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The Second portion of developing and balancing your Great Houses are checks and balances if your House has Biotech.
There are two major facets of Biotech: How they are designed and how well they are produced. Producing quality and significant quantity Biotech requires valuable resources.

Written By Slappy, we give you....


Librarians and Engineers: The Duality of Bio-Tech

Bio-Technology has been an incredible boon to the Resistance, but it does have a dark side. While it is an amazing instrument of creation, it can also cause terrible destruction. It is capable of crafting both great beauty and nightmarish horrors. It can bring out the absolute best in humans or it can corrupt their souls and turn them into monsters. Nowhere is the duality of Bio-Tech better embodied than in the Librarians and Engineers. While they are both spawned from the same symbiotic creature, they could not be more different.

The Engineers personify the positive side of Bio-Technology. Their talents are focused on healing and creation. Their very touch can repair the gravest wounds or cure virulent diseases and genetic disorders. With rare exception, their motivations tend to be selfless and pure. Even their appearance is beautiful, almost angelic. Like the Saints, they sacrifice their bodies to host a symbiotic creature, but in return their minds and bodies are enhanced into beautiful examples of perfection. The Gene Pool is a being of pure benevolence, and bonding with it brings out the best of the host Engineer.

Librarians, on the other hand, represent everything that humanity fears about Bio-Technology. Bonding with a Brain Pool creates a powerful being, but the host is corrupted both inside and out. Instead of enhancing the host’s body into something beautiful, the Brain Pool rips the host’s body to shreds and keeps it alive in a horrifying dismembered state. The host’s mind is enhanced to levels far beyond even the Engineers, but this intellectual boost warps their perceptions. They start to see themselves as geniuses among children. In their hearts, they believe they know what is best for the simple humans around them, and they become willing to perpetrate terrible evils for the “greater good.” Even their powers that benefit humanity come with a horrible price.

While the touch of the Engineer is gentle and healing, the touch of the Librarian is delivered through a piercing blade. They can secrete a chemical called the “Elixir of Life” that grants people tremendous powers, but at the cost of their humanity and free will. They act as living repositories of mankind’s knowledge, but they download this information by ripping it from a human’s mind through a piercing blade. Plus they secretly possess the ability to implant thoughts and desires into the minds of their prey. The Librarians are vital components of Bio-Tech creation, so their “eccentricities” are tolerated. However, when you take these obvious negatives and the horrifying process of their birth into account, it becomes quite a mystery as to how either of these creatures was ever accepted in the first place.

Birth, Death, and Rebirth

Bio-Technology would not be possible without the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who willingly become Saints, Engineers, and Librarians. They trade away their own humanity (and often their lives) to help the rest of mankind. People of the Resistance refer to the Gene Pools and Brain Pools as symbiotes, but in reality they are closer to parasites. The leaders of the Resistance wisely hide some aspects of the Gene Pools’ life cycle to prevent people from reeling away from Bio-Technology out of fear and disgust.

The life cycle of a Gene Pool begins benignly enough. Twice per month, the Gene Pool of an active Engineer (basically one that is properly nourished) will give birth to a single offspring. The young symbiote can live within the murky depths of the parental Gene Pool for up to two weeks before it must bond with a host. If a suitable host is not found within this time, the young creature dies and its genetic material is quickly reabsorbed by the Gene Pool. Typically, there is already a long list of candidates awaiting rebirth as a Saint, so most are implanted within days of birth.

Each House keeps their candidates (known as Acolytes) within an isolated chamber called the Monastery. The members of the Monastery are selected for training at a young age based on exceptional mental and physical attributes. Their parents are given the option to let them go or not, but few ever turn down this great honor. Acolytes then leave their old lives behind and go to the Monastery where they receive some of the best education offered within the Resistance. They are taught everything about science, medicine, philosophy, and Bio-Tech. All acolytes become proficient healers, so even those that do not get chosen to bond still serve their House well. Truly exceptional acolytes are selected to become Librarians and Engineers. The best of the rest become Saints.

When the time comes for an acolyte to become a Saint, he or she lies down within the waters of a Gene Pool and is placed into a medically induced coma by the Engineer. The subject’s stomach, liver, intestines, and kidneys are then surgically removed and the new symbiote is placed into the empty cavity. Within a mere fifteen seconds, the symbiote bonds with the host and takes over the functions of the missing organs. The Engineer then closes the wounds, but even without this outside help, the symbiote would heal the host within days. The involvement of the Engineer makes the process far less traumatic and decreases the recovery time from 1D6 days to 1D4 hours, but they are not actually required. Some symbiotes have even been successfully implanted in the field during extraordinary circumstances, and the Saints still survived.

As a bit of an interesting side note, the Engineer has no control over the birth of new symbiotes. The Gene Pool they are bonded to continuously generates offspring whether the host wants it to or not. Since every Great House wants as many Saints as possible, few people are concerned about this, but some are uncomfortable with the idea that these symbiotes are making their own decisions.

Once bonded, the young symbiote continues to mature within the body of the Saint for the next 3D8+50 years. Why it takes this long is another mystery. A young symbiote is nearly identical to a mature one. In the last few months of this phase they do start to grow in size, but other than that, they remain remarkably consistent. Some theorize the symbiote is just trying to experience as much as they can about the outside world before they metamorphosize into their immobile form.

While the Saint gets to live out the majority of his or her life as a beautiful creature, when the time comes, the host meets a rather ugly end. For the last 1D4 months of the Saint’s life, the symbiote grows at an accelerated rate; painfully twisting, warping, and distending the host’s body. During this time, speed is reduced by half each month, the character loses one melee attack and suffers penalties of -2 to strike, parry, and dodge. These penalties are cumulative and stack up with each additional month. During the final two weeks, the Saint can no longer move under his own power. At this point, the symbiote mercifully floods the host’s body with sedatives to prepare him for the end, and what a gruesome end it is. When the new Gene Pool bursts forth from its former home, it rips the host’s body in half in an explosive spray of gore. The host then serves one final purpose, the Gene Pool’s first meal. The Gene Pool unfolds into its bowl like form, hoists the shattered chunks of its former host into the center, and then secrets powerful enzymes that liquefy the remains. Once the pool has fed, it starts digging out its permanent resting place. Resistance leaders typically move Saints to the Engineering Chambers long before the Gene Pool hatches since it is extremely difficult to get it to settle anywhere else once it starts digging. Brain Pools emerge from their Saint hosts in a similar fashion, but instead of opening up into a bowl, they flip over, sprout wicked blades from their six main tentacles, and then crawl on top of the old host, slice it to ribbons, and devour the remains.

The newly born Gene Pool or Brain Pool still has a lot of growing to do before it can bond with a host. For the next few months, they need to be fed between five hundred and one thousand pounds (225 to 450 kg) of animal matter each day until they reach full size. The growth of a Brain Pool is pretty obvious as it quadruples in size. It is more difficult to see the Gene Pool grow because it gets “deeper” as it sinks into the ground. The pool is only a few feet deep at first, but it eventually hits about six feet (1.8 m) deep when it is ready to bond with a host. Gene Pools and Brain Pools can actually live for about 4D6 years without a host, but they are little more than useless eating machines. To unlock their real potential, they must bond with an Acolyte.

Once again the bonding process demonstrates the duality between these two creatures. When a potential host is brought before a Gene Pool, the symbiote reaches out with its tentacles and gently lays them upon the Acolyte’s temples. It is not able to read the potential host’s thoughts, but it can get a general sense of its intentions and disposition (alignment). If the Gene Pool does not wish to bond, it gently pushes the prospective host away. If the Gene Pool feels comfortable with the prospective host (if the acolyte is of a good or Unprincipled alignment), it will slide its tentacles behind the person’s back like a gentle guiding hand and carefully direct the acolyte to where he or she needs to stand. The Gene Pool then numbs the target area behind the calves and lower back and slides all six tentacles under the host’s skin. It continues to inject the host with chemicals to deaden the pain and create a euphoric feeling as it extends its tendrils up through the host. From the outside it looks like the tentacles just slide up under the skin, but in reality, some significant alterations are taking place. The tentacles actually consume the host’s vertebrates and merge with the spinal cord. This is required to complete the connection and it is why the host can never separate from the Gene Pool again. The Gene Pool takes great care to make sure its host is comfortable during this process. Once connected, the knowledge of these two separate beings become one. The host emerges from this drug-induced euphoria with an unmatched (except by the Librarians of course) understanding of anatomy, genes and genetic manipulation.

The bonding process for the Librarian is a bit more brutal. Prospective hosts brought before the Librarian are stabbed in the spine by one of the Brain Pool’s bladed tentacles just below the neck. The attack completely severs the spinal column; so rejected prospects quickly die from cardiac arrest when the blade is removed. Once connected, the Brain Pool can see every thought, emotion, and desire the host has ever experienced in his entire life. If the Brain Pool feels the host has what it takes, it will then slide the tentacle up into the skull to keep the host’s brain alive as it dismantles the rest of the body and merges with the shattered pieces.

No Librarian has ever shared what qualities the Brain Pool looks for in a host. However, after generations of watching which hosts get accepted and which get rejected, the Resistance has developed a pretty good idea of what Brain Pools are looking for in a host, and quite frankly, it scares them. Potential Librarians must have a high I.Q. of course, but they also need to be “pliable.” Brain Pools seem to hate strong personalities. They want someone brimming with intellectual ability but lacking in self-confidence. When the two become one, the host becomes intoxicated by the level of power and respect suddenly bestowed upon him, making it much easier for the Librarian to fall to corruption. The leaders of the Resistance realize they are creating unstable monsters destined to fall into madness, but what choice do they have. They are beholden to the Brain Pools to keep the war machine rolling, so they must keep offering up sub-par hosts to keep these creatures happy.

Engineer

An Engineer is a doctor, teacher, Bio-Tech factory, and symbol of the Resistance all rolled up into one benevolent being. They are absolutely vital to any Great House that uses Bio-Technology, which is why they are tucked away within the most heavily defended chambers of the underground havens. Only the Engineer’s Geneticist servants and staff of trusted guards are free to come and go as they please. Everyone else is escorted by three to ten guards in Host Armor (depending on the subject’s personal level of power) at all times. No one takes offense at this treatment and everyone appreciates that their House’s beloved Engineers are so well protected.

The average Engineer looks like an exceptionally attractive adult with long golden hair (just like a Saint). They are bound to a large thirty-foot organic pool via six twelve-foot long tentacles that enter through the host’s calves and lower back. These tentacles run up through the spinal column and then extend out the shoulders. While the Engineer is forever tethered to the immobile Gene Pool, the host can actually wonder around a bit. The tentacles allow for a few feet of movement. It is pretty minimal freedom, but far better than the complete immobility that many expect.

The life of an Engineer is one of endless servitude, but they are all honored to shoulder this burden. They spend every waking moment of their lives selflessly serving their Great House, and since they only need to sleep 4 hours a day, they can accomplish quite a bit on any given day. While most assume Engineers spend their entire day growing new Bio-Tech weapons and devices within their Gene Pools, the reality is that these pools can only hold so many items at one time. The more complicated Bio-Tech devices gestate within the Gene Pools for years, so this gives Engineers plenty of time for other tasks. During this time of endless war, their most vital role is actually that of doctor.

While Saints are incredibly skilled healers, their abilities pale in comparison to the Engineers. The Saints are basically the general practitioners of the Resistance, and the Engineers are the specialists. However, they are not just specialists in one field, they are specialists in all fields. Their knowledge of human and animal anatomy is unmatched, and hidden within the depths of the Gene Pools are the tools that allow them to manipulate tissue in nearly any way imaginable. The thousands of microscopic tendrils and organisms used to build strands of DNA and RNA also enable Engineers to repair damage on a cellular level. There is virtually nothing they cannot do. Damaged organs and limbs can be cloned and replaced, severed nerves can be stitched back together perfectly, tumors can be removed down to the last cell, and even genetic defects can be replaced with perfectly healthy traits. There are tales of Engineers saving people that were completely ripped in two, people that were covered with third degree burns over their entire bodies, and even people that had half their heads blown off. All were completely restored without leaving a single scar (of course, the ones who suffered severe brain trauma permanently lost quite a few memories).

They can also completely cure anyone of any type of illness. Absolutely any parasite, bacteria, or virus can be totally stripped from an infected body or destroyed with a properly constructed retrovirus (designed by the Librarians). As much as the Engineers would love to apply their miraculous healing abilities to every man, woman, and child in the Resistance, these miraculous feats take time, and they can only spare so much of it. The majority of the healing falls back to the Saints, but Great War heroes and wealthy citizens receive the best medical care ever seen on this planet.

One of the Engineer’s least taxing responsibilities (and the one they take the most joy in) is educating young Splicers about the surface, the Machine, and their place in humanity’s struggle for survival. They typically speak to small groups of ten to twenty Splicers at a time (under heavy guard of course) before they start basic training. It is sometimes easy to forget that these immobile beings contain the knowledge from a Saint that survived for more than 50 years on this war-torn world; an impressive feat. The Gene Pool’s previous host allowed it to experience much of this world; knowledge its new host is more than happy to share.

The only beings with greater knowledge are the Librarians, but few people really want to be educated by them. For one, while the Engineers are beautiful, almost angelic in appearance, the Librarians are hideous abominations. Being around a Librarian is an unnerving experience, while being in the presence of an Engineer feels like standing before a living god. People also trust Engineers far more than Librarians. Engineers are benevolent beings that selflessly serve humanity with little regard for their own needs or desires. The same definitely cannot be said for Librarians. These masterful manipulators are always working some grand schemes for their own ends, and since these brilliant beings are always ten steps ahead of the people around them, few trust a word that comes out of their mouths.

Engineers with a Gene Pool full of gestating Bio-Tech are the ones primarily tasked with healing and teaching others. Most Engineers try to plan out their creation cycles so that they can always remain active, but sometimes the needs of the war effort offset their plans. By staggering the creation of larger and smaller items, an Engineer can keep active without maxing out their capacity. However, pushing themselves to capacity is important for their own growth. The Gene Pool symbiote loves to create new life and long periods of dormancy bores it terribly. If a Gene Pool is at maximum capacity for too long, it starts to expand and create secondary growth sites (assuming it is always properly fed). These sites start as organic pads that rest on the surface. Instead of pools of fluid, they form transparent domes to hold the nutrient rich fluid. As these secondary sites mature, they secret a weak acid to dissolve the surrounding rock and sink into the ground, forming additional pools. The oldest known Engineer grew a total of nine pools, but no one knows the maximum number a Gene Pool can produce. This is another ability that seems to be solely determined by the Gene Pool symbiote. Many Great Houses have experimented with ways to accelerate the expansion of their Gene Pools, but these fickle symbiotes truly do have a mind of their own.

Alignment: Must be of a good or Unprincipled alignment.
Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 19 or higher and M.A. and M.E. 18 or higher.
Attribute Bonuses: +2D4 to I.Q., +1D6 to M.A. and M.E., and +1D8 to P.B. after the human volunteer and the Gene Pool organism have become one.
Size: The height and weight of the human host does not change at all, but he or she is now permanently tethered to a large organic pool that is ten feet (3 m) in diameter, 6-8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) deep, and weighs 600-800 lbs (270 to 360 kg). The fluid in the pool weighs an additional 6 tons.
Average Level of Experience: Typically 1D6+2, but each Great House will have at least one Senior Engineer that is level 1D4+8.
O.C.C. Bonuses: Has Supernatural P.S. (strength), the character is immune to mind control (including psionics and magic), +10 to save vs. toxins, poisons, drugs, and diseases (plus symptoms, penalties, damage and duration are reduced to one quarter), as well as +40% to save vs. coma and death.
Base S.D.C.: Not applicable, see the Engineer's Altered Body.
Engineer O.C.C. Powers:
1. Engineer's Altered Body & M.D.C.: While a juvenile Gene Pool grants a Saint somewhat impressive amounts of strength and M.D.C., a mature Gene Pool transforms its host into an absolute powerhouse. The union gives the once human character Supernatural P.S., and turns him into a Mega-Damage creature with 3D4xl00+800 M.D.C. points. Add 2D4x10 M.D.C. per level of experience, starting at level two. This M.D.C. is shared between the Engineer and the Gene Pool. If one dies, so does the other. The Engineer bio-regenerates 1D4x10 M.D.C. per melee round and can last ten times longer during strenuous exercise/activity before feeling the effects of exhaustion and fatigue (although it is rare one needs to do anything too strenuous). An Engineer may have the strength to punch a hole in someone, but they almost never engage in combat. These benevolent beings mainly use their fantastic strength to hoist people and Bio-Tech creations in and out of their Gene Pools. Can also remain alert and operate at full efficiency for up to 48 hours without sleep and only needs four hours per 24-hour cycle to feel completely rested.

2. Increased Lifespan: Once bonded to a human host, the lifespan of both organisms expands to 3D4x10+400 years. The Engineers have not been around this long yet, so no one realizes they possess such longevity. However, it is apparent that none of the bonded hosts seem to have aged at all.

3. Healing Powers: The Engineer possesses all the healing powers of the Saint (at drastically amplified levels) plus several unique abilities. Healing can be performed through the six tentacles protruding from the Engineer’s back or within the waters of the Gene Pool. It only requires one tentacle to heal a human or Bio-Tech device so an Engineer can heal six targets simultaneously.
Deaden Pain: This ability to deaden pain can be used as a painkiller that temporarily negates existing pain or as an anesthetic to be used for surgery. The effect lasts until the Engineer removes his tentacle’s touch.

Diagnose Illness: Once in contact with the patient, the Engineer can sense pain, physical trauma/injury/damage, disease, poison, possession, and genetic defects with absolute clarity. This pinpoint accuracy enables the character to suggest treatment or to conduct internal surgery. It only takes one ID4 melee rounds to get an accurate diagnosis.
Increased Healing: The Engineer is able to stimulate another person's healing energies, dramatically increasing the patient's own recuperative powers. Hit Point and S.D.C. (or M.D.C. to Bio-Technology) recovery are triple the normal professional treatment rate. The increased healing lasts for 24 days after the Engineer stimulates the patient's system, so any subsequent injury will also heal at the increased rate. It takes 1 minute to induce Increased Healing.

Induce Sleep: While this is typically used to induce a recuperative sleep on those who are ill, exhausted or suffering from insomnia, the Engineer can also induce sleep in unwilling targets. Unwilling targets contacted by a tentacle must make a save of 16 or higher or else fall asleep immediately. Even fully alert characters or ones full of stimulants can be put to sleep unless they make a save of 13 or higher. Depending on the desires of the Engineer, the character can either be placed into a normal, restful sleep from which he or she can be easily awakened, or the target can be put into such a deep sleep that nothing short of a massive injection of stimulants or inflicting extreme pain (3D6 S.D.C.) will arose the subject before the duration elapses. Willing characters placed into light sleep will rest for 1D4+1 hours after the Engineer removes his tentacles unless roused sooner. If allowed to sleep, the individual will awaken feeling rested and less ill (reduce penalties and symptoms by half, but only as long as the character stays in bed for continued rest). Characters placed in deep sleep will stay under for 1D4+6 hours and will eventually awaken feeling groggy and lethargic. The individual suffers penalties of -2 to strike, parry, and dodge for the next 4D4 minutes until he can snap out of it.

Internal Surgery: This power goes far beyond the abilities displayed by the Saints. As long as someone can be delivered to the Engineer alive, that person will be healed. An Engineer can repair any type of injury from a single severed nerve to a shattered spine. Severed limbs can be reattached and ruptured organs can be restored to full functionality with absolutely no scarring. Simple tasks like healing broken bones, repairing non-life threatening internal injuries, removing foreign objects (bullets, etc.), or stopping internal bleeding can be done using just the tentacles. More complex repairs like reconnecting a severed spine, reattaching a limb, restoring a smashed organ, or healing lethal burns generally requires immersion in the Gene Pool. Individuals who have suffered so much damage that they lapsed into a coma (zero or less Hit Points) can be completely healed by an Engineer. The recovery from a coma (near death) is 01-95% when the Engineer's Internal Surgery is used. It only takes 1DIO+30 minutes to stabilize the patient (healed up to 10 percent of base H.P. or M.D.C.). Full healing will take a little longer (see Healing Touch). Note: A Diagnose Illness must be made before surgery is possible.

Healing Touch: A remarkable healing ability that instantly heals cuts, bums, bruises, and other injuries that are relatively minor physical damage. The Healing Touch restores 4D8 Hit Points and S.D.C. (or 5D6 M.D.C. to Mega-Damage beings) every minute until the Engineer decides to break physical contact. The Healing Touch can only be used on other living creatures, never on the Engineer himself. More complex damage must be healed within the Gene Pool. In this case, the healing session restores 4D8 Hit Points and S.D.C. (or 5D6 M.D.C. to Mega-Damage beings) every 5 minutes until the Engineer’s work is done.

Negate Poison & Disease: The Engineer can completely purge a subject of any foreign chemicals, drugs, poisons, toxins or diseases. The effects of the impurities are immediately halted at the beginning of the treatment and completely negated by its end - it takes about 2D4 minutes total. Damage from poison or disease sustained prior to the Engineer's intervention still exists, but can be healed with another 2D4+2 minutes of meditation, and tentacle touch intervention. The Engineer can even purge people of all the nanites in their system, but this process takes about 1D4 hours and subjects will simply be re-infested within hours of leaving the Gene Pool. It is generally considered a waste of time, but there are stories of Great Houses using this limited window to their advantage.

Sustain Life: The Engineer can perform miraculous feats of healing, but they take time. While the Engineer works to repair the damage, he or she can sustain the cells of the patient indefinitely within the waters of the Gene Pool. Even if the heart is stopped (or missing), the patient’s cells will continue to function and thrive until the subject’s body can properly function on its own.

Clone Body Parts: In cases where the damage to a patient is too severe or parts are missing, the Engineer can quickly grow replacement parts using the subject’s DNA. The Engineer must sustain the severely injured patient within the waters of the Gene Pool as he works. Organs and muscles can be cloned in just 5D6 hours. Limbs and complex parts like the spine take 8D6 hours to grow. Once the replacement part is ready, it only takes 4D6+30 minutes to stitch it into place. It will take another 1D4 days before the patient fully recovers (bonuses are reduced by half during this time), but this is a small price to pay for such a miraculous recovery.

Note: The Engineer can only use one power through each tentacle at any given moment, so the Engineer can only use six abilities on one patient at a time, or work on six different patients at the same time. It is important to note that the Engineer can only cure physical wounds, not mental illness or insanity.

4. Create Bio-Tech: The Engineer’s most impressive power, and core reason for being, is to grow Bio-Tech items. This process requires great concentration and massive amounts of raw materials. An Engineer can rearrange genes, proteins, and other biological components in any way imaginable, but he cannot create them out of thin air. To create a Bio-Tech item, the Engineer (or an assistant) must first add raw biological material to the Gene Pool equal to double the weight of the item he intends to create. It only takes 6D6 minutes to liquefy the raw materials. Typically, the Gene Pool already has enough nutrients within its waters to proceed, so the Engineer can create an item while the pool simultaneously breaks down the raw materials. However, this is the only other task the Engineer can perform while growing Bio-Tech. People that have seen an Engineer at work have described it as watching someone conduct a symphony that only he can see and hear, which in a sense is somewhat true. Within the waters of the Gene Pool is a complex microcosm of thousands of organisms and tendrils that the Engineer directs in perfect unison to assemble the genetic code for each Bio-Tech device on a molecular level. It requires a level of focus and concentration that is so far beyond human comprehension that it is impossible for them to express. Most Engineers just describe the process as “challenging” and then quickly return to their unending duties of supplying the Resistance with the means of humanity’s survival. Handheld weapons, items, and smaller creations require 2D6+12 hours of concentration to manufacture each device. The item must then grow and mature within the waters of the Gene Pool for 1D6 weeks before it can be removed. Larger items (between 50-150 pounds (22.5 to 67.5 kg) require 3D6+18 hours of concentrations to manufacture and 2D6+10 weeks of growth before the items are ready for use. Massive items like suits of Host Armor, Gorehounds, and War Mounts must gestate in the Gene Pool for years at a time and then continue to mature in cocoon-like sacks outside of the Gene Pool for longer. Their growth times vary greatly and are listed under each item, but the amount of concentration required is typically the same, 4D6+20 hours per item. The Engineer does not need to complete an item in one sitting. Projects can be started and set aside to be finished later without ill effect, but most Engineers will forgo sleep until they finish their work.

5. Hands Off Status (Special): Like with the Saints, everyone in the Resistance understands that Engineers must never be harmed. Their ability to create Bio-Tech makes them absolutely vital to the war effort, but this is a bit of a double edged sword. While no one would ever try to harm an Engineer, their immeasurable value makes them highly coveted prizes to be taken. As one can imagine, it is quite difficult to move a person anchored to a 30-foot (9 m) organic pool, and uprooting an Engineer can be extremely dangerous. While these beings are quite durable, they also require continuous sustenance or they quickly wither and die. The nutrient-rich waters in the Gene Pool supply constant nourishment; so spilling the waters during transport can be fatal. See vulnerabilities for the affects of starvation.

6. Gene Pool Expansion: Some Bio-Tech items need to gestate within the Gene Pool for years, and if too many of these slowly growing items stack up in the pool, then the Engineer will not be able to create new items for a while. Periods of dormancy bore the Gene Pool terribly and it will actually grow secondary pools so it can get back to work. The new site will first start as an organic pad that grows out along the ground. A transparent membrane then grows across the top and the pad fills with fluid, forming a dome. It only takes about a month before this site is ready and able to create new Bio-Tech. The bottom of the pad will then create a weak acid that eats through the bedrock below it. The pad will sink about one foot each month. When it is two feet (0.6 m) deep, the membrane will dissolve. It will continue to grow down into the earth until it reaches its full depth of six or seven feet. At this point the site is mature, and if more space is needed, then a new site will need to be grown. Each new pool adds 4D4x10+200 M.D.C. to the Engineer’s M.D.C. total. Something that unnerves many within the Resistance (including the Engineers themselves) is that the Gene Pools are the ones that control this growth. The Engineers can try to bait their Gene Pools to expand by maxing out capacity, but ultimately, it is entirely up to these supposedly “dumb” symbiotes. Since Engineers are never meant to be used as player characters, the number of pools connected to an Engineer is entirely up to the Game Master. A good rule of thumb to follow is to add an additional growth site at levels 6, 8, 11, 13, and 15.

Vulnerabilities: A tremendous amount of protein is required just to keep a Gene Pool alive, and even more to get it producing Bio-Tech. At least 500 pounds (225 kg) of animal matter must be added to the Gene Pool each day to keep it at peak efficiency. This is what is required for each pool, so an Engineer with three functional pools requires 1500 pounds (675 kg) of animal matter a day. To keep the Bio-Tech forges burning, Great Houses throw pretty much any living thing that has passed into the waters of the Gene Pools, but even this is not enough. They must also send out their Harvesters to continuously search the Boneyards for raw materials. In most cases, this is adequate, but if the Gene Pools are not properly fed, then the Engineer will quickly fade. After the first day without additional nourishment, the Engineer can no longer create Bio-Tech devices of any kind, but the Engineer is not starving yet. However, it only takes another 48 hours to reach that point. After 3 days without food, the Engineer loses all healing powers and starts to feel weak (P.S. and P.E. are reduced by half). Each subsequent day without food, P.S. and P.E. are reduced by an additional 5 points. When P.E. is reduced to zero, the Engineer lapses into a coma and dies 24 hours later. The effects of starvation are hastened if the waters of the Gene Pool are spilled out while trying to move the Engineer. Without the nutrient rich waters to sustain the Engineer, he will suffer the same penalties for not having fed in 3 days after only 1D4 hours. Worse yet, the additional penalties for starvation are drastically enhanced (the Engineer loses 10 points of P.S. and P.E. every 12 hours). This is why moving an Engineer is an absolute last resort.
Common Skills: Standard 98%.
O.C.C. Skills: The new Engineer starts out with all the skills of the acolyte and of the old Saint that once carried the Gene Pool. However, since many of the old skills really have no point or use, they are quickly forgotten. What remains are all Medical and Science skills at 98%, plus History, Literacy, Machine Lore, Operate Bio-Equipment, and Research all at 98%. Game Masters, feel free to add any other skills that might make sense or round out the Engineer’s personality like Public Speaking, Play Musical Instrument, etc.
M.D.C "Living" Body Armor: Standard suit of light, Leatherback Armor modified to accommodate the six tentacles. Engineers prefer to operate in limited clothing, but they will often put on their armor when entertaining guests. They generally do not add enhancements to their armor, but they will alter the aesthetics to their own personal tastes.
Standard Equipment: None. The Great House will provide anything their Engineers need, but they do not want or need anything.

Money: Money is even more meaningless to these immobile Bio-Tech factories.
The Upside: Engineers are the heart and soul of not only their Great House, but of the entire Resistance. Engineers epitomize the power and benevolence of Bio-Tech. They can bring anyone back from the brink of death no matter how grave his or her injuries. Even the Saints envy the Engineers’ healing prowess. Of course, Saints are still impressive healers, but Engineers are the only being on the planet that can create Bio-Technology. Even the Librarians are dependent upon Engineers to breath life into their creations. Many Bio-Tech-dependent Great Houses operate just fine without Librarians to design new items, but none can hope to survive without Engineers. Engineers are vital to the Resistance and thus vital to humanity’s survival.

The Downside: Being the heart and soul of the Resistance makes Engineers a pretty coveted target by the Machine. Their powers to create Bio-Tech also make Engineers a pretty tempting target for other Great Houses, Waste Crawler Gangs, or would be tyrants hoping to steal Engineer powers for their own ends. Engineers can defend themselves surprisingly well from minor threats, but being bound to a 30-foot (9 m) organic pool limits what they can do. Engineers are ultimately dependent on others for your protection and for your survival. Engineers require an immense amount of protein each day to survive and they have no way to get it for themselves. If an Engineer’s handlers are ever killed or if someone ever does successfully uproot an Engineer from their resting place, the Engineer will quickly succumb to starvation and die.

Librarian

While people typically think of Brain Pools as mutated Gene Pools, the Librarians have discovered that the two are actually genetically identical. Librarians throughout the Resistance have studied the symbiotes of their fellow Librarians as well as those of the Saints and Engineers in the hopes of cracking the mystery of why some Gene Pools become Brain Pools. Most have concluded that these enigmatic symbiotes simply decide whether or not they want to become a Brain Pool when they first burst forth from their previous Saint host. The Librarians have shared some of their research with each other and with the humans around them, but like with many things the Librarians share, they never quite reveal the whole truth.
When the Brain Pool bonds with its host, all the knowledge held within each merges into one. The memories from the last host are easy to understand and absorb, but the alien thoughts from the symbiote itself can be difficult to comprehend. The Librarians cannot be positive, but they believe that when a Saint heals someone, the symbiote absorbs some of the patient’s knowledge. The Librarians hypothesize this is why the maturation process takes so long within a Saint host. The symbiotes are simply on a quest to learn as much as possible, and the more they heal, the more knowledge they gain.

The Librarians think that some symbiotes become obsessed with the acquisition of knowledge and decide to become a Brain Pool so they can continue this pursuit. They have shared this conclusion with lesser humans, and for the most part, people have accepted this as an almost noble trait of the Brain Pools. It is not quite as noble as selflessly healing others, but it does ultimately help humanity. However, the Librarians gloss over the fact that the symbiotes come to prefer the acquisition of knowledge so much that they gladly sacrifice their healing abilities so that they can focus on learning rather than waste their time healing lesser beings. The way the Librarians conceal this fact illustrates another truth about both the Brain Pools and Librarians. They think knowledge is power, and in truth, they are obsessed with the acquisition of both. This is what has led so many Librarians down the path to Megalomania. Publicly, they perform their duties in service to their House, but privately they plot and plan and scheme to acquire the one thing they crave above all else – information.

Fortunately for them, it is common practice throughout the Resistance to store as much information as possible within these living databases for posterity’s sake. The problem is that when a Librarian stabs its bladed tentacle into a person, it downloads all their knowledge. Nothing can be held back from their probes. Since few people trust these scheming creatures, most are uncomfortable with the idea of allowing a Librarian to know everything about them. In fact, it is common practice to wear body armor when visiting a Librarian to prevent one from stealing knowledge without permission.
But humanity’s knowledge must be preserved in this dark time, which is why anyone on the verge of death is brought before a Librarian before they die. Great Houses also bring criminals and captives from rival Houses to their Librarians so their knowledge can be captured. Typically the senior Librarian is given first dibs on any subject. If he decides to pass due to lack of time or lack of interest, the offer is then presented to the Second Librarian of the House and so on until one of them finally chooses to access the person’s memories. Sometimes a particularly interesting individual will be presented to multiple Librarians. This is necessary because most of the time, Librarians will not share information with each other.

Knowledge is power, and there is such a strong natural rivalry among these crazy beings so they hate sharing their power. While Librarians are loath to share their knowledge with each other, towards
the end of their lives, they will allow their fellow Librarians to download their knowledge. To Librarians, knowledge is the most vital asset there is. It is all that matters. They will go to any lengths to defend their knowledge from their rivals, but they would never allow any of their precious information to die with them. History must always be protected. No matter how crazy these beings become; no matter how low they sink, they will never allow information to be extinguished. They will never kill a rival Librarian before his knowledge can be collected and similarly, a defeated Librarian will always submit to a piercing blade.

The only people that willingly submit to frequent mind probes are the Librarian’s personal army of Scarecrows. In the Librarians’ endless quest for knowledge, they send out their Scarecrow operatives to gather intel on everything and anything within their own Great House and across the Resistance. The Librarian master then gathers what his agent has learned by stabbing one of his bladed tentacles into the Scarecrow and ripping the knowledge straight from his mind. Most people believe that it is the Elixir of Life that keeps these agents so loyal (which is mostly true), but Librarians scan their Scarecrows’ minds so often that it is impossible to hide any plots or treachery from them.

Another duty of the Scarecrows is to “disappear” people chosen by the Librarian. These unfortunate victims are always brought before the Librarian so their knowledge can be collected before they are killed. Most of these targets are rivals of the Librarian, but some are just unlucky individuals that happen to possess a secret these information junkies crave.

While Librarians are not immobile like their Engineer brethren, they are too valuable (and often too dangerous) to be allowed to roam around free. As a result, most Great Houses keep each Librarian locked away within his own private laboratory in the same heavily guarded section that houses the Engineers. With the exception of a few rare visitors, the Scarecrows are really the Librarians’ only link to the outside world. Some speculate that this extreme isolation is what drives many of the Librarians insane, but Houses that have allowed theirs to roam free see similar occurrences of Megalomania. The only real difference is that the ones that were allowed free reign were often far more successful at usurping control of their Great House.

While these mad geniuses sometimes resent being locked away from all the precious knowledge of the world, they believe the greatest secrets are locked away within DNA, and their forced incarceration gives them plenty of distraction-free time to work. Resistance leaders have found that the best way to keep these beings in line is to constantly provide them with interesting new specimens to study. As long as they are focused on DNA, they tend to shift the plots and schemes to the backburner.

Librarians’ favorite specimens are Bio-Tech items stolen from rival Great Houses or vicious alien predators captured from the Nature Preserves. Obviously, these kinds of specimens are the most difficult to collect. Splicer teams try their best to bring home live specimens, but dead creatures or tissue samples often work just as well. The problem is that the Librarian needs to first ingest a tissue sample in order to analyze it, and dead tissue samples carry a risk of disease. A Saint or Engineer can easily cure Librarians, but that assumes they seek help. They often work alone for weeks at a time, and sometimes they get so lost in their work that they ignore the pathogens ravaging their body until it is nearly too late. Dead tissue samples are also often a bit too degraded, so some traits cannot be properly analyzed. Another benefit of capturing live specimens is that the Librarian can observe them in action. It makes their job much easier if they can personally witness the traits they hope to copy. If Splicer field teams would just submit to a mind probe, the Librarian could just download their first hand accounts rather than ask for a live specimen, but once again, but rarely does anyone trusts Librarians enough to allow it.

If people could see what goes on in their private laboratories, they would trust Librarians even less. Librarians run their labs like their own crazy little empires, and it demonstrates better than anything how little regard they have for other life forms. They see people and animals as little more than interesting specimens to be analyzed, experimented upon, and exploited. Common sights within one of these labs includes: the Librarian dissecting living specimens to see how their systems respond to extreme duress, pitting new Bio-Tech creations against prisoners and animals in gladiatorial games to test their effectiveness, and equipping test subjects with extreme amounts of gear and enhancements to see how much their systems can handle before melting down. Librarians also love throwing their Scarecrows into these test scenarios, and often these massive beasts will even take a hand in these games. People seem to forget that Librarians have downloaded the memories and skills from thousands of well-trained and experienced warriors. These skills combined with their powerful bodies and dexterous bladed tentacles, makes them some of the most skilled combatants on the planet. They could be some of the best trainers in the Resistance, but once again, no one wants to be around them so the only people that benefit from their expert training are their Scarecrow agents.
A Warlord will send officials to check on them every now and then to make sure they do not go too far. However, it is amazing the levels of atrocities most Warlords allow their Librarians to commit. It is basically an unspoken understanding that these beings are monsters, so they let them perform all manner of terrible acts as long as it ultimately benefits the Resistance. Some have speculated that turning a blind eye to this behavior only makes it worse, but those Warlords that have tried to pull the reigns in on their Librarians only made things worse. Librarians do not like being dictated to by lowly humans. They simply clam up and stop producing new DNA sequences for the Engineers. In extreme cases, they even accelerated their plans to seize control of the Great House. The only way to keep these beings in check is to give them a steady supply of information and fresh DNA to analyze, and then just stay out of their way.

Alignment: Any, but typically Selfish or Evil.
Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 19 or higher and M.A. 10 or lower.
Attributes After Bonding with Brain Pool: I.Q.: 5D4+20, M.E.: 4D6, M.A.: 3D6+4, P.S.: 5D6, P.P.: 3D4+10, P.E.: 4D6, P.B.: 1D4, Spd.: 1D6
Size: Typically about ten feet (3 m) in diameter, 6-7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m) tall, and weighs 600-750 lbs. (270 to 337.5 kg) The six main tentacles are about 12 feet (3.6 m) long. The hundreds of smaller tendrils are about 2-3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 m) in length.
Average Level of Experience: Typically 2D4+4.
Horror Factor: 17
O.C.C. Bonuses: Has Supernatural P.S. (strength), the character is immune to mind control (including psionics and magic), +5 to save vs. toxins, poisons, drugs, and diseases (plus symptoms, penalties, damage and duration are reduced by half), as well as +20% to save vs. coma and death.
Base S.D.C.: Not applicable, see the Librarian's Altered Body.
Librarian O.C.C. Powers:
1. Librarian's Altered Body & M.D.C.: While a juvenile symbiote grants a Saint an impressive amount of strength and M.D.C., a mature Brain Pool transforms its host into an absolute powerhouse. The union gives the once human character Supernatural P.S., and turns him into a Mega-Damage creature with 4D4xl00+1000 M.D.C. points. The six main tentacles have 5D4x10 M.D.C. each and the 150-250 smaller tendrils have 6D6 M.D.C. each. Add 2D4x10 M.D.C. per level of experience to the main body, starting at level two. The Librarian bio-regenerates 1D6x10 M.D.C. per melee round and can last ten times longer during strenuous exercise/activity before feeling the effects of exhaustion and fatigue. Can also remain alert and operate at full efficiency for up to 48 hours without sleep and only needs four hours per 24-hour cycle to feel completely rested. Damage inflicted by the tentacles is determined by Supernatural P.S. plus 1D6 M.D. from the bladed tip. Note: Only five of the six tentacles end in a bladed tip. The sixth one is bonded to the host’s head and acts like a long neck.
2. Increased Lifespan: Once bonded to a human host, the lifespan of both organisms expands to 4D4x10+500 years. The Librarians have not been around this long yet, so no one realizes they possess such longevity. However, it is apparent that none of them seem to have aged at all.
3. Download Skills and Knowledge: By stabbing one of the five bladed tentacles into a person (doing 6D6 S.D.C./1D6 M.D.), the Librarian can download all of the target’s skills and knowledge and store it for perpetuity. Once the blade makes contact with the target’s nervous system, the Librarian can then start to map the brain. Once the brain is completely mapped, the Librarian learns everything the target knows. If the process is interrupted before the brain can be mapped, then nothing is learned. It is an all or nothing process. There is no save against this attack, but it does take time. A target can be stabbed anywhere in the body, but certain locations allow this to happen faster. Stabbing in the limbs means it will take 2D4+2 minutes to map the brain. Stabbing in the torso means it will take 1D6 minutes. Stabbing in the spine means it will only take 1D4 melee rounds, but it inflicts 6D6 damage direct to Hit Points or 1D6x10 M.D. Stabbing in the brain stem means the brain is mapped instantly, but it inflicts triple damage direct to Hit Points or 3D6x10 M.D. (this attack can only be done to a completely restrained or willing target). A librarian can map the massive brain of another Librarian, but this lengthy process takes 1D4+2 hours.
4. Imprint Idea: The Librarians have successfully hidden this ability from everyone in the Resistance, and for good reason. If people knew they possessed this power, no one would ever submit to a mind probe. When a Librarian successfully creates a mental map of the target and downloads all his thoughts, skills, and memories, he can then choose to imprint a command into the subject’s brain. This is often a tricky proposition. The imprinted thought needs to be in line with the target’s character. Thoughts that are too far out of character will just be dismissed as “crazy thoughts” and will be ignored. For instance, implanting the thought to kill the Warlord into the mind of someone who loves him would just be looked at as some weird fantasy and would be almost instantly discarded. However, if the Librarian saw in the target’s mind that he absolutely despises the Warlord, then this command might not seem so crazy. What might have once been an idle thought in the target’s head suddenly becomes a strong impulse that he finds hard to resist. This can only be done after downloading the skills and knowledge from the target. Once that task is complete (and the tentacle is still in place), the Librarian can then spend 1D4 minutes to attempt to imprint the command. Only one command can be imprinted at a time. The target gets to attempt to save vs. mind control by rolling 14 or higher. If the target fails, then the command becomes a part of his psyche. If the target succeeds, then he successfully resists the programming. This instantly breaks the Librarian’s connection with the target. From the victim’s perspective, it just seems as though the download is over. They never notice that the Librarian attempted to imprint a command. In order for the Librarian to try again, they would need to perform a new mind probe.
5. Skill Mastery: Librarians are living repositories of knowledge. They quickly master new skills by downloading the knowledge directly from other people’s brains. As such, within the first year of the Librarian’s life, they will learn ALL SKILLS (typically at 50+6D6%). By level 2, a Librarian will have mastered all skills at 98% proficiency. Skills such as Acrobatics, Kayaking, Horsemanship, etc. might be impossible to perform due to the limitations of their massive bodies, but they still possess the knowledge of how to do it and could teach anyone like a master.
6. Combat Mastery: Librarians also download the years of combat experience from the people they mind probe. Multiply this by thousands of people, combine this skill with their massively empowered bodies and dexterous tentacles, and it creates one of the most fearsome combatants on the planet. Librarians use this tremendous base of knowledge to teach the Scarecrows their vicious close combat skills. Many Splicers forget about this fact, and have found it surprisingly difficult to take down a Librarian that has gone Megalo. Bonuses: A Librarian possess 12 attacks per melee round, is +6 on initiative, +8 to strike and parry, +5 to disarm, +9 to entangle, +8 to roll with impact, +6 to pull punch, can perform a Death Blow on a natural 18-20, and perform a Critical Strike on a natural 17-20. The Librarian also receives a +4 to Automatic Dodge. They may only be able to move around at a slow crawl, but when they enter combat, they are able to quickly bend and distort their rubbery bodies to evade attacks. These are in addition to possible attribute bonuses.
7. Create Scarecrows: Once bonded to a host, the Brain Pool naturally secrets a powerful chemical called the Elixir of Life. If ingested by a human, this thick liquid turns the once frail human into a super-powered Scarecrow. Librarians naturally produce enough Elixir to create and sustain tens of thousands of Scarecrows. However, much to the Librarians dismay, the Elixir only seems to work on humans. The Librarians have concluded that once a Brain Pool bonds with a host, it customizes the Elixir to match the DNA of the host. Over the years, many Librarians have experimented with their own Elixir to see if they could extend the benefits of this miraculous chemical to other species. There are rumors of Librarians that successfully altered their own DNA through retrovirus gene therapy in order to supercharge other creatures. However, the rumors also talk about the terrible side effects the Librarian endured to accomplish this.
8. Analyze DNA: By ingesting a tissue sample from a plant or animal, the Librarian can completely map the specimen’s DNA. The Librarian only needs to eat a few ounces of tissue to begin the process. Once ingested, the Librarian enters an almost trance like state as he focuses his tremendous mental energies towards unlocking the secrets of the specimen. It requires 8D6 hours of concentration to completely map the gene sequence. If the Librarian is interrupted, he can put his work aside and return to it any time, but most are so excited by a new DNA strain that they will ignore the rest of the world until they finish. Taking samples from live specimens produce the best results. If the Librarian cuts a sample directly off of the living organism, then the chance of success is 98% (there is always a chance the organism’s DNA will be too complicated to decode). If the tissue sample is taken from a dead creature, then the chance of success is reduced by 10% for every 12 hours deceased. Keeping the sample on ice helps preserve the tissue longer. In this case, the chance of success is reduced by 5% every 48 hours. Of course, once the ice runs out, it spoils quicker.
9. Splice DNA and Create New DNA Strands: The same microscopic tendrils and organisms used by Gene Pools to manufacture DNA and RNA on a molecular level are used by the Brain Pool to splice traits of different organisms together or to assemble new DNA chains from scratch. The massive brain-like mound is actually hollow in the middle, like an upside down bowl. Safely tucked away in the center of this bowl are all the Brain Pool’s instruments of creation. The easiest tasks involve splicing traits from specimens the Librarian has on hand. The Librarian simply ingests tissue samples from the specimens, isolates the desired genes, and then splices them together. Assuming the specimen’s DNA was already mapped, this process only takes 4D6+10 hours and has a success rate of 60%. Often times, the Librarian does not readily have access to fresh tissue samples for the traits he wishes to use. As long as he has mapped the creatures DNA in the past, the Librarian can manufacture the DNA sequence from scratch and then splice it into the new sequence. This increases the amount of time required and increases the likelihood of something going wrong. For every trait spliced into the sequence from memory, increase the time required by 2D6+10 hours and decrease the likelihood of success by 5%. Librarians that have an enormous base of analyzed DNA to work from can even stitch together individual nucleotides to try to create entirely new DNA sequences. However, this takes a long time (2D6+8 days) and has a low likelihood of producing a viable creature (15%). Once the DNA sequence is created, the Librarian secretes a liquid medium containing the new DNA sample through one of the main tentacles. The sample is then given to one of his Scarecrow agents to deliver it to the Engineers. The Engineer then ingests the sample to permanently add the DNA to the Gene Pool. If the sample is a test creation, then it is only given to one Engineer, but when an item is ready for mass production, the Librarian produces enough samples for every Engineer in the House. Splicing is really the place where Librarians can distinguish themselves. As they spend year after year studying DNA and experimenting with new combinations, they become more proficient at this skill. Typically, their base skill percentages increase by 3% per level of experience, but Game Masters should feel free to give special bonuses for exceptionally proficient Splicers.

Librarian Insanities: Below are some of the more common insanities that afflict the Librarians. An NPC Librarian can possess any and all of these insanities at any point. Librarians can also develop more mundane disorders like the lowly humans they pity so much (especially as they descend farther into madness). It is up to the Game Master to determine what is most appropriate for his NPC Librarian.
1. Obsession: Collecting Information. This one is pretty much wired into every Librarian’s DNA. They are all absolutely obsessed with the acquisition of knowledge. Whether they are downloading brain scans, analyzing new strands of DNA, or pouring over collections of golden age books, they are obsessed with expanding their knowledge base. Knowledge is power. It is the measure of a Librarian, and the only thing that truly matters in this world. As they gain more, they want more. Once the easily obtained knowledge is absorbed, then they start seeking out the classified information locked away behind closed doors. This is when the problems really amplify. They start taking greater and greater risks, and they become much more willing to sacrifice “pawns” along the way.
2. Superior to Humans. Librarians may have once been human and they may work tirelessly to help the Human Resistance, but they definitely do not feel any connection with people. At best, they see humans as lost children in need of their guidance. At worst, they view them as insects to be put in a terrarium for study or to be squashed if they step out of line. Unfortunately, this insanity is also far too common among Librarians.
3. Obsession: Puppet Master. Librarians are well known for manipulating others from behind the scenes to serve their own ends, but some become addicted to these little games as a way to demonstrate their superior minds. This kind of Librarian enjoys showing how easily he can reach out past the walls of his supposed prison and seriously impact the lives of those around him. The problem is that these types of manipulations are incredibly time consuming, and focusing on them too much means more important tasks are neglected. The Librarian’s Splicing Skill rolls are permanently reduced by 10%. On the positive side, he likely has dozens, possibly hundreds of agents strategically placed throughout the Great House. If the Librarian ever decides to stage a coup, it will be a relatively easy endeavor.
4. Obsession: Downloading Brain Scans. Downloading the knowledge, memories, and skills from a human being is a pretty easy way to gather information, and some Librarians become obsessed with this quick path to knowledge. These crazy information junkies represent a significant danger to the members of the Great House. Random disappearances are a much more common occurrence in the underground haven. The Librarian’s Scarecrows are constantly rounding up people and bringing them before their master. The lucky ones are delivered unconscious, scanned in their sleep, healed with a Slap Patch, and then returned home. The unlucky ones are disposed of before they can reveal the Librarian’s secret.
5. Obsession: Unlocking DNA. Most Warlords pray their Librarians develop this insanity. These types of Librarians forgo the political manipulations, ignore the petty rivalries, and spend their lives trying to unlock all the secrets held within DNA. They hardly ever kidnap people to steal their knowledge and they rarely assassinate rivals. In fact, they tend to create far fewer Scarecrows than most Librarians. Basically, they could care less about what happens outside of their lab. This singular focus means the Librarian receives a bonus of +15% to his Splicing Skill rolls. However, all other skills are reduced by 10% because the Librarian is less concerned with acquiring this mundane knowledge.
6. Obsession: Fighting and Combat. This insanity is somewhat rare among Librarians. After absorbing the fighting abilities of thousands of warriors, some Librarians actually develop a love for fighting and flexing their combat muscles. Many Librarians stage gladiatorial-style games within their labs to test their Bio-Tech creations, but these types of Librarians frequently participate in these contests. A combat obsessed Librarian also enjoys squaring off against two, three, six, or more of his own Scarecrows at a time to really test himself. All of this intense practice improves the Librarian’s skills significantly. Bonuses: Receives 2 additional attacks per melee and an additional +3 to strike, parry, and auto-dodge.

Common Skills: Standard 98%.
O.C.C. Skills: The Librarian possesses all skills at 50+6D6% proficiency, but after only one year of life, it increases to 98%.
M.D.C "Living" Body Armor: None. Armor does not fit their bloated bodies and they do not need it anyway.
Standard Equipment: The Great House will provide the Librarian with anything he needs for his laboratory and for his personal army of Scarecrows.

Money: While Librarians do not really care about the acquisition of things, they use their Scarecrow agents to hoard massive amounts of money. Money is just another means to acquire information and power. They spend their riches quite frequently to gain favor throughout the Resistance, but they still typically have 8D6x10,000+100,000 credits in precious metals, relics, micro discs, and trade items stashed away within their lab as well as 10D6x10,000 credits scattered across the Great House and in safe houses on the surface.

The Upside: A Librarian’s intelligence may sometimes rival that of N.E.X.U.S., and in some rare cases, put the machine to shame. Librarians possess the sum total of nearly all of their Great House’s knowledge and their understanding of genes and DNA is unmatched. No one has ever been able to manipulate life like a Librarian can. Librarians can mold and shape Bio-Technology in nearly any way imaginable, and if humanity hopes to survive, they need to kiss the Librarian’s giant behind to make sure they give it to them. The rules do not really apply to Librarians as long as they do not go too far. Librarians can send their army of minions out to serve them nearly anyway they see fit. The world is theirs, and when Librarians finally decide the time is right, they might just take it.

The Downside: Librarians are just as vital to the Resistance as the Engineers, but they receive all the love and glory while Librarians get locked away in a closet. In truth, this is really Librarians fault entirely. Perhaps if Librarians did not look at those around them as lowly bugs to be used, experimented upon, and exploited for their own ends and instead used Librarian vast databanks of knowledge to benefit their Great House, people’s views of Librarians might change. Librarians could be one of the greatest teachers ever known or they could train the finest combatants any Great House has ever seen, but sharing their knowledge with lesser beings just holds no appeal. Instead Librarians shun their former humanity and descend into madness locked away in what is really their self-chosen prison.

nice any artwork go with

darkguyver wrote:nice any artwork go with

possibly....we'll see. But don't want to spoil everything.

I am pretty sure I don't want to see what a librarian really looks like.

kaid wrote:I am pretty sure I don't want to see what a librarian really looks like.

I sincerely admit that an illustration of the Librarian is one thing I wish I could forgo or pass along.

Too late. They are illustrated on p. 14 & described on p.16 in the main book.

Awesome write-up, BTW Slappy & Premier.