Shadowrun
Shadowrun General => Gear => Topic started by: Basic on <09-07-13/1005:03>
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http://maxmahem.net/wp/sr5-cyber-exoskeleton/
Cyber Exoskeleton: This system adds a mostly external cybernetic musculature, bolted onto the users bones, fully replacing the role of the bodies normal musculature. Originally developed for those suffering from spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy, and other forms of non-cerebral paralysis, it has gained popularity as lower cost and less invasive alternative to traditional strength and agility enhancement. Unlike traditional muscle augmentation the Cyber Exoskeleton completely replaces rather than augments the strength and agility scores of the user. It grants a new strength score equal to twice its rating and an agility score equal to its rating. While a Cyber Exoskeleton is active, this new strength and agility score cannot be adjusted by any means, including magical, chemical, and cybernetic enhancements (and hindrances). At the GMs discretion a user with a Cyber Exoskeleton may be immune to some paralysis effects as well. The Cyber Exoskeleton is incompatible with both skillwires and reflex recorder bioware.
The disadvantage of a Cyber Exoskeleton compared to traditional augmentation is that it is nearly impossible to conceal (+8 concealment modifier) and requires special tailoring to wear with armor (increase price of armor by 100%). It also potentially vulnerable to cybernetic attack, bricking the system completely paralyzes the user, and at the GM’s discretion, a compromised Cyber Exoskelton could even be used to control the user like a puppet. Removing or installing the external components of a Cyber Exoskeleton takes a Cybertechnology [Mental] (6, 1 minute) Extended Test.
Wireless: The system functions as skillwires of its rating.
Cost Raiting x 20,000￥
Availability Rating x4
Essence Raiting
These used to be extremely popular with gangers as a cheap way to acquire muscle. But since Crash 2.0 it has fallen out of favor as a medical treatment and so is harder to find and more expensive. Many places still prohibit them without a legitimate medical excuse. Today they still find popularity with some decker gangs like the Brain Eaters in Seattle. -Sawbones
Yeah you get a great bang for your buck with this ‘ware, but it has some serious drawbacks. If you use it wirelessly, make sure your defenses are up to stuff because getting paralyzed or worse on a run is no fun. -Metalo
Design Notes: Obviously inspired by the movie Elysium, the Cyber Exoskeleton is provided as an interesting alternative to conventional muscle replacement. It is cheaper in terms of essence and nuyen, but this is balanced by its stat replacement nature, concealability drawback, and limited agility. Compared to muscle replacement, you get a small advantage when it is taken at ranks 3 and 4 (summarized in the table below), assuming the runners Strength and Agility are mini-maxed at 0 for both stats. Its a peice of gear designed to be most attractive to deckers, riggers, or any other archetype who might have more limited physical agility needs. It is also a great piece of gear to turn an otherwise plain NPC into a possible threat.
To Adapt for 4th edition, simply reduce the cost to 5,000￥ or 7,500￥ times the rating, and possibly change the availability to Rating x 3.
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Seems a bit too cheap, partiuclarly since it would let characters dump their physical stats.
Assuming I am a STR 1/AGI 1 character, for 60,000 nuyen, I get:
Muscle Augmentation 5/Muscle Toner 2 (Just going to cost it out as Muscle Replacement 5 to be generous): 125,000
Skillwires 3: 60,000
Skilljack 3 (You have to have a Skilljack and Skillwires to run Activesoft): 60,000
As long as I keep wireless turned off (forgoing the skillwire system), I'm pretty much immune to being hacked.
Maybe if it were Restricted or Forbidden gear the concealability issue might make it worth it. Even then, I think it's too cheap.
One possible change that might work: Edge can't be used for any physical test, regardless of whether wireless is on or not.