History
Enhancing organic life with cybernetic implants has been possible for centuries, but cybertech has never achieved widespread popularity, most of humanities resistance toward it is self imposed. But as time goes on, the lines between humans and machines continues to blur. If history is a guide, cybertechnology will bypass the limits anyone attempts to impose. The first significant melding of electronics and the human nervous system occurred in the 21st century militaries. Subdermal weapon, cyberoptics, and body plating eventually gave way to full limb replacements. Medicine followed close behind, using cyberware to replace lost eyes and limbs and deploying microscopic nanites to enhance the body's ability to heal wounds and fight off disease. The next step was the move into mainstream. Business people, scientists, and gridpilots adopted the simplest form of cyberware - neural interface jacks (popularly known as NIJacks) - to enhance their everyday effectiveness. Finally, fashion, forever seeking something new, has accepted fragments of cybertech. BioArt is a common sight within the stellar ring, and few question the casual use of such neon implants.
Acceptance
However this doesn't mean that it's as popularly accepted in modern day. Thanks to the Cyko Riots of 2314, most sentients view anything more than cosmetic implants with distaste. Financiers and gridpilots with nanocomputers and athletes are acceptable. Anything more obvious inspires apprehension and distrust, especially military applications. Only on the most rugged and untamed planets can BattleKlaws, body plating, or MusclePlus go without attracting attention from law enforcement agencies. The reactions depend on the nation. Nariacs are well known for acceptance of heavy cybertech in all aspects of life. Rigunmors, thanks to their friendship with the mechalus, think little of it. Austrins and Hatires, however, are much less forgiving. Hatires hold it in contempt because they believe it pollutes the human soul. Austrins hate it for different reasons, mostly stemming from many fierce conflicts they had with the Nariacs during GW2. In most nations cybernetics are treated as normal weapons, requiring registration of varying degrees of legality. Players beware because offenses to these laws vary from simple tagging for location tracking, or even outright removal, sometimes with little regard to the subject's safety. In the minds of the masses, any overly cybered human is an unpredictable killer, a cykotek in the making. In reality few cykoteks exist, but this doesn't mean the abuse of cybernetics is without its own dangers, especially to the player character.
Alien Cybertech
With the exception of mechalus, cybertech for aliens is much rarer, mainly due to the fact it takes a special kind of interface with the different physiologies they bring. T'sa, being adept technicians and even grid pilots, have taken a liking to it. Next would be fraal, and those would be considered the eccentric ones among their own species. Sesheyan may have them whether they like it or not, but it generally would be at the mandate of their VoidCorp superiors. Weren would be the least likely to have them for many honor reasons. If one can't do the task with their own strength, then what is the point of doing the task at all?
Rogue Space Character Options
While cybering up your hero to the brim may seem attractive to a player, they should also beware some of the dangers and costs of doing so. Costs not only apply to your credit account, but also your humanity and even health! Next week I will discuss the bad stuff of cybertech, as well as players getting it installed through cybersurgery.
The following is an extended list of cybergear and rules associated with each piece. Obvious parts of the entries are the Name and Cost in credits (does not include cost of installation), Description provides special rules for it, and even Visibility. "Hidden" means the tech is subtle enough that you can't see it on a naked person, unless scanners are used. "Concealable" means that while its noticeable naked, it can be easily concealed through clothing or makeup. "Obvious" means that there is no way to cover it up, barring a full body covering like a bulky body tank. Some gear requires a Nanocomputer already installed in order to utilize, it will note a Yes or No here. Final thing listed is the Cykosis rating. That will be discussed in detail next weak.
Name: BattleKlaw
Cost: 220 cr per arm
Visibility: Hidden
Nanocomputer: Optional
Cykosis:3
Description: Hidden retractable Light blade on one designated arm. Often voice or motion controlled, but can be interfaced with a nanocomputer to make it thought controlled.
Name: BioArt
Cost: 25 cr
Visibility: Concealable
Nanocomputer: No
Cykosis: --
Description: A bioluminescent subdermal neon implant that produces a glowing tattoo on the surface. No specific game benefit, mostly for cosmetic purposes. The player's imagination can go wild with this one.
Name: BioWatch
Cost: 30 cr
Visibility: Hidden
Nanocomputer: No
Cykosis: --
Description: A subdermal timepiece that shows the current time, and has a variety of other functions one would find on a modern day expensive watch. (date, alarm, time zone, memory readout, etc.) Completely hidden unless touched with a finger or some other small object, then it glows the information through the skin.
Name: Body Plating
Cost: 850 cr
Visibility: Obvious
Nanocomputer: No
Cykosis: 4
Description: Body plating combines metal and plastic armor which is then bonded to a character's body. Due to its shapeliness, even in heavy clothing, the plating can be obvious upon close inspection, but most who opt for this protection don't bother to hide it anyway. It grants Medium armor protection at all times. The plating is not subdermal, or beneath the skin.
Name: CF Skinweave
Cost: 700 cr
Visibility: Concealable
Nanocomputer: No
Cykosis: 3
Description: CF Skinweave is a carbonate fiber woven directly into living flesh, providing some extra protection against damage. Since it isn't as bulky as Body Plating, it can be hidden easier, but it gives a strange texture to bare skin. It provides +3 health.
Name: Cyberlimb
Cost: 500 cr per limb
Visibility: Concealable
Nanocomputer: Yes
Cykosis: 3 per limb
Description: Cyberlimbs replace those lost to damage, disease, or even for an 'improvement' over original flesh and bone. They can also have other equipment installed within them like hidden weapon compartments and computer gauntlets. The limbs are designed to imitate the shape of a real limb as much as possible so they are generally easily concealed with long sleeves and gloves (or pants and shoes). A cyberlimb grants the user a +2 bonus to strength checks and melee damage using that limb.
Name: Cybereye/ear
Cost: 300 cr per eye/ear
Visibility: Concealable
Nanocomputer: Yes
Cykosis: 3 per eye/ear
Description: As with the cyberlimb they can be concealed with proper headgear depending on the quality. Eyes grant a +1 bonus to search checks, and the ears grant a +1 bonus to listening checks (the bonuses are not doubled if both eyes or both ears are cybernetic).
Cost: 1000 cr
Visibility: Hidden
Nanocomputer: No
Cykosis: 5
Description: One of the most difficult, painful, and expensive procedures known. Only the most dedicated need apply. It provides hard materials that reinforces the skeleton as well as covers vital internal portions. The advantage is it remains completely hidden to anything but a proper scanner, and it grants a +4 to health and a +1 bonus to toughness and endurance tests.
Name: ER Slot
Cost: 300 cr
Visibility: Concealable
Nanocomputer: Yes
Cykosis: 3
Description: An attachment that contains many of the medicines and chemicals found in a medkit. Proper contents are automatically injected into the character when he is knocked out or damaged heavily. It can also be manually activated. It is generally a small box-like part that remains attached to the character's abdomen.
Name: Fast Chip
Cost: 400 cr
Visibility: Hidden
Nanocomputer: Yes
Cykosis: 8
Description: A device that has been banned in most civilized locales due to the damage associated with its use. Characters with a Fast Chip and Nanocomputer generally operate at a level above most other people. When it is mentally switched on it grants the user movement x 2, +2 initiative, and +3 to action tests vs. attacks. Each round of use has a chance to deal Light damage (no armor mitigation) to the user, starting with a TN of 5, getting progressively harder each round of use. No joke that this stuff is addicting and dangerous, but can be useful in a pinch.
Name: Gunsight
Cost: 200 cr
Visibility: Hidden
Nanocomputer: Yes
Cykosis: 6
Description: This is essentially a mod to a cybereye and a specific gun. The gun has a camera which provides cross-hairs in the users vision so he can see exactly where the gun is pointing. It provides a +1 bonus to attacks with the weapon it is attuned to.
Name: MusclePlus
Cost: 800 cr per treatment
Visibility: Hidden
Nanocomputer: Yes
Cykosis: 4 per treatment
Description: MusclePlus replaces living muscle tissue with a strong, highly durable, synthetic fiber that increases the users strength by +2 in the limbs that receive the treatment. The procedure is often painful and long, but provides promising results.
Name: Nanocomputer
Cost: 750 cr
Visibility: Hidden
Cykosis: 8
Description: This piece is essential for most advanced cybernetics that require brain control. The nanocomputer has the essential cytronic circuitry that helps with the tremendous processing power needed for translating brain signals to machine language. Like any computer, programs can be loaded and it can store data on microdrives. The software, or bioware, are generally used for operating any piece of nanocomputer dependent cybertech. This provides a big transition for cybertech users that begin to see things as machines do, and even recall data as they do. While this doesn't mean that as soon as someone gets a nanocomputer installed they instantly become a fleshy robot, it is always the start of that journey.
(NOTE: It should be noted that mechalus heroes automatically begin with an equivalent to a nanocomputer as well as their touch-interface NIJack as described here.)
Cost: 200 cr
Visibility: Concealable
Nanocomputer: Yes
Cykosis: 3
Description: The NIJack (Neural-Interface-Jack) is a specific plug located on the neck or head that allows for the massive datastream of hooking up to the Grid. Cables run from Gridcaster computer systems directly to the NIJack and the user immediately interfaces with that wonderfully free cyberspace. While it is not essential to have a nanocomputer and NIJack to use the Grid, many prefer it for its much more 'personal' experience, and the upper edge is often needed in dangerous cyberwarfare.
Name: Self-Repair Unit
Cost: 800 cr
Visibility: Hidden
Nanocomputer: Yes
Cykosis: 5
Description: It's an internal piece of equipment that includes a supply of raw materials and a horde of nanite robots. When activated by the nanocomputer, the nanites go into action converting the materials into components and begin to repair damaged cybernetics. It generally takes about an hour depending on the severity of the damage suffered. Note this is to repair any cybergear on the character, not just the subdermal equipment.
Cost: 200 cr
Visibility: Hidden
Nanocomputer: Optional
Cykosis: --
Description: The subdermal comm-link and weapon mount are devices hidden under the skin. The comm-link works exactly like a regular comm-link, and the weapon mount can hold a Light rated weapon. Both are generally voice or motion activated, like the BattleKlaw, but can be interfaced with a nanocomputer to make them thought controlled.
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