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Cyberware

Cyberware is a personal upgrade primarily involving inorganic or mechanical parts. The installation of these parts are often through schema activation and so they are built slowly by nanobots in order to reduce the trauma to the patient. Otherwise, the parts are installed through surgery, and the patient has to finish a long rest in recuperation.

The most common cyberware enhancements include:

  • Mnemonic. The mnemonic is a piece of hardware on the cerebral cortex that allows you to instantly recall facts, gain a proficiency, or learn a language, simply by uploading an information pack.
  • Restorer. Restorers are a system of nanobots operating in your body to find and attack cancer cells, find and replace dead cells, clear hardening arteries, amongst many other things.

Cyberware is a Mishap Category​

While all the best efforts (usually) are made to integrate cyberware into your body, such that it is harmonious and well-operating, it can malfunction because of damage, poor quality or installation, and it can even be targeted by hackers.

The mishaps that occur to cyberware are determined by the same mishap rule that we covered in “Chapter 8: Equipment”. However, there is a particular knock-on effect that can apply to cyberware that present a break-mishap property in their effect line (like in the flame channel example shown in the “Enhancement Upgrades” section above).

B(tg,c) with 3(range), 18(q) then 2d8+B(hp,fire), break-mishap then 1d6(hp,fire) The break-mishap property indicates that you will suffer 1d6(hp,fire) damage when a break-mishap occurs. This mishap damage is internal, so any resistance owing to fields, armour or other external protections will not apply.

An engineer or chopper can help. With any mishap (break or pause), an engineer with the right expertise can use their repair action to restart inoperable cyberware, or even repair broken cyberware (with more time). Usually, this would be someone with the Cybernetics engineering skill, but certain types of cyberware can be looked at by other engineers. The engineer can try a repair action against the CDC of the cyberware. If they succeed, the cyberware is restored.

These cyberware vulnerabilities are generally no problem for your average citizen, because they are unlikely to enter into combat, or to come under attack. However, adventurers are not your average citizen, and sometimes find that their cyberware is failing them just when they need it most.

Despite some of the risks and failures, cyberware is still a popular choice of enhancement, because of its effectiveness and low cost, compared with geneware.

Hacking Cyberware​

As is normal for any technological bypass, you target the cyberware’s CC-S, which is usually the same as the CC. As was explained under “Working With Engineering”, the CC is derived from the complexity component of the cost of the equipment.