What About Cybernetics?

Keeping in mind the negative social modifiers of large degrees of cybernetic reconstruction, how well would a (nearly) full cybernetic convert fit into the game? I'm speaking of all but the skull. Never mind motivations for right now, this is a purely hypothetical question. I've never played a character, even in SR3, with extensive cybernetic replacement, and was wondering if anyone else had any experience doing so - and how that experience turned out.

One of the many drawbacks I could see is simple repair times; You don't heal. Which means you're rather tethered to an urban setting. Etcetera.

Potential pros? Beyond the obvious to being able to make yourself into a walking swedish army knife. And about about reaction enhancers, such as.. well... Reaction Enhancer, or Wired Reflexes. Do these fit into the capacity of, for instance, a cyber torso, or do they need to be purchased (essence wise) seperately?

I think they would be fine as long as they covered up when in public. Sure they will only be able to get a date with somebody who is really into metal, and will get funny looks. They will probably garnish a lot of attention from law enforcement, but as long as their hacker buddy has done his job and made sure the licenses for Mr. Thomas's cyberware, he will be fine. Poor Mr. Thomas, almost lost his life in a factory explosion.

True, true. A good pair of clothes in the right situation go a long way. But back to the reaction enhancers. I've got the SR4 book, and I'm looking through the cyber-section, but I'm not having any luck determining whether - for instance - Cyber Torso will 'soak' the essence cost of wire reflexes/enhanced reflexes/what-have-you in its capacity, or whether capacity is solely for the introduction of the named enhancements to cyberlimbs.

they would need to pay essence for it. Hello cyberzombie.

Umm.... no.

Cybertorso and cyberskulls are just shells. They don't replace the organs or stuff inside, so you can't use the Capacity to include Wired Reflexes and you still have to heal, etc. In other words, no you can't be like Robot Nixon:



Sorry.

(you can be a brain in the jar in the robot though if you become a cyborg)

HA! Alright, thanks for the information. So you can be a tin-can, but you can't be a tin-can with more than one initiative pass. A bit more weight to the 'con' side of things.

MisterBook wrote:

HA! Alright, thanks for the information. So you can be a tin-can, but you can't be a tin-can with more than one initiative pass. A bit more weight to the 'con' side of things.

Actually I am pretty sure cyborgs get multiple initiative passes.
-edit-
• Use Intuition + Response (instead of Pilot + Response) when
determining Initiative.
• Cyborgs have 4 Initiative Passes.

Um, you can still probably get Wired Reflexes (if you have enough essence so we're talking about some major nuyen spent on high quality cyberware here) even if you have a cybertorso.

Actually I dunno... the book isn't very clear on exactly what the cybertorso replaces. Ribs? Probably. Skin and muscle definitely. Spine? Don't know...

You could still get Synaptic Booster though for more IPs.

I would think the spinal cord would have to remain to keep the nervous system intact.

Probably. Although, maybe it puts a shell -over- the spine instead? I mean, full spinal cord replacement is it's own bodyware; Reaction Enhancers.

And don't forget, "All but the skull" doesn't have to be the rule... you can replace the skull too!!

In fact, the game makes allowances for this sort of thing, in a very "Darth Vader" style (without the look...) in that the mention and discussion of "Cyber Zombies" in the game bring about a modified capacity for GMs to bring players in to their games with very little of their body even remotely resembling the original humanity that concieved it... They are fun to think about, although I have never actually played a cyber-zombie myself.

I thought things like cyber zombies and cyborgs were more for NPCS than anything else? I mean, they are -very- powerful. Frankly, might remove the very essence of the game, which is 'Nothing ever goes right' and 'Oh God How Please Don't Hurt Me I Just Want To Get Paid', etc.

They are reserved as npcs in a normal game setting, but some people play out of the box. In a game where players play mercs or corporate special ops they will be more acceptable because players will probably have the cash to actually afford to play them.

Now, see, I never thought of that. Playing something -other- than a Shadowrunner. Why, that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Like a team that -isn't- a Running team, but a DocWagon team trying to -save- a Running team - because they're being paid for it. Neat.

MisterBook wrote:

Now, see, I never thought of that. Playing something -other- than a Shadowrunner. Why, that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Like a team that -isn't- a Running team, but a DocWagon team trying to -save- a Running team - because they're being paid for it. Neat.

I actually saw a doc wagon HRT team game being started up on dumpshock.

Bear wrote:

MisterBook wrote:

Now, see, I never thought of that. Playing something -other- than a Shadowrunner. Why, that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Like a team that -isn't- a Running team, but a DocWagon team trying to -save- a Running team - because they're being paid for it. Neat.

I actually saw a doc wagon HRT team game being started up on dumpshock.

It was back in 3rd, years ago, but I played in a game where we were an elite LoneStar task force. In fact, I was LITERALLY just thinking about that game this morning and considering starting something similar.

Azonalanthious wrote:

Bear wrote:

MisterBook wrote:

Now, see, I never thought of that. Playing something -other- than a Shadowrunner. Why, that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Like a team that -isn't- a Running team, but a DocWagon team trying to -save- a Running team - because they're being paid for it. Neat.

I actually saw a doc wagon HRT team game being started up on dumpshock.

It was back in 3rd, years ago, but I played in a game where we were an elite LoneStar task force. In fact, I was LITERALLY just thinking about that game this morning and considering starting something similar.

dooooooooooo it
Keep it small though. an elite 4 man team sounds kick dreck. Hunting down shadowrunners, doing black ops extractions, taking care of paranormal threats. mmmm
~drools~

Dumpshock being a GM? I don't see his games in the Wanted Ads.

MisterBook wrote:

Dumpshock being a GM? I don't see his games in the Wanted Ads.

dumpshock being the official shadowrun forums

Oh yeaaaah.

Well. Paint me in newb sauce and dip me in crackers.

Bear wrote:

Azonalanthious wrote:

Bear wrote:

MisterBook wrote:

Now, see, I never thought of that. Playing something -other- than a Shadowrunner. Why, that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Like a team that -isn't- a Running team, but a DocWagon team trying to -save- a Running team - because they're being paid for it. Neat.

I actually saw a doc wagon HRT team game being started up on dumpshock.

It was back in 3rd, years ago, but I played in a game where we were an elite LoneStar task force. In fact, I was LITERALLY just thinking about that game this morning and considering starting something similar.

dooooooooooo it
Keep it small though. an elite 4 man team sounds kick dreck. Hunting down shadowrunners, doing black ops extractions, taking care of paranormal threats. mmmm
~drools~

I almost certainly will, just not quite yet. Gotta get caught up on all my current projects (liking finishing Gwydian) first.