Re: [HOE] Hello, and cyborg questions

[Martin Woodard <reply@mwoodard.com>]

>>  - How does cybernetic healing work?  The player argues vehemently that 
>> the SRU should heal any wounds he sustains, but I don't read it like that.
>>I looks to me that any wound levels dealt to a body part that hasn't been 
>>replaced by a cybernetic lookalike heal like normal harrowed; i.e. lotsa 
>>meat and one roll a day.  But if that's the case, how does healing to a 
>>cybernetic head work, as it's still mostly meat?  And how does healing a 
>>flesh-based limb that has been enhanced by a samson unit work?
>
>Ok, it really helps to have the book for cyborgs (which is appropriatly 
>named Cyborgs), seeing as how most of these questions have clearly stated 
>answers I'm assuming you don't have the book. The way I understood it was 
>that the SRU repairs the cybernetic limbs and systems, and any wounds to 
>natural areas have to be healed normally. You also need to print out a 
>cyborg sheet from somewhere (I know there on the Web somewhere but not 
>sure where) to record where all his systems are. Healing a normal limb 
>with a cybernetic system works just like healing a normal limb, but when 
>you get hit you roll a D6. If the result is equal to or less than the 
>number of wounds you take one of your systems has been damaged and you 
>roll a die equal to the number of slots in that location and compare the 
>result to the equal numbered sytem. That system has been damaged and must 
>be repaired. Rules on this vary for how badly it was damaged.

Actually, these are the questions we had AFTER pouring over the book.  The 
description of the SRU does state that it doesn't repair organic parts, 
which is why I figured it worked like it does, but the player argued that 
once someone is not only a "cyborg" but a dead human at that, nothing was 
organic.  I.e., an SRU wouldn't heal a living human or a traditional 
harrowed who'd just jammed it in his head.  I disagreed, but wanted to make 
sure, as it never explicitly states that a cyborg still has to eat raw meat 
for healing like a traditional deader.

>>  - Do harrowed take extra dice of damage to gizzards/head like norms?
>
>Yes

'K, makes sense.  Still hittin' important stuff, just doesn't put the 
deader down.

>>  - Can a 'borg with a samson unit still appear human?  How 'bout one 
>> with both samson and cybernetic limbs?  Assume he's paid the extra $500 
>> or $1000 per body part and added an infiltrator unit.
>
>Yes, An Infiltrator sytem and Samson Unit are compatible as are cybernatic 
>limbs but the limbs must be disguised as normal limbs.

Seemed like an unbalancing feature (why wouldn't someone just take a light 
can and ADD an infiltration unit?) until I noticed the increased rules of 
engagement for that level, and the lack of CPU.  Even then, is this a fair 
trade-off?  With the additional $15k, you could easily buy the $6500 CPU 
and the Infiltrator system, and you get the expensive Samson unit for 
free.  And buying emancipated at 2 - a mere 2 character creation points - 
cuts out the greater rules of engagement.  Just doesn't seem to add up.

>>  - Do animals smell harrowed, or just sense their unnaturalness?  Would 
>> an infiltrator unit fix this?
>
> From what I understood they smell them, but it doesn't ovelry matter 
> because it states in the book that an infiltrator fixes this problem.

Ahhhh, I was just looking in the equipment section; it DOES say that in the 
story.  My bad.

Of course, on the exact same page, the caption of the picture is "an 
infiltrator is sniffed out," and shows a human-looking cyborg being 
detected by a dog.  Mixed messages.

Thanks for the reply!