Dragons and cyberware, Racial Bio rejection? Options

[toturi]

Other than a certain dragon in DotSW no other dragon has cyberware. So lacking any other Canon information, I looked through the Dragon powers list in DotSW, there was no Regeneration in that list even for the Greats. So that left me with a question: Why has there been no implantation of cyber into other dragons? Is there a Racial Bio rejection that got somehow left out of DotSW?

[Odin]

well generally and I'm just speculating now most cyberware is made to work in humans. so cyberware in dragon might effect their sanity as cyberware in the body causes many chemical and physiological changes ,or just hit their essence very hard and each and every piece would need to be custom made for a dragon which would take tons of money and time. also why would a dragon need any cyberware? nothing on the planet can really compete with their natural form.

[shadd4d]

There is however one area they cannot overtly affect except through proxies: The Matrix. That would seem to be the real idea behind getting cyber, being able to percieve and interact with the matrix the way metahumanity can and does.

Don

[Ancient History]

Dragons of the Sixth World goes into this.

Dragons /can/ have cyberware, if it's custom-made (x12 price mod) for them. But they generally disagree with it as it lowers their Essence (and thus magic) and drives 'em a little nuts.

Plus, dragons don't need limb replacement or anything. Great Dragons can grow back entire limbs and important organs.

[toturi]

[Odin]

[Ol' Scratch]

Dragons tend to be slightly more patient than humans. Why bother ruining their immortal hides on an inferior technology that's only been around for a few decades? Wait a few hundred years for the technology to advance to the point where there isn't going to be any Essence loss and/or for its benefits significantly outweigh any possible hindrances it provides.

And even then I'm sure most of the greats will still eschew it.

[shadd4d]

However, based on that, the greats have sufficient time to wait until cybertechnology offers something that magic cannot duplicate, such as otaku-like access to the matrix. I can see multiple greats waiting around for that one.

Don

[Ancient History]

[BitBasher]

I'm pretty positive they could use straight magic to do it anyway.

[Ancient History]

Oh, sure. let me just get my "regrow limb" spell out of storage and dust it off.

[mfb]

that's not an inviable possibility, given that dragons have a far greater understanding of magic than metahumanity. mere mortals might have trouble developing and casting such a powerful spell; most dragons have had at least a few centuries to come up with spells like that.

[Ol' Scratch]

It would be a pretty simple spell to create. Heal Malady (Deadly), Physical Spell, Permanent Spell. +3(D) Drain.

Despite how common the old "I lost my arm/leg in/to the Desert Wars/a crash/a critter attack and, despite a cloned replacement being more legal and significantly cheaper, I still replaced it with a cybernetic limb" story, lost limbs aren't a very common occurance in the game. At least not enough to warrant such a spell being in most anyone's spell list.

[hyzmarca]

Dragons are very dual natured, with a stronger connection to the astral plane than any other beings in existance. Any essense loss could be devestating to their astral patterns and abilities. Some may be willing to endure essence loss for the benefit of a datajack, but they are doubtlessly the minority.

[Odin]

[Lantzer]

I imagine that dracoforms don't use cyber because nobody really understands dragon biochemistry and neural structure yet. Heck, nobody understands any reasonably intelligent non-human neural structure well enough to work well with. Hence the prize in Dunkie's will for elephant, satyr, and dolphin datajacks.

Some dragons are certainly interested in datajacks and the like. Lofwyr, for one, is an information junkie.

So what's holding back the research?

You need research subjects, dead and alive, that you can cut open and use as guinea pigs. With humans, it's been easy. Lots of willing/unwilling subjects who are capable of giving feedback to make research easier. Dragons are both few in number and very private. Heck, there is a bigger demand than supply for simple talon clippings - what gives you the idea that they are going to let folks mess with their wetware?

As for non-neural cyber, dracoforms are powerful enough that they don't need it. Look at the options available - most non-neural cyber are physical enhancements that a wiz-worm can do better already - either naturally or with magic.

[Ol' Scratch]

Why bother with a datajack when you can just use Dragonspeak to hijack a highly skilled decker or otaku? Unless the dragons are also willing to sit down and take the time to become a drek-hot decker themselves, they're better off doing that. Especially since they won't be the ones who have to deal with the effects of black IC or any other inconveniences.

[Cray74]

[Jason Farlander]

[BitBasher]

Cyber is paid for with essence, it should shapechange too.

EDIT: What Jason Said.

[CBrate]

Structural stuff like cyberskulls would stop shifting (there were those rumors about locking shifters into 1 form). Anything else like smartlinks would probably break during the transformation.

As a general rule dual natured + cyberware = GM headache

[kevyn668]

Didn't the dragon in "Dragon Hunt" have a datajack (and it made him flip out a bit...)?

[mfb]

that would be Eliohann. and, yes, it did.

[Odin]

Eliohann was a great example of how a major psychotic break doesn't have to get in your way of a hostile takeover of a corporation. was he mentioned in DotSW?

[Cochise]