Cyberdisfunctions are a special class of status effect that are limited to characters with cyberware. Cyberdisfunctions arise from the trauma related to the implantation of cyberimplants and to the long term effects of foreign substances in the character's body.
Causes of Cyberdisfunctions[]
Implantation Trauma[]
Most cyberimplants have a trauma rating related to how invasive they are to the user. Simple implants like the Data Link (trauma rating: 10) have low trauma ratings, while complex implants like Predator Reflexes (trauma rating: 60) are much higher. During the Implantation surgery, the skill of Cyberdoc will reduce the amount of trauma experienced, while the character's pragmatism or spiritualism will affect the actual trauma as well (Pragmatic characters suffer less trauma, Spiritual characters more). Implantation trauma does not directly cause cyberdisfunctions, but a high level of it will speed up the accrual of Long Term Trauma. Implantation trauma can not be treated by normal means, only the replacement of the implant with a lower-trauma implant will reduce the level of trauma.
Formula[]
From item Base Trauma = Trauma rating of cyberimplant
Reduce trauma for pragmatic characters if Character is not pragmatic Pragmatic Factor = 1 else Pragmatic Factor = (400 - Pragmatic Rating) / 400
Increase trauma for spiritual characters if Character is not spiritual Spiritual Factor = 0 else Spiritual Factor = Spiritual Rating / 2
The cyberdoc gets three rolls to reduce the implantation trauma Cyberdoc Skill Rolls = Sum of 3 Cybertech skill rolls by the Cyberdoc
Implantation Trauma = Base Trauma * Pragmatic Factor + Spiritual Factor - Cyberdoc Skill Rolls Implantation Trauma minimum = 1
Long Term Trauma[]
Unfortunately, even the best of Cyberdocs can't completely prevent implantation trauma. Over time, without careful maintenance, the original trauma will continue to be aggravated, and the character will begin to accrue long term trauma. Once a character's long term trauma reaches a certain point, the effects begin to manifest as cyberdisfunctions. Characters with the Cybertech skill can better maintain their cyberware, slowing the accrual of trauma. The Extropian talent allows a character to ignore the implantation trauma from a number of implants equal to one third of his Cybertech skill, and the Cyberpsycho talent allows the character to spend Mental Points to avoid accruing long term trauma. Like implantation trauma, long term trauma is untreatable, but level is halved when a new cyberdisfunction manifests.
Formula[]
Check performed every 10 minutes Count implants and their Implantation Trauma N = Number of implants Trauma Target = Sum of Implantation Trauma + 9 * N
Adjust the target to the correct range Trauma Target = Trauma Target / 5 + 3
Adjust for Extropian If Extropian then If N <= Cybertech Skill / 3, STOP Else Trauma Target = Trauma Target - Cybertech Skill
Check to see if the character resists the trauma If Cybertech skill roll >= Target Trauma, STOP
Add trauma or reduce Me and morale for Cyberpsychos If Cyberpsycho and Me > d10, subtract 1 Me and 2 Morale Else add 1 Long Term Trauma
Gaining a Cyberdisfunction[]
Cyberdisfunctions arise after a character's long term trauma has passed a certain threshold. They vary from Inhuman Visage which is more annoying than dangerous, to Major Neural Failure which can leave a character nearly helpless in battle, and even to Shutdown which can kill a character in a matter of hours. Once a character's long term trauma has reached the threshold, they may develop a cyberdisfunction whenever they gain additional long term trauma. The specific cyberfunction the character is threatened with is random; the more severe conditions (based on their Trauma Threshold) are more easily resisted by the character, but the higher his long term trauma the weaker his resistance. Gaining a cyberdisfunction has the minor benefit of halving a character's long term trauma.
Formula[]
Check if character has crossed threshold for cyberdisfunctions If Long Term Trauma <= 72, STOP
Select random cyberdisfunction and check if the character already has it, or can resist it, if not, they become afflicted with it Disfunction = random cyberdisfunction If character has Disfunction, STOP If random (1 .. Long Term Trauma) <= the Disfunction's Trauma Threshold, STOP Else add Disfunction to character
Curing Cyberdisfunctions[]
Cyberdisfunctions are impervious to treatment in the field and can only be treated in a hospital. Cyberdisfunctions cost different amounts to treat, but the costs of all but the most severe are trivial. Treating cyberdisfunctions does not reduce long term trauma, and a character may manifest a new cyberdisfunction minutes after leaving a clinic.
Preventing Cyberdisfunctions[]
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to cyberdisfunctions. Even a single implant with an implantation trauma of 1 will force a Cybertech skill roll against a target of 5. Therefore, anyone planning to rely heavily on cyberware, is advised to invest a Talent slot in Extropian if they are willing to invest in the Cybertech skill, or Cyberpsycho if they prefer the Concentration skill and can accept the Morale loss.
Once you pick up an implant, it is guaranteed that you will start getting cyberdisfunctions, unless you have Extropian and enough Cybertech skill. The main question is how often you will gain disfunctions, not whether it will happen. A heavily-traumatized character with no Cybertech skill can get a disfunction within 12 hours of the first implant; if you get all your implants at once, you can even gain a disfunction before you leave the clinic with your last implant. And once you have a disfunction, you will never go below 36 permanent trauma, which grants 6 hours of grace time before you can pick up another disfunction.
A typical maximum-cybernetic character will have 9 implants, of which 2 or 3 will have ~20 trauma, and the rest will be 1 trauma. With 2 20-trauma implants, this gives a Cybertech skill difficulty of 28. To pass your Cybertech check about half of the time, you should have a Cybertech "score" of 21, or Extropian (at, say, Cybertech skill +9) and a score of 14.
See Also[]
- Status Effects, for a list of cyberdisfunctions with their basic effects and treatment costs
- Cyberware, for a list of cyberimplants