The Great Bunraku Parlor Escape, So, I've escaped, what now? Options

[DreadPirateKitte...]

With everyone's help, we have the preliminary work done on the character.

Even if I have at times argued points with people in the thread, perspective has helped me get to where I am now, and so I appreciate every viewpoint, even ones I didnt agree with. In fact, those ones are usually the most helpful.

http://blds.wikispaces.com/Sweetheart

The history is a work in progress, but its fairly complete, just needs polishing.

________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________


So, my supply of SR4 books is small, and limited basically to Augmentation, Arsenal, and BBB. So my fluff access is limited, but I'd like some of your takes on what sorts of things should be expected. The story, in short is, a small time runner runs afoul of the mafia. She's attractive, so rather than off her, she's dragged off to work in the parlor, kicking and screaming. (Least until she's fixed.) Then, some of her friends bust her out, a while later.

Lets get to the questions!

1) Does Personafix wear off? If not, how does this get altered, if at all?

2) What sorts of bodymods can a parlor girl expect to have? Silky skin, sensitive skin, elastic joints, healing symbiotes?

3) Anyone have anything interesting to add, add em in #3.

[WearzManySkins]

Yes it wears off. It is a chip, teamed up with the Data Filter the girl does not recall any of what she has done under the effects influence of the Personafix chip.

Items a Bunraku girl has installed
Datajack
Data Filter
Hot Sim Module

See this link in the Community Forums under character Braid.
Braid

She is just one example of the endless variations possible.

WMS

[DocTaotsu]

In a previous, and occasionally horrifying, thread we also discussed that many of them would also have skillwires to help supplement... their particular skill set.

How much augmentation she got would be largley dependent on her worth on the open market. Unless she had some exceptional qualities she might not have gotten mods like silky skin and so forth. Those seem like mods that would be reserved to keep more popular models "servicable" longer.

[DreadPirateKitte...]

Heh, yes.

Well, she's got a charisma of 7, so I imagine, when I say "attractive" I am understating, slightly. As I've imagined it, I expect, since she double crossed the mafia head, she's been used not just for sex, but to take out anger, and frustration, thus the quick healing symbiotes, and the like.

Also, I particpated in said post, so I remember it, and actually, when I was without a concept for my "face" tonight, I went through a recent "Give me a concept" thread, and there was Wearz Many Skins, pimping this concept.(Literally!) So its actually thanks to him for it in the first place.

[Chrysalis]

Hi DPK,

I can think of a few implants that you could put in your character, but I think I will talk to you about them over IRC instead, just in case I say something someone takes offense to.

-Chrysalis

[Mugzy]

Heh, yes.

Well, she's got a charisma of 7, so I imagine, when I say "attractive" I am understating, slightly. As I've imagined it, I expect, since she double crossed the mafia head, she's been used not just for sex, but to take out anger, and frustration, thus the quick healing symbiotes, and the like.

Charisma 7 doesn't have a huge bearing on looks. Especially if that person is chipped. Since Charisma is a mental stat (And is thus translated into Astral space in some capacity) that Charisma 7 doesn't mean squat to a bunraku parlor, where as soon as the chip hits you, that charisma goes out the window.

That aspect of being taken advantage of for beatings and the like would denote more of a lesser charisma in my mind as well. With a charisma that high she should be able to play people a bit better than that.

Charisma 7 is more of a forceful, likable personality, not a hot body.

In fact a lot of the "hot body" competitors probably would have horrendously low charisma. Care to take a look at models and famous people? ...right...

[DreadPirateKitte...]

I tend to equate looks and charisma, I guess. There is no IC stat for looks that I am aware of.

[DocTaotsu]

It's described as a combination of both and so I find it hard to believe that someone could be considered eye meltingly ugly and still roll with a charisma 7. By the same token a person with charisma 7 has to have something else besides looks, be that pure oozing sexual energy or profound comic/dramatic timing.

But I do think that chipping would take away from the personality side (mostly), of course that's kinda the point I suppose. If people wanted your winning personality you'd be a geisha not a meat puppet. I guess a custom made p-fix might combine elements of a emotitoy and actually enhance the personality side of the puppet but that's not something I'd imaigne a punishment puppet to get.

But that would be kinda cool as something positive for your character to take away from her time in the parlor.

And sorry for not remembering you from earlier posts, I developed lesions in my mind after about page 3 and it's all kinda a blur. I vaguely recall the beating of great wings as if from a great distance, and than Hyz posted away the last of my virtual purity. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Chrysalis]

James looked in the driver's mirror, his hair is curled just enough to hide his widow's peak. His sunglasses cover any image of who he is, their cheap large plastic rims covering part of his face the other half covered in smoke from the cigarette hanging from his lip.

The music was just right, just a bit of rain hitting the roof and Bedlam's Harvest Moon coming out of the speakers. The leather gloves creaking as he flicks the ashes off his silk tie. Two gun shots ring out from the docks to the car as the eight track switches over Stealers Wheel's Stuck in the Middle With You.

There is the sound as the back seat door is opened and a tarp covered body is pushed in the back. A big man gets in with his pistol.

James looks at the man in his near expensive suit and sullen face and says "Vinnie what the fuck is that."

Vinnie for once looks embarrassed as he puts his hand cannon back in his holster. "Well, you know how you are always going on about getting some cash, well I was thinking, we could sell the broad upstate."

"Jesus Vinnie, how many times I have told you, you are not in this job to think. Thinking gets you killed. Jesus. Besides look at her, could you have moved her before whacking the other two and I just cleaned the car. Fuck"

James was irritated and Vinnie was nervous, both sitting quietly as the rain started to come heavier and the eight track switched to Bedlam's Magic Carpet Ride. "Fuck it." James started the engine. "I know just the place. The chink anyways owes me a favor."

[DreadPirateKitte...]

Thats my buddy Chrysalis.

Isn't she awesome? =)

[Wounded Ronin]

Hi DPK,

I can think of a few implants that you could put in your character, but I think I will talk to you about them over IRC instead, just in case I say something someone takes offense to.

-Chrysalis

Oral Lasher? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/twirl.gif)

[Wounded Ronin]

Thats my buddy Chrysalis.

Isn't she awesome? =)

"It's his first time in the kumite and he broke the fuckin' world record! That's my buddy!" - Bloodsport

PROOF that Donald Gibb is the best actor known to man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gUn9QkbkPk

[hyzmarca]

So, my supply of SR4 books is small, and limited basically to Augmentation, Arsenal, and BBB. So my fluff access is limited, but I'd like some of your takes on what sorts of things should be expected. The story, in short is, a small time runner runs afoul of the mafia. She's attractive, so rather than off her, she's dragged off to work in the parlor, kicking and screaming. (Least until she's fixed.) Then, some of her friends bust her out, a while later.

Lets get to the questions!

1) Does Personafix wear off? If not, how does this get altered, if at all?

Personafixes are simsense programs, you just turn them off. Classically, they'd be available on chips, you just pull the chip out of the datajack and the person goes back to normal. In SR4 an internal comlink is more likely.

2) What sorts of bodymods can a parlor girl expect to have? Silky skin, sensitive skin, elastic joints, healing symbiotes?

That really depends on the sort of thing the parlor caters to. Skillwires are most likely, as are disease-prevention implants in the more upscale parlors. Given the wide variety of fetishes, there is no one set of implants that would please all clients so some variety is expected. I imagine that there would even be ladies with maximum muscle augmentation for those fellows who like to be subdued by wild Amazons.
The two things to remember when creating meatpuppets are taste and volume. You want the highest volume of clients possible to maximize profits. For this you must appeal to all tastes in proportion. Your meatpuppets must be able to fill a wide variety of roles to properly appeal to all of your clients tastes but they must not be so specialized in a niche fetish that they would turn off too many clients and remain unused most of the time. Highly specialized niche puppets will, of course, be more common in big cities, simply because big cities would a have sufficient volume of people who are into a fetish to justify such specialization so long as there isn't already too much competition. Full-conversion furries wouldn't be terribly uncommon in big-city parlors and one might even see a Grey here or there (particularly in parlors located near Roswell). I expect some even more exotic modifications might be used as gimmicks to attract customers.

[HentaiZonga]

Personafixes are simsense programs, you just turn them off. Classically, they'd be available on chips, you just pull the chip out of the datajack and the person goes back to normal. In SR4 an internal comlink is more likely.

From my understanding of pg. 250, you need both a simlink and a skillwire to jack a Personafix. Incidentally, are there any rules on how to create or custom-tailor Personafixes? I'm betting it involves some Extended Cybertechnology and Software tests...

[Wounded Ronin]

Now I'm imagining a character sprinting out of a seedy bunraku parlor wearing a dirty rabbit suit with additional "strategic" zippers and running through a variety of amusing urban settings (a McHugh's, a construction site, a restaurant) while being chased by a bunch of grim looking yakuza with blue business suits and tasers.

[Siege]

Altered personafix chip.
Bone spurs.
One-shot injector of kamikaze.
Cybereye video camera.
Mage with Stun Ball and Heal.

Selling the resulting video on Shadowland. Priceless.

-Siege

[hyzmarca]

From my understanding of pg. 250, you need both a simlink and a skillwire to jack a Personafix. Incidentally, are there any rules on how to create or custom-tailor Personafixes? I'm betting it involves some Extended Cybertechnology and Software tests...

You don't need skillwires to just a personafix because it does not give you any skills. A James Bond p-fix may make you think that you are 007 but it won't let you fight like 007 and it won't make you smooth with the ladies, either. It'll just make you a jackass moron who thinks he can fight and who acts as if he were as smooth with the ladies as James Bond (unless you already have absurdly high seduction skill, in which case you would use it effectively).

The Sim Module (formerly the ASIST Converter) is built into the usually chip along with a small hardware player, so all you have to do is slot it. If you're using a wireless jukebox in SR4, then you need a Sim Module. Implanted comlinks already come with one, apparently.

[HentaiZonga]

You don't need skillwires to just a personafix because it does not give you any skills. A James Bond p-fix may make you think that you are 007 but it won't let you fight like 007 and it won't make you smooth with the ladies, either. It'll just make you a jackass moron who thinks he can fight and who acts as if he were as smooth with the ladies as James Bond (unless you already have absurdly high seduction skill, in which case you would use it effectively).

The Sim Module (formerly the ASIST Converter) is built into the usually chip along with a small hardware player, so all you have to do is slot it. If you're using a wireless jukebox in SR4, then you need a Sim Module. Implanted comlinks already come with one, apparently.

*nod* The description of "A combination of simsense and skillsoft technology" caused me to assume that it had to interface with both...

[hyzmarca]

*nod* The description of "A combination of simsense and skillsoft technology" caused me to assume that it had to interface with both...

Skillwires are necessary to give the individual the actual skills of the character that has been slotted unless the individual already has those skills. Using action-movie star p-fixes and the like without the appropriate rating skillwires and a high level of physical fitness can be dangerous for this reason. Of course, even characters who don't have absurd physical abilities can be dangerous to slot without skillwires. There is nothing quite so annoying as slotting your Macgyver p-fix in when faced with a bomb and no appropriate tools and having it cause you to default on both your tool B/R tests and your bomb disarming test (with modifiers for using inappropriate tools because you failed the test to make wire-snips from a piece of sheet metal, a hammer, and a side-grinder)
.
Skillwires aren't necessary for basic personality modifications, however. Those that simply produce or repress emotions, for example, are quite popular amongst certain crowds. People who have too much stress in their lives can walk around all day with a "calm" P-fix slotted and actually be calm in spite of the stress, though abuse of such moodchips presents the same dangers as the abuse of BTLs and Cal-Hots.

[suppenhuhn]

Iirc p-fixes are btl's in 4th edition and thus all you'd need would be a datajack as there are versions of those chips with the player integrated and as btl's can and do change your perceptions a datalock wouldn't be needed really.
Other mods really depend on the kind of parlour you're working for, e.g. cosmetic mods to look like a famous sim star or maybe hand razors to cater the s/m customer, fangs for vampire role playing and so on.
Imo especially the sado maso scene works great as a background for all kinds of cyberware installed in former meat puppets.

[DreadPirateKitte...]

I thought about having skillwires, but I had discarded the notion as unlikely. I guess its actually pretty common, so back in go the skill wires.

I'm going to do a quick list of her bio/cyber ware, not all of it was installed by the parlor, remember, she was a runner before she was nabbed, and is a runner again now. Alot was, though.

Muscle Toner (2)
Muscle Augmentation (2)
Tailored Pheromones (3)
Enhanced Pheromone Receptors (3)
Elastic Joints
Sleep Regulator
Symbiotes (2)
Sensitive Skin
Silky Skin
Platelet Factories
Clean Metabolism
Vocal Range Extender
Datajack
Hot Sim Module
Data Filter
Cyberear
Cybereye
Echolocation
Skillwire 3?

I especially think the sleep regulator is a good buy. Can make way more money, the more often the girl can perform. I think the disease resistor is a good idea, too, what one is that, Hyz?

[DreadPirateKitte...]

Iirc p-fixes are btl's in 4th edition and thus all you'd need would be a datajack as there are versions of those chips with the player integrated and as btl's can and do change your perceptions a datalock wouldn't be needed really.
Other mods really depend on the kind of parlour you're working for, e.g. cosmetic mods to look like a famous sim star or maybe hand razors to cater the s/m customer, fangs for vampire role playing and so on.
Imo especially the sado maso scene works great as a background for all kinds of cyberware installed in former meat puppets.

Yeah, as the post above indicates, she has: platelets, healing symbiotes, and elastic joints to allow for her to be beaten severely, and used again soon after. Although I see it more from an old fashioned fist in the gut/belly Mafia type thing than a whips and chain type, but I imagine there was that too.

[paws2sky]

Yeah, as the post above indicates, she has: platelets, healing symbiotes, and elastic joints to allow for her to be beaten severely, and used again soon after. Although I see it more from an old fashioned fist in the gut/belly Mafia type thing than a whips and chain type, but I imagine there was that too.

Might want to add a Trauma Damper if you expect her to have taken an old fashioned beating.

[HentaiZonga]

Might want to add a Trauma Damper if you expect her to have taken an old fashioned beating.

Seconded; Trauma Damper + Platelet Factory means never having to worry about messy and embarrassing explanations to the police or DocWagon.

[paws2sky]

Seconded; Trauma Damper + Platelet Factory means never having to worry about messy and embarrassing explanations to the police or DocWagon.

Also, don't forget the Symbiotes for overall faster healing.