Gene-Screen Flagged
A gene-marker on every scan: the bearer's line is on file, and the file follows them.
A heritable marker that lights up every standard gene-scan in the Core -- not the visible features of a splice, but the quiet, machine-readable signature of a line Helix has logged. The bearer can look baseline and still be read at any checkpoint, clinic, or hiring desk. The flag bars doors (longevity top-ups, Navigator licensing, tier-restricted berths) and opens others (bounties, audits, leverage), and it is never not on the record.
Rules Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | drawback |
| Engineering Lineage | any line Helix has logged; most pronounced in gene-psion and splice survivors |
| Point Cost | -2 |
| Point Direction | grant |
Notes
Effect Text: Gene-markers appear on any standard gene-scan; -2 to Deception and Disguise vs. gene-screened authority; barred from tier-restricted services (longevity, Navigator licensing, restricted berths) without a forged screen. The flag is a recurring plot hook (bounty, audit, leverage). Grants build points.
Lore Note: The signature consequence of living in a gene-screened Core. Helix logs every line it grows and many it did not, and the Salon of Last Chances has seen every marker, including the ones Helix pretends do not exist. A flagged bearer cannot pass a screen unmarked, cannot buy the tier-restricted services without a forged clean read, and occasionally finds the flag working against them in ways that look like bureaucracy and are not. It is the most useful drawback a GM has, because a flag is a plot hook wearing a drawback's clothes.
Trait Id: Gene-Screen Flagged
Mechanical Effects
condition: any standard scan
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
condition | any standard scan |
modifier | always flagged |
target | gene-scan detection |
condition: screened authority
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
condition | screened authority |
modifier | -2 |
target | Deception vs gene-screened authority |
condition: screened authority
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
condition | screened authority |
modifier | -2 |
target | Disguise vs gene-screened authority |
condition: longevity, Navigator, restricted berths
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
condition | longevity, Navigator, restricted berths |
modifier | barred without forged screen |
target | tier-restricted services |