Weaponized Nanotech

[Dieu_Le_Fera]

Hello, first time post and still rather new to GURPS but not tabletop games. Anyway, I have a quick question about Nanotechnology and its use as a weapon. I know that real nanotech has not been fully realized in setting since it is TL11, but could the existing technology be weaponized, not including a nanovirus?

I will give some setting and background for who my players are and what they are asking to do or try. The setting is on Mars, and is not quite as far into the future as the module starts. Mars has only just started to be terraformed and my players are all part of a small though radical "Red Mars" faction... they don't want Mars to be terraformed.

The idea.. find a sympathetic scientist/engineer to help them try to weaponize it, If not that then resort to other methods to "persaude" said scientist/engineer to do it for them, or show them how.

They of course want something limited *again not a nanovirus*, and judging by what the module says nanotech does not have the ability to self replicate yet (as of TL 10) so no grey goo *thank god*. So, any ideas if or how this could be plausible/possible would be greatly appreciated.

Nevermind the fact that it is suicidal and likely doomed to fail. I told my players that and they just shrugged and still want to try. Let them dig their own graves. Thanks for the help!

[sir_pudding]

Nanotech in TS is "wet" nanotechnology. You could weaponize something like a prion which is technically not a virus, I suppose.

I'm not sure what you mean by "module". GURPS doesn't have "modules" and there's only three published adventures for TS, that I know of, none of which seem to be about anti-terraforming Martian factions.

[Anthony]

We call weaponized wet nanotech a disease. I wouldn't be too surprised if Red Mars is releasing that stuff already. What do they want to accomplish, though?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Anthony

We call weaponized wet nanotech a disease. I wouldn't be too surprised if Red Mars is releasing that stuff already. What do they want to accomplish, though?

"Red Mars" is Kim Stanely Robinson. "Red" in TS means the Duncanite faction, and Reds neutral to terraforming (as opposed to Greens which are pro-terraforming). I'm not sure the TS anti-terraforming factions are called anything other than "Preservationists".

[Dieu_Le_Fera]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I'm not sure what you mean by "module". GURPS doesn't have "modules" and there's only three published adventures for TS, that I know of, none of which seem to be about anti-terraforming Martian factions.

Sorry for the confusion I am thinking in terms of other tabletop games, with GURPS the setting, THS the module. Just think THS as the setting then.

As far as what they want to do with it, as of right now just "monkey wrenching" equipment, but they may well want to move on to something more lethal, not that monkey wrenching can't be lethal but I warned them already. I have one idea of some how using existing nanotech to do advanced oxidation or to "rust" the equipment quickly, but still wonder about how plausible it would be with existing tech.

The fact that "Red Mars" might already use it, and I agree with you there, brings up a great alternative point of advance if my players actually see it and try to reach out.But, then again there is a risk in that too!

[Dieu_Le_Fera]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

"Red Mars" is Kim Stanely Robinson. "Red" in TS means the Duncanite faction, and Reds neutral to terraforming (as opposed to Greens which are pro-terraforming). I'm not sure the TS anti-terraforming factions are called anything other than "Preservationists".

You are correct in where and what my players are doing. This is very similar to the "Red Faction" that is represented in Kim Stanely Robinson's novels. Like I said though, this is early in the Mars terraforming, not really homebrew but just back a few years. and sorry for the doubt post but ya ninja'd me! :)

[vicky_molokh]

Weaponised is a wide-open term.
Nanoburn is available on TS158, and it's kinda cool for what it does (near-guaranteed paralysis, then damage slow enough to decide whether you want to kill or capture the target).
Nanodrugs can be weaponised too.

For ruining equipment, you've got better luck using Gremlin Swarms.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Dieu_Le_Fera

I have one idea of some how using existing nanotech to do advanced oxidation or to "rust" the equipment quickly, but still wonder about how plausible it would be with existing tech.

The problem is mostly that all obvious uses have probably already been thought of and dealt with in some way.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Dieu_Le_Fera

Sorry for the confusion I am thinking in terms of other tabletop games, with GURPS the setting, THS the module. Just think THS as the setting then.

I thought that in D&D a "module" is an adventure like "G1-3: Against the Giants", D&D itself is the "game system" and game worlds like the Forgotten Realms are "settings". Whereas GURPS has"Singapore Sling" as an adventure (SJGames doesn't use the term "module" but it is equivalent), GURPS is the game system, and Transhuman Space the setting. Am I mistaken?

As far as what they want to do with it, as of right now just "monkey wrenching" equipment, but they may well want to move on to something more lethal, not that monkey wrenching can't be lethal but I warned them already. I have one idea of some how using existing nanotech to do advanced oxidation or to "rust" the equipment quickly, but still wonder about how plausible it would be with existing tech.

The obvious thing is to release pathogens that kill the organisms released by the Ares Conspiracy. The most effective would probably be bacteriophages. For some reason your players don't want to be effective? Why are they against using viruses?

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The problem is mostly that all obvious uses have probably already been thought of and dealt with in some way.

Indeed. And since TS nanotech is basically the biology of small, simple organisms, the way of dealing with it is likely to be with "hose it down with [readily available industrial cleaner] and mop it up when you're done."