Features

Features describe enhanced character abilities enabled by advanced science and technology such as cybernetics and bioengineering.

Players are encouraged to work with the game host to create fun and creative features for their characters. The following provides some examples of different kinds of features that are suitable for the setting. Players can use or customize features from the following lists or create new types of features (with the game hosts approval).

Cybernetics

Cybernetic augmentations in Stela Mondo refer to mechanical and digital enhancements surgically integrated with the body. These augmentations are typically developed by top medical and engineering firms and are carefully regulated, though black-market cybernetics do exist, offering less-tested, high-risk alternatives.

OPTIC ENHANCEMENT: Enhanced vision range, infrared and night-vision capabilities, and telescopic zoom. Improves perception and accuracy in low-light and long-distance situations.

NEURAL UPLINK: Allows interfacing directly with computers and devices, granting the ability to quickly process information, pilot drones, or even hack nearby networked systems with ease.

REFLEX BOOSTERS: Improves physical reflexes, giving the character an edge in combat and high-speed tasks by allowing faster response times and the ability to dodge or counter attacks more effectively.

ENHANCED MUSCULATURE: Strength-enhancing servos and synthetic muscle fibers increase lifting capacity, carrying weight, and physical resilience, particularly useful in low-gravity environments or heavy labor.

BIO-MONITORING: A built-in health monitor that tracks vital signs, automatically administers emergency medical treatments, and can alert nearby medical support when the character is in distress.

SUBDERMAL ARMOR: Small armor plates embedded beneath the skin to protect vital areas, increasing the character's resilience to physical attacks and minor environmental hazards.

OXYGEN RECYCLER: Integrated system that extends the character’s ability to survive without fresh air, recirculating exhaled oxygen for prolonged periods in hazardous environments.

IMPLANTED STORAGE: A small, secure compartment implanted under the skin, allowing the character to carry sensitive data, tools, or small objects undetectable by most scans.

Bioengineering

Genetic mutations, or "bio-augments," are engineered changes made at the DNA level, usually during the early stages of life but sometimes later through genetic therapy. These mutations can give characters abilities that enhance their natural capabilities or add entirely new ones, often mimicking traits from other species or enhancing resilience to certain environmental conditions.

ENHANCED RESPIRATORY SYSTEMS: Modified lungs allow for more efficient oxygen use, granting the character longer breath-holding capacity and greater endurance in thin or low-oxygen atmospheres.

REGENERATIVE HEALING: Accelerated cell regeneration allows characters to recover more quickly from injuries, reducing downtime and mitigating some types of damage over time.

HEAT RESISTANCE: Genetic modifications provide natural resilience to high temperatures, reducing heat-based fatigue or injury and making survival easier in hot climates or hazardous environments.

ECHOLOCATION: Bio-engineered vocal and auditory adaptations allow the character to emit sounds and perceive echoes, enabling navigation and detection in low-visibility environments.

ENHANCED SENSORY PERCEPTION: Mutations improve hearing, smell, or touch, providing heightened awareness in various environmental conditions or detecting faint signals, scents, or vibrations.

PHOTOSYNTHETIC SKIN: The character’s skin can absorb and convert sunlight into energy, reducing their need for food in well-lit environments and helping them sustain themselves during extended periods outdoors.

CAMOUFLAGE: Skin pigmentation changes in response to the environment, allowing the character to blend in with surroundings and gain advantages in stealth.

COLD TOLERANCE: Genetic adaptations enhance the body’s ability to retain warmth, reducing fatigue or damage in low temperatures and allowing operation in freezing environments.