Luke Skywalker has a bionic hand and Darth Vader had artificial body
parts all over his frame. If you want the same, this is the place to look!
Cybernetics are bionic prosthetics (artificial body parts that perform identical functions to the parts they are replacing) or cyborg implants (combining living tissue with computer hardware, primarily to make a living being more intelligent or enhance their abilities). A character need not lose a body part to elect to replace it, but it would be silly to do so in most cases, and the reasons a person gets cyborg implants is beyond my level of comprehension. In fact, though these products are available, they are not widely accepted. The average galactic citizen, whether aligned with the Empire or with the Rebel Alliance, believes that the difference between living beings and machines should remain definite. Mistrust and fear of machines abounds even to this day, due to tales and facts surrounding such things as assassin droids and similar situations involving faulty programming.
These feelings often extend to the use of cybernetics. People utilizing cybernetic
replacements/enhancements are considered a little less than human (or whatever race they
are), and are often viewed with pity or mistrust. Prosthetic recipients are reported to be
less in tune with their natural motivations, attitudes and emotions.
For these reasons, cybernetic recipients often go to great lengths to conceal their
artificial limbs and other alterations (only Luke Skywalker's closest friends know of his
artificial hand.
The use of prosthetic enhancements is an abomination to most people. It is widely believed
that no improvement is worth giving up original body parts for. Practice and training
exists to make a being the best at whatever they want to accomplish (from computer
programming to blaster marksmanship) - there is just no need to mutilate yourself.
Enhanced beings are often the butt end of persecution and restrictions of common civil
rights if the enhancement is known. Mental imbalance among prosthetic recipients is
possible. Many beings with enhancements will conceal them at all costs to escape any
persecution.
It is important to note that this page is not exactly a "shopping list" for advantages on the BZ. There is a heavy cost for accepting prosthetics on your character.
Because of the risk involved, cybernetics are closely regulated on most worlds
(Imperial or Rebel). Long periods of counseling and observation mandated for recipients.
Cybernetic enhancements are severely restricted to those who can afford very expensive
permits (or to those who can get prosthetics on the black market; better have about a 70
in Streetwise to attempt to run that one by me).
Darth Vader is a well known example of both the corrupting influence of enhancements and
the ability of the powerful to receive special privileges.
Many individuals seeking enhancements need to go through renegade doctors and risk
receiving inferior equipment.
Others, such as Lobot, are able to secure financing from a large corporation or other
wealthy entity. The sponsor assures the quality of the enhancements and provides
appropriate psychological counseling, but the recipient must agree to be indentured to the
company to pay for the enhancement. After the period of service is completed, the
individual is free to go, but still faces the discrimination throughout the galaxy.
The Empire has also covertly equipped Imperial agents with cybernetics, but the number of agents so enhanced is unknown.
The use of prosthetics, whether replacement or enhancement, is especially risky for
Those who believe in and/or use the Force. The unnatural combination of man and machine
makes tapping into the Force harder, but also opens the person to the temptations of the
Dark Side once the Force has been called upon.
Essentially, each prosthetic has a set number of cyber points. The character's
Sense or Willpower total (whichever is higher) divided by the total number of cyber points
a character has needs to be higher than the character's Dark Side Point total, or that
character will earn 10 Dark Side Points each month (For example: Character X has a
Willpower skill of 60, 4 cyber points, and 20 Dark Side Points. 60/4=15<20, therefore
Character X receives 10 DS points at the end of the month. 3 months of this and he'll be
consumed by the Dark Side. Better keep a sharp eye on the DS points).
Characters with any cyber points receive double the amount of Dark Side points each time they earn them. Once again, NO ARGUING. MY DECISION IS FINAL ON THIS ONE.
Psychological counseling has been mentioned several times. This is a necessary process if a person has too many enhancements or replacements. To see if your cyborg is in danger of losing his wits, take the total number of cyber points and divide that number into the Perception attribute rank or the Willpower skill rank (whichever is higher). If the cyber point total is more than half of the result of that division operation, then the character will begin to lose his sanity (For example: Character X has his willpower of 60 again. This time, he has 6 cyber points. dividing 6 into 60 yields a result of 10. 6 is more than half of 10, so Character X would begin to lose his sane outlook on life). It is very important to maintain a high Willpower or Perception rank if you intend to utilize cybernetics.
The primary use of cybernetics is to replace limbs and organs that have become damaged beyond repair. Replacements duplicate the abilities of the natural organ or limb, they do not enhance a being's performance in any way.
Prosthetic limbs, by Biotech Repli-Limb Corp.: Certainly not the only bionic replacement company, but all other companies have similar products.
Cybernetic enhancements are available to the desperate of the galaxy. The technology
improves a person's abilities, but reduces their "humanity." A cybernetic
enhancement makes the recipient less empathic toward other beings and increases his chance
to be consumed by the Dark Side of the Force (as detailed above).
An enhancement can be an attachment (such as Lobot's cyborg construct) or a package, which
increases an attribute and the related skills.
Biotech Borg Construct AJ^6: Be like Lobot! Shave your head and wear over-sized headphones! This biocomp implant allows the borg to interface directly with computers, computer data, and computer programs. Over a period of time, the being's mind loses more and more of its personality as the being begins to think more and more in the terms of machines and binary codes.
Neuro-Saav Corporation Cardio-Muscular Package: Get the benefits of bodybuilding without the years of hard work. This is a very dangerous enhancement package. People with this enhancement tend to believe that they are impervious to harm. After a while this takes a psychological toll. Most people who get this enhancement are already on the edge. Often times it is enough to send them over that edge.
'Geneering Corporation's Response iMprOVEMENT Package (RiMPack): This is a bio-impulse interface to allow for quicker reflexes in appropriate situations. A person with 'Geneering's RiMPack behaves as if he has eyes all over his head. The RiMPack heightens a person's ability to receive sensory input and apply the information.
SoroSuub Motion Interface Package: Turn the entire galaxy into a real life
vid-game! Enemies appear one color while friendlies appear another. Obstacles have an
electric glow around them. Probable courses are plotted, targeting computers can
automatically lock in on anything within a weapon's field of fire and the interface
examines flight patterns of foes.
A common effect of sensory enhancements is that users report normal life as being
completely dull. Cyborgs with this package are drawn to combat, when the graphics are most
intense. This fascination normally results in the premature death of the individual.
The cyborg will need to plug in to whichever system he is using; a pilot is plugged into
the ship's bridge, a gunner to the ship's gun control system, and so on. If the cyborg is
riding some kind of beast, the sensory package still works, even though there is nothing
to jack into.
Neuro-Saav Hifold Sensory Package: The thinking person's enhancement. It won't increase a person's ability with a blaster, but it will enable the cyborg to read people's body language much better. The user becomes acutely aware of how a person's breathing is changing or if their eyes are shifting in new ways. A person with this package will be able to interpret this kind of data to tremendous advantage.
Neuro-Saav Hi-sense Enhanced eyes: A cyborg with this enhancement sees everything with exceptional clarity and detail - heat dispersion, heightened colors, and illuminated shadows. It's a completely different way of seeing the galaxy. The cyborg is, in fact, no longer seeing it as a living being.
Biotech Neuro-Shock Hand: The Neuro-Shock Hand came into vogue with bounty hunters and criminals a few years back in the outer rim systems. Sales have been down, but these devices are still out there. Because it looks like a normal hand, the device often surprises victims
Control Zone Ltd, Repulse Hand: This is a brutal weapon, and is seen as the mark of a being who has no regard or concern for law or morality. This is a permanent mutilation of one's body, and is therefore quite popular with bounty hunters, assassins, and ruthless thugs......at great cost to their spirit. This is a unique weapon. It is a functional prosthetic hand, but it has no synthflesh covering and no sensory interface (so the owner feels no pain (or other stimuli) with it.
Design Your Own Enhancement or Bionic Replacement: My sourcebook only has so many enhancements and ideas. If you want something but don't see it here, send me your idea and I will reply ASAP to give you my opinions of it.
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