Cybernetics and Implants for the Frontiers of Space by Joseph Mohr is a role playing game supplement published by Old School Role Playing for use with Cepheus Engine. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available as a 30 page Pay What You Want PDF from DriveThruRPG. Two pages are the front and rear covers, three the front matter and three the Open Game License.
The opening paragraphs explain that the supplement contains some optional rules for enhancement in Cepheus Engine, which can be used to upgrade them but also may have bad side-effects.
A Word of Caution for the Game Master explains that the author doesn’t like characters becoming superpowered and that this could be a problem if cybernetics and implants become too easily available. It’s suggested that such should be very high tech, hard to find and very expensive.
Introduction looks broadly at what cybernetics and implants might accomplish and whether aliens would have them.
Definitions explains that here an implant means a chip or device implanted in the human skull which increases attributes or hard codes skills and cybernetics are internal or external body parts added to or replacing parts of the body.
Implants has attribute enhancement implants, skill enhancement and specialist ones containing both attribute and skill enhancements intended to improve a specific ability, such as sales, mining, piloting etc. Psionic implants add psionic abilities but psionics are illegal in many places. There are also some optional rules for attribute and skill implants.
Cybernetic Enhancements come in different levels in many cases, with better enhancements conferring more. Limbs are arms and legs, hands and feet and can have extra abilities including weapons built into them. Body enhancements can replace the lower or upper body with different abilities. There are cybernetic organs, internal body armour and other enhancements. How long the batteries last, and how they are recharged by the body is covered.
Alien Cybernetic Enhancements and Implants covers the known cybernetic enhancements used by aliens in the Sonora sector.
Ancient Alien Artifacts has a couple of chips from ancient aliens, as well as the maintenance required for enhancements.
How Does One Place an Implant or Cybernetic Upgrade looks at the different ways that these can be installed, from the cheapest, and therefore most dangerous, of self-installation, as well as the time taken, benefits from using quality facilities and the chance of rejection.
EMP Disruption explains that all implants and cybernetics are vulnerable to EMP attack.
Other Limitations looks at other ways they can be limited, by capping the amount allowed to be installed.
Social Acceptance of Cybernetic Enhancement looks at how social interactions can be affected by the reason for enhancement, the Tech Level of the region and the amount modified.
Suggestions for Alternate Rules has ways of removing the limitations.
Cybernetics and Implants for the Frontiers of Space in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough with enough different sections that these would have been useful. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a single column format and some minor errors were noticed. There is a single full page colour illustration as well as the covers. Presentation is adequate.
This provides some extensive rules for using cybernetics in a Cepheus Engine game, and it doesn’t need to be set in the Frontiers of Space either, as most easily translates to other settings. It could also be used to create a cyberpunk setting, by removing the TL requirements of the cybernetics. It does, as mentioned, add the ability to greatly enhance characters, and should probably be limited in some way. Cybernetics and Implants for the Frontiers of Space can be found by clicking here.
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