Biotech gene engineering

[Sigtrygg]

For my Culture based campaign there is an awful lot of genetic engineering - some of it I have got from the novels, some of it from real world biology.

The concept is simple. If a living thing on Earth has the DNA for some ability or other it should be able to be engineered as an augmentation.

Changing sex is easy, enhancing STR, DEX and END is trivial, adding limbs, wings, tentacles all can be done.

Head - the brain, the brain is not big enough to control enhanced senses so we need more brain. The octopus has brain tissue in its arms. So step 1 - extra brain tissue grown down the spine and part way into limbs

Next, senses - enhanced smell, magnetic sense, enhanced sight, enhanced hearing, sonar
enhanced sight - more light receptor cells to see additional frequencies of visible light, IR and near UV.

Will edit with more later

edit - strengthened jaw, modified teeth (sharper, stronger, regenerating), teeth with venom ducts

Just wondered what others would suggest.

 

[Limpin Legin]

This to me sounds a great idea for inclusion in a science fiction campaign. Initially, I would like to know what novels you had been reading, if you care to share something of that? Because they sound interesting to me.


My initial awareness about this idea arrives at these sort of questions:
⦁ Would DNA augmentation parallel or rival cybernetic augmentation in your campaign?
⦁ How long would it take for the results of any DNA engineering to fully grow into the beneficial physical bio-effects?
⦁ Are the effects randomly generated or a controlled outcome?
⦁ Would each character need to identify their DNA type, to work out what benefits they might be entitled to?
⦁ Any potential side effects, like risk of possible incompatible DNA type, for example?
⦁ How many effects could one individual apply to transform their character?
⦁ Would the genetic treatments only be available at birth, or also later on in life?
⦁ In Traveller, what Tech level would this kind of treatment be available?
⦁ What effect would that have on neighbouring lower tech worlds that couldn't implement the tech?
⦁ From my understanding of current 'real world' gender transformation practices, hormone treatment is needed to complete the effects. What effects would drug dependency have on the game? Have you considered this, or evolved an alternative higher tech solution?
⦁ Would it be possible to genetically modify someone into a different race?
⦁ Needing more brain and adding limbs also suggests to me that a bigger heart would be required to pump more blood into the newly gained tissue regions. Where would a bigger heart be stored?
⦁ The point of brain growing inside the skull is that the strong cranium protects the soft brain tissue from external damage. If brain tissue was allowed to develop into the limbs, how would that tissue be similarly protected? (I don't know how an octopus protects it's brain tissue, or if it is able to at all.)
⦁ Would it be possible to do DNA engineering to achieve immortality? Would that be a one-off treatment, or achieved through a regular appointment with the genetic engineering clinic? What are the effects of aging on the DNA benefits?
⦁ For enhanced senses, would sensory overload become more likely for a engineered individual? What would sensory overload be in Traveller? A DM based upon average of INT + END, perhaps?
⦁ Could psionics be "proven" to be genetically based, thus be available for genetic enhancement? If so, the Traveller Imperium would surely outlaw the practice, or administer it under strict licencing terms only. Would such PSI enhancement also be "trivial"?
⦁ Could such engineering be used to increase EDU and SOC characteristics? Could the practice be used by the local government for cultural cleansing of unproductive or anti-social "inferior citizens"?
⦁ Could the genetic engineering be used to provide any non-brain related benefits, such as increased skin armour, breathe different atmospheres, and so on?

Hope that helps

 

[Sigtrygg]

This to me sounds a great idea for inclusion in a science fiction campaign. Initially, I would like to know what novels you had been reading, if you care to share something of that? Because they sound interesting to me.

The Culture novels of Iain M Banks

My initial awareness about this idea arrives at these sort of questions:
⦁ Would DNA augmentation parallel or rival cybernetic augmentation in your campaign?

They run parallel sort of, cybernetics can be a lot more powerful but are more obvious. Anything you can augment using biotech can have a similar mechanical, cybernetic or blended augmentation. or you could just put on a suit that has a lot of the augmentations. An example would be full ems vision - cyberware can do this, biotech can't.
Cybernetics are a lower TL of introduction, the blended tech comes later, and the full augmentation by DNA maniputlation comes later, but the earlier technologies have also improved

⦁ How long would it take for the results of any DNA engineering to fully grow into the beneficial physical bio-effects?

A couple of weeks to a month, medical monitoring required for the more extreme mode, but the simple ones you just have the effects of a heavy cold, suffer headaches, join pain etc and one day wake up with the tentacle

⦁ Are the effects randomly generated or a controlled outcome?

Controlled.

⦁ Would each character need to identify their DNA type, to work out what benefits they might be entitled to?

For less advanced yes, but by Culture level tech no.

⦁ Any potential side effects, like risk of possible incompatible DNA type, for example?

Yes, but usually treatable. There is a chance that you reject it hough.

⦁ How many effects could one individual apply to transform their character?

Again TL dependent, at lower TLs only a few to avoid unexpected synergies, at higher TLs as many as you want.

⦁ Would the genetic treatments only be available at birth, or also later on in life?

Can be engineered in the womb, and can even become hereditary.

⦁ In Traveller, what Tech level would this kind of treatment be available?

For basic biotech augmentation TL8, but very limited, each TL the amount of augmentation increases until at TL13 cybernetics, blended, and biotech have similar capabilites. For unlimited biotech 17+

⦁ What effect would that have on neighbouring lower tech worlds that couldn't implement the tech?

Depends on the circumstance (research the Culture and you will understand that joke)

⦁ From my understanding of current 'real world' gender transformation practices, hormone treatment is needed to complete the effects. What effects would drug dependency have on the game? Have you considered this, or evolved an alternative higher tech solution?

full genetic compatability, your hormone glands are engineered.

⦁ Would it be possible to genetically modify someone into a different race?

Easily if similar DNA, more difficult the greater the DNA variation

⦁ Needing more brain and adding limbs also suggests to me that a bigger heart would be required to pump more blood into the newly gained tissue regions. Where would a bigger heart be stored?

I'll get to the additional organs but yes. A couple of mini hearts in your pelvis, or the original heart spit into two complete pumps.

⦁ The point of brain growing inside the skull is that the strong cranium protects the soft brain tissue from external damage. If brain tissue was allowed to develop into the limbs, how would that tissue be similarly protected? (I don't know how an octopus protects it's brain tissue, or if it is able to at all.)

The additional brain tissue in the spine is protected by the vertebrea, in the shoulders and pelvis there is the potential for reinforcing the pelvic girdle and shoulder blades

⦁ Would it be possible to do DNA engineering to achieve immortality? Would that be a one-off treatment, or achieved through a regular appointment with the genetic engineering clinic? What are the effects of aging on the DNA benefits?

Yes, aging can be eliminated. Death due to violence, disease or choice.

⦁ For enhanced senses, would sensory overload become more likely for a engineered individual? What would sensory overload be in Traveller? A DM based upon average of INT + END, perhaps?

Yes, hence the need for a bigger brain.

⦁ Could psionics be "proven" to be genetically based, thus be available for genetic enhancement? If so, the Traveller Imperium would surely outlaw the practice, or administer it under strict licencing terms only. Would such PSI enhancement also be "trivial"?

I already have a DNA explanation for psionics , but in Traveller then yes psionics can be engineered at high TLs

⦁ Could such engineering be used to increase EDU and SOC characteristics? Could the practice be used by the local government for cultural cleansing of unproductive or anti-social "inferior citizens"?

if a government wished to do so

⦁ Could the genetic engineering be used to provide any non-brain related benefits, such as increased skin armour, breathe different atmospheres, and so on?

Yup, as you will see in future posts.

Hope that helps

It does indeed, thank you for the input.

 

[Limpin Legin]

The Culture novels of Iain M Banks

Well I be blowed! I know that author and managed to overlook his works all this time Now on my birthday wishlist, which is due in a few weeks time.
The Culture series novels of Iain M Banks:

Culture series - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

A couple of weeks to a month, medical monitoring required for the more extreme mode, but the simple ones you just have the effects of a heavy cold, suffer headaches, join pain etc and one day wake up with the tentacle

Wow, that sound a very short interval with which to grow an entire limb. related brain function and all associated interconnections.

Again TL dependent, at lower TLs only a few to avoid unexpected synergies, at higher TLs as many as you want.

Again, wow. Sounds like a higher TL would create a near "perfect" Mary Sue or Gary Stu character:

Mary Sue - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Controlled.

Can be engineered in the womb, and can even become hereditary.

Might the second quote here contradict the first quote, from the point-of-view of the player-character?

I mean, if the enhancements are engineered in the womb, then player character has no viable means of controlling their choices before the character is born?

full genetic compatability, your hormone glands are engineered.

Neat!

I'll get to the additional organs but yes. A couple of mini hearts in your pelvis, or the original heart spit into two complete pumps.

Maybe some alien races have wider or smaller pelvic diameter , and that could affect the potential success of the treatment?

The additional brain tissue in the spine is protected by the vertebrea, in the shoulders and pelvis there is the potential for reinforcing the pelvic girdle and shoulder blades

Not quite sure on this one. Would there be enough room in the human vertebrae for any extra biological tissue? How would you get blood supply to it if it were inside the bone core?

Yes, hence the need for a bigger brain.

Would that solve it when extra sensory stimulus are involved? I know from experience that if, for example, visual and audio sensory data is contradictory, then that could lead to overload ('confusion'). If more sensors are present, then it would be more likely that such an overloading confusion could occur?
This solution of a "bigger brain" still needs to account for performance of increase in number of simultaneous cognitions? By using more of the same brain tissue/matter with identical responsiveness/performance characteristics?
More variety of sensory inputs implies greater range of cognitive responses, which implies more sophisticated inner-narrative language processing ability?

and one day wake up with the tentacle

would extra limbs imply the need for customised "non-standard" clothes to be fitted by a suitable tailoring service?

 

[Sigtrygg]

Well I be blowed! I know that author and managed to overlook his works all this time Now on my birthday wishlist, which is due in a few weeks time.
The Culture series novels of Iain M Banks:

Culture series - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I highly recommend them.

Wow, that sound a very short interval with which to grow an entire limb. related brain function and all associated interconnections.

Tl dependent, it takes longer at lower TLs, and may be better if you are drugged...

Again, wow. Sounds like a higher TL would create a near "perfect" Mary Sue or Gary Stu character:

Mary Sue - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Wait until you read the books. Yes, characters can have a lot of abilities. But imagine a Traveller character with lots of psionic abilities, cybernetics, high tech equipment, and drugs. Biotech in the Culture just makes all of that part of you, again cyberware will be stronger unless you are augmented to the size of an elephant.

Might the second quote here contradict the first quote, from the point-of-view of the player-character?

Not sure whare this fits into the quote chain sorry.

I mean, if the enhancements are engineered in the womb, then player character has no viable means of controlling their choices before the character is born?

Metagame, you can opt to lay a character who was born with augments.

Neat!

Maybe some alien races have wider or smaller pelvic diameter , and that could affect the potential success of the treatment?

Yes, which may require some adaptation or truncation of augmentation for that particular race.

Not quite sure on this one. Would there be enough room in the human vertebrae for any extra biological tissue? How would you get blood supply to it if it were inside the bone core?

Same way a tumor grows blood vessels around it to feed it. There would be a slight bulge to the backbone if you looked carefully, but is you are engineered to be 6'4" most wouldn't notice. Similarly the pelvis may be a touch wider.

Would that solve it when extra sensory stimulus are involved? I know from experience that if, for example, visual and audio sensory data is contradictory, then that could lead to overload ('confusion'). If more sensors are present, then it would be more likely that such an overloading confusion could occur?

This is the main reason for more brain tissue, without the brain augment sensory augmentaion would be limited. You could add a cybernetic processor. Culture drones 0robots) often have an organic brain and a robot brain.

This solution of a "bigger brain" still needs to account for performance of increase in number of simultaneous cognitions? By using more of the same brain tissue/matter with identical responsiveness/performance characteristics?
More variety of sensory inputs implies greater range of cognitive responses, which implies more sophisticated inner-narrative language processing ability?

yes, greater intelligence may result. You could always opt for a bigger head for a bigger brain...

would extra limbs imply the need for customised "non-standard" clothes to be fitted by a suitable tailoring service?

Yes.
Especially if you go full Thi-Kreen or Great Race of Yith.
Characters in the Culture have a great range of flexibility with changing sex, race and the like. For Traveller I intend to tone it down a bit, until very high TLs are achieved.
So to start with I am looking to adapting Earth organism abilities as augmentations.

 

[Limpin Legin]

Not sure whare this fits into the quote chain sorry.

I stacked two out-of-sequence quotes together and attempted to question their logical consistency. Wait, I'll fetch them again and format things differently:

Quote #1:

Controlled.

Quote #2:

Can be engineered in the womb, and can even become hereditary.

So question was, will Quote #2 contradict Quote #1?
Quote #1 arrives in quote chain before quote #2 gets mentioned . However I then wanted to start with the statement in quote #2 and use it as the premise to question the logical consistency of the statement in quote #1.
So, I asked:

if the enhancements are engineered in the womb, then player character has no viable means of controlling their choices before the character is born?

(with the relevant assertions from both quotes now in highlighted in black.)
You have already answered:

Metagame, you can opt to lay a character who was born with augments.

which suggests you may have understood my question, without understanding my purpose of the two quotes #1 and #2

Does that make sense?

---

However, I now don't get your supplied answer!!! So let me now attempt to understand what is being said.

In the core rule's character building meta game, some outcomes are decided randomly by dice to reflect they are outside your control (ie UPP characteristics and life events), and some outcomes are controlled by player decision (ie, career preference, mustering out).

These to me sound sensible mix of the effects of what reality has on an individual, and what choices the individual has to influence reality within their control. The inference is some things are determined randomly because they are out of our control, while others are determined by choice because they are within our 'control' or sphere of influence.

Given that distinction, how can choosing augments be within the 'control' or sphere of influence of the player character, as it is determined pre-birth, in embryonic stage?

Am I on your wavelength here?

Surely, if augmentations are engineered in the womb, they would be considered "random" events within the meta game. That is, they are not controlled by the player character but are simulated in the meta game as decisions made by the parents (who desire the best future for their child, the prospective hero) or by the government (which may have a policy of cultural cleansing for all new born citizens).

So, yes, the effects might well be controlled by the parents or governments choices. But the unborn character will have no influence on their choices, hence the effects surely should appear as **random** within context of the game mechanic?

Spoiler: Good night

Now I am getting tyred and cannot write anymore

 

[Saladman]

Head - the brain, the brain is not big enough to control enhanced senses so we need more brain. The octopus has brain tissue in its arms. So step 1 - extra brain tissue grown down the spine and part way into limbs

You've reminded me of Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness. Octopi are smart, very possibly self-aware, yet very very different from us.

A point I found interesting was that the limbs/brains are kinda sorta semi-independent. They all work together as an organism of course, but there's not quite the impression of central direction we get with our singular brain, more a sense that they kind of worked things out until they all were on the same page. (If I'm not mangling or oversimplifying, its been a while since I've read it.)

I'm not sure how to gamify that, but it might make a point of color. If you're adding limbs or something comparable there could be not just the medical period of adaptation but a phase of learning-by-doing until everything is on the same page about how to move together. And completely novel situations might still shake things loose for a moment.

Additional senses probably wouldn't be so profound, but there might still be a sense of data getting interpreted, summarized, modeled and passed to the "real" brain as a package... by a semi-independent brain function. Not a full separate personality, but maybe not quite the same personality as the big brain.

 

[Limpin Legin]

A point I found interesting was that the limbs/brains are kinda sorta semi-independent. They all work together as an organism of course, but there's not quite the impression of central direction we get with our singular brain, more a sense that they kind of worked things out until they all were on the same page. (If I'm not mangling or oversimplifying, its been a while since I've read it.)

I'm not sure how to gamify that, ...

Could have separate INTs for each sub-brain, each additional INT being no greater that the main central brain.
Or, can create an additional special **Autonomous Brain** Characteristic (Suggested Abbreviation: ABR) + DM. And make that DM check a necessary part of a Task Chain, which influences the success of the the remainder of the Task Chain.
Or, create a **Language (Inner Brain)** skill that is a necessary part of a similar kind of Task Chain.

Additional senses probably wouldn't be so profound, but there might still be a sense of data getting interpreted, summarized, modeled and passed to the "real" brain as a package... by a semi-independent brain function. Not a full separate personality, but maybe not quite the same personality as the big brain.

I still like the idea of an increased chance of sensory overload. Maybe this biotech gives bigger brains, or more brain, or additional brains, but all of that stuff still needs to unite as one thought, one purpose or one motive or one character (and 'personality'). Having additional senses would make that possibility potentially less likely, or, if successful, would make that character more powerful and useful.
And, could allow each brain to multi-task for each player action.
Could delegate certain skills and biotech effects to each sub-brain, either permanently, or make them temporarily assigned and changeable per each rest/sleep period. (Ie, similar to DnD spell slots mechanic, if you are familiar with that gameplay.)
Could reduce the length of the Study Period required for Learning new skills.
Or give them an additional Average (8+) EDU check, during the Study Periods, per each sub-brain present in the equipped character.

 

[Sigtrygg]

I stacked two out-of-sequence quotes together and attempted to question their logical consistency. Wait, I'll fetch them again and format things differently:

Quote #1:

Quote #2:

So question was, will Quote #2 contradict Quote #1?
Quote #1 arrives in quote chain before quote #2 gets mentioned . However I then wanted to start with the statement in quote #2 and use it as the premise to question the logical consistency of the statement in quote #1.
So, I asked:

(with the relevant assertions from both quotes now in highlighted in black.)
You have already answered:

which suggests you may have understood my question, without understanding my purpose of the two quotes #1 and #2

Does that make sense?

Yes it does.

However, I now don't get your supplied answer!!! So let me now attempt to understand what is being said.

In the core rule's character building meta game, some outcomes are decided randomly by dice to reflect they are outside your control (ie UPP characteristics and life events), and some outcomes are controlled by player decision (ie, career preference, mustering out).

These to me sound sensible mix of the effects of what reality has on an individual, and what choices the individual has to influence reality within their control. The inference is some things are determined randomly because they are out of our control, while others are determined by choice because they are within our 'control' or sphere of influence.

Given that distinction, how can choosing augments be within the 'control' or sphere of influence of the player character, as it is determined pre-birth, in embryonic stage?

You can play a baseline, no augments at all, or you can play a minimally augmented human (you can decide which augments or roll randomly). Careers etc are followed as per usual. You can always add a few more augments as life events, mustering out benefits or jus hand out a few per term. Remember the character does not have to be augmented - a typical suit of clothing at Culture TLs can have so much tech built into it it makes BattleDress look like a romper suit. For a more typical traveller campaign the augments would be controlled and everything you can get an augment for there is likely a more mundane technological solution.

Am I on your wavelength here?

Yes.

Surely, if augmentations are engineered in the womb, they would be considered "random" events within the meta game. That is, they are not controlled by the player character but are simulated in the meta game as decisions made by the parents (who desire the best future for their child, the prospective hero) or by the government (which may have a policy of cultural cleansing for all new born citizens).

Yes, but the player is effectively playing the parents choosing the augments

So, yes, the effects might well be controlled by the parents or governments choices. But the unborn character will have no influence on their choices, hence the effects surely should appear as **random** within context of the game mechanic?

Spoiler: Good night

Now I am getting tyred and cannot write anymore

Take care.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Skin.
What can you find in the animal and plant kingdom that could augment your skin?
chameleon, octopus like colour and texture manipulation
thicker, thicker reinforced with silicates
electric field sensitivity
bioelectricity generation
bioluminessence
pheromones
mucus secretion
chitin, chitin reinforced with silicates

Note that some of these are going to be very obvious to anyone, but you can always claim to be a Klingon

 

[Limpin Legin]

I just claim to use ChatGPT for this question and managed to use 30 out of 30 prompts exploring this fascinating area.

Skin.
What can you find in the animal and plant kingdom that could augment your skin?

You can see all 30 of my prompts in this chat here:

Microsoft Copilot in Bing

Chatten Sie, erhalten Sie Antworten, erstellen Sie beeindruckende Inhalte, und entdecken Sie Informationen mühelos mit dem KI-basierten Chat von Bing. Transformieren Sie die Art, wie Sie mit Microsoft Copilot in Bing suchen und Antworten erhalten.

sl.bing.net

(Don't know why the link is displaying in German. The prompts are in English .)

 

[Sigtrygg]

That is a brilliant idea.

 

[Limpin Legin]

and plant kingdom that could augment your skin?​

Initially thought this would be a bit tougher as plants seem bit more vulnerable than creatures, they lack any sort of intelligence and their breathing works in opposite way to creatures.

However, here are a few ideas to pilot and see what reaction sci-fi gamers might have:

• Complementary respiratory system:
  • Breathe in more than one type of atmosphere due to not being dependent on oxygen.
  • Face the sun each day to recharge energy without having to sleep at night.
• Concurrent (or cyclic) feedback-controlled respiratory system:
  • Breathe in oxygen normally, then photosynthesise the carbon dioxide you breathe out, back into oxygen. Repeat process.
• Environmental stability:
  • Create immovability when, say, storm or flood arrives, by rooting oneself into the ground quickly.
• Own source of nourishment:
  • Chew on your own self-generating fruits or lick your own skin, for nourishment.
• Attract friendly creatures that can provide you with protection:
  • Allow other creatures to feed or nest within the depths of your plant-like skin. In return, they will provide you protection from the possibility of attacking foes.
• Environmental mobility:
  • Project vines from your skin to allow climbing or dangling from vertical surfaces or ceilings.
• Camouflage:
  • Skin turns leafy to match the biomes of the surrounding environment.
• Alternatives to sexual reproduction:
  • Sprout your own seeds that can be the saplings of future generations of your own kind.
• World domination (fast growing weeds with brains):
  • Spread your roots and branches everywhere across the world and communicate intelligently among your species, for world domination.

Certainly within the realms of soft science fiction , if that appeals.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Initially thought this would be a bit tougher as plants seem bit more vulnerable than creatures, they lack any sort of intelligence and their breathing works in opposite way to creatures.

However, here are a few ideas to pilot and see what reaction sci-fi gamers might have:

• Complementary respiratory system:
  • Breathe in more than one type of atmosphere due to not being dependent on oxygen.
  • Face the sun each day to recharge energy without having to sleep at night.

This would be awesome!

• Concurrent (or cyclic) feedback-controlled respiratory system:
  • Breathe in oxygen normally, then photosynthesise the carbon dioxide you breathe out, back into oxygen. Repeat process.

This could give you the equivalent of an oxygen tank allowing to not need to breathe for however long it holds out before the air needs refreshed. Otherwise, it would be the equivalent of a perpetual motion machine.

• Environmental stability:
  • Create immovability when, say, storm or flood arrives, by rooting oneself into the ground quickly.

Also cool

• Own source of nourishment:
  • Chew on your own self-generating fruits or lick your own skin, for nourishment.

I think you'd have the perpetual motion problem again here, but combine this with the photosynthesis one and sure. Icky, but sure. lol

• Attract friendly creatures that can provide you with protection:
  • Allow other creatures to feed or nest within the depths of your plant-like skin. In return, they will provide you protection from the possibility of attacking foes.
• Environmental mobility:
  • Project vines from your skin to allow climbing or dangling from vertical surfaces or ceilings.
• Camouflage:
  • Skin turns leafy to match the biomes of the surrounding environment.
• Alternatives to sexual reproduction:
  • Sprout your own seeds that can be the saplings of future generations of your own kind.
• World domination (fast growing weeds with brains):
  • Spread your roots and branches everywhere across the world and communicate intelligently among your species, for world domination.

Certainly within the realms of soft science fiction , if that appeals.

 

[Condottiere]

Ficus Pandorata (Richard Kelton) is Quark's Spock-like science officer and is a "Vegeton", a member of a race of sentient plant life (Ficus pandorata or pandurata is better known as Ficus lyrata, the fiddle-leaf fig). He is of completely human appearance although he tends to shrivel up when he gets dehydrated. While he is extremely intelligent, observant and always calmly rational, he is incapable of any sort of human emotion, including both fear and tact. He frequently finds the behavior of the rest of the crew difficult to understand, his curiosity leading him to have philosophical debates about the human condition with Quark, usually at the most inopportune moments.

 

[Sigtrygg]

No aliens - it has to be earth based DNA.

 

[J. L. Brown]

Again, wow. Sounds like a higher TL would create a near "perfect" Mary Sue or Gary Stu character:

Mary Sue - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

⦁ Could psionics be "proven" to be genetically based, thus be available for genetic enhancement? If so, the Traveller Imperium would surely outlaw the practice, or administer it under strict licencing terms only. Would such PSI enhancement also be "trivial"?
⦁ Could such engineering be used to increase EDU and SOC characteristics? Could the practice be used by the local government for cultural cleansing of unproductive or anti-social "inferior citizens"?

Traveller seems to imply that there both is and is not a genetic component to PSI. The Zhodani Nobles and Intendants do not have any greater chance of having children with higher PSI (or even just PSI at all). The Ancients, on the other hand, meddled with the genetics of several races; those races can 'unlock' various uplift paths that the Ancients created in their genetics -- and all of those paths enhance Psionic ability. So, it is very much up to the GM which way they want to go with PSI & genetics.

As to 'Mary Sue' and government meddling: several Traveller sources (T4, MgT 2e, T5, T5,1) indicate that for characters, genetics is only one of the two die-rolls for attributes. Government meddling with SOC (at least in the early eras of genetic modification) is probably limited to 're-roll ones'; this reduces the number of anti-social and criminally inclined individuals.

At much higher TLs it may be possible to specify 'The Genetic Die is a 5+' for any attribute(s); and many TLs higher might push this to genuinely superhuman levels like 'The Genetic Die is a 7' -- but the die from environmental factors can still be anywhere from one to six.

 

[Limpin Legin]

Traveller seems to imply that there both is and is not a genetic component to PSI. The Zhodani Nobles and Intendants do not have any greater chance of having children with higher PSI (or even just PSI at all). The Ancients, on the other hand, meddled with the genetics of several races; those races can 'unlock' various uplift paths that the Ancients created in their genetics -- and all of those paths enhance Psionic ability. So, it is very much up to the GM which way they want to go with PSI & genetics.

As to 'Mary Sue' and government meddling: several Traveller sources (T4, MgT 2e, T5, T5,1) indicate that for characters, genetics is only one of the two die-rolls for attributes. Government meddling with SOC (at least in the early eras of genetic modification) is probably limited to 're-roll ones'; this reduces the number of anti-social and criminally inclined individuals.

At much higher TLs it may be possible to specify 'The Genetic Die is a 5+' for any attribute(s); and many TLs higher might push this to genuinely superhuman levels like 'The Genetic Die is a 7' -- but the die from environmental factors can still be anywhere from one to six.

Cheers. Haven't bought into the Ancients campaign yet, although I am keen to go that way.

Not sure I understand the last two paragraphs. I see you are commenting on my mention of 'Mary Sue' characters and 'government meddling'. However I am at a loss what you mean about die rolls. I see different skills in science(psionicology) and science(genetics). I am also aware that DMs are for characteristics checks and skills checks, but where to go from there, I appear not to get your reasoning. I am aware of psionics as a characteristics, but not aware of genetics as a characteristic (Quote: 'for attributes' (?)), and perhaps this is where I am misconstruing your wording, if you could help sort that out?

 

[J. L. Brown]

Cheers. Haven't bought into the Ancients campaign yet, although I am keen to go that way.

Not sure I understand the last two paragraphs. I see you are commenting on my mention of 'Mary Sue' characters and 'government meddling'. However I am at a loss what you mean about die rolls. I see different skills in science(psionicology) and science(genetics). I am also aware that DMs are for characteristics checks and skills checks, but where to go from there, I appear not to get your reasoning. I am aware of psionics as a characteristics, but not aware of genetics as a characteristic (Quote: 'for attributes' (?)), and perhaps this is where I am misconstruing your wording, if you could help sort that out?

When you generate the attributes characteristics for a character, you roll 2d6. One of those die represents 'nature / genetics' the other represents 'nurture / environmental effects'. If two characters have children, each child inherits the 'Genetic' die from one parent or the other -- determined randomly for each attribute characteristic. Some rules (like T4's Pocket Empires) assumes that whichever die was higher at character generation was the 'genetics' die.

 

[Limpin Legin]

One of those die represents 'nature / genetics' the other represents 'nurture / environmental effects'. If two characters have children, each child inherits the 'Genetic' die from one parent or the other -- determined randomly for each attribute characteristic. Some rules (like T4's Pocket Empires) assumes that whichever die was higher at character generation was the 'genetics' die.

I see! Personally, not read all the rule variants and that rule appears missing in Mg 2e. Yes, that would link psionics to some sort of genetic basis. Therefore, surprised it was taken out, as that would be a crucial aspect of the mechanic. Just checked, it is not mentioned in the Mg Traveller Companion book either - totally relegated, yet relevant, IMO.