Editing Nanotechnology (section)

=== Nanoswarms and Microswarms ===
Swarms are colonies of nanobots or larger microbots created in a hive, programmed with specific instructions, and then set free to perform a set task. Each swarm is composed of hundreds or thousands of nanobots or microbots, ranging in size from a microbe to a small insect. Nanobots are typically invisible to the naked eye, though they can be detected with a nanodetector or nanoscopic vision. Microbots are more noticeable but still quite small, usually the size of a grain of sand or a dust mote, or occasionally as big as a flea. Individual bots
in a swarm are directed by nanocomputers, with behavioral routines modeled on biological insect and animal swarms. These swarms stick together and work as a whole, communicating with nanoradios, nanolasers, or chemical cues, and sharing information between each bot in the swarm. Note that nanoswarms don’t invade inside living bodies (though they may attack externally)—internal nano is handled by nanoware, nanodrugs, and nanotoxins.
Nanobots and microbots may be designed with all manner of miniaturized propulsion systems, with the exception of ionic drives. They are powered by tiny batteries or solar cells. Their tiny sensors are very effective at allowing them to identify materials and objects, and so to target discriminatingly. Nanobots or microbots could, for example, be programmed to ignore metal objects, certain types of plants, specific morphs, females, or specific individuals. Swarms may either be released directly from a hive or from pre-packaged programmable canisters.
Swarms must be programmed before they are released. The programming first determines how long the swarm is active. This timeframe is open-ended, though most swarms deteriorate into ineffectiveness after 2 weeks unless they are replenished by a hive. The programming then sets what area the swarm is to occupy. This is also open to interpretation and can vary from “coat this person” to “spread out to a diameter of 20 meters” to “find the nearest chemical traces and track them to their source.” Finally, programming sets any other parameters for the swarm’s mission—for example, if it should ignore certain materials, if it should send a report at a predetermined time, or if it should self-destruct into harmless dust when it has completed a certain task.
Programming is generally handled as a Simple Success Test using Programming (Nanoswarm) skill.
Failure simply infers that the programming is imperfect, and so the swarm may not operate completely as planned. An actual Programming (Nanoswarm) Success Test is only called for if the swarm’s programming is substantially complex or if the character seeks to have the swarm act outside of its usual set functions.
The bots in each swarm are specially equipped for the task they are designed for, however, so attempting to drastically repurpose a swarm may be difficult or pointless at the gamemaster’s discretion. Swarms may also be teleoperated, controlled, and/or (re)programmed once they are released, via radio or laser link.
Swarms are treated as a whole. The standard swarm size is enough to cover a 10 x 10 x 10 meter cube, and this is the standard “unit” of swarm released by a canister or hive. Swarms may be larger, but they are treated as individual swarm units. Each swarm has a Durability of 50 and is immune to wounds. Most attacks against a swarm simply inflict 1 point of damage. Area-effect weapons, plasma rifles, and � fire inflict 1d10 damage, plasma grenades do full damage. EMP weapons are very effective against swarms, inficting 2d10 + 5 damage and a -10 modifer to all tests due to their damaging effects on the swarm’s communication abilities until repaired. Swarms are not affected by vacuum.
'''Cleaners:''' This nanoswarm cleans, polishes, and removes dirt and stains. It may be used on an area, specific objects, or people. Some facilities employ permanent cleaner swarms to keep their area spotless. Cleaners may also be programmed to remove specific toxins, chemicals, or other hazardous substances in order to decontaminate an area. Covert operatives and criminals sometimes use cleaners to eliminate any evidence they may have left at a scene usable for forensics purposes, such as blood, hair, or anything that could be DNA-typed. '''[Low]'''

'''Disassemblers:''' Also known as smart corrosives, these nanobots break down any matter. Their advantage over common acids is that not only are they able to break down any material by using energy to disrupt chemical bonds, but that they can be programmed to take apart certain components while ignoring others, leaving them intact. Disassemblers are a common weapon used against synthmorphs, eating away their components without having to worry about accidentally splashing biomorphs. Upon contact, these nanobots inflict 1d10 ÷ 2 damage (round up) per Action Turn. Accumulated damage counts as a wound when the Wound Threshold is reached. Both Energy and Kinetic armor protect against this damage, but these armors are eaten away as well, so the Armor Value is reduced by the soaked DV. '''[High]'''
'''Engineers:''' Engineer microswarms are used for various construction purposes: erecting walls, digging tunnels, sealing holes, reinforcing foundations, and so on. '''[Moderate]'''

'''Fixers:''' This is the nanoswarm version of repair spray. '''[Moderate]'''
'''Injectors:''' Injector microswarms are equipped with tiny needles and a drug payload. A biological target affected by an injector swarm suffers 1 point of damage and the effects of the carried drug, chemical, or toxin. '''[Moderate]'''

'''Gardeners:''' This microswarm is useful for a number of agricultural purposes: killing weeds, planting seeds, trimming plants, pollinating, and even harvesting small items. It may also be programmed to simply defoliate an area. '''[Moderate]'''
'''Guardians:''' Guardians watch for and attack other unauthorized swarms. Guardians inflict 1d10 ÷ 2 damage (round up) on other swarms they come into contact with per Action Turn. '''[Moderate]'''

'''Proteans:''' This nanoswarm is designed to disassemble other materials and objects and to create a single specific, pre-programmed device from the components (much like a specialized nanofabricator). The proteans must be able to scavenge appropriate raw materials (for example, to create a metallic device the nanobots must transform something else made of metal). The construction time takes 1 hour per cost category of the item (1 hour for a Trivial cost item, 2 hours for Low, etc.). '''[High]'''
'''Saboteurs:''' Sab nanobots are designed to infiltrate electronics or machinery and sabotage them in small but difficult to discern ways: severing connections, disabling components, gumming up moving parts, etc. Saboteurs inflict damage on devices similar to disassemblers, but the target is not destroyed and such damage is not immediately obvious. They inflict 1d10 ÷ 2 points of damage to synthmorphs, bots, and other devices every Action Turn. Armor has no effect, but accumulated damage counts as a wound when the Wound Threshold is reached. '''[High]'''

'''Scouts:''' A scout nanoswarm will systematically map and explore an area, collecting samples of all materials and substances it encounters. The samples are carried back to the hive or canister and chemically analyzed. Scouts can also be used for forensic purposes, collecting DNA samples, analyzing chemical residues, and examining other evidence. '''[High]'''
'''Taggants:''' Taggants seek to lodge themselves onto everything in their area of dispersal. Each carries a unique identifier, so that if it is found later, the tagged person or object can be linked back to the point they were tagged.
Taggants can be programmed to remain silent, only responding to query broadcasts made with the proper crypto codes, or they can be programmed to broadcast their location back to the deployer via the mesh. '''[Low]'''
'''Nanotat Eraser:''' This illegal nanoswarm treatment is specifically designed to penetrate the ﬁngertips of morphs and eradicate all signs of the nanotat ID it carries. Erasing a nanotat ID takes about 5 minutes and itches like crazy. Though usually applied to a speciﬁc person as a treatment, criminals and terrorists have sometimes deployed nanotat-erasing nanoswarms in public areas, surreptitiously erasing the IDs from unsuspecting people as a means of confusing security forces engaged in an ego hunt. '''[Expensive]'''

'''Smart Plankton:''' Smart plankton is a nanoswarm variant of smart dust designed for underwater use. The plankton nanobots are designed for aquatic movement and can communicate via ﬂashing lights and infrasound. Like smart dust, smart plankton can record video, audio (including infrasound and ultrasound), water temperature, chemical traces, as well as movement and other data. '''[Moderate]'''
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