What follows is a series of equipment either new or transplanted from Zebulon’s Guide and reprinted here for use with Alpha Dawn rules.
Anti-Rad Implant. This is a special implant that goes onto the back of the neck, directly linked into the spinal column. It helps the body produce antibodies which help in the body’s fight against radiation contamination.
Any character equipped with an anti-rad implant ignores 10 points of intensity from any radiation contamination he’s infected with (intensity is the number after the “S”). Furthermore, any hard radiation attacks from some mutations will only cause half damage to the character with this device.
The implant is powered by the body’s own central nervous system’s electrical system, and will last for a year or so before requiring adjustment. Adjusting an anti-rad implant can only be performed by a hospital with qualified medical persons, and costs half as much as the original implant.
Bio-mod Screen. This screen is illegal and cannot be easily found, even on remote worlds. If a mutant wears one, he is immune to the effects of a bioscanner (fixed or portable). He will not be detected as a mutant. The screen is powered by a powerpack or beltpack, and drains 1 SEU per minute of operation. Even obvious physical mutations will successfully be hidden by the scanner. Obviously, if you’re obviously mutated, a Star Law agent will still probably notice you with his eyes.
Bio-Scanner. This device can take one of two forms: portable or fixed. A fixed bio-scanner is mounted up high, and scans visually and compares against databases of known registered species. It searches for physical mutations, and works very well. It is powered by a Type I parabattery and can function for a year or more before needing its power source replaced. The accuracy of a fixed bioscanner is 80%. If any mutant character comes within 10 meters of this 360 degree sensing device, he has an 80% chance of being detected and Star Law notified. These devices are usually placed in corridors of office buildings and star ports on UP charter worlds.
A portable bio-scanner looks like a pair of large binoculars. They are often carried by Star Law M. E. agents. They are powered by standard SEU powerclips, draining 1 SEU per scan.
When peered through and activated, the portable bio-scanner will perform its scans. It will highlight potential mutants in the viewport with 75% accuracy.
Body-gene Box. A body-gene box is part stasis field, part freeze field. It is a 20-cm cube made of federanium. A small piece of a character's epidermal covering is placed inside it. As long as the box remains closed, the sample remains fresh. The body-gene box is kept in a bank vault that is now standard at all major hospitals. Once a character is declared dead, his genetic sample can be removed from the box and a clone can be created of the character. As might be expected there are numerous hitches involved with this item and the entire procedure.
Cost: Besides the high cost of the body-gene box (see the Equipment Tables) there is also the cost of having the sample prepared and taken (5000 Cr), the cost of storage (10,000 Cr per year), and the cost of having the clone made (75,000 Cr). Once a clone is grown the sample is destroyed. Another sample cannot be taken for at least three months.
Legalities: Society has a great fear of clones running wild. No character with a felony criminal record can have a sample taken, maintain a sample in a b-g box, or have a clone grown. Proof of a character's death must be positively established before a clone can be grown. This either requires witnesses, a medical certificate of death, or the identifiable remains of the character.
If it is discovered that a clone exists while the original still lives, a general order to shoot on sight is immediately given. Unfortunately this usually results in both the clone and the original being destroyed.
A character can only be brought back through cloning if he has died an unusually early accidental death. Most of the Frontier believes that if allowed a free hand, the clone merchants would overpopulate the systems in a matter of decades. Therefore, by law, no one may be cloned who has died of old age or a natural death. Interpretation of this are left to the referee's discretion. (Of course, there are always rumors of the "filthy rich" who can buy their own clone banks and almost become immortal, but that is for NPC consideration only).
Dangers: If a close discovers that his original is still alive, he becomes obsessed with a desire to kill the original character and never stops trying until one or the other is dead. The next step, usually, is that the cloned character then becomes suicidal after realizing that he has killed himself.
Campaign Considerations: When a character has a sample taken, the referee must record all of the character's abilities, skills, and so forth. This record is then the basis for the clone, if and when it is grown. Any new abilities or skills developed after the sample is taken are not recorded, unless the character has another sample taken later (whereupon the original sample is destroyed). A player can never control two versions of the same character at the same time. If, for some reason, a clone is grown while a character still lives, the Referee will control the clone.
DNA Comparitor. This portable device is worn on the forearm, and is powered by a standard SEU powerclip. Each use drains one SEU. The device is intended to compare sampled DNA to that worn by the character. Therefore, it can only detect mutated genetic samples of people of the same race as the wearer. On planets where mutation is an issue, Star Law M.E. agents wear one of these wherever they go, and have the right to sample hair or fingernails if necessary.
This method of mutant detection has a 90% effectiveness. If the wearer of the device is also a mutant, it will detect pure-strain characters as mutated as well as all other mutants. No two mutants have the exact same genetic structure, or else they wouldn’t be called mutants; they’d be called a species.
Food Purifier. This backpack-sized device has a low-level radiation bombardment chamber built into it. Plants, vegetables, grain, fowl, fish, and even meat can be placed in this chamber and cleansed of most harmful organisms, poisons, and other conditions that would otherwise harm a character if he were to eat them.
Some substances resist this bombardment very well (referee should roll 1d100 for each new food type to be purified, a 99-00 indicates the food is still tainted and resists bombardment). The food purifier has 20 uses from a single 20-SEU powerclip. When in use, this device shows up on every radiation scanner within range.
MRA Credentials. If you have a mutant character and you want to keep Star Law from bother you, it is advisable to purchase proper identification and registration. These credentials register you in all UPF computer systems as a properly registered mutant, and offers you rights under the MRA act. Paying twice the value shown with a criminal syndicate will get you properly registered as a nonmutant, even if you are one. This can be helpful especially if most of your mutations are hidden.
Neutrad. An injection of neutrad is necessary with the Medical skill to stop radiation poisoning. Radiation poisoning is most commonly caused by nuclear battery or plant leakage or by a character being exposed to ancient nuclear weapons or their residue in nuked areas.
Neutrad Supplements. These pills are to be taken daily while contaminated. They will reduce the intensity of the radiation contamination by -5 for that day. Taking multiple pills has no effect other than to induce vomiting. The intensity of a radiation effect is the number after the “S.” These pills do not require medical training to administer, and are available on most worlds.
Water Distiller/Purifier. This collapsible distillation filtering tank can purify up to 400 liters of water before it needs to be changed. This is a necessary item for explorers who cannot carry enough drinking water with them but are on a planet where water can be found. Characters drinking unfiltered water run the risk of infection, contamination, or even poisoning. The tank also has a section for dehydration, so plants can be inserted and the water drawn from them. This is also a good method for drying fruit and vegetables so they will last longer as rations.
Equipment List
Equipment Wgt(kg) Cost
Anti-Rad Implant -- 5,000
Bio-mod Screen 1 3,000
Bio-Scanner, Fixed 10 2,000
Bio-Scanner, Portable* 2 500
Cloning Process
Body-gene box 20 5,000
Sample Taken -- 5,000
Storage Per Year -- 10,000
Clone Grown -- 75,000
DNA Comparitor 1 1,200
Food Purifier 20 650
MRA Credentials, legal -- 50
MRA Credentials, black market -- 100+
Neutrad -- 10
Neutrad Supplements (10 tabs) -- 20
Water Distiller/Purifier -- 150
Extra Filter -- 15
* can be mounted on a robot for a 10% installation fee.
