"Assault Drugs" refer to a spread of chemical weapons used in various contexts, from classic chemical warfare to truth serum. These are NEVER used recreationally, and always used with ill intent against targets, damaging their health in addition to any other effects. Due to the potential for pollution and collateral, Assault Drugs are highly regulated under
Harmony and Detente, and outright banned in much of human space.
Surreptitious Poisons
These poisons slowly build up and degrade the user's health, ideally so the poisoner can be far away before the alarms are raised. This means that a poisoner must maintain some sort of contact with the victim for an extended period, but it does mean that the poisoning itself is going to be less likely to be detected. These poisons can all be found primarily as soluble powders.
Carboxilicicine: This causes vomiting and diarrhea, but 'recovery' is possible, allowing the poison to be delivered in stages. The body retains carboxilicicine; reduce HT permanently by 1 for each 3 points of toxic damage. Critical failures cause overdose. $1/dose. LC 2.
Zeonoxinol: This drug causes a target to slowly lose Will. Every dose deals 3d-HT in toxic damage. For every 3 toxic damage dealt by this drug, permanently reduce Will by one. $36/dose. LC 1
Phenostreptosporine: Also known as "timebomb," this drug waits inside of a victim harmlessly. This allows several doses to be slowly and undetectably built up over time. When introduced to an activating reagent, the victim experiences 1d-3 toxic damage per dose, 36+HT hours after being introduced to the reagent. For every 5 toxic damage from this drug, the victim also suffers 1 point of permanent ST damage. $100/dose. LC 0.
Chemical Weapons
Chemical Weapons in the Age of Convergence are almost all oil suspensions, and can be used in this context in injectors, smoke mines/grenades/missiles, or even aerosol sprays. Unless otherwise noted, any sort of gas mask or filtration system renders these weapons mostly inneffective unless bypassed. Chemical weapons are a violation of
Harmony and Detente due to the lingering effects on an area; drinking water poisoned by nerve gas can cause subtle harm for generations. That being said, there are
15mm Rounds built in shady factories that deliver these agents, and the
Wolfguard make widespread use of them. The effects of Chemical Weapons are almost always acute, intended to maximize the effects of an assault. See
Grenades, Mines, and Deployables, and
15mm Rounds for delivery systems.
Batrachobutadone: This is what tear gas means in the Age of Convergence. Breathing it in causes Sever Pain. Exposure causes the victim to roll at HT-2 or begin Retching. The effects last for 10d6-HT seconds after leaving the cloud. Injecting a dose causes Agony instead of Retching on a failed roll. LC 3, $120/dose.
Streptocholedrine: The other less-lethal chemical weapon causes Drowsiness and, on a failed HT-1 roll, Unconsciousness. The effects last for 6d6-HT minutes after the air is cleared. This chemical is carefully calibrated to make overdose extremely unlikely. LC 3, $90/dose.
Lithiumarsenoxic Acid: This gas is corrosive, dealing 1d corr damage to any limb with exposed skin, degrading equipment, cover, etc. The DR of armor and cover is degraded as normal for corrosion damage. If the DR of a gas mask reaches 0 or if one is not present, the victim must roll a HT-1. Even with a success, they are in Terrible Pain, but if they fail they begin Choking. This agent is heavy and clinging; it lasts 30 seconds/Gs, after which most of it has settled onto the ground and burned down until it has been neutralized. On most surfaces, this creates a 'chem crater,' which certain groups (notably the
Wolfguard) have been known to use as fighting holes. LC 0, $300/dose.
Zendozine: This nerve gas requires those trapped inside to make a HT+1 roll. On a success, they are Tipsy. On a failure, they are drunk. On a critical failure, they begin having Seizures. LC 0, $450/dose.
Metaphagoxcedrin: This nerve gas renders those inside Drowsy, and they lose 1d SP. If they also fail a HT-2 roll, they lose an additional 1d SP, and they begin Hallucinating, seeing terrifying visions of enemies in every direction. LC 0, $700/dose.
Hyperacitate Carboquadrihydrozine (HACQ): Upon breathing in this gas, the victim suffers 1d toxic damage for every 10 seconds in the cloud. Painful lesions open up on the skin, but if the victim holds their breath they don't have to roll to fight off the attack. If they breathe in the gas, it deals an additional 2d toxic damage. The real horror of this gas's effects come if the victim dies from this toxic damage. Over the course of one minute, the victim's body is evaporated through an aggressive fermentation, resulting in a dense cloud of heavy methane suspended in lipid vapors. This cloud lasts for an hour indoors, or ten minutes outdoors, and can be ignited with 1 burn damage and deals 1d burn damage for every three seconds spent in the cloud, which persists for 10d rounds as the lipids turn into a tar and cling to anything passing through the intense fireball. LC 0+M, $1,200/dose.
Neurophagitate: This gas can be absorbed into the skin, causing Numbness in any and all exposed skin. For every 3 seconds of exposure, this gas deals 1d toxic damage. For every 3 toxic damage, it lowers the victim's IQ by 1. An enemy that reaches 0 IQ falls into a persistent coma, requiring long-term medical care to recover, if recovery is possible at all. LC 0+M, $1,000/dose.
Coersion Serums
Coersion Serums are injections that assault the victim's mind, willpower, imagination, etc. Truth serums, brainwashing drugs, and other darker things from the pages of spy novels are categorized here.
Sodiummonioloxin: This injection is used 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 limit
ed 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. It is marketed as a veterinary anasthetic. Comes in aerosol and injection. $15/dose. LC3.
Polypromyacin: A chemical originally derived from a fungus. This drug activates the peripheral nervous system. Sometimes marketed as a party drug under the name PPM, Polypros, PeePee-Mikes, or Tinglers, this drug ramps up the sensitivity of the sense of touch. This gives the Acute Sense (Touch) 5, as well as a Euphoria which can be easily extended into the Ecstasy condition with gentle touches. This Euphoria can be replaced by Terrible Pain by inflicting minor damage through relatively benign torture (a slap or tortion poses, for instance) or Agony by inflicting at least 1 HP of damage. This imposes the Low Pain Threshold
Disadvantage. Threatening someone who has just experienced this sort of pain induces a Fright Check at -1 for every HP inflicted. The effects last for 30-HT minutes. Comes in injection, pill, and huffer form. $45/dose. LC 2.
Crediline: 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. Administered by an injection or aerosol spray. $24/dose. LC 2.
Torpaline: 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. Comes in pill form. $20/dose. LC 3.
Lethe: 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. Administered by an aerosol spray or injection. $24/dose. LC 2.
Sleeper: This drug deactivates the Ego of a subject and makes them highly susceptible to suggestion. The victim must roll an HT-3 to avoid falling into a trance. This allows someone with the Brainwashing or Memetics skills to 'program' instructions into the victim tied to certain triggers. A victim's imagination works against them here; they can 'store' a number of actions equal to their IQ, and they can 'store' a number of triggers equal to their IQ/4 (rounded down). The victim must roll a Will to avoid taking an action when exposed to the trigger, adding +1 for every other action and trigger stored in their mind. The programming trance lasts for 15-HT/2 minutes. Administered by an injection. $112/dose. LC 1.
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