Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ice_miller Feb 03, 2008 19:35:31	You're the GM, and one of your PCs decides to select Cybernetics: Fortified Skeleton (d20 Future), page 197. The description says, "The skeletal reinforcement has one-quarter the maximum hit points of the recipient." For example, if the PC had 80 hit points, his reinforced skeleton would have 20 hit points. Would you allow the PC to add those hit points to his total for combat purposes? Personally, I would be inclined to allow it. My reasoning is that it makes up the very core of his body and reinforces his entire musculature system. There would be no way to injure this skeleton without first going through the flesh. Unless the GM has some sort of detailed "hit location chart," the skeleton would never be damaged in game play. Making damage and wounds inflict further injury to the PC's skeleton would be unfair, in my opinion. What are your thoughts?
#2 winternova Feb 28, 2008 16:18:55	You just solved one of my problems with that question. I've changed over equipment bonuses to defense in my most recent campaign to provide DR instead. So, how to solve the problem of two cybernetic enhancements that now do pretty much the same thing? Let the fortified skeleton add bonus HP. Now, to answer your question, I personally wouldn't. The body's ability to 'shrug off physical damage' as is described, is already represented by the four points of delicious damage reduction. My grasp of attacking objects is thin. I know that only external attachments may be attacked, but I believe if the fellow fails his save, all of his stuff (If you're particularly cruel) may be subjected to additional saves of their own. I know there are weapons that have specific effects on cybernetic attachments, such as the EMP grenade. Should the fortified skeleton be 'disabled' (however that works,) the sudden loss of twenty hit points (assuming the recipient had eighty prior to the new bones) may be the difference between "I'm going for cover next round" and "My next character is going to be a telepathic tracer who hates robots." That being said, I could easily see how one might justify it.
#3 rhialto Mar 02, 2008 14:03:21	I don't think an EMP grenade shoudl be able to weaken a fortified skeleton in taht way. EMP works against electronics. A fortified skeleton si basically just repalcing fleshy (and bony, but generally organic) bits with artificial bits that are stronger, harder, better. No leectronics need be involved.
#4 winternova Mar 02, 2008 16:05:31	I thought about it, and EMP weapons make sense affecting a fortified skeleton. Unless it's wetware, there's a damn blasted good chance that the skeleton's at least mostly metallic, and a like chance that the metal will be affected by electrical and magnetic forces - such as those generated by EMP weapons. Hypothetically, the pulse causes the bones to attract, or repulse one another. That could cause torn tendons and ligaments, muscle trauma, and general soft tissue damage. Kind of frightening, if you think about it.
#5 rhialto Mar 02, 2008 16:06:46	EMP affects electronics, not metals. That's a crucial difference.
#6 kronos182 Mar 08, 2008 20:40:08	I'm not sure I would add the skeleton's hit points to the players. Sure, that'd be great for the meat shield like Mongo. Personally, I might make it replace the player's MAS unless their con is higher. I don't have Cyberscape (at the moment) so I can't remember the exact details on the fortified skeleton. I'd see it as kind of like Wolverine, the bones are just reinforced and strengthened to prevent breaking. So an EMP wouldn't affect the skeleton itself, but any cybernetics attached to the bone structure, like a replaced hand, might be affected longer due to the skeleton possibly holding the EM discharge a bit longer, maybe? *shrugs* I need to get a copy of cyberscape again and read up on the cybernetics but I remember I wasn't a fan on how it did some stuff.
#7 strange_person Mar 17, 2008 1:48:30	Are the cybernetic HP lost first, or last, or interspersed with normal HP? This is particularly significant because cybernetic implants don't heal naturally.
#8 kronos182 Mar 17, 2008 23:56:36	Are the cybernetic HP lost first, or last, or interspersed with normal HP? This is particularly significant because cybernetic implants don't heal naturally. That'd depend on what the cybernetic item is, and where it is.. I don't think we've agreed on how the Fortified skeleton HP works yet... If it was an EXO-skeleton, it'd lose HP first I'd think, but since it's suppose to be internal.. umm... when you expose the bone then it takes damage? so basically, it don't take damage until you're ripped open and a big greasy smear on the floor around a metal skeleton? Maybe the HP is only for when you're trying to attack the cybernetic device directly.. like breaking someone's neck or spine.. It'd be far easier to break someone's cybernetic hand (even if it looks like a real one). Mongo smash puny man's hand so he can't shoot Mongo. So Mongo sunders the hand, only to find it's cybernetic (if it looked real) and that's definitely where the cybernetic's HP comes in.. Don't know if that helped any.. well.. probably definitely not for the fortified skeleton. We need backstabbist, Cyber-Dave or Waylan and the other number crunching and stat workers here.
#9 strange_person Mar 18, 2008 10:34:54	I actually came up with a system for injuries to limbs. It could be adapted, easily enough, into a called-shot system: take a -4 penalty on the attack roll, the target has to be flat-footed or dazed or stunned or otherwise not taking action in combat, spend an action point (which doesn't add to the attack roll, but roll it anyway). If the attack hits, the target takes normal damage, but cannot be reduced below 0 HP (except by a headshot, which should probably be resolved as a Coup de Grace rather than an automatic instant kill), and recieves an injury equal to (or less than, at the attacker's discretion) the result you got on the action-point die.