Drugs and Nano

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Drugs and Nano

This chapter describes various chemical or bio-nanotech agents that can be introduced into the body to affect its chemistry and physiology. Unlike biomods, the effects are usually either temporary, preventative, or the cumulative result of long-term usage.

Chemical Drugs

Humans have been using drugs since prehistory. The first drugs were chemical compounds found in plants or fungi. Herbalism – represented by the skill Pharmacy (Herbal) – is the practice of extracting these compounds into forms suitable to give to patients.

As technology advanced, people gained better understandings of the purification of active compounds and what they did. By TL5, pharmacists could extract and mix active substances in the laboratory to produce pills with concentrated or combined effects. Many treatments consisted of administering toxic inorganic compounds, relying on them being more dangerous to the disease organisms than to the patient.

Using TL6 chemical analysis and synthesis techniques on a herbal compound extracted from meadowsweet flowers, Felix Hoffman of the Bayer company produced the first artificial drug in 1897: aspirin. This opened the doors for the development of new synthetic drugs, which are often based on compounds extracted from nature, modified to enhance desired effects and reduce undesired ones.

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Therapeutic Drugs

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Abortifacients

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Analgesics

These drugs relieve pain and come in several unrelated varieties. Any of these drugs may also act as a mitigator for Chronic Pain.

Anesthetic Drugs

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Aspirin (TL6)

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), introduced in 1897, became commercially available in 1899, and has since become the most popular over-the-counter analgesic, although how it worked was not understood until the 1970s (TL7). It inhibits prostaglandin production (chemicals that release pain signals). This also has some other advantages, e.g., reducing production of blood clots and thus risk of heart attacks. Unfortunately, it also affects the stomach lining; overdoses may result in nausea. Aspirin takes about a minute to take effect, and lasts for four to six hours. Low doses (a couple of pills) reduces the penalty from pain by 1 after any other modifiers for High or Low Pain Threshold have been applied. High doses (multiple pills, depending on the degree of pain) reduce the penalty by 2 but require a HT roll to avoid Nausea, or on a critical failure, 1 point of toxic damage. Very high doses can affect the kidneys and liver, causing 1d to 3d toxic damage. $3 per 100 tablets. LC4.

Analgine (TL9)

This is a strong painkiller with fewer side effects than drugs such as morphine. The user gains the High Pain Threshold for (25 - HT)/4 hours, but is also Drowsy. It comes in pill (30 minutes to take effect) or injection form. $2/dose. LC3.

Hyperstim (TL9)

This drug instantly awakens an unconscious person, regardless of his HP or FP. Someone using this drug cannot fail a HT roll to avoid unconsciousness. After the drug wears off, roll vs. HT. Failure causes 1 HP damage, while critical failure also results in a heart attack. $100 per dose. LC2.

Morphazine (TL9)

This drug puts the patient into a deep, dreamless sleep. The user gets a HT-3 roll to resist; failure results in the user falling asleep for eight hours times the margin of failure. It is a reliable, powerful sleeping pill, often available only through prescription. If injected, it works in one second. $10 per dose. LC3.

Painaway (TL9)

An over-the-counter analgesic similar to acetaminophen or aspirin but safer and more reliable. Treat as aspirin except the HT roll to resist on a high dose is HT+3, and the effects last for twice as long for a given dose. $10 per 100 tablets. LC4.

Antiallergens

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Antibiotics

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Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic (TL8)

When simple and cheap antibiotics like penicillin don't work, new types developed with expensive R&D have to be used. By TL8 a wide variety of different antibiotics are available; this represents any of a number of drugs. If someone is unlucky enough to catch an infection resistant to inexpensive antibiotics, his physician will have to prescribe something like this. It provides the same benefits as penicillin – its only advantage is that it actually works on a wider range of infections. $100 for a two week course at TL8, or $10 for two weeks at TL9+. LC3.

Genericillin (TL10)

This is a very powerful, general-purpose antibiotic. It doesn't treat all diseases, but it's a good thing to try. A dose of genericillin gives a +5 to HT to recover from bacterial diseases and infection for a week. $25 per dose. LC4.

Enzyme-Blocking Drugs (TL8)

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Interferon (TL8)

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Healing Drugs

These are various sorts of drugs that prevent injuries from becoming worse or aid healing and recovery.

Hypercoagulin (TL9)

When injected or applied to a patient with a bleeding wound, this causes instant coagulation and a cessation of bleeding within 1d+4 seconds. This is equivalent to bandaging. Injection overdoses can be deadly; for each additional dose within 24 hours, make a HT roll at -1 per doubling of dosage. Failure indicates internal blood clots that cause stroke or heart attack. Since the drug is unknown before TL9, it makes a good assassination tool in lower-TL societies. Injectable or contact agent only. $25/dose. LC3.

Ursaline (TL9)

This drug prevents atrophy of bone tissue and muscles in low or zero gravity. It is safe but somewhat expensive. A dose provides a week of protection, equivalent to No Degeneration in Zero G. $25/dose. LC4.

Antirad (TL9/10)

This medication contains a number of different drugs, with the combined effect of partial protection against radiation. At TL9, this grants the user the Radiation Tolerance 2 advantage. At TL10, it gives Radiation Tolerance 5. Either effect lasts a day. It comes in injectable and pill form for $50/dose. LC3.

Ascepaline (TL10)

Accelerates cellular regeneration: anyone using it regenerates 1 HP every 4 hours. Each dose lasts a day, and a week should elapse before another dose is taken. If not, roll vs. HT+2 for the second dose, HT+1 for the third, etc. Failure means the user's natural ability to heal without the drug is permanently damaged: the user gains Unhealing (Partial). He may still use Ascepaline, however. $20 per dose. LC3.

Purge (TL10)

This cleanses the user's system of foreign biochemicals. If the user makes a HT roll, it neutralizes any active drugs (including recreational drugs and alcohol) within 2d minutes. Failure means that the dose had no effect; critical failure also nauseates the user (-3 DX for 1 hour). Purge will not counteract drug addiction or cure side effects that remain after the drug that caused them wears off. Purge has no effect on TL11+ drugs or most deadly poisons, but it will counteract sleep gas. $20 per dose. LC4.

Sedatives

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Stimulants

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Modafinil (TL8)

This drug (sold as Alertec, Provigil, or other trade names) is a central nervous system stimulant. It is intended to treat sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, but is also useful for anyone who wishes to stay awake for long periods, e.g., shift-workers, truckers, and soldiers. It can keep the user awake and alert for up to two and half days; unlike most other stimulants, it seems to have minimal side effects. (The health effects of sustained usage of modafinil to put off sleep are uncertain, however.)

It takes an hour or two for effects to occur, and gives the user the Doesn't Sleep advantage for the next 24 hours; up to three doses can be taken in succession before it ceases to provide benefits. After taking two or more doses, the GM may wish to roll vs. the user's HT; a critical failure may result in nausea or mild pain (headaches or backaches) until the user gets at least eight hours sleep. Pill; $2/dose. LC3.

Revive Capsules (TL9)

These small, easily breakable capsules are the descendants of smelling salts. When held under the nose of a stunned or unconscious person and snapped open, the vapor inside will usually revive him completely – roll against HT+5 to regain consciousness or recover from stun. This is also effective against mental stunning; roll vs. HT+5 as above, not IQ, as the stunned person is forced out of his state by the physical stimulus. The patient does not regain any hit points, but is awake. He may fall asleep again within minutes if tired and given the chance. $5/dose. LC4.

Superstim (TL9)

This drug instantly restores 1d Fatigue Points. Roll vs. HT; the fatigue is banished for a number of hours equal to the margin of success (at least one, even for a failure). The only side effect is that when the time is up, the user gets all that fatigue back, plus 2 more FP. If the user takes another dose within 24 hours of the previous one, the HT roll is made at a -1 penalty. Multiple doses can cause the user to "crash" when he finally stops taking it; if FP would drop below 0, the extra points are taken off HP instead. Any form, $10/dose. LC4.

Wideawake (TL10)

An extremely effective stimulant, this drug time-releases controlled doses of stimulants that prevent the user falling asleep, without causing any side effects. It provides the Doesn't Sleep advantage for a week. Any form, $20/dose. LC4.

Toxic Compounds

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Capability Enhancing Drugs

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Espionage Drugs

Some people use drugs for nefarious purposes, either to influence other people or to protect themselves from the dangers they face when engaging in undercover activities.

"Truth Serum" (TL6)

A variety of fast-acting barbiturates such as thiopental sodium (sodium pentathol) and scopolamine, used for both for general anesthesia and to lower a subject's inhibitions for drug-assisted interrogation or psychiatric analysis. The drug is a yellow crystal that can be dissolved in water or alcohol; it has a garlic-like odor. It depresses the central nervous system (like any sedative) and in mild doses produces a state of relaxation, leaving recipients susceptible to suggestion. Its utility as a functional "truth serum" is limited because subjects under its influence can just as easily start to fantasize or be led into telling falsehoods as a result of an interviewer's leading questions...or become groggy and fall unconscious, from repeated doses. After 30 seconds, the subject suffers 1d FP and must succeed with a HT-1 roll or be at -2 to Will and also to all self-control rolls for mental disadvantages lasting for a period of (20 - HT)/2 minutes. $10/dose. LC3.

Dimethyl Sulfoxide (TL7)

This chemical (also known as DMSO) is a byproduct of the wood-pulping industry, used from the 1950s as an industrial cleaner. In 1963, medical researchers discovered that it penetrates the skin and sinks deep into underlying tissue. It can carry other drugs not normally absorbed through the skin. This makes it useful in many ways, converting many other drugs into effective topical agents. This includes offensive or surreptitious uses such as delivering contact poisons. $1/dose. LC4.

Aware (TL9)

This is a stimulant that acts on the sensory nervous system to sharpen the senses and heighten awareness. It grants +2 to Perception for 24 hours. $50/dose. LC4.

Anti-Sed (TL9)

This is a prophylactic drug taken before encounters in which the user suspects he might be drugged. It lasts for 24 hours and grants a +6 bonus to HT rolls to resist sedatives and psychoactive drugs such as amnesiants and truth drugs. $50/dose. LC2.

Crediline (TL9)

This psychoactive drug makes the user feel that everything around him makes sense, and everyone is a trusted friend. He must succeed with a HT-3 roll or suffer Euphoria and Gullibility (9) for (25 - HT) minutes. $24/dose. LC2.

Torpine (TL9)

This puts the subject into a death-like trance during which metabolic functions are slowed. Roll vs. HT to resist going under (if taken involuntarily). The subject can go without food and water for 32 times as long as usual, and uses up only 50% as much oxygen. Anyone trying to tell he is still alive must succeed with a Quick Contest of Diagnosis vs. his HT+5. Each dose lasts a day; multiple doses can be taken. $20/dose. LC3.

Lethe (TL10)

This drug disturbs the storage of information in the brain, inducing temporary amnesia. He must roll HT-2 or suffer the Partial Amnesia disadvantage for (25 - HT) minutes. $24/dose. LC2.

Neurovine (TL10)

An antidote for nerve poison, available as a pill or injection. If taken within 15 minutes of poisoning, a Neurovine injection adds +3 to HT on rolls to avoid taking further damage. $30/dose. LC4.

Lifestyle Drugs

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Longevity Drugs

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Pharmacogenomic Drugs

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Psi Drugs

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Magical and Mystical Drugs

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