While playing my character lost his leg, but was lucky enough to get a cybernetic replacement, in a later fight he got hit by an orc choppa, it took his other leg but it also got me and GM thinking how to play it out if it got hit in a cybernetic one. I don't remember reading anything about it in the books (might have overlooked it). I brainstormed about it for a bit and came up with this solution.

The cybernetic limb (each) has it's own wound pool, those wounds can't be cured by medicae test (well duh!) but also do not impose any wounded status on the person hit, only the funcionality of the said limb, so even if the cyber arm gets shot off, the person is in no danger of bleeding out and does not suffer any additional penalties except for things that would require that arm (neural impulse suppresors kick in and you do not feel pain even tho it should be connected to your neural system somehow, to allow control, some crits might go over it as they overload the suppresor). Also, the craftmenship might influence the durability of said limb, as it is no longer a part of the orginal body, you do not use TB to determin the damage reduction (or whatever you use, seen many TB discussions here) but each cybernetics would have an unnatural toughnes, dependent on quality. UT so it can stack with armor worn over it.

Poor: 2 UT

Common: 4 UT

Good: 6 UT

Best: 8-9 UT

Also, the crit chart is a work in progress, will post it as I complete it.

Thoughts, ideas and constructive critisism welcome.

Cybernetics already have an effective UT 2 anyway and legs come in pairs so that you don't have to measure it to fit the soldiers existing legs. The other leg would be taken in surgery so that they match, otherwise a bionic leg would leave you mostly crippled still due to size differences. The Imperium's stuff follows STCs remember

I'm of the mind most of it is kind of unnecessary but the durability improving with craftsmanship isn't a bad idea but needs balanced way better than that. Otherwise, techpriest is God.

Oh, than we must have read it wrong, or to much of CyberPunk2020, nevertheless, we went the "separate limbs" way, and we'll probably stay that way, my sgt. doesn't want to loose his... umm... inbetween part, since now he managed to save it.

High UT for better craftsmenship was to balance the lack of natural TB for the part.

Techpriests are OP as feth with all those cybernetics, even as they are now, on the other hand you could end up in a grotesque situation with a techguy being just a torso without any limbs but still in full health.

On the side note, is there any difference between cybernetic and bionic or are those just two names for one thing?

Bionic refers specifically to the limbs generally for in-game purposes.

Losing your legs doesn't mean losing all three ;P

Your cybernetic limbs retain your natural TB.

Ah, just to make it clear, in RAW the bionic retains natural TB + 2 UT from the limb, in my idea it doesn't get your natural TB and only get it's own UT, it just rubs me wrong to set the toughnes of a piece of metal (especially since, as you said, they should be unified for all soldiers) based on the toughnes of the person.

Ah well in that case it's an entirely different story and your numbers don't look too bad at all.

You bring up a very interesting point. My reaction would be to draw a line between bionics vs. cybernetics. For example:

• Bionics are vat-grown, biological, or otherwise non-mechanical limbs and organs designed to replace a missing body part without committing to machinery. Treat them as a Poor craftsmanship implant, though a player can boost it to Common craftsmanship after sufficient playtime to get used to their new implant. For all intents and purposes, these replacements count as the character's own body parts for Toughness Bonus, Critical Damage, and the like. Haywire Fields have no effect on characters with only bionics.
• Cybernetics are mechanical upgrades of the body parts they replace. They follow the standard craftsmanship rules. A player can choose whether they want the limb fully integrated or separate from their body. Separated limbs require a few external mechanisms to sync with their owner and only access their owner's nervous system. While extra parts, such as a mounting point for a cybernetic arm, entail more vulnerabilities, the limb has its own Wound pool and its status does not affect the main body or vice-versa. Mechanically, such a character could have his cybernetic leg crushed and not bleed to death. An external cybernetic limb and its required devices are always obvious and may not be compatible with certain Talents, such as those that address Unarmed damage, or drugs.

An integrated cybernetic limb resembles its biological counterpart in both shape and structure. Incorporating the owner's skeletal, muscular, and cardiovascular systems, the limb's failings are also the body's failings. Mechanically, an integrated limb can kill the character with Critical Damage and similar effects. Such limbs may appear mechanical but are not always obvious, such as limbs hidden under clothing or armor. Treat integrated limbs as the character's own for Talents and the like. Haywire Fields always affect a character with cybernetics.

The bionics section is inspired by [Dark Heresy - The Lathe Worlds] with their Cult of the Pure Form. While differentiating implants this way could overcomplicate the system, it makes more narrative sense and offers a bit of diversity.

GW has (to my knowledge) never made a strong distinction between 'Cybernetic' and 'Bionic'. I remember finding this confusing, back when I first read the 1st edition of 40k ("Rogue Trader") years ago as a kid.

They're just words.

GW has (to my knowledge) never made a strong distinction between 'Cybernetic' and 'Bionic'. I remember finding this confusing, back when I first read the 1st edition of 40k ("Rogue Trader") years ago as a kid.

They're just words.

I am not so much nitpicking about word choice as I am trying to create distinctive choices when it comes to replacing a limb. Bionic was simply a word I chose on a whim. Name aside, I would rather hear if such measures are excessive or not. Personally, I think being able to choose between flesh and metal is nice, but having limbs integrated or not is too much.

As I understand, 'bionic' limps in 40k context have always been metal, not flesh.

As I understand, 'bionic' limps in 40k context have always been metal, not flesh.

So if the name was different, what would your opinion be?

Flesh-based repalcement-limbs would be really nice, which is why I don't really feel it fits in the gritty grimdark of 40k.

Warhammer (both fantasy and 40k) has always been heavy on the body-horror, on loss and alienation.

We're talking about people so scared of that witch is different and inhuman, that they sustain a large number of post humans to protect humanity. Even the Ad Mech don't understand the machines they worship.

Would a population like this willingly graft vat-grown flesh unto their own? Or would they be too fearful of the hidden threat of mutation?

No, the aestethic of 40k leans far more to accepting that the flesh is weak, and if you can possibly afford it, lost limbs are replaced with metal.

But that's just my .5$ I guess.

This is an excellent perspective. My solution is leaning towards idealism, defeating the purpose behind losing limbs. A cybernetic limb stands testament to the unforgiving setting. Going back to [Elmer84's] original proposition, having cybernetics scale off of the user's Wounds and Toughness Bonus may just be to minimize bookkeeping. It may be more in-depth for cybernetics to have their own stats, but tracking limb wounds separately can be an unnecessary burden on both the players and GM.

There are biological replacement parts for people in WH40k. The Techpriests have their very own sect that specializes on the biological modification and vat-growing stuff.

As far as I have understood it is just that the mechanical replacement limbs and organs are easier, cheaper or simply more easily available. Rather than cloning cells from trooper 205223-X and growing him a new lung they can simply take a standard M38-422 replacement lung off a shelf and stick it into him. And if it is slightly awkward fit then, sucks to be him. That is the life in the Astra Militarum.

Inquisitors, nobles, Rogue Traders, Marines and other important people may be able to get cloned replacement organs. (At least one BL novel mentioned that a space marine would have to do with a simple cybernetical eye until they would get back to chapter fortress and the medics would have time to grow a new eye for him.)

Bionics are machine parts meant to replace or imitate existing functions, Cybernetics are machine parts meant to augment existing abilities or add new functions not present beforehand. Assuming 40k's intent was to use the existing terms an a literal sense.