Guide to Chemistry

=Information=

Metabolism and Overdose
Most medicines and chemicals designed for use in people, have an Overdose limit. If a person metabolises more than this much of the chemical in a short time, they will suffer the overdose effect for that chemical, which is usually a bad thing. Overdose limits vary widely, but the most common value is 30 units.

The most common overdose effect is 'Toxins', the patient will suffer 0.2 points of toxins damage per second, as long as the medicine continues metabolising in their system. This is only dependant on time, not on the quantity of the dose, so overdosing on medicines that metabolise slowly is far more dangerous, they'll keep poisoning the patient for longer.

It is important to note that metabolisation is not the same as just putting the chemicals into a patient. All chemicals that are injected into, or fed to the patient, are stored harmlessly within their body until they can be properly absorbed, or 'metabolised'. This process happens at a variable rate for each chemical, but the most common metabolic rate is 0.2 units per proc, which works out to 0.1u per second

Overdose effects do not trigger until the patient has metabolised enough to reach the overdose limit, which may take several minutes.

Whenever this document mentions the word 'dose', it refers to how much has been metabolised into the patient, not how much has been injected into their blood.

Whenever a patient has fully metabolised all the volume of a drug that is present in their stomach or blood, the dose is instantly cleared, and the drug's effects are stopped. Even if they had overdosed before, once the dose is cleared its safe to administer more of the same thing.

Catalysts
Several of the more advanced chemistry recipes take an ingredient (usually phoron) which is marked as (Catalyst)

A Catalyst is a chemical which is required to help a chemical reaction, but does not become part of the finished result. Whenever a recipe involves a catalyst, the catalyst will be left over in the beaker, alongside the finished product. You can use the ChemMaster to extract the catalyst, put it in a bottle, and reuse it later.

Status Effects
Many chemicals that don't simply heal something, work by giving the patient a status effect, with a given strength. This allows multiple chemicals to cause a similar effect and work in the same way.

For the most part, the 'strength' of an effect is really just a duration. the strength of most effects decreases by 1 point every 2 seconds, and usually the effect will stop working once its strength falls to zero, or sometimes when it falls below some low number that's above zero.

It's also very important to note, that most chemicals which cause a status effect, will constantly re-set and refresh that effect every time they process (every 2 seconds) for as long as the chemical is metabolising into the patient. Therefore, the strength of an effect usually only affects how long it takes to wear off AFTER the chemical is out of their system, it will generally never wear off while the chemical is inside them.

Drowsyness
Drowsyness, is a feeling of being sleepy. The body slows down, and sometimes just plain falls asleep for brief periods. It doesn't cause any longterm sleep, just makes you pass out for a couple of seconds.

Effects:
 * Increases move delay by 6 (0.6 seconds).
 * This is the minimum time between steps while running, so it will significantly slow the subject down and make it difficult for them to run away.
 * Refreshes blurred vision to strength 2 every proc, so being drowsy gives unremovable blurring
 * Every proc, has a 5% chance to cause the subject to fall asleep
 * Increases Sleep strength by 1
 * Increases paralysis by 5

Sleeping
The subject is asleep. They're snoozing away, incapacitated, mostly oblivious to the world, and won't feel pain.


 * Subject is blinded. See Blind
 * Subject does not feel pain
 * Subject falls over
 * Subject cannot move
 * Subject cannot speak or emote
 * Subject cannot use items or interact with anything
 * Heals halloss (Holographic damage) at a rate of 3 points per proc
 * Normally heals at 1 ppc
 * Subject has dreams about radomly generated concepts.
 * These aren't based on anything ingame
 * When nearby people talk
 * 85% chance to not hear them, and instead get "...You almost hear someone talking..."
 * 15% chance for "You hear something about... ", and is a randomly selected word from amongst the things they said
 * People can attempt to shake subject awake, this reduces Sleeping strength by 5 every time its done,
 * Causes the subject to wake up 10 seconds earlier than they would have otherwise
 * Causes subject's status to read as Unconscious on a hand analyser, and non-responsive on a surgery vitals monitor

Weaken
The subject's muscles lose tensity, causing them to collapse to the floor and be mostly helpless. Weaken is one of the most common status effects, almost every chemical, weapon and explosive that disables someone, uses it. Often in combination with other effects


 * Subject falls over and drops held items
 * Subject cannot move, use items, or interact.
 * Can still toggle internals
 * Subject can use 'resist'

Stun
The subject is stunned and unable to move properly. Very similar to Weaken, but doesn't knock the subject down, and DOES prevent them from toggling their internals


 * Subject cannot move, use items, or interact
 * Subject can use 'resist'
 * Subject cannot toggle internals

Paralysis
The subject is paralysed, all of their muscles lock up and they are unable to see, speak, or do anything. Their eyelids lock shut, and their vocal chords sieze up. This is almost identical to being asleep, the only differences being that the subject can't be shaken awake, and doesn't heal holo damage faster. This is by far the most disabling single status effect in the game, but it is rarely used


 * Paralysis is almost identical to sleeping.
 * Subject is blinded, see blindness
 * Subject falls over
 * Subject cannot speak or emote
 * Subject cannot move
 * Subject cannot use items or interact with anything
 * When nearby people talk or audibly emote
 * 85% chance to not hear them, and instead get "...You almost hear someone talking..."
 * 15% chance for "You hear something about... ", and is a randomly selected word from amongst the things they said

Confusion
The subject has impaired motor coordination, and will stumble around randomly when they try to move. This is often caused by alcohol and sedatives, but it's pretty rare for it to happen for any long period of time.
 * Subject moves in a random direction whenever it tries to take a step.
 * Its always random, doesn't matter what direction they tried to move in, triggers on every step
 * Also applies to subjects in a wheelchair or driving vehicles

Blindness
The subject has completely lost their vision, and is unable to see anything, thus forcing them to stumble around defenseless and navigate by touch. Blinding is fairly common alone, but it's also applied inherently as a part of sleeping and paralysis. When a subject is asleep or paralysed, all of these effects apply in addition.
 * Places a black overlay on the screen, blocking everything except a small circle
 * This allows you to only see things in a 3x3 area, centred on your character
 * Note that this short range vision represents you feeling your way around, not actual vision. RP wise, you can see nothing at all
 * Prevents you from examining objects and people at all. Any attempt displays a message 'Something is there, but you can't see it'
 * Subject cannot see visible emotes from nearby people
 * Subject can still hear audible emotes

Jittering
=Chemicals=

Dispenser
Many of the basic elements and chemicals in the dispenser have their own effects. Those are noted here. Those without any effects aren't documented

Other
=Compounds=

Pharmaceutical Compounds
Things that are designed for use in a patient's body, for good or ill.

Basic Treatments
These treatments are weak but widely available in medkits or medibots. They are not commonly used by doctors, who have access to more powerful specialised medicines.

Standard Treatments
These medicines are the mainstays, standard treatments for most common conditions. A good chemist should make sure that all of these are available in sufficient quantities

Advanced Treatments
Very powerful and useful medicines, which are uncommon or difficult to make. Creating these is important to being a good chemist.

Specialist Treatments
Rarely used medicines with very specific, niche utility. These are typically made on demand if required, and not often prepared in advance.

Anti Microbials
Medicines used to fight Viral Pathogens and Bacterial Infections A detailed guide to Bacterial Infections can be found here: https://aurorastation.org/wiki/index.php?title=Guide_to_Medicine#Infection

Painkillers
Usually administered to people who've just been wounded, to help stabilise them.

Sedatives
Sedatives put people to sleep. Useful for surgery when anaesthetic gas won't work, for dealing with troublesome patients who won't sit still, and in dire situations, for self defense.

Mental Stabilisers
Compounds to alter the patient's mental state. These are mostly roleplay only, and have almost no mechanical effects.

Performance Enhancers
Things to make people work harder, better, faster and stronger. These can be helpful to dose up on before combat, and are sometimes requisitioned by a well prepared security team

Narcotics
Drugs to get high, these are illegal to distribute, or administer without good reason. Making up and dosing yourself on space drugs is the hallmark of a bad Chemist. Don't do it.

Poisons
These compounds are harmful to organic life. Do not administer them unless you intend to murder the patient. They are mostly used by antagonists, and sometimes for research.

Foodstuffs
Things that are safe to eat. Most of these are ingredients though, and not generally designed to be eaten as-is.

Industrial Compounds
Things that are not designed to go inside people.

Cleaning Agents
Things that are useful for cleaning, and often requested by janitors.

Horticultural
Things designed to aid in Botany and Xenobotany

Weapons
Everything in this category is dangerous, and should not be used without approval from security or command, unless you're an antagonist. Unapproved use is likely to make security, and possibly the admins, quite upset with you. Most of the things in this category are best used in making grenades and bombs.