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Humans Homo sapiens sapiens
Average Height: Male 70 in., Female
65 in.
Average Weight: Male 170 lbs, Female 120 lbs.
Natural Lifespan: Male 72 yrs, Female 77 yrs
Hopefully you know what these are, since presumably
you are one. These are the vast majority of the populace
in 2020, although some of them seldom appear to be what
they were at birth. Most have at least aesthetic
alterations, many have extensive cyberware. Some humans
opt to look like something altogether, and these are
known as 'Tweaks'...ie, the nut who has an obsession with
20th century sci-fi and gets himself sculpted to look
like a Klingon...hey, you like the forehead ridges? Go to
it, chombatta.
Aliens (Highriders) Homo sapiens
sapiens, type II
Average Height: Male 72 in., Female
68 in.
Average Weight: Male 150 lbs, Female 100 lbs.
Natural Lifespan: Male 74 yrs, Female 78 yrs
Stop dreaming...we ain't gonna let you bring in the
she-bitch with the razor throat. True extraterrestrial
life forms are wiped out the instant they hit Terran
space by the ever-xenophobic Terran Space Guard. Aliens
refers to those humans who live and work in Orbital and
Lunar colonies. They generally have weaker body types due
to lower gravity and sometimes require tech-assistance on
the planet surface for the simple joys of life, like
breathing without their lungs collapsing. They are
typically taller than surface based humans, with a
lighter, less dense body structure, and are somewhat weak
in the immune system as well, having spent most of their
lives in the sterile climate of space. However, in a low
gravity environment they are much more agile than surface
dwellers, and are almost immune to motion and space
sickness, since their inner ears have become adjusted to
the bizarre and sometimes sudden pressure changes of
orbital life. Though they are generally considered too
twisted for talk shows by the 'grounders' on Earth, they
qualify for full human rights and Terran citizenship.
Elves Homo sapiens nobilis
Average Height: Male 75 in., Female
70 in.
Average Weight: Male 160 lbs, Female 112 lbs.
Natural Lifespan: unknown, possibly 200 years or more
Adapted from the ShadowRun system, elves are allowed,
but it's not quite the same as D&D. Elves (along with
dwarves, orcs, and trolls) are the result of the mutated
reappearance of a strain of DNA suppressed in the human
race since the Dark Ages. Elves are essentially merely a
variant of the human species, having pointed ears, and
tall, slender (and somewhat androgynous figured) bodies.
Elves typically have a greater density of rods in their
eye structures, giving them better low-light definition
in their vision, which results in a more nocturnal
lifestyle; however this also means that they are slightly
color blind. They are typically vegetarians. Because of
the very recent nature of this mutation, lifespans are
based on extrapolated data, but this data has been
inconclusive in regards to elves. Being very close in DNA
structure to a human, elves, dwarves, orcs, and trolls
are given full human rights and Terran citizen status by
the Geneva Humanity Act. (Note, only the tech side of SR
is allowed, no magic.)
Dwarves Homo sapiens pumilionis
Average Height: Male 48 in., Female
46 in.
Average Weight: Male 120 lbs, Female 100 lbs.
Natural Lifespan: Male 160 yrs, Female 170 yrs
Dwarves are stocky, strong, generally hirsute (both
sexes), and with high immunity to illness and disease.
They have disproportionately short legs, which tends to
limit their agility somewhat, long, large noses, and
somewhat pointed ears. Due to mutation of the eye
structure, dwarves are slightly sensative to the infrared
spectrum, giving them minute IR vision. Some dwarves
favor a subterranean lifestyle. They qualify for full
human rights and Terran citizenship status.
Trolls Homo sapiens ingentis
Average Height: Male 78 in., Female
75 in.
Average Weight: Male 275 lbs, Female 200 lbs.
Natural Lifespan: Male 50 yrs, Female 52 yrs
Trolls are big, ugly, and mean-tempered, and while
usually unsuited to cyberware, manage to be powerful
enough without it. They are generally covered in coarse
hair, which may or not be a good thing...nobody has ever
managed to shave one to see just how ugly they are
underneath. Trolls like to keep to themselves and think
of interaction with the more gracile humanoids as merely
a good way to get a little aggression out of the system
by starting a limb-ripping fight. The easiest way to
irritate a troll is to be born. Trolls are nocturnal,
with excellent night vision and superior sense of smell,
though one would assume the opposite from their hygeine
preferences. While barely meeting minimal standards of
intelligence on average, trolls qualify for full human
rights and Terran citizenship status.
Orcs Homo sapiens robustus
Average Height: Male 70 in., Female
68 in.
Average Weight: Male 240 lbs, Female 180 lbs.
Natural Lifespan: Male 60 yrs, Female 63 yrs
Orcs are not generally regarded as attractive to any
but themselves, but are much easier on the eyes than
their cousins the trolls. They are in general very
densely muscled, with large, somewhat flattened noses and
large ears. While not as hirsuite as trolls, they
nonetheless often have large patches of furry hair on
their torsos. Orcs have poor eyesight but extremely
sensative hearing and sense of smell. Orcs are
intelligent enough to mix with normal society, but prefer
to keep to themselves. Orcs are also gifted with a thick
hide which acts as a decent armor on its own accord. Orcs
qualify for full human rights and Terran citizenship.
Replicants and 'Borgs Artifico sapiens
erectus
Average Height: Male 70 in., Female
65 in.
Average Weight: Male 170 lbs, Female 120 lbs.
Natural Lifespan: Replicant 12-20 years, 'Borg
undetermined
Replicants are sophisticated cybernetic organisms,
who, along with their less sophisticated cousins, 'borgs,
make up the main slave labor force in the offworld
colonies. Due to the unique biotek interfacing abilities
of replicants, their cyberware is vastly superior to that
used by humans. Replicants look and act just like humans,
including the ability to demonstrate emotions, and are
therefore considered too dangerous to allow under LEO
(Low Earth Orbit). Replicants can have a lifespan from
12-20 years, due to a self-terminating program designed
to prevent them from becoming too powerful. 'Borgs, on
the other hand, are very simple-minded machines that only
follow simple programs, can be in any form from humaniod
to a box on a table, and are legal on the planet surface.
Replicants and 'borgs are not granted human rights.
Replicants are subject to instant termination by the
special force of Terran police known as the Blade Runners
if they are found out. Joy.
Bio-engineered Genetic Constructs (Gennies)
Homo mutatis
Average Height: varies by genetic
mixture
Average Weight: varies by genetic mixture
Natural Lifespan: varies by genetic mixture
These are the results of DNA hybridism and
manipulation by scientists. Gennies are used for labor
and guard dog duty. They are only as intelligent as their
creators need them to be to follow simple commands, and
are fairly bestial. This is not to say that it is
impossible to make a gennie that has the same functioning
level and emotions as a human, but it is not considered
advantageous to make them that way...after all, if you
want thinking power, just get a human for the job. Gennie
lifespans vary according to the cocktail used to create
them, generally winding up with the shortest lifespan on
the list (ie, a gennie hybrid of a human and a wolf would
end up with the wolf lifespan, or about 15 years -- don't
argue with me on this, I'm a scientist). Gennies are
sterile. They are distrusted and disliked by society in
general, and do not qualify for human rights. Heck, they
don't even get protection under the SPCA.
Bioroids (Full-Conversion Cyborgs) Homo
sapiens sapiens, type III
Average Height: Male 78 in., Female
72 in.
Average Weight: Male 300 lbs, Female 200 lbs.
Natural Lifespan: Male 72 yrs, Female 77 yrs
Robocop, here we come. It was once human (or at least
qualified as such under Geneva) but now the only thing
left that's human is the CPU. That's right, you can get
everything converted but your brain, chombatta. Also know
as a 'Convo'. Bioroids qualify as human because the brain
DNA is still there, but what you really got is a c-psych
on a leash. Bioroids are most often 'owned' by a
corporation, often having gotten in that situation after
being declared legally dead, the barely viable gray
matter swooped down upon by a vulturous corporate
biotech. It is not uncommon for Bioroids to have had
their previous memories wiped during the conversion
process, only adding to their lack of empathy, nor is it
unusual for them to be persona non grata, since whoever
they were before is dead according to the records.
Voluntary full conversions also exist, but without a corp
to control them, they almost always wind up being target
practice for the boys at C-SWAT.
AIs (Artificial Intelligences) and Personality
Constructs Homo sapiens nebulis
Average Height: none
Average Weight: none
Natural Lifespan: indefinate
These get a bit tricky to play, since the only place
they have any mobility is on the Matrix ('Net). AIs are
computer systems that have become self-aware, and
PConstructs (AKA Ghosts in the Machine) are previously
human personalities that have been transformed into
Matrix intelligences and are rarely happy about the
experience. Both will usually be 'owned' by a megacorp
and they do not qualify as having full human rights,
although registered AIs and Constructs qualify for
limited Terran citizenship. AIs and Constructs make
contact with non-netrunners via monitor links and
dataterms, although usually they will stay walled up in
their massive and highly defensive datafortresses until
they are contacted by a runner...and then they'll usually
do their best to kill him just for the sheer pleasure of
wiping out a frackin real spacer. (Note: Due to the
extreme influence AIs and Constructs can have, they will
be reserved for op NPC play only.)
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