Full Version: Bioware Grades
Can Bioware and cultured bio go Alpha, Beta and Deltaware if a person could pay for it?
Yep! 
Synaptic boosters 3 at Delta: 2,400,000 Credits and .75 Essence
That right there is the end all ware for any character, though I dont see how you would be able to save up that much cash for it without retiring...
That right there is the end all ware for any character, though I dont see how you would be able to save up that much cash for it without retiring...
| QUOTE (Konsaki) |
| ... though I dont see how you would be able to save up that much cash for it without retiring... |
You assume that the character actually wants to retire.
Meh, different strokes for different folks, though I do see your point.
Not retiring is metagaming (something the player wants more than the character)... but it's also fun. 
Bye
Thanee
Bye
Thanee
I find it hard to believe that any runner would ever acquire that kind of cash without retiring, assuming he is the type of professional criminal most of us play. Now if his/her motivations go beyond monetary reward, such as political ideals or personal vengance, that would believable.
Also, I've noticed that not nearly enough players I talk to get offered awesome cyberware packages for pulling jobs for corps. It used to happen, but I get the feeling the level of paranoia and distrust of GMs in general has risen since the early days of SR. I blame BlackJack. Well, him and a bunch of GMs who seem to NEVER let a run go smoothly, a meet unbetrayed, a contact remain loyal, or anything, anywhere, not turning to shit in the PCs hands. Sorry, but my longtime childhood group formed a habit of never purchasing nice things (especially vehicles) becase the GM was just going to blow them up.
My poor horse.
Also, I've noticed that not nearly enough players I talk to get offered awesome cyberware packages for pulling jobs for corps. It used to happen, but I get the feeling the level of paranoia and distrust of GMs in general has risen since the early days of SR. I blame BlackJack. Well, him and a bunch of GMs who seem to NEVER let a run go smoothly, a meet unbetrayed, a contact remain loyal, or anything, anywhere, not turning to shit in the PCs hands. Sorry, but my longtime childhood group formed a habit of never purchasing nice things (especially vehicles) becase the GM was just going to blow them up.
My poor horse.
| QUOTE (Thanee) |
| Not retiring is metagaming (something the player wants more than the character)... but it's also fun. Bye Thanee |
Sometimes you don't retire because every time you do, those damned enemies just blow up your house, your car, your wife, your pool, and your favorite sofa. I love the cliche of "the guy who can never find peace."
So you just keep running, and keep taking the stakes higher and higher. Someday, maybe, you'll be tough enough that they'll stop messing with you. Or you'll make friends with a Great Dragon.
Like the line in Heat, "The action is the juice."
Don't forget sometimes you get paid in 'ware.
Don't forget sometimes you get paid in 'ware.
| QUOTE (Konsaki) |
| Synaptic boosters 3 at Delta: 2,400,000 Credits and .75 Essence That right there is the end all ware for any character, though I dont see how you would be able to save up that much cash for it without retiring... |
It's just 2.4 million, why would you retire on that?
A house costs 2.4 million. Wealthy criminals have three. Do you quit playing Vice City when you get your first business? Do you stop playing Civilization when you invent gunpowder?
Heck no! There's a lot of stuff to have that requires a continued investment in criminal behavior after 2.4 million
.It's a lot of money. But it's not "wealthy world-trotting criminal retires" lot of money. If you live yourself even a modest luxury lifestyle you'll run through that chump change in 24 months - just years. Where's your retirement then?
-Frank
Of course, it's only 1 million to buy a permanent Luxury lifestyle. Then again, ordinary rating three Synaptic Boosters are only 240k and it's only 1.5 essence. Is it worth an extra 2.16 million to save .75 essence?
to buy a permanent Luxury lifestyle. Then again, ordinary rating three Synaptic Boosters are only 240k and it's only 1.5 essence. Is it worth an extra 2.16 million to save .75 essence?
I thought it was 10 million.
And in answer to your question: Yes.
And in answer to your question: Yes.
You're right, it's 10 million for a permanent Luxury lifestyle.
You know, for only 5 BP you could become an adept then spend some of that useless Karma to effectively gain more Essence. Every time you initiate, you can raise your magic rating by 1, which gives you another point of adept powers. So, you could buy level 2 wired reflexes, until you saved up some 60 karma than you could initiate a bunch of times, buy up your magic (based on buying up your Magic attribute after dropping it down to 1 by buying cyber/bioware and after initiating), buy the adept power increased reflexes, then tear that cyber wired reflexes out and spend that 5 essence on something more worth while.
As an adept street sam, you have goals for both your nuyen and karma and you aren't like traditional street sams or mages who look on one or the other as "useless". No, you get the best bang for your buck, whether that buck can be cashed in a credstick or is mystically acquired by what little soul you have left.
for a permanent Luxury lifestyle.You know, for only 5 BP you could become an adept then spend some of that useless Karma to effectively gain more Essence. Every time you initiate, you can raise your magic rating by 1, which gives you another point of adept powers. So, you could buy level 2 wired reflexes, until you saved up some 60 karma than you could initiate a bunch of times, buy up your magic (based on buying up your Magic attribute after dropping it down to 1 by buying cyber/bioware and after initiating), buy the adept power increased reflexes, then tear that cyber wired reflexes out and spend that 5 essence on something more worth while.
As an adept street sam, you have goals for both your nuyen and karma and you aren't like traditional street sams or mages who look on one or the other as "useless". No, you get the best bang for your buck, whether that buck can be cashed in a credstick or is mystically acquired by what little soul you have left.
I always thought that cultured bioware didn't have grades because of this line.
"The prices for cyberware and bioware presented in this chapter are for
standard ’ware (with the exception of cultured bioware, see p. 339)."
So if the prices for cultured bioware aren't for standard ware what is it for?
"The prices for cyberware and bioware presented in this chapter are for
standard ’ware (with the exception of cultured bioware, see p. 339)."
So if the prices for cultured bioware aren't for standard ware what is it for?
you can buy standard bioware as cultured bioware but as of FAQ1.5 you can also buy alpha beta and delta bio at the usual *2, *4, *10 ¥ price increase
| QUOTE (OneTrikPony) |
| you can buy standard bioware as cultured bioware but as of FAQ1.5 you can also buy alpha beta and delta bio at the usual *2, *4, *10 ¥ price increase |
That dosesn't answer by question in the slightest.
At the end of the bioware section is CULTURED BIOWARE which has stuff like reflex recorder, synaptic boosters. These things are always cultured bioware.
I'm not aware of buying standard bioware as cultured bioware. I am aware of buying alpha, beta and delta of bioware.
You don't answer what this quote of the book means.
"The prices for cyberware and bioware presented in this chapter are for
standard ’ware (with the exception of cultured bioware, see p. 339)."
Now the FAQ says you can buy higher grade cultured bioware, but HOW is cultured the execption.
Cultured is a category of bioware NOT a grade. I originally took this to mean that cultured bioware did not have grades.
| QUOTE (FAQ) |
| The book seems to indicate you can buy different grades of bioware just like you would cyberware. Can you buy alpha (or beta- or delta-) grade bioware (cultured or standard)? Yes, you can. |
How is this only cultured or only standard. It looks like the answer yes is to all permutations/combinations of the variables (alpha/beta/delta) and (cultured/standard).
| QUOTE (FrankTrollman) |
| It's just 2.4 million, why would you retire on that? It's a lot of money. But it's not "wealthy world-trotting criminal retires" lot of money. If you live yourself even a modest luxury lifestyle you'll run through that chump change in 24 months - just years. Where's your retirement then? |
Christ your PCs are greedy.
I don't think I've ever had a character that was realistically shooting for the ten million nuyen needed a permanent luxury lifestyle, a permanent high one was usually enough. Hell, I had one ex-ganger PC who was damn near ecstatic that he was able to scrape together the cash for a permanent middle lifestyle and comfortably retire.
| QUOTE |
| I'm not aware of buying standard bioware as cultured bioware. I am aware of buying alpha, beta and delta of bioware. |
My bad.
Cultured/Standard bioware is a holdover from SR3. If it's implanted in the brain it must be cultured bio. I think the writers just forgot to explain that they were keeping that idea in the game and I just made the same mistake.
So. bio brainware is always cultured as listed in the book. You can also have Synthcardium cultured by paying 400% the cost of the ware. You can also have all grades of bio upgraded to alpha/beta/delta
Clear as mud?
But why would you get regular bioware upgraded to cultured bioware? I mean besides the cost increase and the fact that it is tailor made for you I don't see any statistical difference that it would make. If you took normal bioware to cultured and it decreased the essence cost even more than maybe that would be mildly conceivable...but I don't think at 400% the cost...
Actually what I think the real difference is/will be between 'regular' and 'cultured' bioware is this.
'Regular' bioware can be off the shelf in a way, just like cybereyes. 'Ah yes sir we've got that item in stock!'.
Where as cultured -MUST- be tailored to the individual. Which means needing a DNA sample and then growing the ware just for that person and then implanting it. Sorta like how Beta and Delta cyberware is 'custom fitted' to a person so too is Cultured bio, just abit more involved.
'Regular' bioware can be off the shelf in a way, just like cybereyes. 'Ah yes sir we've got that item in stock!'.
Where as cultured -MUST- be tailored to the individual. Which means needing a DNA sample and then growing the ware just for that person and then implanting it. Sorta like how Beta and Delta cyberware is 'custom fitted' to a person so too is Cultured bio, just abit more involved.
So, basically if you make a regualr peice of bioware, say synthacardium, into cultured bioware then no one else can use it. Then no one else is going to kill you for your 'ware, but the price is going to kill your wallet.
No.. not your wallet. YOUR SOUL!
Yes! Thats right, for the low low cost of YOUR SOUL! You can have anything at uber high grade!
You just have to pay with YOUR SOUL! upfront first.
Oh.. and you cant live without YOUR SOUL! which means we dont actually have to install anything!
Yes! Thats right, for the low low cost of YOUR SOUL! You can have anything at uber high grade!
You just have to pay with YOUR SOUL! upfront first.
Oh.. and you cant live without YOUR SOUL! which means we dont actually have to install anything!
| QUOTE (Kesslan) |
| Actually what I think the real difference is/will be between 'regular' and 'cultured' bioware is this. 'Regular' bioware can be off the shelf in a way, just like cybereyes. 'Ah yes sir we've got that item in stock!'. Where as cultured -MUST- be tailored to the individual. Which means needing a DNA sample and then growing the ware just for that person and then implanting it. Sorta like how Beta and Delta cyberware is 'custom fitted' to a person so too is Cultured bio, just abit more involved. |
Correct.
And both, the "standard" and cultured kinds of bioware come in the usual Implant Grades (standard/appha/beta/delta) for the appropriate prize...
The "upgrading" of standard bioware to cultured (reducing the essence cost by 1/4 and increasing the prize to 400%) was not taken over to SR4 but rather replaced with the fact, that Implant Grades now work for both, Cyber- and Bioware...
So long,
Nyx
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