In many popular RPGames, cybernetic implants cause "humanity loss", reducing your social traits and essentially making cyberware into a form of Body Horror. (Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, Etc.) As with everything in the galaxy, this can come at a potential price, in Gelt and in the potential loss of self. Someone could easily go too far in attempting to be "more human than human."
Otherwise in terms of Game Balance (or Game Creep) nothing stops an Explorer from acquiring augmentation each game session - other than a GM who imposes restrictions due to availability, location, or other "story" based elements they wish to impose, which is fine but can become a stale "foil" and when PCs decide to "camp" in a setting with a vast populace and according better chances at availability - then the sky becomes the limit...
Presented herein are my House-rules which are derived from other game systems - with concrete rules in place the PCs now have the guidance needed in order for them to plot their course of cybernetic advancement in a 40k Universe without the GM's Hand being overly used.
The Balance - In this way a PC has to balance their inherent resources namely Fellowship & Willpower in exchange for abilities and "perks" which in most likelihood will be combat oriented, on top of that for those who wish to push the boundaries are presented with a way that costs heavily for those with the most to gain in terms of game setting advantages.
Cybernetics in 40k
From the loss of empathy & physical sensation to the susceptibility of haywire field and scrap-code effects, many risks exist in the fractured world of cybernetic procurement. Practical considerations such as an increase of weight to the sound and smell of converted parts all play a role towards the drawbacks of upgrading the flesh...
A character may install a number of cybernetic parts & addons up to their Toughness Bonus.
Once past that point – the recipient begins to suffer Biological Damage as they cross the divide between the machine and flesh…
Exceeding your Biology
If a character installs more cybernetic augmentations than this maximum total Tougnhness Bonus, he or she incurs a point of permanent of Critical Damage as the recipient now suffers a persistent condition that lasts until enough cybernetic implants are removed, via surgery, to place the character below this maximum total.
- +1 Point Critical Damage per Excess
Each part of the body can only hold a certain number of upgrades. A character only has a certain number of body slots: ( 7-Slots Total )
- Head Slots: 1
- Arm Slots ( including hands ): 1 each
- Torso Slots: 2
- Leg Slots ( including feet ): 1 each
For each installed augmentation slot location overage a character can opt to reduce one of the following values;
CHOOSE ONE (Essence Cost)
Fellowship -%5
Willpower -%5
Upgrade Limitations
A character can install any number of cybernetics into any of the above bodily locations, but exceeding your maximum total number of implants per slot has detrimental effects… ( see below )
Cybernetic Formula (Summary)
Surpassing Your Biology…
By Body Location Fellowship or Willpower Loss
By Toughness Bonus Critical Wounds
Mechanicus Considerations
By default Explorators ( aka Mechnicus Members ) gain some of the following qualities below…
TALENT
The Flesh is Weak
Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
The Explorer’s body has undergone significant bionic replacement to the point where he is far more machine than man.
This Talent grants the Explorer the Machine Trait ( see page 365 ) with Armour Points equal to the number of times this Talent has been taken. The Explorer may purchase this Talent multiple times in accordance with his Career Advances. In this case, note the number of times this Talent has been taken, such as The Flesh is Weak 3.
TRAIT
Machine
A creature with the Machine Trait is fashioned from inorganic materials and is generally more rigorous than fleshy folks. Machines do not breathe, are immune to the effects of a vacuum, extremes of cold, any mind-influencing psychic effect, and their Armour Points apply toward fire damage. Machines are also resilient to injury, having 1 to 5 Armour Points for each location. This number is indicated next to the Trait.
Bionic Arm - LIMB
Cyberskull - Cranial Armour (Obvious or Synthetic) - HEAD
Interface Port (Datajack) – HEAD, BODY, LIMBS
Auger Arrays – HEAD, BODY, LIMBS
Augmented Senses - HEAD, BODY, LIMBS
Baleful Eye - HEAD, LIMB
Bionic Heart - BODY
Bionic Leg - LIMB
Bionic Respiratory System - BODY
Calculus Logi Upgrade - HEAD
Cortex Implants - HEAD
Cybernetic Senses – HEAD, BODY, LIMBS
Manipulator Mechadendrite - BODY
Manufactured Muscle Grafts - LIMB
Medicae Mechadendrite - BODY
Memorance Implant – HEAD, BODY, LIMBS
Mind Impulse Unit (MIU) – HEAD, BODY, LIMBS
MIU Weapon Interface – HEAD, BODY, LIMBS
Optical Mechadendrite - BODY
Respiratory Filter Implant - BODY
Scribe-tines - LIMB
Smart Link - LIMB
Subskin Armor - BODY, LIMB
Utility Mechadendrite - BODY
Voidskin - BODY
Volitor Implant - HEAD
Vox Implant - HEAD, BODY, LIMBS
Edited by MorbidDon