Kid Stealth Legs, cool but useless? Options

[Nylan]

So, I've always really liked these things! They just seemed so badass. I mean, you can run fast, kick hard, and with razors out give people the raptor treatment ;)

I've only had one character to ever get them...actually, he's the only character who's had them in my entire group over the course of several years. Plus, the guy was literally crazy and got hair implants all over his body and a balance tail and other stuff, so their obviousness wasn't really too big of an issue.

That brings me to their main problem: they're so damn obvious! Its worse than having regular obvious cyberlegs. I can't see 'normal' person not reacting severely to them, and any kind of security or Star not getting their panties in a twist. I would think that you'd get the 'distinctive style' flaw whenever you get these legs...its probably easy to track down the guy with bird-legs. I think its a little bit counter-productive to get these if you're a shadowrunner, who works in the shadows and tries not to be too visible.

In games I've played and run as the GM, they're pretty much limited to 'cool' or 'weird' NPCs. Is this how the rest of you view them? Do many of you have characters with them? Do you GMs out there really lay the smack down in terms of attention when your players get them, or do you give them a pass for style?

Opinions and comments are welcome

[Siege]

It's like a cyber-tail. Very cool, but not something you wear to blend.

And I don't know many PCs who invest in cyberlimbs given the cost-return ratio.

Of course, if ya gotta have the legs and need to blend, get quick-change mounts and unscrew the legs as necessary.

-Siege

[mfb]

well, there are already extending cyberlimbs. you could make a custom version of those, which shortens the thighs and shins and extends the feet, transforming you from normal to kid stealth in a complex action or so.

[Ancient History]

Y'all do realize that the Kid Stealth himself specifically picked out these type of legs because he's an antisocial bastard? I mean, Hell, he blew his own legs off to get out of a pair of cement overshoes...

[BitBasher]

[Ancient History]

Steel Lynx

"Hey! They stole my name! I'm gonna sue!"

[Siege]

Yeah well, it sure as hell beat the alternative.

And let's face it, the legs do draw the eyes away from the face.

-Siege

[Kanada Ten]

Isn't it more like offering a Colt Manhunter? Or a Davey Crocket hat and rifle? Or a Robin Hood costume. Or an WTC toy?

[Ancient History]

You couldn't resist, could you?

*Tattoos "Poor Impulse Control" on K-10's forehead*

Seriously, this is nothing. What abotu the sam with the eye on the palm of his hand? Hmm?

[BitBasher]

[Kanada Ten]

Criminals are heros. Think how many Ninja swords abound. Shadowrun has always said that shadowrunners are seen as the Robin Hoods of this era. I don't see why that bothers anyone when you include the desensitization of society. I remember crowds cheering the killers in Natural Born Killers - Shadowrun extends this to the fictional real world. Like it should, IMNSHO.

[edit] Even in American history, Dillinger was considered a kind of hero. Didn't they name a gun after him?

[BitBasher]

[Edward]

There are no shortage of violent and antisocial heroes in history. More in movies. It would surprise me if kid stealth didn’t have a cult following (it would also surprise me if he didn’t think they where idiots).

It is worth noting that the man himself has aalteret set of cyber legs and a stelth skill up there with the best in the biz. If I was going to have them I would have soft ruber pads on the bottom and the claws only slide forward for an attack (or a menacing click, click, click) as well as taking a ruthenium option.

Edward

[Fastball]

Do you honestly think a money-hungry megacorporation would miss a business opportunity simply because it was designed by a breed of criminial that they ocassionally use in acts of coporate espionage?

It isn't any worse than movies like Boondock Saints, Fight Club, and Lock, Stock, and two Smoking Barrels, where the protaganists are criminals.

[hyzmarca]

The best option for disgusing cyberlegs, custom tailored pants.

Sure, kid stealth would be more obvious than normal cyberlegs because of the way that they move, but a good custom fitted pair of pants should produce a decent TN modifer for perception checks against them.

The only downside it that pants make cyberholsters and similar internal devices inacessable.

[toturi]

To the masses, even in Seattle, Kid Stealth/Doc Raven/Wolf are urban legends. Quite a bit like having a brand of cyberspurs called Jack the Ripper spurs.

[Kagetenshi]

[Siege]

I dunno - if cyberlimbs weren't so absurdly designed, I'd certainly consider getting a pair for myself just for the cool factor.

-Siege

[Shockwave_IIc]

Cyber Hands are actually worth getting... Once fitted with Spurs and Smartlinks. :D

[Kagetenshi]

What's the price for a single cyberfinger?

~J

[Smiley]

[Rev]

They are useless because:

Cyberlimbs in general suck.
These have less room for extra stuff than usual.
Other ways of running faster work better for that and have usefull rather than harmfull side effects (particularly bioware).
Cyberlimbs in general suck.

Basically what you are likely to end up with is a charachter that can't (as street sams go) run particularly fast, jump particularly far, or kick particularly hard due to mediocre quickness and strength in the legs. Unless you fully specialize (eg start paying the 0.4, or is it 0.6? essence for each +1 stats in the cyberlegs, note thats the same or more bio-index than for a bioware improvement through the whole body, and costs more money), in which case you will still end up only about as good as the bioware guy in the speciality and worse at other stuff.

Now if you are playing in a game where you don't have to push your stats hard the cool factor could outweigh all that. :)



If I wanted to make a usefull version of the same thing it might look about the same, cost the same essence, have a bit less CF, and no body bonus, but would be very unusual in that the persons organic muscles would be retained and attached to the cybernetic bone structure rather than being replaced (thus muscle augmentation/toner would still affect the legs). A bit more like the description of a cyberskull I guess.

Oh also I think that the posessor of these legs ought to be able to straighten them out and hobble around as if on tip-toes while wearing long pants and shoes to get something like a t#2 to notice thier legs are screwed up, but t#6 to notice they are kid-stealth legs (partly due to the social taboo of staring at the deformed). While they are doing that they operate at half quickness for walking and cannot run at all, and need a complex action to kick the shoes off. Basically they can pretend to just be deformed fairly effectively.

[Siege]

And it bears pointing out that there are some parts of society that wouldn't frown on something like the Kid Stealth legs.

-Siege

[Arz]

[Siege]

There are places that actually encourage things like body piercings, full-body tattoos and other modern modifications.

The more bizarre, the better.

Cybertech, bioware and custom body mods would hardly impede the human fascination with the grotesque.

Granted, I wouldn't try walking into a corporate boardroom sporting your Prince Albert proudly, but there are places where it would be a plus. :grinbig:

-Siege