Bionic Devices

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Bionic DevicesGeneral Bionics Rules    Bionics devices are tailored to the exact physiology of the individual they are installed within. They cannot be sold, even if severed from their user. It is not necessary to track weight or carry slots for any bionic device, nor do they significantly alter a character's overall weight.
    After purchase/invention, a user must have their bionics installed at a city hospital or faction base, with the assistance of experts in Alacrian biotech, under heavy sedation. These costs are included in the base price of the device.

Draconic Reservations    Because of dragons' doctrine that all beings should follow their true natures, the "unnatural" augmentations of bionics are frowned upon by both Red and White Draconic philosophies. Although not outright prohibited to adherents or even acolytes, bionics are considered in the best case to be necessary evils. "Officially," they are approved of in cases where a person has lost a body part and gone too long without it to regain it via healers, or in the case of revenants (who had no choice but to exist as bionic creatures). Unofficially, stories abound of acolytes with "approved" bionics who still experienced prejudice - a trend exacerbated by the dragons' refusal to make Vicars out of any bionics user, regardless of justification.

Size Increases & Appearance    In common practice, bionics that are externally visible are made to closely resemble the body part they replace, but can still be distinguished from natural flesh. If desired, any such device may have its Bionics competency requirement increased by 1 degree in order to appear perfectly natural; only the usage of the extra capabilities of the device, damage to the device, or exotic senses such as clairvoyance or Restoration (Arcana) will reveal that the part is bionic. Bionics that are externally visible can also be concealed by clothing.
    Alternatively, some users care nothing about even drastic alterations to their appearance. Such characters may make a maximum of 1 size increase to any bionic device. If such an alteration is not acceptable, no size increases may be applied to bionic devices at all. Transnatural Enthusiasm (Athletics) can increase the per-device size increase maximum above 1.
    Drastic technological changes to one's appearance, while not illegal in any realm, still have a tendency to disturb common folk. Characters with any amount of size increases to any bionic devices must add 1 Hindrance in any social action directed towards commoners. In areas heavily influenced by draconic philosophy (such as Macska and I'Gremsul), this Hindrance is instead 1, plus 1 for every 2 size increases; in order to completely avoid Hindrance in these places, users must conceal all of their bionics. This applies even to draconic adherents who are technically justified in their bionics according to the dogma.
    These drawbacks replace the usual effect of size increases on weight and carry slots. Since bionics devices become part of the character's body, they do not apply weight and carry slots at all.

Power Sources    Bionic devices which list "N/A" for their power source are fueled by small, internal insendite crystals, which do not need to be replaced during the course of an adventuring campaign. Devices which list "BPP" require the Bionic Power Pack device, which powers them in a similar manner to other categories of device which use external power packs. You do not need a Bionic Power Pack if you have only "N/A" devices.

Revenants & Bionics    Revenants are the pinnacle of Alacrian bionics, with almost their entire body replaced by technology. Revenants who use devices from this chapter are generally not adding to their body or replacing parts like other playable species. Instead, they are regaining access to their original capabilities, only needing to replace certain worn-out or missing components.
    To reflect this, all prices for bionics devices are reduced to 20% for revenant characters, and they never need to 'install' the devices at city hospitals. Certain device rules pertaining to non-organic injury rules are obviously redundant for revenants. Revenants never add social Hindrance from size increases to bionic devices, nor can they increase competency requirements to appear 'natural.'

Effects on Tiered Conditions    Liches and vampires can use bionics; however, these conditions' highly physical nature means they will be slightly disrupted. Your tier in any of these conditions is reduced by 1 for every 2 bionics devices you have installed, to a minimum of 1 total tier.
    Bionic Arms cannot be used for the purposes of any Vampire Ability that requires a free hand.

Effects on Aging     Certain bionics devices negate certain effects of non-prime age categories. Since these benefits are rarely relevant for adventurers, they are instead listed in Aging.

Bionic Power PackRequires Bionics: 1 and either Adamantology: 1 or Crystallurgy: 1
Price: 1000 (not including crystals)
    This device holds a maximum of 1 volatite crystal (20 charge) and extracts its charge to provide a charge generation of 4 per turn. Shutting down the generator is a major action, as is starting it again; it expends no energy simply to remain active, but must be shut down in order to change the crystals. Changing each crystal is a slowing major action. It can only power your bionics devices.
    The device can also be "plugged into" by other power pack devices, allowing you to power your bionics devices with the same external sources as your other devices. However, activating or deactivating this function is a major action, and this device cannot generate power itself while channeling an external source. It cannot operate in reverse to power non-bionic devices.
Effects per Size Increase: Increases the maximum loaded crystals by 1, and increases the charge generation per turn by 2. See Size Increases & Appearance above.
Effects of Advanced Device: Increases the charge generation per turn by a percentage equal to 25 times your excess degrees of Adamantology or Crystallurgy competency (whichever is greater).

Bionic ArmRequires Bionics: 1
Price: 3000
Power Source: N/A
    This device replaces an entire arm (or equivalent appendages for disparate species). It may replace a lost limb, or the limb may be amputated during installation. Once installed, you cannot regrow your natural arm, even if the device is removed.
    Bionic arms are extremely durable and will generally survive anything that does not fully obliterate the user; they cannot be dismembered except by deliberate uninstallation. Aside from this, you use tech repair rules for the matching side (left or right) of Hand/Arm Injuries, and are treated as a non-organic for the rules of those degrees of injury. Any extra damage that spills over into Core Injuries is unaffected, and continues to follow normal healing rules.
    Bionic arms may either increase your STR by 2, or increase both your STR and DEX by 1 each. This choice must be made when the device is produced. The stat increase (as well as any stat increase from size increases or advanced status) is removed by any degree of injury to the arm.
    You may install up to two of these devices (one replacing each arm); the effects on STR and DEX will stack. The STR effect does not stack with the STR bonus from the Powered Exoskeleton mechanical device; consider only the greater STR bonus between the two devices, though the effects on other stats all apply as normal.
    Bionic Arms may have a maximum of one Bionic Natural Weapon, Bionic Ranged Weapon, or Artificial Arcane Link installed per arm.
Effects per Size Increase: May increase either STR or DEX by 1. The total DEX bonus from this device may not exceed the total STR bonus, and the total STR bonus may not exceed 50% of your bSTR. See Size Increases & Appearance above.
Effects of Advanced Device: Increases the total STR and DEX bonuses by a percentage equal to 25 times your excess degrees of Bionics or Mechanical competency (whichever excess is lesser).

Bionic MobilityRequires Bionics: 1
Price: 4500
Power Source: N/A
    This device replaces part or all of one's legs (or equivalent appendages for disparate species). It may replace a lost limb, or the limb(s) may be amputated during installation. Once installed, you cannot regrow your natural legs, even if the device is removed.
    Bionic limbs are extremely durable and will generally survive anything that does not fully obliterate the user; they cannot be dismembered except by deliberate uninstallation. Aside from this, you use tech repair rules for Mobility Injuries, and are treated as a non-organic for the rules of those degrees of injury. Any extra damage that spills over into Core Injuries is unaffected, and continues to follow normal healing rules.
    Bionic mobility increases your SPD by 1. This SPD increase (as well as any SPD increase from size increases or advanced status) is removed by any degree of Mobility Injury.
    Only one Bionic Mobility device may be installed; just as separate injuries are not tracked for each of a character's legs, one device can describe changes to both legs.
Effects per Size Increase: Increases SPD by 1. Alternatively, two size increases may be devoted to removing the fatigue cost of rushing; this also removes the exhaustion cost of hurried travel. See Size Increases & Appearance above.
Effects of Advanced Device: Increases the total SPD bonus by a percentage equal to 25 times your excess degrees of Bionics or Mechanical competency (whichever excess is lesser).

Bionic VisionRequires Bionics: 1
Price: 2000
Power Source: N/A
    This device replaces at least one of your eyes. Once installed, it cannot be removed without blinding the user (and this can only be cured by installing a new Bionic Vision device). Upon installing the device, one of the following effects must be permanently chosen for it:
    -You gain shadow vision, seeing in any Low Light condition as if it were Medium Light.
    -You are immune to blinding, except from Perception Injuries and total darkness.
    -You receive a +TN of 1 in detection rolls.
    Only one of these devices may be installed.
    This device is ineffective at any time you are using the effects of another type of vision from a condition (for example, a sorcerer's darkeye vision). It resumes being effective if you voluntarily stop using the condition's form of vision.
Effects per Size Increase: You may choose another effect from the list above. The option for detection roll +TN can be chosen more than once. See Size Increases & Appearance above.
Effects of Advanced Device: Increases the detection roll +TN (if any) by a percentage equal to 25 times your excess degrees of Bionics or Crystallurgy competency (whichever excess is lesser).

Alacrian EyelinkRequires Bionics: 1
Price: 2000
Power Source: N/A
    Nearly all Alacris had not only a bionic eye, but an implant that granted them access to an enormous network of information. This information could be instantly displayed in their vision, summoned by a whisper or even a thought. Though Lur-Asko no longer has the benefit of the old networks, recovered eyelinks can instead be programmed with various copies of relevant lore.
    This device requires Bionic Vision, and has no effect if you do not also have that device. Choose an Ability you have which provides a +TN to an INT roll; this device increases that +TN by 3. Your Ability choice for this device can be altered by spending 4 hours in a major city library, where new information can be uploaded.
    This device is entirely internal, and needs no increase in competency requirement to appear natural.
Effects per Size Increase: You may choose another Ability to receive the effects of this device. All Ability choices may be changed during the same 4-hour library process. See Size Increases & Appearance above.
Effects of Advanced Device: For every 4 degrees of Diagnostics competency, you may choose another Ability as if the device had another size increase.

Bionic EnduranceRequires Bionics: 2
Price: 4000
Power Source: N/A
    This device replaces portions of one's torso. It consists of many artificial fortifications to the body, making it greatly resistant to injury with the proper training. Once installed, it cannot be removed without killing the user.
    This device causes you to use tech repair rules for Superficial Injuries, and are treated as a non-organic for the rules of those degrees of injury. Any extra damage that spills over into Core Injuries is unaffected, and continues to follow normal healing rules. The maximum amount of degrees of Superficial Injury that you can take (normally 3) is increased by 1. Finally, if you have Absorption (Athletics), the fatigue cost for that Ability is cut in half (after any decrease from that Ability's progression).
    Only one of these devices may be installed.
Effects per Size Increase: The maximum amount of degrees of Superficial Injury that you can take is increased by another 1. See Size Increases & Appearance above.
Effects of Advanced Device: Increases the extra degrees of possible Superficial Injury provided by this device by a percentage equal to 25 times your excess degrees of Bionics or Athletics competency (whichever excess is lesser).

Bionic Natural WeaponRequires Bionics: 2
Price: 5000
Weight: N/A
Carry Slots: N/A
Power Source: N/A
    This device must be installed within a Bionic Arm. It allows the artificial limb to deploy a concealed blade, similar in design to Alacrian Standux swords. When deployed, the blade functions as a natural weapon with the Precise tag, a damage of 10 plus STR, and a drive of 30. The weapon counts as adamant and metallic. When not deployed, is is indistinguishable from the bionic limb; it does not require an increase in competency requirement to appear natural if the limb already has such. It may not receive more size increases than the arm device.
    A deployed weapon occupies one hand (which cannot hold anything while the weapon is is in use), but deploying/undeploying the weapon is a free action that does not count as an inventory action. The blade provided by this device counts as a natural weapon, and receives the normal +TN of 3 during natural weapon offense rolls. It never appears natural when deployed.
    If you have two Bionic Arms which each have a Bionic Natural Weapon, you may use both weapons in the same attack. You may also deploy/undeploy both with the same free action. Bionic Natural Weapons cannot be used in the same attack as any other natural weapon.
Effects per Size Increase: May increase damage by 6 and drive by 1; for each such size increase made, you must have 3 STR in order to use the weapon (for example, three size increases would require 9 STR). Alternatively, a size increase may provide a +TN of 1 during all offense rolls with the weapon; if using two devices at once, only the lower +TN is effective.
Effects of Advanced Device: Increases the offense roll +TN provided by size increases (if any) by a percentage equal to 25 times your excess degrees of Bionics or Mechanical competency (whichever excess is lesser).

Bionic Ranged WeaponRequires Bionics: 2
Price: See notes
Power Source: BPP
    This device must follow the rules of one of the following devices from other categories, chosen when the device is created:
    -Particle Ranged Weapon (Adamantology)
    -Elemental Ranged Weapon (Adamantology)
    -Coherent Light Weapon (Crystallurgy)
    Next, it must be installed within a Bionic Arm. For the effects of this device and its size increases/advanced status, consult the rules from the chosen ranged weapon device, but make the following changes:
    -Size increases do not add weight or carry slots, but may not exceed the number of size increases on the Bionic Arm bearing this device;
    -There is never any STR requirement to wield the weapon;
    -Price is multiplied by 3;
    -The weapon must be powered by your Bionic Power Pack;
    -No other devices that attach to ranged weapons may be used with this device;
    -The weapon does not add offense roll Hindrance from being wielded one-handed;
    -You must meet the competency requirements listed here in addition to the ones in the weapon device;
    -Any advanced status that references excess competency must now use the lesser excess between Bionics and its usual competency.
    When not deployed, this device is indistinguishable from the Bionic Arm it is installed within; it does not require an increase in competency requirement to appear natural if the limb already has such. A deployed weapon occupies one hand (which cannot hold anything while the weapon is is in use), but deploying/undeploying the weapon is a free action that does not count as an inventory action. It never appears natural when deployed. It cannot be used in the same attack as any other weapon (although you can install one device in each Bionic Arm, for use in separate attacks).
Effects per Size Increase: See weapon device notes
Effects of Advanced Device: See weapon device notes

Bionic InternalsRequires Bionics: 3
Price: 6000
Weight: N/A
Carry Slots: N/A
Power Source: N/A
    This device replaces various internal organs with more resilient technological versions. Once installed, it cannot be removed without killing the user. Upon installing the device, one of the following effects must be permanently chosen for it:
    -Your bCON is increased by 2.
    -Your fatigue factor is increased by 3.
    -You are immune to poison.
    -You are immune to disease.
    -You no longer require food or water.
    -You have a +TN of 5 in endurance rolls and natural healing rolls, and cannot gain the bleeding status from injury.
    Only one of these devices may be installed.
Effects per Size Increase: You may choose another effect from the list above. The options for bCON or fatigue factor can be chosen more than once. See Size Increases & Appearance above.
Effects of Advanced Device: For every 4 excess degrees of Bionics competence, you may make another choice as per the rules for a size increase. This choice can only be altered between campaigns.

Bionic OverdriverRequires Bionics: 4
Price: 3000
Power Source: BPP
    This device uses 1 charge from your Bionic Power Pack to "overdrive" one of your other Bionics Devices. Activating this device is a free action, and the effects last until the beginning of your next turn. The device to be overdriven is chosen at the time of activation, and has the following effect:
    -Bionic Arm: The STR (and DEX, if applicable) bonus from the arm is doubled.
    -Bionic Mobility: The SPD bonus from the device is doubled.
    -Bionic Natural Weapon: 10 electric damage is added to the weapon.
    -Bionic Ranged Weapon: The weapon's total damage is increased by 15.
    -Bionic Endurance: You take 80% damage from all sources, except for electric damage.
    Unfortunately, this device is dangerous for less-durable users. Whenever you activate this device, you must roll d6 on CON; if you fail, the charge is expended with no beneficial effect, and you are also stunned until the end of your next turn. If additional devices are powered simultaneously via the effect of size increases or advanced status, 1 Hindrance is added to the CON roll for each device beyond the first.
Effects per Size Increase: You may spend 1 additional charge to overdrive another device simultaneously. See Size Increases & Appearance above.
Effects of Advanced Device: Increases the maximum number of simultaneous overdriven devices by a percentage equal to 25 times your excess degrees of Bionics or Adamantology competency (whichever excess is lesser).

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