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Player > Class > Biohacker > Fields of Study

Fields of Study

The following fields of study represent the most common academic specialties for a biohacker. Each field’s booster, inhibitor, and breakthrough ability follow the rules for basic biohacks unless specified otherwise. Unlike boosters and inhibitors, a breakthrough ability doesn’t count against your uses of the biohack class feature. You can use each breakthrough’s ability once, and you regain the ability to use it after you take a 10-minute rest to recover Stamina Points or take an 8-hour rest to regain Resolve Points. If an ability gained through a field of study requires a saving throw, the DC is equal to 10 + half your class level + your key ability score modifier.

Genetics [LINK]

Starfinder Character Operations Manual p.45

Genetics is the study of living creatures' inherited characteristics.
Booster: You temporarily boost a living creature (one that does not have the unliving universal creature rule) to improve the acuity of its hearing, granting the subject the benefits of blindsense (sound) with a range of 60 feet. If the creature already has blindsense, it instead gains the benefit of the Blind-Fight feat. This benefit lasts for 60 minutes.
Inhibitor: You deliver a DNA-twisting or material-altering chemical nanite compound into a creature's body, imparting vulnerability to one type of energy (your choice). If the creature is immune to that energy type, this inhibitor temporarily removes that immunity and gives the creature resistance 20 to that type of energy. If the creature has resistance to that energy type, this effect instead reduces its resistance by 10 (minimum 0). This biohack does not remove a creature's resistance or immunity to natural hazards or environments, only to damage from energy attacks, spells, and other abilities.

Breakthrough

You can use the following ability when you achieve the breakthrough for this field of study.
Gene Therapy (Ex): As a standard action, you can create and deliver a medicinal formula to a living creature that suspends the effects of damage to their mind and body. When injected, the formula allows the target to ignore the effects of all ability score damage and drain for 10 minutes. If you are at least 7th level, this effect lasts for 1 hour. If you are at least 13th level, it lasts for 24 hours.


Immunology [LINK]

Starfinder Character Operations Manual p.45

Immunology is the study of how living creatures' bodies fight off diseases and other maladies.
Booster: You boost a creature's immune system, granting a +2 enhancement bonus to Fortitude saving throws.
Inhibitor: You deliver a potent compound that weakens a creature's immune system (or creates vulnerabilities in nonliving creatures), imparting a –2 penalty to Fortitude saving throws.

Breakthrough

You can use the following ability when you achieve the breakthrough for this field of study.
Suppress Disease (Ex): As a standard action, you can create and deliver a formula that supercharges a target's immune system. When injected, the formula allows the target to ignore the effects of the highest stage (not including the disease's end state) of a single disease affecting them 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 highest stage of a single disease for 24 hours. If you are at least 13th level, the target ignores the effects for 1 week.


Neurochemistry [LINK]

Starfinder Character Operations Manual p.45

Neurochemistry is the study of the chemicals that affect creatures' brains and nerves (or related cognitive systems).
Booster: You bolster the chemistry of a creature's brain (or other cognitive system), allowing it to ignore the effects of the confused and staggered conditions for the booster's duration. While the creature is ignoring these effects, the duration of the condition elapses as normal.
Inhibitor: You deliver a strong chemical admixture that interferes with a creature's neurons (or equivalent), imparting a –2 penalty to Will saving throws.

Breakthrough

You can use the following ability when you achieve the breakthrough for this field of study.
Boost Neurotransmitters (Ex): As a standard action, you can create and deliver a compound that causes a surge of cognitive activity. When injected into a creature, the formula grants the target a +4 enhancement bonus to saving throws against mind-affecting effects for 1 minute. If the target is already subject to a mind-affecting effect, the target can immediately attempt a new saving throw with a +2 enhancement bonus against the effect. This does not grant a new saving throw if the effect did not originally allow one.


Pharmacology [LINK]

Starfinder Character Operations Manual p.45

Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects on living creatures.
Booster: You deliver a coagulant to a living creature, granting it immunity to the bleeding condition for the duration of this effect. If the creature is under the effect of the bleeding condition when you administer this biohack, that condition ends.
Inhibitor: You introduce a mild hallucinogen into a living creature's body, making it difficult for the target to move or act. The target gains the encumbered condition and must succeed at a Fortitude save or also gain the entangled condition. This is a mind-affecting poison effect.

Breakthrough

You can use the following ability when you achieve the breakthrough for this field of study.
Alleviate Pain (Ex): As a standard action, you can create and deliver a formula to a living creature to prevent 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. This bonus lasts for 1 minute. If the target is already under one of these effects, or if it already has the sickened or nauseated condition, it can immediately attempt a new saving throw 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, or +4 for targets already afflicted and attempting a new saving throw. If you are at least 13th level, this automatically removes the sickened condition, and the bonus to new saving throws for the other conditions increases to +6.


Toxicology [LINK]

Starfinder Character Operations Manual p.46

Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects certain chemicals have on living creatures.
Booster: You cause a living creature to sweat a foul secretion. Any living creature attacking the affected target with a natural attack takes a –2 penalty to the attack. This penalty is a poison effect. If the attacker has active environmental protections (such as those provided by most armor), the penalty applies only after the attacker has hit and damaged the target once.
Inhibitor: You deliver a weak toxin into a living creature's body, imparting the sickened condition. This is a poison effect.

Breakthrough

You can use the following ability when you achieve the breakthrough for this field of study.
Suppress Poison (Ex): As a standard action, you can create and deliver a formula to a living creature that holds the course of a toxin in check. When injected, the formula allows the target to ignore the effects of the highest stage (not including the poison's end state) of a single poison affecting that creature 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 highest stage of a single poison for 10 minutes. If you are at least 13th level, the target ignores the effects of all stages of a single poison for 1 hour.

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