Wetware/Mutations + Cybernetics Questions - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Wetware/Mutations + Cybernetics Questions

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
kuma_kode
Nov 18, 2008 0:23:00 D20 Future Tech has a robot feat called Wetware, which gives bioreplicas some of the benefits of being organic. One of these benefits is the ability to accept cybernetics.

The thing is, though, how many? A character's number of cybernetic slots is based on their constitution score... so how would that function for a character who lacks a constitution score? If you go with having it function as a modifier 0, that seems rather shallow. Buy a feat to get natural healing (which is far inferior to being repaired, anyway, so it rarely comes up) and a single cybernetic slot?

How would you handle a wetware robot wanting cybernetics?

Also, another person in my group is playing a mutant. He's apparently figured out that Extra Arms has an MP cost of 6, and taking two Lost Arm drawbacks at 3 each can make that a 0. However, he can now replace the lost limbs with cybernetics, as the Lost Arm drawback states. So he's effectively gained the benefits of the Extra Arms mutation and the ability to fight with 4 weapons at the expense of, like, 4 wealth points. That sounds kinda cheesy to me. Anyone else agree, or no?

Also, is there anything negative associated with the subcutaneous body armor that I should be aware of? Because how it reads seems to indicate that it's a +8 defense bonus with no speed penalty, no armor check penalty, and no max dex bonus and has a relatively low purchase DC of 25. EVERYONE in the group bought it, and this has kinda forced me to start using autofire and grenades a lot (which reeks of cheap DM tactics). Most of the characters would require a natural 20 to hit themselves.
#2
grimgrin
Nov 18, 2008 20:11:37 [i]1. How do you handle a Wetware robot and cybernetics?[/i]

I remember an old FAQ question that asked how to handle CON based special attacks and qualities for undead creatures. The answer was to use CHA instead. For the Wetware robot I would use CHA to determine how many cybernetic implants it can have.

2. Wily 4 arm/No arm mutants.

That's total cheez-whiz and I wouldn't allow it. I would rule that gaining extra arms benefit precludes your ability to take the lost arm drawback. Just like Energy Absorbstion (Heat & Cold) and Heat/Cold Susceptablity or Pheromone Attraction and Pheromone Repulsion. or Skeleton Reinforcement and Brittle Bones.

Alternatively, if you want to allow it you can state that you can only take the lose an arm penalty once. He has to take another penalty to have 4 arms for free.

If you can't or don't want to enforce either of the above rulings I would at least give him a dose of "metagaming logic".
AS AN EXPLAINATION TO THE PLAYER I WOULD SAY:

"Since most people only have two arms, the lost arm drawback counts as half their arms. So a four arm creature that takes it twice loses all his arms and must replace all of them with implants."

[i]3. Dermal Armor Balancer[/i]

Dermal Armor has 1/3 the hit points of the character and no hardness. It doesn't say it specifically but you could use this as a flaw.

Off the top of my head, 3 different possible flaws.

a} You could rule that dermal armor degrades by one AC each time a character loses more than 1/3 his HP in a single day. Eventually the implant must be scrapped.

b} Dermal armor is destroyed if the character loses more than 1/3 her hit points in a single attack.

c} Dermal armor suffers 1/3 the damage that you suffer and must be regularly repaired by expensive nano-bots or surgery.
#3
kuma_kode
Nov 20, 2008 20:54:25 Thanks. I didn't even think about the Charisma thing, despite that it states that bioreplicas use their Charisma in place of their Constitution for concentration checks. Though it's rather unfortunate due to a bioreplica's starting Charisma being locked at 10, it's significantly easier for her to increase that score than others can increase their Constitution.

I'm a little angry at the mutant because he swore to me that his math was correct and that he had both his drawbacks and benefits at equal cost/value, I redid his math and found that he was 5 points over. I doubt I'll let him keep it the way he has it, since he obviously has more than he can manage. I just wanted an extra opinion.

Hmm. I like the third option, I may have it take damage progressively. Since, obviously, any attack that actually hits must have pierced the armor, and one of the players has been bugging me about tracking armor and weapon durability.

As an added bonus, having them repeatedly repairing their awesome armor will provide a wealth sink so that they can't save up to a ridiculous wealth and buy everything for nearly free.
#4
Wolfen_Fenrison
Nov 21, 2008 17:21:51 there is also the +50% more damage from electricty, badguys start carrying stun guns and tasers, they will wish they never shoved tech i their flesh.
#5
kuma_kode
Nov 21, 2008 22:52:36 Weapons that deal electricity damage that I've seen can't match the damage done by a typical laser weapon, even with the +50%.

Though the electrified weapon gadget from Future Tech would get a little scary with that... I'll probably just throw in some snapped wires whipping around as hazards.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 kuma_kode Nov 18, 2008 0:23:00	D20 Future Tech has a robot feat called Wetware, which gives bioreplicas some of the benefits of being organic. One of these benefits is the ability to accept cybernetics. The thing is, though, how many? A character's number of cybernetic slots is based on their constitution score... so how would that function for a character who lacks a constitution score? If you go with having it function as a modifier 0, that seems rather shallow. Buy a feat to get natural healing (which is far inferior to being repaired, anyway, so it rarely comes up) and a single cybernetic slot? How would you handle a wetware robot wanting cybernetics? Also, another person in my group is playing a mutant. He's apparently figured out that Extra Arms has an MP cost of 6, and taking two Lost Arm drawbacks at 3 each can make that a 0. However, he can now replace the lost limbs with cybernetics, as the Lost Arm drawback states. So he's effectively gained the benefits of the Extra Arms mutation and the ability to fight with 4 weapons at the expense of, like, 4 wealth points. That sounds kinda cheesy to me. Anyone else agree, or no? Also, is there anything negative associated with the subcutaneous body armor that I should be aware of? Because how it reads seems to indicate that it's a +8 defense bonus with no speed penalty, no armor check penalty, and no max dex bonus and has a relatively low purchase DC of 25. EVERYONE in the group bought it, and this has kinda forced me to start using autofire and grenades a lot (which reeks of cheap DM tactics). Most of the characters would require a natural 20 to hit themselves.
#2 grimgrin Nov 18, 2008 20:11:37	[i]1. How do you handle a Wetware robot and cybernetics?[/i] I remember an old FAQ question that asked how to handle CON based special attacks and qualities for undead creatures. The answer was to use CHA instead. For the Wetware robot I would use CHA to determine how many cybernetic implants it can have. 2. Wily 4 arm/No arm mutants. That's total cheez-whiz and I wouldn't allow it. I would rule that gaining extra arms benefit precludes your ability to take the lost arm drawback. Just like Energy Absorbstion (Heat & Cold) and Heat/Cold Susceptablity or Pheromone Attraction and Pheromone Repulsion. or Skeleton Reinforcement and Brittle Bones. Alternatively, if you want to allow it you can state that you can only take the lose an arm penalty once. He has to take another penalty to have 4 arms for free. If you can't or don't want to enforce either of the above rulings I would at least give him a dose of "metagaming logic". AS AN EXPLAINATION TO THE PLAYER I WOULD SAY: "Since most people only have two arms, the lost arm drawback counts as half their arms. So a four arm creature that takes it twice loses all his arms and must replace all of them with implants." [i]3. Dermal Armor Balancer[/i] Dermal Armor has 1/3 the hit points of the character and no hardness. It doesn't say it specifically but you could use this as a flaw. Off the top of my head, 3 different possible flaws. a} You could rule that dermal armor degrades by one AC each time a character loses more than 1/3 his HP in a single day. Eventually the implant must be scrapped. b} Dermal armor is destroyed if the character loses more than 1/3 her hit points in a single attack. c} Dermal armor suffers 1/3 the damage that you suffer and must be regularly repaired by expensive nano-bots or surgery.
#3 kuma_kode Nov 20, 2008 20:54:25	Thanks. I didn't even think about the Charisma thing, despite that it states that bioreplicas use their Charisma in place of their Constitution for concentration checks. Though it's rather unfortunate due to a bioreplica's starting Charisma being locked at 10, it's significantly easier for her to increase that score than others can increase their Constitution. I'm a little angry at the mutant because he swore to me that his math was correct and that he had both his drawbacks and benefits at equal cost/value, I redid his math and found that he was 5 points over. I doubt I'll let him keep it the way he has it, since he obviously has more than he can manage. I just wanted an extra opinion. Hmm. I like the third option, I may have it take damage progressively. Since, obviously, any attack that actually hits must have pierced the armor, and one of the players has been bugging me about tracking armor and weapon durability. As an added bonus, having them repeatedly repairing their awesome armor will provide a wealth sink so that they can't save up to a ridiculous wealth and buy everything for nearly free.
#4 Wolfen_Fenrison Nov 21, 2008 17:21:51	there is also the +50% more damage from electricty, badguys start carrying stun guns and tasers, they will wish they never shoved tech i their flesh.
#5 kuma_kode Nov 21, 2008 22:52:36	Weapons that deal electricity damage that I've seen can't match the damage done by a typical laser weapon, even with the +50%. Though the electrified weapon gadget from Future Tech would get a little scary with that... I'll probably just throw in some snapped wires whipping around as hazards.