Chimeric Modifications
Unless specifically mentioned, a modification cannot be chosen more than once. All abilities are considered mundane critter powers and do not require the critter to be Awakened to function. Costs for chimerics are triple the base creature cost plus twenty-five percent for each type of genetic modification and fifty percent for each chimeric ability. These costs presume that a viable sample has already been produced. The research and development of an untested new chimeric is much higher. A chimeric critter can only possess up to six chimeric modifications. After that, their genetic structure becomes too unstable, and the genetic blueprint will fail to generate a viable embryo. There are rumors of delta gene clinics that can exceed this limit, but this information cannot be verified.
All-Around Sight: Whether from having independently moving eyes like a chameleon or multiple composite eyes like an insect, the critter can see in all directions at once. The critter always gets a Perception test to detect a surprise attack.
Aquatic Adaptation: This set of traits varies between critters from nictitating membranes over the eye to webbed digits to a flattened tail, but in all cases the benefit is the same. The critter uses the underwater visibility modifiers (p. 157, R&G) as if he were wearing goggles or a mask, gains a +2 to Swimming tests, and may hold its breath for twice as long (p.137, CRB, doubles base time and time gained on net successes of test).
Attribute Enhancement: The critter has been engineered to enhance certain traits, making the creature stronger, faster, or smarter. Increase one attribute by fifty percent, rounded up. Applying Attribute Enhancement to an attribute of 0 increases it to 1. This modification can be selected more than once, but not for the same attribute.
Balance Tail: Most critters use their tail to swat flies or signal moods, but critters with a balance tail receive a +1 dice pool modifier for all Balance, Climbing, Gymnastics, Free-Fall, or Jumping-related tests.
Bioluminescence: The critter has specialized dermal cells that produce an enzyme that produces light. This light counts as Dim Light (p. 175, CRB) for the creature and those immediately adjacent to it. However, it also makes the creature much easier to spot, giving opponents a +3 on Perception tests to see it.
Biotoxin Alteration: This genetic alteration modifies the normal toxin producing glands in a critter, causing them to produce a different toxin entirely. This trait can modify the Scent Spray and Venom chimeric traits as well as any similar natural toxins possessed by the base creature. Chimeric critters with the Biotoxin Alteration always have the Dietary Requirement {Tailored Nutrition} weakness.
- Anesthetic: Vector: Inhalation, Speed: 1 Combat Turn, Penetration: 0, Power: 6, Effects: Stun Damage
- Formic Acid: Derived from certain species of ants, the critter can produce a powerful acid. Vector: Contact, Speed: 1 Combat Turn, Penetration: 0, Power 4, Effects: Physical Damage. Whether the physical damage is resisted or not, any armor struck by the spray loses 1 point of Armor Rating per Combat turn for a number of turns equal to the Power of the acid. This damage can be prevented by washing off the acid with a large quantity of water or with a highly basic solution.
- Hallucinogen: Vector: Inhalation, Speed: 1 Combat
Turn, Penetration: 0, Power: 6, Effects: Hallucination.
A hallucinating target sees figments
that can elicit various emotional reactions. Roll
1D6 to determine the effect of the hallucination,
then consult the Hallucination Result table.
The subject feels the emotion wholeheartedly, and it affects their physical performance in a manner consistent with the emotion. Conducting actions opposed to the emotion requires a Willpower (2) test. For example, subjects feeling rage engaging in combat suffer no penalties, whereas if the subject were attempting negotiations the negative modifier would apply.
HALLUCINATIONS RESULTS
| RESULT | EFFECT | NOTE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fear | Affected character flees from the area. |
| 2 | Fascination | Affected character ignores all other stimuli to stare at the hallucinations. |
| 3 | Love | Affected character makes amorous advances at a nearby individual. |
| 4 | Despair | Affected character attempts to surrender. |
| 5 | Depression | Affected character takes a –2 to all actions. |
| 6 | Rage | Affected character attacks random nearby target, friendly or not. |
- Nauseating: Vector: Inhalation, Speed: 1 Combat Turn, Penetration: 0, Power: 6, Effects: Nausea (p. 409, CRB).
Camouflage: Whether it is fur, feathers, or scales, the creature’s coloration lends itself to concealment in a particular environment. The critter receives a +1 dice pool modifier for Sneaking Tests in any condition with decreased light levels and in environments appropriate to the pattern (stripes in tall grass, spots in a forest or jungle, etc.).
Celerity: The critter’s body is made for speed, with long powerful legs. The critter increases its Walking and Running multipliers by 1 and also adds +1m/ turn to her Sprint Increase (see Movement, p. 161, CRB).
Climate Adaptation: The critter’s metabolic processes, skin tissue, and regulation cycles are adapted to extreme heat or cold climates, enabling the critter to adjust more easily to hot or cold temperatures. This quality grants a +2 dice pool modifier for Survival Tests (p. 136, CRB) and resisting fatigue damage (see p. 172, CRB) from their chosen environment and a –2 dice pool modifier from the other. Choose a climate when selecting this trait.
Defensive Secretion: The critter’s dermal cells allow it to exude a defensive liquid when agitated or endangered, similar to the defensive secretions of some frogs and insects. Though not poisonous, these secretions are either acidic, creating a burning sensation upon touch, or cause other adverse skin reactions. As soon as someone touches the bare skin of the agitated critter with unprotected skin, they suffer a –1 dice pool modifier for all tests made within the next twenty-four hours or until treated with a successful Medicine + Logic [Mental] (2) Test. If an individual affected by the secretion is allergic to the base critter of the chimeric, increase the modifier to –2.
Dynamic Coloration: The critter’s skin changes color only when exposed for a prolonged time (1 minute) to a background with sharp contrasts, like colorful patterns, and it retains the new color for up to four hours total. If the background around it changes, the color fades and the creature’s coloration returns to normal within ten minutes. While the camouflage is in effect, increase the threshold to see the critter by 2, as long as it is standing still.
Echolocation: Changes in the ear, vocal chords, and spatial-auditory portions of the brain enable the critter to visualize its surroundings by sending and receiving sonic pulses. The critter suffers no Visibility modifiers to Perception tests regardless of light conditions, even complete darkness (p. 175, CRB). The only limitations are that solid objects like glass or concrete block the sense and the range is limited to twenty meters in air and two hundred meters in water.
Electrocytes: Derived from the electric eel, this modification generates stacks of specialized cells capable of generating electrical potential. These electrocytes allow the critter to deliver an electrical attack with a successful touch-only melee attack (p. 187, CRB). This attack has a DV (Bod)S(e), AP –6.
Enhanced Sense (Low Light Vision, Thermographic Vision): These senses function the same for the critter as a metahuman with the equivalent sense.
Enhanced Sense (Scent): The best bloodhound can pick up the scent of a single individual within a crowd of people. This trait gives a +2 dice pool modifier and +1 limit to tests made using scent-based Perception and scent-based Tracking tests.
Enhanced Sense (Broadened Auditory Spectrum): A critter with this trait can hear ultrasonic, high-frequency sound (including ultrasound emitters) or infrasonic, low-frequency sound (including Infrasonic Generator cyberware). This ability allows the critter to make a Perception test to detect communication or sounds within a wider band of frequencies and adds +1 to the limit of Perception tests involving sound. As this kind of hearing can be considered always on, noises inaudible to others may sometimes distract or deafen the critter. This quality results in minor visible changes to the size and structure of the outer ear.
Extra Head: The only repeatedly successful genetic extraction from a paracritter, the Cerberus hound, this trait adds an additional head to the critter. This trait can be selected twice for a maximum of three heads on a critter. Each additional head adds 1 box to the Physical Condition Monitor and +1 to Perception tests. If the base critter possesses a natural attack originating from the head such as horns, tusks, or a bite, additional heads gain this trait as well. The critter with more than one head can continue to function if a head is severed as long as at least one head remains and the damage did not incapacitate the critter. Multi-headed chimerics tend to be easily distractable.
Frog Tongue: The critter possesses a long adhesive tongue similar to a frog or chameleon, which can be extended in a spring-loaded fashion by a muscular trigger. When triggered, it shoots outward to strike at a target and then retracts. Though not prehensile enough to manipulate a tool, the tongue is strong enough to snatch an object, provided the object’s weight is less than the critter’s Strength x 100 grams. Because of the tongue’s sticky secretions, the object will stick to the tongue until manually removed. If the critter also possesses the Venom associated with its bite (p. 401, CRB) the tongue can be used to apply the substance with a successful touch-only melee attack (p. 187, CRB) using the Exotic Melee Weapon (Frog Tongue) skill of which the critter gains 1 rank for free.
Gills: A critter with gills is capable of extracting oxygen from water, allowing them to stay submerged indefinitely. This adaptation, most commonly added to chimerics whose base creature has lungs, is usually adapted from lungfish genetics, and allows the creature to stay out of the water indefinitely without suffering from any ill effects due to their gills.
Gliding: The critter has flaps of skin, semi-functional wings, or some other feature that allows it to glide short distances. Creatures with the Gliding ability start with one rank in the Free-Fall skill. This can be further increased using the Skill Enhancement trait. Critters use Agility instead of Body when using the Free-Fall skill to glide, because it is more about the fine motor reflexes than pure physicality. A gliding critter can avoid falling damage from any distance with a Free-Fall + Agility [Physical] (2) Success test. While falling, they can choose to travel up to twice the distance horizontally that they fall vertically. In one Combat Turn, a gliding critter falls ten meters and can move up to twenty meters horizontally. They must always be moving from a high point to a lower point—no gliding up!
Ink Extrusion: Designed to blind a target, the creature extrudes a dark viscous substance that applies a penalty to all Perception (Visual) tests equal to the Body of the creature extruding it. The ink permanently stains most porous items and clothing. When used under water, the ink spreads in an area covering a number of meters equal to the critter’s Body. To strike an intended target, the critter rolls a ranged attack using Exotic Ranged Weapon + Agility with a range of (Body) meters.
Magnetoception: This adaptation allows a critter to sense changes in nearby magnetic fields. This is accomplished by an elevated level of magnetite in the ethmoid bone of the nose and specialized neural pathways linking to a modified olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex. Critters with this quality can literally sniff out the presence, direction, and intensity of magnetic fields, such as those generated by electronics, power supplies, or magnetic anomaly detectors. The critter also has an unerring ability to locate magnetic north, providing a +2 dice pool bonus to Navigation tests. The critter makes a Perception + Intuition [Mental] v. Object Resistance (p. 293, CRB) Test to detect these emanations within a range of five meters.
Natural Weapon: This trait takes the most dangerous bits from one animal and puts it on another. The animal must, of course, have the physical features to accommodate the natural weapon. For example, you can’t engineer a snake with claws—show some respect for nature. And physics. Consult the Natural Weapons table to see the available options.
NATURAL WEAPONS
| WEAPON | DV | AP | REACH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bite | Str +2 | -2 | -1 |
| Claws | Str +1 | -1 | - |
| Horns | Str +2 | -1 | - |
| Tail | Str +3 | - | 1 |
| Tusk | Str +2 | - | - |
Proboscis: The critter possesses a prehensile nose similar to an elephant’s trunk. It can be used for small manipulations or even a blunt punch using the Exotic Melee Weapon (Trunk) skill (DV (STR – 1)P, Reach —, AP +1). Apply a –2 dice pool modifier to any attempt to manipulate an object with the trunk. It has an effective Strength equal to the critter’s Strength. Trunks do not provide an extra attack.
Potent Venom: This modification enhances the creature’s ability to produce a natural toxin. Increase the Power of the critter’s venom by fifty percent, rounded up. This modification has no effect on a creature without a natural toxin.
Quills: These modified hairs are coated with thick keratin plates that resemble porcupine quills, interspersed with bristles, under fur and hair. Quills are two to four centimeters long, sharp as needles, and detach easily when used in close combat. Quills are used as a defensive mechanism to hold off attackers. If the critter is successfully grappled in close combat (see Subduing, p. 195, CRB), the attacker makes a Damage Resistance Test against a DV of (STR + 1) P, AP +1, using the higher Strength attribute of the grappling pair. Quills can be wielded in melee combat using the Exotic Melee Weapon (Quills) skill, with the following stats: DV (STR + 1)P, Reach —, AP +1.
Scent Spray: The critter possesses scent glands that produce a foul odor similar to skunk spray. The scent gland can be used to make a ranged attack using the Exotic Ranged Weapon (Scent Gland) skill as a touch-only ranged attack (p. 187, CRB) to spray a single target within (Body) meters with a stinking mist. Targets struck the by the spray may experience Nausea (p. 409, CRB). The spray becomes inert after two minutes of exposure to the air. Normal armor offers no protection, though Chemical Resistance and other similar upgrades do. At the best of times, the critter smells pungent, imparting a +2 dice pool modifier to locate the critter by scent.
- Vector: Inhalation
- Speed: Immediate
- Penetration: -2
- Power: 6
- Effect: Nausea
Skill Enhancement: This modification reinforces certain behavioral instincts in the creature. Increase one natural skill of the critter by 2. This modification can be selected more than once, but not for the same skill. This modification can only be selected for a skill the critter already possesses. Teaching a critter a new skill can only be done using the Training rules.
Sturdiness: This modification adds several subtle genetic tweaks of mostly reptilian genes that improve the physical stature and robustness of the chimera. Increase the critter’s Physical Limit by 1. In addition, if the critter has the Fragile weakness, reduce it by 1.
Thermosense: Like a snake, the critter possesses infrared- sensitive receptors next to their olfactory organs that allow them to sense radiated heat. This quality allows the critter to make a non-visual Perception test to detect anything that produces heat (bodies, electronics, etc.) within ten meters. Thresholds and modifiers can be adjusted for factors such as warm environments, lower heat outputs (such as friction or decomposition), or heat pollution (too many sources, thermal smoke, etc.). Hits on the test give information on distance, movement, heat output, and location. The sense is not fooled by Invisibility or Silence spells. When using thermal sensitivity in combat, the sense reduces the Visibility and Light/ Glare modifiers by one level.
Thicker Hide: This modification produces a critter with heavier scales, thicker fur, or tougher skin. Increase the critter’s natural Armor by fifty percent, rounded up. Critters without a natural armor are instead granted a natural Armor of 3 or their Body, whichever is lower. This modification cannot be used to enhance creatures with Hardened Armor.
Venom: Venom is a potent trait that can make even a small critter very dangerous. This trait adds the physiological structures required to generate a biological toxin and deliver it through a natural attack (chosen when ability is selected).
- Vector: Injection
- Speed: 1 Combat Turn
- Penetration: 0
- Power: 6
- Effect: Physical Damage
Vestigial Wings: This trait adds either bat-like or birdlike wings to a creature which does not naturally fly. These wings are insufficient for true flight due to the lack of appropriate musculature and low body weight found in flying critters. They are not without benefit however. If a creature with Vestigial Wings should happen to fall, reduce the effective distance of a fall by four meters when calculating the falling damage (p. 172, CRB), and they receive a +2 dice pool modifier on jumping tests (p. 134-135, CRB).
Wall Climbing: Based on gecko and spider genetics, this modification allows the critter to move along vertical surfaces. Critters with this trait always use assisted climbing rates (p. 134, CRB). Critters with four or more legs and a Body of 3 or less are even capable of climbing inverted on horizontal surfaces such as ceilings.
Web Extrusion: The critter has a natural gland for producing spider silk and the spinnerets to weave it. The spider silk is very strong relative to the creature that produced it. It can hold up to twice the weight of the creature that spins it. A web spun of spider silk is difficult to see, applying a –2 modifier to Perception tests to notice it. The web is capable of entangling a victim with a Body equal to or less than the Body of the creature that spun it. The critter can also use the webbing in conjunction with the Free-Fall skill to lower themselves from an elevated position.