The term biotics refers to powers that are accessed and augmented by using bio-amps, or users thereof. The effects are produced through biological manipulation of dark energy. The various realizations range from the ability to raise shields that are impervious to enemy fire but still allow the player to fire through them, to creating small gravitational vortexes that cause objects to fly at enemies, to raising enemies helplessly into the air or simply knocking them over.

Biotic abilities arise from a creature with small pockets of element zero throughout their nervous system. The natural electrical nervous impulses create mass effect fields from these pockets, creating the effects seen as biotic abilities.

Exposure to element zero in the womb can sometimes lead to biotic abilities arising (such as in the case of the first human biotics), but often leads to conditions such as cancer. Biotic abilities are of varying rarity in many species. Some, like the asari, are naturally biotic, while others, like humanity, were exposed through artificial means.

Bio-amps are artificial devices used to increase the probability of biotic abilities surfacing in an individual.

Human Biotic Users

Human Biotics are those who were exposed to element zero (eezo) in utero and, beating the odds, developed eezo nodules throughout their nervous system. About one in one hundred exposures (in humans) will result in a person with moderate, stable biotic abilities that are worth training. Only asari are natural biotics and do not require eezo exposure, though not all choose to develop their abilities. Each biotic is first trained and then wired for an implant – usually at puberty – to use their talents to any useful degree. Basically a biotic has to develop conscious control of their nervous system, which is a long slow process. Once trained, a biotic can generate and control dark energy to move objects, generate protective barriers or restrain enemies. This is done using a technique called ‘physical mnemonics’; the biotic uses a physical gesture to cause the right neurons and eezo nodules to fire and create the desired effect. The Alliance first trained human biotics via the BAaT programme at Jump Zero in 2160, quietly hiring turian mercenaries as teachers, but after an instructor died, BAaT was shut down. The Alliance military eventually set up other training programmes to handle biotics, but the records pertaining to BAaT remain classified.

Most modern human biotics use the Alliance’s L3 implant, which is safe to use but not particularly powerful. However, some older biotics are stuck with L2 implants, which can allow for much greater power but at a cost. L2 implants are notorious for causing medical complications such as insanity, mental impairment, or extreme physical pain. It is possible to ‘upgrade’ from an L2 to an L3 implant, but the procedure is dangerous and unethical. Many L2s are angry at the way the Alliance has (in their view) abandoned them and want reparations for their suffering.

Human biotics can face prejudice from those who are religiously or philosophically opposed to their physiological modifications. This is mostly due to ignorance: some people (wrongly) believe that biotics can read and control people’s minds. While human biotics get some involvement from the Parliamentary Subcommittee for Transhuman Studies, they don’t have much political representation. Some unstable biotics see themselves as ‘the future of humanity’ and have turned their back on the galactic community to become terrorists. However, the Alliance military welcomes biotics with open arms and offers huge recruitment incentives. Because of the massive physical efforts involved in biologically generating dark energy, biotic soldiers have a larger daily calorie ration and are given energy drinks to keep their blood sugar and electrolytes up. The electrical fields in their bodies mean they are also prone to small static discharges when they touch metal.

Human Biotics are classed according to their strength and implantation:

• L1. These biotics can manipulate small objects but aren’t strong enough to be offensively viable.
• 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. In 2170, the L3 implant was developed. L3 biotics are consistently stable with moderate ability; while not as strong as an L2, L3s are safe from dangerous side effects. Because of the implementation date, all L3s are 25 or younger.
• L3-R. Short for ‘L3-retrofit’, this is an L1 or L2 who has undergone extremely dangerous surgery to replace their implant with a newer model.
• L3-X. Implants installed in an unsuitable candidate.

Biotics of Other Species

Alien biotics vary in status:

• Almost all asari are biotic to some degree. Their physiology, which enables them to unite their nervous system with a member of a different species, gives them a level of natural control over their abilities that humans have to struggle for over years of training. Biotic ability is mandatory for asari who want to go into military service.
• Salarian biotics are unusual and highly prized. The salarian military does not risk them in the front lines but uses them in the intelligence services.
• In turians, biotic ability is also unusual. They are viewed with some suspicion by the general infantry and tend to be deployed in specialist groups called ‘Cabals’ for key missions.
• The few krogan biotics tend to be extremely powerful and often train to become krogan battlemasters, like Skarr or Wrex.
• Quarian biotics are very rare. This is likely due to their life aboard the Flotilla. 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.