Cybernetics in D20 Modern

[Shadowrun Man]

I apologies for that last post, I should of chosen a better way to word it. But any ways lets put that behinds now and move on. I heard that someone said something cybernetic implants in an earlier thread. I have a few question about these cybernetic implants and the rules on them.

#1. How are you going to have them effect the character?

#2. How are you going to find them?

#3. How are you going to restrict the amount the character can take.

#4. what adverse effect will the character suffer from for having to much cybernetic implants.

Now these are resonable questions so to those that hate me, dont go and find thing's to criticize me on, ok. For once I'm trying to be resonable, and again I apologies for that last post.

 

[Henry]

I'm going to take a leap of faith here.

I don't have the answers, but hopefully, Hellhound will see this and take the time to respond here. He is a d20 Game designer, and he has recently said that he intends to do a great deal of work on d20 Cyberpunk material in the near future. He would be an excellent resource to ask.

Second, he referred me earlier to a product called Digital Burn, a d20 product already out that incorporates Cyberpunk-style elements into d20 rules. However, he described it as "very skeletal."

Also, if you search some of the other threads in this forum, you will find some very active and useful discussions of CYbernetics rules either by other companies, or by fans here who are making up their own rules for it!

Good fortunes to you!

 

[Clain MacFaileas]

First off, I really think you want to wait for d20 Future, for as someone has already mentioned, Shadowrun is actually near future, not modern. As such, cybernetic implants are not covered in the main book.

However, I do know that there is a Cyborg advanced class in the Mecha Crusade minigame (Polyhedron 154) that could easily be used. At 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, and 10th level, a character with this class gets to add another piece of cyberware.

Such characters do not just wander around and find this gear; it is assumed that they work for or are associated with a large group with doctors and scientists who provide the modifications.

The major adverse effect the cyberware has is causing the character to fall behind in his other classes, unless he wishes to apply all his xp to the Cyborg class. Their limits, as I mentioned above, are the fact that only one piece of gear can be taken at a certain level. In addition, the character's level + Con modifier determines which cybernetics he can take (or improve, if he already has existing gear).

 

[tensen]

I apologies for that last post, I should of chosen a better way to word it. But any ways lets put that behinds now and move on. I heard that someone said something cybernetic implants in an earlier thread. I have a few question about these cybernetic implants and the rules on them.

#1. How are you going to have them effect the character?

Something in this would be setting based. Since one campaign might have cyberware for everyone and a natural place.. while another might have cyberware making people utterly insane. Probably would require a toolkit for the GM to decide which way to go with it.

#2. How are you going to find them?

This definitely would be setting based.

#3. How are you going to restrict the amount the character can take.

1) Setting based.. limit availability.
2) Setting based... roleplay restrictions/stigmata for use.
3) Setting based... licensing and money
4) Game mechanics based .... xp cost or ECL.
5) Game mechanics based .... treat as if a magic item.

#4. what adverse effect will the character suffer from for having to much cybernetic implants.

Query.... is there a mental adverse effect?
Is there a game balancing game effect?
Is there a difference between too much magic items and too much cybernetic implants?

 

[herald]

Personally I hated the idea that cyberimplants cause mental problems.

People with glass eyes don't go crazy.

 

[Darke]

Well, a glass exe is somewhat passive - no tech, no electricity, not really implanted just in the eye socket (I think).

Anything what is powered by electricity will probably disrupt your bioelectrical field, perhaps even your alpha-brainwaves. And your immune system will probably add to the complications too.

das Darke

 

[Achan hiArusa]

If you look in this month's Dragon on the article about prestige races, it has a framework that could work with cybernetics. You take a feat (in this case Sculpt Self) and then you buy your improvements with xps.

In some of my earlier conversions (notably Gamma World d20), I had a feat called Cyberthreapy which was required to mount any cyberware. Combining this with the Dragonstar spellware system could give you a game balancing way to introduce cyberware. The cyborg class from Mecha Crusade could still exist, because he gets free cyberware as a class feature without paying xps.

I still like the idea of maintenance costs that I read about in a review on Digitial Burn though.

Sincerely,



Sammy Grimes

 

[HellHound]

The system we are working on currently for cybernetics includes a variety of rejection syndromes, based mostly on the "Humanity Loss" system from CyberPunk (which, IMO, was the basis of the other cybernetic rejection rules in later CyberPunk-styled games such as Shadowrun, CyberSpace and so on).

You keep a running total of how many "points" worth of cyberware you have, and they accumulate against your stats (decreasing Wisdom, Charisma, Dexterity, and Constitution). The reasoning behind the stat loss is a combination of psychological, psychosocial and enviromental factors.

Psychologically, being augmented changes someone. This is already true with minor changes such as body art (as a body artist of 9 years experience, married to another of 11 years, we have BOTH noted the psychological aspects of personal modification).

Enviromentally you have to deal with rejection, infection or even the "Black Shakes" from Johnny Mnemonic (thus the reductions to Con and Dex). The number one defence against infection is the skin, and most cybernetics violate this basic protection of the human body.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I apologies for that last post, I should of chosen a better way to word it. But any ways lets put that behinds now and move on.

Keep that up and we might acutally forgive you

I heard that someone said something cybernetic implants in an earlier thread. I have a few question about these cybernetic implants and the rules on them.

In addition to those presented here, I have created a small system of nano-implantations, based on Deus Ex (since our d20 Modern game will be loosely based on that).

#1. How are you going to have them effect the character?

Only positively, since they had no disadvantages in DX, either. But like in DX, you have to activate them and pay Bio-Energy for that (but in my version, your amount of that improves with level, is much lower than 100, and regenerates, but there are probably no power cells). They are a little like magic items, only weaker.

The system is very basic: the implantations come in three levels, level one being like you find them, and the other two obtainable through update-modules. Common bonuses are +2/+4/+6 to a physical ability score, or +5/+10/+15 to two related skills (or similar stuff), though there are a couple of more exotic ones.

#2. How are you going to find them?

They aren't sold at all, but can only be obtained as part of the "treasure". They won't lie in the ditch, either, since the technology isn't very wide-spread, and the sources will be limited to the goverment force we work for (at least initially) and some companies that develop the stuff.

#3. How are you going to restrict the amount the character can take.

It's derived from DX. I translated the implantations from the game as best I could. Some (4 I think) have been taken out altogether. You can have 1 in your head, 1 for the eyes, one for the arms, one for the hands, one for the legs, and 1 for the body (slightly less than in DX)

#4. what adverse effect will the character suffer from for having to much cybernetic implants.

The number of the implantations are restricted, and cannot be overcome, but here are no disadvantages for having many, but you always must use energy to power them, so they're not always-on (our game will be only a little over real-world technology, so we don't want anything to Sci-Fi-like). Also, they have to be implanted via a treat injury (surgery) check, and if the surgeon messes it up, it has to be fixed, or the implant will kill you slowly.

Now these are resonable questions so to those that hate me, dont go and find thing's to criticize me on, ok.

I wouldn't call it hate. You just annoyed us. For hate you'd have to do much worse. (That's NO challenge )

For once I'm trying to be resonable, and again I apologies for that last post.

As long as you only post constructive stuff here, and no flaming, it's OK.
We might still come over and spank you, of course

 

[JPL]

Group hug!

[Embraces fellow nerds.]