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in an important ceremony, but only the highest-level
priests understand that there are other chips and that
they can be interchanged. Characters need to discover
this vital piece of information during one of their
quests. Natives of the Egyptian dome have only the
Egyptian brain chip at the start of play, leaving them
with room for two more before one must be removed.
The secret to creating new brain chips is held by only
a few of the most advanced A. I.s Fortunately, brain
chips are nearly indestructible; only great heat can
really destroy one past the point where its inherent
nanotechnology can’t repair it. When a person dies, his
or her brain chips automatically “eject” themselves. In
Thebes, recovering the brain chips of departed citizens
for reuse is a sacred rite.
Each of the 77 Worlds have their own brain chips
for understanding that planet and the unusual
environments found there.
Brain chips can always be found in the entrance areas
of the domes. When vacationers came to a particular
dome, they were required to change their brain chips
and leave inappropriate brain chips behind in a holding
area. This gives the Game Master wide leeway for
including brain chips with all sorts of benefits. When
characters find their first batch of brain chips, they
should have some hard choices to make. Remember
the 24-hour adaptation period; the benefits of a new
chip aren't instantaneous.
A generation before the aliens came, mankind was
transformed through the invention of the brain chip.
Every human has the capacity to absorb three chips
into their brain. These brain chips impart knowledge
and skill that the human didn’t know before, as if they
had significant training. This technology was one of
the reasons behind the aliens’ assault; they foresaw
humans returning to their aggressive ways, and with
such powerful technology at their disposal, they would
be nearly unstoppable.
Brain chips are a combination of biological plasma
and nanotechnology. Each brain chip is engineered to
impart specific training and memories to the user.
A person can determine what information is stored on
a brain chip (in a very general sense) simply by holding
the chip in his or her hand and focusing on it. To
“install” a brain chip, the person presses it against the
right side of their skull and “wills” it to install itself. The
chip is absorbed through the skull within seconds. The
brain needs 24 hours to adjust to the new chip before
the information on it is available for the brain to use.
A human can have no more than three chips in their
brain at one time. Removing a chip is the same process
as installing one, in reverse, but as soon as the chip
is removed, all its knowledge and abilities disappear
immediately. It’s worth noting that at the beginning
of the campaign, what characters know about brain
chips is mostly wrong. They are administered by
priests of the temples to infants as gifts of the gods
Abilities and Brain Chips