I couldn't find anything in the forum answering this question-

Does the quality apply only to Basic Bioware, not Cultured? Unfortunately, the wording is not clear as it doesn't capitalize the word "basic" and uses the term off-the-rack which is different from the SR book when describing bioware. So much of it is fluff, I'm not sure what the actual rule is supposed to be. When they use the term basic, is it in contrast to other grades such as alpha and beta (which the BBB calls standard), or in contrast to cultured?

Type O System
Cost: 30 BP

Though exceptionally rare, a few lucky in the world have completely non-allergenic "type 0" cells, meaning that they can give organ tranplants to just about anyone with little chance of rejection. While the characters cannot accept second-hand bioware at all, their essential cell line is already cultivated as the generic standard throughout the world. Off the rack, basic bioware is considered delta grade for purposes of interacting with a type O body (i.e., reduce Essence Costs by half, though nuyen prices remain the same). Their bodies are also filled with universally transplantable organs, so maybe they shouldn't brag too much about the talent.

If it does only apply to Basic bioware, not Cultured, is it worth the 30 points for the quality? Would it matter if you were awakened (Adept) as opposed to non-awakened>

Technically, it only applies to Basic. Some people think this is just silly, and let it apply to all bioware.


At 30 points, it's only worth it if you want to make a bioware monster. It works better for the Awakened, since they effectively lose 10 BP to buy 1 point of augmentation; this allows them to cram even more into that essence slot.

By the letter of the law it only applies to basic. It is not a very good quality for 30 BP as written. As a result, many people consider allowing it to apply to all bioware.

It might not be bad for an adept because for the expenditure of, what, 45 BP you could get 3 IPs for only 0.5 essence?

Actually thats not that great. Its really just not very good.

By RAW, I believe it only applies to Basic, not Cultured. This, however, does not make sense, as Delta-Grade is customized to the players blood type; this is true for Basic & Cultured - Cultured having to be further customized to a characters nervous system or neural structure.

That being said, my group runs it as functioning with both Basic & Cultured. If it only functions with Basic, I believe it is overpriced, & would reduce it to 20 BP.

Thanks for your answers! Appreciate the response, and confirmation that it's not a great quality

My group didn't even consider that it might possibly not apply to cultured bioware until I read a thread here wondering about that. For it's cost, it really doesn't make any sense unless it's both types.

It makes sense. (Page 339, Cultured Bioware: Culture bioware must be tailored made for the intended recipient, so it is more expensive and takes longer to acquire.)

That said, by that logic, there should be no standard, alpha, beta or delta grade cyber; it's already custom made and so the benefits of higher grades would be diminished or eliminated.

As for awakened characters, adepts and letent wizboys are the only ones who can take advantage of it. (latent wakers even get some "free" magic points if they spend some Essence before waking up. (In the sense that they always have a magic of 1 when they stir as long as they have an Essence of 1 or greater)

See my above post. Detailed in Augmentation, it describes exactly what Cultured ware is.

Standard Grade Bioware is standard Type-O artificial organs. Higher grades are tailored to the recipients blood type.
Basic Bioware are general replacements, including everything that does not interact with the recipients nervous system or neural structure.
Cultured Bioware are tailored replacements or additions, designed to augment abilities directly tied into the nervous system or neural structure.

Thus, Standard Basic Bioware is Type-O replacement muscles or similar - easily grown for general consumers. Standard Cultured Bioware is Type-O replacement brain tissue - something that does not require any blood sample to grow, but must still be tailored to the recipient.


By the descriptions in the book, logically, Type-O System should apply to Basic & Cultured equally. As written, it does not, & because of that, is an under-par quality. Change it to what make sense, & it will actually be worth taking every once in a while outside very specialized/nitch builds.

Like muscle augmentation? Muscles never interact with the nervous system ...

Smarm aside, any official word on this?

The official word, though I can't seem to find the exact quote at the moment, is that the Quality only applies to Basic Grade, non-Cultured Bioware.

Perhaps I should rephrase

Does not directly affect the nervous system.