Morphs are a major commodity in transhuman society. The technology and materials needed to grow new morphs are cheap and abundant, though they take time. Cloned biomorphs take at least a year and a half, even with accelerated growth. Pods, which are typically pieced [[toc]]
together from vat-grown parts, take about 6 months. Synthmorphs like cases and synths can be produced in a day, whereas more complicated models can take a week or more. Theoretically, supply will one day outstrip demand to the point where flesh is free.
Characters have several options for acquiring morphs when they travel by egocast, suffer heavy damage, or just feel like a new body. When egocasting, the most common method for travelers of middling means is to store their current morph in a body bank’s secure facility and lease a morph at their destination. Less commonly, characters may rely on public resleeving facilities, or if they have the means they may purchase a new morph outright. Characters who expect to stay at their destination indefinitely or who decide to resleeve but aren’t traveling might instead opt for a trade-in on their old body, leaving it behind permanently in most cases.
==Morph Availability== 
As noted under Resleeving and the Gamemaster, finding the model of morph you want is not always easy. While many basic morph types (cases, synths, splicers) are generally available, characters can also locate new morphs using their Networking skills (see [[Reputation and Social Networks]]). Certain morph types are harder to find then others; the gamemaster should apply an appropriate modifier for any morphs that seem rare or unusual (for example, swarmanoids or reapers). Likewise, some morphs may simply be unavailable in a given locale. Rusters are rarely available off of [[Mars]], for example, while on [[Europa]], most morphs are exotic local aquatic varieties.
The gamemaster determines which factions are able to provide new morphs in a given locale. Factions will not provide morphs that are unavailable to that faction as starting characters. If the faction is not the dominant one in that locale, a penalty should be applied, ranging from –10 to –30. Despite having a presence in a given locale, some factions may be unable to provide morphs at all.
If the character is seeking a customized morph with specific implants or enhancements, the search will be more challenging. The gamemaster should apply a –10 to –30 modifier here as well, depending on the extent and legality of the modifications sought.
==Morph Acquisition== 
Once a morph is located, the character may call in favors or pay credits for it. Morph costs are noted on the Morph Costs table. In the inner system, morph prices are often inflated by demand in the market such that the most desirable morph types can cost a small fortune. Outsystem, prices in rep are more reasonable but still steep due to population pressures on life support-dependent outer system settlements.
For travelers and frequent body hoppers, there are a number of ways to defray these costs.
||||~ Morph Costs ||
|| **Morph Type** || **Cost** ||
|| //Biomorphs// ||   ||
|| Flats, Splicers || High ||
|| Octomorphs || Expensive(30,000+) ||
|| Furies, Ghosts, Remade || Expensive (40,000+) ||
|| Futuras || Expensive (50,000+) ||
|| All Others || Expensive ||
|| //Pods// ||   ||
|| Workers, Pleasure Pods || High ||
|| Novacrabs || Expensive (30,000+) ||
|| //Synthmorphs// ||   ||
|| Cases || Moderate ||
|| Synths, Dragonflies || High ||
|| Slitheroids, Swarmanoids || Expensive ||
|| Flexbots || Expensive (30,000+) ||
|| Arachnoids || Expensive (40,000+) ||
|| Reapers || Expensive(50,000+) ||
||   ||   ||
|| Positive morph traits || +500 per CP ||
|| Negative morph traits || -200 per CP ||

===Brokerage and Matchmaking=== 
Finding morphs for travelers and the bodiless is a specialized skill demanding deep social networks and a flair for negotiation. In general, it’s a seller’s market, so brokers (or “matchmakers,” as they’re called in the open economy) act as agents for the person seeking a body. The Morph Costs table assumes a 10% fee paid to the broker. Characters wishing to cut out the middleman may reduce cost by 10% but take a –30 penalty on their Networking Test to locate an available morph.
===Customized Morphs=== 
If a character seeks to have a customized morph (with extra bioware, cyberware, or nanoware implants or robotic enhancements), the costs for these enhancements are added to the morph’s cost (if the gamemaster chooses, discount package deals may apply). Likewise, morphs may come saddled with positive or negative morph traits. These traits raise or lower the morph’s cost at a rate of +500 credits per CP for positive traits, or –200 credits per CP of negative traits. Negative traits typically reflect abuses the morph has suffered at the hands of previous occupants.
====**Sidebar: Custom-Designed or -Grown Morphs**==== 
Some people are very particular about their morphs. To them, nothing “off the shelf” will do, even if it’s a customized model tricked out with specific implants, traits, and biosculpting. Instead, they desire something unique, something that must be specially grown or designed.
In the case of biomorphs, this usually means that the patron desires a very specific set of genetic traits. This could be traits from their original genetic lineage, traits copied from someone they idolized or honored, genes artfully crafted by a renowned genetic designer, or mystery traits purchased at great expense from the Factors or extracted from a lost TITAN lab. Alternatively, it could mean the client seeks something more specifc, such as an exact duplicate clone of their original body. While it is possible to put an existing morph in a healing vat and alter its genetics with metamorphing nanoviruses in a matter of days, these procedures are diffcult and prone to disaster. In many cases, it is preferred to simply grow the desired clone from scratch, though even with accelerated growth this takes from 1.5 to 2 years (or 6 months to 1 year in the case of pods). Nevertheless, some hyperelites have taken steps to ensure that the morph they desire is available at all likely egocast destinations.
Though rarer, custom synthmorphs are sometimes sought after, usually by people who wish to showcase unique or artistic robotic designs, but sometimes also by engineers or agents who are field-testing prototypes. Assuming blueprints are available, such models can be constructed in a matter of hours or days.
Aside from time, the largest barrier to custom and unique morph designs is typically cost. Ultimately it is the gamemaster’s decision on what expenses such measures entail—usually starting at Expensive and moving up—or even whether they are possible at all.
===Trade-In=== 
For those who wish to leave their old morph behind permanently, trade-ins on current morphs are an option. The high demand for bodies means that a buyer is almost always available unless the gamemaster finds extenuating circumstances. Morphs may be traded in for the value shown on the Morph Costs table (adjusted for any positive or negative traits), less a 10% physical exam and finder’s fee. This is either paid to the morph broker in cred or rendered as a favor using rep.
===Patron Provisioning=== 
Characters on missions for rich or influential patrons may have morphs provided for them. Normally such provisions are made for the duration of a job, although less commonly the morph itself might be payment for services rendered. Gamemasters are encouraged to be creative with such arrangements, though players should be advised that such bargains can quickly turn Faustian.
===Black Market Morphs=== 
Black market body traders promise to provide the buyer with morphs and upgrades of choice regardless of a habitat’s laws against weapons or implants, in addition to bypassing standard arrival registration via darkcasting. Illegal morphs usually come with a price markup (+25% at least), whereas used morphs with unsavory backgrounds (and traits) can usually be acquired on the cheap (–25%).
===Indenture=== 
Characters who find themselves too destitute to afford a new morph can strike a deal for indentured service—a “deal” that is rarely advantageous to the new indenture. Typical contracts require years of indentured labor—terraforming Mars, herding comets, asteroid mining, constructing habitats, colonizing exoplanets, etc.—in exchange for a cheap synthetic morph or splicer at the end of the term. Gamemasters may use their discretion in offering such terms, though in many cases the terms offered will temporarily or permanently end the character’s career as a free agent.
Hypercorps using indentured labor are notorious for changing the terms at a whim, extending the service period, or slamming the indenture with a slew of hidden and outrageous charges that were not made clear up front. Characters may, of course, enter into such service fully intending to grab their morph and run at the first opportunity, but the hypercorps are very protective of their investments. Indentures are closely monitored and tracked, and the hypercorps are not above sending ego hunters to retrieve a runaway.
===Public Resleeving=== 
Some locales, notably Titan, have a well-developed public resleeving infrastructure intended to provide a body to anyone who needs one. Morphs provided are usually unremarkable cases, synths, or splicers with no Positive traits or optional implants. Anyone holding citizenship in a locale with public resleeving may apply for a body. Wait times are between a month and two years, with Reputation infuencing wait times at the gamemaster’s discretion.
==Renting Morphs== 
For temporary visits where an infomorph won’t do, morphs may be leased rather than bought. The cost to rent a morph is 1% of its cost per day, plus a Low charge for resleeving. This cost includes rental
insurance (see below). If the rental insurance is waived (not always possible unless you have a good Rep), the rental cost may be reduced by half.
Characters who are leasing a morph may also use their previous morph as collateral. In this case, deduct the cost of the character’s current morph from the rental morph before calculating the 1% cost per day, with a minimal rental cost of 10 credits per day.
===Penal Lease=== 
Characters visiting the inner system or Jovian Republic may be able to lease morphs belonging to prisoners. In most jurisdictions, criminals are sentenced to terms in rehabilitative simulspace with a stipulation that the prisoner’s morph becomes state property during their term of incarceration. Morphs acquired this way often have complicated histories but also tend to have modifications useful to Firewall agents. Conversely, characters who find themselves imprisoned may be subject to having their body leased out during incarceration.
The effects of taking a penal lease are at the discretion of the gamemaster. A character may have to pull some strings with their Reputation in order to lease such a morph, especially if it has restricted or illegal modifcations. Negative traits, cases of mistaken identity, and unfortunate encounters with friends and associates of the morph’s former occupant are among the possible drawbacks to this type of arrangement. On the up side, penal leases may reduce costs for both leasing and insuring the morph, again subject to the gamemaster’s discretion.
===Rental Insurance=== 
Leased morphs must be covered by an insurance policy, which often restricts the character from breaking the law or taking the morph anywhere too dangerous or lawless. Characters may purchase hazard insurance that will cover taking the morph into certain dangerous situations, but this will double the rental price at minimum.
If a character suffers extensive organic damage or death while insured, the insurance will cover 80% of the morph’s cost, meaning that the character is expected to pay the other 20%. If they cannot pay, their possessions or their stored morph may be seized in payment.
If a character violates their insurance policy by intentionally putting themself in harm’s way above the threat level at which the policy was purchased, without first communicating with and rendering payment to the insurer, the policy may be declared void. If the leased morph dies under a voided policy and the character cannot pay to replace it, their possessions and stored morph may be subject to seizure.
Seizure takes different forms depending upon the local economy and legal system. In hypercorp space, it is a straightforward seizure of liquid assets, including forced uploading if the character’s morph is seized. Elsewhere, the character is more likely to end up owing a lot of favors or taking severe hits to their reputation, but they are unlikely to undergo forced uploading or outright physical seizure of their morph.

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