Author Topic: Putting More Cyberpunk into BT  (Read 2909 times)

boilerman

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Putting More Cyberpunk into BT
« on: 27 June 2014, 01:57:47 »
Not that I have a campaign going but I have been thinking about my own alt universe. I have always liked the cyberpunk genre of fiction and I have spent time playing the old R Talsorian Games RPG Cyberpunk 2020. Somewhere in the storage unit I have all of my old cyberpunk stuff. In my opinion we have plenty of cyberpunk in BT. We have the atmosphere, or at least as much as we want to interject. We certainly have the dystopic future. We have the cyberwear. The canon makes it pretty clear that the high end stuff is tightly controlled but making it more common for an alt universe is easy enough. We have plenty of power players in the form of people and corporations and we have a strong mercenary tradition, at least in some realms. But we are missing on component of cyberpunk genre that I is important: netrunning in virtual reality.

So has anyone got any recommendations on a system that might be adaptable to ATOW? I am going to do a search of the storage unit to find some things and the cyberpunk stuff is on the list but I was wondering if there might be something better out there. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

BTW I was thinking a basic surgically implanted neural link would function about as well as a neural helmet would. This link would not be as destructive as the canon Enhanced Imaging Neural Implant, no annual fatigue damage. But I'm not sure how to balance all the virtual reality direct to brain stuff yet. Suggestions are welcome on that sort of stuff too.  :)
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ntin

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Re: Putting More Cyberpunk into BT
« Reply #1 on: 27 June 2014, 02:43:40 »
A Time of War Companion has the Word of Blake cybernetic implants and some other exotic items. You can get some cyberpunk things like inner ear communication links, cybernetic eyes that see radar waves, or cyborg arm with a hidden shotgun.

The Word of Blake’s VDNI and buffered VDNI, are brain implants that links the operator’s central nervous system to the vehicle. There are some drawbacks as the vehicle is damage the pilot feels it as if it was their own body.

The VDNI implants can be used with the Interface Cockpit where the pilot uses a special battle armor to control the ‘Mech and removes the need for the gyro. As the ‘Mech becomes an extension of the pilot’s body.

I have not read through the book but the Shadowrun RPG may be up your alley as well but there are some fantasy elements included with the cyberpunk stuff. 

Vehrec

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Re: Putting More Cyberpunk into BT
« Reply #2 on: 27 June 2014, 22:58:03 »
BT is reaaaaaaaly into that whole 'do not trespass on the domains of the mind' thing despite...well, basically every Neurohelmet being a Mind-Machine interface.  I'm not sure of any system, but if you want to integrate it with ATOW, I have a few suggestions.

1. FATE hack.  FATE is not a cyberpunk RP but it is so versatile that it's my first recommendation for anything.  It's possible to use regular six sided dice for it's resolution mechanic, another plus.  And it's very narrative focused, so you don't get bogged down rolling dice for 15 minutes to resolve an encounter between a player and some Black Ice that bores the other players to death because they aren't doing anything.

2. Houserule it.  There ought to be SOMETHING in ATOW that you know of that can be turned into a mechanic for resolving Netrunning.  I'm not an expert, but most games have core mechanics that are readily re-purposed for other things.  After all, if you can fight in a mech, or fight on foot, how different is fighting with your brain against a virus?  It's just a different kind of combat after all.
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Korzon77

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Re: Putting More Cyberpunk into BT
« Reply #3 on: 28 June 2014, 05:39:20 »
If you want more of a cyberpunk feel, you can always just remove the "this will drive you nuts" aspect of much of the btech equipment.  Note that that will start seeing an increase in DNI and VDNI implants as states can now expect to not have their pilots die/go insane/start to collect Elvis figurines.

ckosacranoid

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Re: Putting More Cyberpunk into BT
« Reply #4 on: 28 June 2014, 14:41:02 »
Funny thing is cyberpuck 2020 damage for gear and such port right into mechwarrior 2nd ed for some weird reason. Just a thought. If nothing just use the rules from cyberpunk for hacking.

boilerman

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Re: Putting More Cyberpunk into BT
« Reply #5 on: 28 June 2014, 16:15:21 »
Thanks for the information and opinions guys. It is appreciated. You know there is a section in ATOWC about converting the various editions of MW RPG to ATOW. That might be the way to connect ATOW and Cyberpunk 2020. Need to find my stuff. Really all I want is the netrunning portion of something, I like ATOW. I will have to loook into FATE. This is the first tie I've heard of it.

As for the ATOW cyber gear, after reading through things I think they work pretty well as is, except for the lifespan issues for the VDNI. But that is easily house ruled.
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RunandFindOut

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Re: Putting More Cyberpunk into BT
« Reply #6 on: 28 June 2014, 19:12:45 »
Yep before AToW came out I used MW2e and freely ported from CP2020 for it.  The systems mesh together very well.  So just take out the various 'spoiler' rules designed to keep people from using certain pieces of technology and port what you want from CP2020 using the AToW conversion rules.
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Nav_Alpha

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Re: Putting More Cyberpunk into BT
« Reply #7 on: 02 July 2014, 02:51:46 »
I can't speak to much to rules because I hand waved a lot of it... But a while back I ran a nice little campaign that ha a pretty serious Cyberware/Cyberpunk feel to it.
Bascially, the Pcs were either Republic troops or local cops dealing with Blakist left over insurgents in 3085-90.

Most of the Cyberware was utilised by thee enemy - WoB insurgents who could blend into walls and cam up perfectly, self-destruct on cue or suddenly sprout weapon from their flesh, etc.
The insurgents also had one of the Tornado suits from XTRO; Ghosts, complete with VTOL abilities and stealth capability. So their tactics were often: fly, brass up civilians, fly a block over and then hide in plain site.
They also made use of suicide drones created from people plugging into the net - bascially, the Word hacks the feed of certain nerds, brainwashes them, them go out and then suicide bomb targets because the internet told them to.

The game wrapped up because the main player moved cities - but as it ended, a WoB Precentor who surrendered to Stone on Terra and had been recruited to work for the RAF military intelligence had arrived to take over the investigation.
It was the equvilant of having an ex-Nazi helping an FBI investigation in the 1950s and really set a cat among pigeons among the players.
Best of all - he brought his pet computer hacker, bascially a Shadowrun-esque decker. A former ROM tech who would physically plug into computers through his implants and was this utterly awful, Rendfield type who would only be alive when he was "inside" a computer

Anyway, you've got a good idea with getting a more Cyberpunk BT. Run with it!


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Tslammer

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Re: Putting More Cyberpunk into BT
« Reply #8 on: 21 August 2014, 11:33:59 »
We have always had some Shadow Run cross over in our game especially since MW2 and SR had the same stats and character generation system. Of course some of the SR tech was way to advanced for what we felt we had read about or examples already in the game. Like replacement limbs eyes and ears. The wired reflexes and stuff of an advanced nature in ATOW now  essentially reproduce traits or provide small bonuses. So some sort of reflex augmentation might increase the Reflex attribute or act like combat sense.

We go by essence cost and or how invasive and futuristic to limit the ware. Since there are many CP to SR conversion resources on the web we bought the Chrome books and use the SR conversion stats.

Smart gun links are incredible in BT given how deadly out of mech combat can be.

imperator

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Re: Putting More Cyberpunk into BT
« Reply #9 on: 22 August 2014, 05:21:53 »
We have always had some Shadow Run cross over in our game especially since MW2 and SR had the same stats and character generation system. Of course some of the SR tech was way to advanced for what we felt we had read about or examples already in the game. Like replacement limbs eyes and ears. The wired reflexes and stuff of an advanced nature in ATOW now  essentially reproduce traits or provide small bonuses. So some sort of reflex augmentation might increase the Reflex attribute or act like combat sense.

We go by essence cost and or how invasive and futuristic to limit the ware. Since there are many CP to SR conversion resources on the web we bought the Chrome books and use the SR conversion stats.

Smart gun links are incredible in BT given how deadly out of mech combat can be.

Those are just DNIs now.  But think of a DNI that lets you hook up to your guns!!!!!
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