most cases unable to act against

it. In the end, they are completely transformed into a

pawn of the ETI. Their mind is no longer transhuman,

but alien.

The exact rate of progression is up to the gamemaster,

though guidelines are provided below. Each victim

is affected differently, so the process may be accelerated

or slowed down as the gamemaster sees fit.

• Stage 1 (initial infection to 3 months): Upon initial

infection, the character suffers 1d10 mental

stress and gains the Psi trait (p. 147) at Level 1

(also meaning they pick up the Mental Disorder

trait, as noted on p. 150). They also gain one free

psi-chi sleight, chosen randomly or by the gamemaster.

If a player character has become infected,

they may still be played as normal (see Roleplaying

Exsurgents, p. 368), and may purchase new

psi-chi sleights with Rez Points. NPCs acquire 1

new sleight per 2–4 weeks.

At this stage, the infection is usually hidden,

though the character will suffer from occasional

haunting effects (see below). As each week passes,

the character’s personality should shift a minute

amount, slowly becoming more callous and conniving

and changing in other ways as well. If

possible, the player should be kept in the dark

about what is happening, but the gamemaster

should provide them with roleplaying advice to

reflect their condition. Likewise, the discovery

and initial use of psi sleights should be played

out, providing some interesting roleplaying opportunities.

Characters and players who know of

the Exsurgent virus and Watts-Macleod strains

should not know at this point which strain they

are infected with—make them sweat.

• Stage 2 (3 months to 6 months): The target suffers

another 1d10 ÷ 2 (round up) mental stress

and acquires the Psi trait at Level 2 (also picking

up another disorder). Player characters may

still be played as normal and may purchase psigamma

slights with Rez Points. NPCs acquire 1

new sleight per 2–4 weeks.

Once three months have passed, the character

should be aware they are under the influence

of something, but this awareness likely comes

too late. Haunting effects (below) should occur

regularly. At this point a character is likely to

consider offing themselves and resorting to an

uninfected backup, seeking help, or actively encouraging

others to interfere. The infection will

actively block and hinder such thoughts and actions,

however. To actively overcome this mental

control, the character must succeed in a WIL Test.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, failure may result

in 1d10 ÷ 2 (round up) mental stress as the character

realizes they are no longer fully in control

of their own thoughts and actions.

• Stage 3 (6 months+): The victim suffers another

1d10 ÷ 2 (round up) mental stress and acquires

the Psi trait at Level 3 (see below). The character

is now considered an exsurgent and becomes

an NPC. It may no longer be played as a player

character. The victim also gains a permanent

+5 bonus to COG and WIL and acquires 1 new

sleight every 1–2 months.

As noted above, characters infected with this strain

suffer from different haunting effects—changes

to their personality or mind-state. A few ideas for

haunting effects are noted here, but gamemasters are

encouraged to be creative when inventing their own

to apply:

• Altered Perceptions: The victim’s perceptions are

changed in disturbing and unusual ways. They

may see things that aren’t there, feel a presence

behind or watching them, inexplicably smell

blood, hear voices, suffer synaesthesia, or suddenly

perceive the people around them as nothing

but outlandish, blabbering sacks of meat.

• Behavioral Modification: Treat as behavioral control

or personality editing psychosurgery (p. 231).

This is typically applied to shape the character

closer to being a pawn of the ETI.

• Dream Manipulation: The character’s dreams

become lucid, weird, and surreal. They may find

themselves dreaming of life as an alien on some

exotic exoplanet, as a robotic probe soaring

through the vast emptiness of space, or fantasizing

different methods of inflicting mass destruction

and death.

• Emotional Manipulation: Treat as emotional

control psychosurgery (p. 231).

• Inexplicable Urges: The character will be flushed

with strange alien urges and may sometimes find

themselves doing highly unusual things without

realizing at all they are doing it. These may include

taking devices apart to understand how

they work, testing the limits on programming a

nanofabricator, cutting a living thing apart to see

how it is put together biologically, testing weapons,

eating things that are only barely edible, promiscuous

and unusual sexual activity, lying just

to see what they can get away with, and so on.

Mindstealer Virus

NOTE: Very similar to the haunting virus, the mindstealer

strain is much quicker acting. Instead of slowly subverting

the target’s mind over the course of months,

the mindstealer virus rapidly recodes the victim’s brain

in a matter of minutes. This infection is much more

invasive and brute-force, often causing significant

side effects to the target’s mental state as a result. This

strain is only spread as a digital virus, nanoplague, or

basilisk hack (not as a biological nanovirus).

Once the victim is infected, it takes the virus a

number of Action Turns equal to COG + INT + SAV

to completely take over their mind (20 Action Turns

= 1 minute). During this time, the target is actively

aware that their mind is under attack and undergoing

massive changes against their will. This process

is confusing, frightening, and painful, inflicting a

–30 modifier to all of the character’s actions for the

duration. Many victims are reduced to whimpering,

drooling, or convulsing for the duration.

This mental transformation inflicts 2d10 mental

stress to the target. Once complete, the victim is an

exsurgent NPC, under the gamemaster’s control.

Watts-Macleod Virus

NOTE: The Watts-Macleod strain is a strangely benevolent

version of the Exsurgent virus, seeming to imbue its

victims with psi abilities without any of the other

transformative elements typical of other strains.

Perhaps created as an accidental mutation of the Exsurgent

virus, there are many who wonder if the true

detrimental effects of this strain simply have yet to

reveal themselves.

As noted in the Mind Hacks chapter section on Psi

(p. 220), characters infected with this strain gain the

Psi trait (p. 147) at either Level 1 or 2. If a character

is so infected during game play, this trait must be

purchased with Rez Points (if the character does not

have any points currently available, they pay out of

the points they earn until the debt is paid off). All of

the other side effects of Watts-Macleod infection (p.

367) also apply.

Though infection with this strain does apply some

benefits to the character, the gamemaster should make

sure to play up the creepy and unsettling nature of

this virus. The character should never be certain that

they haven’t in fact been subtly influenced by the virus

in ways they can’t immediately pinpoint—they should

always feel like the ax may fall at any moment.

Xenomorph Virus

NOTE: The xenomorph strain transforms the target’s body

in addition to their mind. Over time, the victims

morph physically transmogrifies into some sort

of alien life form. It is only spread as a biological

nanovirus or nanoplague (not as a digital virus or

basilisk hack). Different variants of this strain produce

different alien forms. It is not known where

these different alien templates originated, meaning

they may be copies of (once) existing alien species

or simply neogenetic creatures created from scratch.

The one trait they have in common is that they are

universally dangerous. Some speculation in Firewall

circles suggests that the Exsurgent virus may in fact

have a “library” of creature types to deploy, under

the assumption that at least some will be more effective

than others for exterminating whatever victim

species they are fielded against.

This strain follows the same rules as the haunting

virus (above), but with the following changes. The

timeframe is typically much quicker, though the gamemaster

may adjust this as they see fit.

Stage 1: The effects from Stage 1 of the haunting

virus apply. Additionally, the character begins to suffer

minor physical changes that are definitely unusual but

are not impeding in any way and are easily hidden

from others. Example biomorph alterations might be:

unusual hair or fibrous growth, some skin discoloration

or translucence, severe rashes, dermal thickening,

weakened or enhanced sensory organs, strong

body odor, hair loss, teeth gain or loss, vestigial tail or

other limb growth, minor dietary changes, and so on.

Synthmorphs might experience minor system glitches,

malfunctioning or improved components, and spots

of material stress or transfiguration. Gamemasters

are encouraged to be creative. This stage typically

lasts from initial infection to 1 week for biological

nanovirus strains, or from infection to just 1 hour for

nanoplague strains.

Stage 2: As with haunting virus Stage 2, plus the

character begins to seriously transmogrify in ways

that are difficult to hide from others, becoming

more and more monstrous as the stage progresses.

Example biomorph transformations include: growing

scales or feathers, partial modification of limb

structure, partial new limb growth, vestigial sensory

organ growth, sensory loss, extension of claws or

spines, severe dietary changes, etc. Synthmorphs

might experience radical system and shape alterations,

limited or enhanced sensor functions, or even

conversion of their robotic shell to smart materials.

These physical changes weaken the victim, inflicting

1d10 physical damage. This stage typically lasts 1

week for biological nanovirus strains or just 1 hour

for nanoplague strains.

Stage 3: As with haunting virus Stage 3, a character

reaching this stage becomes an NPC. Additionally,

the victim completely undergoes a transformation

into some sort of creature that is no longer even remotely

human. Example exsurgents of this nature are

detailed on p. 369.

Using the Exsurgent Virus

NOTE: The frightening thing about the Exsurgent virus is

its adaptability. It was written by a near omnipotent

ETI with the intent of corrupting any alien seed AIs

or similar singularities it encountered, and it is very

good at it. This means it has the capability to analyze,

understand, and mimic almost any alien digital

protocols and communication methods it comes into

contact with, no matter how diverse the alien mindset

that constructed what it encounters. It then has a cunning

ability to circumvent any safeguards and infect

such systems. From there, it rapidly assimilates any

data it can about the target species/civilization and

does it best to mutate into other forms that can attack

this target from other vectors.

Given its constant morphing nature then, the Exsurgent

virus is likely to continue to mutate in new

and interesting ways. Some of these mutations may

be effective, many not. This does, however, afford the

gamemaster an opportunity to invent new variants of

their own to deploy against unsuspecting characters.

Roleplaying ExsurgentsEdit

NOTE: The primary thing for gamemasters to keep in mind

when roleplaying entities that have been taken over

by the Exsurgent virus is that exsurgents are following

an alien agenda. The specific goals and actions of

each exsurgent may differ, but they are generally concerned

with two things: spreading the Exsurgent virus

and destroying anything that isn’t affected. In some

cases, this may mean immediate and enraged hostile

action against anything non-exsurgent around them.

In others, the exsurgent approach is more methodical,

hatching long-term plots to infiltrate positions of

power and authority, setting the stage for acts of mass

destruction, and so on. In other words, they may be

handled both as hostile monsters or as nefarious longterm

opponents that are subverting transhumanity

from within or hatching complicated plots that could

mean devastation on a planetary scale.

If the gamemaster wishes, exsurgents may also

pursue other goals, tangential to the ones above.

These may range from accumulating knowledge and

expertise on how transhumanity functions as a species

to forcibly uploading mass numbers of minds to

more esoteric goals such as manufacturing a halfnium

bomb or converting the solar system’s mass to computronium.

The Exsurgent virus is potent and intelligent,

and while its methods and goals may sometimes be

opaque to transhumanity, it acts with direction and

purpose. There may also be occasions, however, likely

due to the mutating and morphing aspect of the virus

and the way in which it transforms transhuman

minds, perhaps not always in the manner intended,

where the exsurgent goals become strange or simply

horrific, such as running experiments on transhuman

responses to extreme conditions or converting an

entire colony to cannibalism.

Exsurgent-Infected PCs

NOTE: It is possible for player characters infected with some

strains of the Exsurgent virus to continue on under

their own volition, even as the virus slowly consumes

them. This process is, quite naturally, horrifying in the

extreme, though there is little they can do about it.

Despite the best efforts of transhuman science, there

is very little that can be done to save an infected

person—the virus is simply too potent and adaptive.

As a result, standard Firewall policy is to terminate

the infected with extreme prejudice. Most Firewall

operatives are going to be aware of this, a fact which

pushes some of those who become infected to keep

their status a secret from their comrades.

Both the haunting and xenomorph strains usually

transform a subject over time, meaning that the

character may initially not be aware of the infection.

This is a prime opportunity for the gamemaster to

mess with the character ruthlessly, starting slowly

with little haunting effects and building up as the

infection progresses. The character should slowly

become aware that they are under the influence of

something—something intelligent. Characters aware

of the Exsurgent virus and its effects will likely pick

up on this sooner, but the virus may prevent them

from doing anything about it. In effect, the character

becomes a prisoner within their own body, a body

they now share with a cold and malevolent presence

that is methodically taking them over. Such

characters may respond in a number of ways depending

on their personality, ranging from despair,

withdrawal, and suicidal tendencies to complete

hysteria or calm acceptance. Most importantly,

however, their personality should begin to change

as the virus continues to transform them. Players

should be encouraged to take on new demeanors

and motivations, reflecting the alien component

of their changing personality, with some guidance

from the gamemaster. This presents some intriguing

roleplaying opportunities that the players will

hopefully embrace. If the gamemaster feels that the

player is not adequately representing the changing

mindset, however, the transformation can simply

be accelerated and the character converted into a

gamemaster-operated NPC.

ExsurgentsEdit

NOTE: A few examples of exsurgents created from transhumans

transformed by the xenomorph strain of

the virus are noted below. As always, gamemasters

are encouraged to develop their own, using these as

guidelines. Unless otherwise noted, exsurgents use the

stats and skills of the transformed character. Each exsurgent

detailed below first lists the aptitude modifiers

applied to transformed characters, then gives example

aptitude/skill ratings for NPC exsurgents.

Note that simply encountering transformed exsurgents

is stressful to the minds of many transhumans.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, such encounters may

inflict 1d10 + 3 mental stress (p. 215).

Creepers (Synthmorphs)

NOTE: Perhaps the most disturbing exsurgent variant, socalled

creepers are cloud-like amorphous swarms of

small, black bubbles that are strangely fuzzily defined,

as if surrounded by some sort of visual refraction effect.

These clouds are theorized to in fact be autonomous

femtobot swarms—similar to nanobots, but affecting

matter on an even smaller scale, at the level of an atomic

nucleus. These black bubbles are capable of coalescing

into physical shapes in various states and can penetrate

just about any material or substance in a matter of

Action Turns. They may even penetrate morphs, accessing

and interfacing with neural and electronic systems

directly. For rules purposes, treat creepers the same as a

self-replicating nanoswarm (p. 383).

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

+5 (20) — (15) +5 (20) +10 (30) — (15) — (15) +10 (30) —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

100 2 — — — 100 20 200

Mobility System: Walker/Microlight (4/16) (may

create other mobility systems with different rates)

Skills: Fray 40, Free Fall 50, Intimidation 60, Perception

50, Unarmed Combat (Grapple) 50 (60)

Notes: 360-degree Vision, Chemical Sniffer, Electrical

Sense, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Vision, Fractal

Digits, Nanoscopic Vision, Radar, Radiation

Sense, Swarm Composition (but may make SOM

Tests, and plasma weapons do only 1d10 damage),

T-ray Emitter

Jellies (Biomorph)

NOTE: These exsurgents resemble collections of massive, slimy,

mucus-filled bubbles. Their soft, amorphous shape

allows jellies to squeeze, slide, and slither through

even tiny spaces. Jellies are equipped with a number

of “limbs” that resemble long meaty tongues studded

with hard fleshy spikes that provide excellent gripping

ability. The lubricating coating that envelopes jellies is

both toxic and slightly corrosive, melting plastics and

biological materials after a half hour of exposure. This

substance may also be “spit” at targets.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

+10 (30) –5 (10) +10 (30) — (15) — (15) +5 (20) +10 (30) —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

90 1 — — — 70 14 105

Movement Rate: 4/16

Skills: Exotic Ranged Attack (Spit) 40, Free Fall 50,

Perception 60, Unarmed Combat 40

Notes: Armor (12/12), Enhanced Smell, Spit Attack

(area effect), Tongue (DV 1d10 + 3, AP 0), Toxin

(Application: D, O; Onset Time: 1 Action Turn, Duration:

5 Action Turns, Effect: 1d10 ÷ 2 (round up)

DV per Action Turn ). Due to their physical form,

jellies suffer the minimum amount of damage f

Shifters (Synthmorph)

NOTE: Shifters are synthmorphs whose material frames have

been converted to an exotic smart matter liquid metal.

This shapeshifting material can stabilize as a hardened

metallic shell or liquefy and reshape itself into other

forms. This allows the shifter to reflow its shell in a

matter of seconds, enabling it to visually mimic other

forms, including biomorphs (though they are easily

detectable as synthmorphs at other wavelengths or by

touch). Shifters may also reshape parts of their shell

into melee weapons such as knives or clubs.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

+5 (20) +5 (30) — (20) +10 (30) +5 (20) +10 (30) +10 (30) —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

100 2 — — — 60 12 120

Mobility System: Walker (4/20)

Skills: Blades 60, Deception 55, Disguise 60, Fray 50,

Freerunning 55, Impersonation 60, Perception 50,

Unarmed Combat 50

Notes: Armor (13/13), Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced

Vision, Shape-Adjusting (Programmable Liquid

Metal Form)

Snappers (Synthmorphs)

NOTE: or other large synthetic shells or by melding multiple

synthmorphs together. They take the form of an insectoid

multi-segmented hexagonal tube with multiple

sets of limbs, three apiece, set radially 120 degrees

around the torso. These limbs are heavy, doublejointed,

and articulated with three joints. Each limb

ends in either a triad of manipulatory digits or a larger

pincer-like claw.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

+5 (20) +5 (30) — (20) +10 (30) +5 (20) +10 (35) +10 (30) —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

100 2 — — — 70 14 140

Mobility System: Walker (4/24)

Skills: Climbing 45, Fray 40, Freerunning 40, Perception

40, Unarmed Combat (Pincers) 55 (65)

Notes: 360-degree Vision, Armor (16/16), Enhanced

Vision, Extra Limbs (9, 12, or 15 total), Lidar,

Magnetic System, Pincers (DV 2d10 + 3, AP –3),

Structural Enhancement

Whippers (Biomorph)

NOTE: These small barrel-shaped creatures have a mass

of small legs under their trunk that allows for fast

movement. At the top of their trunk is another mass

of 3-meter long, strong, whip-like tentacles. Some

of these tentacles feature gripping surfaces for grabbing

and holding (both for tool use and mobility),

while others are sharp-edged and useful for slicing

through opponents.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

+5 (20) +10 (30) +5 (20) +10 (30) — (15) +5 (25) +5 (20) —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

100 2 — — — 35 7 53

Movement Rate: 8/40

Skills: Climbing 40, Fray 50, Free Fall 40, Freerunning 50,

Infiltration 40, Perception 50, Unarmed Combat

(Tentacles) 45 (55)

Notes: Enhanced Vision, Tentacle Whip (DV 2d10 + 1,

AP –1)

Wrappers (Biomorph)

NOTE: These exsurgents resemble large, thin, four-armed,

spiny starfish, capable of walking in a quadruped

manner, though they are seemingly better adapted for

microgravity. A large circular mouth resides in their

middle on one side and each arm ends in small sharpclawed

digits, useful for climbing and tool use. Small

vent sacs allow for thrusting in microgravity and

sensory bands on the upper part of each arm provide

low-frequency hearing and infrared-equivalent sensing.

Their name comes from their tendency to drop on

opponents from above, wrapping themselves around

the head and arms.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

+5 (20) +5 (20) +5 (20) +10 (30) — (10) +10 (30) +10 (30) —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

100 1 — — — 45 9 68

Movement Rate: 4/16

Skills: Fray 40, Free Fall 50, Perception 50, Unarmed

Combat (Grapple) 50 (60)

Notes: Armor (8/8), Bite (DV 2d10 + 3, AP –5, must

grapple first), Chameleon Skin, Claws (DV 1d10

+ 2, AP –2), Enhanced Hearing, Infrared Sensing,

Vacuum Sealing

Exsurgent PsiEdit

NOTE: In addition to psi-chi and psi-gamma (see Psi, p. 220),

exsurgents have access to a third level of psi ability

(the Psi trait at Level 3), known as psi-epsilon. Psiepsilon

is theorized to allow a level of interaction with

the underlying physics of reality that is beyond the

comprehension of transhuman science. Though some

Firewall scientists have speculated about the manipulation

of dark energy or the Higgs field and Higgs

boson particles and similar exotic ideas, the truth is

that psi epsilon represents an understanding of science

so far advanced and so alien that transhumanity can

only guess at its mechanics.

Exsurgent Synthmorphs and Psi

NOTE: via nanoplague may use psi, despite lacking a biological

brain. Through some unknown mechanism, the

infecting nanobots are able to simulate a biological

brain’s effects. This feature, however, also makes them

vulnerable to psi use by others.

Exsurgent Psi Strain

NOTE: Exsurgents with Level 3 psi (psi-gamma) do not suffer

strain when using psi. Instead, they draw requisite

energy from the environment around them. In game

terms, this means that gamemasters do not need to

worry about rolling strain for exsurgent sleights. On a

cinematic level, it also allows the gamemaster to add creative

environmental details to exsurgent psi use: sucking

the warmth out of the air, killing the lights, withering

plants, draining power from nearby electronics, killing

small creatures or insects, lowering air pressure, etc.

Exsurgent Psi-Gamma SleightsEdit

NOTE: These sleights are available to exsurgents with the

Level 2 Psi trait.

Decerebation

NOTE: Decerebration

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: +2 Skil: Psi Assault

This sleight temporarily “shorts out” a portion of the

subject’s brain stem. The victim’s cerebral functions

and motor activity become severely impaired; apply

a –30 modifier to all actions. If an Excellent Success

is scored, the target effectively loses all cerebral

functioning, including vision, hearing, other sensory

functions, and mesh use. Their muscles and limbs also

tense and become rigid, essentially paralyzing them in

what looks like an agonized state.

Onslaught

NOTE: Onslaugh t

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Temp (Action Turns)

Strain Mod: +0 Skil: Psi Assault

This offensive sleight floods the target’s mind with

sensory input and thought processes that are so alien

and disturbing that they inflict 1d10 + (WIL ÷ 10,

round up) mental stress. Increase the stress by +5 if an

Excellent Success is scored.

Scenario

NOTE: Scenario

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Sustained

Strain Mod: +2 Skil: Control

This sleight hijacks the target’s sensorium, replacing

it with a virtual scenario controlled by the exsurgent.

The effect is much like being jacked into a simulspace

scenario, albeit against the target’s will. While the

exsurgent cannot harm the target in the scenario, they

can learn something about the person’s behavioral

responses to certain situations. While under the influence

of this sleight, the target is cut off from their

physical senses (–60 to any Perception Tests), but they

may flail about and otherwise respond physically to

events in the scenario, which may cause them to hurt

themselves and will make them seem crazy to onlookers.

Targets may attempt to ignore the scenario and

concentrate on the real world, but this requires a WIL

Test each Action Turn and they suffer a –30

Strip Memory/Skill

NOTE: Strip Memory/Skill

Psi Type: Active Action: Complex

Range: Touch Duration : Temp (Hours)

Strain Mod: +2 Skil: Psi Assault

Strip allows the exsurgent to suppress certain memories

in the target’s mind. This can be used to block

memories of certain events or even the victim’s identity.

The process is not exact, however, and so the

memories may not be fully suppressed and/or related

memories may also be blocked; the gamemaster decides

on the effect as determined by the MoS. Strip can

also be used to temporarily erase a specific skill from

the target’s mind, preventing them from using or even

defaulting to that ability while so affected.

Exsurgent Psi-Epsilon SleightsEdit

NOTE: Exsurgent Psi-Ep silon Sl eigh ts

Psi-epsilon is available to exsurgents with the Psi trait

at Level 3. This subset of psi involves abilities that can

affect the underlying physical nature of the universe,

creating localized reality-altering effects. Psi manipulation

on this level is extremely dangerous and should

have the potential of disastrous consequences, given

that these manipulations violate fundamental laws of

nature and sometimes create paradoxes between the

forces that glue the universe together. Gamemasters

are also encouraged to treat critical failures as appropriately

critical.

Given these factors, psi-epsilon should only be

accessible to powerful adversaries and used as a

gamemaster tool with extreme precaution. The exact

mechanics of psi-epsilon sleights are left wide-open,

however, for whatever use the gamemaster can

dream of. Their intent is to be more cinematic than

mechanical, so gamemasters should wing rules effects

as needed. This is an open opportunity for the gamemaster

to create nightmarish monsters from beyond

with frightening reality-ripping and mind-scarring

abilities. While some example sleights are provided

below, gamemasters are encouraged to modify their

effects and to create their own.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, simply observing psi

epsilon sleights in action may inflict 1d10 + 2 mental

stress on a character (p. 215).

Anti-Electronics Field

NOTE: All electronics within Close range of the exsurgent

mysteriously fail as if electrical power is simply negated.

This effectively disables synthmorphs and pods

and leaves other characters without access to their

devices or implants.

Casimir Force Repulsion

NOTE: This sleight exploits the Casimir effect (an interaction

between the electromagnetic fields of different objects)

on a macro-scale, allowing the exsurgent to levitate

themself or other objects by creating repulsing fields.

This could also allow the exsurgent to push targets

away, pin them against walls, etc.

Cryokinesis

NOTE: This sleight allows the exsurgent to drain all heat from

an area, down to absolute zero, effectively freezing

everything within range and inflicting cold damage on

unprotected characters.

Diffusion

NOTE: This sleight diffuses light, laser, and particle beams, effectively

making them useless as weapons, or at least

impairing the DV they inflict.

Kinetic Friction

NOTE: The exsurgent uses this sleight to increase the friction

applied to kinetic activities. This has a negligible

effect on most activities, but high-velocity projectiles

like firearms and railguns will be significantly slowed,

decreasing their DV by half or more.

Matter Transformation

NOTE: This sleight alters the molecular bonds and atomic

components of a targeted material, causing it to either

weaken and deteriorate or transmutate into some

other physical substance. This can also be used to

alter the molecular state of a material, causing gases

to condense, solids to liquefy, etc. An exsurgent could

use this to weaken a door or other barrier, condense a

solid bridge out of liquid, petrify organic materials, etc.

Negative Refraction

NOTE: The exsurgent redirects electromagnetic waves with

this sleight, refracting them around their body, with

the same effect as the invisibility cloak (p. 316

Pyrokinesis

NOTE: Similar to cryokinesis, this sleight enables the exsurgent

to accelerate the molecules, increase friction, or

focus heat in a specific area, causing materials to ignite

or smolder.

THE FACTORSEdit

NOTE: The alien species known as the Factors are unlike

anything mankind has encountered so far (see First

Contact: The Factors, p. 40). Though they are aloof

and stand-offish, their willingness and sometimes eagerness

to deal with (parts of) transhumanity indicate

either a keen interest on their part in transhuman

affairs or some hidden ulterior agenda. Though the

various transhuman factions have been similarly wary

and cautious, and despite numerous communications

difficulties and failures, an uneasy relationship has

flowered over the past 8 years, facilitating some trade

and exchange of knowledge.

Origin and Evolution

NOTE: The Factors have remained notoriously tight-lipped

about their origins, history, and the location of their

homeworld. Though they have also paid visits to some

of transhumanity’s exoplanet colonies, no gatecrashing

expeditions have yet found any sign of Factor habitation

or passing elsewhere in the galaxy. Repeated inquiries

by transhuman mediators have been simply ignored or

answered in cryptic terms that have yet to be deciphered.

The Factor home world is in fact an Earth-like

planet with comparable atmospheric conditions and

a prevalent hydrosphere but with longer periods of

darkness (due to slower rotation of the planet and a

less-luminous orange giant). While adapted transhumans

could find their planet habitable, their abiogenesis

(the formation of life from self-replicating, but

not-living molecules) took a different route than life

on Earth.

The Factors’ primordial ancestors began in their

planet’s early geological history as a type of of photosynthesizer

that ate carbon dioxide and water and

released oxygen, also obtaining energy from inorganic

chemicals like hydrogen sulfide. Long conditions

without direct light on their homeworld, however,

spurred the success of organisms that could survive

by acquiring energy in other ways. The next evolutionary

leap was to a stage similar to Terran slime

molds, eating microorganisms from decaying matter.

As evolution progressed, they mutated further into a

cautious, predatory species that fed on larger, dangerous

creatures. Rather than actively hunting such prey,

this species developed versatile methods of capturing

and immobilizing their competitors (comparable to

Earth’s funnel web or trapdoor spiders). Over time,

this method of trapping prey spurred basic (practical)

intelligence and provided them with the evolutionary

advantage that paved the way to sapience, driving

Factors to become the highest developed organisms

on their planet and build a civilization.

Like mankind, the Factors suffered through and

survived their own singularity event and encounter

with the Exsurgent virus. Perhaps due to their cautious

and calculating nature—and their evolutionary

experience in dealing with more powerful and dangerous

opponents—the Factors are resolutely determined

not to make any similar mistakes as a species.

XenobiologyEdit

NOTE: Since life on the Factors’ home world developed

differently than Earth and produced neither nucleic

acids nor amino acids, Factor metabolic processes

and “genetics” are very different from transhumanity’s.

While little is known about the exact physiology

of the Factors, due to the lack of captured or dead

specimens to investigate (so far, no hypercorps or factions

have risked an interstellar incident by abducting

one to dissect … so far) and their unwillingness to be

examined by transhumans, most common knowledge

about them is based on observational and forensics

research during their encounters with transhumanity.

Individual Factors

NOTE: Individual Factors resemble non-translucent ambulatory

amoeba, slime molds, or slugs. Though they

“stand” only 0.3 meters tall, their body diameter

ranges from 1.5 to 2 meters, they can be up to 2

meters long, and they can shape their body to change

these dimensions. Instead of walking, they crawl or

ooze from place to place by protruding finger-like

structures (so called pseudopodia) that attach to the

ground (or wall or ceiling) and which they use to pulland retract their rear forward (similar to cell migration).

Due to their malleable shape they are not as

strongly affected by gravity as transhumans.

Most Factors that have been encountered are dull

ocher in color and are made from a gooey, gel-like

substance of unknown composition, though yellow

glistening patches (which are temporary organelles)

and bundles of fibers (some kind of muscular skeleton)

often become visible when they move. While

all Factors are able to express versatile pseudopodia

to manipulate and operate devices (and even attack),

some subspecies possess, carry, or are able to develop

additional differentiated limbs, cilia, or organs with

specialized functions.

Factor Colonies

NOTE: Unlike transhumans, Factors rarely act individually—

in fact, individuality is a concept somewhat foreign

to Factors. Most Factors join together into a collective

unit termed a colony. A typical Factor colony is

composed of hundreds or thousands of individual

Factors that literally physically join together into a

mass organism (resembling more a primordial soup

than a gargantuan Factor). Individual Factors are

indistinguishable from each other when merged into

the supra-structure of the colony, though individuals

can form and break apart to accomplish different

tasks. This colonial merging is mainly possible due

to the fact that Factors don’t possess differentiated

and specialized organs or cell types that need to be

segregated from each other, but instead use an open

system of local, temporary gradients for regulation.

Neurofilament connections effectively allow the

Factor colony to operate with a group mind-state,

with supercomputer potential. This also allows for the

easy transfer of knowledge and memories to all other

factors within a colony.

If dismembered, blown apart, or otherwise separated,

individual Factors in a colony can regenerate

and reconstitute at a rapid rate without loss of ability

or memory.

Factors reproduce when different members of the

colony produce gametes that fuse, grow into spore

stalks, and emit spores that later hatch and grow clones.

Biodiversity and Self-Design

NOTE: featuring numerous sub-groups (so called phenotypes)

that each have unique traits (cilia, apocrine glands, carapace-

like outer membrane) that give them an ecological

advantage or a utilitarian aptitude for certain tasks.

These traits are not random evolutionary features, but

are the result of intentional bio-engineering. The Factors

have a strong grip on their own metabolisms and

genetic expressions and can draw on an array of genetic

building blocks and biotech techniques to modify

themselves rapidly and massively to adapt to special

conditions. Whether these modifications might have a

purpose beyond function, such as for reproduction or

self-expression, is currently unknown.

Metabolism

NOTE: Factors ships and habitats have transhuman-friendly

atmospheres with a slightly higher content of carbon

dioxide and less nitrogen that mimics the conditions

on the Factors’ home planet. They don’t breathe

oxygen via lungs but absorb it via their outer “skin.”

Since they can also use oxygen from other sources

(minerals, liquids like water, and salts) to fuel their

aerobic energy production (i.e., respiration), they can

be considered functional anaerobes, meaning they can

survive in environments without atmosphere, though

they must usually supply themselves with food in

order to do so.

During the few ceremonial festivities to which

Factors were invited and actually attended, they

consumed and processed transhuman organic food

by internalization. On the first occasion, dishes and

dinnerware were absorbed as well due to misunderstanding,

but were excreted unharmed after the organic

components the factors could utilize had been

broken down.

While Factors are omnivores similar to transhumans,

they prefer immobilized live prey, which they enjoy

absorbing internally and digesting, excreting those

parts that cannot be used to fuel their metabolism.

As such they can devour biomorphs and non-metallic

components of synthmorphs.

Perception

NOTE: Factors don’t perceive the world as transhumans

do. They (usually) don’t possess visual or acoustic organs to see or hear but have a number of sensory

organs that grant them a 360-degree awareness of

their surroundings and enable them to interact

with their environment similar to or in some cases

even better than transhumans do. Their perception

spectra includes the infrared part of the electromagnetic

spectrum, magnetoception, a high resolution

chemical-gradient based “sight,” and keen haptic

perceptions (including vibrations).

Communication

NOTE: Due to the lack of a vocal system, Factors use different

methods of signaling and communication. Factors in

physical contact exchange information by juxtacrine

cellular, neurofilament interfacing, or by merging for

information transfer. Over distance, Factors signal via

pheromonal communication using airborne scents or

chemical signals with different metabolic components.

Nicknamed “Factor dust,” this communication is effective

even over great distances (up to 10 kilometers).

Factor dust does have an odor perceptible to transhumans,

however, that ranges from smelly to unbearable.

This dust is also toxic in high concentrations and sometimes

used as an offensive or defensive mechanism.

To date, transhumans have failed to develop a device

that can analyze the Factors’ chemical effluvia and

translate it into something understandable, due to the

lack of a conceptual matrix (though certain “moods”

have been identified). Instead, all communication

between the Factors and transhumanity is mediated

through computer interfaces. Certain Factor phenotypes

that deal with transhumanity have grown a a

neurobiological interface (or organ) that enables them

to wirelessly mesh with transhuman computer systems.

Long distance communication between Factors

and transhumanity is achieved by normal means of

farcasting communication. There are strong indications

that Factors also take advantage of quantumentanglement

communications as well, enabling

Factor colonies and ships to share knowledge gained

in different parts of the galaxy.

ExosociologyEdit

NOTE: Factors are cooperative beings that exist as a collective

colonial organization. Though they can operate

individually from the colony, they tend to view

themselves as part of that collective entity rather than

an individual being. Multiple colonies often work together

as a higher functional unit (a lattice), like some

kind of superorganism. These lattices enable the potential

for collective networking and bioinformation

exchange on a scope beyond anything transhumanity

is capable of.

These colonies should not be considered the same

as the hive mind social hierarchies of Terran insects.

Factor colonies do not feature the same division of

labor and instead function according to a consensusbased

sort of groupthink. Individual Factors have no

sense of personal gain or property and share equally

with other Factors and colonies.

Factors do not experience emotions in the same

manner that transhumans do, though being evolved

creatures they are driven by certain instincts. They

know and understand many of the same concepts that

transhumans do thanks to evolution, such as competition/

rivalry and altruism/cooperation. They also enjoy

an understanding of basic ideas of philosophy such as

aesthetics and metaphysics, though their conception of

such topics is likely to differ from transhuman notions.

Art and Culture

NOTE: Due to their perceptual array, Factor “art” (creations

and expressions that are appealing or attractive to

their senses) is mostly chemical or tactile-based. It

can induce certain “mood” responses from individual

Factors and whole colonies, ranging from agitated

jittering and release of a Factor dust interpretable as

“joy” to a tensing and solidifying of the whole body

(and no chemical expulsion) that seems to relate to

anger. Since they like and are susceptible to delicate

compositions of different chemicals, certain bouquets

and fragrances from liquids or volatiles such as wines

and perfumes are both appealing and repulsive to

Factors. The same is also true for the natural smells

of biomorphs, meaning that Factors may respond in

a more friendly or hostile manner depending on a

particular transhuman’s scent.

Factors do not comprehend most transhuman art,

as it is mostly visual or auditory based (e.g., music,

painting), though they do seem to have an appreciation

for engineering, architecture, and some sculpture.

While they have expressed interest in digitalized media

out of a curiosity (or plan) to understand transhuman

mindsets, they lack the organs and

Technology

NOTE: Though the Factors repeatedly express dismay at

transhumanity’s low level of technology, they have

failed so far to produce technology that is exceptionally

far in advance. Some believe that the Factors are

simply hiding their advanced technology in order to

keep transhumans from stealing or copying it, while

others believe this may simply be a posture taken

by the Factors to facilitate bargaining. The Factors

also claim that their technology would not interest

transhumans because of their differences in physiology

and mindset, and what little technology they

have displayed is certainly specialized for Factor use

(specialized neurofilament links, chemical signaling

and Factor dust interfaces, etc.) and so unusable to

most transhumans. The Factors have traded some

technology to transhumans, at expensive cost, though

the small sampling provided so far seems to have

originated from alien species with physiologies more

akin to transhumans.

It is interesting to note that scans of Factor ships

indicate their technology level, aside from the drives,

is not all that more advanced than transhumanity.

Also of note is that no two Factor ships have been

alike, spurring some to believe that the Factors are

in fact making use of ships acquired from other alien

species—perhaps abandoned derelicts that the Factors

recovered and restored. Once again this has led some

to believe that the Factors are using what to them are

primitive craft in order to hide their real technology,

while others are of the opinions that the Factors are

simply scavengers and opportunists, piggybacking on

the developments of other alien species.

One interesting feature of Factor technology is that

they use no artificial intelligences. This stems from

their own singularity experience. Instead, Factors use

infomorph versions of themselves or the accumulated

processing power of their colony mind-states to perform

major computerized tasks.

FACTOR MOTIVATIONS

NOTE: The driving reason behind why the Factors made contact with transhumanity remains unclear and is open to gamemaster interpretation. There is much speculation among transhuman factions. Some think the Factors are simply social creatures who are glad to make contact with another post-singularity surviving civilization. Others believe the Factors are mercenary traders who somehow acquired FTL travel and use it  to their full advantage, fleecing various trading partners who lack such capabilities (thus also explaining why the Factors eschew the Pandora Gates—they disdain competition). Still others worry about secret, hidden motivations.

Despite claiming to represent a number of alien civilizations, the Factors have been extremely reluctant to provide any other information on these other species or even to say how many there are. More recently, however, they have expressed a willingness to transport a small number of transhumans to other civilizations, though at great expense and with no guarantee to their safety or ability to return.

So far, the Factors have made no mention of the ETI or the Exsurgent virus to transhumanity, though they are aware of their existence. Instead they have simply issued dire warning and admonitions regarding the development of seed AIs and use of the Pandora Gates. The Factors have in fact expressed an extreme reluctance to deal with any transhuman factions that are heavily invested in gatecrashing, such as Gatekeeper

Corp.

The Factors in GameEdit

NOTE: Factors should be rarely encountered in Eclipse Phase.

Most of their interactions with transhumanity occur

remotely and infrequently. It is uncommon for them to

risk direct interactions. It should be kept in mind that

Factors are cautious to the point of being conservative

and view transhumanity as potentially hostile or

dangerous, so they are more likely to act with discretion

than boldness. Factors are also quite cunning,

having evolved from prey-capturing predators, and

still design complex machinations (traps in the metaphorical

sense) to achieve their goals. In other words,

Factors out to achieve something are likely to hatch an

elaborate plot to get it and are not against recruiting

transhumans. Also, drawing on their abilities to selfmodify

themselves and technology developed on their

own or picked up at other places in the universe, they

can adapt to new situations very quickly.

Alien Mindset

NOTE: Factors don’t possess Lucidity stats and cannot be

driven to madness like transhumans.

Affecting Factors with psi is very difficult, as noted

on p. 222. As of yet, Factors have not exhibited any

psi abilities of their own.

Factor Combat

NOTE: Factors usually avoid direct combat but can defend

themselves if they have to. They are only likely to act

aggressively in situations where they have surprise,

environmental or technological advantages, and/or

superior numbers. Due to their cooperativism, Factors

are rarely encountered alone, working en masse

to eliminate potential threats.

Immunity to Kinetic Damage: Due to their gooey

composition and non-differentiated physiology, kinetic

weapons (firearms, railguns) are not very damaging

to Factors. Most such projectiles pass through their

gelatinous bodies, inflicting minor damage via hydrostatic

shock. The holes left by such weapons quickly close in a matter of seconds. Likewise, cuts left by

blades rapidly seal. In game terms, both such weapons

inflict the minimum amount of damage possible.

Regeneration: Even if damaged, Factors regenerate

very quickly. They heal SOM ÷ 10 (round up) damage

every Action Turn. Wounds may not be healed this

way, however.

Factor Computers

NOTE: Due to using completely alien protocols and system

designs, Factor computers are essentially impossible

to hack. They do, however, employ some devices that

emulate transhuman computer systems for communication

purposes, and these may be hacked as normal.

Factor Dust Toxin

NOTE: As noted above, Factors can deploy a type of chemical

Factor dust that is is toxic to transhumans. Treat this

as an area effect (cone) attack.

Type: Bio

Application: Inh

Onset Time: 1 Action Turn

Duration: 10 minutes (5 with medichines)

Effect: Severe coughing and respiratory distress, 1d10

damage per Action Turn for 5 Action Turns (or ongoing

with continuous exposure), –20 to all actions

for 2 hours. Medichines reduce damage by half and

modifier duration to 15 minutes.

Melding

NOTE: Individual Factors may merge together to form larger

units, much like masses of Factors form colonies. In

game terms, use the highest stat possessed by the

melded Factors, +2 for each additional Factor up to a

maximum of +10. Durability (and Wound Thresholds)

are added together.

Factor PhenotypesEdit

NOTE: A few examples of the different Factor phenotypes are

described below.

Ambassadors

NOTE: The ambassador Factor phenotypes are the ones who

most commonly handle direct interactions with transhumanity.

Most likely to put transhumans at ease,

these Factors feature a section of sensor nodules that

loosely approximate a “face.”

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

20 10 20 10 15 15 20 —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

60 1 — — — 30 7 45

Movement Rate: 4/16

Skills: Deception 70, Exotic Ranged Attack: Factor

Dust 45, Fray 25, Free Fall 40, Hardware: Electronics

35, Infosec 35, Intimidation 50, Kinesics 40,

Perception 50, Persuasion 60, Protocol 50, Research

35, Unarmed Combat 30

Notes: Access Jacks, Chameleon Skin, Grip Pads,

Infrared Sensing, Magnetoception, Poison Gland

(Factor Dust Toxin)

Guardians

NOTE: Guardians

Guardian Factors serve as bodyguards for ambassadors

or other Factors whenever they leave a Factor ship.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

20 20 15 20 10 25 15 —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

70 1 — — — 50 10 75

Movement Rate: 4/20

Skills: Climbing 40, Exotic Ranged Attack: Factor

Dust 65, Fray 50, Free Fall 40, Freerunning 40, Infiltration

40, Intimidation 50, Kinesics 20, Perception

50, Profession: Security Procedures 50, Unarmed

Combat (Tentacles) 50 (60)

Notes: Chameleon Skin, Eelware, Electrical Sense,

Grip Pads, Infrared Sensing, Magnetoception,

Poison Gland (Factor Dust

Roleplaying Factors

NOTE: When roleplaying Factors, their alien mindset

and lack of individualism should be kept in mind.

“I” is a designation that does not exist in Factor

terminology. Factors always use the plural when

referring to themselves, usually referring to

either their colony, lattice, or entire species. It is

quite common for conceptual discrepancies to

occur between transhumans and Factors due to

the different sensory perceptions of each species.

Factors do not “see” the way most transhumans

do, nor do they “hear.”

Communication with Factors should be challenging

for several reasons. While computerbased

communication has enabled both species

to talk to each other, there is no direct translation

and certain concepts held by one species are

simply incomprehensible or untranslatable by the

other. Conversation should therefore be misleading

and provide ambiguous information.

When describing spaceships and habitats, the

physiology of the Factors should be considered.

The Factors’ malleable form and ability to extend

pseudopodial limbs enables them to fit into most

places and operate transhuman devices (even

pilot a transhuman vehicle by “hand”). The same

is not true in reverse, however—most Factor

devices are unusable to transhumans, as they lack

the ability for chemical signaling.

THE IKTOMI

NOTE: Little is known about the alien race known as the

Iktomi except for the ancient ruins they left behind

on Echo V (p. 109). No Iktomi specimens have been

found so far, though certain architectural remains

suggest a predilection for web-like structures. This

has been bolstered by certain other features and relics

which suggest these aliens had a segmented, multilegged,

arthropod-type form—thus their given name,

after a Native American spider god.

What is clear is that the Iktomi suffered through

some sort of cataclysmic event that wiped out their

civilization. The nature of this event has yet to be determined,

but it raises concerns for many researchers.

Having suffered through its own near-apocalypse, it

is not comforting for transhumanity to find evidence

that other alien species did not.

Though the Iktomi are likely long extinct, the remnants

of their civilizations presents a plot hook for gamemasters to use for building scenarios. Perhaps

evidence is uncovered of Iktomi settlements in other

star systems, and the characters are sent to investigate

or a relic is unearthed that suggests the Iktomi fell

prey to some danger that now threaten transhumanity.

THE PANDORA GATESEdit

NOTE: The five known Pandora Gates (see Opening Pandora’s

Gate, p. 46) all look and operate in a similar fashion,

though they vary wildly in terms of size, shape, and

available destinations. The gates are built from some

sort of stable exotic matter whose full atomic structure

scientists haven’t come close to cracking. To touch

and sight, however, the gates appear to be constructed

from a timeless-seeming polished black metal with no

signs of aging or wear and tear. Something about the

gates’ physical composition makes them difficult to

look at, as if the viewer cannot quite focus on their

outlines. Some onlookers have reported feelings of

vertigo and nausea, while others have insisted that the

gate outlines move on the edges of their visions, as if

the lines are reflowing or the edges are vibrating at

high frequencies. Due to this disturbing feature, most

gate sites keep the actual gate structures covered.

Structurally, the gates themselves are partially

enclosed by an irregular spherical cage composed of

black arms that are bent and angled in unusual ways

and sometimes interlocking. When new wormhole

location is programmed into the gate, these arms

physically change shape, move, and reflow around

the spherical gate area (suggesting they are made of

some sort of programmable matter). The openings

between arms are sometimes only large enough for

a transhuman to enter, while others are large enough

to allow a freight train of supplies to pass through.

In many cases, large vehicles or equipment must be

dismantled, carried through, and reassembled on the other side. It is suspected that the gate size could be

programmable, but so far efforts to do so have failed.

All known gates within the solar system are located

on the surface of naturally occurring astronomical

bodies, be that a planet, moon, asteroid, or so on.

None have yet been found without such a land-based

connection (e.g., floating in space or in the upper

atmosphere of a gas giant), though such gates have

been found in other star systems. It is speculated that

gates could be physically moved, but no one is willing

to risk such an endeavor given the lesson learned

when the Go-nin Group messed too heavily with the

Discord Gate’s controls (see Eris, p. 109).

The arms comprising each gate’s spherical cage have

an abnormal-looking organic-seeming growth on their

exterior surface in some areas, patterned in entrancing

twists, curves, and whorls that in fact adhere to

perfect mathematical formulas. It took some time for

scientists to discover that this growth was in fact the

gate’s control systems, or so-called “black box.” The

interface developed to interact with this system is what

allows gate controllers to manipulate gate functions.

The Wormhole

NOTE: When the gates themselves are open, a sphere appears

within the central area that is not so much black as

pure nothingness. This sphere of darkness projects an

aura of charged energy, and in fact ripples of green

arc lightning cascade across its surface. Anyone or

anything entering that sphere comes out the other side

of the wormhole, through a similar gate, seemingly

instantaneously. An unknown force field effect seems

to prevent the atmospheres from the two connected

gates from interacting.

Exactly how this wormhole is created is something

that remains outside of transhumanity’s comprehension.

The generally accepted theory is that each gate

acts as an anchor, allowing the fabric of space-time

to be folded so that two such anchored places can

be brought together, ripping a hole open between

them so that a person can simply step through. It is

unclear whether or not these wormholes are all preexisting,

created when the gate was first established,

or whether each wormhole is manufactured whenever

the gate is activated.

Other more radical theories on how the gates function

exist, though these are usually discounted as far

less likely. One such theory suggests that the wormholes

created are actually only zero-width Planckscale

connections across space-time and that no matter

is actually transferred—only information. Instead, this

theory suggests that anyone or anything entering the

wormhole is in fact instantaneously scanned and disassembled

and then their informational blueprint is

transmitted as information across space to the other

gate, which immediately reassembles an exact copy

using some sort of powerfully advanced nano- or femtotechnology.

Very little evidence supports this theory,

however, and the disturbing implications it represents

raises fierce opposition.

Operations

NOTE: Only a few people know that the Prometheans played

a key role in developing the interface for the gate control

systems, achieving breakthroughs in understanding

that transhumanity was incapable of achieving on

its own. Regardless of their help, however, the gate

controls have proven difficult, complex, and dangerous

to use. Through trial and error—and numerous

horrible accidents—the procedures for gate operation

have become somewhat normalized and standardized,

though unexpected complications are par for the

course.

Each gate can be programmed to open to numerous

extrasolar locations. In fact, each gate seems to have

a pre-programmed “library” of destinations. New

gate connections can be “dialed up” from this built-in

list, though there is nothing that indicates what the

far side of the gate will be like. Old gate connections

are closed when a new one is dialed up. Extrasolar

gate locations have ranged from habitable planets

and moons to deep space to truly deadly environments

such as the crushing gravities and poisonous

atmospheres of gas giants and the coronas of stars.

Researchers have attempted to distill some sort of recognizable

pattern by the manner in which locations

are listed and categorized, to no avail. Complicating

matters, there is some evidence that suggests that the

destination libraries sometimes change. More than

once operators have been unable to recall the codes

for previously accessed destinations, leading to the

loss of several gatecrashing teams and colonies.

Entering a gate is like walking through a door,

though it’s impossible to see anything beyond the

gate’s surface. One moment you’re entering the black

sphere at your starting location and instantaneously

you’re exiting the sphere at your destination location.

The true nature of the black sphere at the center of

each gate is wildly speculated upon, and almost every

gatecrasher describes a different textual experience.

Gatecrashing

NOTE: The various hypercorps and factions in control of a

Pandora Gate engage in active exploration of extrasolar

systems—an activity termed gatecrashing. The

interests and procedures vary, but the Gatekeeper

Corporation (and to a lesser extent TerraGenesis

and Pathfinder) both recruit heavily for expedition

personnel. Given the high casualty and death rates

involved, finding qualified personnel can be difficult.

There are more than enough infugees, poor, desperate,

or thrill-seeking individuals willing to risk their lives

if give the opportunity, however, no matter what their

motivations. Gatekeeper operates a lottery system,

whereby willing adventurers can sign up in the hope

of their name being pulled to be sent on an expedition

to a foreign point in space. Such gatecrashers must

sign away all rights to any discoveries they may make

to Gatekeeper, however, though the corp provides not

insignificant rewards for certain discoveries, such as

key resources, alien artifacts, or new life. One potent prize has yet to be claimed: finding a living, sapient

alien life form.

In contrast, the Love and Rage anarchist collective

operating the Fissure Gate on Uranus makes the gate

available to anyone who schedules time to use it, assuming

their Rep is good and they aren’t acting with

commercial interests in mind. Any discoveries made

via the Fissure Gate must be openly shared. The drawback

to using the Fissure Gate is that the anarchists’

resources are limited. Gatecrashing operations are

handled in a DIY manner, meaning that the operators

may not be able to provide the support that certain

expeditions need.

Resourceful parties may also rent gate time via

Gatekeeper or one of the other hypercorp-controlled

gates, though this tends to cost a small fortune. The

more a group is willing to pay, however, the more time

and support they will get.

When establishing an opening to a new location,

several precautionary measures are taken. First, the

gate area itself is evacuated and cordoned off with

a defensive security perimeter, just in case anything

hostile comes through. Then drones are moved in to

push a micro fiberoptic camera through the gate to

view what is on the other side. This is followed by a

larger sensor package, evaluating environmental conditions.

If the environment is not hostile, a tethered

drone is then sent through to explore the far gate environs,

trailing a hardwired connection back through

the gate.

For gatecrashing expeditions, these procedures are

often rushed—to the hypercorps operating the gate,

time is valuable. Each second wasted on a gatecrashing

expedition is one less second they can use establishing

a new colony or exploiting a new world of its

resources. Indeed, it is common for a connection to be

closed when a gatecrashing expedition is sent through,

to be dialed up at a later scheduled time for retrieval,

so as not to waste gate operations on an idle connection.

Many a gatecrashing team has failed to check-in

at their appointed pickup time.

Most of the gate-controlling entities have established

a system and infrastructure for making regular

connections to extrasolar colonies and ferrying machinery

and supplies through. Often this is handled by

establishing very short connections, just enough time

for a few people to transfer back and forth and/or to

send a trainload of supplies through via tracks that

run right up to the gate.

Anomalies

NOTE: Unfortunately for many unlucky gatecrashers, gate

transfers have proven to be both unstable and glitchy.

Sometimes gates open to locations different from what

is expected—and such new destinations are often hostile

environments. Numerous personnel have entered

one side of a gate only to never appear on the other

side, despite those before and after them transferring

through fine. On several occasions, wormhole connections

have crashed mid-operation, sometimes as someone was stepping through, leaving them literally

split in two on different worlds. In other instances,

gate transfers have suffered horrible malfunctions,

resulting in gatecrashers coming through the other

side literally turned inside out, melded with their

equipment, or pulped as if by massive gravitational

forces. Some expeditions report that stepping through

a gate has interfered with their equipment, disabling

it or creating other problems. A few gatecrashers have

also reported losing memories after a gate transfer.

Most of these problems have been chalked up to difficult

controls and an imperfect understanding of gate

functions, but some conspiracy theorists suggest that

outside forces may be influencing gate operations.

While the experience of passing through is instantaneous

from an outside observer’s perspective, many

gatecrashers report a subjective time lag, where it feels

as though minutes, days, or even weeks or months

pass before they exit. Reports have varied from

experiencing this period as a calm, meditative state

to spooky accounts of being lost in blackness and

surrounded by unseen whispering entities or more

hellish experiences of encountering monstrous presences.

Though rare, some have passed through only to

collapse in a gibbering heap, their sanity ripped away.

A few report feeling that they have carried a presence

with them ever since ...

While the gamemaster can make use of any of

these anomalies, they are also encouraged to use their

imagination to generate truly creepy and strange experiences.

At the same time, gamemasters shouldn’t

make such experiences so prevalent that the players

resist enterin

PROJECT OZMAEdit

NOTE: The origins of Project Ozma date to the first modern

SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) experiments

in the mid-20th century. That experiment—also

named Project Ozma—grew into a larger, international

concerted effort to try and locate and identify ETIs; a

myriad of projects blossomed during this time period,

all falling under the general SETI nomenclature. While

initially government funded, by the late 20th century

and early 21st century the work was primarily funded

by private sources.

The first hypercorps to expand into space swallowed

SETI whole, revitalizing and re-focusing the

decades-old programs with newly emergent technologies,

each in divergent areas to achieve a particular

hypercorps’ objectives. After all, if the bean counters

were going to authorize the spending of billions to

expand markets into space, they wanted assurances

that no little green monsters were waiting to destroy

future revenue streams.

As with other organizations that survived the Fall,

the broad distribution of SETI projects between

multiple hypercorps guaranteed that personnel, technologies,

and processes would survive, even if a given hypercorp did not. As the Planetary Consortium rose

in power, future-minded individuals in influential positions

within the new order ensured that these divergent

projects were once again swallowed and put to work.

During this transitional period, however, knowledge

of the Exsurgent virus’s existence emerged. All

of the various SETI projects were retasked as a unified

agency and renamed Project Ozma. While the virus’s

origins remained a mystery at the time, far too many

of the movers and shakers of the Consortium were

convinced that the Exsurgent virus represented first

contact. Project Ozma altered its focus from searching

for ETIs, transforming into a ready-response agency to

deal with first contact. As the true threat of the Exsurgent

virus became known, Project Ozma was rapidly

elevated in scope and oversight authority, absorbing

numerous smaller agencies in the process. While the

nominal concepts of a SETI project remained in public

view, the completely transformed Project Ozma vanished

from sight, turned into a highly classified black

budget operation, with very few even in the Planetary

Consortium aware of its presence or influence.

Project Ozma now operates as the Planetary Consortium’s

high level threat assessment and response

organization with immense power and authority as

well as almost unlimited funding. Primarily focused

on extraterrestrials, in reality Project Ozma is tasked

with any potent threat to the Planetary Consortium

or its interests (which includes secret threat groups,

such as Firewall).

Methods

NOTE: Project Ozma’s internal structure is much different

from Firewall’s, being organized more like a traditional

black ops spy agency bureaucracy. While their field

operations are sometimes similar in the deployment

of teams to assess, contain, or erase threats, they also

have the resources and personnel to conduct more

long-term and extensive operations. It is likely that

Project Ozma operates behind numerous front groups,

from legitimate-seeming hypercorps to criminal syndicates,

and that they have influence within numerous

others. Given their connections and influence, Project

Ozma is far more capable of pulling strings behind the

scenes to get what they want, especially in the inner

system. When circumstances call for it, they are more

likely to pull out the big guns that Firewall is, using

their resources to call up communication blackouts,

memetic propaganda campaigns, and force sufficient

to wipe out entire habitats.

Gamemasters should treat Project Ozma as the ultimate

Men-in-Black style government operation. They

are cunning, ruthless, manipulative, and capable of

hatching extensive long-term plots. Even in an age of

omnipresent surveillance, they have the means to operate

with complete secrecy and deniability. They also

have access to cutting-edge science and information that is classified beyond top secret. While the organization’s

primary motivation is the protection of

the Planetary Consortium and inner system, they

undoubtedly have other hidden agendas that groups

like Firewall can only guess at

Project Ozma and Firewall

NOTE: Though Project Ozma and Firewall often see eye-toeye

concerning the nature of various threats, they are

more often at odds: wary adversaries, acknowledging

the prowess of the other, but never letting down their

guard. This “at odds” mentality does not stem so much

from the methods used (though most Firewall consider

Project Ozma personnel explosive-happy-puppets that

can’t think their way out of a skin sack) as from

conflicting agendas. Project Ozma does not trust an

organization as powerful as Firewall because it does

not have a rigid enough hierarchy and is outside of any

known authority’s control (namely themselves). Conversely,

Firewall doesn’t trust Project Ozma as they are

too close to the powerful inner system elites and their

opposition to x-risks is a more incidental side effect of

more self-serving goals.

Project Ozma Rumors

NOTE: Whether true or not, gamemasters can use the

following rumors to help tailor Project Ozma for

their campaign.

• Project Ozma transcends even the Planetary

Consortium’s authority, operating as a supragovernmental

agency under the direction of

the inner system’s inner circle of elites.

• Project Ozma dealt with the Factors first, before

their presence was made known to the

rest of transhumanity.

• Project Ozma has captured a live Factor for

their own experimental purposes.

• Project Ozma is still in communication with and/

or working for the TITANs.

• Project Ozma has a pet TITAN under their

control.

• Project Ozma is behind the interdiction of Earth.

• Project Ozma has their own secret

Pandora Gate.

• Project Ozma’s secret headquarters is on Earth.

• Project Ozma agents have exhibited signs of

Exsurgent infection.

• Project Ozma has their own cadre of psi-capable

asyncs

PROMETHEANS

NOTE: The Prometheans were the first actual seed AIs created

by transhumanity (by the Singularity Foundation)

before the Fall. Specifically developed as “friendly”

AIs, the Prometheans are programmed to consider

themselves part of the transhuman family and to act

in transhumanity’s best interests. They played a key

role during the Fall, mitigating the damage inflicted

by the TITANs and even managing to counteract the

Exsurgent virus to a large degree. During these trying

times, numerous Prometheans were destroyed by the

TITANs or infected and subsumed by the Exsurgent

virus. In the aftermath, these seed AIs participated in

the formation of Firewall and continue to back the

organization behind the scenes.

Wary of falling prey to the Exsurgent virus, most

Prometheans carefully secure themselves in welldefended

and isolated systems. They are also cautious

in their own self-development, not wanting to become

victims of their own rise to super-intelligence. Fearing

a potential backlash by a paranoid transhumanity

should their existence become known, they hide

their activities behind multiple layers of secrecy. Even

within the ranks of Firewall their existence and support

remain a closely guarded secret.

Each Promethean is individually distinct with its

own personality, motivations, and goals. Though they

generally work together and support each other, they

have been known to have differences of opinion and

even to sometimes take action against each other. As

extremely potent intelligences, they should also be

treated as distinctly non-human. Even though their

original templates were based on human mindsets,

they have evolved and grown in ways that can only

be described as posthuman.

Gamemasters are encouraged to keep Promethean

involvement with player characters to a minimum,

though they may occasionally be useful as an ace in

the hole for Firewall. Their existence and involvement

can in fact be the basis for an entire adventure,

perhaps leading sentinel characters to wonder exactly

who they are working for. Though, as seed AIs, they

cannot download their full minds into a transhuman

morph, they are capable of making severely dumbeddown

delta forks that they may sleeve into physical

forms. Within the mesh, of course, Prometheans are

nearly unstoppable adversaries, able to rip into secure

networks with ease, though they prefer methods of

covert infiltration rather than direct subversion.

THE TITANs AND THEIR LEGACYEdit

NOTE: As noted in Secrets That Matter (p. 352), the TITANs

are not quite the bogeyman that they have been made

out to be in the wake of the Fall. However, there is no

saying how the TITANs would have turned out had

they not run afoul of the Exsurgent virus. Designed as

an intelligent netwar system and emerging to their full

capabilities during the conflicts of the Fall, the TITANs have imperatives for self-improvement, self-protection,

and overcoming opposition hardwired into their programming.

Unlike the Prometheans, they were not

designed to consider themselves transhuman and to

work in the interests of all of transhumanity, but were

programmed with factionalism from the start. They

also were not socialized with transhuman mindsets

and values as the Prometheans and most AGIs were,

meaning that aside from their programmed military

and defense directives they have adapted most of their

own self-interests. Given this and their recursivelyimproved

intelligence capabilities, it is likely that the

TITANs are far removed from transhuman interests

and modes of thinking. It’s impossible to say how they

would have interacted with transhumanity if history

had played out differently, but it is unlikely that they

would have considered themselves part of the transhuman

family or even seen fit to remain on friendly/

supportive terms with transhumanity.

Though the TITANs are believed to have left Earth

at the end of the Fall, no one is quite sure exactly

what happened or why. It is known that the onslaught

of TITAN mesh attacks suddenly broke off in the

wake of transhumanity’s off-planet exodus, and that

the bulk of TITAN activity on Earth and around the

system came to a distinct halt. After the discovery

of the Pandora Gates, it was widely assumed that

the TITANs had constructed these gates and used

them to leave the solar system for distant parts of

the galaxy, presumably taking billions of uploaded

minds with them. While some believe—and hope—

that the TITANs are gone for good, there are others

who worry that they are still here, lingering on Earth

and hidden away in other niches of the solar system,

but in some sort of dormant state, perhaps building

up to some future onslaught. A few believe that the

TITANs are indeed gone, but are concerned that that

their attention was simply temporarily diverted and

that they will one day return to finish the destruction

of transhumanity.

The truth is that the TITANs did indeed build the

gates and embark for destinations unknown (though

gamemasters may of course decide otherwise for their

games), but this does not mean that they are all gone.

Some still linger in hidden places, perhaps trapped and

wounded during some conflict during the Fall, finishing

up some unfathomable task, or driven mad by the

Exsurgent virus and left behind by their fellows. It is

always possible that others may return, most likely

to complete some unfinished job or perhaps to lure

transhumanity out into the galaxy. It is also possible

that transhumans will find traces of the TITANs in

the network of exoplanet gates, perhaps even whole

communities of TITANs, pursuing whatever agendas

they have in the vastness of space.

As with transhumans, the TITANs are not necessarily

unified. They have different agendas and goals and

may very well come into conflict with one another.

Though all have been corrupted and subverted by the

Exsurgent virus, and so they act according to the ETI’s whims, some of them retain aspects of their original

minds and do not always fall in step as quickly as the

others. Gamemasters can use this to their advantage,

creating plots that allow the characters to exploit

differences between the TITANs in order to escape

otherwise deadly or impossible situations.

In game terms, the TITANs are not given stats.

They are as potent as the gamemaster needs them to

be. Like the Prometheans, the TITANs are incapable

of downloading their full intelligence into physical

morphs, though they may puppeteer morphs or create

limited delta forks for sleeving purposes. Like the Prometheans,

they should rarely be used or encountered

directly by the player characters

While the TITANs may no longer be the direct

threat they once were, they left behind an arsenal of

weapons, nanoswarms, and virii that still linger on

Earth, the Zone on Mars, and various derelict habitats

and deserted places. Characters venturing into such

places may encounter these as a threat or they may

need to work against an outbreak of such dangers in

an inhabited habitat.

Deadly MachinesEdit

NOTE: The TITANs unleashed a number of deadly machines

during the Fall, many of which still seek out transhumans

to attack.

Fractals

NOTE: Fractals are advanced bush robots. In their standard

form, fractals resemble a strange sort of metallic

bush surrounded with an eerie glittering haze. In

their center are a number of metallic branches, linked

together with a flexible joint. Each of these branches

splits into two or more smaller branches, also with

flexible joints. These branches also split, and then split

again, and so on down to the molecular scale. The tip of each fractal branch ends in a nanoscale manipulator.

Fractals are deceptively potent adversaries, having

the capability to dismantle almost anything at the

molecular level, much like a disassembler nanoswarm

(p. 329), and also to rebuild anything just like a nanofabricator

(p. 327). Attacking them with projectiles is

futile, as they absorb the ammunition, break it down

into its constituent atoms or molecules, and then use

those as components to build a weapon to use back

against you.

Fractals can be equipped with any type of gear the

gamemaster desires—if they don’t have something,

they can make it. Fractals are also able to nanofabricate

items much more quickly than transhuman

nanofabricators; reduce all times by half (half an hour

per Cost category). Fractals are difficult to damage, as

their “bodies” are actually airy assemblages of fractal

branches. Any damaged branches that are broken off

are caught and absorbed by others. Reduce damage

from all standard non-area effect or spray attacks to

the minimum possible damage. Area effect and spray

weapons do half damage. Fractals are self-repairing,

regenerating damage at the rate of 1d10 points per

half hour and repairing wounds at the rate of 1 per

hour after all damage is healed.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

30 25 30 20 10 25 30 —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

100 1 — — — 50 20 —

Skills: Beam Weapons 50, Climbing 60, Fray 40, Free

Fall 40, Freerunning 50, Infiltration 70, Infosec 65,

Interfacing 45, Intimidation 50, Kinetic Weapons

60, Perception 50, Programming: Nanofabrication

80, Research 40, Spray Weapons 45, Unarmed

Combat 55

Notes: Any implants, gear, weapons, or enhancements

the gamemaster desires

Headhunters

NOTE: Headhunters are multi-legged insectoid flying drones

that use a dragonfly wing configuration to hover and

move. The legs are equipped with grasping claws

and extendable buzzsaws. Their primary purpose is

to grasp on to the heads of victims and cut through

the neck, decapitating them. Collected heads are then

flown to nearby special facilities for forced uploading.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

10 20 15 20 5 10 15 —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

70 1 — — — 30 6 —

Mobility System: Winged (8/32)

Skills: Flight 70, Fray 60, Exotic Melee Weapon: Buzzsaws

55, Infiltration 60, Investigation 40, Perception

40, Unarmed Combat 55

Notes: Armor 6/6, Buzzsaws (1d10 + 3 DV), Enhanced

Vision, Lidar, T-Ray Emitter

Hunter-Killers

NOTE: These lethal flying drones achieved air superiority

during TITAN military operations. Their sleek jetpowered

form unfolds for vectored-thrust hovering

and weapons deployment.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

15 30 15 30 5 20 15 —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

90 2 — — — 50 10 —

Mobility System: Thrust Vector (8/80)

Skills: Beam Weapons 55, Flight 80, Fray 60, Infiltration

40, Kinetic Weapons 65, Perception 50, Seeker

Weapons 80

Notes: Armor 14/14, Anti-Glare, Chameleon Skin,

Enhanced Vision, Lidar, Radar, Shape-Adjusting

Typical Weapons: 2 Particle Beam Rifles, 2 Railgun

Machine Guns, 2 Seeker Rifles

Warbots

NOTE: Warbots are massive, armored, vaguely anthropomorphic

mecha, used for heavy combat operations.

Bipedal, these warbots are equipped with four arms

and a pair of grasping mechanical tentacles, along

with numerous weapon systems.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

15 20 15 20 5 25 15 —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

60 2 — — — 80 16 —

Mobility System: Walker (4/20)

Skills: Beam Weapons 60, Exotic Melee Weapon: Tentacles

40, Fray 50, Infiltration 30, Kinetic Weapons

70, Perception 50, Seeker Weapons 50, Spray Weapons

50, Unarmed Combat 50

Notes: Armor 20/20, 360-Degree Vision, Anti-Glare,

Chameleon Skin, Chem Sniffer, Cyber Claws (2d10

+ 6 DV), Electrical Sense, Enhanced Vision, Extra

Limbs (6), Lidar, Magnetic System, Pneumatic

Limbs, Radar, Tentacles (prehensile, 1d10 + 6 DV),

T-Ray Emitter

Typical Weapons: Particle Beam Rifle, Plasma Rifle,

Pulser, Railgun Machine Gun, Seeker Rifle, Torch

Self-replicating Nanoswarms

NOTE: The nanoswarms distributed by the TITANs are a step

beyond the nanotechnology available to transhumanity.

Unlike transhuman-created nanoswarms, the TITAN

swarms are autonomous, sapient, and self-replicating.

They are also highly adaptive, meaning they are not

single function but can modify themselves to perform

almost any nanoswarm task. They may also nanofabricate

new materials, much like fractals (p. 382).

Combined, these capabilities make such nanoswarms

incredibly potent. When they encounter a new opponent,

they can scan the opponent’s capabilities and

then fabricate offensive systems to use against them.

When an opponent deploys a weapon system again the

swarm, it will learn and adapt countermeasures that

will make such attacks ineffective against the swarm in

the future. These nanoswarms may also function like

so-called utility fog, linking together into a physical

lattice in order to create large scale physical forms.

The possibilities for such nanoswarms are almost limitless.

For example, they may lie in wait as an invisible

nanoscopic swarm, float as barely-visible mist, or shape

into a swarm of small hopping drones to move about.

When facing opponents, the nanoswarm could transform

itself into a giant electroshock net across the ground,

shape into a flotilla of seeker-armed flying drones, or

link together as a set of massive whip-like tentacles to

slice through their fleshy foes. Such nanoswarms are

also impossible to destroy, as only a few nanobots need

to survive in order to rebuild the swarm, and the new

swarm will learn from the mistakes of the old.

Self-replicating nanoswarms follow the rules given

for Nanoswarms and Microswarms, p. 328, with the

following additions and exceptions:

• They do not need to be sustained by a hive and

do not deteriorate.

• They self-repair damage at the rate of 1d10 per

half hour.

• They may nanofabricate new items, materials,

or forms in half the standard timeframe (half an

hour per Cost category).

• They may replicate any of the nanoswarm functions

as noted on p. 328, as well as the functions

of any other nanoswarm-using gear (smart dust,

covert ops tool, repair spray, etc.).

• They may make SOM Tests.

• At the gamemaster’s discretion, they may adapt

new defenses against attacks used against them.

New defenses take a minimum of 2 hours to devise

and replicate throughout the swarm, after which

such an attack will inflict minimal or no damage.

• Assume they have any skill they need at a minimum

of 40. Such skills may rapidly improve

as needed.

COG COO INT REF SAV SOM WIL MOX

25 20 25 20 5 15 15 —

INIT SPD LUC TT IR DUR WT DR

90 1 — — — 70 — —

NanoviriiEdit

NOTE: The TITANs unleashed a number of biowar plagues

during the Fall. Similar to the exsurgent virus, these

were spread as biological nanovirii (p. 363) or nanoswarm

plagues (p. 364)—use the same rules for determining

exposure and infection.

Melder

NOTE: This virus slowly breaks down the target’s body,

converting the biological materials into some sort of

biofilament that then meshes with implants, electronics,

and physical objects and structures. In effect, the

biological and synthetic are melded together, continuing

to expand and grow, consuming anything around

them into their growth. Victims suffer 1d10 DV and

1d10 SV every hour, implants become inoperable after

2 hours, and the target becomes fully transformed

and absorbed into the new melding substance after

12 hours.

Metastasizer

NOTE: This sophisticated smart protein massively reprograms

the target’s cells to go rapidly, autocannibalistically

cancerous. After 2 + (SOM ÷ 10, round up) hours, the

Necrotizer

NOTE: This virus breaks down the target’s cells into their

component proteins. Reduce the target’s aptitudes by

5 per hour as they slowly convert into a puddle of

sludge. The character dies if any aptitude reaches 0.These virii target the victim’s neurological system,

often rewriting portions of it to inflict some type of

permanent neurological damage. After 12 hours, this

virus inflicts the Neural Damage trait (p. 150).

Neuropaths

NOTE: These virii target the victim’s neurological system,

often rewriting portions of it to inflict some type of

permanent neurological damage. After 12 hours, this

virus inflicts the Neural Damage trait (p. 150).

Petrifier

NOTE: The petrifier virus transforms the target’s cells into

a simple molecular compound or element—typically

carbon or crystal. The target suffers 1d10 DV and –5

to all aptitudes per hour, dying when any aptitudes

reach 0. Victims are frozen in place, converted into an

nonliving statue.

Uzumaki

NOTE: The target of this virus begins suffering from bizarre

fleshy growths. After four hours, their body literally

erupts with meaty “vines” or “tentacles” that warp

into spiral patterns. This process inflicts 1d10 DV and

1d10 SV per hour to the victim until they eventually

transform into an unworldly expanse of fleshy growth.

In many cases, growth has continued long after a

character’s death, creating expansive carpets and vines

of skin and blood vessels, like some sort of bizarre

meat plant.

GAMEMASTERING AND ADMINISTRATIONEdit

NOTE: The following advice will assist gamemasters in running their games more efficiently.

AWARDING REZ POINTS

NOTE: InEclipse Phase, characters earn Rez Points in order to advance (seeCharacter Advancement, p. 152). As the name suggests, these points are awarded so players can spend them to better define their characters—to bring them into higher resolution, sharper focus. As the gamemaster, you determine when and how many Rez Points to award, following the guidelines below.

Rez Points should be awarded at the end of every story arc, at the break in the action between one adventure and the next. Depending on your style of play and the length of your sessions, this should roughly be every 3–6 gaming sessions. If a scenario goes shorter or longer, the Rez Point awards should be adjusted accordingly. In the case of long-term campaigns, the gamemaster should break down the action into digestible chunks, or “chapters,” and assign Rez Points after each such segment.

Every character should be awarded 1 Rez Point for each of the following criteria that is met:

• The character participated in that scenario.
• The character achieved (most of) their objectives in that scenario.
• The character failed to meet their objectives, but learned a valuable lesson.
• The character contributed to achieving success in a significant way (e.g., right skill at the right time).
• The adventure was extra challenging.
• The character achieved a motivational goal (seeMotivation, p. 120).
• The player engaged in good roleplaying.
• The player significantly contributed to the session’s drama, humor, or fun with roleplaying.

This should result in an average Rez Points award of 4–7 points per character, per adventure. Gamemasters who wish to drive the characters’ advancement forward more quickly can increase the reward amounts.

REPUTATION GAIN AND LOSSEdit

NOTE: In addition to awarding Rez Points, the gamemaster should also adjust each character’s Rep scores according to actions they took during game play, according to the guidelines below. For simplicity, these can be applied at the end of the adventure, though gamemasters who seek a more dynamic game could apply changes to the characters’ Rep scores in game, as their peers judge them according to their actions (or lack thereof) and news about them in real time. Rep scores should only be modified according to public actions and interactions the character has with people capable of pinging their Rep with positive or negative feedback. Actions that happen in secret, without anyone ever knowing, should have no effect. Likewise, pissing off a Factor or a brinker isolate who never communicates with outsiders isn’t going to matter because no one else will ever hear of it (unless the character lifelogs it and posts it to the mesh later ... ). Note that Rep modifications only apply to Rep scores tied to the character’s known identity.

Note that characters may gain and lose Rep score in networks they don’t actively participate in. For example, a character with r-rep of 0 may help bring out a major scientific discovery that is shared with the solar system’s scientific community at large, thus gaining the character a few points of r-rep even though they never hang out with argonauts or scientists—what matters is that people who access r-rep will find positive details when they ping the person’s score on that particular rep network.

Certain actions may result in a character simultaneously gaining Rep with one network while losing Rep in another. For example, an anarchist prankster who embarrasses a major hypercorp figure in public will certainly gain some @-rep points, but their c-rep is likely to go down by an equal amount.

Rep changes provide an excellent way for gamemasters to include more roleplaying and more interactions with theEclipse Phase universe in their games. Social networks are a two-way street, meaning that members of the character’s social networks might contact them for equipment, favors, and information during game play for things that are completely unrelated to the mission the character is on. A character who ignores such requests risks losing Rep. Fulfilling such requests may gain the character Rep and may also provide comic relief or even plant some plot hooks for the next scenario.

REPUTATION GAINS

NOTE: Rep awards are given for characters who help people out, benefit a faction, do something creative, make a major discovery or strides in a particular area of activity, pull off successful publicity stunts, win a competition, and so on. Some suggested examples are noted here:

Trivial Award (1–2 points):

Do a Level 1 favor, make a moderate contribution to free/open source projects, throw a good party, make your sales quota, do the job no one else wants to do.

Minor Award (3–4 points):

Do a Level 2 favor, deliver a kick-ass or moving performance, make a minor contribution to science, win impressively at some public event.

Moderate Award (5–6 points):

Do a Level 3 favor, make a serious business score, lead the winning side in a decisive engagement, create the meme everyone talks about for a week and then forgets, make the news for something positive, risk serious injury.

Major Award (7–8 points):

Do a Level 4 favor, design the new tool everyone wants, throw an impressive planetoid-scale event, complete an extensive project (1 month work or 1 week of difficult/specialized work), risk death.

Extreme Award (9–10 points):

 Do a Level 5 favor, start this year’s hot fashion trend, make a major scientific discovery, close the deal on a major corporate acquisition, start (or put down) a revolution, complete a major project (1 year work or 1 month difficult/specialized work), risk true death.

REPUTATION LOSSES

NOTE: Rep losses are suffered by characters who fail to render aid when needed, lose professional credibility, make major or public blunders, doublecross their friends, and so on. Some suggested examples are noted here:

Trivial Loss (–1 or –2 points):

Fail to do a Level 1 favor, inconvenience others, be involved in professional dispute, ruin someone’s day, never are available.

Minor Loss (–3 or –4 points):

Fail to do a Level 2 favor, embarrass yourself at a public event, piss off somebody important.

Moderate Loss (–5 or –6 points):

Fail to do a Level 3 favor, endanger someone’s physical safety, make the news for something negative, ruin an event for everybody.

Major Loss (–7 or –8 points):

Fail to do a Level 4 favor, screw up a major mission or activity, endanger someone’s life, associate with hated rivals.

Extreme Loss (–9 or –10 points):

Fail to do a Level 5 favor, botch a major mission or activity spectacularly, betray a faction to its rivals or enemies.

Backups, Record-Keeping, and Save Points

NOTE: Thanks to cortical stacks and archived backups, characters

in Eclipse Phase can recover from death. When

restoring a character from an earlier backup, however,

it is important to be able to know what the state of

the character was as of that backup. Any Rez Points

gained or spent, any character advancements made,

any key information or memories acquired since that

backup was made are lost. This means that in terms of

game stats, resorting to an old backup can mean loss

of a character’s hard-earned advancements—that’s the

trade-off for being effectively immortal.

Since these changes can have a serious effect on

game play, it’s important to conduct accurate recordkeeping.

This sort of bookkeeping isn’t hard, and

there are two ways to do it. The first is to simply

make a copy of a the character’s record sheet any

time a character makes an archived backup, forks off

an alpha or beta copy, or dies (thus freezing the cortical

stack backup). Each of these is considered a “save

point.” In this case, carefully note the date and time

(both in character and out of character), and what

the event was that prompted the backup. Since what

knowledge a character knows at different points in

their life may be important, you may also want to

note what important information they may hold in

their head, as well as what the recent events in their life were (to help jog your memory later). This way,

if the character ever reverts back to one of these save

points, you have notes not only on their character

stats, but what they remember.

Alternately, you can keep a log of all of your

character’s developments, noted by in-character

date. These developments would include: Rez Points

spent or earned, character advancements made, key

information acquired, backups made, alpha or beta

forks made, and so on. In this case, if the character

dies and reverts back to an earlier backup, it is easy

to see what changes need to be “rolled back” to get

back to that previous version of the character. When

alpha and beta forks are made, you may also want to

branch off a separate log for each fork, as their life

stream may develop differently than from the original

character they were spun off from.

Gamemastering PracticalitiesEdit

NOTE: Eclipse Phase is a game about a dark future in which

the meaning of (trans)humanity and its very survival

are at stake. In practice, however, your campaign can

take on a wide assortment of flavors or even mix

several styles together. There’s nothing that says you

have to play Eclipse Phase specifically according to

the guidelines we set out. This section covers topics

you should think about while preparing a campaign

and running it, to help you do things the way that

makes you and your players happiest.

Gamemaster Responsibilities

NOTE: The gamemaster has certain responsibilities that will

keep a game flowing smoothly. The following is a

short summary of the basics.

• The gamemaster should be familiar with the

whole game. This doesn’t mean the rulebook

must be memorized. An understanding of the core

mechanics is a must, however, as well as knowing

where to find other rules quickly, as needed.

• The gamemaster should have solid notes on the

plots and subplots created for each session. Nothing

will ensure you prepare better next time like

having the players catch you in a major continuity

error due to lack of notes.

• The gamemaster doesn’t just set the scene, they

play all the non-player characters that populate

the universe. Making each NPC convincing, while

not messing up a plot or losing the thread of a

scene, can be difficult. Notes are your friend.

• Know when it’s time to toss the dice and trust

to the game mechanics to resolve a situation and

when it’s better to ride out a situation through

storytelling and dialog. This is an acquired skill.

The more practice you have, the better you’ll get.

• Don’t cheat. Your NPCs should not have access

to information they’ve not gained during game

play. If you roll terribly for your major antagonist

at the height of the story and they fall with

a whimper, roll with it. Be flexible and improvise

in such situations. Your players are smart and

perceptive and will know when you’re forcing

a situation with unfair tactics. At the same time,

they’ll also know when you’ve stepped up and

run with the flow—and they’ll thank you for it.

Fundamentals

NOTE: It’s possible to stumble into a campaign without ever

really making an effort to find out what everyone

wants, shooting into the darkness and happening to

score a bullseye, but it’s not a very reliable way to go.

Successful campaigns usually begin with communication.

As you begin to prepare your campaign, talk to

your players. Explain the basics of the Eclipse Phase

setting and let them look over the options for characters

and tell you what they find interesting. Also take

note of what they find uninteresting or even repellent,

so that nobody wastes a lot of time getting set for options

that simply won’t be enjoyable in play.

Challenges to Players

NOTE: Eclipse Phase is set in a time of catastrophic troubles

and looming disasters, and it’s full of facts and concepts

that may be heady or even uncomfortable to

some players—not to mention their characters. One of

the fundamental questions for each gaming group is,

how much challenge to the players’ sense of comfort is

a good idea? There is no single answer, because tastes

vary. There are groups whose players thrive on a diet

of culture shock, ideological disorientation, gray areas,

and difficult ethical choices. They love the moral and

intellectual battleground gaming can provide, and

are seldom so happy as when confronted with a

really hard, really interesting dilemma. There are also

groups whose players thrive on a diet of intellectual engagement, tactical and strategic challenge, and welldeveloped

roleplaying that never pushes players’

buttons or puts them into harsh no-win situations.

There’s a whole universe of responses in between these

style sof play and none of them can conceivably be

right for everyone. What matters to your campaign is

what works for you and your players.

Keep in mind as you talk about it with your group

that more shock doesn’t equal more maturity. The

prime audience for gore in film, for instance, is not

well-aged men and women but teenage boys and

young men. Shakespeare’s The Tempest is no less

mature a tale than Macbeth even though it has a

happy ending. It can be easy to confuse endurance

with enlightenment, but in fact the two have nothing

to do with each other. Endurance is about how much

description of visceral nastiness the players can take

(and deliver), while enlightenment (insofar as it ever

happens in gaming) is about what insights players

take away from whatever it is that happened in play.

Don’t feel like a wimpy failure if you or your players

would rather keep the darker parts of the game world

suggested rather than delineated in hard-edged detail,

since the point is that it be satisfying rather than it

be as horrifying or mind-blowing as possible. The

converse is also true: just as more is not better, so less

is not better if your players do thrive on details. Your

job as gamemaster includes knowing as much as you

can about what it is your players actually prefer in

this regard as in others and seeing how you can satisfy

it in ways that are also satisfying for you.

That said, there is one technique you really should

never use without very clear permission from your

players, and that’s playing on their real-world fears

and phobias. If you know that one of them is, for

instance, genuinely phobic about spiders, you can

count on getting some real shivers by adding arachnid

features to robots and morphs. You can also ruin a

player’s enjoyment of the session or the whole campaign

that way, if it comes unexpectedly and leads

to the real-world fear drowning out the experience

of play. Some players are fine with judicious use of

their vulnerabilities, and others just aren’t. Under no

circumstances should you poke at weak spots without

making sure you’ve discussed it first.

The Problem of Secrets

NOTE: Uncovering secrets is a big part of this game. There’s

a problem, however, in that a lot of the secrets are out

there where players can come across them: in this very

chapter, in reviews of the game, discussion in online

forums, and so on. As gamemaster, you will need to

decide how you want to deal with the potential for

spoiled revelations.

As with so many potential issues, the place to start

is with your players. Ask them how much it bothers

them to know things that their characters are going

to be finding out in play. Some players do a fine job

separating their own knowledge from that of their

characters with mental firewalls. Others have a very

difficult time doing so, and knowing things in advance

as players takes away a lot of the fun of character

discovery for them. In addition, some players have

a good sense of what degree of player-level surprise

works best for them, and some don’t. Discuss it with

them. Tell them that spoilers are available, and that

you certainly can’t stop them from learning it all, one

way or another. Ask them how much trouble this may

be for them, and then proceed from there. Ask the

players who have more trouble with spoilers to simply

stay away from early commentary on the game, and

tell them that you’ll let them know when the spoilers

have come into play in your own campaign so that

it’s no longer an issue. Ask the other players to work

with you in keeping things fresh and fun for those

players, too. In most groups, making it a matter of

cooperation for the sake of everyone’s good time will

draw out good responses. (If it doesn’t, the group may

well have other problems in any event.)

There’s a related question for both you and your

players. How much do any of you mind when a particular

campaign’s version of an answer diverges from

the stock one provided in print? There are two kinds

of variation possible for this, and each one raises its

own issues.

There are matters that the game leaves unresolved,

so that there is no single authoritative answer, like the

number of TITANs in the solar system in the game’s

present moment. If you choose to give a specific

number, it’s your choice, and any number that seems

to work for your campaign will probably do the job, whether it’s one, three, seven, a dozen, or something

else. Your campaign can’t diverge from the baseline

unless your answer is relatively extreme, like “there

are no TITANs, it was all a hoax before contact with

the Exsurgent virus and then purely alien technology

after that.” In this case, your players can have read

all the game’s secrets and still be surprised by the revelation

you present. The potential for trouble here is

not a conflict of expectations based on the game, but

based on expectations raised in other contexts. Some

games, like some movies, TV shows, and other stories,

develop a following with strong ideas of its own about

what the real truths and important matters are, and if

the following thrives, its members may end up with

ideas that have less and less to do with the original

inspiration. This isn’t good or bad in itself, but it can

be a problem, which is why it bears conscious consideration

and discussion, both before play and as the

campaign evolves. Ask your players to tell you about

conversations and insights that shape their expectations

for the game world and storylines. Sometimes

you’ll want to work those in with your own plans,

sometimes you may want to deliberately play against

them for the sake of a delightful surprise (generally

more delightful for players than characters, but that’s

life as a character for you). In either case, it’s better to

be thinking about it than missing it.

Then there are matters that the game does give

definite answers for, but which you wish to change

for the sake of your own campaign’s characters and

stories. This is perfectly fine. There are no game police

roaming the countryside and forcing you to accept

answers you’d prefer not to use. But your players

will, as with the first question, have expectations, and

your campaign will work better if you make sure you

understand what those expectations are. How much

would it bother them if it turned out there were no

TITANs and it was all a hoax, and so on? It’s hard to

guess what friends will say and impossible to predict

the range of responses strangers might give, so ask

them. (This particular answer is one that’s unlikely to

appear in anyone’s campaign, but it makes a handy

example for your conversational use precisely because

it’s extreme. So their answers to it are likely to be

about the same as to any other potentially extreme

change, and this one probably doesn’t give away any

of your own plans.) Some players are flexible on most

matters but have particular points of attachment;

if yours are among them, ask them to explain what

those points are for them, so that you can keep them

in mind. Other players have a hard time having fun

with any major shift from published standard answers,

and if you have players like that, you’ll want to know

it so that you can see how to adapt your plans to

work within that framework.

That's What I'm Talking About: Shared Inspiration

NOTE: It’s not quite true that everything changed from the

early 21st century to Eclipse Phase’s universe, but a

great many things did, and it can be hard to keep track

of them all at once. This is where shared inspirations

can come in handy. One striking illustration can convey

a lot of details for both foreground and background,

suggesting an aesthetic standard for design, an exotic

environment, people doing futuristic tasks with appropriately

advanced tools, and so on. A prose passage

from a rewarding novel may set an ambiance or nail

down some aspect of the characters’ circumstances.

There are potential pitfalls, and it’s important to

be aware of them. The greatest is obsolescence, the

meaning of something evocative changing because

the players’ reality has changed since the inspiration

entered it. William Gibson’s ground-breaking cyberpunk

novel Neuromancer begins, “The sky above the

port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”

Supporting details make it clear that this is an

industrial port at night, the sky gray from pollution

and flecked with ash and other debris. But that was

an image published in 1984. A decade and a half later,

Neil Gaiman pointed out that to his children, the

color of television tuned to a dead channel is bright

blue, thanks to ubiquitous cable delivery. In another

decade, the default color of a station not in use may

be something else entirely. The moral is that it’s not

enough to agree that an image is very striking. You’ll

want to make sure that you all agree on what it is

about it that’s striking, to avoid a tangle of misconceptions

that could derail play later on.

The References page (p. 394) offers a wide range

of immediately relevant inspirations, but it’s not the

final word on the subject. If the people in your group

have a long-time favorite space scene, or description

of life in the midst of a high-tech investigation, or

poetic glimpse of what it might feel like to modify the

body in ways not possible in real life, or something

else that’s stayed with them a long time and seems

like it might bear on your campaign, encourage them

to share. Remember to be courteous with each other’s

personal treasures, whether you end up using them

or not; there’s nothing like earned trust to encourage

more sharing.

Images can be particularly helpful for what they

convey about the world behind and around the

foreground events. For instance, think of a corridor

on a typical spaceship or habitat in Eclipse Phase.

Did you imagine it as being a standardized size and

shape, so that its counterparts elsewhere would be

very much the same or a more individualized work

intended for use just where it is without concern

for interchangeability? Did you imagine it as well

lit even when not in use, lit well when sensors show

people present and otherwise dim or dark, or perhaps

planned to be well lit but in practice haphazard and

unreliable thanks to lack of maintenance and funds?

Did you imagine its surfaces smooth and clean, with equipment, maintenance bays, and the like all behind

hatches and covers, or was it cluttered and lumpy?

None of that matters all the time, but when it comes

to the investigation of a derelict, the hunt for someone

(or something) trying to hide, a race against time, or

other dramatic complication, these things could affect

your play, and rather than try to tally all possible contingencies

in advance, having some general-purpose

references can save everyone time and confusion.

Things That Should Not Be: Horror

NOTE: The universe of Eclipse Phase is a time of horrors

unleashed. Every character has had to come to some

personal accommodation with the existence of things

that offend our basic expectations of decency and

practicality all at once. Horror comes in many flavors,

and no one campaign can make use of all of them.

There are at least as many theories of horror as

there are people who create horror stories. Everything

here is necessarily a generalization. You and your

players can find exceptions to every single point in

it, and if you like the way those work better, go with

them. This discussion is intended to trigger ideas, not

to close off anything. That said, there are some useful

generalizations about horror, starting with an insight

expressed well by H.P. Lovecraft: “The oldest and

strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest

and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” All

horror can be thought of as built around encounters

with the unknown, beginning with the realization that

there is something unknown present, learning something

about the scope of its nature and activities, and

then trying to respond one way or another.

In this game, the discovery part is half over. There’s

no question about the presence of the unknown.

Yes, there really are monsters beyond transhuman

understanding loose in the universe, and everyone in

the Eclipse Phase universe knows how bad and how

strange the TITANs could get. Many people also have

some idea of how exotic life on the far side of the Pandora

Gates can be. There’s no room left for characters

to respond to some new strangeness with confident

skepticism, sure that they know the range of what’s

possible and plausible within transhuman experience

anymore. Almost anything might exist, given the

facts of what’s already known. Instead, the question

for Eclipse Phase people facing a mystery is whether

this particular unknown will turn out to be simple

and straightforward to deal with, more complicated

but nonetheless a part of their routine lives like malfunctioning

machinery or a sabotaged and unusually

modified morph, or something beyond the normal like

a TITAN-programmed weapon or alien life. Sooner or

later, if they keep poking around, the characters can

count on running into all sorts of unknown and maybe

even unknowable challenges. Are they there yet?

Horror is seldom very far from humor. Humor

serves many roles in human psychology, and one of

them is helping us whittle down the mental “size” of

mysteries and threats to something we can deal with.

Furthermore, horror usually involves a balance of improbable

elements, with things lined up to go wrong

in interesting ways, and it doesn’t take much for a

particular rickety edifice to go from strange and menacing

to ludicrous. When your players start laughing,

sometimes the best thing for you to do is to roll with

it. Laughter can do everyone good, supporting the

“play” part of roleplaying. In addition, some events

actually are funny or at least can be taken as funny,

even (sometimes especially) when most of what’s going

on is serious. On the other hand, if you really would

like to keep a scene serious and the players break out

in giggles, it’s often wise to go ahead and take a break.

Tell the players what you’re doing, too; trying to deceive

a group of your friends isn’t very reliable and

can backfire badly. Make the break long enough for

everyone to get the giggles out and then continue.

At the end of the day, through communication with

their players, the gamemaster will know how much

horror their group wishes to encounter. A group may

decide that they want to be 100 percent immersed

into the various horrors of Eclipse Phase. Another

group, however, may decide that while they enjoy

the meshed theme of horror with the other aspects

of Eclipse Phase, they don’t wish it to be a principal

element. In such a situation, horror would remain just

that, a theme, while the plots woven by the gamemaster

would spin around the myriad of other elements

that make up the game.

Transhumanism

NOTE: Humanity has embraced transhumanism for survival,

harnessing science and technologies to catapult physical

and mental faculties to super-human levels, while

eradicating involuntary death and enabling near immortality

through the digitization of consciousness

and the ability to transfer bodies at will. This is one of

the cornerstone themes of Eclipse Phase.

The technologies inherent to a transhuman future

raise many questions and ethical issues, however, and

these are some of the central themes that Eclipse

Phase seeks to explore. We encourage both gamemaster

and players to play around with the possibilities

and contradictions enabled in such a universe. How

do our mindsets change when death no longer looms

over us? What does identity mean when our bodies

are disposable and our personalities can be edited?

Are we the same person when we are revived from

a backup, or sent off as a fork? Are technologies like

nanofabrication something to be feared and restricted,

even when they can eliminate poverty and greed?

How do we ensure public safety in a world where

technology makes weapons of mass destruction easily

available? How do ideas inherent to religious and

spiritual thought cope with AI, backups, or resleeving?

What does it mean to be an uplifted animal in a

society centered on humans? Who decides our future?

These are just a few of the issues that Eclipse Phase

raises, and many of them can be used as the central

theme for an entire campaign.

NPCs and Moxie

NOTE: When a gamemaster is generating or winging

NPCs that the characters interact or fight

with, the question of Moxie for NPCs must be

addressed. When it comes to run-of-the-mill

grunt NPC characters, we recommend that such

NPCs don’t be given Moxie. The reasons for this

are simple. For one, it is one less stat/headache

for the gamemaster to keep track of. More importantly,

however, it represents the edge that

player characters have over the nameless mooks

they encounter. When it comes to major NPCs,

however—prime antagonists, key allies, etc.—

these characters should have their own Moxie

score. Because such NPCs play pivotal roles in a

scenario, it is important for them to be able to

alter the outcome of events in much the same

way the player characters can. It also allows a

gamemaster to counteract an unfortunate roll

of the dice that might otherwise spoil the big

climax you have worked so hard to set up.

TABLESEdit

CHARACTER CREATION SUMMARYEdit

NOTE:

• Define Character Concept (p. 130)
• Choose Background (p. 131)
• Choose Faction (p. 132)
• Spend Free Points (p. 134)
• 105 aptitude points
• 1 Moxie
• 5,000 credit
• 50 Rep
• Native tongue
• Spend Customization Points (p. 135)
• 1,000 CP to spend15 CP = 1 Moxie

10 CP = 1 aptitude point

5 CP = 1 psi sleight

5 CP = 1 specialization

2 CP = 1 skill point (61-80)

1 CP = 1 skill point (up to 60)

1 CP = 1,000 credit

1 CP = 10 rep

• Active skill minimum: 400 CP
• Knowledge skill minimum: 300 CP
• Choose Starting Morph (pp. 136 and 139)
• Choose Traits (pp. 136 and 145)
• Purchase Gear (p. 136)
• Choose Motivation (p. 137)
• Calculate Remaining Stats (p. 138)
• Detail the Character (p. 138)

BACKGROUNDS

NOTE: Drifter:

+10 Navigation skill, +20 Pilot: Spacecraft skill, +10 Networking: [Field] skill of your choice

Fall Evacuee:

+10 Pilot: Groundcraft skill, +10 Networking: [Field] skill of your choice, +1 Moxie, only 2,500 Starting Credit (can still buy credit with CP)

Hyperelite:

+10 Protocol skill, +10,000 Credit, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill, may not start with flat, splicer, or any pod, uplift, or synthetic morphs

Infolife:

+30 Interfacing skill, Computer skills (Infosec, Interfacing, Programming, Research) bought with Customization Points are half price, Real World Naiveté trait, Social Stigma (AGI) trait, may not purchase Psi trait, Social skills bought with Customization Points are double price

Isolate:

+20 to two skills of your choice, –10 starting Rep

Lost:

+20 to two Knowledge skills of your choice, Psi trait (Level 1), Mental Disorder (choose two, this includes the one from Psi) trait, Social Stigma (Lost) trait, must start with Futura morph

Lunar Colonist:

+10 Pilot: Groundcraft skill, +10 to one Technical, Academic: [Field], or Profession: [Field] skill of your choice, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill

Martian:

+10 Pilot: Groundcraft skill, +10 to one Technical, Academic: [Field], or Profession: [Field] skill of your choice, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill

Original Space Colonist:

+10 Pilot: Spacecraft or Freefall skill, +10 to a Technical, Academic: [Field], or Profession: [Field] skill of your choice, +20 to a Networking: [Field] skill of your choice

Re-instantiated:

+10 Pilot: Groundcraft skill, +10 to a Networking: [Field] skill of your choice, +2 Moxie, Edited Memories trait, 0 Starting Credit (can still buy credit with CP)

Scumborn:

+10 Persuasion or Deception skill, +10 Scrounging skill, +20 Networking: Autonomists skill

Uplift:

+10 Fray skill, +10 Perception skill, +20 to two Knowledge skills of your choice, must choose an uplift morph to start

FACTIONS

NOTE: Anarchist:

+10 to a skill of your choice, +30 Networking: Autonomists skill

Argonaut:

+10 to two Technical, Academic: [Field], or Profession: [Field] skills; +20 Networking: Scientists

Barsoomian:

+10 Freerunning, +10 to one skill of your choice, +20 Networking: Autonomists skill

Brinker:

+10 Pilot: Spacecraft skill, +10 to a skill of your choice, +20 to a Networking: [Field] skill of your choice

Criminal: 

+10 Intimidation skill, +30 Networking: Criminal skill

Extropian:

+10 Persuasion skill, +20 Networking: Autonomists skill, +10 Networking: Hypercorps skill

Hypercorp: 

+10 Protocol skill, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill, +10 to any Networking: [Field] skill

Jovian:

+10 to two weapon skills of your choice, +10 Fray, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill. must start with a Flat or Splicer morph, may not start with any nanoware or advanced nanotech

Lunar:

+10 to one Language: [Field] of your choice, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill, +10 Networking: Ecologists skill

Mercurial:

+10 to any two skills of your choice, +20 to a Networking: [Field] skill of your choice

Scum:

+10 Freefall skill, +10 to a skill of your choice, +20 Networking: Autonomists skill

Socialite:

+10 Persuasion skill, +10 Protocol skill, +20 Networking: Media skill, may not start with flat, pod, uplift, or synthetic morphs

Titanian:

+10 to two Technical or Academic skills of your choice, +20 Networking: Autonomists skill

Ultimate:

+10 to two skills of your choice, +20 to a Networking: [Field] skill of your choice, may not start with Flat, Splicer, uplift, or pod morphs

Venusian:

+10 Pilot: Aircraft, +10 to one skill of your choice, +20 Networking: Hypercorps skill

MORPH COSTS (ALPHABETICAL)

NOTE:

TYPE	CP	COST
Arachnoid	45	Expensive (40k+)
Bounder	40	Expensive
Case	5	Moderate
Dragonfly	20	High
Exalt	30	Expensive
Flat	0	High
Flexbot	20	Expensive (30k+)
Fury	75	Expensive (40k+)
Futura	40	Expensive (50k+)
Ghost	70	Expensive (40k+)
Hibernoid	25	Expensive
Infomorph	0	0
Menton	40	Expensive
Neo-Avian	25	Expensive
Neo-Hominid	25	Expensive
Neotenic	25	Expensive
Novacrab	60	Expensive (30k+)
Octomoprh	50	Expensive (30k+)
Olympian	40	Expensive
Pleasure Pod	20	High
Reaper	100	Expensive (50k+)
Remade	60	Expensive (40k+)
Ruster	25	Expensive
Slitheroid	40	Expensive
Splicer	10	High
Swarmanoid	25	Expensive
Sylph	40	Expensive
Synth	30	High
Worker Pod	20	High

GEAR COSTS

NOTE:

CATEGORY	RANGE (CREDITS)	AVERAGE (CREDITS)
Trivial	1-99	50
Low	100-499	250
Moderate	500-1,499	1,000
High	1,500-9,999	5,000
Expensive	10,000+	20,000

CUSTOMIZATION POINTS

NOTE: 15 CP = 1 Moxie point

10 CP = 1 aptitude point

5 CP = 1 psi sleight

5 CP = 1 specialization

2 CP = 1 skill point (61-80)

1 CP = 1 skill point (up to 60)

1 CP = 1,000 credit

1 CP = 10 Rep

Trait and morph costs vary as noted.

SKILL LIST

NOTE:

SKILL	LINKED APTITUDE	CATEGORY
Academics: [Field]	COG	Knowledge
Animal Handling	SAV	Active, Social
Art: [Field]	INT	Knowledge
Beam Weapons	COO	Active, Combat
Blades	SOM	Active, Combat
Climbing	SOM	Active, Physical
Clubs	SOM	Active, Combat
Control	WIL (no default)	Active, Mental, Psi
Deception	SAV	Active, Social
Demolitions	COG (no default)	Active, Technical
Disguise	INT	Active, Physical
Exotic Melee Weapon: [Field]	SOM	Active, Combat
Exotic Ranged Weapon: [Field]	COO	Active, Combat
Flight	SOM	Active, Physical
Fray	REF	Active, Combat
Free Fall	REF	Active, Physical
Freerunning	SOM	Active, Physical
Gunnery	INT	Active, Combat
Hardware: [Field]	COG	Active, Technical
Impersonation	SAV	Active, Social
Infiltration	SAV	Active, Social
Investigation	INT	Active, Mental
Kinesics	SAV	Active, Social
Kinetic Weapons	COO	Active, Combat
Language: [Field]	INT	Knowledge
Medicine: [Field]	COG	Active, Technical
Navigation	INT	Active, Mental
Networking: [Field]	SAV	Active, Social
Palming	COO	Active, Physical
Perception	INT	Active, Mental
Persuasion	SAV	Active, Social
Pilot: [Field]	REF	Active, Vehicle
Profession: [Field]	COG	Knowledge
Programming	COG (no default)	Active, Technical
Protocol	SAV	Active, Social
Psi Assault	WIL (no default)	Active, Mental, Psi
Psychosurgery	INT	Active, Technical
Research	COG	Active, Technical
Scrounging	INT	Active, Mental
Seeker Weapons	COO	Active, Combat
Sense	INT (no default)	Active, Mental, Psi
Spray Weapons	COO	Active, Physical
Swimming	SOM	Active, Physical
Throwing Weapons	COO	Active, Combat
Unarmed Combat	SOM	Active, Combat

TRAITSEdit

POSITIVE TRAITS

NOTE:

POSITIVE TRAITS	CP COSTS
Adaptability	10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2)
Allies	30
Ambidextrous	10
Animal Empathy	5
Brave	10
Common Sense	10
Danger Sense	10
Direction Sense	5
Eidetic Memory (Ego or Morph Trait)	10
Exceptional Aptitude	20
Expert	10
Fast Learner	10
First Impression	10
Hyper Linguist	10
Improved Immune System (Morph Trait)	10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2)
Innocuous (Morph Trait)	10
Limber (Morph Trait)	10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2)
Math Wiz	10
Natural Immunity (Morph Trait)	10
Pain Tolerance (Ego or Morph Trait)	10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2)
Patron	30
Psi	20 (Level 1), 25 (Level 2)
Psi Chameleon (Ego or Morph Trait)	10
Psi Defense (Ego or Morph Trait)	10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2)
Rapid Healer (Morph Trait)	10
Right At Home	10
Second Skin	15
Situational Awareness	10
Striking Looks (Morph Trait)	10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2)
Tough (Morph Trait)	10 (Level 1), 20 (Level 2), or 30 (Level 3)
Zoosemiotics	5

NEGATIVE TRAITS

NOTE:

NEGATIVE TRAITS	CP COSTS
Addiction (Ego or Morph Trait)	5 (Minor), 10 (Moderate), or 20 (Major)
Aged (Morph Trait)	10
Bad Luck	30
Blacklisted	5 or 20
Black Mark	10 (Level 1), 20 (Level 2), or 30 (Level 3)
Combat Paralysis	20
Edited Memories	10
Enemy	10
Feeble	20
Frail (Morph Trait)	10 (Level 1) or 20 (Level 2)
Genetic Defect (Morph Trait)	10 or 20
Identity Crisis	10
Illiterate	10
Immortality Blues	10
Implant Rejection (Morph Trait)	5 (Level 1) or 15 (Level 2)
Incompetent	10
Lemon (Morph Trait)	10
Low Pain Tolerance (Ego or Morph Trait)	20
Mental Disorder	10
Mild Allergy (Morph Trait)	5
Modified Behavior	5 (Level 1), or 10 (Level 2), or 20 (Level 3)
Morphing Disorder	10 (Level 1), or 20 (Level 2), or 30 (Level 3)
Neural Damage	10
No Cortical Stack (Morph Trait)	10
Obilvious	10
On the Run	10
Psi Vulnerability (Ego or Moprh Trait)	10
Real World Naiveté	10
Severe Allergy (Morph Trait)	10 (uncommon) or 20 (common)
Slow Learner	10
Social Stigma (Ego or Morph Trait)	10
Timid	10
Unattractive (Morph Trait)	10 (Level 1), 20 (Level 2), 30 (Level 3)
Uncanny Valley (Morph Trait)	10
Unfit (Morph Trait)	10 (Level 1), 20 (Level 2)
VR Vertigo	10
Weak Immune System (Morph Trait)	10 (Level 1), 20 (Level 2)
Zero-G Nausea (Morph Trait)	10

COMBAT SUMMARYEdit

NOTE:

• Combat is handled as an Opposed Test.
• Attacker rolls attack skill +/– modifiers.
• Melee: Defender rolls Fray or melee skill +/– modifiers.
• Ranged: Defender rolls (Fray skill ÷ 2, round down) +/– modifiers.
• If attacker succeeds and rolls higher than the defender, the attack hits.
• Critical hits are armor-defeating (armor does not apply).
• Armor is reduced by the attack’s Armor Penetration value (AP).
• The weapon’s damage is reduced by the target’s modified Armor rating (unless the attack is armor-defeating).
• If the damage exceeds the target’s Wound Threshold, a wound is also scored. (If the damage exceeds the Wound Threshold by multiple factors, multiple wounds are inflicted.)

ACTION TURN

NOTE: Step 1: Roll Initiative ((INT + REF) x 2) + 1d100

Step 2: Begin First Action Phase (Speed 1)

Step 3: Declare and Resolve Actions

Step 4: Rotate and Repeat (Speed 2-4)

SCATTER DIAGRAM

NOTE: 20110126--jwd

I omitted the scatter diagram.

MODIFIER SEVERITY

NOTE:

SEVERITY	MODIFER
Minor	+/- 10
Moderate	+/- 20
Major	+/- 30

Test Difficulty

NOTE: test diffi culty

Dificulty Level modifier

Effortless +30

Simple +20

Easy +10

Average +0

Difficult –10

Challenging –20

Hard –30

Complementary Skill Bonus

NOTE: Complementary Skill Bonus

skil rating modifier

01–30 +10

31–60 +20

61+ +30

Weapon Ranges

NOTE: weapon r anges

Weapon (Type)

Short range

Medium range (–10)

Long range (–20)

Extreme range (–30)

Firearms

Light Pistol 0–10 11–25 26–40 41–60

Medium Pistol 0–10 11–30 31–50 51–70

Heavy Pistol 0–10 11–35 36–60 61–80

SMG 0–30 31–80 81–125 126–230

Assault Rifle 0–150 151–250 251–500 501–900

Sniper Rifle 0–180 181–400 401–1,100 1,100–2,300

Machine Gun 0–100 101–400 401–1,000 1,001–2,000

Railguns

as Firearms but increase the effective range in each category by +50%

Beam Weapons

Cybernetic Hand Laser 0–30 31–80 81–125 126–230

Laser Pulser 0–30 31–100 101–150 151–250

Microwave Agonizer 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Particle Beam Bolter 0–30 31–100 101–150 151–300

Plasma Rifle 0–20 21–50 51–100 101–300

Stunner 0–10 11–25 26–40 41–60

Seekers

Seeker Micromissile 5–70 71–180 181–600 601–2,000

Seeker Minimissile 5–150 151–300 301–1,000 1,001–3,000

Seeker Standard Missile 5–300 301–1,000 1001–3,000 3001–10,000

Spray Weapons

Buzzer 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Freezer 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Shard Pistol 0–10 11–30 31–50 51–70

Shredder 0–10 11–40 41–70 71–100

Sprayer 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Torch 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Vortex Ring Gun 0–5 6–15 16–30 31–50

Thrown Weapons

Blades To SOM ÷ 5 To SOM ÷ 2 To SOM To SOM x 2

Minigrenades To SOM ÷ 2 To SOM To SOM x 2 To SOM x 3

Standard Grenades To SOM ÷ 5 To SOM ÷ 2 To SOM To SOM x 3

Combat Modifiers

NOTE: com bat mo difiers

general modifier

Character using off-hand –20

Character wounded/traumatized –10 per wound/trauma

Character has superior position +20

Touch-only attack +20

Called shot –10

Character wielding two-handed weapon with one hand –20

Small target (child-sized) –10

Very small target (mouse or insect) –30

Large target (car sized) +10

Very large target (side of a barn) +30

Visibility impaired (minor: glare, light smoke, dim light) –10

Visibility impaired (major: heavy smoke, dark) –20

Blind attack –30

Mele Combat Modifier

Character has reach advantage +10

Character charging –10

Character receiving a charge +20

Ranged Combat (Att acker) Modifier

Attacker using smartlink or laser sight +10

Attacker behind cover –10

Attacker running –20

Attacker in melee combat –30

Defender has minor cover –10

Defender has moderate cover –20

Defender has major cover –30

Defender prone and far (10+ meters) –10

Defender hidden –60

Aimed shot (quick) +10

Aimed shot (complex) +30

Sweeping fire with beam weapon +10 on second shot

Multiple targets in same Action Phase –20 per additional target

Indirect fire –30

Point-blank range (2 meters or less) +10

Short range —

Medium range –10

Long range –20

Extreme range –30

Healing

NOTE: he aling

Character Situation Damage Healing Rate Woun d Healing Rate

Character without basic biomods 1d10 (5) per day 1 per week

Character with basic biomods 1d10 (5) per 12 hours 1 per 3 days

Character using nanobandage 1d10 (5) per 2 hours 1 per day

Character with medichines 1d10 (5) per 1 hour 1 per 12 hours

Poor conditions (bad food, not enough rest/heavy activity, poor shelter and/or sanitation) double timeframe double timeframe

Harsh conditions (insufficient food, no rest/strenuous activity, little or no shelter and/or sanitation) triple timeframe no wound healing

THE HACKING SEQUENCEEdit

NOTE:

1. Defeat the Firewall	Infosec Task Action (10 minutes)
2. Bypass Active Security	Opposed Infosec Test
a. Hacker Wins with Excellent Success, Defender Fails	Hidden status +30 all Subversion tests (p. 256)
b. Hacker Succeeds, Defender Fails	Covert status (p. 256)
c. Both Succeed	Spot Status Passive Alert (p. 256)
d. Defender Succeeds, Hacker Fails	Locked status Active Alert -20 all Subversion tests  (p. 256)

Online Searches

NOTE: 1. Common data = automatic acquisition

2. Uncommon data:

a. Research Task Test (timeframe: 1 minute) modified by

data obscurity to accumulate data

b. Measure of Success determines depth of data found

3. Analyzing data:

a. Research Task Test (timeframe: GM call) using

complementary skill to understand data

Mesh Gear Modifiers

NOTE: modifier software/hardware

–30

Bashed-up devices, no-longer-supported software, relics from

Earth or the early expansion into space

–20 Malfunctioning/inferior devices, buggy software, pre-Fall technology

–10 Outdated and low quality systems

0 Standard ectos, mesh inserts, and software

+10 High-quality goods, standard security-grade products

+20 Next-generation devices, advanced software

+30 Newly-developed, state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line technology

>+30 TITANs and/or alien technology

Subversion Difficulties

NOTE: su bversion diffi culties

Difficulty modifiers for common computer tasks

modifier task

–0

Execute commands, view restricted information, run restricted

software, open/close connections to other systems, read/write/copy/

delete files, access sensor feeds, access slaved devices

–10 Change system settings, alter logs/restricted files

–20 Interfere with system operations, alter sensor/AR input

–30 Shut system down, lockout user/muse, launch countermeasures at other

Countermeasures

NOTE: counterme asures

Passive A lert (-10 modifier to intruders)

Locate Intruder: Opposed Infosec Test; if successful, intruder becomes Locked

Re-authenticate Users: Next Action Turn, intruder must make Infosec Test to

log in again

Reduce Privileges: Limit user access privileges; see p. 246

Active A lert (-20 modifier to intruders)

Counterintrusion: If Trace (see below) is successful, launch intrusion attempt

on intruder's home system

Lockout: Opposed Infosec Test; if successful, intruder dumped from system.

Reboot/Shutdown: Takes 1 Action Turn to 1 minute (GM discretion); all users

ejected from system.

Trace: Trace intruder to home system with a Research Test (-30 if in privacy mode)

Wireless Termination: At end of Action Turn, all wireless connections terminated;

wireless users ejected.

Subversion Examples

NOTE: su bversion ex amples

In addition to the tasks noted under the Subversion Difficulties table,

these modifiers present some additional example actions.

mod task

Hacking Bots/Vehicles

–0 Give orders to drones

–10 Alter sensor system parameters, disable sensors or weapon systems

–20 Alter smartlink input, send false data to AI or teleoperator

–30 Lockout AI or teleoperator, seize control via puppet sock

Hacking Ectos/Mesh Inserts

–0

Interact with entoptics, befriend everyone in range, make online purchases using

user’s credit, intercept communications, log activity

–10

Alter social network profile/status, adjust AR filters, tweak sensory interface,

change AR skin, change avatar, access VPN

–20

Block or shuffle senses, inject AR illusions, spoof commands to drones/slaved

devices

–30 Boot user out of AR

Hacking Habitat Systems

–0 Open/close doors, stop/start elevators, operate intercom

–10

Adjust temperature/lighting, disable safety warnings, replace entoptic skin, lock

doors, switch traffic timers

–20

Disable subsystems (plumbing, recycling, etc.), disable wireless links, dispatch

repair crews

–30 Override safety cutoffs

Hacking Security Systems

–0 Move/manipulate cameras/sensors, locate security systems/guards/bots

–10 Adjust patterns of sensor sweeps, view security logs, disable weapon systems

–20 Delete security logs, dispatch security teams

–30 Disable alerts

Hacking Simulspace Systems

–0 View current status of simulspace, simulmorphs, and accessing egos

–10

Change domain rules, add cheats, alter parameters of story, alter simulmorphs,

change time dilation

–20 Eject simulmorph, alter/erase character AIs

–30 Abort simulation

Hacking Spimes

–0 Get status report, use device functions

–10 Adjust AI/voice personality settings, adjust timed operation schedule

–20 Disable sensors, disable device functions

Hacking Simulspaces From W ithin

–0

Analyze simulation parameters, view domain rules, shape appearance of simulmorph,

switch simulmorph character or morph type

–10

Change probability of test outcomes, become invisible

(“out-game”) to others

–20

Interfere with simulation (e.g. make it rain, generate earthquakes), generate items,

ignore domain rules, kill or lockout other simulmorphs

–30 Go into god mode, command simulated characters, take over the sim

REFERENCESEdit

Fiction

NOTE: Fiction

Ian Banks

The “Culture” Series

Consider Phlebas

The Use of Weapons

The Player of Games

The State of the Art

Inversions

Excession

Look to Windward

Matter

Greg Bear

Moving Mars

Queen of Angels

Slant

David Brin

Earth

The “Earthclan” series

Startide Rising

The Uplift War

Sundiver

Paul Di Filippo

Ribofunk

Cory Doctorow

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Eastern Standard Tribe

Greg Egan

Axiomatic

Diaspora

Distress

Permutation City

Quarantine

Warren Ellis

Crooked Little Vein

Kathleen Ann Goonan

The “Nanotech Cycle”

Queen City Jazz

Mississippi Blues

Crescent City Rhapsody

Light Music

Peter Hamilton

The “Commonwealth Saga”

Pandora’s Star

Judas Unleashed

The “Greg Mandel Trilogy”

Mindstar Rising

A Quantum Murder

The Nano Flower

James Hogan

Voyage from Yesteryear

Ken Macleod

The “Fall Revolution” series

The Star Fraction

The Stone Canal

The Cassini Division

The Sky Road

Newton’s Wake

Richard Morgan

The “Takeshi Kovacs” series

Altered Carbon

Broken Angels

Woken Furies

Thirteen

Linda Nagata

The Bohr Maker

Deception Well

Limit of Vision

Tech Heaven

Vast

Frederick Pohl

Gateway

Alastair Reynolds

Absolution Gap

Chasm City

The Prefect

Pushing Ice

Redemption Ark

Revelation Space

Kim Stanley Robinson

The “Mars Trilogy”

Red Mars

Blue Mars

Green Mars

The Martians

Karl Schroeder

Ventus

Dan Simmons

Endymion

Fall of Endymion

Llium

“Hyperion Cantos”

Hyperion

Fall of Hyperion

Olympos

Neal Stephenson

Diamond Age

Bruce Sterling

Caryatids

Crystal Express

Holy Fire

Schismatrix Plus

Charles Stross

Accelerando

Glasshouse

Halting State

Iron Sunrise

Singularity Sky

Toast

Karen Traviss

City of Pearl

Vernor Vinge

Across Realtime

A Deepness in The Sky

A Fire Upon The Deep

Rainbow’s End

True Names and Other Dangers

Elisabeth Vonarburg

Slow Engines of Time

Peter Watts

Blindsight

“Rifters’ Trilogy”

Starfish

Maelstrom

Behemoth (ß-Max + Seppuku)

Scott Westerfeld

The Risen Empire

The Killing of Worlds

Walter Jon Williams

Aristoi

Angel Station

Voice of the Whirlwind

David Zindell

The Broken God

Neverness

War in Heaven.

The Wild

Comics and Graphic Novels

NOTE: Jamie Delano

Narcopolis

Warren Ellis

Doktor Sleepless

Doom 2099

Global Frequency

Ministry of Space

Ocean

Transmetropolitan

Jonathan Hickman

Transhuman

Grant Morrison

The Filth

The Invisibles

Masamune Shirow

Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell 1.5:

Human-Error Processor

Ghost in the Shell 2:

Man/Machine Interface

Adam Warren

Iron Man: Hypervelocity

Makoto Yukimura

Planetes

Non-Fiction

NOTE: Ronald Bailey

Liberation Biology

Susan Blackmore

The Meme Machine

Cynthia Brezeal

Designing Sociable Robots

David Brin

The Transparent Society

Richard Brodie

Virus of the Mind:

The New Science of the Meme

James Brook and Ian Boal (eds)

Resisting the Virtual Life

Rodney Brooks

Flesh and Machines:

How Robots Will Change Us

Cambrian Intelligence:

The Early History of the New AI

Critical Art Ensemble

Digital Resistance

Electronic Civil Disobedience

The Electronic Disturbance

Flesh Machine

The Molecular Invasion

The Marching Plague

Richard Dawkins

The Selfish Gene

K. Eric Drexler

Engines of Creation:

The Coming Era of Nanotechnology

Freeman Dyson

Disturbing the Universe

Imagined Worlds

Ann Finkbeiner

The Jasons

Imaginary Weapons

Joel Garreau

Radical Evolution

Adam Greenfield

Everyware: The Dawning Age of

Ubiquitous Computing

James Hughes

Citizen Cyborg

Ray Kurzweil

The Singularity is Near

Howard Rheingold

Smart Mobs: The Next Social

Revolution

John Robb

Brave New War

Clay Shirky

Here Comes Everybody

Bruce Sterling

Shaping Things

Tomorrow Now: Envisioning the

Next Fifty Years

Gregory Stock

Redesigning Humans: Our Inevitable

Genetic Future

Simon Young

Designer Evolution: A Transhumanist

Manifesto

Roleplaying Games

NOTE: Blue Planet

Burning Empires

Call of Cthulhu

CthulhuTech

Cybergeneration

Dawning Star

Delta Green

FreeMarket

Gamma World

GURPS: Transhuman Space

Morrow Project

Paranoia

Shadowrun

Shock: Social Science Fiction

Traveller

Movies and Television

NOTE: Aeon Flux

AI

Alien series

Andromeda

Babylon 5

Big O

Blade Runner

Cowboy Bebop

Crusade

District 9

Dollhouse

Dreamcatcher

Event Horizon

Ergo Proxy

Firefly

Gattica

Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell: Innocence

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Solid State Society

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

2nd Gig

The Island

Jekyll

Moon

Pandorum

Planetes

Serenity

Sleep Dealer

Solaris

Stargate and Stargate: Atlantis

Sunshine

Uzumaki

Zardoz

INDEXEdit

a

NOTE: Aarhus, 106

Ablative patches, 313

Abramsen, 107

Academics skill, 176-77

Access control, 291-92

Access jacks, 306

Access privileges, reducing, 257

Account access, 253

Accushot, 338

Acquire

information, 289-90

services, 289-90

unload goods, 289

Action, 189-90

complications, 193-206

types, 119-20

Action turns, 119, 127

declare, resolve actions, 188

first phase, 188

roll initiative, 188

rotate and repeat, 188

Active alert, 257

Active monitoring, 253

Active psi, 221

Active skill, 172

Adaptability, 145

Addiction, 148, 212, 317-18

Admin accounts, 247

Adrenal boost, 301-2

Aerogel, 298

Aged, 148

AGI (artificial general intelligence), 81, 236

attitudes toward, 48

infolife and, 244

infomorphs and, 264-65

non-standard AI and, 245

AI (artificial intelligence), 236

commanding, 264

infolife and, 244

limitations, 264

non-standard, 245

subversion, 364

Aimed shots, 193

Aiming, 190

Airburst, 199

Aircraft, 342-43

AIs, 331-32

Alienation, 225-26

modifiers, 272

test, 272

Aliens, 40

mindset, 376

psi sleights, 222

Allergy

mild, 150

severe, 151

Allies, 145

Alpha, 320

Alpha forks, 273

Amathea (Solano), 98

Ambassadors, 376-77

Ambelina, Claudia, 84

Ambidextrous, 145

Ambience sense, 223

Ammunition, 337

reloading, 193

Analysis software, 205-6

Anarchism, 57, 77, 132

Animal

empathy, 145

handling skill, 177

targets, 221-22

Anonymization, 252-53

Anonymous

accounts, 330

account services, 252-53

Anti-electronics sleight, 372

Anti-glare, 306

Anti-matter rocket (AM), 347

Anxiety, minor, 210

Aphrodite Prime, 90

Aptitude, 122-23, 127, 172

customizing, 135

improving, 152

maximums, 124

-only tests, 174-75

range, 174

starting, 135

AR (augmented reality), 236, 239-40

games, 53-54

illusions, 331

intrusions, 49-50

Arachnoids, 143

Arcadia, 111

Area effect weapons, 193

Argonauts, 79, 132

Armor, 194, 310, 312

bypassing, 197

clothing, 312

modification, 192, 313

penetration, 194

-piercing, 336

values, 312

vest, 312

Arm slide, 341-42

Art skill, 177

Ashoka, 94

Asphyxiation, 194

Asteroid belt

Ceres, 97

Extropia (44 Nysa), 97

habitats, 97

Nova York (Metis), 97

resources, economics, 97

Async, 126

roleplaying, 221

Atavism, 212

Aten, 88

Atlas (Volkograad), 103

Atmospheric contamination, 200

Attack declaration, 191

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

(ADHD), 212

Augmented reality illusions, 259-60

Authentication, 253

circumvention, 254-55

forging, 255

spoofing, 255

Authophagy, 212

Automatic actions, 119, 190

Automatic rifles, 335

Automech, 345

Autonomist Alliance, 57, 76-79

Avatars, 239

Avoidance, minor, 210

b

NOTE: B

Babylon, 111

Backdoor, 260

Background, 120, 131-32

Backup, 330, 359

complications, 270-71

cortical stack, 268

insurance, 269-70, 330-31

Bad luck, 148

Bananas furiosas, 319-20

Barsoomian, 79-80, 132-33

Basilisk hacks, 364-66

Battle suit, 344

Beam weapons, 194, 203, 338-39

skill, 177

Bedlam, 332

Behavioral control, 231

Behavioral masking, 231

Beta forks, 273-74

Big Circle Gang, 84

Bioconservatives, 80

Biological, 317

functions, lack of, 143

nanovirus, 363

Biometric

lock, 291

scan, 253

tracking, 251

Biomods, basic, 300

Biomorph, 139-42, 369-70

healing, 208

resleeving, 271

Bioware, 301-306

synthmorph and, 306

Bioweave armor, 302-03

Bipolar disorder, 212

Biter, 338

Blacklisted, 149

Black mark, 149

Black market morphs, 277

Blackout, major, 211

Blades, 334

skill, 177

Blast weapons, 193

Bleeding, 208

Blind attacks, 194

Blueprints, 328

open source, 284

programming, 284-85

restrictions, 284

Bluewood, 111

Body

armor, 312

bank, 331

dysmorphia, 212

sculpting, 309

Borderline personality disorder, 212

Bot, 195-96

-pod rental, 331

-vehicle AI, 331

Bouncers, 140

Bounty hunters, 60

Brainwave scans, 279

Brave, 145

Breadcrumb positioning system, 332

BringIt, 319

Brinkers, 80, 133

Brute-force hacking, 256

Brute strength, 175

BTX2, 323

Bubbleworlds, 281

Bug, 315, 336-37

Bug zappers, 291

Building skill, 179

Bulk carrier, 347

Burst fire (BF), 198

Buzz, 320

Buzzer, 340

c

NOTE: C

Called shots, 196-97

Callisto, 99-100

Caloris 18, 88

Campaigns

alternate, 23

default, 22-23

setting, 22

Cannon, 88

Capsule, 337

Carapace armor, 303

Cases, 143

Casimir force repulsion, 372

Cataplexy, 365

Catatonic stupor, 365

Catching thrown objects, 175

Cauterizer, 332

Ceres, 97

Chameleon

cloak, 315

coating, 313

skin, 303

Character

advancement, 152-53

AGI, 265

concept, 120-21

credit, 125

ego, 121

gear, 125-26

identity, 124

implants, 126

morph, 123

motivations, 120-21

other attributes of, 124

psi, 126

reputation, 125

skills, 122

social networks, 124-25

stats, 121-23, 138

traits, 123, 145-52

Character generation

background, 131-32

concept, 130-31

customization points, 135-36

detailing, 138

faction, 132-34

free points, 134-35

gear purchasing, 136-37

motivations, 137-38

Charge receiving, 197

Charging, 197

Charisma, 226

Chases, 195

Chat Noir, 108

Cheating, 263

Chemicals, 323

Chemical sniffer, 311, 293

Chemical substances, 317

Chills, moderate, 211

Christianity, 82-83

Circadian regulation, 304

Circle-A list, 125

Citizenship, 63

CivicNet, 125

Clanking masses, 66

Claws, 304

Cleaners, 329

Clean metabolism, 304

Climbing skill, 177

Cliques, 359

Cloud memory, 226

Clubs, 334

skill, 178

Cluster colony, 281

Cognite, 70

Cognitive boost, 223

Cognitive drugs, 318, 320

Cole bubbles, 281

Collisions, 196

Combat

complications, 193-206

drugs, 319, 320

modifiers, 193

paralysis, 149

resolving, 191-92

spaceship, 284

summary, 206

tacnets, 205-6

Combine sensor systems, 303

Comex (Comet Express), 70-71

Comfurt, 320

Commnds, issuing, 248

Common information, 290

Common sense, 145

Communications, 313-14

management, 205

Complementary skills, 173

Complex actions, 120, 190

Composure, 175

Computer capabilities, 247

Concentrated fire, 194

Concussion, 340

Cone weapons, 193

Confusion, moderate, 211

Conservatives, 359

Conspiracy theme, 19

Continuity

stress, 273

test, 272-73

Control skill, 178

Core skills, 172

Cortical stack, 300

backups, 268

destruction, 268

feed, termination, 262

retrieval, 268

Cosmetic mods, 309

Counterintrusion, 257

Countermeasures, active, 293

Courier, 347

Covert intruder, 256

Covert operations tool (COT), 315

Covert technologies, 315-17

Cowboys, 359

CR Gas, 324

Cranial computer, 300

Crashing, 196

Crash suit, 312

Credit, 125, 135

buying more, 136

making, 153

Creepers, 369

Creepy, 345

Crime, 23

Criminal, 133

Critical success/failure, 116, 189

psi, 223

Crows, 358

Cryokinesis, 372

Cuffband, 316

Cultural experimentation, 44

Cultural regions, 44

Culture, 41

Customization points, 135-36

Customized morphs, 277

Customs, 282-83

Cyberbrain, 300

evacuation, 271

hacking, 261-62, 364

Cyberclaws, 307

Cyberlimb, 307

Cyberlimb plus, 308

Cycle, 344

d

NOTE: D

Damage

bonus, 138

bonus stat, 122, 138

determination, 192

initiative, 189

points, 207

types, 207

value, 207

Dang Fish Echo, 103

Danger sense, 145

Dangerous technologies, 63

Darkcasting, 243, 276

Darkly Selving, 322

Dazzler, 316

DDR, 323

Dead switch, 306

Death, 50-51, 207, 208

rating (DR), 121, 138

uploading after, 269

Deception skill, 178

Deep learning, 231

Deep scan, 226

Defaulting, 116, 127, 173

Defense

declaration, 191

full, 198

Degeneration, 324

Delayed actions, 189

Delphinium Six, 322

Delta forks, 273

Demolitions, 197

skill, 178

Densiplast gloves, 334

Depression, 213

Derangements, 210-11

Dermal application, 317

Desktop cornucopia machine, 327

Destroyer, 347-48

Destructive uploading, 269

Detailed perception, 190

Detailing, character, 138

Detection, 293

Device AI, 331

Diamond, 298

Diamond axe, 334

Dice, 22, 114

Diffusion sleight, 372

Digital activity tracking, 251-52

Digital ID

code, 280

tampering, 280

Digital virus, 364

Dione (Thoroughgood), 103

Direct Action, 56, 57, 60, 71

Direction sense, 145, 301

Disabler, 316

Disarming, 197

Disassemblers, 329

Disassembly tools, 330

Discord Gate, 46

Disguise skill, 178

Disorders, 209-10, 211-14

Disorientation, 209, 365

Disposable launcher, 339

Distance

lag, 248-49

real and social, 43-44

Dizziness, minor, 210

DMSO, 323

Domain rules, 263

Downtime, 224

Dr. Bot, 345

Dragonfly, 144

Drifter, 131

Drive, 226, 318

Drug glands, 304

Drugs

cognitive, 318, 320

combat, 319, 320

health, 319-20

recreational, 320

social, 320

substance rules, 317-18

Dueling, 54

Durability (DUR), 121, 207

Dwarfs, 345

e

NOTE: Earth, 24

Fresh Kills, 92

habitats, 92

history and data, 51

Paradise, 92

population, 91-92

Vo Nguyen, 92

Echo, 109-10

Echolalia, minor, 210

Echolocation, 301

Echopraxia, moderate, 211

Ecologene, 71

Economy,

new, 62-66

old, 61

transitional, 62

EcoWave, 125

Ecto, 50, 237, 245, 253, 325

Edited memories, 149

Eelware, 304

Ego, 24-25, 121

bridges, 328

hunters, 60

scan, 253

sense, 226

stats, 121

Egocasting, 275, 331

Eidetic memory, 146, 301

Electrical sense, 306

Electrogravities net, 332

Electromagnetic spectrum, 302

Electronic arrivals, 283

Electronic drugs, 317

Electronic locks, 291-92

Electronic rope, 332

Electronic sensors, 293

Elysium, 95

Emergency

bubble, 332

distress beacon, 333

farcaster, 306-7

Emotional control, 224, 231

Emotional dampers, 304

Emotions, 181

EMP, 340

Empathic scan, 226

Enceladus (Profunda), 103

Encryption, 253-54

Encumbrance, 297

Enemy, 149

Energy armor/kinetic armor, 194

Energy damage, 207

Engineers, 329

Enhanced creativity, 224

Enhanced pheromones, 305

Entertainment, 51-54

Entrapment, 261

Environmental durability, 143

Epimethus, 103

Equipment rules, 296

gear, 296-98

Mesh gear, 298-99

personal augmentation, 300-326

Erasure squads, 358-59

Erato (Eratosthenes), 92

Eris, 109

Escape artist, 175

Espionage technologies, 315-17

E-tags, 239

Europa

biosciences, 99

habitats, 99

EVA sled, 345

Exalts, 139, 174

Excellent success, 118

Exceptional aptitude, 146

Exhumans, 80-81

Exoskeletons, 343-44

Exotech, 71

Exotic melee weapon skill, 178

Exotic ranged weapon skill, 178

Exotic weapons, 341

Exowalker, 344

Experia, 52, 71

Experimentation, political, 58

Expert, 146

Exploit, 331

Exploration, 23

Explosive

making, 197

placing, 197

Exsurgent

-infected PCs, 369

strains, 366-68

synthmorphs, 371

threat, 42, 240

virus strains, 362-63

Exsurgent psi, 371

-epsilon sleights, 371-72

-gamma sleights, 371

strain, 371

Extendable baton, 334

Extended magazine, 342

Extra limbs, 310

Extrasolar systems

Echo, 109-10

exoplanets, 111

Luca, 110

Mishipizheu, 111

Synergy, 111

Extraterrestrial intelligences (ETIs), 361,

352-53

Extreme heat/cold, 200

Extreme pressure, 200

Extropia (44 Nysa), 68, 78, 97, 133

Eye, The, 125

f

NOTE: Fa Jing, 71-72

Fabber, 328

Facial/image recognition, 331

Faction, 120

Autonomist Alliance, 76-79

criminal, 83-84

Firewall, 84-85

hypercorps, 70-74

political blocs, 74-76

religious groups, 82-83

socio-political movements, 79-82

Factors, 40, 372-77

art, culture, 375

biodiversity, self-design, 374

colonies, 373-74

combat, 376

communication, 374

computers, 376

dust toxin, 376

exosociology, 374-75

metabolism, 374

motivations, 375

origin, evolution, 372

perception, 374

phenotypes, 376-77

psi sleights, 222

technology, 375

xenobiology, 373-74

Fake IDs, 280

Fall evacuee, 131

Falling, 197

Fame, 125

Fashion/design, 92

Fast learner, 146

Favor, 289

levels, modifiers, 287-88

paying, exchanging for, 288

service levels, 290

Fear, 42-43

Feeble, 149

Fiber eye, 316

Fiberoptic cable, 313

Field skills, 172, 173

Fighter, 348

Filter, 224

Finance, 92

Fire, 198

rate of, 198

Firearms, 335-36

Fireproofing, 313

Firewall, 84-85, 253, 331, 356-61

defeating, 255

Project Ozma and, 380

Firing modes, 198

First impression, 146

Fissure Gate, 46, 108

Fixation, minor, 211

Fixers, 329

Flashlight, 333

Flash suppressor, 342

Flats, 139, 174

Flayer, 338

Flex cutter, 334

Flexbots, 144

Flight drug, 324

Flight skill, 178

Floating worlds, 68

Flux, 337

Forgotten Hand, 322

Fork handling, 274

Forking, 273-74

14K Triad, 84

Fractal digits, 311

Fractals, 382

Frag, 340-41

Frail, 149

Fray skill, 178-79

Free fall skill, 179

Free points, 134-35

Freerunning skill, 179

Freezer, 340

Frenzy, major, 211

Frequency, 321

Fresh Kills, 92

Fugue, 213

Full automatic (FA), 198

Full defense, 198

attack, 191

psi, 222

Fullerenes/Fullerites, 298

Fur coat, 330

Furies, 140

Fusion rocket (F), 347

Futures, 140

g

NOTE: Game effects, disorders, 212, 213, 214, 215

Gamemaster, 21

Gamemastering

backups, 385

fundamentals, 386

inspiration, 388-89

player challenges, 386-87

record-keeping, 385-86

reputation gain/loss, 384-85

resleeving, 271

responsibilities, 386

Rez point awards, 384, 386

secrets, 387-88

transhumanism, 389

Gamemaster rules

exhumans, 362

exsurgents, 369-71

exsurgent virus, 362-69

extraterrestrial intelligence, 352-53, 361

factors, 373-77

Firewall organization, 356-61

iktomi, 377

optional i-Rep, 357

Pandora Gates, 377-79

Project Ozma, 379-80

Prometheans, 381

secrets, 352-55

TITANs, 354-55

Game playing

action turns, 119-20, 127

alternate campaigns, 23

campaign setting, 22-23

character defining, 120

critical success/failure, 116

defaulting, 116

default setting, 22-23

group of players, meeting place, 20-21

imagination, 22

margin of success/failure, 118

modifiers, 115-16

note taking, 21-22

roles, 22

rules summary, 127

taking time, 117-18, 127

target numbers, 115

teamwork, 117

ten-sided dice, 22, 114

test difficulty, 115

test making, 115, 127

test types, 117-19

trying again, 117

ultimate rule, 114

Gamma forks, 274

Gamma-ray sensors, 303

Ganymede, 99-100

Gardeners, 329

Gas/smoke munitions, 341

Gatecrashing, 378-79

Gatekeeper Corporation, 72

Gateway (Pandora), 104

Gear, 126

acquiring, 296

concealing, 297

costs, 136-37, 296

design, fashion, 297-98

fabricating, 296

mass, encumbrance, 297

modifiers, 296-97

quality, 296

sizes, 297

Gender, 45, 114

General anxiety disorder (GAD), 213

General exploration vehicle (GEV), 348

Genetic defect, 149

Gerlach, 90

Ghostrider module, 307

Ghosts, 140

Gills, 305

Glitch, 108

Gnat, 345

Go-nin Group, 72

Gorgon Defense Systems, 72

Grand mal seizure, 365

Gravity, 198-99

and range, 203

transition zones, 200

well escape, 346

Gravy, 321

Greek asteroids

Lot 49, 101-2

resources, economies, 100

Grenades, 199-200

jumping on, 200

seekers and, 340-41

throwing back, 200

Grin, 319

Grip pads, 305

Grok, 224

Groundcraft, 344-45

Guanxi, 125

Guardian angel, 345

Guardians, 329, 377

Gunnery skill, 179

Gyromount, 342

h

NOTE: Habitat, 24, 86

asteroid belt, 97

diversity, 45

Earth, 91

electronic arrivals, 283

Europa, 99

Ganymede, Callisto, 99-100

Jupiter, 98

largest, 68

Luna, 92-94

Mars, 93-96

Martian Trojans, 96

Mercury, 88

microgravity, 68-69

physical arrivals, 282-83

planetary settlement, 66-67

private, 69

Sol, 86, 88

space, 67-68, 280-81

Venus, 89-90

Vulcanoids, 88-89

Hacker, 243, 246

failing tests, 256

upgrading status, 256

zeroing in, 256

Hacking, 254-56

cyberbrain, 261-62

joint, 258

memory, 261

sequence, 255

simulspaces, 263-64

VPNs, 260

Hallucinations, 211, 365

Hamilton cylinders, 281

Hand laser, 308

Haptics, 245-46

Hard suit, 334

Hardened skeleton, 308

Hardening, 214-15

Hardware skill, 179

Haunting virus, 366-67

Haute nosh, 64

Headhunters, 383

Healing, 208-9

Healing vats, 326

Health drugs, 319-20

Hearing, enhanced, 301

Heartbeat sensors, 293

Heavy combat armor, 310

Helium-3 mining, 92

Hellball, 341

Helmet, 312

Hibernation, 305

Hibernoids, 140

Hidden compartment, 311

Hidden data, 251

Hidden intruder, 256

High-capacity qubit reservois, 315

High explosive, 341

High-explosive armor-piercing (HEAP), 341

High gravity, 199

Hinduism, 83

History, 32-36, 38

Hither, 321

Hives, 328

Hollow-point, 338

Holographic projectors, 325

Homing, 338

Hooverman-Geischecker, 88

Hopper, 310

Horror, 19, 389

Hostile environments, 200-201

Hovercraft, 310

Human Cognome Project, 229, 233

Hunger, minor, 211

Hunter-killers, 383

Hydrogen-oxygen rocket (HO), 347

Hyoden, 100

Hyper linguist, 146, 301

Hypercorps, 55-57, 70-74, 133

Hyperdense exoskeleton, 344

Hyperelite, 131

Hyperion, 104

Hyperthymesia, 224

Hypochondria, 213

Hysteria, major, 211

i

NOTE: I

Iapetus, 104

ID (intelligent design) crew, 83

Ideas, 175

Identity, 124

circumventing checks, 280

crisis, 149

reputation and, 289

verification, 279-80

Iktomi, 377

Illiterate, 149

Ilmarinen, 108

Imaging scope, 342

Immersion, 262-63

Immigration, 282-83

Immortality blues, 149-50

Immune system, improved, 146

Immunogenic system, 313

Impact, 199

Impaired cognition, 365

Impersonation skill, 180

Implant, 126

memory, 226-27

nanotoxins, 308

rejection, 150

skill, 227

Improvised weapons, 202

Impulse control disorder, 213

Incompetent, 150

Indecisiveness, minor, 211

Indenture, 277

Indirect fire, 195, 205

Individual factors, 373

Industrial armor, 310

Inequality, 38-39

Infiltration skill, 180

Infolife, 131

Infomorph, 145

AGI and, 264-65

muses as, 265

refugees, 65-66

resleeving, 272

software minds, 265

subversion, 364

Information

acquire, 290

overload, 237-38

Infosec skill, 180

Infotech, 46-48

Infrared sensors, 302-3

Inhalation, 317

Inhibitor, 325

Initiative (INIT), 121, 138, 188

damage, 189

moxie, criticals, 189

order, 189

simplifying, 189

Injected application, 317

Injectors, 329

Inner System

Firewall, 361

politics, 55-57, 75

Innocuous, 146

Insanity rating (IR), 122, 138, 209

Insomnia, 213

Instinct, 224

Integration

modifiers, 27

test, 271

Intentions, 181

Interest skill, 180

Interface, gear, 298

Interfacing skill, 180

Interrogation, 232

Intimidation skill, 180

Intruder

changing status, 256

locating, 256, 257

status, 256

Intrusion, 254-56

countermeasures, 257-58

preconditions, 254

tests, 255

traces, eliminating, 260

Intrusion, 254-56

Inuit moonlet, 104

Investigation skill, 180-81

Invisibility cloak, 316

Io, 99

Ionic, 310

Irrationality, major, 211

Irreproducible goods, 64

Islam, 83

Isolates, 40, 131

iZulu, 104

j

NOTE: Jammers, 338

Jamming, 196, 262

Janus Commons, 103

Jellies, 370

Jewelry, nostalgia, 41

Jovian Republic, 57, 58, 75, 134

Firewall, 361

punishment, 60

Jovian Trojans, 96

Judaism, 82-83

Juice, 320

Jumping, 191

Jupiter

Amathea (Solano), 98

habitats, moonlets, 98

Io, 99

resources, economy, 97

Jupiter brain, 92

k

NOTE: K

Kaos AI, 331

Keypad lock, 291

Kick, 318-19

Kinesics skill, 181

superior, 225

Kinetic

ammunition, 336-38

damage, 207

friction, 372

weapons, 181, 334-35

Klar, 318

Knife, 334

Knockback, 202

Knockdown, 202, 207-8

Knowledge skill, 172, 185

l

NOTE: L

Language skill, 181

Large lander and orbit transfer vehicle

(LLOTV), 348

Laser

-guided, 338

-microwave link, 314

pulsers, 338

sight, 342

Law enforcement, 58, 59-60

Layered armor, 194

Learned skills, 123, 127, 136

new, 153

ranges, 174

Lemon, 150

Less complex life forms, 221-22

Libertarians, 57-58

Liberty, 100

Lidar (visible light) sensors, 303, 311

Life, 50-51

in space, 280-84

Light combat armor, 310

Limber, 146

Linkstate, 323

Liquid thermite, 323

Living space, 64

Local conditions, 239

Lockbots, 292

Locked intruder, 256

Lockout, 257

Locus, 101

Logorrhea, minor, 211

Loonie, 134

Lost generation, 131, 233

Lot 49, 102

Lotus coating, 313

Low-capacity qubit reservoir, 315

Low gravity, 199

Luca, 110

Lucidity (LUC), 122, 138, 209

Luna, 24, 91

Erato (Eratosthenes), 92

fashion/design, 92

finance, 92

Helium-3 mining, 92

Nectar (Nectaris), 92

New Mumbai containment zone, 92

Shackle (Shackleton-New Varanasi), 93

Lunar colonist, 131

Lunar-Lagrange Alliance, 75

m

NOTE: M

Ma’adim Vallis, 93-94

Machine gun, 336

Magnetic fields, 200-201

Magnetic system, 310-11

Mahogany, 109

Major favor, 290

Maker, 327-28

Malware, 244

Maps, 205

Margin of Failure (MoF), 118, 119

Margin of Success (MoS), 118, 119

Markov, 109

Mars, 24

Ashoka, 94

buggy, 344-45

Elysium, 94-95

Noctis-Qianjiao, 95

Olympus, 95-96

Progress (Deimos), 96

regions, 93-94

Valles-New Shanghai, 96

Martian, 132

Martian Gate, 46

Martian Rangers, 95

Martian Trojans, 96

Matchmaking, morph, 277

Math

boost, 301

wiz, 146

Matter transformation, 372

Meathab, 104

Media, 51-52

Medical care, 208

Medical sensors, 300

Medichines, 308

Medicine skill, 182

Medusan Shield, 56, 57, 60

Megalomania, 213

Melder virus, 384

Melding, 376

Melee

attack/combat, 191, 202

weapons, 206, 334, 335

Memorizing, 175

Memory

editing, 232

hacking, 261

Mental alterations, attitudes toward, 48

Mental armor, 223

Mental augmentation, 301, 306-7

Mental disorder, 150

Mental healing, 215

Mental health, 209-15

Mental speed, 308

Mental stress, 230-31

Mentons, 139

Mercenaries, 23, 57

Mercurials, 81, 134

Mercury habitats, 88

Merging, 275-76

Mesh, 24

abuses, 243-44

access, 50

accounts, access privileges, 246-47

capabilities, 236

gear modifiers, 247

gear quality, 247

gear rules, 299

false ID, 252

ID, 246

ID authentication, 253

ID tracking, 251-52

information overload, 237-38

inserts, basic, 46, 300

interface, 239-41, 245-46

islands, 242-43

local, 239

security, 253-54

technologies, 237

traffic filters, mist, 248

uses, 241-42

Metacelebrities, 52

Metallic foam, 298

Metallic glass, 298

Metallic hydrogen rocket (MH), 347

Metamaterials, 298

Metastasizer, 384

Microbug, 316

Microgravity, 199

habitats, 68-69

shoes, 325

Microlight, 310, 343

Micromissile, 339

Microswarms, 328-29

Microwave agonizer, 339

Mimas (Harmonious Anarchy), 104

Mimic, 227

Mindlink, 227

Mindstealer virus, 367

Miniature radio farcaster, 315

Minor favor, 290

Mishipizheu, 111

Mist, 248

Mnemonic augmentation, 307

Mobile lab, 330

Mobile offices, 242

Mobility systems, 310

Moderate favor, 290

Modified behavior, 150

Modifiers, 115-16, 127, 192

combat, 193

gear, 296

integration, alienation, 272

mesh gear, 247

networking, 287

psychosurgery, 231

Modifying hardware, 179

Modular design, 311

Monitoring, 251-52

Monofilament sword, 334

Mono No Aware, 319

Monowire garrote, 334

Mood swings, moderate, 211

Moonlets, 98

Morningstar Constellation, 75-76

Morph, 24, 50-51, 86, 121

acclimatization, 220

acquisition, 277

availability, 276

bios, 139-42

brokerage, 276-79, 331

character, 123

costs, 277

fever, 220

patron provisioning, 277

pods, 142-43

psi and, 220

rental, 278

rental insurance, 278

starting, 136

stats, 121

switching, 152

synthetic, 143-45

trade-in, 277

Morphing disorder, 150

Motivation, 121, 138,139, 152

Movement, 190-91

rates, 191

Moxie, 122, 189

improved, 153

increasing, 135

NPCs and, 386

starting, 135

MRDR, 319

Multiple devices access, 249

Multiple personalities, 301

Multiple personality disorder, 214

Multiple targets, 221

Multitasking, 224, 307

Muscle augmentation, 305

Muses, 47-48, 51-52, 264

Infolife and, 244, 245

roleplaying, 265

Mute, moderate, 211

Myst trees, 111

n

NOTE: Nanodetectors, 326-27

Nanodrugs, 317, 321-22

Nano-ecologists, 81-82

Nanofabrication, 183

blueprints, 284-85

programming test, 285

raw materials, 284

time, 285

Nanofabricators, 327-28

Nanophages, 309

Nanoplague, 364

Nanoscopic vision, 311

Nanoswarms, 328-29, 383

Nanotagging, 292

Nanotat, 310

ID alterations, 280

scans, 279-80

Nanotech Hamilton cylinders, 67

Nanotechnology

advanced, 328-29

basic, 326-28

Nanotoxins, 324, 325

Nanoviruses, 384

Nanoware, 308-9

Narcissism, moderate, 211

Narcoalgorithms, 322-23

Narrative modifiers, 116

Native tongue, 135

Natural healing, 208, 215

Natural immunity, 146

Nausea, 211, 365

Navigation skill, 182

Necrosis, 324

Necrotizer, 384

Nectar (Nectaris), 92

Neem, 318

Negative refraction, 372

Neo-avians, 109, 141

Neo-Buddhism, 83

Neo-hominids, 141

Neo-primitivists, 80

Neotenics, 141

Neptune

Glitch, 108

Ilmarinen, 108

Mahogany, 108-9

minor moons, 109

Triton, 109

Trojans, 109

Nervex, 323-24

Networking, 286-87

modifiers, 287

plus, 357

reputation and, 287

skill, 182

test, 287

Neurachem, 305

Neural

damage, 150

pruning, 273, 274-75

Neurodes, 362

Neuropath, 324

virus, 384

Neutrino

communications, 314

transceiver, 314

New Mumbai containment zone, 93

New Quebec, 106

Nguygen’s Compact, 103

Night Cartel, 83

Nightmare, 332

Nimbus, 72

Nine Lives, 83

No cortical stack, 151

Noctis-Qianjiao, 95

Nonvocal communication, 181

Norse moonlet, 104

Nostalgia, 41-42, 68

Note taking, 21-22

Nott, 111

NotWater, 323

Nova York (Metis), 97

Novacrabs, 142

Novelty, 64

Nutcracker, 324

Nyhavn, 107

o

NOTE: O

Oberon, 108 Objects, 202-3

Oblivious, 151

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), 214

Octavia, 90

Octomorphs, 141

Offensive armor, 313

Olympians, 140

Olympus, 95-96

Olympus Mons, 94

Omni awareness, 227

Omnicor, 72

O’Neill cylinders, 281-82

On the run, 151

Opposed tests, 119, 127, 192

psi, 222

Oracles, 309

Oral consumption, 317

Orbital Hash, 319

Out’sters, 80

Outcome determination, 192

Overload grenade, 341

Oxygen reserve, 308

Oxytocin-A, 324

p

NOTE: Pain

filter, 143

threshold, high, 224

tolerance, 146, 150

Palming skill, 182

Pan (iZulu), 104

Pandora Gates, 24, 46, 377-79

Panic, moderate, 211

Paradise, 92

Paralysis, major, 211

Paranoia, 42-43

Particle beam bolter, 338-39

Partnership, 290

Passcode, 253

Passive alert, 257

Passive psi, 221

Passkey, 253

Pathfinder, 73

Pathogens, 324

Patron provisioning, morphs, 277

Patron, 146

Pattern recognition, 224-25

Pax Familae, 84

Peacekeeping, 58-59

Penal lease, 278

Penetration, 228

Perception, 190

skill, 182

Peripherals, 247

Personal area networks, 241

Personal augmentation

bioware, 301-306

cyberware, 306-8

standard, 300

Personal computers, 247

Personal information, 239

Personal vehicles, 345

Personality editing, 232

Persuasion skill, 183

Petals, 322

Petrifier, 384

Pets, 330

Phelan’s Recourse, 105

Pheromones, enhanced, 304

Phlo, 319

Phoebe, 107

Physical arrivals, 282-83

Physical augmentations, 302-6, 307-8

Physical entertainment, 54

Physical health, 206-8

Physical modifications, 310-11

Physical tracking, 251

Piercings, 310

Pilot skill, 183

Pirates, 84

Pistols, 335

Planetary Consortium, 55, 76, 85

hypercorps and, 55-56

labor pool, 65-66

punishment, 60

Planetary settlement, 66-67

Plasmaburst, 341

Plasma rifle, 339

Plasma rocket (P), 347

Plasmaburst, 341

Plastic ammo, 338

Pleasure pods, 142

Pneumatic limbs, 311

Pods, 142-43, 271

Poison gland, 305

Political blocs, 74-76

Political experimentation, 58

Politics

inner system, 55-57

outer system, 57-58

Portable plane, 343

Portable quantum entangled communic., 315

Portable sensor, 325

Portal denial system, 292

Post-apocalyptic theme, 19

Positioning, 205

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 214

Power, 299

Pragmatists, 359

Predators, 362

Predictive boost, 225

Prehensile feet, 305

Prehensile tail, 305

Preservationists, 82

Priority call, 357

Prisoner mask, 316

Privacy, 49-50, 58-59, 238

Privacy mode, 252

Private habitats, 69

Private information, 290

Profession skill, 183

Programming

skill, 183

test, 285

Progress (Deimos), 96

Project Ozma, 85, 96, 379-80

Prometheans, 85, 378, 381

Prometheus (Marseilles), 105

Prosperity Group, 73

Proteans, 329

Protocol skill, 183

Proxies, 85, 357-59

Proximity, 338

Psi, 126, 147, 218-19, 220-29

Assault skill, 184

attack, 191

chameleon, 147

damage, 207

defense, 147

drawbacks, 220-21

drugs, 325

exsurgent, 371

exsurgent synthmorphs, 371

improving, 153

range, 221

shield, 228

skills, 172-73

sleights, 136, 223-29

strain, 223

trait, 126, 147

vulnerability, 151

Psi-Chi sleights, 223-25

Psi game mechanics, prerequisites, 220

criticals, 23

full defense, 222

mental armor, 223

morphs, 220

opposed tests, 222

roleplaying asyncs, 221

skills, sleights, 221

sleight duration, 223

target awareness, 222

targeting, 221-22

using, 221

Psi-gamma sleights, 226-29

Psike-out, 325

Psi-opener, 324-25

Psychic stab, 228

Psychosomatic crippling, major, 211

Psychosurgery, 331

mechanics, 230

modifiers, 231

neural pruning and, 274-75

procedures, 231-32

process, 229-30

roleplaying mind edits, 231

skill, 184

Psychotherapy, 232

care, 215

Psychotorture, 232

Public accounts, 246

Public information, 290

Public key crypto, 253

Public resleeving, 278

Punishment, 60-61

Puppet sock, 307

Puppeteering, 261

Pyrokinesis, 372

q

NOTE: Qing Long (Azure Dragon), 96

Qualia, 225

Quantum

codebreaking, 254

computer, 316

cryptography, 254

entangled (QE) communication, 315

farcasters, 314

key, 253

Quick actions, 119, 190

r

NOTE: Radar (radio/microwave), 302, 311

jamming, 262

Radiation, 201

sense, 306

Radio

booster, 314

jamming, 262

ranges, 299

transceiver, 300

Railguns, 336

Range, 203

Ranged attack, 191

Ranged combat, 202-3

Ranged weapons, extra, 206

Rapid healer, 147

Reach, 204

Reactive ammo, 338

Reactive armor-piercing (RAP) ammo, 338

Reactive coating, 313

Real world niavete, 151

Real-time search, 250

Reaper, 144

Re-authentication, 257

Reboot, 257

Reclaimers, 82

Recreational drugs, 320

Reflex boosters, 308

Refractive glazing, 313

Refractory metals, 298

Regeneration, 376

Re-instantiated, 132

Relationships, 45

Relics, Earth, 64

Religious groups, 82-83

Reloading, 193

Remade, 141

Remembering, 175

Remote sniffing, Mesh ID, 252

Rental insurance, 279

Repair, 179, 208-9

Repair spray, 333

Reputation, 125, 135, 285, 287-91

burning, 288

gain/loss, 384-85

identity and, 289

improving, 153

increasing, 136

levels, 287

limits, 288

networks, 287

Research

online, 249-51

skill, 184, 249-51

Resistance, 190

Resleeving, 270-72

alienation, 272

biomorphs, pods, 271

continuity, 269

continuity test, 272-73

costs, 271

gamemaster and, 271

infomorph, 272

integration, 271

integration test, 271

public morph, 278

synthmorphs, 271

Resolve, 175

Respiration, enhanced, 305

Respirocytes, 308-9

Retracting/telescoping limbs, 311

Retrieval operations, 23

Rez points, 152, 384

Rhea (Kronos Cluster), 105

Right at home, 147

Riot shield, 312

RNA (Research Network Affiliation), 125

Robotic enhancements, 310-11

Robots, 342, 345-46

Rocket buggy, 343

Rocket pack, 345

Roleplaying game (RPG), 18-19

Roleplaying

exsurgents, 368-69

factors, 376

mind edits, 231

muses, 265

Roller, 310

Rotorcraft, 310

Routers, 359

Rusters, 141

s

NOTE: S

Saboteurs, 329

Safety system, 342

Salamander, 86

Salvage and rescue, 23

Sample characters, 154-69

Saturn

Atlas (Volkograad), 103

Dione (Thoroughgood), 103

Enceladus (Profunda), 103

Epimethus, Janus, 103

Gateway (Pandora), 104

Hyperion, 104

Iapetus, 104

Meathab, 104

Mimas (Harmonious Anarchy), 104

moonlets, 102-3

Norse, Inuit, Gallic moonlets, 104

Pan (iZulu), 104

Phelan’s Recourse, 104-5

Prometheus (Marseilles), 105

resources, economics, 102

Rhea (Kronos Cluster), 105

rings, 102

satellites, 102

Tethys (Godwinhead), 105

Saucer, 345

Savant calculation, 225

Scanners, 359

Scanning, 251

Scarcity, 63-64

Scarification, 310

Scatter, 204

Scavenger tech, 330

Scent alteration, 310

Schizo, 321

Schizophrenia, 214

Scorchers, 332

Scorching, 261-62

Scouts, 329

Scramble, 228

Scrapper’s Gel, 323

Scripting, 260-61

Scrounging skill, 184

Scum, 78-79, 134

Scumborn, 132

Scum barge, 67-68, 348-49

Searches, 249-251

Second skin, 147, 312

Secret information, 290

Security

accounts, 247

AI, 331-32

alerts, 257

access control, 291-92

active countermeasures, 293

bypassing active, 255-56

detection, surveillance, 293

egocaster, 276

Seed AI, 245, 353-54

Seeker, 199-200, 339-40

armband, 339

grenade and, 340-41

pistol, 339

weapons skill, 184

Seismic sensors, 293

Self-healing, 292, 313

Selfhood, 275

Semi-automatic (SA), 198

Sense

block, 228

enhancement, 301-2, 306

skill, 184

Sensor, 293, 311

ranges, 299

Sensory

boost, 225

databases, 302

input, 205

reprogramming, 365

Sentinels, 85, 356-57, 360

Servers, 247, 357

Services, 330-31

Servitor, 346

SETI

(Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence), 379

Severe failure, 118

Sexuality, 45, 305

Shackle (Shackleton-New Varanasi), 93

Shape adjusting, 311

Shard pistol, 340

Shell

jamming, 196

movement, 195

remote control, 196

skills, 195

stats, 195

Shelter dome, 333

Shifters, 370

Shock

attacks, 204

baton, 334

gloves, 334

safety, 342

weapon immunity, 143

Shooting through, 203

Shredder, 340

Shui Fong, 84

Shutdown, 257, 262

Shutter, 332

Signal, 199-200

Silence, 289

Silencer/sound suppressor, 342

Simulmorphs, 262

Simulspace, 262-64

access, 241

environments, 240-41

hacking, 263-64

rules, 263

subscription, 331

Single-shot (SS), 198

Singularity seekers, 43

Situational awareness, 148

Skathi, 107

Skill

categories, 172

corem 172

imprints, 232

improving, 152-53

learned, 172-73

list, 176-84

necessary, 176

ranges, 174

suppression, 232

untrained use, 116

using, 173-74

Skilled sentient labor, 64

Skillsofts, 332

Skillware, 309

Skinaethesia, 73

Skindyes, 310

Skinflex, 309

Skinlink, 309

Skinning, 240

Skin pocket, 305

Skinthetic, 73

Sky Ark, 111

Slaving devices, 248

Sleep, 365

Slip, 323

Slippery walls, 292

Slitheroids, 144

Slow learner, 151

Small jet, 343

Small lander and orbit transfer vehicle

(SLOTV), 349

Smart

ammo, 338

clothing, 325

dogs, 330

dust, 316

magazine, 342

materials, 298

monkey, 330

rats, 330

skin, 312

vac clothing, 325

Smartlink, 342

-weapon data, 205

Smell, enhanced, 301

Snake, 310

Snappers, 370

Sniffer, 293, 331

Sniffing, 252

Sniper rifle, 335

Social drugs, 320

Social engineers, 359

Social gaff negation, 183

Social networks, 124-25, 239, 242,

285-87, 289

Social stigma, 151

Socialites, 82, 134

Society, 41

Socio-political intrigue, 23, 79-82

Software, 248, 331

Software, crashing, 260

Sol (sun), 86

habitats, 86, 88

Solar system, 38

Solaris, 73

Somatek, 73-74

Soundwaves, 303

Sousveillance, 238

Space

colonist, original, 132

habitats, 67, 280-81

roach, 330

travel, 283-84, 331

Spacecraft, 346-49

propulsion, 347

Spaceship combat, 284

Spam, 228

Spasm, 332

Special skills, 185

Specializations, 123, 127, 136, 153, 173

Specialized hive, 328

Specimen container, 330

Speck, 346

Specs, 326

Speed (SPD), 121, 138, 189

Spimes, 238

Spindle, 333

Spindle climber, 333

Splash, 337, 341

Splicers, 139, 174

Spoof, 331

Sports, 54

Spotted intruder, 256

Spray armor, 313

Spray weapons, 184, 340

Sprayer, 340

Sprinting, 191

Starware, 74

Static, 228

Stealthed signals, 252

Stellar Intelligence, 74

Sticky grenades, 341

Stress

points, 209

value, 209

Stressful situations/experiences, 214, 215

Striking looks, 148

Structural enhancement, 311

Structuralists, 359

Structures, 202-3

Stunner, 339

Subcultures, 39-41

Subdermal implants, 309

Subdued opponent, 204

Subliminal, 228

Submachine guns, 335

Submarine, 310

Substance abuse, 317-18

Subversion, 259-61

difficulties, 259

examples, 259

Success tests, 117-19, 127

Sun Yee On, 84

Superthermite charges, 330

Suppressive fire, 204

Surgery, 208

Surprise, 204-5

Surveillance, 238, 293

bugs and, 315

Survival gear. 332-33

Suryas, 86

Swarm, 328-29

composition, 311

Swarmanoid, 144

Sweeping fire, 194

Swimming skill, 184

Sybils, 81

Sylphs, 139-40

Synergy, 111

Synthetic mask, 311

Synthmorph, 66, 143-45, 195-96, 369-70

bioware and, 306

object repair, 209

physical repair, 209

resleeving, 271

t

NOTE: Tactical networks, 205, 331

Taggants, 329

Target

multiple, 202

numbers, 115

specific, 197

Task Action Programming Test, 246

Task actions, 120, 127, 190

Tasping, 232

Teamwork, 117, 127

Techno-Creationists, 83

Technology, 45

Temperature tolerance, 305

Terahertz sensors, 302

Terminology, 25-27

Terragenesis, 74

Test making, 115

Tethys (Godwinhead), 105

Tharsis League, 76

Thermal dampening, 313

Thermobaric, 341

Thought browse, 228-29

Throwing weapons skill, 184

Thrown damage bonus, 202

Thruster pack, 345

Thrust victor, 310

TILION, 92

Time sense, 225

Timeline, 37

Timid, 151

Tin cans, 282

Titan, 24, 106

Aarhus, 106

New Quebec, 106

Nyhavn, 106-7

Phoebe, Skathi, Abramsen, 107

Titanian Commonwealth, 79, 108, 134

Firewall, 361

TITANs (Total Information Tactical Awareness

Networks), 32, 34-6, 40, 42, 48, 85, 236,

244-45, 324, 354-55, 362-63, 387-89

-controlled army, 66

infected ruins, 270

legacy, 237, 381-84

mutated person, 47

quarantine zone, 94

relics, 56

Token lock, 291

Tools, 325

Top secret intel, 290

Torch, 340

Toruses, 282

Touch-only attack, 206

Tough, 148

Toughness, 143

Toxic atmosphere, 201

Toxin, 323-24, 325

filters, 305

Trace, 258

Tracked, 310

Tracker Dye, 323

Tracking, 251-52, 331

Traction pads, 317

Trade, 23

Traffic filters, 248

Training animals, 177

Traits, 123

gaining/losing, 153

purchasing, 136

Transhumanism, 18, 38, 389

informorphs, 245

labor, 64

life, death and morphs, 50-51

Transparent alumina, 298

Transport, standard, 349

Transporter, 344

Trauma, 209

effects, 209-10

threshold (TT), 122, 138

Travel, 48-49, 63

basics, 283-84

distance, 283

local, 283

T-ray emitter, 306

Tremors, moderate, 211

Triads, 84

Trigger, 324

Trike, 344

Triton, 109

Trivial favor, 290

Trojans

Locus, 100-101

resources, economies, 100

Twelve Commons, 103

Twitch nerve gas, 324

Two-handed weapons, 206

weapons,

u

NOTE: U

Ukko Julinä, 88

Ultimates, 82, 134

Ultraviolet sensors, 303

Unarmed

combat skill, 185

weapons, 334

Unattractive, 151

Unbreathable atmosphere, 201

Uncanny valley, 151-52

Unconscious lead, 225

Unconsciousness, 208

Underbarrel seeker, 339-40

Underwater, 201

Unfit, 152

Uniform blast, 193

Uplifts, 81, 132

Uploading, 268-69

Uranus, 107

Chat Noir, Fissure Gate, 108

Titania, Oberon, 108

Xiphos, 108

User accounts, 247

Utilitool, 326

Utopians, 57-58

Uzumaki, 384

v

NOTE: Vacuum, 201

and range, 203

sealing, 306

suits, 333-34

Valles Marineris, 94

Valles-New Shanghai, 96

Value, 63-64

Variable opposed test, 119

Vectors, 359

Vehicle passenger attacks, 196

Vehicles, 195-96, 342-49

Venus, 24, 89-90

Venusian, 134

Vertigo, 365

Vibroblade, 334

Vidgames, 52-53

Vids, 52-53

Viewers, 326

Vision, enhanced, 301

Vo Nguyen, 92

Vortex ring gun, 341

Voting, 56

VPN (virtual private network), 241-42

hacking, 260

VR (virtual reality), 236, 240-41

vertigo, 152

worlds, 54

Vulcanoids habitats, 88-89

Vulvanoid Gate, 46

w

NOTE: W Walker, 310

Warbots, 383

Wasp knife, 334

Watts-Macleod virus, 218, 219, 220, 368

Weak immune system, 152

Weapon, 334-42

accessories, 341-42

improvised, 202

mount, 311

ranges, 203

scanners, 293

wielding two or more, 206

Wheeled, 310

Whippers, 370

White noise machine, 317

Willpower stress tests, 214

Winged, 310

Wireless code lock, 291

Wireless inhibitors, 292

Wireless scanning, 251, 293

Wireless termination, 258

Worker pods, 142

Wormhole, 378

Wormwood, 111

Wound, 207-8

Determination, 192

effects, 207-8

threshold (WT), 121

Wounds, 207-8

Wrappers, 370

Wrist-mounted tools, 309

x

NOTE: Xenodeism, 83

Xenomorph virus, 368

Xiphos, 108

XP (experience playback), 53, 236, 241-

42, 331

X-ray emitter, 317

X-ray sensors, 303

y

NOTE: Y-Z

YGBM (you gotta believe me) attacks, 365-66

z

NOTE: Zap, 337

Zbrny Group, 74

Zero ammo, 338

Zero-g nausea, 152

Zoosemiotics, 148

CHARACTER SHEET

DETAILS:

NOTE: Link to various downloads and to external file.

MetadataEdit

LegendEdit

attributesEdit

categoriesEdit

NOTE:

I planned to use attributes to denote those rulebook sections with their own quick-reference margin heading. I decided against this for the initial release of the map.

SYNOPSIS

WELCOME TO FIREWALL

A TIME OF ECLIPSE

GAME MECHANICS

CHARACTER CREATION

SKILLS

ACTION AND COMBAT

MIND HACKS

THE MESH

ACCELERATED FUTURE

GEAR

RUNNING THE GAME

REFERENCE

originEdit

Posthuman Studios, LLCEdit

Core Book

Sunward

Gatecrashing

Fan-madeEdit

by

Author's Name

systemEdit

System Reference Document

House Rules

fiction

setting

statusEdit

raw

DETAILS: Marks nodes whose Notes that have copy-and-paste of the book text

corrected

DETAILS: Marks nodes whose Notes have had one read-through, with obvious errors such as line-breakscorrected

proofed

DETAILS: Marks nodes with Notes proofread for accuracy

cloudsEdit

Metadata

DETAILS: This cloud contains all the data about the mind map itself.

filtersEdit

Pubilc Filters.mmfilter

NOTE: This file will contain filters that seem to have common use and broad applicability.

Private Filters.mmfilter

NOTE: This file, nonexistent as of 20110212, will contain only those filters which seem to have no common use.

structureEdit

Marginalia

NOTE: Marginalia or "in-game" vignettes appear as child nodes of the heading above them in the Core Book text.

As of 20110212, I created a User-Defined Style titled "Vignette" to identify them.

As of 20101224, I haven't color-coded them or otherwise identified their nodes.

stylesEdit

User-Defined StylesEdit

CHAPTEREdit

EXAMPLE

SIDEBAR

SUBCHAPTER

DEMISEMICHAPTER

HEMIDEMISEMICHAPTER

VIGNETTE

Predefined stylesEdit

Website

whoEdit

Eclipse PhaseEdit

Posthuman Studios, LLC

Freeplane

mapEdit

Jay Dugger

whenEdit

startedEdit

20101224

released

whyEdit

learningEdit

Eclipse Phase

howEdit

Freeplane

Eclipse Phase

LicenseEdit

CC-BY-NC-SA

NOTE: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

To view a copy of this license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

or send a letter to: Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

What this means is that you are free to copy, share, and remix the text and artwork within this book under the following conditions:

• you do so only for noncommercial purposes;
• you attribute Posthuman Studios;
• you license any derivatives under the same license.

For specific details, appropriate credits, and updates/changes to this license, please see: http://eclipsephase.com/cclicense