Cybernetics

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**EVOLUTION OF CYBERNETICS**

As with all forms of technology, advancements in cybernetics can be tracked by Progress Level.

**Progress Level 5:** Cybernetics is still in its formative stage. Most prosthetic units are of the nonpowered variety, but medical associations have approved certain electronic regulators for life-threatening conditions. The artificial heart is the most recognized example. Other common examples include pacemakers, artificial kidneys, and pancreas monitors (for high-risk diabetics). Nearly all PL 5 cybernetic attachments are simply designed to keep their recipients alive and reasonably healthy.

Elective cybernetics begins at this stage with the work of university professor Kevin Warwick, who develops methods of linking computer microchips to the human nervous system. His “cyborg chip” becomes the foundation for all future cybernetic components.

**Progress Level 6:** This era sees the first use of independently powered cybernetics, including servolimbs and subcutaneous cellular telephones. These begin mostly in military applications but soon become available to the public. Household pets all over the world are implanted with subcutaneous identity chips—as are important government figures and their families—after the technology proves safe and effective on prison inmates.

As cybernetics is still new and can have negative side effects, its adoption is not universal. Most people still prefer mundane equipment, which is generally cheaper, safer, and less troublesome to repair, replace, or upgrade. Cybernetics becomes the preferred choice only when mundane equipment is impractical or unavailable— or when the recipient is fixated on self-improvement.

Medical plans eventually come to offer at least baseline prosthetics to compensate for disabling injuries, such as the loss or partial loss of a limb, though such plans do not cover elective cybernetic surgery. Their concern is overall health—not “cosmetic” enhancement. For those who want more than just replacements, a new kind of clinic appears, offering cybernetic enhancements.

At this Progress Level, the first cybernetic regulation laws are passed—largely instigated by a few harshly publicized accidents involving cyborgs. These laws give rise to numerous black-market cybernetic clinics that install cybernetics without performing the required background checks.

**Progress Level 7:** By this era, cybernetics has become a mostly safe science. Flaws in earlier designs have been corrected. Cybernetics becomes more of a status symbol, and luminous skin grafts become the fashion accessory of choice. In some societies, newborn children are implanted with identity chips as an anti-kidnapping measure. Military applications include replacement eyes with heads-up targeting and GPS displays.

Insurance regulations relax considerably toward cybernetic replacements at Progress Level 7; enhancements are perfectly acceptable, though only as part of a prosthetic, rather than as elective cyber-surgery. Still, most cyborgs are members of military or law-enforcement organizations—or mercenaries.

**Progress Level 8:** Cyborgs are a common sight. In some societies, medical insurance frowns on noncybernetic replacements, as mechanical body parts are less expensive than flesh. Cybernetic technology has improved so much, in fact, that some cyborgs are virtually indistinguishable from living beings—except that they never appear to age.

**CYBERNETIC ATTACHMENTS**

Two kinds of cybernetic attachments exist: replacements and enhancements.

**Replacements:** Replacements are prosthetic or artificial units intended to replace lost limbs and damaged organs. Common replacements provide no benefits other than duplicating the essential functions of their biological counterparts, and they present little strain on the beneficiary’s overall well-being. In appearance, a cybernetic replacement can be recognizably artificial or virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.

**Enhancements:** Enhancements bestow new abilities or improve the recipient in some fashion. Enhancements include skeletal reinforcement, subcutaneous communications hardware, and weapon mounts. Some enhancements have visible external components, while others are hidden beneath the skin. Enhancements put more of a drain on the body’s resources, and recipients frequently suffer debilitating physical or mental side effects.

**CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR**

Cybernetic attachments are complex instruments with both electrical and mechanical components. Consequently, a character must have the Craft Cybernetics feat to build a cybernetic attachment.

Repairing a damaged or nonfunctional cybernetic attachment requires 10 hours of work and a successful Repair check (TN 25). A character needs both an electrical tool kit and a mechanical tool kit to facilitate repairs. Without one or the another, a character takes a –4 penalty on the check; without both kits, the penalty increases to –8.

**INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL**

Installing or removing a cybernetic attachment, regardless of whether it’s a replacement or enhancement, requires a successful Treat Injury check. A character with the Cybernetic Surgery feat suffers no penalty on the check.

Removing a cybernetic attachment without proper surgery causes lasting physical trauma to the patient’s body, dealing 1d4 points of permanent Constitution drain.

**NUMBER OF ATTACHMENTS**

Only living creatures can have cybernetic attachments. In addition, a living creature can have a maximum number of cybernetic attachments equal to 1 + the creature’s Constitution modifier (minimum 0).

A creature may have more cybernetic attachments installed on its body can it can bear. However, the creature gains 1 negative level per cybernetic attachment that exceeds its maximum allowed. For each negative level, the creature takes a –1 penalty on all skill checks and ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws, and loses one effective level or Hit Die whenever level is used in a die roll or calculation. Further, a character with psionic powers loses the ability to manifest one power of the highest level she can manifest (player’s choice), while a character with spellcasting ability loses the ability to cast one spell of the highest level he can cast. This loss persists until the negative level is removed.

Negative levels caused by having too many cybernetic attachments remain until the offending attachments are removed.

**BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS**

Cybernetic attachments provide countless benefits to their recipients. For example, cybernetic eyes can bestow darkvision, improve the accuracy of the recipient’s ranged attacks, or emit pencil-thin laser beams. A cybernetic brain implant can improve the recipient’s response time in a crisis, protect against mind-influencing attacks, or increase the flow of adrenaline throughout the body. The possibilities of cybernetic technology are endless. Although the benefits make cybernetics very alluring, the drawbacks are equally discouraging:

**ELECTRICITY VULNERABILITY**

A creature with one or more cybernetic attachments takes 50% more damage from any attack that deals electricity damage. This vulnerability to electricity can be offset by an anti-shock implant (see Cybernetic Enhancements, below).

**NEGATIVE LEVELS**

Whenever a creature exceeds its maximum number of cybernetic attachments, it gains negative levels until the excess attachments are removed (see Number of Attachments, above).

**SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ATTACK**

External cybernetic attachments are subject to attacks as if they were objects worn by their recipients.

**MASSIVE DAMAGE EFFECTS**

Massive damage wreaks havoc with cybernetic attachments. Whenever a creature with cybernetic attachments fails a Fortitude save against massive damage, the GM should roll percentile dice and consult Table: Massive Damage Effects to determine what happens.

 31–60
 61–80
 81–100

**Normal Effect:** The character immediately drops to –1 hit points and is dying.

**Attachment Disabled:** One cybernetic attachment (determined randomly or chosen by the GM) ceases to function until repaired (see Construction and Repair, above). The character suffers the effects of the disability—as noted in the description of the cybernetic attachment— for as long as the attachment remains disabled.

**Attachment Damaged:** One cybernetic attachment (determined randomly or chosen by the GM) continues to function but develops an unpleasant side effect that persists until the attachment is repaired (see Construction and Repair, above).

**Side Effect:** The character suffers a debilitating side effect as the result of a damaged attachment. Various side effects are presented on Table: Side Effects.

**CYBERNETIC REJECTION**

NOTE: This is completely optional – check with your GM to see if he will be using this rule in his campaign.

Once a character has five or more cybernetic attachments – even if he is under no risk of gaining negative levels – there becomes a risk of rejection. Each time a new cybernetic attachment is added to a character’s body, starting with the fifth attachment, the character must make a Fortitude save – TN = 15 + the total number of attachments the character possesses, including the newly added attachment. On a successful check the character suffers no negative consequences (assuming he is not at risk of gaining negative levels as described in the core cybernetics rules). On a failed check, the newly added cybernetic attachment is rejected by the character’s body – the character suffers 1d6 Con damage and an additional 1 point of Con damage for each day the rejected cybernetic attachment is not treated by a skilled cybersurgeon. Treating cybernetic rejection requires a new cybernetic attachment be purchased – the old one can be sold as described in the core rules – and a successful (TN 25 + the total number of attachments the character possesses) Treat Injury check be made by a skilled cybersurgeon (a character with the Cybernetic Surgery feat). If this Treat Injury check fails the character’s body rejects the new attachment and the process must repeats itself.

**SHIELDED CYBERNETICS**

By the early stages of the Gravity Age (PL 7), cybernetics are so widespread that military forces have resorted to carrying anticyber weapons, including EMP devices. To combat the disruption of cybernetics due to the use of EMP devices, shielded cybernetics become commonly available. Based on technology developed for the anti-shock implant, by PL 7 any cybernetic device can be shielded from EMP attack. To represent this shielding, use the following cybernetic gadget.

Shielded (PL 7)

A shielded cybernetic is immune to the effects of electricity damage and any electromagnetic pulse device.The user is still susceptible to electricity damage as per the future SRD rules on cybernetics (unless the character has an anti-shock implant). Each cybernetic device must be shielded separately.

**Restrictions:** None.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +4.

**THE GADGET SYSTEM**

The gadget system is a way to customize cybernetic devices to more appropriately fit a given campaign or character. Since each campaign will likely use different items based on its unique setting, the gadget system allows total freedom in designing specific models of equipment from the generic base items found throughout this chapter. Using the gadget system is a simple matter of mixing and matching various elements of a piece of gear until it fits what is needed. First, pick a piece of equipment to be modified. Select a gadget for the appropriate type that is either a universal gadget or a gadget from the same (or lower) Progress Level. Modify the purchase TN of the base item according to the gadget’s instructions, and then purchase the gadget-modified item as normal. Some gadgets have additional restrictions placed on them that must be considered before making the gadget modification.

Cybernetic gadgets do not take up implant slots (and might even decrease the number of slots a cybernetic device takes up), but cannot be installed without a related cybernetic implant. They are modifications to existing cybernetic devices, not implants in their own right.

## **Cybernetic Systems**

PlaceholderUniversal Cybernetic GadgetsPlaceholderREPLACEMENTSPlaceholderENHANCEMENTSPlaceholderLIMITING CYBERNETICSPlaceholderCybernetic Drawbacks