Nanoviruses

Nanoviruses are nanocolonies that act like viruses. They move throughout the body, typically with a single function in mind, and alter cells they are programmed to affect. Nanoviruses can lay dormant within a body for long periods and are only destroyed by the body’s natural recycling systems; a nanovirus can stay dormant for up to one year before it washes out of the body completely.

Nanoviruses typically serve a single purpose, then deactivate and are absorbed by the body.

Calcion: A beneficial nanovirus, calcion is one of the most commonly used nanocolonies in the field of medicine. Calcion is a bone-knitting nanite that repairs fractures and breaks in bones with advanced calcium-grafting technology. Additionally, calcion repairs joints and aids with skin regeneration. A character injected with calcion heals from damage at twice the normal rate until she reaches full hit points. After her health is fully restored, the calcion nanites deactivate and cease to function.

Gray Death: A derivative compound based on gray goo, gray death is a horrible weapon that kills in a slow and painful manner. Gray death nanites are gray goo nanites held within a special containment field. When the command is given, the nanocolony dissipates the containment field and the gray goo is released into the bloodstream of the character. The character must make a Fortitude save (DC 35). If the save is successful, the character’s immune system flushes the nanites out of the body before they do any harm. If the save fails, the character is irrevocably killed in 3d10 hours and transforms into gray goo.

Gray death is a horrible biological weapon. It is outlawed by almost all civilizations that have discovered it.

Onco-Guard: One of the most beneficial discoveries to come out of nanotechnology, onco-guard nanoviruses treat and stave off the effects of cancer. Though not the “cure for cancer” that 20th century scientists so voraciously sought, onco-guard attacks and contains cancerous cells. Additionally, onco-guard prevents a character from developing cancer while the nanites remain in the bloodstream, either in their active or inert states. A character injected with onco-guard recovers from any negative effects of cancer almost immediately and is immune to further developments of the disease for 2d6 months.

Resilite: Another incredibly dangerous nanovirus, resilite is used in both torture and espionage. Resilite has a single purpose—to deal severe amounts of damage to a creature upon activation. Resilite floats inert in the bloodstream until activated, at which point the nanites burrow outward in random directions. In addition to causing internal bleeding, resilite tears through vital organs and damages bones and nerves as well. Whenever resilite is activated, the creature or character immediately suffers 6d10 points of damage. This damage is physical and internal and may not be prevented by any form of shielding or damage reduction.

Stiletto: A particularly vicious nanovirus, stiletto causes damage directly to a creature’s brain and can render the creature brain dead if successful in its attack. Unlike most other nanoviruses, stiletto does not linger in the bloodstream but instead flows directly to the brain. The nanites burrow directly into the brain and shoot out harmful jolts of energy until their supply is depleted and they deactivate. Any creature or character targeted by stiletto immediately suffers 2d6 points of ability damage to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.