Un-Stupid Cyberlimbs Options

[Nikoli]

Pg 335, left column, bottom section, Cybertorso and skulls are shells raher than full replacements, ergo, they can still have bioware that would not need to impantd in the outer portion Like skin, skin pockets, etc.) of the cyber implant.

[Knarfy]

guys guys, I agree with you on the bioware thing, read my second post in this thread ;)

Near the bottom :P

[Eyeless Blond]

[Chandon]

I think for my game I'm going with the house rules "Attribute increases up to one less than the racial maximum don't cost capacity, but they cost double capacity and 10x money after that" and "beta and delta grade cyberlimbs have double capacity". I'll need to try it, but I think that will support the flavor I want for cyberlimbs in my game.

[wavydavy]

Heya all (fp to dsf, longtime casual lurker :)

I agree with Eyeless Blond's take on cyberlimb attributes, and used to play
something similar in sr2/3. The cyberlimb rules have never been quite right
(prob sr2 was closest), and I've always had a sizeable house rules section on them.
(On a side note, this version of sr will probably have the biggest number of
house rules overall, and that's just to clarify the ambiguity!)

While that simplifies the issue well, there are many 'cool' aspects of
cyberlimbs that the above rule can miss out on, and a bunch of other stuff that
I have thought of while upgrading my PC's/NPC's to sr4. Many are just
roleplaying/character concept ideas.

• Cyberlimbs can, in theory, ignore pain/fatigue and lock in position, if the
  character desires. After all, the nerves are artificial and can be 'turned
  off' (IIRC, this was explicitly supported in the cyberlimb description in sr2).
  Not for whole body tasks (e.g. running forever, resisting damage), but for
  tasks only involving the cyber parts of that limb (I guess mainly hands). e.g.
  
  
  • can hold on to something solid (e.g. ledge) indefinatly
    
    
  • stubbing out cigarettes on your cyberskull
    
    
  • cyberhead-butt! At no/less damage to the butt-er
    
    
  • reaching into a fire to pull out a burning paydata chip (cosmetic damage
    only?)
    
    
  • "Bishop, do the knife thing!" or similar
    
    
  • Will Smith's cyberarm-slowed slide in iRobot (fragging his arm up in the
    process)
    
    
  • Crushing hand shakes/beer cans/bar stools/billard balls, freshly cyber-
    squeezed orange juice, nuts cracked, one hand bottle opening, etc. Great for
    intimidation checks (sr3 had specific intimidation modifiers for obvious
    cyberware)
    
    
  • A female ballet dancer with cyberfeet could remain in point forever :)
  
  I had a sr3 char with cyber-forearms, dikoted climbclaws, and max strength
  enhancement (+3, only affecting hand grip, as it's a partial limb). In a
  strength vs barrier test he usually managed to gouge a climbing hold into sheer
  plastcrete!
  
• Cyberlimbs can cause physical unarmed damage. If a char has 2
  cyberhands/feet (the part that contacts), damage is physical, 3, and damage is
  +1P, all 4 and its +2P. Afterall, clubs damage in sr4 is now physical. This
  would be in line with bone lacing/density, and would be culmative with them.
  Maybe only for obvious limbs, as synthetic ones probably resemble real ones
  enough to function the same way as them (i.e. softer). This may go some way to
  levelling out melee between adepts/cybered types.
  
• 2 Partial limbs count as one whole limb for purposes of physical damage
  track bonus's (BBB, p335, par7)
  
• Each full cyberlimb (or 2 partial limbs) could add one point of pain
  resistance. This gives a fullborg 6 points automatically, which seems
  reasonable given only the chest/head have any sensitive things in, and
  compensates for the lack of bioware suggested by the Knarfy.
  
• Allows unarmed attacks against barriers at no damage to attacker (for
  obvious cyberlimbs anyway, except maybe needing a new paint job)
  
• Cyber fingers locked in position in conjunction with martial arts/pressure
  points unarmed technique could be very dangerous. Could buy as rated
  accessory, similar to adept powers critical/penetrative strike. Could require
  knowledge skill anatomy(pressure points) to use effectively (hits limited by
  skill).
  
• I would decrease the capacity on a number of electronic accessories
  (commlink, datajack, ultrasound scanner, etc) as they are easily miniturizable.
  Plus, I like to encourage tech-wiz cyberlimbs full of cool toys rather than
  monster combat climbs.
  
• Hydraulic jacks give (rating/2) bonus to unarmed damage (and can be
  installed in arms). Blatantly stolen from CP2020 :)

Just some thoughts from previous editions and new ones arising from sr4. In
terms of gameplay, the only one that I think may be really imbalancing is the
pain resistance one. But, if you have payed the nuyen/essence to get many
cyberlimbs, you've paid enough in my view.

HTH

Wavy

[PlatonicPimp]

This is my take on cyberlimbs. I use a lot of Ideas bandied about here, especially Eyeless blonde's overtaxing system.

Cyberlimbs do physical damage with unarmed attacks using that limb.

Cyberlimbs (And torsos, and skulls) do not start out with ratings of 3. Each cyberarm is quite capable of being much stronger, and faster than a metahuman’s natural abilities. However, the body cannot handle this increased level of performance, so an integral part of the installation process is adjusting the performance of the arm to match the person’s natural abilities. Similarly, a replacement limb is sized for the individual, meaning the body stat remains the same. Even a full ‘borg replacement doesn’t replace the entire system (Even with deltaware, the essence lost would be fatal), and the remaining meat parts must be compensated for. Every cyberlimb starts with attribute scores equal to the character’s.
The process of increasing these abilities is quite easy. In fact, all you must do is adjust the output level higher. Allowing the character to handle such increases, however, is more difficult. The cost and space requirements for attribute increases in the replacement part represent special dampeners that aid in keeping the increased performance from harming the character. The only exception to that is Body, where the cost and space represent increased structure to strengthen the chassis. For safety’s sake, the overrides for the performance of cybernetics are mechanically set and are not accessable through the matrix.
A Character who makes an extended logic + Cybertechnology (12) test may override the safeties, allowing a limb to function at the character’s modified maximum in Strength, Agility and Reaction. With an additional Logic + hardware ( 8 ) extended test, you can modify the safeties in such a way that they can be activated or deactivated (Usually by DNI, though sometimes a wireless link is used). Among certain circles this is known as redlining your cyberlimbs. Doing this has major consequences, however. Every Initiative pass in which the character redlines a cyberlimb, they take 1 box of physical damage that cannot be resisted. Each cyberlimb redlining does this damage. The cyberlimb must also make a body test using it’s own body attribute each Inititative pass it operates without safeties, with a threshold equal to the number of initiative passes it has been redlined. Each cyberlimb must make this test. Any cyberlimb failing the test breaks down, losing all function and dealing 4P damage to the character. (This damage may be resisted, but no armor applies.) A cyberlimb that breaks in this manner cannot be repaired, it must be replaced.

[Jaid]

[PlatonicPimp]

No, it means that on your first pass the limb must get 1 success or break. On the second pass it must get 2 or break. On the third pass it must make 3 or break. Soon you'll have a threshold higher than the numbr of dice you possess.

By the way, those passes don't have to be consecutive. Keep track of how many passess a limb was redlined. This "Stress" factor remains until you perform maintainence on your limb.

[Jaid]

ah, ok... that makes more sense... it must make successes to *not* break. in hindsight, that should have been fairly obvious. ah well, it's good to make mistakes sometimes =P keeps you humble(er).