Cyberware Suites, What's in Yours? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Switch to: Outline Switch to: Standard Linear+

[Marcus]

So what has everyone put together for cyberware-suites what are your favorites?
This was my first try at it, done a couple sense then, but I always come back to this one for some reason.

Shadows Inc. Operative Suite- E 2.88 75,674 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif)
Move-By-Wire 1
Reaction Enhancer 1
Fingertip Compartment w/ Mono whip
Skillwire Expert System
Commlink (TransysAvalon)
Control Rig

[Yerameyahu]

Yes, a definite theme behind that one: the classic 'rigger-whip-ActiveSoft-assassin'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Marcus]

Yes, a definite theme behind that one: the classic 'rigger-whip-ActiveSoft-assassin'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

It holds a special place in my heart for the sammy street days (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Karoline]

That's one thing I don't like about the suites. It basically says "Use these ones we provided, or pick out whatever cyberware you happen to want and call it a suite for a discount."

It's a good idea and all, but just seems to come across as more "Munchkins, go crazy" than "Here is a cool new mechanic."

[Summerstorm]

It doesn't say that. It says: you and your gm can work out your own shit.. BUT REMEMBER: they won't build cybersuites for runners (not enough bulk)... and not EXACTLY what you want per chance.

When the suite isn't suitable (har) for bulk selling to hundreds of people, it is useless... and won't exist.

EDIT: Well, i guess one can circumvent it with giving out an order for what you like... but i guess having a team of cybertechnicians and doctors work for month to create such a suite and the medicinal procedures... may not really be worth it. (+4 mil for your cyberupgrades... sure why not?)

[Marcus]

It runs along the line of standard Comlink OS issue, nobody uses the standard after watching someone's commlink get hacked (probably by the groups hacker). Someone at/or hacker house would have put out what amounted to the System 6 Firewall 6 (In our game he called it the Shadow 6) and sold it to everyone in the business retired to the Carib-league and employed a couple of his hacker buddies to keep it SOTA.

Now it is true that there a big jump between an OS and ten or maybe hundreds of hours of pain staking surgery, involving Tens of thousands worth of cyber hardware, but with that said all the major shadow clinics would have put together their own packages. Trick is finding one.

But I have to ask, are all three of you saying you never made one? Really?

[Udoshi]

I, for one, am rather surprised there aren't any Consumer-level cybernetics packages. Not any of the fancy lonestar combat suites, or milgrade cyberlogicians, but more..... common use stuff for the casual user. Of just... stuff that isn't restricted or forbidden. You know, stuff around a few thousand nuyen that joe average would be interested in buying in a package deal.

New-u Cybersense package!
Cybereyes 3, cyberears 2, attention coprocessor 3.

Renraku Comm-link-Up package:
Commlink+datajack+sim module

Commlink-up PLUS
Commlink, Simrig(its a .3 essence difference, and better in every way), datajack, datalock(for recordings)

Pro edition: As above, excep with Hot sim modules. and a free Pro user suite thrown in.

Life-and-Limb emergency system
Nanobiomonitor (its more expensive, may need nannie refills, technically better - basically a markup), autoinjector with pain killers, anticoagulants, and stim juice.

Sure, its diverging slightly from cyberware -only- suites, but there's room for a bioware-type suite based around cosmetic-modding. You know, for those hollywood celebrity types who want/need to look good. Breast Implants, Minor Biosculpting, Dietware, Clean Metabolism, Silky Skin all in one go! Get once, never look back.

Also opens up some amusing combinations, such as the Horizon Superbrain - Cerebral Enhancers, Mnemonic Enhancers, sleep regulators and a nice PuSHeD course while you wait for the cultured bioware to grow.
The synaptic booster, of course, is costs extra.

[Marcus]

Haha! I knew i wasn't the only one out there.

[Mongoose]

UO hyperTwitch- Move By Wire 3, Reaction Enhancer 1

Its cheaper and costs less essence than just MBW 3 alone, and since you are gonna be blowing a "Restricted Availability" anyhow...

Yeah, really, suites are meant to be "commercial", but how many folks getting MBW3 would NOT also want reaction enhancers? (Actually, most folks probably wouldn't, unless they had a rather low reaction to start with- damn hard caps!)

Yeah, there should probably be an availability / legality cap on items in cyberware suites...

----

I did make up my own, but they are a bit different from the ones in the book. Basically they are all modifiers that you can apply to a couple existing types of cyberware (namely ones that I though could use a boost, so you can guess which ones). So, for example, you can get Muscle Replacement that is optimized for use with a particular skill, or for use with skill wires. If you stuck with certain stock configurations (basically limiting you to the same benefits for each level of MR) you got the Cybersuite discount.

----

Here another, only half a joke (it would probably sell)

Fuchi Futanari- Breast Implant, Penile Implant, Dermal Sheath 1 w/ wet look

----

Cyber-Bio combo suites seem redundant. You already pay half essence for either the cyberware or (more often) the bioware

[Yerameyahu]

I *really* haven't ever made one. That's not to say there's no good reason ever to do so, but not for the standard PC. It's one level of munchkin too much. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) It's the same as SURGE III, I guess: you have to have a theme and a good reason for it, or you're just blatantly twinking.

[Sixgun_Sage]

I tend to take requests from my players and make suites for them around a concept, one they really liked was an "Ultimate Parkour" suite I put together, although I made that as a bioware suite. I'll have to find and post it.

[Marcus]

I tend to take requests from my players and make suites for them around a concept, one they really liked was an "Ultimate Parkour" suite I put together, although I made that as a bioware suite. I'll have to find and post it.

Indeed that sounds sweet. (If you will pardon the pun, lol)

[Sixgun_Sage]

Indeed that sounds sweet. (If you will pardon the pun, lol)

Here it is...

Parkour Pro (Basic suite)
Synaptic Booster 2
Muscle Toner 2
Suprathyroid Gland

Parkour Dynamo (Advanced suite)
Synaptic Booster 3
Muscle Toner 4
Suprathyroid Gland
Synthacardium 1

Ultimate Parkour (Exclusive suite)
As Dynamo except
Synthacardium 3
Enhanced Articulation added


For each of these instead of reducing the nuyen cost I increased it by a cumulative 5, 10 and 15% before cost modifiers for bioware grade. My reasoning is that while the suite is very defintely designed for a certain type of athlete it has a niche market anyways and the reduction in essence cost is pretty damn good.

[Yerameyahu]

By 'niche market', you mean 'every gunbunny ever', right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Sixgun_Sage]

By 'niche market', you mean 'every gunbunny ever', right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

One player wanted a suite for his gunbunny/ex parkour champion, I decided those biowares would fit and soak him pretty thoroughly for cash but still be reasonable. Trust me, I threw like 5 or 6 builds out before settling on those. Some where alot weirder, like the one with spidersilk glands....

[Marcus]

I think they are great (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
I'd totally use them on my gun bunny, and/or Parkour champion

[Sixgun_Sage]

Thanks Marcus, I did try to offset their rather obvious usefulness with increased nuyen price, one of the things I actually disagree with the suite rules over anyways.

[Mongoose]

One thing I noticed what that the published suites tended to cram in stuff that even a commercial user might not want. I guess its sort of like the cyber version of shovelware, but I don't think that would actually work when marketing cyber. I'd expect most suites would be very minimalistic, with only 3-4 items in them (eyes or ears crammed with upgrades as one item each).

I figure if they design one suite that does 80% of what 10,000 want, they sell a lot more of those than if they design 10 suites that each do 120% of what 1,000 people want, even if those two groups are the exact same people. And they also have lower development costs.
Then again, maybe that's what basic cyberware is. There's no saying that something like wired reflexes isn't actually multiple systems that always are implanted and work together.

----

The parkour suites are cool. I had something much like that in my muscle aug upgrades. I figure with extreme sports folks willing to spend a lot of money already these days, implants for them would totally be a viable market. I'm suprised synthecardium didn;t feature in the lower levels though- its really cheap for what it does, and I bet its used a lot for medical purposes, so probably widely known / accepted as an effective enhancement. (kind of like EPO is now...)

Ah- dug them out of the rules for my system (which are absurdly over-developed- this is just a boil-down of the effects)

Soroyama Supersonic Muscle System: Marketed in Spin Shop clinics as an extreme sports enhancement, this Muscleware System is also popular in cyber fetish culture and with dwarfs who are sick of being bumped into. Soroyama Supersonic uses 3 capacity worth of Muscleware Options per level, which may affect healing rolls {-1 die per 2 levels}.
{Each level grants +1 Agility and +1 Strength (in the legs only, as per cyberlimb rules), +1 Gymnastics, acts as 1 level of the "Great Leap" adept power, and adds +1/+2.5 to movement rates.}

Soroyama Supersonic (standard)
Essence: Rating x 0.85
Availability: Rating x 6R
Cost: Rating x 9,200¥

Soroyama Scramjet (alphaware)
Essence: Rating x 0.68
Availability: : Rating x 6R
Cost: Rating x 18,400¥

[Marcus]

Thanks Marcus, I did try to offset their rather obvious usefulness with increased nuyen price, one of the things I actually disagree with the suite rules over anyways.

I have to admit the cost thing does strike me as odd especially give that its cumulative with A/B/D bonuses, the other thing that i wonder about deeply is the legality ratings. I think its based upon the most illegal component, but i should actual go do the math and try and figure it out.

Edit I think it must be straight cumulative. Cause that gear should have really low legality ratings.

[Marcus]

Never mind that math doesn't work at all. Who knew spurs were so illegal?

[Mongoose]

Yeah, the availability on Suites is really wonky. But really, they didn't give any rules for determining them. IMO, it should just be the highest availability of any component, plus a bit to reflect the fact you are getting specific brands in a specially developed package.

[Marcus]

Yeah, the availability on Suites is really wonky. But really, they didn't give any rules for determining them. IMO, it should just be the highest availability of any component, plus a bit to reflect the fact you are getting specific brands in a specially developed package.

The best i can come up with seem to look something like Highest item in the set and half the 2nd highest. It seems to be pretty close.

Which make the one i listed up top 18F.

[Karoline]

Here it is...

Parkour Pro (Basic suite)
Synaptic Booster 2
Muscle Toner 2
Suprathyroid Gland

Parkour Dynamo (Advanced suite)
Synaptic Booster 3
Muscle Toner 4
Suprathyroid Gland
Synthacardium 1

Ultimate Parkour (Exclusive suite)
As Dynamo except
Synthacardium 3
Enhanced Articulation added


For each of these instead of reducing the nuyen cost I increased it by a cumulative 5, 10 and 15% before cost modifiers for bioware grade. My reasoning is that while the suite is very defintely designed for a certain type of athlete it has a niche market anyways and the reduction in essence cost is pretty damn good.

See, while that is cool and all, I can't help but look at that and think "Oh, hey, every single piece of bio that I (And everyone else) stick on basically every single gunbunny ever." Which basically seems like munchkin to me because your getting a big essence discount for buying the exact things you'd buy anyway. The synaptic boosters make no sense for parkour, because they don't deal in reaction time like that. They require alot of strength, but I notice Muscle Enhancement (Which would be very appropriate for them, but not many players take) is missing. I also notice that the stuff that is more useful for Parkour and less useful for Joe Shadowrunner isn't in there until you get to the higher levels, namely enhanced articulation and synthacardium. All that makes me look at this and see nothing but a huge munchkin tool.

Oh, and for the earlier question, no, I've never made a cyberware suite, because the cyberware suites are obviously designed to be sub-optimal, and I don't like to design stuff like that. I would design something very optimal (like the parkour suite), which would end up looking more munchkin than roleplay.

[Ascalaphus]

I agree on the Parkour suites being odd.. it's basically an Athletics sport, so the Synthacardium should be the very first thing in it. Maybe some Muscle Toner or Reflex Recorders as well, maybe some adrenalin boosters?

[Reg06]

The Parkour Suites do miss a few things (and seem pretty munchkiny because of it), but Synpatic Boosters make huge amounts of sense. Tracuers deal in split second timing, and additional IPs would let them get off some Prince of Persia level maneuvers.