Medicine

"Medicine" differs from Combat Stims and Social Chems in that it has a medical use. This is not to say that none of these items or materials are ever abused recreationally (or in the case of medical equipment, maliciously) but it is to say that the actual purpose of them is to fight injury, pain and illness rather than emotional damage.

Healing Drugs

These are various sorts of drugs that prevent injuries from becoming worse or aid healing and recovery.
Hypercoagulin: 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 (p. B429). 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: 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: This medication contains a number of different drugs, with the combined effect of partial protection against radiation. This gives Radiation Tolerance 5. This effect lasts a day. It comes in injectable and pill form for $50/dose. LC3 Ascepaline: This drug accelerates cellular regeneration. Anyone using it regenerates 1 HP every four hours. Each dose lasts a day. A week should elapse before using it again. If not, roll vs. HT+2 the second time it was taken, HT+1 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/dose. LC3

Sedatives

These relax the body and induce drowsiness. Some sedatives of particular interest to adventurers include:
Hydrochlorazed (HCZ, or Hiccuz): This drug is intended for use fighting insomnia. It is also the most commonly known “knockout” drug delivered surreptitiously in a victim’s alcoholic drink. When taken in this way, the victim becomes drowsy after HT minutes. A minute later he must make a HT roll. On a failure he falls into a deep sleep and cannot be wakened for (12 - HT/2) hours. Success also results in sleep, but for two hours less; critical success will allow the victim to stay awake but he will still be drowsy for this time. Chloral hydrate has a faint but distinct odor that can be detected with a Perception-based Poisons or Streetwise roll (modified by Taste/Smell modifiers) if the drinker consciously sniffs for it. Alone it is bitter, but this is masked by alcohol. $1/dose. LC3. Carbodudecohydrophyl (C-12HF or See-Twelves): This is the strongest sedative available legally, although it is banned in much of human space. A clinical dose produces the same sleep-inducing effects as Hydrochlorazed, except that a critical success on the HT roll result in sleep for (8 - HT/2) hours (minimum two hours). Carbodudecohydrophyl also induces partial amnesia. On a failed HT-5 roll, the user forgets the details of events once drowsiness sets in. Recreational drug users take lesser doses often combined with other drugs – to induce heavy intoxication; this results in severe lack of coordination (-4 to DX and IQ) and the amnesia effect. Some criminals use the drug on unsuspecting victims to facilitate sexual assaults or robberies. It can also be counteracted with certain bioronics, which makes it harmless to a user. For this reason, it is often found in the form of "Sultry Midnight," an illegal lipstick used by thieves and assassins. $5/dose. LC2.

Stimulants

Stimulants increase the activity of the nervous system, producing a feeling of wakefulness and heightened awareness. These are some of the most abused medical drugs. Levostreptibonate (LSB, La-Sib, Superstim): 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. Betasucrodein (BSD, Bessie-Ds, Wideawake): 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.

Evolutionaries

'Evolutionaries' are a class of drug that are aimed at taking off the upper limit of human development. Pioneered and championed by the Perfected Path, these drugs are intended to shepherd the human race into a bright evolutionary future. These drugs are genelocked, which means that there is a chance to pass on a portion of their benefits to future generations. Isogerinate: Advanced protein engineering has produced performance-enhancing drugs with physically enhancing effects, but at the cost of mental and emotional stability. Each hour of learning an appropriate physical skill or trait while using isogerinate counts as four hours. Note that it generally only helps with focused strength and agility training as opposed to earned life experience. Children of habitual users are often stronger than average, with +1 or +2 to their ST score. $75/day. LC 3 Amylbutaxanthate: One of the four 'Derber Drugs' on the market. This one improves ST. When spending XP on improving ST or ST derivatives, the points gained towards the score don't count against your upper biological limit. There is a 50% chance that children will carry these specific improvements as a recessive trait, and a 5% chance that they will present some portion of this improvement as an improvement of their biological upper limit. To fully benefit from this drug, one must be on a daily dose for at least a month before the XP is spent. Injection or huffer. On a daily dose, you must roll an HT roll or have the Bad Temper Disadvantage for that day. $200/day, LC 2 Dextrocholetan: One of the four 'Derber Drugs' on the market. This one improves DX. When spending XP on improving DX or DX derivatives, the points gained towards the score don't count against your upper biological limit. There is a 50% chance that children will carry these specific improvements as a recessive trait, and a 5% chance that they will present some portion of this improvement as an improvement of their biological upper limit. To fully benefit from this drug, one must be on a daily dose for at least a month before the XP is spent. Injection or huffer. On a daily dose, you must roll an HT roll or have the Impulsiveness Disadvantage for that day. $400/day, LC 3 Xenopheloxin: One of the four 'Derber Drugs' on the market. This one improves IQ. When spending XP on improving IQ or IQ derivatives, the points gained towards the score don't count against your upper biological limit. There is a 50% chance that children will carry these specific improvements as a recessive trait, and a 5% chance that they will present some portion of this improvement as an improvement of their biological upper limit. To fully benefit from this drug, one must be on a daily dose for at least a month before the XP is spent. Pill, injection or huffer. On a daily dose, you must roll an HT roll or have the Minor Delusions Disadvantage for that day as you begin to make 'connections' that aren't actually there with the mass of information being processed by your brain. $400/day, LC 3 Polycetadone: One of the four 'Derber Drugs' on the market. This one improves HT. When spending XP on improving HT or HT derivatives, the points gained towards the score don't count against your upper biological limit. There is a 50% chance that children will carry these specific improvements as a recessive trait, and a 5% chance that they will present some portion of this improvement as an improvement of their biological upper limit. To fully benefit from this drug, one must be on a daily dose for at least a month before the XP is spent. Pill or injection. On a daily dose, you must roll an HT roll or have the Killjoy Disadvantage for that day. $200/day, LC 3.

First Aid Equipment

Suture Buddy: Sometimes called a Stapler or Spider, it is a tube of nanogel that is sprayed on a wound. The nanogel organizes itself into pitons on either side of the wound into which nanostring is woven, which then self-tightens until the wound is closed. A single dose of the nanogel can cover a 6-inch long wound, with one tube holding 3 doses. A wound closed this way no longer bleeds and heals at triple the normal rate thanks to the nanogel inside the wound, which works to repair the tissue. $1,200 for the applicator, $20/dose, LC 4. Nerve Block: Sometimes called Dumdum, it bestows the Numb Disadvantage, and the High Pain Threshold Advantage. This lasts for eight hours. Comes in huffer and injector forms. $40/dose, LC 2. Omni-Skin: An aerosol nanogel that acts as a replacement skin, intended for use in widespread burn areas. It also blocks the pain from the area sprayed, allowing a patient to get 'back in the fight' quickly so long as the wounds don't extend into the muscle. Both the protective and numbing effects wear off after 4 hours, requiring re-application or real medical intervention. $30/can, 60 doses in a can. LC 4.