Posthuman (IB)
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| Starfox's Blades in the Dark hack |
Sometimes a horse I'll be, sometimes a hound,
A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;
And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.
- — Puck, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III, Scene I
Posthuman Playbook
As a Posthuman, you are an expert in adapting to genetic and biological upgrades. These extensive enhancements alter your body in fundamental ways, some reshaping it entirely. While anyone can undergo minor alterations, you have trained yourself to integrate entirely nonhuman physiologies.
People distrust Posthumans — both biological Posthumans and cybernetic Cyborgs. Clearly visible enhancements invite suspicion but are tolerated. What truly unsettles people are Posthumans whose nature isn’t obvious: those who look human until they don’t. When not using visible upgrades, you must choose between concealing your status — risking two additional Heat if discovered — or revealing it and being treated as visibly enhanced, with an added unease about your true nature.
Some upgrades are radical. All upgrades are Special Abilities, but you can maintain only one radical upgrade at a time; all others can be used freely.
Activating a Posthuman upgrade is optional. Integrating a new adaptation demands weeks of calibration and neural retraining, represented by gaining it as a Special Ability. Once you’ve learned a Posthuman upgrade, you can adopt or shed it as a single Downtime Activity. You may change or drop any number of upgrades during this activity, including returning to a baseline human form.
Touchstones: Seth Brundle / “Brundlefly” (The Fly, 1986), Sharon “Boomer” Valerii / Athena (Battlestar Galactica, 2004–09), Warren Worthington III / Angel (X-Men: The Last Stand, 2006), Ava (Ex Machina, 2014).
Special Abilities
- Adaptation: Your physiology is optimized for environmental survival. You are immune to Degrav and decompression; you can hold your breath for up to an hour, go 15 days without water or 5 weeks without food before suffering effects. All consequences from environmental conditions are improved by one step, but not to better than Controlled
- Adapted Senses: Your senses are enhanced; you can see a wider spectrum of light and hear a greater range of frequencies. You resist sensory overload and improve your Position against stealth or sensory interference, but not to better than Controlled.
- Angel (radical): You can fly in gravity up to 0.3 g and glide in up to 0.6 g. You suffer worse Position when using Terran.
- Kobold (radical): You gain Effect when using Terran and lose Effect when using Micro.
- Lemure (radical): You gain Effect when using Micro and suffer worse position in Terran. You see well in low light but poorly in very bright light.
- Melusine (radical): You can breathe underwater and are immune to pressure and decompression. You lose Effect when using Terran or otherwise acting in dry environments.
- Optimized Morphology: Your body has adapted in visible, unnatural ways to excel at a specific Action. Choose one when you take this ability; you gain +1d when using it. The adaptation is physical — concealable when dormant but evident in use. If applied to a Resolve Action, you achieve full Effect on your target but may provoke a reaction from witnesses.
- Satyr (radical): You gain Effect when using Lunar and always land safely after falls and jumps. You suffer worse Position when using Terran.
Contacts and Enemies
- ˄ ˅ Ash, a morph-broker sourcing phenotype upgrades.
- ˄ ˅ Echo, an influencer.
- ˄ ˅ Flux, a lawyer and activist.
- ˄ ˅ Quill, a virtual reality engineer.
- ˄ ˅ Slate, a corporate biosecurity chief.
Inventory
Your understanding and connections let you access Limes equipment one Quality level above your Tier. You also have access to the following higher-quality items; their Quality already includes this bonus.
- ☑ Concealed Blade +2 Quality.
- ☐ Concealed Breaching Kit +2 Quality.
- ☐ Multispectral Belt Sensor +1 Quality.
- ☐☐ Pack Tool Kit (any specialization) +2 Quality.
- ☐ Power Battery +2 Quality.
- ☐ Survey Binoculars +1 Quality.
Your Crew also gains an additional upgrade related to healing and training.
XP
- Every time you roll a Desperate Action, mark XP in that Action’s attribute.
At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 XP (in your playbook or an attribute), or 2 XP if that item occurred multiple times.
- You addressed a challenge using your biological enhancements or environmental mastery.
- You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
- You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.
- The player pointed out an established enemy or disadvantage.