Biotics

The term biotics refers to the ability for some lifeforms to create mass effect fields via Element Zero within their body tissues. These powers are accessed and augmented by using bio-amps. The various realizations range from the ability to knock adversaries over or lift them helplessly into the air, create barriers impervious to enemy fire, or even unleash small gravitational vortices that draw in enemies and environmental debris. Three of the main character classes can use biotic talents -- Adepts, Vanguards, and Sentinels -- along with squadmate classes Asari Scientist and Krogan Battlemaster.

Background
All asari are natural biotics from birth (see below), though not all choose to develop their abilities. Biotics of other species, such as humans, are individuals who were exposed to dust-form element zero ('eezo') in utero and developed eezo nodules throughout their bodies as a result. These nodules can generate mass effect fields when energized by electrical impulses from the nervous system.

Eezo exposure is by no means guaranteed to result in biotic ability. On the contrary, most fetuses that are exposed are not affected at all. Others will develop brain tumors or other horrific physical complications. In humans, only about one in ten eezo-exposed infants will develop biotic talents strong and stable enough to merit training, and these abilities are not always permanent. In extremely rare cases, humans who were exposed in utero but did not manifest biotic talents as children can develop them during young adulthood through additional exposure.

Once a person has been identified as having biotic ability, they must be outfitted with a surgically implanted amplifier, usually installed around the time of puberty, in order to make their talents strong enough to be useful. They must then develop conscious control over their nervous system, which is a long, slow, difficult ordeal (except for the asari, who possess this degree of control naturally). Biofeedback therapy is commonly used to aid in this process. Once trained, a biotic can generate and control dark energy to move objects, generate protective barriers, or restrain enemies. Biotic abilities are activated using a technique called "physical mnemonics", in which the biotic uses a physical gesture to cause neurons to fire in a certain sequence, sending an electrical charge through their eezo nodules and creating the desired effect. A biotic may enhance certain aspects of his or her biotic abilities by installing implant upgrades called bio-amps.

Biotic abilities fall into three general categories: Telekinesis, the use of mass-lowering fields to lift or hurl objects; Kinetic Fields, mass-raising fields to immobilize objects (in combat, usually enemy projectiles or enemies themselves); and Spatial Distortion, the creation of shifting mass-effect fields which rip apart any objects caught within them.

Mass Effect
NOTE: (S) = Starting, (U) = Unlockable
 * Barrier - Adept (S), Asari Scientist (S), Sentinel (S), Krogan Battlemaster (S), Vanguard (U)
 * Lift - Adept (U), Asari Scientist (U), Sentinel (U), Vanguard (U)
 * Singularity - Adept (U), Asari Scientist (U)
 * Stasis - Adept (U), Asari Scientist (U), Sentinel (U), Krogan Battlemaster (U)
 * Throw - Adept (S), Asari Scientist (S), Sentinel (S), Vanguard (S), Krogan Battlemaster (U)
 * Warp - Adept (S), Asari Scientist (S), Vanguard (S), Krogan Battlemaster (S)

Mass Effect 2
For Mass Effect 2, Biotic abilities have been overhauled and, in some cases, compacted into a single ability. While power consolidating helps to streamline power selection, the additional changes to biotic mechanics and how they interface with a target's varying types of protection adds a more tactical approach in dealing with each unit type. This change also drastically ebbs the sometimes overwhelming power of biotic abilities as they were in Mass Effect.

NOTE: (S) = Starting, (U) = Unlockable, (L) = Loyalty Achieved, (AT) = Advanced Training
 * Barrier - Cerberus Operative (L), Player (AT)
 * Charge - Vanguard (S)
 * Dominate - Ardat-Yakshi (L), Player (AT)
 * Pull - Adept (U), Vanguard (U), Cerberus Operative (S), Asari Justicar (U), Ardat-Yakshi (U)
 * Reave - Asari Justicar (L), Player (AT)
 * Shockwave - Adept (U), Vanguard (U), Subject Zero (S)
 * Singularity - Adept (S), Asari Scientist (U)
 * Slam - Cerberus Officer (L), Player (AT)
 * Stasis - Asari Scientist (L), Player (AT)
 * Throw - Adept (U), Sentinel (S), Asari Justicar (S), Ardat-Yakshi (S), Drell Assassin (S)
 * Warp - Adept (S), Sentinel (U), Asari Scientist (U), Cerberus Officer (U), (U)
 * Warp Ammo - Subject Zero (L), Player (AT)

Human Biotics
After a series of starship accidents in the 2150s which dispersed element zero over populated areas, the first human biotics were born, though their abilities were not recognized right away. By the time these children were teenagers, the Alliance had made contact with the Citadel and learned of the consequences of in-utero eezo exposure. A company called Conatix Industries was founded to track down exposed individuals and develop implants for humans. There are rumours that, after the link between eezo and biotics was discovered, some human colonies were deliberately exposed to dust-form element zero to create more biotic children.

In 2160, Conatix established the BAaT (Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training) programme on Jump Zero to train its first generation of biotics. Since the Alliance knew very little about this process, it covertly hired turian mercenaries to serve as instructors, but when one of these instructors, Commander Vyrnnus, died in an altercation with a student, BAaT was shut down. Records pertaining to the program still remain classified. The Alliance has had considerably greater success with later training projects. Human biotics currently have some oversight from the Alliance Parliamentary Subcommittee for Transhuman Studies.

Most modern human biotics use the Alliance's L3 implant, which are not particularly powerful but are safe to use. However, some older biotics are stuck with L2 implants, which allow abilities to spike higher&mdash;Kaidan Alenko's abilities are reportedly comparable to an asari's&mdash;but at a significant cost. L2 implants are notorious for causing severe medical complications such as insanity, mental disability, and crippling pain. It is possible to "upgrade" from an L2 to an L3 implant, but the procedure is rarely done because it carries a high risk of brain damage. Many L2s feel the Alliance has not provided them with sufficient medical or financial support and want reparations for their suffering. In some cases, extreme physical or psychological stress can cause even stable L2s to experience similar health problems.

Human biotics face widespread prejudice and distrust from their species, mostly due to misconceptions about their abilities (some people believe, for example, that they can read or control minds). Certain religious and ideological organizations are also opposed to the concept of biotic modification. Some biotics have been known to abuse their abilities - using them to cheat at roulette, for example, or to pull people's chairs out from beneath them. There have been a few reports of individuals like these being attacked by frightened mobs, and sometimes even killed.

The Alliance military, on the other hand, welcomes biotics with open arms and recruits them aggressively with huge enlistment incentives. Because of the massive physical effort involved in biologically generating dark energy, biotic soldiers are assigned a very large daily calorie ration and provided with energy drinks to help them maintain their blood sugar and electrolyte levels. The electrical fields in their bodies mean they are also prone to small static discharges when they touch metal.

Implants
All biotics seeking to wield their abilities on a usable level are fitted with an electronic brain implant during puberty. Once the implant is installed, it can only be replaced or altered through extremely dangerous brain surgery, so most individuals keep the same implant their entire lives. Biotics are classed according to their implant model and the strength of their ability:
 * L1. These biotics can manipulate small objects but aren't strong enough to be offensively viable, because the L1s were implanted after puberty.
 * L2.L2. The L2 implants were first implemented in 2167. The results vary wildly - some L2s are hardly stronger than an L1, others are strong but unstable, while a few are powerful and stable, but suffer discomfort from their implants. L2s are all around the same age.
 * L3. L3. In 2170, the L3 implant was developed. L3 biotics are consistently stable with moderate ability; while their upper limit is less than an L2, L3s are safe from dangerous side effects. Because of the implementation date, most L3s are 25 or younger. Some are older, having been implanted later in life.
 * L3-R. Short for 'L3-retrofit', this is an L1 or L2 who has undergone extremely dangerous brain surgery to replace their implant with a newer model.
 * L3-X. Implants installed in an unsuitable candidate.
 * L4. A new implant used on the children in the Ascension Project; these implants use biotic amplifiers with built-in VI interfaces to enable external monitoring and enhance the user's abilities. L4 implants give a 10-15% increase in power over L3s in 90% of subjects with no currently known side effects.
 * L5x. In Mass Effect 2, Adepts are outfitted with L5x implants.
 * L5n. In Mass Effect 2, Vanguards are outfitted with L5n implants.

Biotic Extremists
Some unstable human biotics have turned their back on the galactic community for their own reasons. Many L2s, frustrated with their health problems and the lack of support or suffered extreme abuse to reach their full potential as biotics, are quite militant in their anger toward the Alliance and take direct action. Other biotics believe they have been abandoned by the Alliance and, rather than fighting back themselves, seek prominent figures who can champion their cause, or join communes. A few, the most dangerous, believe biotics are the 'evolution of humanity' and that their talents make them innately superior to other humans.

Biotics usually attack in large groups, armed with pistols or shotguns. Their favoured tactic is using Throw to knock squad members down, combined Warp to cause greater damage. With enough warning, it is possible to dodge their Throw attacks and then hit them with gunfire while their abilities are on cooldown. The best talents to use against them are Damping - to kill their biotic abilities - and Neural Shock to knock them flat. Biotics rarely use heavy armour, meaning they are vulnerable to melee attacks.

Dangerous biotic factions are involved in several assignments:
 * UNC: Major Kyle
 * UNC: Hostage
 * UNC: Besieged Base
 * Cerberus also has biotics on its payroll, usually working as research technicians.

Alien Biotics
Biotic abilities are of varying rarity and status in other species:
 * Almost all asari are naturally biotic to some degree, and display considerably greater ability than most other species. Their reproductive physiology, which allows them to form temporary neural links with other organisms, grants them a level of control over their nervous systems that other species can only achieve through years of training. Biotic ability is mandatory for asari who want to go into military service. The most powerful train as asari commandos.
 * Salarian biotics are unusual and highly prized. The salarian military does not risk them in the front lines but instead uses them in intelligence services.
 * Turians biotics are also uncommon, and generally not much more powerful than a human L3. They are viewed with suspicion by the general turian infantry and tend to be relegated to special units called "Cabals", which are employed for key missions.
 * The few krogan biotics are extremely powerful and often train to become krogan battlemasters like Skarr or Wrex. Before the genophage, biotic krogan who enlisted in the military would rise quickly through the ranks; the other soldiers were in fear and awe of them, so their superiors recognized they would command great respect as officers and promoted them. The krogan developed a surgical procedure that was able to confer biotic ability, but the operation had a high mortality rate, so it was discontinued following the release of the genophage.
 * According to Tali, quarian biotics are very rare. It is speculated that this is due to their life aboard the Migrant Fleet. Element zero is such a rare resource that it is probably too precious to be 'spent' on encouraging biotic potential in quarians, and because the quarians live aboard ships, any engine accident severe enough to release dust-form element zero would also be fatal to the crew.
 * All Collectors have a latent biotic potential which is activated if the Collector General takes control of their body and mind, transforming them into powerful and dangerous opponents.
 * Rachni Brood Warriors appear to have some biotic ablilities, unlike the rest of the species.
 * Bring Down the Sky features batarian biotics who are trained as shock troopers.
 * The drell Thane is a biotic. How frequently biotic abilities manifest among drell is not known.


 * To date, there has been no mention of the biotic abilities of the hanar, elcor, volus, or vorcha or how biotics are handled in their society.

Known Biotics

 * Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko
 * Matriarch Aethyta
 * Saren Arterius
 * Matriarch Benezia
 * Helena Blake
 * Dahlia Dantius (see UNC: Asari Diplomacy)
 * Nick Donahue
 * Gillian Grayson
 * "Dr." Alestia Iallis
 * Jack
 * Julia (see UNC: Lost Freighter)
 * Thane Krios
 * Miranda Lawson
 * Hendel Mitra
 * Morinth


 * Rahna
 * Samara
 * Commander Shepard (see Talk page)
 * Shiala and all clones
 * Sergeant Kaira Stirling
 * Skarr
 * Jacob Taylor
 * Dr. Liara T'Soni
 * Tela Vasir
 * Commander Vyrnnus
 * Captain Wasea
 * Urdnot Wrex
 * Any asari commando
 * Any krogan battlemaster
 * Any rachni brood warrior

Trivia

 * The word 'biotic' simply means 'life', as in 'pertaining to living organisms'.
 * The terms "L2" and "L3" are occasionally used in E.E. 'Doc' Smith's classic Lensman novels, referring to Lensmen who have gone through the second or third echelons of mental training.