Bits and bobs.(cybernetics)
Below is a list of cybernetic enhancements that your character can have installed. Each has a general description, then a look at the statistical bonuses in game. Finally they detail the difficulty need to perform the surgery to install.
Farrowtech Bone reinforcement: This enhancement basically adds motorized steel pins and shock coils to your bones. The surgery is extensive and dangerous but many who worked in dangerous situation, with the chance of breaking bones, quite often had it done.
This enhancement gives the character an extra health level of Broken. When healing their broken bones have a 50% chance of resetting themselves.
It requires large amounts of surgery to install and for a character performing it in game, the difficulty is 12.
Logitech Cybernetic Eye: This enhancement replaces a lost eye (or two) and relays digital information to the brain. Once installed the eyes take over all optic function as a cyber eye and a normal eye working in conjunction would be inhibiting to a persons depth perception.
This enhancement gives a character +2 to any rolls involving spotting things with eyesight. The eye also has the capability of taking up to 1 Terrabyte of pictures or video, though only high range eyes can also record sound. The eye comes with a datajack and mini keyboard so that character's can sift through information on the eye and even set up a wireless network with other eyes.
The difficulty of installing an eye in game is 8.
Piripiri Co. Chemical Distiller: This enhancement is in all intents and purposes, a cybernetic liver. It monitors chemicals and toxins in he blood, as well as regulating sugar levels. Before the fall it was used as permanent cure for diabetes.
This enhancement reducing the character's difficulty for resisting any toxin in his body by 2. It also multiplies the effectiveness of food by 1.5 in terms of energy (not protein or any other essentials.)
The difficulty of installing is 10.
Logitech Nervous Accelerater: This small metal box is implanted at the top of the spinal cord, where it joins the brain. This box contains a small amplifier which increases the signals sent by the brain. It was originally created to combat paralysis.
This enhancement accelerates the rate at which a character can sent messages to their body. This increased speed gives a character a +2 bonus to initiative and dodge rolls.
The difficulty for installing is 12.
Farrowtech Cybernetic Arm: These arms can range from stylish metal and pistons design to fully fleshed out 'natural' design. Regardless these replacement limbs are extreemly powerful, if a little laggy.
Character's have an effective strength that is +2 above their normal when using this arm. Attacks aimed at the arm work as if the arm had a armour score of 3. Cybernetic arms are difficult to get used to and a person using one will have -2 to rolls using this arm for a fortnight after installation, this can reduced to a week if there is a technician who is capable of making adjustments daily so that the arm responds better.
The difficulty to install a cybernetic arm is 8.
Organs R Us
A hyper-thalamus that helps regulate sleep, avoiding unconsciousness, and motor functions. It would be a very powerful unit - but also exceedingly risky. Perhaps better as a McGuffin or something from the before times.
Implanted heat sink and/or conditioning system. High fevers or oppressive external temperatures can damage the brain - while extreme cold causes hypothermia. (The sink might not be too hard, but a conditioning system of implanted heaters or a secondary circulatory system of a warmed and cooled working fluid would be pretty hard.)
Armored spine, climbing spool, something that helps with blood loss/shock. Inner Ear implants that can assist balance, negate vertigo, and perhaps access ultra/infrasonic levels of hearing.
Implanted mirror shades and polycarbonate razor fingernails. (Like any list of cybernetics would be complete without those.)
Muscular chemical injector. A combination of steroids, anti-inflammatory, relaxants, and a ph balancing solution to neutralize lactic acid build-up from anaerobic exertion.
Cyberpunk-2020 has dozens, perhaps over a hundred possible implants. William Gibson's stories that inspired the game have very few. (Molly and the bartender from the opening scene of Neuromancer are the most augmented ones present. There are a few bits of wetware that show up.)
- Are the augmentations in this game bionic or cybernetic?
- How overt are they? (Mechanical shape, unnatural noise, improper movement. Since you can't have only one cybereye and keep depth perception, they don't see very well integrated.)
- Does electrical interference shut them down, or are they chemical activated?
- Can the body itself power them, or is there a power cell somewhere?
There is a fine line between hobby and obsession. I seem to have lost sight of it some time ago.
Mind the spellings.
I'm currently drunk so mind any misspellings, though this is my fifth reread so it'll be good.
1. Muscular Chemical Injector. This is basically one of the bioenhancements that Dr Rochester made to be injected once per day. Great idea but it is already there (only in my mind as I obviosly haven't put down what the bioenhancements are.
2. Bionic/Cybernetic. Bionic chemical upgraders such as steriod and adrenaline injections come from the injection pack and are what set character's stats at 0 (unless they have a negativating virus.) Cybernetics are mechanical augmentations and are the only enhancements that can be improved, the bio enhancements getting worse, if anything, when character's contract more viruses.
3. Cybernetics are pretty smooth, if you get a professional one. Generally enhancements from companies such as Farrow or Logitech come with their own energy source or feed of the electronic impulses of the nervous system. Homemade jobbies will probably require motor fuel or even onboard steam power, though installing such dodgy devices would not be advised.
4. I think I need to change the cybernetic eye. It is possible to have only one cyber eye, but as it doesn't require information from four visual fields (like normal eyes) it gives entirely different information than normal eyes which the brain cannot hope to compensate for. Because of this it only registers information from one source, which is the cybernetic eye.
5. most common devices will be of eletrical nature. They will not, however, suffer from things like EMP because they only register nervous system inmpulses. Devices such as the Cybereye that have their own hard drives and require data jack use for proper effectiveness can be 'wiped.'
6. This will call for description. For ease of game life I will probably say that unless stated otherwise enhancements have their own powersource that will not have to be replaced unless damaged.
I realise, as soon as character creation finished, that this game wasn't going to be as serious as Advent but the cybernetics do need to be well thoiught out regardless.
The most important parts of any game are story and characters. Master these and a good game is on its way.
more and more.
I will add more as I think of them. If you have any ideas, please post them.
The most important parts of any game are story and characters. Master these and a good game is on its way.