| From: | GKoth2258@***.com |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Better Living Through Hormones (slightly long) |
| Date: | Thu, 16 May 1996 15:12:01 -0400 |
based on my knowledge of steroids and other bodybuilding drugs (I'm a gym
rat, so I know a few things).
At one point there is a reference to a hormone drug cartel that has yet to be
named, so that that link can be developed by someone else.
As usual, comments are appreciated.
--------------------------
NERPS: Underworld
Better Living Through Biochemistry
by Erik Jameson
BIGGER, BETTER, FASTER---
THE WORLD OF TAILORED HORMONES
You can still hear it today, "better living through chemistry." Of course,
when that phrase was first coined, they meant traditional chemistry. In 2057
however, they mean biochemistry.
One of the positive side-affects of the intense research done in the attempt
to cure "Goblinization" was a vastly improved understanding of the
(meta)human physiology and anatomy. At first, this helped to pave the way
for effective and efficient cyberware, and then bioware. Now the
"Goblinization" is paying new dividends in the area of tailored hormones.
Cattle ranchers and body builders were among the first to realize the
potential of hormones back in the previous century. Both used them to make
their products (whether beef or biceps) larger, faster and easier. Other
athletes then caught on, discovering that steroids, as they were now called,
could also make a man faster and quicker. There was no end in sight, with
artificial hormones being created, and the beginnings of tailored hormones.
Or at least, that was what they thought.
After a decade or so, science began to realize that injecting massive amounts
of steroids into someone, whether man or cattle, might not be such a good
idea. Higher incidence of cancer, liver and kidney failure, obvious and
blatant changes in mood, the weakening of connective tissue. And
bodybuilders weren't the only ones affected. It was too late to turn back;
steroids had entered the mainstream mind. High school kids, wanting to make
the cut for football, or simply to look better to the opposite sex, began to
consume steroids in mass quantities. And so, the hormone trade as we now
know it, was born.
Modern tailored hormones can duplicate almost anything that modern chemistry
can do. Not only are there the traditional steroids, there are now combat
hormones and recreational hormones. And with the Awakening, there are now
more hormones to work with.
The largest problem with using any outside hormone, even tailored, is that
large doses, used frequently, will frequently cause the body to shut down
it's own production of that hormone (or what ever is closest). This is why
bodybuilders gain fat and lose muscle when they go off steroids; the body
isn't producing enough of it's own testosterone. Too much long term use, and
the body may actually completely lose the ability to produce the hormone in
question. Which means that while short-term side affects tend to be few,
long term side affects can be disastrous. In Game Terms, this means that
once Tolerance has been achieved, the body has shut down it's own hormonal
production. When shut-down a number of times equal to the user's original
un-augmented body, that means the user has lost the ability to produce their
own hormone, and must continue to take the artificial tailored hormones to
make up for the loss.
The other long term affects of tailored hormone usage are up to the
individual GM. Side affects such as cancer (common) and liver failure (very
common) are outside the purview of the basic Shadowrun rules, and thus should
be handled by each GM. In the case of steroids and tendon damage, it is
recommended that whenever the user does some sort of Strength Feat, or
something highly athletic, the user must make a Body Check (Target Number
decided by the GM). If failed, the user has damaged their tendons, and must
take at least a mandatory Light Wound. Again, final effects are up to the
GM.
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE ENHANCERS
JET-TEST
Cost: 450x
Tolerance: 4
Vector: injection
Attribute Bonus: +2 Strength, +2 Quickness,-1 Willpower
Street Index: 1.5
Availability: 4/24 hours
Legality: 4-M1
Jet-Test is still based simply on testosterone, with surprisingly few (and
shockingly subtle) changes. Considered to be an "off-season" steroid because
it can be detected in the bloodstream for as many as four or five weeks after
use. It does, however, provide the most benefits. Jet-Test is also the most
effective steroid as a fat-burner. Body fat will typically drop by more than
5% minimum (depending on original body composition) during usage. The
effects last for up to four to eight weeks after the last dosage, dependent
on the user's previous Strength (the weaker the user is initially, the longer
it lasts. Actual duration of effects is up to the GM's discretion.).
>>>>>[It's amazing, with Muscle Replacement and Muscle Augmentation that
people would still use this stuff.]<<<<<
--Flex<14:25:23/6-26-57>
>>>>>[It's far more common among gangers and anyone else who can't afford
those options. Plus, there are a few "purists" (if they can be called that)
who think that cyber and bioware is cheating. Steroids are just fine by them
though...]<<<<<
--D. Yates<14:33:02/6-26-57>
DECA-DURABOL
Cost: 600x
Tolerance: 5
Vector: injection
Attribute Bonus: +1 Strength, +1 Quickness
Street Index: 1.75
Availability: 5/36 hours
Legality: 4-M1
Considered by athletes to be the "in-season" steroid, this heavily tailored
hormone is much more difficult to detect, being washed out of the body in
about 2 weeks. However, this subtlety does mean that it isn't as effective
as Jet-Test. Deca-Durabol is, however, almost as effective as Jet-Test as a
fat burner. The effects last as long as the user continues to take
Deca-Durabol.
HGF-ss
Cost: 550x
Tolerance: 4
Vector: injection
Attribute Bonus: +2 Strength, +1 Body, -1 Willpower
Street Index: 2
Availability: 5/48 hours
Legality: 4-M1
Usually used as an adjunct to Jet-Test, Human Growth Factor-Beta is a heavily
tailored version of the basic growth hormones found in all (meta)humans.
While this does mean accelerated muscle growth, is does also mean that the
human body is being put through a second puberty. Users experience, most
notably, additional bone growth. Like Jet-Test, HGF-ss is considered to be
an "off-season" hormone, as it can be detected up to 6 weeks after the last
usage. While the effects last for as much as three months, some of the
side-affects, like bone growth, are permanent. Long term extreme abuse of
HGF-ss has been known to add up to six inches of height and dermal deposits
(although not to the level of orcs and trolls).
>>>>>[This modern stuff is a direct result of research done on
trolls.]<<<<<
--Wheeler<14:43:27/6-26-57>
>>>>>[Don't even think this list is complete. Tailored thyroid hormones
(for
mega-fast fat burning), and all kinds of tailored secondary growth hormones
are available, if you know where to look. The ones listed above are the Big
Three, and have found usage by everyone from shadowrunners to
dockworkers.]<<<<<
--Baker<14:45:44/6-26-57>
COMBAT ENHANCERS
"HELLRAISER"
Cost: 2,000x
Addiction: 4
Tolerance: 4
Strength: 3
Vector: injection
Attribute Bonus: -3 Willpower
Street Index: 2.5
Availability: 8/7 days
Legality: 2-M1
"Hellraiser" is a clever collection of hormones (some non-human) that turns
the normal pain process around. Users feel pleasure where they should feel
pain. This means that wounds will feel good, perhaps even ecstatic. In Game
Terms, this means that the user incurs no penalties due to wounds. Also note
that this is psychologically addictive, so normal addiction rules (found in
Shadowtech) apply. "Hellraiser" lasts for 6 hours.
>>>>>[Knew a guy that got addicted to this drek. Went from mild-mannered
wage slave, to full-on leather-wearing masochist slave. It was nasty how he
died...heard he loved every second of it, even though he knew he was dieing.
Weird.]<<<<<
--Mad Barker<15:02:55/6-26-57>
CENTURION
Cost: 9,300x
Tolerance: 6
Vector: injection
Attribute Bonus: +2 Quickness, +2 Body, +1 Initiative
Street Index: 4
Availability: 14/30 days
Legality: 2-M1
Centurion, first manufactured by the labs at Ares America, is the height of
combat hormones. There are currently no known side-affects, aside from the
known problems of using hormones too often, with very positive bonuses.
However, given it's high cost and it's short duration (2 hours), it has only
found limited combat usage.
>>>>>[This is what tailored hormones can really do. Most of the other
tailored hormones can be fashioned at home with a sufficiently advanced
chemistry set and a knowledge of biochemistry. That's why they aren't always
so hot. This, however, is so drekking advanced it requires a cutting edge
lab to manufacture it. THAT'S why it's so expensive.]<<<<<
--Roman Soldier<15:19:11/6-26-57>
"BANZAI"
Cost: 2,200x
Tolerance: 3
Vector: injection
Attribute Bonus: +1 Body, +1 Quickness, +1 Strength, +1d6 Initiative
Street Index: 3
Availability: 12/21 days
Legality: 2-M1
"Banzai," as it's name might indicate, is a tailored hormone version of
Kamikaze. Far more expensive, it is non-addictive (but does suffer from the
same affects of any hormone) and performs almost as well. Like Centurion,
"Banzai" is too highly advanced for any basement chemistry set to create. It
is currently manufactured by Mistsuhama and several specialized underworld
crime organizations.
>>>>>[I've heard of someone called <INSERT NAME OF CARTEL IN ADVENTURE
OR
"TRADE" MATERIAL HERE> that does this sort of thing. I've also heard that
maybe one of the old drug cartels is into this.]<<<<<
--Brother Hill<15:32:36/6-26-57>
IRONMAN
Cost: 8,700x
Tolerance: 2
Vector: injection
Attribute Bonus: +5 Body (for healing purposes only)
Street Index: 3.5
Availability: 9/10 days
Legality: 4P-M1
A product of Yamatetsu Europe, Ironman is not a combat drug per se. Rather,
it is designed to get combatants back on the field as soon as possible.
Actually a collection of hormones, from testosterone to an unspecified
hellhound hormone, Ironman is designed to push the bodies own healing process
into overdrive, and is almost as good as Accelerad-9, the speed heal drug
from Universal Omnitech, without the nasty side-affects (like an induced
coma). Ironman does, however, leave the patient very weak (-3 Strength, -2
Quickness, -2 Body) for several days after usage (one day per point of damage
healed).
>>>>>[A pretty good product, Ironman. Doctors like it, but they tend to
not
use it on the hyper-critical patients. Sometimes the shock is too much for a
body all ready pushed beyond the max.]<<<<<
--Tepper<15:39:26/6-26-57>
>>>>>[Ironman is actually more common on the streets than Accelrad-9 (which
is probably the better of the two). A well connected street doc should have
access to this stuff. And they aren't afraid to use it.]<<<<<
--Mentzer<15:43:56/6-26-57>
"RECREATIONAL" HORMONES
"BLUE LACE"
Cost: 1,200x
Addiction: 5
Tolerance: 3
Strength: 5
Vector: injection
Attribute Bonus: -4 Willpower, -2 Intelligence
Street Index: 1
Availability: 4/24 hours
Legality: 2-M1
"Blue Lace" is a collection of tailored hormones that provides an overall
feeling of pleasure, in addition to being mildly psychoactive. It derives it
primary street name from it's deep blue color. Effects last for up to 12
hours.
>>>>>[It's also got a host of other names, like the Big O, and Mellow O.
According to rumor, there are two variants, male and female. Each is
supposed to work better with the appropriate sex. Don't think I believe it
though.]<<<<<
--The Decker Formerly Known as...<15:49:21/6-26-57>
"HOLIDAY"
Cost: 1,600x
Addiction: 6
Tolerance: 3
Strength: 5
Vector: injection
Attribute Bonus: Reduces all Mental Attributes to 1 for duration
Street Index: 1.5
Availability: 6/48 hours
Legality: 2-M1
Holiday is an intense psychoactive, providing full sensory hallucinations.
While not truly addictive, once total tolerance has been reached, the user's
brain has been "dulled," and cannot function properly without the use of
outside neurotransmitters and brain hormones (-3 Intelligence, -3 Willpower,
-2 Charisma).
>>>>>[This stuff can be a delightful alternative to knock-out drugs for a
prisoner...]<<<<<
--Party Shagger<15:54:55/6-26-57>
>>>>>[That's barbaric!!]<<<<<
--Northern<16:03:07/6-26-57>
>>>>>[Yeah, well, I didn't say it was nice. Just that it has other
uses.]<<<<<
--Party Shagger<16:05:16/6-26-57>
