Biochemical and Nanotech Weapons

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Biochemical and Nanotech Weapons

Advances in chemistry and biochemistry make more potent chemical weapons available at every TL – from lethal nerve gas to subtle pheromones. At higher TLs, nan- otechnology is deployed in terrifying weapons that can reconfigure minds or devour entire ecosystems.

This section presents the gases and drugs most commonly used in combat, including lethal and nonlethal biochemical weapons, as well as ultra-tech chemical obscurants.

Gases and Clouds

These come in many varieties, from sleep gas and nerve gas to smoke and prismatic smoke. They create a cloud with a radius depending on the dispersal mechanism (see below). Chemical clouds may disperse within a few seconds or linger for minutes, depending on the wind. Most chemi- cal clouds last for 300 seconds before dispersing; in winds of one mile per hour or more, divide this duration by the wind speed in mph. Most chemicals have no effect once dis- persed, but some virulent poison gases cause injury even when greatly diluted.

The usual dispersion methods are a biochemical warhead (p. 153), an aerosol spray (p. 134), or a vortex ring projector (p. 134).

Riot Gas (TL9)

A non-lethal incapacitating gas often used for crowd control. Any living being within the cloud who breathes the gas must make a HT-4 roll to resist every second. If the roll fails, he is nauseated (p. B428) for as long as he remains in the cloud. If it fails by 5 or more, he will become violently ill, retching (p. B429) for as long as he remains in the cloud; after leaving it, he will be nauseated for minutes equal to his margin of failure. $2 per dose. .

Musk (TL9)

This malodorous fluid boasts a chemical formula simi- lar to skunk oil. Highly persistent and almost impossible to wash away, it is used by police to mark demonstrators or fleeing suspects, and can also be a self-defense weapon! Anyone sprayed suffers the Bad Smell disadvantage. The effects wear off after two weeks. Each hour of washing with high-tech detergents can reduce the duration of the stench by one day. A sealed suit protects the wearer but not the suit. $2 per dose. LC4.

Nerve Gas, Lethal (TL9)

Nerve gases are aerosolized liquids which disrupt the enzyme that transmits nerve signals. After exposure, the nerves become uncontrollable, resulting in a loss of motor function, breathing problems, pain, vomiting, convulsions, and death.

This is an area-effect contact agent with no delay and a HT-6 roll to resist (HT-3 if touching a contaminated area after the initial attack). Failure to resist inflicts 1d toxic damage. This is repeated at one-minute intervals until six cycles have passed.

Loss of 1/3 HP results in coughing and the Neurological Disorder (Mild) disadvantage. Loss of 1/2 HP results in being nauseated plus the Neurological Disorder (Severe) disadvantage. Loss of 2/3 HP adds the Neurological Disorder (Crippling) disadvantage. The vic- tim suffers only one disorder due to the nerve gas, with the severity increasing as he loses HP. The severity of the disorder is decreased as the victim recovers HP, and the disorder is removed when the HP lost are less then 1/3 HP. $10 per dose. LC0.

Sleep Gas (TL9)

An advanced sedative, such as an engineered variant of the heroin molecule, mixed with a skin-penetrating agent. It causes rapid incapacitation. It is a contact agent that requires a HT-6 roll to resist. Failure results in uncon- sciousness lasting for minutes equal to the margin of fail- ure, followed by ordinary sleep. $0.50 per dose. LC2.

Smoke (TL9)

Smoke is used to obscure or mark an area. Screening smoke is white, gray, or sand-colored and gives a -10 penalty for visually aimed attacks or sighting through them (see Obscure, p. B72); it also blocks ladar. Smoke clouds take one second per five yards of burst radius to form. They linger for one to four minutes, depending on weather conditions.

Colored Smoke: used to mark targets or landing zones, but also difficult to see through (-7 penalty). $0.1 per dose. .

Holy Smoke: Has the same effects as normal smoke. It also penalizes evil outsiders and undead. $1 per dose. .

Hot Smoke: Has the same effects as normal smoke. It also penalizes Infravision, Hyperspectral Vision, and Night Vision. $0.15 per dose. .

Prism Smoke: Has the same effects as hot smoke, but also blocks most lasers. It has no effect on X-ray or gamma-ray lasers. $0.2 per dose. .

Electromagnetic Smoke: Has the same effects as hot smoke, but is also effective against Radar and Imaging Radar. $0.3 per dose. .

Anti-Tangler Aerosol (TL10)

This dissolves sticky foam (tangler) bonds in one second. $1 per dose. .

Mask (TL10)

This agent neutralizes a wide spectrum of signature traces left behind by living beings. Any Forensics roll to detect chemical traces left by an individual or to track peo- ple by scent suffers a penalty of -6 if the trail passes through a Masked area. The masking agent itself is easily identified and tracked, making it somewhat less helpful to spray your- self with it! $30 per dose. .

Paralysis Gas (TL10)

Paralysis gas is an advanced nerve gas. It is a nonlethal area contact agent that may be delivered via chemical war- head, spray, or vortex ring. For every turn spent in a para- gas cloud, the victim must make a HT-6 roll to resist. If he fails by 1 or 2, he falls down and cannot move that turn. If he fails by 3 or more, he falls and is paralyzed for minutes equal to the margin of failure. On a critical failure, the paralysis gas causes 1d damage and results in a coma (p. B429). Paralysis gas is often used in riot control and security systems. $10 per dose. .

Pheromone Spray (TL10)

Pheromone spray is a biochemical agent which enhances sexual attractiveness to members of the same species; aliens are almost never affected. It is a respiratory agent that requires a HT-2 roll to resist. Failure results in the Lecherousness (9) disadvantage for as long as the vic- tim is in the cloud, plus minutes equal to the margin of fail- ure. $20 per dose. .

Radiant Prism (TL10)

A combination of prism and electromagnetic smoke. It lasts half as long, but also impairs infrared- and radar- aimed attacks or sighting (-5 penalty). If this smoke is breathed without a filter, it inflicts one point of damage per second. $3 per dose. .

Foams and Liquids

These agents may be dispensed by liquid projectors or in biochemical liquid warheads.

Firefoam (TL9)

These fire-retardant chemicals put out any fire doing (TL-8) dice of damage or less within its area of effect, and temporarily reduce the damage of larger fires for 3d sec- onds. $1 per dose.

Metal Embrittlement Agent (MEA) (TL10)

This category of chemical agents induces rapid corro- sion. Each agent is designed to weaken a specific metal, inflicting 3d corrosion damage per hour to any object most- ly made of that alloy, or with exposed vital parts made of it. If an SM +2 or larger object is completely within the area of effect, multiply the damage by the object’s SM. The effect continues for 12 hours or until the object is decontaminat- ed. $5 per dose, .

Disassembler Nanoglop (TL11)

This consists of disassembler nanomachines in the form of a viscous slime rather than a diffuse cloud. At TL11-12, disassembler nanoglop fills much the same role as napalm. It has half the burst radius of normal chemical rounds; if that reduces burst radius to less than a yard, it means that it only affects a target that was directly hit.

Anyone in the affected area is covered with sticky nanoglop. The effect is the same as a disassembler nano- cloud, but the greater density of the nanoglop doubles damage! The glop persists for only 15 seconds. If it misses, it splatters on the ground and begins eating through that. Disassembler nanoglop costs the same as disassembler clouds (p. 169).

Replicator Nanoglop (TL12): This has the same effect as replicating disassemblers (p. 169).

Poisons

Poisons may also be delivered by a hypo or by drug rounds, or as a contact poison (below). Two ultra-tech poisons:

Nerve Poison (TL9)

This is also available as a drug – a single dose injected into the body (by hypo, needler, etc.) requires a HT-7 roll to resist. Failure inflicts 1d toxic damage. This is repeated at one-minute intervals, until six cycles have passed.

Loss of 1/3 HP results in coughing and the Neurological Disorder (Mild) disadvantage. Loss of 1/2 HP results in being nauseated plus the Neurological Disorder (Severe) disadvantage. Loss of 2/3 HP adds the Neurological Disorder (Crippling) disadvantage. The victim suffers only one disorder due to the nerve gas, with the severity increasing as he loses HP. The severity of the disorder is decreased as the victim recovers HP, and the disorder is removed when the HP lost are less then 1/3 HP. $10 per dose. .

Sleep Poison (TL9)

A sleep dose for hypos and dart guns is available. The victim must roll vs. HT-6.

Failure results in the subject becoming drowsy (p. B428), while failure by 5 or more results in uncon- sciousness, lasting for minutes equal to the margin of fail- ure. $0.50 per dose. .

Contact Poisons (TL9)

Contact versions of both nerve and sleep poisons may be placed on a blade (but not a vibroblade), smeared on a flat surface such as a doorknob, etc. As contact poisons, these are less effective. The HT roll not to succumb is at +2. Contact versions cost 10 times as much. The GM may require a roll against DX or Poisons skill to avoid an acci- dent if applying it in haste. .

Metabolic Nanoweapons

These nanomachines are designed to enter a living body and wreak havoc. They won't affect someone with Immunity to Metabolic Hazards, such as a machine. Metabolic nanoweapons can be delivered the same way as any other poison:

Blood Agent: This is a liquid spray that must enter a mucous membrane (eyes, mouth, open wound, etc.) to have effect. Use the Blood Agent rules (p. B437). Double normal cost.

Contact Agent: A nanoweapon mist designed to penetrate skin. Double cost for a gel that may be smeared onto an object, 10 times normal cost as a gas. Use the Contact Agent rules (p. B437).

Digestive Agent: A pill that can be dissolved in food or drink. Use the digestive agent rules (p. B437). Normal cost.

Follow-Up Poison: The nanoweapon must be injected, often via a hypo or drug projectile. Use the Follow-Up Poison rules (p. B437). Normal cost.

Respiratory Agent: A mist of active nanoparticles that must be breathed to have effect. Use the Respiratory Agent rules (p. B437). Five times normal cost.

Nanoburn (TL10)

An ultra-tech nerve agent using a suspension of nanomachines designed to invade the body and break down bodily functions, Nanoburn is effective against all carbon-based life forms. A HT-6 roll is required to avoid being paralyzed for three minutes times the margin of fail- ure. If paralyzed, the victim takes 1d-1 toxic damage every three minutes over the next 30 minutes. Normal nerve poi- son antidotes are ineffective, but the drug Torpine (p. 206) stops the damage once taken. Aegis Nano (p. 206) is effec- tive. $5 per dose. .

Nanotracers (TL10)

These nanomachines function like a homing beacon (p. 105) except that they diffuse within the body. They are very difficult to remove without blood filtration (which requires a life support unit) or using Aegis or pharmophage nano (p. 206).

It takes one minute for nanotracers to spread through the body before they can begin signaling. They may use a radio signal, or they may cause the body to exude coded chemical cues which can be tracked by appropriate chemsniffers or someone with Discriminatory Smell. These will persist for a day or more, giving a +5 bonus to any tracking rolls to any- one who knows what the cues are and can detect them. Nanotracers are designed to hide. Aegis nano (p. 206) get a roll against their skill to find them when they first enter the body, but roll at a penalty of -2 for TL10 nan- otracers, -4 for TL11, and -6 for TL12.

Diagnostic nano can also find nanotracers: roll each hour of searching, at the penalties listed above. If diagnos- tic nano has identified them, Aegis nano can automatically destroy them. $100 per dose.

Splatter Nano (TL11)

Splatter is available only as a follow-up poison. Each “dose” contains thousands of cell-sized nanobot microbombs that circulate through the bloodstream. Upon command or after a programmed time delay, they explode and rip apart the victim’s arterial system. Splatter inflicts 1d toxic damage after it has circulated for at least a minute through the body. Each extra minute spent circulating in the body adds an extra +1d damage, to a maximum of 30d. Multiple doses increases the damage, e.g., three doses do 3d per minute to a maximum of 90d. Splatter comes in either timed or remote-control versions. Remote versions are triggered by receiving a specific coded radio pulse.

Aegis nano (p. 206) may be able to hunt down the splatter nanomachines before they detonate. Roll a Quick Contest of Skill each minute, with both nano types having a skill of 12 if they are TL11 or a skill of 14 if they are TL12. Each time the Aegis nano win a con- test, the detonation damage is reduced by -1 per die. If the Aegis nano win six times, the splatter nano are exterminated.

The splatter nano may also detonate before the Aegis nano can extinguish them. For instance, suppose a dose of splatter is set to go off after a delay of five minutes. The Aegis nano get five contests of skill. They win three and lose or draw two. That means that dam- age becomes -3 per die, or 5d-15 instead of 5d. $100 per dose. .

Shrike Nano (TL11)

Shrike nanomachines track down and eliminate defending Aegis nano (p. 206), clearing the way for other intruders. Each minute that shrike nanomachines are in the body, roll a contest of skill between the shrike nano and the Aegis nanomachines. If the Aegis nano wins, one dose of shrike nano is killed. If the shrike nano wins, the Aegis nano in the target’s body is killed. Otherwise, they are still fighting.

Aegis nano defends with a skill of 10 at TL10, a skill of 12 at TL11, and a skill of 14 at TL12. Shrike nano have skill of 12 at TL10, a skill of 14 at TL11, and a skill of 16 at TL12. Their skill can be upgraded by doubling the number of doses the subject is injected with. Each dou- bling adds +1 to skill. If a user is impatient, shrike can be used simultaneously with other forms of invasive nano, in the hope that the shrike kills the Aegis nano before Aegis destroys the invaders. $500 per dose. LC2.

Dominator Nano (TL12)

These nanomachines enter the body, trick their way past the blood-brain barrier, and reconfigure deep neural struc- tures in the subject’s brain, altering his personality. This technology is similar to Instaskill (p. 59).

Each dose of dominator nanomachines is designed to permanently instill (or erase) a specific mental disadvan- tage or set of mental disadvantages. It only affects mun- dane mental disadvantages that are not self-imposed and that do not require a particular subject or object. The GM may also disallow any disadvantage that seems implausi- ble, such as Unluckiness. Dominator nano often instills Amnesia, Cowardice, Non-Iconographic, Pacifism, Paranoia, and Slave Mentality.

Dominator nano has a six-hour delay and requires a HT- 6 roll to resist. Failure results in the victim gaining (or los- ing) the programmed disadvantage. Superscience (TL12^) versions of dominator nano take effect after only a minute’s delay.

Dominator nano’s effects are permanent, but can be can- celed by other nano, psych implants, etc. The attack has no effect if the user already has that disadvantage, or if he doesn’t have the disadvantage that is to be erased. Dominator nano costs $100 times the combined value of the mental disadvantages. For example, erasing or adding a -5-point disadvantage would cost $500 per dose. At double cost, dominator nano can reverse the changes it has wrought after a specified duration has passed. Super- science dominator nano is twice as expensive.

Some types of dominator nano erase disadvantages that a society finds offensive, or add those it considers desirable. Such types are LC2 and may be available to licensed physi- cians. Other types are LC1.

Parasite Seed (TL12)

A parasite seed is a template for a bioplas nanomorph (p. 111). To be activated, the apple-seed-sized capsule must be injected into or swallowed by an organic life form. It then releases nanomachines that begin transforming that being, using its body mass as raw material to construct a nanomorph. Each hour, the subject makes a HT-4 roll. Any success kills the parasite seed.

Any failure reduces the victim’s HT by 3. When HT is reduced to 0, the victim dies and his body is transformed into that of a nanomorph: apply the nanomorph template. The parasite seed includes the nanomorph’s own AI, which overwrites that of the host’s mind. It may also trap and store his mind as a ghost program. $10,000 per dose ($100,000 for mind-trapping seeds). .

Plant Bioweapons

Blood Roses

These TL9 transgenic roses have poison sacs and more – and tougher – thorns than usual. Someone pushing through blood roses will take 1d-2 cutting damage per yard of distance traveled. If any damage penetrates DR, a HT roll is required. Failure means taking 4d toxic damage after a 10 minute delay. The roses retain their poison after being cut (losing one die per day). Someone handling them must make a DX+1 roll to avoid being jabbed. A single, cut blood rose costs $50; seeds are $100 each.

Plants can be engineered for offensive or defensive pur- poses. Virulent weeds can be made to choke enemy crops or overgrow installations. These can be combined with damaging capabilities such as poisonous thorns. One of the more frightening types of plant weapons uses pollen or spores designed to be toxic. As these are produced in mas- sive quantities and fill the air, they could render large tracts of land uninhabitable – then spread on the wind to infest new areas.

Bioweapon Detectors (TL8)

Plants can also be used to fight bioweapons (and chem- ical weapons). Gengineers can make plants sensitive to var- ious pathogens and chemicals, so that they die or change color when exposed to minute quantities. Such plants can be used for street decoration or in parks – any public space where an attack might be likely. Since people are used to plants, these would cause less concern than artificial biosensors. Detector plants could also be spread over wide areas relatively inexpensively once developed.

Gengineered Fungi

See also Bio-Tech: Gengineered Fungi.

Bioweapon Fungi (TL9)

Fungi secrete enzymes to dissolve organic matter. Some are so powerful they can dissolve plastics, ceramics, and even metal. Gengineered fungi can be targeted to attack particular materials, in order to recycle waste products that do not decay naturally, or as an offensive weapon against enemy materiel. Mechanical and electronic devices don't operate too well when a fungus is dissolving the components from the inside. The fungal spores can be spread in the same ways as anti-materiel bacteria.

Simple molds can also be bad enough to make property worthless. Boosting a mold's ability to survive drier climates and resist removal attempts will make it a viable long-term weapon against buildings and vehicles.

Parasitic Fungi (TL9)

Another offensive use of fungi is to enhance parasitic traits and use them as biological weapons. Fungi are perfect for attacking and digesting living plants, but can also cause problems for animals, creating annoying, disfiguring, or fatal infections. Spores of a herbicidal fungus released on an enemy’s crops is more efficient than chemical spraying, as the parasite will reproduce by itself and spread to infect other areas – although the user must be sure to have crops resistant to his own fungus.

Gengineered Insects

See also Bio-Tech: Gengineered Insects.

Insect Bioweapons (TL9)

Insect bioweapons are usually stored as vials of eggs and released into still water; in a few hours, days or weeks, they will hatch into tens of thousands of insects.

An area might be seeded with biting insects, such as horseflies or blackflies. Multiple bites cause irritation (-1 on DX and IQ until treated) and prevent anyone from getting any sleep (resulting in fatigue). A sealed suit or the Sealed advantage protects against this.

Other insect bioweapons might be given more subtle targets. While sending genemod moths with a programmed desire to eat the enemy's uniforms is probably more an exercise in whimsy than anything else, a plague of unseasonal pests that eat crops or get into stored grain is no laughing matter, especially if they've been altered to resist the usual pesticides.

For greater lethality, insect pests could be infected to carry genemod plagues dangerous to humans or other animals. Often, bloodsucking, winged insects are chosen, such as mosquitoes (which can already carry several diseases). In game terms, anyone traveling through an area infested with plague-carrying insects is treated as being in a disease-ridden area (see Contagion); roll at -2 if they lack appropriate repellent, insect-resistant clothing or force fields.

Genetic modification can be used to make an insect bioweapon much more useful. The insects could be designed so that they will not attack if they detect certain chemical cues – which are often odors below the human olfactory threshold. That way, you can protect your own people with a specialized form of repellent.

For even greater precision, insect weapons could be programmed to home in on a specific chemical cue and only attack targets that give it off. This is easy if the enemy are another species, but if (for instance) the enemy uses a particular food, lubricant, or laundry detergent and none of the local civilians or your own people do, then you can gengineer your insects to go after them and leave everyone else alone. For the enemy to discover what was happening, they would have to first trace any plague to the insects, dissect an insect to understand what molecules it is reacting to, then correlate this with the odors of all their equipment and supplies. Even with chemical sensors and computer analysis, this could take weeks. A more trial-and-error approach would be to leave out certain supplies to see if the insects are attracted to them in the absence of humans.

Another modification that could make insect weapons nastier is to redesign them to be resistant to certain common types of insect repellent, or to have pan-specific poison resistance. A pesticide that kills any insect can be engineered, but this may fatally damage the ecosystem (killing beneficial insects or plants) and have toxic short- or long-term effects on human health as well.

The best ways to deal with genemod insects may be swarms of engineered defensive insects, target-seeking viruses, tiny microbots, or nano-machines.

Parasite Weapons

Parasites can also be used for sinister purposes. Many don't even have to be modified. Fleas and ticks carry disease and cause misery to millions of people – they can simply be spread amongst enemies. If they carry designer germs, so much the better.

Engineered parasites can be even more nasty. Internal worms might burrow through the host's body, seeking particular organs to infest and attack. This can result in anything from inefficient kidneys causing a slow illness to heart failure. More cinematically, parasites can attack specific cognitive regions of the brain, rendering the host pliable and susceptible to suggestion, amnesiac, or insane.

Attacks by parasite weapons make dramatic story opportunities, particularly when at first nobody believes the victims. Convincing a skeptical doctor that you need a brain-eating worm removed is difficult, but then it has to be followed up by the surgery!

Enhanced Germs

See also Bio-Tech: Germ Warfare.

This is the biowarfare nightmare scenario – the use of genetic engineering to produce an "improved" pathogen. Some possibilities:

Treatment-Resistant Germs (TL8): The simplest kind of gengineered germ warfare is to modify a virus or bacteria so that it does not respond to known vaccinations. While a new vaccine may be developed against it, it could be too late by the time it is ready.

Increased Infectivity (TL8): Designing a more infectious strain. A -1 or -2 on the HT roll to resist is possible at TL8, a -3 or -4 at TL9+. Other modifications may also be possible.

Species-Jumping (TL8): While some lethal germs harm multiple species, many diseases that are very lethal against certain animals have no effect on humans, and vice versa. In nature, this can change through mutation, allowing a virus or bacteria to "jump the species barrier." This might also be done artificially, so that a disease known to be a very efficient killer of monkeys, sheep, or Alpha Centaurans (for example) could be altered into one that kills humans. Modifying terrestrial diseases to affect aliens (or vice versa) requires at least TL9; having live subjects to experiment on is usually necessary.

Tailored Lethality (TL9): Designing a more (or less) lethal strain, modifying the number of cycles, damage and modifiers to resist it, or secondary symptoms. At TL9 doubling effectiveness (halving the interval but doubling number of cycles) may be possible. At TL10+, more drastic modifications can take place (e.g., increasing the lethality of influenza to that of bubonic plague).

Vector Modifications (TL9): Some of the most lethal diseases (like AIDS or rabies) spread only through contact with bodily fluids. This means that they can be contained by taking the proper precautions. However, gengineering might be used to alter a particular agent so that it can be airborne – e.g., redesigning Ebola so it can be spread by coughing, or carried by mosquitoes, fleas, and the like. Of course, this might not always be desirable, since it makes it much harder to control. This will modify the circumstances under which a contagion roll is required.

Nanoviruses (TL10): Bio-nanotech can produce wholly artificial infectious toxic agents. These biological nanomachines allow entirely new modes of cell destruction as they disrupt vital chemical reactions or physically interfere in other metabolic processes. As such, antibiotics and Resistance to Disease have no effect against them. Protection can only come from guardians or Resistance to Nanomachines or Metabolic Hazards. Design nanoviruses using the same rules as inventing other infectious agents, but double the development and production costs.