Cyborgs are metahumans who have had their essence reduced to 0.1 as their brains are removed completely from their bodies and placed in a life support system, losing in the process all cyber and bio ware, with the exception, at the GM’s discretion, of cultured bioware. So, for those of us GM’s who are always on the lookout for Arch-Villains, and their preferred weapons, is Cyborg and Cyberzombie technology compatible?

Side Note: Obviously as a GM I can write any rules change and villains I want, that is not my question here; I am more looking to see how other players are reading the new rules.

So the Cyborg would still be a brain-in-a-box, just loaded up with neuralware and with their spirit chained inside said box using the standard Cyberzombie magical rituals. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

AFE

In theory, yes, you could take a cyborg and put them through a CZ process, while taking their essence below 0 by adding headware.

In practice, I'm not sure what the point is. A cyborg can already pilot not just whatever shell you put them in, but they can rig anything they like, just as well as a CZ can. They'd pick up a background count as a CZ, but the INW wouldn't affect anything beyond the jar, so the drone they were plugged into could still get shot up.

In addition, you're taking one process that has like a 90% insanity rate within 5 years and mixing it with another process that has like a 98% insanity rate within 5 years. Just doesn't quite compute.

Now, you could plop an ally (or insect, if you're feeling evil) into a cyborg, which could be evil if above Force 6, since you get to break all of the stat and skill caps, while still getting full VR. You could also drop an ally into a cybered-up clone body with .01 essence left, and get something as or more powerful than a CZ, but with no background count. At this point, I don't know what happens to a clone body if you drop it below 0 essence; best guess is that it "dies", and is treated as a homonculus instead of a living vessel, which means no DNI or VR, so that's not a good idea.

But then, just a straight-up Theoretical Troll with 15 BOD, 32 armor (all limbs+combat armor), Synaptic Booster 3, Pain Editor, and a bow (or, if you prefer, a HMG) can be almost as deadly, and, while it may or may not be more expensive, it probably takes fewer corp resources at this point.

Yes, but if he wants it to be a recurring final boss, then he needs to build it to last.