SF is rife with a variety of ways to radically improve the body.
Cyborgs, nanotech infiltration, cyberpunk chrome with chips in the brain to teach skills, a variety of symbionts, Adamification, just general improvement as the brain is upgraded...
Hmm, perhaps not as many as I'd thought.
Tom Day has been Ascended, partially. Its a process of making the whole body work better as a step toward become totally superhuman.
Tadeusz has a Star Empire of Lekostia cyborg skelaton in his body which has a few other qualities than just 1000 pound strength although that its primary use. Its alien tech because as far as he knew, he was the only human in that particular universe.
The Symbiont Academy Symbiont has a number of qualities. Many of these are things you have to train yourself to access. Stronger, faster, more durable are the beginning of it.
Leikou of Neo-Tokyo, a verser who shows up in Rocky Mountain DMZ (I've used her there anyways.) is an illiterate street samurai aka cyberpunk with wired reflexes and talons.
MJ's dop went to Starsong, got his asthma and sight cured. Starsong has such formidable technology that people complain about medical bills involving being turned into a whale by nanotechnology. He also had some skull armor slipped in. His mods were close to trivially simple for Starsongers.
Whisp, of course, has been turned into some liquid metal, but that involved magic.
Not that an IP that included magic should be disallowed.
Nanotech is often used for healing wounds very rapidly.
The cyberpunk 'jack' in the back of the head got used in Andromeda on TV. It attaches the brain of the human to a computer.
Nanotech could also be used for wireless links by hand and eye signals with local computers as in "Deepness in the Sky".
Symbionts often typically filter out poisons from the body. Thus the person can run longer and faster. They also often offer a better control system for healing, more intelligence is involved. (I think this may underestimate how intelligent the design for healing already is.--This is a typical fault of Bio-improvement stories.)
What I would like: Five improvement packages, at least. One would focus on almost totally mental improvements. It might be a Psi IP. If you could merely look at a fence, and know that it was six feet, 3.5 inches tall, and you could know just how much force your legs were producing....well, one could do interesting things with that sort of precise knowledge.
Another Ascended.
Another a cyberpunk street sam.
Another a cyberpunk chiphead (have a slot in the back of your head where you stick in the latest download a la Matrix....but the 'punks had this idea way before Matrix.)
Another an old-fashioned cyborg.
And a nanotech.
And a couple symbionts....thats five right? Right?
Eric
Your cyberpunk street-sam could have the following (this is based on a character I played in ShadowRun):
-Subdermal Armor: Basically reactive gel that stiffens when hit, so you take less damage.
-Balance Tail: It's guided by a mini computer "brain" in the base of your spine and gives you literally catlike balance.
-Cyber-Eyes (Light Enhancement): Basically the poor man's nightvision, it just amps up the light levels a little. Invest in sunglasses.
-Cyber-Ears (Hear in Three DImensions): Track your prey by sound.
-Gun Link: Connect your gun to a jack in the inside of your wrist, and the internal cyberware makes it act like part of your body for increased coordination and aim sensitivity.
Throw in a little dermal texturing to make her look soft and fuzzy, make the tail and ears fuzzy, and you've got a neo-Tokyo-worthy catgirl assassin. Or you could look like a bat, or a dragon, or whatever you please. (If you're going with cat, retractable fingertip-razors are good too).
Wired reflexes works well with this build, but I don't generally prefer them, only because I'm not into modifications that include "it will give you a fatal seizure in about three years."
For your Psycher:
-Eidetic Memory: Possibly one of the most basic enhancements of the mind, you'll still get a lot of mileage out of it.
-Cross-Reference: Not just a matter of remembering facts, you train your mind (or have the pathways psionic-surgery'd open) to assemble details at blazing speed. Sherlock Holmes, Dr. House, and that guy from Psych have nothing on you. You notice the cigarette ash, the bullet holes, and where the body was lying, and realize that, however improbable, this man was shot dead with cigarettes.
-Precision: You can coordinate your movements, their strength, and environmental conditions. Not just knowing whether or not you can jump a fence at a full run, but the exact spot on the wall to bounce a hand grenade off of to get it to go around the corner and down the next hallway.
-Unconcious Knowledge: You set yourself to a task, and trance out. When you wake up, you've built a weapon, rewired a computer, or built a device (It has a button... do you wonder what it does?) but you don't remember having done it, and you're not exactly sure what you did, or how, but there it is.
Nanotech:
-Regeneration: Ho-hum. This is so common in all fiction it should practically be standard equipment on all nanites.
-Grey Goo: Not the world-ending scenario, but almost as creepy. As these build up in your body, they replace your differentiated cells with undifferentiated grey ooze that still fulfills all the same functions. Once they've consumed your brain, you are no longer subject to critical hits, the loss of a limb, and you're basically made of liquid metal. Whether or not you look like anything resembling human is up to your referee (to decide if it's possible) and you (to see if you would still bother at that point). This can also be considered a defect.
-Faraday Cage: The nanites form a Faraday Cage around your vital organs. If you are exposed to an electrical discharge, you might lose their other functions for a while until they grow back, but you don't lose your vital organs.
-Component: On their own, Component nanites don't do anything, but when used as part of surgery (like installing new cyberware) they make the connection between man and machine smoother, preventing rejection while staving off infection, for instance.
Your cyberpunk street-sam could have the following (this is based on a character I played in ShadowRun):
-Subdermal Armor: Basically reactive gel that stiffens when hit, so you take less damage.
====I always thought this was under the skin kevlar....hmmm.
-Balance Tail: It's guided by a mini computer "brain" in the base of your spine and gives you literally catlike balance.
-Cyber-Eyes (Light Enhancement): Basically the poor man's nightvision, it just amps up the light levels a little. Invest in sunglasses.
-Cyber-Ears (Hear in Three DImensions): Track your prey by sound.
-Gun Link: Connect your gun to a jack in the inside of your wrist, and the internal cyberware makes it act like part of your body for increased coordination and aim sensitivity.
====This sounds like a technological 'Martial Arts Weapon' skill. Its ordinarily a Body skill, but this would be good.
Throw in a little dermal texturing to make her look soft and fuzzy, make the tail and ears fuzzy, and you've got a neo-Tokyo-worthy catgirl assassin. Or you could look like a bat, or a dragon, or whatever you please. (If you're going with cat, retractable fingertip-razors are good too).
====Totally not what I had in mind, but then again, thats one of the advantages of dealing with others in design. It covers your blind spots as in I wrote a lot of WAW articles, and not one of them was Anime.
Wired reflexes works well with this build, but I don't generally prefer them, only because I'm not into modifications that include "it will give you a fatal seizure in about three years."
====Well, she is a verser so that could work. Or it could be that they fixed that particular disorder in her world.
For your Psycher:
-Eidetic Memory: Possibly one of the most basic enhancements of the mind, you'll still get a lot of mileage out of it.
====Double indeed. I've worked a bit on a novel 'Worldwalker', the hero's first psi ability is E Mem. And he's using it too good effect as he was a very eccletic reader. Its a good way to give the story a lot of info, and make it possible for him to grow in skill, without starting him off as very talented.
-Cross-Reference: Not just a matter of remembering facts, you train your mind (or have the pathways psionic-surgery'd open) to assemble details at blazing speed. Sherlock Holmes, Dr. House, and that guy from Psych have nothing on you. You notice the cigarette ash, the bullet holes, and where the body was lying, and realize that, however improbable, this man was shot dead with cigarettes.
====This sounds like it would work out as an IQ bonus in part. There are issues in game (in any RPG) with giving the character too high of a 'Deduction' skill.
-Precision: You can coordinate your movements, their strength, and environmental conditions. Not just knowing whether or not you can jump a fence at a full run, but the exact spot on the wall to bounce a hand grenade off of to get it to go around the corner and down the next hallway.
-Unconcious Knowledge: You set yourself to a task, and trance out. When you wake up, you've built a weapon, rewired a computer, or built a device (It has a button... do you wonder what it does?) but you don't remember having done it, and you're not exactly sure what you did, or how, but there it is.
Nanotech:
-Regeneration: Ho-hum. This is so common in all fiction it should practically be standard equipment on all nanites.
====Good points.
-Grey Goo: Not the world-ending scenario, but almost as creepy. As these build up in your body, they replace your differentiated cells with undifferentiated grey ooze that still fulfills all the same functions. Once they've consumed your brain, you are no longer subject to critical hits, the loss of a limb, and you're basically made of liquid metal. Whether or not you look like anything resembling human is up to your referee (to decide if it's possible) and you (to see if you would still bother at that point). This can also be considered a defect.
====Yup, definitely creepy.
-Faraday Cage: The nanites form a Faraday Cage around your vital organs. If you are exposed to an electrical discharge, you might lose their other functions for a while until they grow back, but you don't lose your vital organs.
-Component: On their own, Component nanites don't do anything, but when used as part of surgery (like installing new cyberware) they make the connection between man and machine smoother, preventing rejection while staving off infection, for instance.
You've given me some good material to work with to make the skill packages. In some ways, there are skill packages already in the book, but I'm trying for some...Instant or at least quick bonus effect packages.
Sorry - like I said I don't own the books, so some of what I post might be redundant and obviously without game mechanics, but I figure if you guys are just fishing for ideas, maybe I can help you brainstorm a little. If ever I start to come off as the "yappy little brother who won't leave the big kids alone" type, just tell me to shut up and I will.
No one is ever told to shut up without far greater reason (repeatedly violating MJ's policies, for example), and oftentimes not even then. Please don't worry about contributing ideas to a discussion.
You're reminding me of a lot of things I'd forgotten, and enabling me to play at a higher level. Which is in good part as Wodium said what these lists are about. The lists remind GM's...so when Mr. GM out there thinks..."I need a cyborg villain..." He flips to the chart...picks a gray goo infested 'thing?'...and his players who had been expecting a cheap ripoff on the Bionic Woman are very impressed...and we as game designers have done our jobs well.
I may toss in notes on how this or that is reflected in the rules. This is partially for my own benefit so that I have some idea of how to deal with it later. And its to help you become more familar with the game system.
I'm trying to see if I can get a ring of game designers going here so its good that you pitch in from my POV.
Symbionts:
For improved three dimensional view maybe some kind of parasite with one (or more eyes) that installs itself somewhere on your body and links it's eyes to your brain. First I was thinking on the head, but that would improve little. But what if it was on one of the hands. Then you could move that eye around as a camera to get a better three-point view of something, which would mean better at guessing or estimating distances and things like that.
Something with gills that implants itself on you and might even filter out poisons out of the water/air besides only allowing breathing.
Am I on the right track here?
Also, there's this manga series, Bio Booster Armor Guyver, which might give you some inspiration. Here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bio_Booster_Armor_Guyver
Adding to the above a funky yet limiting option of bio-modification. Granting extra energy or the need for food by infusing photosynthetic cells in the skin (resulting in a green complexion). This gives an energy boost to those who are eating or takes away the need for food for those not eating. As long as there is sunlight. So no extended underground/underwater adventures.
A variation on the "chiphead" Cyberpunk are a people who are 'wired'. They have wires in their body that can connect to electrical devices. In some way they can control how these wires move (they are linked to nerve systems or something?). First they where applied to the hands, but limiting the use of the hands otherwise there had been quickly decided that shoulders, backs and torso's were better alternatives since your hands are free to drink coffee in the mean time, or keep typing while managing different systems at the mean time or have a weapon if needed. (To stun, kill or sedate the guards with the gun while you are wired to the safe, cracking its digital lock or something).
Applications could vary. You could be the hub to connect different systems or you could wire yourself to a device completely controlling it through your mind or nerve system or something other appropriate. This could be a major computer, a building (with security camera's (with a link to your eyes or something)) or an entire mobile suit. When you power something it will cost you energy, but if the thing powers itself you will only spend energy as if you do other things normally (thinking, walking, ...). When you need to power something, the combination with the above for extra energy could be used, but that isn't necessary. What do you think?