Pure-strain humans are those individuals who have, through technology and physical isolation, remained largely unmolested by the ravages of the Final Wars. Hailing from remote communities or protected environments built before the First Wars, pure-strain humans are the oldest new members of the Gamma World. Though blessed with the technology and knowledge of the previous age, pure-strain humans lack personal experience and often even theoretical information about the environments of the Gamma Age.
APPEARANCE
Pure-strain humans are modern homo sapiens sapiens. Some isolated pure-strain communities were composed entirely of individuals of a specific ethnicity, race, or nationality, while other pure-strain humans were embryos from before the Final Wars, and only recently brought to term. Pure-strain humans are very often more attractive than their stock human counterparts. Early in the 21st century, science discovered ways to tweak the genes of unborn children to provide parents with a choice of hair and eye colour, height, and weight. These desirable traits persist in the closed gene pools of pure-strain communities. In rare cases, a community of pure-strain humans is composed entirely of the clones of only a few members, called the Paragons. Paragons, and thus all members of the community, are usually “perfect” examples of their particular ethnicity, exemplifying the standards of beauty for the group in question at the time they were preserved. Changing social assumptions and expectations keep this beauty from having its maximum effect in winning others’ interest or support.
COMMUNITIES
The communities of pure-strain humans are always isolated, and nearly always technologically advanced. Biospheres, shelters, vaults, and other closed environments, known as Wombs, form the centres of most pure-strain communities. Gardens, plantations, workshops, and other “practical” locations surround these central structures. Visitors to pure-strain communities are rarely, if ever, invited into the Womb. While the sort of leadership and social system will vary among pure-strain communities, the role of the Womb is a constant: the community’s power structure, history, wealth, and future reside in the Womb. Hereditary leadership with some sort of representative support structure is most common among pure-strain communities, though more liberal democracies and fascist autocracies sometimes appear.
RELATIONS
Isolation preserved the languages, cultures, and very lives of the pure-strain humans of the Gamma World, and continues to preserve them. However, for those communities that have chosen or been forced to rejoin the outside world, there is no choice but to communicate and trade with mutants, synthetics, and sullied humans.
Raised in sheltered environments meant to preserve knowledge as well as life, pure-strain humans are more aware than others of the history leading up to the Final Wars. They therefore usually view mutants (at least genetically engineered ones) and synthetics as manufactured goods rather than as individuals with thoughts, goals, and souls. Pure-strain humans often treat presumptuous or arrogant mutants and synthetics as recalcitrant children, while violent and dangerous ones are treated as pets sadly gone rabid. Pure-strain humans see non-engineered mutants and post-Final Wars synthetics, however, rare, as unfortunate accidents. As to the rest, creatures and machines spawned from the horrors of the Final Wars and its aftermath have no place in the pure-strain human world.
Pure-strain humans’ relations with stock humans are precarious. Pure-strain humans often view stock humans as unfortunate (and inferior) younger sibling who were not afforded the protection and opportunities of sheltered existence. Since most pure-strain communities are relatively small, stock humans are often brought in as workers, craftsmen, and guides. On rare occasions, stock humans with particularly desirable genetic traits may be added to a breeding pool in an attempt to bolster the often inbred pure-strain pool.
It is important to note that not all pure-strain communities are likely to get along with one another. They are relics of the Final Wars and the time before; the residents often carry with them prejudices, ideals and ambitions from that era. Some pure-strain communities were built entirely around a certain ideology or prejudice, established by leaders who wanted to protect their race, creed, lineage, or ideology from the ravages of the Final Wars. When two opposing groups or pure-strain humans meet, the results can be catastrophic (though the remains often make for good scavenging by stock humans, mutants, and synthetics).
ALLEGIANCES
The allegiances most pure-strain humans place above all others is that of genotype. The genetic blueprint for humanity must continue on, or human beings might as well have never existed at all. Community often comes in a close second, followed by any ideals built into the isolated community, such as religious beliefs of political leanings. Philosophical ideals such as “good” and “evil” are only important insofar as they affect the continued existence of the pure-strain gene pool and are connected to the community’s ideology.
PURE-STRAIN HUMAN RACIAL TRAITS
Abilities: +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength, -2 Charisma. Pure-strain humans also receive an additional +2 bonus that may be applied to any ability except Constitution and Intelligence (which already have a bonus). This bonus may be used to cancel out the penalty to Strength or Charisma (effectively giving them a +0 to the chosen ability). Pure-strain humans are, on average, exposed to much more effective educational materials and techniques than other characters in the Gamma World. In addition, medical technology has made them healthier than stock humans and extremely resistant to mutation. However, isolated lifestyles and reinforced ideals can make pure-strain humans difficult to deal with in spite of their physical attractiveness, and hard labour very often takes a back seat to technical work.
Size: Pure-strain humans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Pure-strain humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Tech Familiarity: The machinery of the Final Wars was built precisely for use by the people who are now called pure-strain humans; both the people and the tech know it, almost instinctively. Therefore, pure-strain human characters gain a competence bonus when using hardtech and soultech (see Chapter Six of the Gamma World Player’s Handbook for details) equal to 2 + one-half their character level, rounded down. They suffer a penalty when using biotechnology, however—biotechnology has adapted to the Gamma World more readily than pure-strain humans, and biotech deivces no longer reliably recognize their original masters. The DCs of all rolls to analyse and use biotechnology are (6 – Int modifier) higher than usual for pure-strain humans.
Skilled: Pure-strain humans receive 1 extra skill rank every level.
Note: Pure-strain humans do not receive the bonus feat that
stock humans receive.
