Transhuman Space
Transhuman Space is a role-playing game published by Steve Jackson Games as parts of the "Powered by GURPS" (Generic Universal Role-Playing System) line. Set in the year 2100, humanity has begun to populate the Solar System. More importantly, the pursuit of transhumanism is now in full swing, as more and more people struggle to reach a fully posthuman state.
Synopsis
Human genetic engineering has advanced to the point that anyone--single individuals, homosexual couples, groups of three or more--can reproduce. The embryos can be allowed to be developed naturally, or they can undergo three levels of tinkering: genefixing, which corrects defects; upgrades, which boost natural abilities (Ishtar Upgrades are slightly more attractive than usual, Metanoia Updgrades are more intelligent, etc.); and full transition to parahuman status (Nyx Parahumans only need a few hours of sleep per week, Aquamorphs can live underwater, etc.) Another type of human genetic engineering, far more controversial, is the creation of bioroids, fully sentient slave races.
What if your better-than-human body gets damaged, though? No problem, you can upload yourself, recording the contents of your brain on a computer disk. Now you're an infomorph, and very easily confused with sentient artificial intelligence. Any informorph, regardless of its origin, can be plugged into a robot body, or cybershell, or a biological body, or bioshell. And if you're feeling like spitting in the face of Earth laws, you can make multiple copies of yourself, or xoxes, and scatter them throughout the system, exponentially increasing the odds that at least one of you will live for centuries more, if not forever.
Incredibly detailed information on technology, politics and culture combine to create a gameworld of immense richness. You can play soliders, entrepreneurs, spies, colonists, scientists, and even ordinary folks swept up in events beyond their control.
Books
- Transhuman Space (core rules)
- Broken Dreams (areas of poverty, crime and oppression on Earth)
- Deep Beyond (the Asteroid Belt and beyond)
- Fifth Wave (the many nations of Earth)
- High Frontier (Earth orbit and Luna)
- In the Well (Mercury, Venus and Mars)
- Personnel Files (non-player characters)
- Spacecraft of the Solar System (self-explanatory)
- Toxic Memes (strange ideas and popular fads)
- Under Pressure (the oceans of the Solar System)