Bionics
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Bionics are a series of mechanical implants that are added to, or replace, a
characters body parts. They are not to be taken lightly due to the
emotional effects of having a chunk of metal stuck in your body. They are
also _very_ powerfull, and are not for everyone.
When Bionics are purchased, you have to buy each Bionics package seperately,
at the cost of 10PP each, and each package must be boosted seperately.
Each package starts at a value of 10BP when purchased, which can be boosted
at a cost of 1PP= +5BP, to a max of 50BP per package. This BP, or Bionic
Pool, is used to aid rolls for the skills listed in the package, and are
completely re-usable, with the exception of HP under Shells. However, when
more than one skill check is made in a single round, the Skill check boost
Bionics provides is divided between the relative skills, rather than being
applied fully to them. For instance, if, in one round, a character with a
Lifters package with 20BP tried to jimmy a lock while underwater, prompting
both a Swim check, and a Touchy Stuff check, the bonus from the Lifters
would have to be divided between these, at the players discretion, such as
+10 to Swim, and +10 to Touchy Stuff. Any and/or all packages may be used in
a round, and division of BP must be done only if more than one skill used is
from the same package.
A word of warning is in order, however: Bionics are not the multi-purpose
super-boost they may seem to be (after all, an automatic +50 bonus to a
skill check is nothing to sneeze at). This is because Bionics are
essentially complex electro-mechanical devices, and complex electro-
mechanical devices + electricity = internally mounted smoking slag. This EMP
effect is explained in detail in the section "Electricity and You", below.
Packages
--------
This section lists the different Bionics Packages, as well as modifications
available.
Package # Skills Skills Affected
------- -------- ---------------
Lifters 4 Acrobatics
Touchy Stuff
Swim
Run
Jacks 4 Dechipher
Wit
Navigate
Will
Boosters 4 Climb
Lift
Jump
Damage
Shells 2 Toughness
HP
Peelers 2 Decieve
Charm
Braces 2 Endurance
Resistance
Lifters: Lifters are a piston system that is mounted in a characters legs
and arms, producing a lanky, tall, semi-neanderthal look.
Jacks: Jacks are a complex computer system that is mounted in a characters
cranium. Thankfully, this does not change the physical looks of a character
much.
Boosters: Boosters are a piston and servo system that is mounted in a
characters arms and upper body, producing an obscenely muscled look.
Shells: Shells are a biometallic resin that is grafted into a characters
skin, causing the characters skin to be slightly chill to the touch, as well
as take on a slight metallic sheen, which may be colored as the character
desires. If BP is used to augment HP, the HP gained this way are equall to
twice the BP spent; however, if the HP gained this way is lost, the BP used
to do this is considered shorted out (see "Elecrticity and You", below).
Peelers: Peelers are a complex system of electrolyte, endorphin and melanin
glands, hydraulics, inflatable pouches, and hair spools that is mounted in
essentially every part of the body, allowing the character to change it's
physical appearance at will. Please note that complex changes take an
entire round. Peelers cannot be Crude. When shorted-out, the characters
skin resembles a cross between half-melted, drooping taffy, and week old
play dough, and the characters hair looks like a ragged mop composes of
fiberoptic strands.
Braces: Braces are extra biometallic cartelidge, bone, and ligament that are
mounted alongside their organic counterparts, expanding joint size, as well
as general body trunk width.
Bionics Modification* Effect
-------------------- ------
Hardened Bionics** +1/2 cost
Fragile Bionics** -1/2
Advanced Bionics*** +1/4 cost
Crude Bionics*** -1/4 cost
* Must be selected for each package
** Hardened Bionics and Fragile Bionics CANNOT be purchased for one package,
and are explained in the section "Electricity and You"
*** Crude Bionics and Advanced Bionics CANNOT be purchased for one package
Advanced Bionics: This allows the character to ignore the physical
alterations of Lifters, Boosters, Shells, and Braces, allowing for an
entirely normal looking character. This option is usefull mainly for spies
only, as most characters will want the unique appearance as a basis for
roleplaying. Also, this sort of package can only be repaired by an expert
bionics technician.
Crude Bionics: This package indicates that the physical alterations of
Lifters, Boosters, Shells, and Braces are far more pronounced, making the
character look something like a cross between Robocop and the Terminators
endoskeleton; IOW the Bionics are painfully, and sometimes freakishly,
obvious, depending on the number, and value of the packages the character
has selected. This can be fairly intimidating, if used correctly, since not
many people pick fights with mechanical monstrosities.
Electricity and You
--------------------
Bionics are powerfull indeed, but as paper-scissors-rock teaches us,
everything has a weakness; for Bionics, it's electricity. In short, if a
character with Bionics is hit by any kind of damaging electrical factor, and
not a few nondamaging ones, they must roll 1d10 (roll each package
seperately), with the target roll found on the chart below.
Bionic Quality Target Roll
-------------- -----------
Hardened 4
Average 7
Fragile 10
If the result is equall to, or above the target roll, then nothing happens
to the Bionics package. However, if the result is less than the target roll,
the package loses 1d10X10% of it's original BP till a Bionics technician can
repair it.
Bionics Sources
---------------
If you want to get more of a feel for Bionics you should watch the old TV
shows and movies about the Million Dollar Man. To get the true feel,
however, you should watch the (very cool) anime 'Ghost In The Shell'. The
guy has Lifters, Boosters, and Braces at 20-30BP each, and the girl seems to
have every package at 50BP, but some of the stuff they have falls under
Cybernetics rather than Bionics, such as the guys eyepeice, and the girls
data linkup.