I was introducing a mate to SR3 as I haven't had chance to get 4 yet, and he saw the stats for a cyber tail (for balancing) and asked if you could have a prehensile tail that you could use as another limb.

After looking through my various books I was unable to come up with any stats for this.

He was quite specific about what he wanted it to do, to be used like a monkey would, but also have the ability to grip a weapon and use it.

Can this be done and if so any ideas about the stats?

Sorry if this has already been asked, if so point me to the thread.


Thanks


Torz x

Is he at all aware that it is fairly impractical to attempt to wield a weapon with a tail? I mean, beyond putting spikes or a club or a stinger on the end?

I did point this out but thought it would be worth seeing if it could be done!

Oh how's it going AH? long time no talk!

torz x

S'goin'alright.

If it's really bugging him, use the articulated arm cyberware implant and just attach it...further down.

Tail gooses nearby waiter.

"Sorry, man, thing's got a mind of it's own."

In real life, it would take time to 'teach' the brain how to use an additional limb (clearly, it would be less dextrous than your off-hand). Practically, though, it seems that the brain can rewire regions to incorporate additional limbs.

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abst...t/296/5574/1829

Just have him SURGE. The prehensile tail is a SURGE option. You can even built a full catperson or Tskrang with SURGE.

The balance tail has to have a certain mass. A prehensile tail capable of fine detail, like pulling a trigger could be done, I also though of the extra limb, but it wouldn't have the mass of the balance tail and probably couldn't hold a metahuman's wieght like a monkey's tail can.

Also anyone with that is pretty much off the 'shadow' list. I mean the woman in the 3rd ed book with the tail ain't going unnoticed, anywhere with that thing.

That is true but you still have cybor sams walking around bristling with the stuff, some things i have come across in games have made me think.

If attached to the spinal chord (wich is capable of supporting the body) surly it would be able to cope, possibly use titanium bone lasing?


torz x

I prefer characters who can pass for normal. I know some don't and in my game we had people with obvious cyberlimbs BUT that tail drifts into freak city. Sure in some neighborhoods your going to blend in BUT anything normal, it would be like walking aorund today in clown make up. Not illegasl but not normal.

Something small enough to have that mannual dexterity needed to shoot would not give the mass for the balance bene. You might as well have a cyberarm attached to your ass.

No one's going to hire you for the top-notch jobs if you're concerned about things like "walking down the street without being noticed".

~J

Asses already have tails; they keep the flies off their arses. Installing cyber-arms would just make them harder to saddle.

Ok how about making it retractable, that would help with the whole twichy, thing sticking out of my ass problem?

I mean you talk about it looking out of place but what about kids stealth cybor legs, if they don't stick out I don't know what will!


torz x

this is easy
first he'll have to SURGE to get the actual tail.
then he'll have to Cyber a laser in the tip. I'd use the stock eye laser.(price, ess, and damade code)
then as a GM id make him spend skill points to be able to use it. athletics ans use cyber weapon.

I've seen a few articles that make it look like it's not too difficult to adapt the brain to using another limb. At least for rats and monkeys. I have the feeling if cyber punk were given a facelift, there would be some pretty freaky cybered people out there.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/374377.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3186850.stm

I'd like to see a monowhip attached... on the retractable version.

oh and remember str 2 or face a recoil penalty.
also I'd probably put an off-hand weapon skill as a requirement, or suffer defaulting.

Well, I know that this doesn't stick well with SR's philosophy of "the cyberware pieces are part of your body/essence/soul" but why couldn't this tail be detachable ? plug it in during the run, plug it out otherwise, carry it rolled in a small bag.

hm, about the balance tail, can it be controlled with DNI? I'm trying to make some kind of scorpion guy, with a balance tail and injector at the end of it

Although, if you wanted to, you could make the injector controlled by DNI, so you had the choice between stabbing them and poisoning them. Cool idea though.

I think this is a great idea, but I'm sure that lower part of the spine would have to be rebuilt to make it something you could actually swing from. Essentially, you'd need a cyber-butt.

I still think the best idea is to give it a pilot rating and then you could control it by DNI. You'd just tell it "grab that" and it would. With a pilot, it will also use its own initiative so you could more or less trust it just to reach out and grab whatever it could should you fall or leap out of a tree, etc. I like the idea of a "stinger" but given the paucity of things to hang from in the modern urban landscape, you'd be better off with some sort of grappling gun, traction claw. Heck - in a world where you can get gecko gloves which adhere at will, it could probably have some sort of unfolding "suction cup" like a flat umbrella, that would form a solid anchor on any flat surface. That would allow you to "stand" on any wall that was vertical or less or hang from ceilings.

Cyberarms indeed! Shadowrun's barely touched the surface of what could be done with this sort of technology.