Ghost in the Shell Stuff

[Ymdar]

Maybe you'll call me a 'dreamer' but I don't want to use a difficult method of balancing stuff. The balancing factor in my cyber enhancement is its relative cheapness and the point that there's no restriction on it.
So all PCs could buy it at first level. This would mean that most of the population of the world could afford it. No need to balance something out if everybody has it.

As for EMP weapons...In my opinion since this is a cybernetic enhanchement it gives all the drawbacks of cybernetics like Electricity vulnerability and such.

Another aspect of the man/machine interface that the cyberbrain raises as a possiblity is a) the ability to transfer consciousness entirely to a machine entity and b) the ability to backup memories/personality to be restored in the event of cyberbrain failure.

In game terms I would suppose that there are no cyberbrain failiures. (There could be. But only for plot purposes)
But! There are ghost dubbing machines in the setting that copy one's memories.
Memories/personality can be only transferred in the setting (since one has only one soul referred in the movies as 'ghost' ) not copied entirely.

 

[Imperialus]

I don't think it would come out too weird, personally.

I don't know how to break down action points, but I'm going to guess.

Another feat is worth .2CR and +1 Skill Points Per Level is worth about .1CR.

Unfortunately, the designers for D20 Future didn't really use a system like that to break down the cyber in the Future book, and it shows. You can't even really break them down via cost DCs.

On average, though, I'd count most PL 6 enhancements around .1CR (.2CR for some heavy hitters) and most of the useful PL 7 enhancements around .2CR. Stuff like DR 4/-, .3CR or more.

--fje

Please excuse my ignorance here but I'm not overly familiar with D20 Modern or Future but looking through the books I can't find any referance to CR other than Challange Rating. Is that what you mean? and if so how does fractions of a point come into play?

 

[Zoatebix]

That's what he's talking about. He's using a simple set of guidelines to predict character performance as it's represented in the Challenge Rating system. Fractions are only important insofar as they can add up to 1, which is roughly equal to a character level, a point of a monster's challenge rating - a point of 'level adjustment,' pretty much.

I'm pretty sure Heap is getting his figures from Upper_Krust's challenge rating system, which has seen print in a couple of products by Bad Axe Games so far, but was developed for U_K's upcoming Immortal's Handbook. Because not all feats are created equally and because not everyone's game and gaming group are the same, the challenge ratings predicted by this system aren't perfect for everyone, but the system is pretty well playtested, and a lot of people think that it's the best tool out there for "eyeballing" the appropriate CR of a creature.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

What he said.

Nothing is, of course, perfect, but there's quite a bit of variation in imperfect. In the time I've played with Upper_Krust's system and the variations on it, it's worked out quite well for us.

What I'm saying is: The d20 Future/WotC system doesn't really make much of an accounting for the power level changes of cyber. They impose a Con Bonus + 1 limit, and after that start racking up (very harsh) negative levels. This just means a player wanting to make a cybered character will put a high stat in Con to get 3-4 (5?) pieces of effective cybernets on him. But what those 3-4 pieces ARE will vary widely in power ... Reinforced Skeleton, Subcut Armor, Laser Optics vs. Skill Plexus say.

Wulf did a nice Cybernetics breakdown in Grim Tales, but based the "cost" of cybernetics on Charisma Check Penalties and physical cost. While more balanced between pieces, basing the "balancing factor" on one ability score again means that people will either put alot of points in Charisma (sort of odd) or just be willing to take a tanked Cha in return for massive firepower.

While either method might be alright for occassional cyberware, it doesn't really stand up to a game centering around cyber. While making it cheaper and ubiquitous is fine, it really does discourage players from playing non-cybered characters.

I'm thinking I'd like to run a Ghost In The Machine: Stand Alone Complex campaign next year. For that I'll expect pretty much everybody to run cybered characters, but I want an option in place for the non-cybered "oddity".

--fje

 

[JEL]

I don't think it would come out too weird, personally.

I don't know how to break down action points, but I'm going to guess.

Another feat is worth .2CR and +1 Skill Points Per Level is worth about .1CR.

Unfortunately, the designers for D20 Future didn't really use a system like that to break down the cyber in the Future book, and it shows. You can't even really break them down via cost DCs.

On average, though, I'd count most PL 6 enhancements around .1CR (.2CR for some heavy hitters) and most of the useful PL 7 enhancements around .2CR. Stuff like DR 4/-, .3CR or more.

Because a Ghost in the Shell game would be all ABOUT cybered up individuals the cost-based limiting factors will probably be tossed out the window. Beyond that there's the Con Bonus +1 limiter in Future. That can be kept or scrapped.

I'd say give everybody +.4CR in "free" cyberware for a game like that. So some "doesn't count" replacements for the cybernetic individuals and 2 big pieces or 2 small pieces and a big piece, etc.

Normal humans get an extra skill point per level, an additional feat at 1st level, and +2 Action Points per level. (Skill Points +.1CR, Feat +.2CR, APs +.1CR). All non-cybered heroes would get that bonus. I think that would give somebody a leg up to play a normal person in a game like that.

--fje

I guess it would depend on how close to the source you wanted to be. As has been mentioned the Major and Batou are the members of Section 9 who are full cyborgs, while the others have varying amounts of cybernetics below that and Togusa has next to none. While you could make Togusa higher level to compensate, that's where it comes out weird. The manga/anime uses plot to do that, which is what giving bonus action points would immulate. It's a matter of taste though.

 

[Ymdar]

Dedicated Computer(PL7):
This is the ultimate in computer technology. This is what every hacker needs. No need to hack with only your brain (called bare brain hacking by hackers) but you can hack people or machines with the help of this little baby.
You can install any known virus/firewall software here. The computer gives +6 equipement bonus to all Computer Use rolls. The computer halves the base ghost hack and memory hack attempts' base time. (to a minimum of 1 minute).
This is a grey or green computer it is as big as a medium sized fridge you must sit into it and connect your cyberbrain to it.
Purchase DC: 39
Restriction: Military (+3)
Note: You could also create a dedicated computer that is in game terms just a normal laptop. The requirement is that it has to be connected to the web.

Memory hacking
Similar to ghost hacking in terms of checks except after a succesful attack you can read the subject's memory as a bardic knowledge except using your computer use skill as your level+Int modifyer. You get a +4 circumstance modifyer if you are physically connected with the target's cyberbrain. A physical connection requires the subject to be willing or you have to grapple him/her. Of course if the subject is restricted in movement you could also memory hack him/her. To memory hack a dead subject you need a dedicated computer.
Base time: 2 hours (remote) 1 action (physical connection)
Drawback: After a successful memory hack you become dazed for a number of rouds equal to the subjects level+Int modifyer unless you successfully make a will save (DC 20+the level of the subject+the Int modifyer of the subject)

 

[Ymdar]

Now for the cyborgs.

In the last two world wars after normal humans were not enugh for battlefields corporations and nations have changed their fighting units from mere humans to 98% cyborgs. After some initial failiures the technology now has reached its peak so people can now recover from grevious wounds that was thought 40 years ago as deadly. Now various people from the last wars and happy citizens of various countries across the globe are owners of cyber bodies. These people can live a full life and also a longer one than normal humans. As we look at the headquarters of the Megatech Corporation we could easily imagine the corporate professionalism that has lead this corporation from the bottom right to the top in the beginning of the third World War....

Game terms:
There are two types of cyborgs. The older models ( created before WW3) are biodroids in game terms and the newer models (created at the beginning of WW4) who are bioreplica androids. If a PC starts as a full borg it has all the benefits and drawbacks as any robot PC in the book except I use a point buy system to buy the stats of the robots. Essentially the Robot PCs also get the same amount of ability points as their human counterparts (this balances out for the lack of extra skill points and the feat).

In game conversion:

PCs die. This is a sad thing but it happens. But not anymore! If a PC is equipped with a cyberbrain and that's not destroyed when the PC dies he/she could be 'resurrected' as a newer or older model full borg. This goes like this: If the PC dies and is resurrected as a robot the player can reassign ability points again (as many points it was created with) but since the lack of constitution score the player would end up with more ability points. The player could assign the remaining ability points to any of the PC's abilities. The only requirement in this process is that the 'new' PC puts at leas the same amount of ability points to his/her mental abilities as at character creation. PCs starting as full borgs get a new profession and a feat called: Robot Trainee. This gives no skills or feats or wealth bonus. This represents the hospital enviroment the PC was raised in.

Example: John ( Str 14 Dex 12 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 10 Cha 10) dies in a firefight. Luckily he has a cyberbrain installed. He is brought to a hospital and according to his contract they chose him a new body (the player starts to buy the abilities). The only requirement for John's player is that he assigns points so that his mental ability scores would be at leas the same as they were in the beginning. (10 10 10 in this case). In the end he gets the +2 to Int for having a cyberbrain.

Drawback: Humans are incompatible with immortality and a body that is not organic. This way the PC must spend skill points equal to their level+3 and a feat to compensate for this. This is the training process of being a robot. If the PC does not spend the required amout of skill points and the feat it gains -4 to all d20 rolls.

Note: Since every cyborg is required to have a cyberbrain the Robot heroes always get the +2 Int for the cyberbrain. ( If a PC cannot buy the cyberbrain at beginning of gameplay the GM should reroll the wealth bonus of the PC until it can afford it)

 

[Ymdar]

Now for the cybernetics.
Every PC has a numer of slots in each of his body parts (left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg, torso and head) equal to 1+Con modifier. This means that a PC with a Constitution score of 14 has 18 cybernetics slots in his body, three in each of his six body zones. This means that all cyberware should be treated with more caution from now on and some cyberware should take multiple slots. I've attached a .doc file to this post where you could look over the rest (Thanks Sandman for your help! ).
Robot (full borg) PCs would behave the same as in the core book. However they could install a number of feat/skill software equal to their Int Wis or Cha (GM's option and at least 0).

If you have any comments I'm willing to listen.

 

[eyebeams]

Sounds like you guys would like Adamant's Posthuman and Netspace. Posthuman covers modifications that break the limit imposed by D20 Future without chucking the rules out. Netspace covers ghost hacking by name.

 

[Ymdar]

Sounds like you guys would like Adamant's Posthuman and Netspace. Posthuman covers modifications that break the limit imposed by D20 Future without chucking the rules out. Netspace covers ghost hacking by name.

No thanks. I don't have any money to buy stuff from publishers. This is sad but true.
Why would I buy something if I have my imagination right here? I know what I want and (I hope I ) have the talent to do it. There is no need to buy something I can create.
Thanks for the info though. I'll check the demo of Posthuman.