A NOTE ON CYBERNETICS While human augmentation plays a role in other games set in the dark future, it does not fit easily into the GW7 game. Certainly there are games, films, and books set in a post-apocalyptic world that enjoy the trappings of cybernetics, bionics, nanotechnology, bio-tech including the popular Rifts game, many Japanese manga, and the Jean Claude Van Damme film Cyborg to name a few, but the idea of artificial enhancement doesnt quite fit within the GW7 context. Futuristic human augmentation may indeed have been available to the people living in the Golden Age of Technology prior to the Cataclysm and Dark Years, but after a century or two of barbarism the human organisms that sported cyber-tech and augmentation have inevitably died of old age (if not misadventure), as have the scientists and technicians knowledgeable in their implantation, operation, and repair. Characters in GW7 are scavengers, and will not have the education or knowledge to recreate the super-soldiers and genetic warriors of the past. Even if the player characters were to find a functioning cybernetic arm, thered be no one to attach it to their shoulder. Furthermore, human augmentation might not even function with the genetically superior Pure Strain Humans (whose bodies might reject the tech), let alone humanoid and animal mutants! This being said, GW7 can certainly be played as a high adventure, hi-tech romp of whimsy, and if the GM and players are in agreement heres one method for including cybernetics in your saga: NEW CRYPTIC ALLIANCE: The New Builders TECH: IV TYPES: PSH (25%), H (10%), MA (5%) SECRET SIGN: Demonstration of augmentation. DESCRIPTION: The members of this society preserve some of the deepest and darkest secrets still existing in the GW7 world: the methods of augmenting living organisms with technology. Implanting of cybernetic an bionic enhancements, vat-grown muscles, bionic limbs, nanotech-powered organs and sensesall of these are viewed as desirable in the hostile environment of the GW7 world. In fact, it is a sacred duty to re-build the temple of the body in a new, more perfect form. Status is gained by finding pieces of lost bio-tech (functioning or not), Black Box technology that helps with installation and augmentation, or old instruction manuals. Reward for Rank includes implantation of functioning tech in a character. A high Rank member of the New Builders is more machine than man. Typically, alliance members reside in underground bunkers, fortified military hospitals, and isolated, hi-tech cyborg factories. Cybernetic enhancements may not be implanted in every individual; originally, the science of human augmentation was developed for pre-Apocalyptic humans. Pure Strain Humans, being genetically superior to original man may sometimes reject chemical treatments, bionics, and nano-technology. Likewise, attempting to augment a humanoid or mutant animal can be a crap-shoot. Applying for membership with the New Builders means under-going a battery of tests and possible genetic modification in order to accept augmentation. Rejection from the Builders means physical un-suitability in addition to possible ideological differences. If a character is accepted, it means all augmentation may be applied normally. If a character is rejected, he may only re-apply once; a second failure means the characters body will simply not accept augmentation. Augmentation Rules:

Augmentation comes in many forms: actual bionic appliances, DNA manipulation, nano-tech implants, and surgical re-structuring. Regardless of the type of augmentation there are only three in-game effects of augmentation:

- Attribute Increase - Conferring of an ability/power - Plot Device

Each time a member of The New Builders increases in Rank, the player may choose to have an Attribute Increase or Conferred Power added to the character. It is not required that they do so, but the option is made available to the character by the Cryptic Alliance. Attribute Increase is the usual form that augmentation takes. The player chooses a single attribute and adds 6 to it; this is the new score for the attribute. The attributes that can be modified include PS, DX, IN, MS, CN, or Reaction. Increases to attributes increase derived attributes as well. The player should describe the type of augmentation and the way it increases the characters ability. PS might be augmented by bone-lacing/strengthening, bionic limbs, or vat-grown muscle. DX might be augmented by bionic limbs, joint strengthening, muscle replacement or nano-tech. IN might be augmented senses (bionic eyes & ears), augmented brain capacity, or headware/memory installation. MS might be augmented by pain inhibitors, fully controlled nerve-endings, or mental capacity augmenter implants. CN might be genetically modified organs, epidermal strengtheners, bone enhancement, or bionic replacement. Reaction might be boosted reflexes, nano-lubricated joints, wired nerve endings, or sense enhancement. In addition to increasing Attribute checks and derived abilities, the following additional bonuses are derived if the increase raises an attribute over 18: PS: may make unarmed attacks against any type of Armor Class. DX: may make an extra attack in combat if using a weapon in each hand. IN: may attempt to repair and install (but not build or create) cybernetic enhancements. MS: may develop a mental mutation of the GMs choice CN: may add their CN as a bonus to hit points OR may heal as the Regenerate mutation (depending on whether the CN increase is due to cybernetics/bionics OR bio-/nano-tech) REA: may take an additional action in combat before all other characters. If two characters in combat have an augmented Reaction over 18, this extra action occurs in descending order starting with the character that has the highest Reaction. Tied actions occur simultaneously. There is a down-side to this augmentation. Any Attribute check on an augmented attribute resulting in a 19 or 20 causes a complication to occur, not just a 20. The complication can be the result of a failure of the augmented system or a failure in a task due to over-compensation or underestimation of power used, or perhaps the system simply acquires an annoying habit (like ticks, twitches, or constant sparking). If three or more complications for a single system occurs in a game session, it is suggested that the system fail; a failed system no longer confers a +6 bonus, but instead a -2 penalty to the attribute, which also

affects derived attributes. In addition, the character no longer receives the over 18 benefit of the system. System repairs can only be accomplished at a Cryptic Alliance base by a trained technician. Conferred Ability/Power: Instead of increasing an attribute, a player may choose the equivalent of any physical or mental mutation available to mutants. The player should describe how the augmentation provides the mutation ability. Grafted armor may provide the equivalent of Carapace (partial or total), while an energy weapon installed in the characters skull could confer the equivalent of Gamma Eye. Nano-tech implants could provide Regeneration or Duality. Horns, Gills, and Wings can all be duplicated, either mechanically or through the use of bio-tech grafts and genetic cross-breeding. The GM has final discretion when it comes to allowing a particular ability to be a cybernetic enhancement. Many mental mutations may not be appropriate as conferred powers, including Planar Travel, Teleportation, Time Manipulation, and Life leach/Death Field type powers. On the other hand, if the player can think of a creative way to add an ability, the GM should give the player a fair shake: Heightened Brain Talent, Intelligence, and Mental Control are definitely possible, as is Force Field Generation (via a mechanical generator), Pyrokinesis (arm mounted flame thrower), Will Force (nanotech). Also, if the character has already had MS enhanced above natural human levels, or was a mutant to begin with, experimental chemicals and cybernetic brain enhancements might cause additional mental mutations to occur in the character. Let imagination and story development be your guidepostsnot to mention fun. Plot Devices: While the player chooses whether or not a character receives an Attribute Increase or a Conferred Ability, the GM determines whether or not to include a plot device as an additional cybernetic enhancement. Examples might include, specially stored data in the character or a device that is used to coerce or control the character (like a mind control implant, tracking homer, or micro-cortex bomb). Special data that effectively turns the character into a courier is allowable as a means of introducing a new mission/adventure to the players. Coercive implants may not actually be used to de-protagonize the players character, the coercion should be a threat to get the character moving, but may not be brought into play unless the player requests it as part of a complication or dramatic editing. A method of neutralizing the threat should be made available to the players character, at least temporarily (for example, the mind control device only works when within a certain range of the controller, the cortex bomb can only be set-off by a radio signal that can be blocked by wrapping the characters head in foil, or a slow-acting poison that will not begin to take affect until after the character has discovered an antidote and that has no affect on in-game effectiveness (i.e. dice rolling). Players may add their own plot devices by use of dramatic editing at any time by newly discovering something previously unknown about their augmentation. This can include a one-time use of a power or attribute increase (whoa I didnt know there was a back-up adrenal stimulator built-in to this rig! or wow, I wish they would have told me the of the limited fuel jets in my bionic legs). Additional DE points can be spent for additional uses of the power. The player can also include their own coercive plot devices in order to stimulate the characters to get going. When the player introduces a device like this, they may specify any neutralizing agent. If the GM rules the plot device is sufficiently inconvenient or detrimental, the player may be awarded a new DE point for taking the complication. Other Limitations: Human enhancements cannot increase a characters Charisma. As stated in Character Generation, a player may choose whatever they wish as the appearance of their character. While under the knife (so to speak) the player may decide the character gets a face-lift/physique enhancementalternatively, they player may decide their character looks like a six-armed monstrosity. Appearance has no effect on the characters Charisma.

However, the number of enhancements the character has received does impact the characters Charisma negatively. Charisma represents force of personality and self-knowledge, and reliance on augmentation to increase abilities saps a persons confidence in their own natural talents. Each Attribute Increase or Conferred Power (not Plot Devices or Des performed by players) reduces the characters Charisma by one point. In addition, RANK is no longer added to the characters Charisma attribute checksthe more augmentation the character receives, the more of a cold un-feeling being he becomes, incapable of interacting with other creatures except in the most detached of ways. However, when interacting with members of The New Builders, the character may add a number to his Charisma equal to 2x the number of enhancements he owns. Example: Cindy joins the Builders when she reaches Rank 4, her Charisma is 14. Her Charisma counts as 18 (14 + 4xRank) until receiving her first modification. After several adventures, she has increased three ranks to Rank 7 and has received 3 augmentations: cybernetic senses (IN increase), bionic limbs (PS increase), and nano-enhanced internal organs (CN increase). Her Charisma is treated as 11 (14 3xEnhancements) when interacting with anyone but other alliance members. New Builders treat her as having a Charisma of 17 (14 + 3xEnhancements). Cindys Rank of 7 no longer has any effect on her Charisma, though it provides all other bonuses as normal.