Nanomachine Infections are caused by synthetic microbes. They can infect all creature types, and are essentially malignant cybernetic implants. They occupy an Ability slot, much like beneficial cybernetics, overwriting any pre-existing implants in the slot. Synths and characters with cybernetic implants save to resist nanomachine infestations with Disadvantage.
Virulence: All afflictions have a Virulence rating. Add 10 to this number to find the target number for Saves to resist and treat the infection.
Goldencough
Virulence: 1
Slot: CON
Effects: a nanomachine infestation that takes root in the lungs, filigreeing the airways with filaments of superconductive wire. The infected begin to cough out clouds of golden nanofibres, which hang in the air like solidified light. This coughing only inflames the airways more, leading to bleeding and a perpetual rasping voice. In extreme cases, the nanofilaments begin to protrude from the neck and face, creating strange ‘beards’ of golden thread.
The infected character loses d6 maximum CON defence. Whenever they fail a CON save, they are overcome by a coughing fit, taking d4 damage and expelling clouds of infectious golden thread into the air.
Cure: Goldencough is traditionally cured in a smoke lodge, where psychedelic herbs and alchemical unguents are burned over a day’s ceremony.
Infection Vector: inhaling the golden clouds coughed out by an infected character.
Janus Lenses
Virulence: 2
Slot: PSY
Effects: a bolus of parasitic security cameras emerges from the base of the host’s neck, forcing the natural head forwards to accommodate the whirring, buzzing cyst of recording devices that has grown behind it. The afflicted character receives fragmentary flashes of the visual data captured by the parasite cameras. These fragmentary visions make it difficult to sleep; the afflicted character only regains d8 HP from a Long Rest. However they cannot be ambushed, whether awake or asleep, as their panoramic vision always detects the approach of an adversary.
Cure: a trained cybernetics surgeon will be able to excise the cameras and prevent their regrowth.
Infection Vector: the touch of a Maladaptor, contact with an infected character’s blood.
Usurper Arm
Virulence: 2
Slot: DEX + EGO
Effects: a parasitic cyborg arm grows from an unwanted location. Roll 1d6 to determine the exact locale:
- Below right arm
- Below left arm
- At right hip
- At left hip
- Protrudes from back
- Juts from centre of chest
The parasite limb is usually dormant, but when it awakens it can become unruly. The afflicted character can choose to call upon the Usurper Arm during combat, making an EGO save to briefly dominate the arm. If they succeed, the lab awakens and fights for them, allowing them to make one extra one-hand attack per round. If they fail the limb attacks them instead, remaining hostile for the rest of combat. The limb is Level 2, Armour 17, and deals d6 damage. Missed attacks against the limb damage the host instead.
Cure: a trained cybernetics surgeon will be able to excise the Arm and prevent its regrowth. If removed by an untrained amputation, the Usurper Arm will regrow from the trace nanomachinery left in the stump.
Infection Vector: the touch of a Maladaptor, contact with an infected character’s blood.
Dreamcage
Virulence: 3
Slot: INT + PSY
Effects: the ancients recorded nine divine punishments inflicted upon those who denied the apotheosis of the Titans, or had sought to prevent the god AIs from reaching sentience. One was the Dreamcage, which severed those afflicted from the world of dreams and prevented their blue soul from leaving their body during sleep. This nanomachine infection manifests as a network of dark nodules beneath the flesh of the scalp. They emit blue light during sleep.
The victim can no longer dream, nor can their unconscious mind exercise any authority over reality. They cannot use mystic gifts, communicate telepathically, perceive quantum daemons, or enter psychedelic trances. Another theory states that the Dreamcage was developed as a weapon to be used against the Brotherhood of the Black Sun.
Cure: a trained cybernetics surgeon will be able to excise the Dreamcage and prevent its regrowth.
Infection Vector: the touch of a Maladaptor, contact with an infected character’s blood.
Fabricator Stoma
Virulence: 4
Slot: STR + CON
Effects: the host’s digestive tract is hijacked, becoming the site of a biomechanical fabrication chamber. Nutrients and mass consumed are diverted into a churning parasitic assembly line, which extrudes finished products through a fissure on the host’s abdomen. The metabolic hijacking increases the host’s appetite; they must consume double rations each day or become Deprived.
Afflicted PCs grow a new orifice on their flank. Each morning, a finished object is painfully extruded through the stoma. It is always the same object, mass produced inside the PC’s guts. Roll 1d6 to determine the object their stoma creates:
- A white plasteel picnic plate
- A gaudy, eight-inch tall idol of a long dead Autarch
- Spare parts for an obsolete laspistol
- A clear memory crystal, containing no data
- A polished black orb with negative weight; it falls upwards into the sky
- A complete set of gaming dice
Cure: the Fabricator Stoma can be removed by an experienced cybernetics surgeon, but the operation is not cheap.
Infection Vector: the touch of a Maladaptor, contact with an infected character’s blood or stomach acid.
Pilgrim’s Spire
Virulence: 4
Slot: CON + PSY
Effects: Stage 1 Growth. A black spire of metal begins to protrude between the shoulder blades. It grows until it is roughly the length of a human forearm. Rigid body armour cannot be worn. This stage lasts 3 days.
Stage 2 Activation. The spire begins to draw power from the body, occupying the CON and PSY ability slots. The infected individual begins to receive strange visions in their dreams, guiding them north. This phase lasts one week before progressing to Stage 3.
Stage 3 Compulsion. The Pilgrim’s Spire is fully active. The bearer is obsessed with walking to Golgotha, and must travel north each day, as far as their feet will carry them. If they resist the urge to travel, they will begin to sleepwalk north instead unless physically restrained. Each day the infection remains untreated, they lose 1 point of EGO. At 0 EGO, the character becomes a Golgothan Pilgrim NPC.
Cure: the Pilgrim’s Spire can be removed by an experienced cybernetics surgeon, but the operation is not cheap.
Infection Vector: the bite of a Golgothan Pilgrim.
The Gitch
Virulence: 5
Slot: Roll 1d6 to determine. 1 = STR, 2 = DEX, etc.
Effects: sometimes called ‘Creeping Crystals’, the Gitch is the common name for the parasitic nanotech structures that afflict many organisms in Vaarn. Gitch crystals are presumed to be some remnant weapon from the Long Ago, or perhaps residual medical nanotech that has forgotten its original purpose. They infect the flesh and construct painful fractal growths beneath the dermis, often proving fatal if allowed to spread unchecked.
At the start of each day of infection, the PC must make a CON save. On failure, they fill an item slot with a Wound: Gitch Crystals. For each item slot filled with Crystals, the PC gains one point of Armour defence, and loses one point of the Ability infected by the Gitch. When ten slots are filled with Gitch Crystals, the character dies.
Cure: the Gitch is feared, and characters with visible infections will not be allowed to enter most Vaarnish settlements. Specialised Gitch Doctors do practise, but they are much in demand. Curing the Gitch involves long painful sessions of crystal debridement, taking one day for each item slot occupied by crystals.
Infection Vector: physical contact with an infected character, inhaling Gitch-dust, being bitten by a Gitchghast.
Gitchghast
Biological / Mineral
| Level: 1 | Armour: 20 |
| Morale: 0 | Encountered: d6 |
| Attacks: Bite (d6 + CON save vs the Gitch, p.xx) | |
| Unfortunates who have succumbed to the Gitch, and have lost their minds beneath the creeping weight of the crystals. Shunned by all living souls, they are expelled from their communities to wander the blue margins of the world. | |
Maladaptor
Synthetic
| Level: 5 | Armour: 15 |
| Morale: 5 | Encountered: d4 |
| Attacks: Lash (d8 + CON save vs Nanomachine Infection) / Feedback (d8, blast, electrical) | |
| Formed from the broken husks of synths, reanimated by malignant swarms of nanomachines. Maladaptors move erratically through the blue ruins, seeking fresh hosts for their infestations. Flesh or steel, neurone or ego-engine: all is fuel for ceaseless change. A subsonic dirge heralds their approach. Infection: anyone damaged by a Maladaptor’s attack must CON save or be infected with malignant nanomachines (p.xx). As these beings are host to numerous infections, the Referee should roll 1d6 to determine which infection has been transmitted: 1 The Gitch 2 Goldencough 3 Fabricator Stoma 4 Usurper Arm 5 Dreamcage 6 Janus Lenses | |
This content will appear in Vaults of Vaarn: Second Edition, coming soon to Backerkit.
VAULTS OF VAARN 
I bet they harden in response to physical trauma.
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