Biohacker

The pursuit of scientific knowledge and expertise is like a pebble sinking into an infinite ocean—each new depth brings a new outlook, new understanding, and new wisdom about the interlocking nature of the wide universe and all matter in it. You are fascinated with science and all its many facets. You understand that the fundamentals of biology, chemistry, physics, and myriad other disciplines can help you bolster your allies and exploit your enemies’ weaknesses, and that they can reveal new insights and epiphanies over time. You might be studious and methodical about your field research, pushing your mind and scientific discoveries to ever-growing heights. Or, you might be more unorthodox or reckless, improvising unstable concoctions while hitting upon otherwise unknowable brilliance and effectiveness. Either way, you offer skilled support to your allies in the thick of battle, and you are incredibly erudite about several fields of scientific study and their relations to biological life.

Hit Points: 6

Stamina Points: 6 + Constitution modifier

Key Ability Score: Your Intelligence helps you learn and know more about the scientific world than the average person, while your Wisdom helps you interpret these facts, apply them to real-world situations, and know how to push the limits of what’s possible, so you should choose either Intelligence or Wisdom as your key ability score. Once made, this choice cannot be changed. A high Dexterity can make you better able to aid your allies and hinder your foes with your ranged injections.

Class Skills: Bluff ( Cha), Computers ( Int), Culture ( Int), Diplomacy ( Cha), Engineering ( Int), Life Science ( Int), Medicine ( Int), Perception ( Wis), Physical Science ( Int), Profession ( Cha, Int, or Wis), Sense Motive ( Wis), Sleight of Hand ( Dex),

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Intelligence Modifier

Proficiencies Armor-light; Weapons-basic melee weapons, grenades, small arms

Table: Biohacker

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save Bonus	Ref Save Bonus	Will Save Bonus	Class Features
1st	+0	+2	+0	+0	Custom scanner, injection expert, injections, primary field of study, scientific method
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+0	Biohacker theorem
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+1	Spark of ingenuity 1/day, weapon specialization
4th	+3	+4	+1	+1	Biohacker theorem
5th	+3	+4	+1	+1	Primary field of study breakthrough
6th	+4	+5	+2	+2	Biohacker theorem
7th	+5	+5	+2	+2	Secondary field of study
8th	+6	+6	+2	+2	Biohacker theorem
9th	+6	+6	+3	+3	Spark of ingenuity +1/day, improved scanner
10th	+7	+7	+3	+3	Biohacker theorem
11th	+8	+7	+3	+3	Secondary field of study breakthrough
12th	+9	+8	+4	+4	Biohacker theorem
13th	+9	+8	+4	+4	Tertiary field of study
14th	+10	+9	+4	+4	Biohacker theorem
15th	+11	+9	+5	+5	Spark of ingenuity +1/day
16th	+12	+10	+5	+5	Biohacker theorem
17th	+12	+10	+5	+5	Expert scanner, tertiary field of study breakthrough
18th	+13	+11	+6	+6	Biohacker theorem
19th	+14	+11	+6	+6	Resolve analysis
20th	+15	+12	+6	+6	Biohacker theorem, superserum

Class Features

Custom Scanner (Ex) 1st Level

At 1st level, you have created a small customized scanning device that you can use to evaluate and treat your allies’ wounds, identify unknown substances, and determine your enemies’ weaknesses from a distance. You can configure your custom scanner to take the shape of anything that can fit in your hand or a similar appendage, or design it to install in your armor (which does not take up an armor upgrade slot) or as an augmentation in your brain, your eyes, or an arm (which does not occupy a system in your body).

Your custom scanner counts as a basic medkit and a chemalyzer and can be used for any purposes applicable to those items.

As long as you have access to your custom scanner, as a move action you can target a creature within 30 feet that is within your Line_of_Sight”>line of sight and attempt a special skill check to identify it: if the creature is living, this is a Life Science check, and if the creature is unliving, it is a Physical Science check. The DC of this check is tied to the creature’s rarity, as presented on the Creature Rarity table.

Additionally, as long as you have access to your custom scanner, you can use Life Science or Physical Science instead of Mysticism to make serums.

If your custom scanner is damaged, destroyed, lost, or stolen, you can kitbash a new one from any medkit or chemalyzer, reconfiguring the materials into a new custom scanner with 1 hour of work. You can have only one custom scanner at a time. If you create a new custom scanner, your old one functions as a normal item of whatever type you made it from.

Injection Expert (Ex) 1st Level

At 1st level, you are proficient with weapons that have the injection weapon special property, as long as the weapon has not gained that weapon special property through a weapon fusion, spell, class feature, or similar ability or effect. At 1st level, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with these weapons. At 9th level, that bonus increases to +2.

When you hit an ally with a weapon that has the injection weapon special property, you can choose not to deal damage to that ally, though that ally is still affected by the effects of the drug, poison, medicinal compound, counteragent (see page 3), restorative (see page 4), or other substance that was loaded into the injection weapon. When you fire a weapon with the injection special property and you have multiple types of ammunition loaded into the weapon, you choose which type of ammunition you fire when you attempt the attack.

Injections (Ex) 1st Level

You carry a collection of catalysts, chemicals, compounds, and specialized nanites, plus a small mixing apparatus and syringes, which you can use to quickly fashion solutions that produce different effects depending on the order in which you mix these ingredients. These solutions are called injections, and you can use them to boost your allies or hinder your foes. Your injections produce their effects only when you inject a creature with them (see below), and only you know how to make and administer them in the exact effective way. An injection that is not in your possession becomes inert until you pick it up again.

Each day, you must spend 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients for a number of injections equal to your biohacker level + your key ability score modifier. This preparation time includes only readying the compounds and chemicals you need to make your injections, and you decide the specific injection you create as part of the standard action you take to attack with it or inject a creature with it (see below). When you regain the daily uses of your injections class feature, any injections that you created earlier but didn’t use become inert, even if they’re still in your possession—their method of creation depends largely on unstable chemicals and methods that can’t be reproduced at a large scale. You can readily replenish the chemicals for your injections on a regular basis at no cost, unless the GM states otherwise.

A single injection is held in a physical syringe that you can wield in one hand. It is considered a consumable item with negligible bulk, with an item level equal to your biohacker level, hardness equal to your biohacker level, and 1 Hit Point. You must hit an unwilling creature with a melee attack to inject them with an injection, and an injection counts as a consumable basic melee weapon for this purpose. An injection can be injected into a willing or unconscious creature (or yourself) as a standard action, as long as the target is within your reach. An injection can also be loaded into a weapon with the injection weapon special property as a move action, and you can deliver the injection with a normal attack with that weapon. When you attack an ally with an injection loaded into a weapon that has the injection weapon special property, that ally is considered flat-footed against your attack.

Injections come in two varieties: counteragents and restoratives. Unless otherwise stated, counteragents and restoratives affect both living and unliving creatures. At 1st level, you know the basic counteragents and restoratives listed below, in addition to the unique counteragent and restorative granted by your primary field of study (see pages 5–7). As you increase in level, you can also devise theorems to learn special injections, as well as abilities to modify or enhance your existing injections (see Biohacker Theorems on page 7), in addition to learning a second and a third field of study. Additionally, fields of study eventually provide you with breakthroughs that also equip you with special injections you can use, as described in their entries.

Counteragent

A counteragent hinders a creature’s defenses. The effects of a counteragent last for a number of rounds equal to half your key ability score modifier (minimum 1 round) unless stated otherwise. A creature can be under the effect of only one of your counteragents at a time, though it could be under the effect of multiple counteragents originating from multiple biohackers. If you affect a creature with a different one of your counteragents, the effects of the previous counteragent end (although see the spark of ingenuity class feature on page 4 for one exception). When you use a counteragent injection, it can have one of the following effects.

• The target takes a –2 penalty to AC.
• Reduce the target’s DR by 5. At 9th level, you instead reduce it by 10. At 17th level, you instead reduce it by 15. This can’t reduce the target’s DR below 0.
• Reduce the target’s resistance to one type of energy (your choice) by 5. At 9th level, you instead reduce it by 10. At 17th level, you instead reduce it by 15. This can’t reduce the target’s resistance below 0.

Restorative

A restorative aids a creature in one manner or another. The effects of a restorative last for a number of rounds equal to your key ability score modifier (minimum 1 round) unless stated otherwise. You can affect creatures with multiple different restoratives at a time. When you use a restorative injection, it can have one of the following effects.

• The target gains a +1 enhancement bonus to AC.
• The target gains a +2 enhancement bonus to all skill checks.
• The target gains a +10-foot enhancement bonus to their speed.

Primary Field of Study (Ex) 1st Level

Your primary field of study represents your area of expertise within the scientific community. Choose your primary field of study upon taking your first level in biohacker, and once made, this choice cannot be changed. A field of study grants you a unique counteragent and restorative, many of which work only on living creatures and have special properties and descriptors as described in their entries. Descriptions of the fields of study you can choose from appear on pages 5–7.

Primary Field of Study Breakthrough 5th Level

You gain a special ability that you can use like an injection from your primary field of study. For more information about how breakthroughs work, see Fields of Study on page 5.

Scientific Method (Ex) 1st Level

Thanks to your genius scientific mind, you have a specific way of approaching problems that surpasses the methods used by typical researchers and scholars. If your key ability score is Wisdom, you have an instinctive mind. If your key ability score is Intelligence, you have a studious mind. Your scientific method affects your spark of ingenuity class feature (see below).

Instinctive

You can innately see the connections between things and often act instinctively on those connections. Instead of your Intelligence modifier, you can add your Wisdom modifier to Life Science, Medicine, and Physical Science skill checks.

Studious

Your mind is a fortress of information that can only rarely be breached. Instead of your Wisdom modifier, you can add your Intelligence modifier to Perception and Sense Motive skill checks and to Will saving throws.

Biohacker Theorem (Ex) 2nd Level

As you gain experience, you devise theorems about the way the universe works and how you can alter it. Some biohacker theorems you can use on yourself, fundamentally altering your physiological structure to gain specific benefits, while others require the use of your custom scanner or other equipment or add additional options for your injections.

You learn your first biohacker theorem at 2nd level, and you learn an additional theorem at 4th level and every 2 levels thereafter. If a theorem allows an opponent a saving throw to resist its effects, the DC is equal to 10 + half your biohacker level + your key ability score modifier. If a theorem requires an opponent to attempt a skill check, the DC is equal to 10 + 1-1/2 × your biohacker level + your key ability score modifier.

Unless otherwise specified, you can’t learn a theorem more than once. Once you learn a theorem, that choice cannot be changed. See Biohacker Theorems on page 7 for the list of theorems.

Spark of Ingenuity (Ex) 3rd Level

Possible permutations and offshoots of your formulas constantly run through your mind, and in a pinch you can effectively apply your favorite hypotheses to your injections in the field. Once per day, depending on your scientific method, you can alter the way one of your injections works. You can do this one additional time per day at 9th level and at 15th level.

If you are an instinctive biohacker, you can add the dazzled condition to the effects imposed by any of your counteragents, in addition to their normal effects. This effect lasts the length of the counteragent’s duration. Or, in addition to their normal effects, you can remove one of the following conditions with any of your restoratives: dazzled, fascinated, or shaken. If you are at least 9th level, you can instead add the flat-footed condition as one of the effects imposed by any of your counteragents. Or, you can remove any one of the following conditions with any of your restoratives: dazzled, deafened, fascinated, fatigued, off-target, shaken, or sickened.

If you are a studious biohacker, you can combine the effects of two injections into one, expending one use of your injection ability to create and deliver both injections at the same time. This takes no additional time and enables a creature to be under the effects of two different counteragents simultaneously. Both effects last for a number of rounds equal to your key ability score modifier.

Weapon Specialization (Ex) 3rd Level

You gain the Weapon Specialization feat as a bonus feat for each weapon type this class grants you proficiency with. For weapons with which you have gained proficiency through the injection expert class feature (with the exception of basic melee weapons), you instead add half your character level to damage you deal with those weapons.

Secondary Field of Study (Ex) 7th Level

You choose a second field of study, which must be different from your primary field of study. When you do, you gain that field of study’s unique counteragent and restorative. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.

Secondary Field of Study Breakthrough 11th Level

You gain a special ability that you can use like an injection from your secondary field of study. For more information about how breakthroughs work, see Fields of Study on page 5.

Improved Scanner (Ex) 9th Level

Your custom scanner improves. When you have access to it and attempt to craft a serum, you treat your ranks in Physical Science or Life Science as if they were 1 higher. Additionally, the range at which you can use your custom scanner to attempt to identify a creature increases to 50 feet.

Tertiary Field of Study (Ex) 13th Level

You choose a third field of study, which must be different from your primary and secondary fields of study. When you do, you gain that field of study’s unique counteragent and restorative. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.

Tertiary Field of Study Breakthrough 17th Level

You gain a special ability that you can use like an injection from your tertiary field of study. For more information about how breakthroughs work, see Fields of Study below.

Expert Scanner (Ex) 17th Level

Your custom scanner further improves. When you have access to it and attempt to craft a serum, you treat your ranks in Physical Science or Life Science as if they were 2 higher. Additionally, the range at which you can use your custom scanner to attempt to identify a creature increases to 80 feet.

Resolve Analysis (Ex) 19th Level

Whenever you use your spark of ingenuity class feature, you regain 1 Resolve Point, up to your normal maximum.

Superserum (Ex) 20th Level

At 20th level, you have developed the formula for a superserum that can effect major changes in the bodies of those into whom you inject it, including yourself. You can create a number of superserums per day equal to your key ability score modifier. Your superserums are a special type of injection, and you create them as part of the 10 minutes of preparation time needed to create your normal injections for the day. Your superserums function in the same way as your other injections, except that when you attempt to inject a creature with them, the superserum imparts one of the following effects. You must decide this effect as part of the standard action you take to attack with the superserum or inject a creature with it.

Your superserum can bring a dead creature back to life, no matter how long it’s been dead. The target’s body must be largely intact, and its soul must be free and willing to return. (If either requirement is not met, the superserum is wasted.) A creature returned to life by your superserum has 10 Hit Points. Otherwise, the creature’s status is the same as if it had been targeted by a raise dead spell.

Your superserum can rewire the physiological makeup of the target, causing massive internal damage. The target takes 17d10 points of damage and is exhausted and Stunned”>stunned for 1 round. If the target succeeds at a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 10 + 1/2 your biohacker level + your key ability score modifier), the damage is halved and the target is instead fatigued for only 1 round.

Your superserum can course like a panacea throughout the target, relieving them of debilitating mental or physical trauma. Choose one set of ability scores: Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, or Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. The target is healed of all such ability score damage, and all such drained ability score points are restored. Regardless which set of scores you choose, the superserum also eliminates all ongoing confusion, fear, and insanity effects. This superserum also removes any mental afflictions that could be removed with dispel magic, as well as afflictions using the mental disease track. It removes all effects magically altering the target’s memory, even instantaneous effects, and it can restore a memory to perfect clarity (even if the memory loss is due to the mundane passage of time). The target must be willing or unconscious to benefit from this superserum.

Your superserum can enhance a target’s senses, allowing them to see things as they actually are. For 1 hour, the target is treated as if under the effects of true seeing.

Fields of Study

The following scientific fields of study represent the most common branches of learning for a biohacker. Each field’s breakthrough ability functions as an injection, but using a breakthrough doesn’t expend one of your injections’ daily uses. You can use each breakthrough’s ability a number of times per day equal to your key ability score modifier.

Endocrinology

Endocrinology is the study of a living creature’s hormones and the biological systems that produce and regulate them.

Counteragent: You can flood a living creature’s body with a cocktail of microscopic impurities, imposing the off-target condition.

Restorative: You can increase how quickly a living creature can process their stress hormones, granting a +2 enhancement bonus to Reflex saving throws.

Boosted Courage (Ex): When you gain this breakthrough, as a standard action, you can create and deliver a mixture of stabilizing agents to a living creature. When injected, the mixture provides the target with a +4 enhancement bonus to saving throws against fear effects for 1 minute or, if the target is already affected by a fear effect, allows the target to immediately attempt a new saving throw against the effect with a +2 enhancement bonus. This does not grant a new saving throw if the effect did not originally allow one. If you are at least 7th level, the bonus to saving throws against fear effects is instead +6 and +4, and if the target is already shaken, the condition is automatically removed. If you are at least 13th level, if the target is frightened, the condition is automatically removed.

Enzymology

Enzymology is the study of the molecules that catalyze the biological processes that convert one substance into another.

Counteragent: You can temporarily slow a living creature’s metabolism, imposing the fatigued condition.

Restorative: You can deliver a dose of enzymes that aid a living creature in breaking down metabolic waste products, allowing it to ignore the fatigued condition. At 9th level, you can instead allow the target to ignore the exhausted condition.

Metabolic Catalyst (Ex): When you gain this breakthrough, as a standard action, you can create and deliver a potent mix of enzymes that allows a living creature to operate at peak efficiency. When injected, the compound allows the target to take an extra move action during their next turn. This move action can be taken before or after a full action, but not during. Additionally, all of the target’s modes of movement increase by 15 feet for 1 round, up to twice the target’s normal speed using that form of movement, which affects the target’s jumping distance as normal for increased speed. This counts as a haste effect, and the bonus to speed is an enhancement bonus. If you are at least 7th level, all of the target’s modes of movement instead increase by 30 feet. If you are at least 13th level, all of the target’s modes of movement instead increase by 50 feet.

Genetics

Genetics is the study of living creatures’ inherited characteristics.

Counteragent: You can deliver a mutagenic chemical compound into a living creature’s body, imposing vulnerability to one type of energy (your choice) to that creature. If the creature is immune to that energy type, this counteragent removes the immunity and instead gives it resistance 10. If the creature has resistance to that energy type, instead reduce its resistance by 10 (minimum 0). This is a poison effect.

Restorative: You can temporarily alter the acuity of a living creature’s vision, granting the subject the benefits of blindsense (vibration) with a range of 30 feet. If the creature already has blindsense, it instead gains the benefit of the Blind-Fight feat.

Gene Therapy (Ex): When you gain this field of study’s breakthrough, as a standard action, you can create and deliver a medicinal formula to a living creature that temporarily reverts the effects of damage to its mind and body. When injected, the formula allows the target to ignore the effects of all ability score damage and drain for 1 minute. If you are at least 7th level, this effect instead lasts for 5 minutes. If you are at least 13th level, it instead lasts for 10 minutes.

Immunology

Immunology is the study of how living creatures’ bodies fight off diseases and other maladies.

Counteragent: You can deliver a potent compound that weakens a living creature’s immune system, imposing a –2 penalty to Fortitude saving throws to that creature.

Restorative: You can boost a living creature’s immune system, granting a +2 enhancement bonus to Fortitude saving throws.

Suppress Disease (Ex): When you gain this field of study’s breakthrough, as a standard action, you can create and deliver a formula to a living creature that supercharges its immune system. When injected, the formula allows the target to ignore the effects of the furthest step along the progression track of a single disease affecting that creature (not including the disease’s end state) for 1 hour. The disease doesn’t progress normally during that time, but this time doesn’t count toward the disease’s duration. If you are at least 7th level, the target ignores the effects of the furthest step of a single disease for 8 hours. If you are at least 13th level, the target ignores the effects for 1 week.

Neurochemistry

Neurochemistry is the study of the chemicals within the brains of living creatures.

Counteragent: You can deliver a neurotoxin that impedes the functioning of a living creature’s brain, imposing a –2 penalty to Will saving throws. This is a poison effect.

Restorative: You can bolster the a living creature’s neurochemistry, allowing the target to ignore the effects of the confused condition. While the target is ignoring the effects, the duration of the condition elapses as normal.

Boost Neurotransmitters (Ex): When you gain this breakthrough, as a standard action, you can create and deliver a chemical compound to a living creature that causes a surge of activity in the brain. When injected, the formula grants the target a +4 enhancement bonus to saving throws against mind-affecting effects for 1 minute. If the target is already under the effects of a mind-affecting effect, it can immediately attempt a new saving throw with a +2 enhancement bonus. This does not grant a new saving throw if the effect did not originally allow one. If you are at least 7th level, the bonus to saving throws against mind-affecting effects increases to +6 and +4. If you are at least 13th level and the target is already under the effects of a mind-affecting effect, the bonus to the new saving throw increases to +6.

Pharmacology

Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects on the biology of living creatures.

Counteragent: You can introduce a mild hallucinogen into a living creature’s body, imposing the confused condition. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Restorative: You can deliver a coagulant to a living creature. If the creature is under the effect of the bleeding condition, that condition ends.

Alleviate Pain (Ex): When you gain this field of study’s breakthrough, as a standard action, you can create and deliver a formula to a living creature that prevents pain and nausea. When injected, the mixture provides the target with a +4 enhancement bonus to saving throws against pain effects and effects that cause the sickened or nauseated condition for 1 minute. If the target is already under one of these effects, or if it already has the sickened or nauseated condition, it immediately gets a new saving throw against the effect with a +2 enhancement bonus to end the effect or remove the condition. This does not grant a new saving throw if the effect did not originally allow one. If you are at least 7th level, the bonus to saving throws against pain effects and effects that cause the sickened or nauseated condition increases to +6 and +4. If you are at least 13th level, this automatically removes the sickened condition, and the bonus to new saving throws increases to +6.

Toxicology

Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects certain chemicals have on living creatures.

Counteragent: You can deliver a weak toxin into a living creature’s body, imposing the sickened condition. This is a poison effect.

Restorative: You can cause a living creature to secrete a foul toxin that fills the air immediately around it. Any creature attacking the affected target with a melee attack takes a –2 penalty to the attack roll. This is an inhaled poison effect.

Suppress Poison (Ex): When you gain this field of study’s breakthrough, as a standard action, you can create and deliver a formula that holds the course of a toxin in check to a living creature. When injected, the formula allows the target to ignore the effects of the furthest step along the progression track of a single poison affecting that ally (not including the poison’s end state) for 1 minute. The poison doesn’t progress normally during that time, but this time doesn’t count toward the poison’s duration. If you are at least 7th level, the target ignores the effects of the furthest step of a single poison for 10 minutes. If you are at least 13th level, the target ignores the effects of all steps along the progression track of a single poison for 1 hour.

Biohacker Theorems

You formulate your first biohacker theorem at 2nd level, and you formulate a new theorem every 2 levels thereafter. Biohacker theorems require you to have a minimum biohacker level, and they are organized accordingly. Some theorems require you to satisfy other prerequisites, such as knowing other theorems.

Biohacker theorems marked with an asterisk (*) apply to your injections class feature and do not stack with one another. Only one such theorem can be applied to an individual injection.

2nd Level

You must be 2nd level or higher to choose these theorems.

8th Level

You must be 8th level or higher to choose these theorems.

14th Level

You must be 14th level or higher to choose these theorems.

Altered or Replaced Biohacker Class Features

For any level at which an archetype provides an alternate class feature, a biohacker who takes the archetype alters or replaces the listed class features.

2nd, 4th, 6th, 12th, and 18th Levels: You don’t gain a theorem.

9th Level: You don’t gain an additional use of spark of ingenuity.