Partial Bionic Reconstruction

[zorg]

All right, this is for a high-powered campaign I've been thinking about. I just thought I'd share :) Most of the ideas are not terribly original and somewhat clichéd (sp?). Whatever, I like 'em.


Cyborg - Partial Reconstruction [+200]
With partial bionic reconstruction, the limbs are exhanged for cybernetics while vital organs are strengthened. Torso and head remain more or less organic.
There are many different ways to partially borg someone: You must choose the Basic Package along with one of the Lenses provided below.

Basic Package [+60]
+) Arms and Legs exchanged for cybernetics [-12]
No Fine Manipulators (Mitigator: Cyberarms DR3, HP as usual –80%) [–6]; Legless (Mitigator: Cyberlegs DR3, HP as usual –80%) [–6]
+) Vital Organs strengthened [+20]
DR4 (Skull Only –70%) [+6]; DR2 (Vitals Only –30%) [+7]; Hard to Kill 1 [+2]; +1 HP [+2]; +1 FP [+3]
+) Improved Servomotors [+52]
ST+2 (TD: Electrical –20%) [+16]; Enhanced Move: Ground 1 (TD: Electrical –20%) [+16]; Arm ST+5 (TD: Electrical –20%) [+20]

Available Lenses:
' Cyber-Humanoid
' Heavy Combat 'borg
' Ninja-Cyborg
' Mining-Borg
' Psyborg
' Null-Psyborg

a) Cyber-Humanoid [+140]
This option is more subtle than most cyborg options. The character still looks human and is therefore a capable infiltrator or agent.
Biocovering/Living Tissue Disguise [-7]
Appearance: Hideous (Mitigator: LTD, easily damaged, hard to repair, cannot be stolen –60%) [-7]
Improved Optical Systems [+52]
Night Vision 7 [+7]; Infravision [+10]; Ultravision [+10]; Telescopic Vision 2 [+10]; Protected Vision [+5]; Scanning Sense: Ladar (TD: Sessile -50%) [+10]
Comm-Unit [+20]
Telecommunication/Laser [+15]; Alt: Telecommunication/Radio [+2]; Alt: Telecommunication/Infrared [+2]; Neural Interface [+1]
Weapon Systems: Close Combat [+30]
Sharp Claws (Armor Divisor 2 +50%) [+8]; Strong Venom (Pow144) [+22]
Weapon Systems: Close Combat 2 [+30]
Affliction 3: HT-2 (Follow-Up on Punches +0%) [+30]
Improved Suspension [+15]
Double-Jointed [+15]

b) Heavy Combat 'borg [+140]
Well, yeah. You guessed it: this option is for those who like to kick ass.
Appearance: Monstrous [-20]
Armored Endoskeleton [+50]
DR5 [+25]; DR5 (Ablative –80%) [+5]; Recovery [+10]; High Pain Treshold [+10]
Targeting System [+40]
Scanning Sense: Ladar (Targeting Only –40%) [+12]; Night Vision 3 [+3]; Gunslinger [+25]
Combat Optimized [+70]
ST+5 [+50]; Talons (Armor Divisor 2 +50%) [+12]; HP+4 [+8]

c) Ninja-Cyborg [+140]
Ninjas are cool. Cyborgs are cool. A ninja-cyborg is über-cool :) This option tries not to look as inhuman as other cyborg packages, with limited success. This shouldn't be a problem - Ninjas are never seen, anyway.
Appearance: Hideous [-16]
Stealth Systems [+37]
Obscure 5: Radar, IR (+20%; Defensive +50%; Stealthy +100%) [+27]; Silence 2 [+10]
Virus-Carrier [+29]
Affliction 2 HT-1 (Seizures +100%, Cybernetic Only –50%, either Reverse Blood Agent or Telecommunication (Radio or Laser) –20%x-40%=-08%) [+29]
Optical Package [+25]
Dark Vision [+25]
Infiltrator [+20]
Clinging [+20]
Weapon System: Dragons Breath [+25]
Burning Attack 5d (Jet +0%; Incendiary +10%; Takes 5 seconds Recharge –10%) [+25] (Note: Actually a mouth-mounted plasma gun)
Comm Unit [+20]
Telecommunication/Laser [+15]; Alt: Telecommunication/Radio [+2]; Alt: Telecommunication/Infrared [+2]; Neural Interface [+1]

d) Mining-Borg [+140]
A rather civilian, but quite tough option.
Appearance: Monstrous [-20]
Armored Endoskeleton [+50]
DR5 [+25]; DR5 (Ablative –80%) [+5]; Recovery [+10]; High Pain Treshold [+10]
High Performance-Actuators [+55]
ST+4 [+40]; Lifting ST+5 [+15]
High Performance-Drill [+55]
Tunneling/Slow 2y/min (All-Out –25%) [+5]; Plasma Torch (Pow139) [+50]

e) Psyborg [+140]
Someone thought it would be a good idea to add brain implants to a cyborg which stimulate certain psionically significant areas of the brain. The result is mixed - though the 'borg does develop certain Psi powers, there are severe side effects.
Appearance: Monstrous [-20]
Brain Implants [+50]
ETS (Resistible Backlash: Severe Pain –20%) [+36], Danger Sense (ESP –10%) [+14]
Psi-Powers [+110]
Choose two out of: Psychokinesis, ESP, Telepathy, Psychic Vampirism – you get Talent 1 und 50 CP to spend for each. All psionics must have - in addition to the Psi-10% power modifier - either Resistible Backlash: Severe Pain (-20%) or RB: Hallucinations (-25%).

f) Null-Psyborg [+140]
In order to provide a countermeasure for the Psyborg. Stimulate other areas of the brain, and you get a walking, talking Psi-Impeder. The EMP was just added for good measure.
Appearance: Monstrous [-20]
Brain Implants [+75]
ETS (Resistible Backlash: Severe Pain –20%) [+36], Danger Sense (ESP –10%) [+14]; Recovery [+10]; Intuition [+15]
Antipsi-Powers [+55]
Antipsi-Talent 1 and 50 CP in Antipsi (Antipsi +0%)
Weapon System [+30]
EMP-Shock: Burning Attack 4d (No Wounding –50%; No Incendiary Effect –10%; Surge +20%; Reduced Range /2 –10%; Rapid Fire 10 +100%) [+30]

[GnomesofZurich]

+) Arms and Legs exchanged for cybernetics [-12]
No Fine Manipulators (Mitigator: Cyberarms DR3, HP as usual –80%) [–6]; Legless (Mitigator: Cyberlegs DR3, HP as usual –80%) [–6]

These meta-traits/templates look pretty good, but I question the use above of the mitigator limitation in this case. In most fiction I'm familiar with, cyberlimbs are surgically attached, and are about as difficult to remove as your original limbs. Therefore, they completely replace the disadvantages, not mitigate them. Also, in the above example, you give them a DR 3 on their limbs for free, as far as I can tell.

Using the arms as an example, I would think two cyberlimbs with the abilities you specified would have DR 3 (Limited: Arms, -20%) [12], possibly with an Unnatural Feature as well. I can't remember offhand the limitation value for legs, but it's likely comparable, making the above package [24] points, not [-12].

I also had another comment derived from part of your post:

ST+2 (TD: Electrical –20%)

Seeing how this strength is bought with TD: Electrical, that would mean that when an electrical surge or similar effect is applied to the character, they would also suddenly lose 2 hp; this seems like it might be somewhat awkward to enforce in play. How would you deal with this?

[zorg]

The method of simulating cyberlimbs is quite difficult, because there are several good options available in 4E. Decisions, decisions...

Option #1
One is the way I chose: a Mitigator on the Disadvantage.
On the one hand, this could be seen as a point crock, since when your normal arm is destroyed, you are as One Armed as when your Mitigator is destroyed.
On the other hand, it's modeled after "Glasses", and it's worth more (or less, depending on how you look at it) since the cyberlimb is harder to lose or break. After all, the character *is* leg- and armless. He simply uses a technological aid to overcome this problem. And this aid happens to look like an arm.
I think one could argue both ways.

Option #2
The second way is to get the full-blown disad and then the advantage "Not-Disad", with Gadget modifiers. Like "One Arm" [-x], "Not One Arm (Gadget -y%) [+z]". This has the advantage that you can describe the arm quite detailed. It also enforces the fact that the character has no real arms, just cybernetic ones. I like this way a lot... But.
But it's a bit unclear whether this is still canon and RAW. Also, you get more points that way, and tougher limbs.

Option #3
The third way is to use Cybernetics as simple flavour. Simply write "Arm ST (Cybernetic +0%)" - maybe with TD: Maintenance or TD: Electrical.
The problem as I see it with this approach is that there is no difference between a cyber-enhanced natural arm and a full-blown cyberarm. The other options neatly simulate the fact that with a cyberarm, your original arm is gone. Also, it's usually much easier to replace a cyberlimb than a real/meat one.
Finally, this way is potentially more clunky, since one would have to buy a lot of Ads/Disads with limitations (Arms Only) - frex, Machine MetaTrait, Unhealing, Electrical, High Pain Treshold... This would bloat the write-up quite a lot.

Option #4
Finally, you could make all abilities your arm grants you Gadget-Based. This enforces its technological nature, but it has the disadvantage that the arm as such will still function when the Gadgets are destroyed. Which is, to put it bluntly, nonsensical.

Therefore, I stuck to option #1.

re free DR: I did give out DR3 for free, after a fashion. On the other hand, the character doesn't get points for his partially Unhealing nature, so this could be considered a trade-off. The facts that the arm doesn't heal, runs on batteries and is tougher than a normal arm are Features of it being a cyberarm - already included in the Mitigator value, so to speak. If the DR were higher, I'd increase the -80% to -90% or -100%; if it were lower, I'd lower the Mitigator value.

Still, I see your point. And this is one of the reasons I'm very much looking forward to David Pulvers take on this matter, be it in UltraTech or in Cybertech.

Concerning the Electric ST/HP: I hadn't thought of that, to be honest. One could sell back HP to avoid this problem (certainly easy enough) - or one could make up some techno-babble to explain why an EMP actually decreases structural integrity. I tend to the latter, mainly because the Templates have so nice, round CP costs :) Also, these templates are rather cinematic, anyway. So this little bit of further unrealism wouldn't hurt that much, I guess.

[GnomesofZurich]

Thank you for such a detailed response. Yes, I had overlooked the unhealing aspect of the cyberlimb, so giving the DR for "free" in compensation seems fair under the circumstances.

Sometimes this is one of the problems with 4e: there are so many options, and different ways of doing things it is difficult to know which is the "best" way (a highly subjective idea, I know) of going about it.

Option #4
Finally, you could make all abilities your arm grants you Gadget-Based. This enforces its technological nature, but it has the disadvantage that the arm as such will still function when the Gadgets are destroyed. Which is, to put it bluntly, nonsensical.

Not to be argumentative, but there seems to be some similarity between the way you have modeled the "Improved Servo-Motors" and the Option #4 approach, in that the advantages granted to you by the arm (Arm ST) can be disabled while the arm remains still functioning. In a "realistic" (or, perhaps a better term would be "plausible") cyberarm, this seems unlikely. However, given that these are intended for a somewhat cinematic game, a small amount of suspension of disbelief should do no harm.

With your permission, I'll be copying these for my own use. I'm curious as to whether these were modeled after a certain Palladium game, as there are more than a few similarities between some of these and the source material.

[zorg]

Originally Posted by GnomesofZurich

With your permission, I'll be copying these for my own use. I'm curious as to whether these were modeled after a certain Palladium game, as there are more than a few similarities between some of these and the source material.

Sure, copy away! I'm flattered if you like it.

Concerning the inspiration: as far as I know, it's illegal to convert Palladium games to other systems. I wouldn't do that, ever. These cyborgs are generic to the point of being cliché. I seriously doubt that Palladium has sole rights to obvious variations on the cyborg theme (or the Ley-Line theme, for that matter).

[GnomesofZurich]

Yes, it's my understanding that they stamp down hard on people who copy their material. I have a passing familiarity with some of their work, and there seemed to be some similarities (specifically the Dragon's Breath/Mouth-mounted plasma weapon), but granted, much of their material is also fairly generic. I asked out of interest, nothing more.

What kind of setting will these be used in, if you don't mind my asking?