Bio Booster Armor, In MY Shadowrun? Options

[Loch]

A little while back I found this from a friend of a friend: http://pastebin.com/Vi7W9gys

The concept was cool, but I was a teensy bit sad that the mechanics just amounted to a different version of Milspec armor. I figured that if SR was going to have symbiont armor, it'd be more like a wearable critter and not just another suit of armor. Here's my rudimentary stab at it:

[ Spoiler ]

Living Armor Systems represent the bleeding edge of EVO's forays into metahuman adaptation-- psychoactive symbionts that implant themselves in and protect their hosts from harm. Implanting an armor symbiont is a simple yet mildly invasive process that permanently depletes the host's essence, much like any other bioware implant. Essence loss for an armor symbiont is counted as bioware for purposes of essence rounding. Armor symbionts have two states; "active" and "dormant". A dormant symbiont lies beneath the host's skin, often visible outwardly only as a slight bump in the host's tissue, usually in the host's armpit, lower back, or neck (Tactile Perception 4 to notice). Upon neural command from the host (a Complex Action), the symbiont erupts from its hiding place and envelops the host's body from head to toe.

Armor symbionts are cultured to be highly resistant to physical and kinetic force, though thus far test batches seem more resilient to physical blows than to small arms fire. Once bonded to a host, an armor symbiont becomes wholly protective of its "wearer", even going as far as to give its own life to the host. This is represented mechanically by the symbiont's Condition Track, which is used in place of the host's track until the symbiont absorbs too much damage and goes into overflow.

A symbiont in overflow reverts to the "dormant" state in its host body and follows the rules for natural healing, with a few notable exceptions. Overflow damage suffered by a symbiont is transferred immediately to its host. The symbiont will also cannibalize parts of the host's tissue to rebuild itself. Hits on the symbiont's healing test are converted to an equal amount of Physical damage boxes for the host, resisted with Body.

Due to the dramatic fashion of a symbiont's activation and storage, worn armor is never cumulative with the armor provided by an armor symbiont, regardless of the source.

Light Armor Symbiont:
>6/8 Ballistic/Impact
>Condition: 6
>Essence Cost: 0.2, plus 0.2 per Optional Power
>Essence: 3
>cost: 20,000 ¥
>availability: 18F

Medium Armor Symbiont:
>8/10 Ballistic/Impact
>Condition: 8
>Essence Cost: 0.4 plus 0.2 per Optional Power
>Essence: 4
>cost: 40,000 ¥
>availability: 22F

Heavy Armor Symbiont:
>10/12 Ballistic/Impact
>Condition: 12
>Essence Cost: 0.6 plus 0.2 per Optional Power
>Essence: 5
>cost: 60,000 ¥
>availability: 26F

Optional Powers: an armor symbiont can come "custom-bred" for the host with one power from the following list per full 2 points of Essence the symbiont possesses. For powers that specify a Magic rating, use the symbiont's Essence total, rounding down to the nearest full point.

>Binding
>Concealment
>Corrosive Spit
>Enhanced Senses
>Hardened Armor
>Mimicry
>Movement
>Natural Weapon
>Noxious Breath
>Paralyzing Howl
>Psychokinesis
>Regeneration
>Search
>Venom

Symbionts can also be bred with any of the metagenetic qualities in Runner's Companion in place of an Optional Power, with equal essence cost to an Optional Power and an additional nuyen cost equal to (Metagenetic Quality BP)x2,500 ¥.

Armor Symbionts may not be implanted with cyberware, but may take bioware as normal.

Give it a look-see and tell me what you think (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif)

[Rubic]

As a GM, I'd never allow any of my players to become The Guyver. Just straight out. No forehead lasers, no chest lasers, no coming back from the dead (moreso than already present). All of that is right out. Failed science experiments, bug-spirit-infested magic users, "alien" invasion (both mystic and otherwise) I'm fine with. But none of them are getting to be the Guyver. End of story.

[Summerstorm]

I agree with that: Nope... nononono...

Take out ALL the powers, don't treat them as living on their own, remove the "Dormant" state (Seriously? Invisible Power-armour?), no own damage-track.

THEN you can have it.

[DeathStrobe]

Maybe it should also increase lifestyle since I assume the host will be eating for two now.

But I think its a cool idea, though I don't know if shadow tech is there yet. They just started to mess around with Symbiots. Though I think the lower ranks shouldn't be able to conceal themselves. Make it a special ability only for the cutting edge stuff.

[tasti man LH]

On one hand, I personally dig any idea to incorporate any element of tokusatsu armored heroes (I plan to have some suits in my game that are basically Kamen Rider suits).

On the other hand, it is very VERY easy for the PCs to run amok with that kind of firepower. So to make sure they don't I'd say limit the power of the suit, perhaps that it can only be used for a specific amount of time. Or that it could only be activated in specific circumstances.

[Rubic]

Maybe it should also increase lifestyle since I assume the host will be eating for two now.

But I think its a cool idea, though I don't know if shadow tech is there yet. They just started to mess around with Symbiots. Though I think the lower ranks shouldn't be able to conceal themselves. Make it a special ability only for the cutting edge stuff.

On one hand, I personally dig any idea to incorporate any element of tokusatsu armored heroes (I plan to have some suits in my game that are basically Kamen Rider suits).

On the other hand, it is very VERY easy for the PCs to run amok with that kind of firepower. So to make sure they don't I'd say limit the power of the suit, perhaps that it can only be used for a specific amount of time. Or that it could only be activated in specific circumstances.

On the OTHER hand... RUMORS of the existence of such things I'm perfectly fine with. Especially if it leads to secret experimental facilities that are really the cover of alien entities (i.e. Bug Spirits) seeking another quiet take over on a host-by-host basis... oh, yeah baby! Oh, you want to try that little bio-armor module in the corner? Come to me, my lovely, little, over-powered NPC... Oh, and roll a new character.

[Freya]

On the other hand, it is very VERY easy for the PCs to run amok with that kind of firepower. So to make sure they don't I'd say limit the power of the suit, perhaps that it can only be used for a specific amount of time. Or that it could only be activated in specific circumstances.

Yeah, pretty much this. As far as drawbacks go, the "omnomnom" part isn't really that bad when it can be resisted and healed normally. Having to resist the damage that comes from two or three hits on the symbiont's healing test every day isn't a whole lot when put up against a PC's Body score, especially if it's reduced by platelet factories (since they're bioware and can be used with the suit). If there's a reasonably skilled group magician dropping a Heal spell after each time the symbiont takes its piece of the character (assuming each time is considered a different "set of injuries), they might not have any appreciable side effects at all.

I know others have suggested modifications or side effects for something like this, so here are a few ideas of my own: The suit is easily detectable by any thorough medical or bioware scan, shows up as something "abnormal", and draws the attention of security teams. The character risks taking Physical damage boxes in some manner in order to power the suit's non-armour abilities, in addition to the cannibalisation (maybe via making an Edge roll and taking damage if it glitches, or flat-out having to take a box of unresisted damage each time an ability is activated). Chance of developing a systemic illness or one of the negative Qualities from Augmentation. Psychological dependence on the symbiont that's effectively an Addiction to having it activated, which will make it easily visible, and can only be prevented/cured by having the symbiont removed. Requiring some kind of bonding ritual that includes Karma expenditure, possibly repeated over time to make sure that the armour stays bonded or degrades/stops functioning. High-end black ops teams from whichever corp the armour was stolen from making the owner's life miserable (actively hunting them, not just disliking them).

I don't think the power level of the suit itself is the issue (aside from the extra Condition Monitor) so much as the fact that someone using it doesn't really have to give anything up to get those abilities; for a dedicated runner with time and the right connections, 60k nuyen and a 26F availability rating isn't insurmountable, plus my blurb about the cannibalisation above. Saying that an item is hard to get is all well and good, but that in itself isn't a very good way to balance a powerful ability or piece of gear - once the characters have it, who cares what they had to go through to get it? The drawbacks a character suffers after they have and try to use their new toy are what counts. (After all, in Shadowrun there's no such thing as "no strings attached", especially where secretive research projects are involved.)

On the OTHER hand... RUMORS of the existence of such things I'm perfectly fine with. Especially if it leads to secret experimental facilities that are really the cover of alien entities (i.e. Bug Spirits) seeking another quiet take over on a host-by-host basis... oh, yeah baby! Oh, you want to try that little bio-armor module in the corner? Come to me, my lovely, little, over-powered NPC... Oh, and roll a new character.

I also agree with this. Bio-booster armour as you've described it would be an excellent McGuffin, IMO. Come to think of it, since Rubic brought up bugs, one of the chapters in Conspiracy Theories strongly implies that bug spirits are trying to set up their own delta clinic capable of doing genetic research...

[Sengir]

Sounds like something that would crawl out of Ares' "special" research projects...and should be treated accordingly.

[DMiller]

I like the idea, but I too think it may have been a little over the top. I have retuned it a bit, it's still a little over the top but meh, here's my take.

[ Spoiler ]

Living Armor Systems represent the bleeding edge of Ares's forays into metahuman adaptation-- psychoactive symbionts that implant themselves in and protect their hosts from harm. Implanting an armor symbiont is a simple yet mildly invasive process that permanently depletes the host's essence, much like any other bioware implant. Essence loss for an armor symbiont is counted as bioware for purposes of essence rounding. Armor symbionts have two states; "active" and "dormant". A dormant symbiont lies beneath the host's skin, often visible outwardly only as a slight bump in the host's tissue, usually in the host's armpit, lower back, or neck (Tactile Perception 4 to notice). Upon neural command from the host (a Complex Action), the symbiont erupts from its hiding place and envelops the host's body from head to toe.

Armor symbionts are cultured to be highly resistant to physical and kinetic force, though thus far test batches seem more resilient to physical blows than to small arms fire. Once bonded to a host, an armor symbiont becomes wholly protective of its "wearer", even going as far as to give its own life to the host. This is represented mechanically by the symbiont's adding to the metahuman’s Condition Track. This bonus applies even when the symbiont is not deployed.

Due to the dramatic fashion of a symbiont's activation and storage, all clothing and armor are destroyed upon deployment (unless specially designed to break away). The destruction of worn armor causes the wearer to resist (currently worn Impact Armor) DV stun damage using Body alone when the armor is deployed.

Light Armor Symbiont:
>4/6 Ballistic/Impact
>Condition Bonus: +1 Physical track
>Essence Cost: 0.4
>cost: 30,000 ¥
>availability: 18F
>additional ability: While active provides the positive quality Claws (RC p112)

Medium Armor Symbiont:
>6/8 Ballistic/Impact
>Condition Bonus: +1 Physical track, +1 Stun track
>Essence Cost: 0.8
>cost: 60,000 ¥
>availability: 22F
>additional ability: While active provides the positive qualities of Claws (RC p112), and Satae (RC p115)

Heavy Armor Symbiont:
>8/10 Ballistic/Impact
>Condition Bonus: +2 Physical track, +1 Stun track
>Essence Cost: 1.0
>cost: 80,000 ¥
>availability: 26F
>additional ability: While active provides the positive qualities of Claws (RC p112), Satae (RC p115), and Camouflage (Dynamic Coloration) (RC p112)


As a side note I might allow other options as far as the positive qualities, but I would stick to the more animal-like qualities and completely avoid anything that has to do with magic or resonance. I would also try to keep the qualities related, like the above is kind of like a gecko, you could do something like “webbed hands and toes, underwater vision, and gills” as a set, things like that.