Cyberware and Bioware House Rules
Enhanced Articulation
Enhanced Articulation does not apply to all active skills. Specifically, it does not apply to social skills, the Computer skill, or to any magical skill. It does not apply to Ambidexterity, or to the Small Unit Tactics skill.
In addition, the M&M restriction on Enhanced Articulation not working if you have multiple cyberlimbs is NOT enforced on this game.
It should also be noted that Enhanced Articulation does not apply anywhere it does not make sense. This includes when rigging vehicles. Any test that does not involve physical manipulation through your body does not benefit from this item. (Example: using your Biotech skill to make a diagnosis). Any test that is purely mental, in other words, does not benefit.
Chip Jack Expert Driver
The Chipjack Expert Driver is limited in the following ways:
1. The Chipjack Expert Driver does not provide a task pool.
2. The Chipjack Expert Driver, if installed, gives characters the ability to use their natural pools on a test using a chipped skill that the CED affects. No more dice than the rating of the CED OR the rating of the chipped skill (whichever is lower) may be used on any given test; however, the full number of dice from the pool may be utilized on successive tests. The rating of the Chipjack Expert Driver provides an upper limit of the number of dice that can be used from the pool, in addition to the normal limitation imposed by the rating of the skillchip.
3. No pool may be used on any test where a character who knew the skill natively could not use a pool.
4. The errata limitation of CED's to rating 3 or below is not followed here.
Example: Bob has a chipped Pistols skill of 5, a CED rating of 4, and a combat pool of 9. His first shot, he can roll 5 dice, plus 4 combat pool (CED limits it to 4), leaving 5 remaining. His second shot, he can roll 5 dice, plus another 4 combat pool. Now, he has 1 more CP die remaining for another shot (in another initiative pass) or for dodging or resisting damage.
Cloned Parts
Force Grown Limbs (From SR3, p 128) have a price of 4x that listed for the normal limb, and require a time to grow of 1/4 that listed for the normal limb.
You can only acquire said limb from an advanced medical facility capable of genetic manipulation and/or high end betaware and up. Not shops, not medical kits, but full blown "Facilities", or hospitals.
As an example, this means that a full arm or leg would only require 2 weeks to be Forced Grown, and costs 100,000 =Y=.
Cybernetic DNI and Cyberlimb Storage Space
Each cyberlimb receives an amount of 'free essence' worth of items that can be installed within it, similar to the ways cybereyes and cyberears work. These items must be appropriate for installation within the cyberlimb. However, they will be automatically considered to be DNI-adapted once installed within the cyberlimb.
- For full limbs (arms, legs, cybertorso), up to 2 full essence points worth of cyberware can be installed without any essence cost to the character.
- For partial limbs and cyberskulls, up to 1.2 essence points worth of cyberware can be installed without any essence cost to the character.
- For cyberhands and cyberfeet, up to 0.5 essence points worth of cyberware can be installed without any essence cost to the character.
Items which are not, themselves, cyberware, can be installed (assuming they fit space constraints) for an essence cost of 0.2 (use the DNI Adaptation cyberware item if the item will be mentally controlled). Items which affect the whole body (Wired Reflexes, Bone Lacing, etc) cannot be installed into cyberlimbs. Items which are specifically designed to affect an area of the body *other* than the cyberlimb (eye/ear/brainmods) cannot be installed into cyberlimbs.
Items which receive a discount when installed in a cyberlimb no longer receive this discount, with two exceptions. The Nanite Hive and Guardian Angel items cost only half as much when installed into a cyberlimb, and free essence can be used for this. In addition, cyberlimbs should never be installed inside other cyberlimbs. Cybereyes and cyberears cannot be installed into cyberskulls. They're not incompatible; they just do not receive the free essence slots.
Cyber Limbs, ECU and starting Attributes.
Cyberlimbs now start at your base attributes. The rationale here is that if you're stronger, heavier, faster, you can put on a cyberlimb with more servos, faster servos, or tougher materials to match. It's also easier to keep track of from our viewpoint.
Note: Base attributes. Bioware and cyberware modifications don't count. If your base attributes go up due to spending karma, then you can get your cyberlimbs tuned at a local clinic (takes about an hour per limb) to raise them to the new rating.
ECU are gone. We don't want to keep track of them. You may install anything into a cyberlimb as long as it's reasonable. As for what is 'reasonable', GMs discretion applies. If you're having a lot of stuff crammed into one arm, you may have to miniaturize stuff, which can get costly. Again, GMs discretion applies on just how costly.
Higher grade cyberlimbs also do not have less 'space' to put things in, either. They're higher grade - they're better, not worse.
If you install full cyberlimbs on a cybertorso, the base essence cost is reduced to 0.75. The docs no longer have to worry about anchoring it to weak flesh and can integrate it more easily.
THIS ENTRY IS MORE DETAILED ON THE MUX: For greater detail, +hr cyber cyberlimb
Cyber Ears and Eyes
Cybereyes and cyberears no longer need to have all their internal components be the same exact grade as they are themselves.
The 1.2 modification maximum for cybereyes contents has been removed. Instead, as you go over 0.5 essence worth of modifications in a cybereye, they become more noticable. The TN to notice someone has cybereyes is 12, -1 for every 0.1 essence of modifications they have over 0.5. So if someone has 1.2 points of modification to their cybereyes, the TN to notice their cybereyes is 5.
The easy way to figure out the TN is to check +statmods essence, find the entry for 'Cybereyes', and subtract 0.2 from the cost (this accounts for the cost of the cybereyes themselves). Then multiply by 10, and round down. That's your TN modifier.
More noticeable cybereyes may actually look like camera lenses, flat silver spheres stuck in your head, the robocop visor, or other oddities depending on what sort of mods you have. Be creative. Most all of them can be further hidden with a pair of sunglasses, but if you have this many mods, some of them might not function well with those, like a rangefinder (precisely 1.3 cm to your sunglasses!), or thermographic vision (your sunglasses are an even 60 degrees).
Cyber Gyro
Cyberarm Gyros, when using one in each cyberarm, do not stack their bonuses together. This is due to the fact that few things, if any allow bonuses to stack from the same item. However, using two Cyberarm Gyros will allow you to receive the -3 bonus for heavier weapons (as they generally only work with weapons up to LMG, no more.)
Cyberarm Gyros are designed with light weapons in mind, such as pistols and SMGs, so using a Gyro in each arm will work with dual wielding weapons (keep in mind penalties for dual wielding still applies). The -3 recoil modifier only applies to /one/ weapon and that weapon must be used with the arm that has the Cyberarm Gyro to receive the modifier.
Cyberarm Gyros do not stack with the other Gyros either, they would interfere with each other.
Essence Holes
Due to the complexity of supporting Essence Holes properly, at the current time all rules regarding "Essence Holes" are unsupported. This means that if you get cyberware removed and the area healed up naturally, you get your Essence back, and all associated side-effects of this occurrence.
Furries
The question may come up: how popular is phenotyping or biosculpting anyway? The answer? Not very. Any sort of visible cyberware, thematically, is considered weird and/or threatening. Datajacks are vaguely accepted, just because a lot of people really need them for their jobs, but even then most people try to hide them under hair, get induction jacks, or otherwise conceal them. People see visible cyberware as threatening, or reminding them that they're no longer human. Cyberarms are considered pretty out there. Most people can't imagine why someone would get a perfectly good arm lopped off and put a metal one in its place. Even people who lost limbs in accidents try to make their metal cyberarms look more normal.
As far as the shadows go, people don't care so much about your looks - they care about your performance. And if your appearance is going to nail you the first time a camera sees you or an eyewitness states that the place was robbed by a 6' tall bipedal horse, they're not going to take you along. They're going to stay as far away from you as possible. You should take steps to make sure you're not seen or caught on camera. Riggers are great for this. They can just stay in their car and do whatever.
There does exist a fringe subculture in which biosculpting is the norm. However, these sorts of people are seen as freaks by most normal types, get harassed by cops whenever they're seen, get beat up by gangers, hunted by Humanis, and so forth. The main reason they exist is because certain very visible, influential cultural icons exist who have some minor modifications. They get away with it because they've got a Cult of Personality built up around them and make millions of dollars despite it, whether it's because they're sim actors or Urban Brawl stars. They can afford their uniqueness and all it's trappings - bodyguards, reclusive mansions, robot servants - because they're insanely good at what they do. Most shadowrunners can't justify that.
And now: How to become a freak.
There's more than one way to be skinned as a cat. Note there's several different ways you could accomplish various changes. You could get ears as part of phenotype alteration, or you could get cyberears shaped like it.
CyberTails
Includes your choice of patterned fur, synthetic scales, or chrome covering, however you like it. All PCs can control their own tails. They can accept cyberlimb mods if desired, but have no essence slot.
Short Tail
| Essence | 0.2 | Cost | 1000 | SI | 1 | Avail | 6/1 month |
|---|
Rabbits, bobcats, and other tails under 12" in length. Cannot be used as balance tails.
Medium Tail
| Essence | 0.3 | Cost | 2500 | SI | 1 | Avail | 6/1 Week |
|---|
Average dog, cat, and other tails of 12" - 36" length.
Long Tail
| Essence | 0.6 | Cost | 5000 | SI | 1 | Avail | 6/1 Week |
|---|
Overly long tails, more than 36". Some saurians, really poofy fox tails, etc.
Balance Mod
| Essence | +0.3 | Cost | +7500 | SI | 2 | Avail | 8/1 Week |
|---|
Only usable by medium or long CyberTails. Maintains balance as per balance tail rules. Can still be controlled by PCs, as it is now merely a mod.
Prehensile Mod
| Essence | +0.3 | Cost | +5000 | SI | 2 | Avail | 8/1 Week |
|---|
All the dexterity of a tentacle. Yes, I said tentacle. Defaults to your Quickness and your Strength-2.
Phenotype alterations
Minor
| Essence | 0.1 | Cost | 50000 | SI | 2 | Avail | 12/1 month |
|---|
Superficial changes. Can change what is already there: Eye color, hair color/texture, skin color.
Major
| Essence | 0.5 | Cost | 65000 | SI | 2 | Avail | 12/1 month |
|---|
Pretty much whatever you like, within limits imposed by species: Muzzles, paws, body structure, teeth, tails, or full body fur/scales.
You can't actually make yourself cold-blooded, but you can make it look like you are. Any set of modifications simply counts as the highest 'intensity' mod.
Claws
If the claws you can get with a major phenotype alteration aren't quite enough, or you just don't want to go that route, see: Hand Razors.
Ears
You can get ears you can twitch and wriggle with a major phenotype alteration, or you can get cyberears in the proper shape and location. See: Cyberears
Digitigrade Legs
For legs: Major Phenotype Alteration (provides no inherent bonuses), or see 'Kid Stealth Legs' and cyberlimb Custom Covering/Finish.
Genetech
Genetech is considered cultured bioware for the purposes of surgery. The clinic must be set up for genetic manipulation, but otherwise the process works identically to the installation of other cultured bioware, including TNs and surgical time. There are no positive or negative options for geneware, and the surgery time includes only time spent setting up the altered viruses and nanites that carry out the procedure. The patient is then free to go about life normally. The alteration is complete and benefits kick in after the time listed, including the reduction in time from months to weeks described in +hr cyberbio sota, with no further action required. Successes on the surgery roll may be used to divide either the surgery time or the delay between the procedure and benefits.
For example, major phenotypic alteration has a (legal) cost of 65,000 =Y= and a treatment time of 6 weeks. The base TN for cultured bioware is 6. If the final TN is 4, the base time for the procedure is 4 hours. The doctor makes a Biotech(4) test and gets 7 successes. The first means the work is successful, and the other five divide the time. The doctor may allocate 1 to divide the procedure time to 2 hours and the other 5 to divide the waiting period by 6, to 1 week.
The total cost of the procedure is the price of the doctor and clinic for two hours plus the 65,000 =Y= for the Phenotypic Alteration.
Initiative mods and the shakes
Anything that adds to your initiative dice pool, including drugs like Jazz, Kamikaze, and the Increased Reflexes Spell, results in twitches and jumpiness as described in M&M. Feel free to RP the effects.
Magic and Ware
Unlike the errata, we have stuck with the original Shadowrun interpretation of how magic and bioware mix.
1. The body index of all your bioware is added together and then rounded up to determine your magic loss due to bioware. This is cumulative with you magic loss due to cyberware.
Example: You have 0.8 Essence worth of cyberware, and 0.35 body index worth of bioware. You will lose a full point of magic for your cyberware, and another full point of magic for your bioware.
2. Unlike the way the errata reads, body index cost is not halved before being rounded up and subtracted from magic rating.
Example: You have a body index rating of 1.8 from your bioware. You will lose 2 full points of magic due to that bioware.
Microscopic Vision and Build/Repair
Microscopic Vision allows one a -2 TN modifier when dealing with micro-sized and very tiny components and parts. It is not a blanket -2 TN modifier for any B/R skill or Active skill.
Examples of tasks that would NOT receive the modifier would be removing the casing on a maglock, replacing armor on a drone, or installing a silencer on a pistol.
As always, the GM/Admin of the scene/queue has final discretion on the viability of Microscopic Vision to the task in question.
Mnemonic Enhancer Limitations
The Karma reduction from Mnemonic Enhancers only applies to Intelligence linked skills, including Knowledge and Languages. It does not apply to learning things like Kung Fu, Pistols, or Car.
Augmented stats vs Natural
Clarification re: Bioware and augmented/natural values. The rules from M&M and SR3 are a bit confusing, so here's our clarification. With bioware, the stats themselves count as 'natural' in regards to magic (and therefore you do not have to have Increase Cybered Attribute to boost them), and the target numbers for such spells are based on the MODIFIED attribute.
Therefore, if you have an Intelligence 6 (8) due to Cerebral Booster R2, your target number for an Increased Intelligence spell is 8, not 6.
They count as 'natural' with regard to the maxes of raising skills with karma (if you want to raise an Int linked skill but have Cerebral Boosters, the boosters count into your Int). If they add dice, those dice don't count towards the cost of raising the skill. To raise an attribute increased by bioware, you spend karma to raise the base value, without the bioware bonus.
Surgery and Options
See +info surgery options for the most up to date rules on surgical options
Router and Ports
You no longer have to buy Ports for Routers. It's a pain to keep track of them, and they're not a significant expenditure. With a Router, you may interconnect any cyber device in your system, while Datajacks can be used to interconnect only headware.
Sleep Regulators
See workingtime
SOTA and Genetech
For all the genetech modifications listed in State of The Art: The times in 'months' has been changed to weeks. Prices, availability, SI, and medical requirements remain the same.
Synaptic Accelerators
- Synaptic Accelerators are compatible with Boosted Reflexes.
- Boosted Reflexes can NOT be upgraded, only destructively removed.
- They must be implanted at the same time to function together.
- You cannot obtain both as part of CharGen.
In plain English: You cannot obtain both Synaptic Accelerators and Boosted Reflexes in Character Generation. If you want to get this combination, you must obtain one half of the pair after you've already been approved as a PC. As Boosted Reflexes cannot be upgraded, but can be destructively removed (Cellular Repair, SOTA 2063 p.26).
The most cost-effective way to get this combination is to start with Synaptic Accelerators implanted in Character Generation, then purchase Boosted Reflexes once on the grid, and finally get your Synaptic Accelerators removed and re-implanted with the Boosted Reflexes.
Task Pool
The entry under 'Task Pool' in M&M on p48 needs some clarifying.
There are only three devices that affect 'Task Pool' in the book. Two of them are mentioned as having specific rules, while the third, the Cerebral Booster, is not. The Cerebral Booster's Task Pool dice function as an Encephalon's - that is, you may use it for Intelligence-linked skills. You may not use it to fire a pistol or talk to a contact.
Reflex Triggers
Reflex Triggers may be bought for any sort of cyberware you wish (except for boosted reflexes, they're just weird like that), not just Wired Reflexes, and may be turned on/off by a free action.
Upgrading Ware
When upgrading the rating or grade of a piece of cyberware or bioware, the character needs only pay the difference in cost between the old rating and the new rating, plus any surgery costs associated with the implantation of the new cyberware of bioware.
When upgrading a piece of cyberware or bioware to a new grade, the player only needs to pay the difference in nuyen cost between the old grade and the new grade. Existing cyberware or bioware may not be sold back via fixer channels if it is upgraded.
The surgery costs, plans, and other factors involved in installing the new cyberware bioware includes the cost of removing the old cyberware or bioware. No additional cost or time is incurred by removing the existing cyberware or bioware so long as it is done as part of an upgrade procedure.
Skillwires and Skillsofts
Skillwires do not apply to items that are purely mental, such as Computers when used in simsense mode. The book rules already specifically forbid using Skillwires for skill that are used while rigging a vehicle. Skills that occur in the real world, but are mental, are still workable, such as 'Small Unit Tactics' or skills that are normally used physically, but for a specific application are mental (e.g. using Car B/R to figure out the way that a given vehicle was modified).
In addition, the Availability for all skillsofts has a minimum value equal to their rating. In other words, a rating 10 Activesoft has a listed availability of 6/4 Days, that item will will have an effective Availability of 10/4 Days, due to the higher rating.
Used Cyberware and Bioware
Used cyberware and bioware usualy use stress points to show their worn state. ShadowRun:Denver does not use stress rules as written. So this is the following method we use to represent used cyberware and bioware:
Used Cyberware (basic and Alpha only) and Bioware (basic bioware, not cultured) will cost an additional 10 percent essence when being installed. This represents the stresses the 'ware goes through in being ripped out of someone else.
You can use positive options to reduce this cost (Max two reduced essence options). The 'ware can be refurbished to 'new' status using current upgrade rules for cyber/bio to get rid of the additional 10 percent essence cost. It will require another surgery to upgrade, and you can use regular surgery options at that time.
Example: Basic Cyberware that costs 1 essence normaly to install, would now cost 1.1 essence to install. Two positive options would reduce that back to 1 essence but no further.
