Cybermancy

By Tim Earnshaw (shaith@dlcwest.com)

Description

The discipline of Cybermancy is a very recent creation of the Caitiff to better adapt with the technological paradigm, something of which other Kindred may well have to do as well as it progresses. The discipline is still in its early stages and as such it is still difficult to do; it may become easier as the Technocratic paradigm progresses, but that is just guesswork. Actual technological pieces are still required for this discipline, so outside of cities it is not very useful unless you bring your arsenal of devices along with you. It also is not cheap, unless characters possessing them goes out and steals/rips the technology, they are going to have to fork out a lot of cash for some of the better things until they come into vogue with reality.

Botches with this discipline can have a number of nasty effects: rejection of a meshed part, the device short circuiting, malfunctioning, even overloading the user, not to mention electrical arcs and such. This should give all you sadistic Storytellers out there alot of fun things to play with *grin* considering what all that could do to the user itself.

* Cyber Sense

The user at this level can come "in tune" with technology, giving her a better sense of how the device works and how best to use it, allowing those not very good with technology to have more of an edge. The "knowledge" imparted however is temporary and will fade after time.

The player rolls Intelligence + Science difficulty 7; each success grants 1 extra dice for use in technological related rolls, be it repair or usage. The dice may be spread out or used in a single roll; however the power only lasts one scene, and may only be attempted once per scene. This power however may not be used on devices that have been "Cybernetically Meshed" to you already.

* Tech Bonding

By touching a piece of sensory equipment the user may temporarily use the devices senses for herself. If she touched infrared goggles she could see in infrared for a time and so on. This works only with sensory equipment, but pheremone detectors, metal detectors, UV cameras etc are reasonable with this power, a scanning electron microscope or other type of super-complex technology is not (ST discretion on what happens if a user tries anyways however *efg*)

The player spends a blood and touches the sensory device, then rolls Perception + Science (difficulty 6), 1 success = 1 turn, 2 successes = 1 hour and 3+ successes= 1 night that the player may switch her senses from her normal ones to that of the device. In cases of infrared, UV and radio wave perception the target adds her science rating to her perception, in magnification of sound and sight etc, the bonus the device would give.

*** Cybernetic Meshing

The user may physically mesh devices with her own body at this level, making the part or device a part of her body in every respect. She could mesh a night goggle eye piece to her eye, or a palmtop computer into her forearm seemlessly. However the area will take on a biomechanical appearance unless she meshes it very well. Space restrictions still apply: meshing a device the size of your arm into your arm leaves the area unable to be meshed with anything else unless the device is removed. As well if the area is damaged she may well need to repair and or replace the device, as well as heal the flesh.

The character places a piece of technology or device over the area to be meshed, spends 1 blood point and rolls Stamina + Science (difficulty 8) to mesh the part. 1 success will have the area look like its had the device stuck in, 2 that the flesh has melded with the device but still biomechanical, 3 discoloration and a strange texture, 5 a perfect blend. The device or part will still require batteries or other charge it normally requires to work. You may need to lug around a battery pack or such for some things. Of course you can always mesh them along as well (;. The same roll is used to remove the hardware from your body at difficulty 6. The device is still obvious while in use: a D tray will still flip out, or monitor, a laser eye will still look mechanical etc while it is active.

**** Bio-Interface

At this level the user may set up a permanent interface between components meshed into her on a biological level, forgoing the need to replace batteries or physically punch in commands. In all respects the device is a part of her; she interacts with it as if it were a bodily organ. She could read the contents of a meshed computer's hard drive with her mind, or while meshed permanently have her eye capable of laser targeting for example. However, each device must be seperately linked to the user and it will take time to have every meshed object in her body working synchronization with her biology. For devices such as computers that are linked, the user can make a direct interface between a meshed linked computer in her body and another computer. However, while this does make things easier, a nasty virus or bug etc could have a very bad effect on the user as the device is essentially a direct part of her (twitches, unconsciousness etc unless she actually spends blood to "heal" the damage). Devices no longer need to be powered with batteries etc to use; however a blood point must be spent to activate and use.

To create a link between the user and a meshed device she must spend one blood point and roll Willpower (difficulty 7). For computers and related devices the difficulty to use it, interlink with other computers and hack etc. are +1 dice per success. However, the bonus is not in effect when simply using a computer or link etc. that is not meshed to you. Essentially you can use the device much more quickly and with more skill, as well as artificially giving you a photographic memory provided you still do the rolls for data retrival and sending an image seen to the computer. For linked laser sights to the eye etc. infrared devices, electronic weapons, the device instead may automatically be activated or deactivated at no cost, as well as giving bonuses where applicable ie thermal sensors have a perception of 8. A user with perception 3 could actually boost hers to 8 with spending a blood point etc. Weapon targetting would go down -2 difficulty to a minimum of 4 etc. The character should record all devices meshed and linked to her, as well as the bonuses etc given by them.

***** Technocrafting

With Technocrafting, the user can actually reshape devices meshed with her body, as well as those outside her body with more effort, without sacrificing the object's function. This has many uses, making a device more portable, or reshaping it into a melee weapon in combat situations. A creative user may be able to figure out (At ST's discretion) a way to reshape a device into a weapon and allow it to give off an electrical charge or other such effect with enough successes.

For reshaping devices meshed and or linked, the user must spend 1 blood point and roll Dexterity + Medicine (difficulty 7). Each success when used to create a a blunt or sharp weapon gives the user an extra dice of damage when using it in combat, or minor shape alterations for 1 success to complete shape/size change for 5. The area altered itself will look biomechanical, with various patterns of circuits etc on its surface. Only simple weapons may be created this way and damage from them is considered normal (Although an ST may rule at 5 successes the weapon can do aggravated though with less dice, use your imagination). For non-meshed devices the player spend a blood point and rolls Strength + Science (difficulty 8), with the same results as above. With enough time and effort the user may be able to create new jacks, plugs, drives and other physical improvements.