HERO’S JOURNEY (TWO ROLLS)
Juicers gain one roll on any of the following tables: Body Armor, Close Combat Weapons, Ranged Weapons, Training, and Underworld & Black Ops. Juicers gain one additional roll on any table except for those dealing with magic or psionics.
Body Armor: [dice:3ra91wb9]55472:0[/dice:3ra91wb9] Extra high-density plating and other design factors grant +2 Armor to your hero’s Body Armor. This result may only be applied once.
Close Combat Weapons: [dice:3ra91wb9]55472:1[/dice:3ra91wb9] "Chiansaw Blade": You may add any non-TW Close Combat Weapon listed in this book to your character’s gear list. If this is not your first roll, apply any other results from rolling on this table to your newly chosen weapon as you wish.
SWADE JUICER
JUICER ABILITIES AND BONUSES
For the sacrifice of a long, normal life (or at least as close to one achievable in a Rift-ravaged world), the Juicer gains some amazing powers and gifts.
BURN OUT OR FADE AWAY
If a Juicer seeks detox, he has to find a surgeon willing to try and who has the facilities to pull it off; Castle Refuge has such facilities, as do most high-tech cities with Juicer technology. After removing the bio-comp and the Juicer bonus to Vigor, the hero makes a Vigor check at −2 if he has 5+ Burn remaining, or −4 with 4 or less Burn remaining. If he fails, he dies. On a success, it takes a full month before he’s physically able to function; with a raise, he only needs a week. After the operation, he must make a Spirit check at the same penalty. A Critical Failure means he is far too despondent and crushed to carry on meaningfully; he is incapable of adventuring as a player character. On a failure, he can carry on, but gains the Habit (Major) Hindrance for no additional benefit and retains the Death Wish Hindrance. With a success, the character has broken his physical addiction but retains the Death Wish Hindrance. With a raise, he’s found his way past both the cravings and psychological loss, and is ready to start afresh. Losing the bio-comp and the chemicals means the Juicer loses all Iconic Framework abilities and complications (with the possible exception of Death Wish), and is considered a M.A.R.S. character moving forward (but gets no extra chart rolls, abilities, skills, etc.). Juicer Iconic Edges no longer function; each session afterwards switch one Juicer Edge to another Edge (taken normally) until none remain. Detox is an excruciating, often deadly, ordeal. This is why the vast majority of Juicers choose to go out in a Blaze of Glory.
Internal Repair System: The biocomp system managing the drugs and chemicals within the Juicer’s body also works overtime to ensure his continued health and good repair. The Juicer gains Slow Regeneration (a natural healing roll once per day). As well, there’s a continuously replenishing supply of nanites and chemical concoctions available for “emergency repairs.” As an action, the Juicer can make a natural healing roll at +2 to heal Wounds; this costs one charge. The system holds a maximum of three charges and requires eight hours to recover one charge.
Super Endurance: Juicers begin with +2 Vigor die types; increase the Vigor Trait maximum an equal amount. They require only half the normal amount of sleep and gain +2 on all Fatigue checks.
Super Reflexes: Juicers begin with +2 Agility die types; increase the Agility Trait maximum an equal amount. They also begin with the Quick Edge.
Super Speed: Juicers cover enormous ground quickly, they double their base Pace and move twice the normal distance, horizontally and vertically, when Jumping. Juicers also have the Fleet-Footed Edge (meaning they have Pace of 16" with a d10 running die).
Super Strength: Juicers begin with +2 Strength die types, with no Trait maximum. They also begin with the Brawny Edge.
Uncanny Reflexes: Juicer reflexes are superhuman, granting them –2 to be hit by any attack they are aware of and +2 on Evasion rolls.
JUICER COMPLICATIONS
In addition to their abnormally short lifespan, Juicers have to deal with the following challenges.
Cybernetics: Although it is possible to add cybernetics to the Juicer’s already hacked biology, there is a severe drawback: each point of Strain removes a point of Burn!
Death Wish: The Juicer knows he’s going to die, and he wants to go out magnificently, having done something folks remember and are inspired by. He has the Death Wish (Minor) Hindrance.
Drug-induced Euphoria/Tranquility: In order to keep the Juicer from burning out over a matter of days, the bio-comp constantly supplies a combination of psychotropic drugs and chemical inhibitors to keep him happy and calm. Juicers live in a state somewhere between mildly ecstatic and stoned, which causes −1 to all Smarts or Smartslinked skill rolls in non-combat or low stress situations. On the first round of an unexpected combat or high-stress situation, the Juicer doesn’t gain the benefits of Uncanny Reflexes or Quick.
Psionics and Magic: The chemical cocktail inside the Juicer makes it impossible for him to use magic or psionics in any way.
THE BURN
Living life to its fullest takes on a special meaning for the Juicer. There’s an unreliable timer ticking away in his system, and when it goes off, the very chemicals and hormone overdrive nano-systems that make him a demigod burst his heart or send his brain into a fatal stroke. Until that time, however, the Juicer can often do more impossible t h i n g s b e f o r e breakfast than others accomplish in a lifetime.
Burn Rating: Juicers have a special Burn Rating statistic. Burn Rating measures both the short lifespan of a Juicer and his capacity for superhuman feats. In a standard campaign, a Juicer's Burn Rating begins at eight (for very short campaigns or one-shots it might start at six or four, respectively). As Burn Rating decreases over time—there is no method known to replenish it—the Juicer senses his days growing closer to being truly numbered. At the same time, he can call upon this same quality, Burning Bright, to perform astounding, nigh impossible exploits.
BURNING BRIGHT
Burn Dice: At any time, a Juicer may attempt to add a single Burn Die to the result of any Agility, Strength, or Vigorbased Trait roll. The Burn Die is a d6 that cannot Ace, which may be rolled with the Trait roll or afterwards. The Juicer adds his Burn Die to the Trait roll and if the Burn Die result is a one, he reduces his Burn Rating by a point. The roll of the Burn Die is considered a separate roll for the use of Bennies—a Benny spent to reroll the Trait check does not affect the Burn Die, nor does a Critical Failure on the Trait roll (though Critical Failures still automatically fail, regardless of the Burn Die result).
Last Call: Obviously, spending Burn means being able to make a huge impact in combat, but it also means hastening the process of completely burning out—with the Juicer inevitably entering Last Call as his body finally succumbs to the stresses placed on it by the BioComp system. The lower a Juicer’s Burn Rating the closer he is to death, and paradoxically the more dangerous he becomes. When a Juicer reaches a Burn Rating of three his Burn Die becomes a d8, at Burn Rating of two it is a d10, and at a Burn Rating of one it is a d12. Since a result of one on the Burn Die is required to lower his Burn Rating, a Juicer in Last Call has a chance at performing especially superhuman feats…and hopefully bringing his story arc to a fittingly triumphant close.
Burning Out: The minor tremors, the hot skin, the strange glow just at the edge of vision…the last days are upon this Juicer. A Juicer reduced to a Burn Rating of zero dies by the end of the current adventure, and will probably want to go out in a Blaze of Glory (see Setting Rules on page @@).
