How does the genetic stuff work in this game?

[Colt47]

I haven't bought the book yet and before I do I'd like to know how the genetic stuff works in this game. Is it something like retro-viruses that are injected using a hypo and watch the craziness ensue, or are parts grown and then implanted like cybernetics?

Also I notice people talking about "The Machine". Does that mean being a Cyborg is a bad thing in Splicers?

[Colt47]

AH ok, so these nanites will probably not do anything horrible to the cyborg character, just everyone around the cyborg character.

[demos606]

As described in the book, borgs are completely screwed in Splicers. I personally mitigate that to anything short of full conversion borgs and they're pretty screwed too once the weaponry they enter the Splicers world with is out of ammo. Your best bet honestly is NOT to mix Splicers and the rest of the Megaverse, it's just not worth having to pimpslap your players when they realize just how useless their formerly unstoppable characters are.

[taalismn]

High Tech Characters = High Character Fatality Rate
You're better off being a stone age barbarian who cares little about metal, and has a few useful skills like animal riding and animal husbandry...

[TechnoGothic]

Splicer Tech (Bio-Tech) is all Organic-Augementation based.
The Splicers grow Organic Power Armor, Animals (That serve as Robot Vehicles) and Body Armors to fight the Machine.

The Machine is alot like Terminator's Skynet...but worse. Skynet has defeated humanity. Created a nanoplaque that makes any metallic technology greater than Dark Ages dangerous to be around.

The Human Resistance turned to Bio-Tech (now know as Splicers Technology) to fight the machine forces. Splicer Tech is alot like Guyvers and Zoanoids (If Zoanoids were suits of Organic Power Armor). A Few turned into Biotics are remade using Splicer tech. They are basicly Splicers versions of Cyborgs that gain Insanities like crazies at lvls 1, 5, 10, 15...

RIFTS Cyborgs are scewed in Splciers' setting because of the nanoplaque. As the Cyborgs own body tears into what little flesh that remains and kills them.

Splciers does include an OCC called TECHNOJACKERS. Which uses the nanoplaque to create metal suits of armor for himself, control robots, power weapons...but they are unable to use Biotech. And their Technology is dangerous to Splicers to be around.




Now I use Splcier Tech in my RIFTS games. I ignore the nanoplaque and the Machine altogether. Instead I have the Splicer Houses on Rifts Earth engeineer a Bio-Virus to keep their own people from using High Technology common in Rifts. The Splicers Houses find the Old Hard-Tech methods of Pre-Rifts to be the cause of the Rifts. So they embrace Bio-tech instead. Secretly submitting their people to a slight bio-modifation that gave all of them a new organ/modified an old organ to produce the Bio-virus. I'm thinking it reacts as an sever allergy or allergic reaction to metal alloys.

[taalismn]

Now I use Splcier Tech in my RIFTS games. I ignore the nanoplaque and the Machine altogether. Instead I have the Splicer Houses on Rifts Earth engeineer a Bio-Virus to keep their own people from using High Technology common in Rifts. The Splicers Houses find the Old Hard-Tech methods of Pre-Rifts to be the cause of the Rifts. So they embrace Bio-tech instead. Secretly submitting their people to a slight bio-modifation that gave all of them a new organ/modified an old organ to produce the Bio-virus. I'm thinking it reacts as an sever allergy or allergic reaction to metal alloys.

A true stroke of genuis, IMHO

[TechnoGothic]

So basically in your games, the Splicer houses are Anti-Hard Tech on Rifts earth? That's interesting. How do they feel about the other powers on Rifts earth? What's the stance on Magic?

Tech Based Nations/Factions = The Great Evil of Humanity. Destroy it.
Magic Based Nations/Factions = Unholy Abominations. Fools playing with unknown forces better left left alone. Destroy it.
Supernatural Beings = Evil Alien beings. Kill them, examine their bodies. Adapt their dna to serve Humans through Splicer technologies.


The Splicers would be anti-Everyone else. They do not even get along amongst each other. Alot of House vs House conflicts.

[9voltkilowatt]

Tech Based Nations/Factions = The Great Evil of Humanity. Destroy it.

Cool concept, but I think they would simply have too many enemies to survive for very long.

Splicers Vs. Coalition because they are high-tech heathens.
Splugorth Vs. Splicers because they have Bio-technology.

That is one (or many) very dead group(s) of Splicers ...thats even leaving out the fact that mages can affect most of your "tech" with virtually every spell in the book.

On the other hand ...what sort of bonuses does a Necromancer get for wearing\attaching a full suit of dead Host Armor?

[Colt47]

I'd say a cyborg could be immune to the plague if they are full conversion and no longer have a organic human brain. It would have to be a VERY advanced cyborg, though. First, it would need a cybernetic immune system, meaning the borg would have to come from a world where nanites are common place and computer viruses and rogue nanites are like the new diseases of the world (very possible mind you).
Advanced doesn't mean powerful necessarily. Old fashion bionic muscle would still be the way to go for brute strength. They'd be advanced because they would simulate the human body completely through technology. 100% tactile sensation and everything. Bionics would probably still have the reduced tactile sensation simply because it would make no sense for them to have a full sense of touch (does anyone really want to feel 100% of the pain from being blasted by a plasma cannon?).
Now that I've got the basic idea of what the Splicer world is like, I think I'm definitely going to enjoy playing my cyborg in it. The "Skynet" clone on one side, the splicer houses on the other, and then all the other things in between who are just trying to survive. And for once, NO MAGIC!

[9voltkilowatt]

Now that I've got the basic idea of what the Splicer world is like, I think I'm definitely going to enjoy playing my cyborg in it. The "Skynet" clone on one side, the splicer houses on the other, and then all the other things in between who are just trying to survive. And for once, NO MAGIC!

Yeah, that would be you. The Great Houses would hate you because your a danger to their health even if you are friendly.

N.E.X.U.S. would want you dead or alive (probably to figure out what makes you work) because your immune to their nanites.

[Colt47]

It all depends on what you're playing. For the most part the armor (called Host Armor) and some other gear that your character wears and creatures he may ride is a genetically engineered organism that functions like weapons and vehicles, and nothing is engineered on the character itself. However there's a class called the Biotic where they take the worst people out of society and subject their bodies to genetic experimentation/augmentation.

For some reason I think the word Augmentation should be replaced with exploitation.
If it wasn't for the fact my character picked a ton of combat moves as skills I'd have probably died first session. Combination Dodge/strike, Combination Parry/attack, Combination Dodge/Shoot for the win! Now I just got to figure out how to wire up and use NEXUS weapons.

I'd say the fatality rate is higher at long ranged fights then at melee range. Then again, so far I've only seen drones and the GM isn't letting me look at the book until I've seen at least half of the enemies covered in it.

Btw, the GM keeps hinting that the player group is going to have to get past a Rook. What exactly is a Rook? Is it like a giant robotic guardian?

Edit: Just read up what it was in a previous post. Yikes.

[TechnoGothic]

It all depends on what you're playing. For the most part the armor (called Host Armor) and some other gear that your character wears and creatures he may ride is a genetically engineered organism that functions like weapons and vehicles, and nothing is engineered on the character itself. However there's a class called the Biotic where they take the worst people out of society and subject their bodies to genetic experimentation/augmentation.

For some reason I think the word Augmentation should be replaced with exploitation.
If it wasn't for the fact my character picked a ton of combat moves as skills I'd have probably died first session. Combination Dodge/strike, Combination Parry/attack, Combination Dodge/Shoot for the win! Now I just got to figure out how to wire up and use NEXUS weapons.

I'd say the fatality rate is higher at long ranged fights then at melee range. Then again, so far I've only seen drones and the GM isn't letting me look at the book until I've seen at least half of the enemies covered in it.

Btw, the GM keeps hinting that the player group is going to have to get past a Rook. What exactly is a Rook? Is it like a giant robotic guardian?

Edit: Just read up what it was in a previous post. Yikes.

A ROOK is a giant tower armed to the teeth. It can attack you from a long way off no problem.
Best bet is to attack from underground/burrowing/digging to avoid the missiles, etc...

[Colt47]

Ah ok, so my character just has to break into some poor farmers house and steal a good shovel, then start listening to some good workout music as he starts digging...

Or get my friend to go get some sort of digging bio enhancement and make the tunnels in record time. For some reason the shovel sounds easier.

The GM is nudging us to try and find a way around the tower but it looks like most of the group is wanting to fight through it.

[Guy_LeDouche]

The GM is nudging us to try and find a way around the tower but it looks like most of the group is wanting to fight through it.

Sounds like a pretty decent GM, at least. I know more than my fair share of "killer" GMs.

A Rook is bad news; 8 attacks per melee, 4200 M.D.C. (counting force field), a main cannon that will annhilate low level Host Armors in one or two blasts, and a load of other weapons and missiles. Now, add in that the Rooks are accompanied by Popper Mines and most get a platoon of Bots, and it spells a world of hurt.

Definately dig. Or go around, or teleport, or something.

[TechnoGothic]

I'd say a cyborg could be immune to the plague if they are full conversion and no longer have a organic human brain. It would have to be a VERY advanced cyborg, though. First, it would need a cybernetic immune system, meaning the borg would have to come from a world where nanites are common place and computer viruses and rogue nanites are like the new diseases of the world (very possible mind you).
Advanced doesn't mean powerful necessarily. Old fashion bionic muscle would still be the way to go for brute strength. They'd be advanced because they would simulate the human body completely through technology. 100% tactile sensation and everything. Bionics would probably still have the reduced tactile sensation simply because it would make no sense for them to have a full sense of touch (does anyone really want to feel 100% of the pain from being blasted by a plasma cannon?).
Now that I've got the basic idea of what the Splicer world is like, I think I'm definitely going to enjoy playing my cyborg in it. The "Skynet" clone on one side, the splicer houses on the other, and then all the other things in between who are just trying to survive. And for once, NO MAGIC!

"Cyborgs" must have at least a living brain. Otherwise your really a ROBOT by Palladium standards.
If the Intelligence was once a living being, it is most likely a Transferred Intelligence (Ghost in the Shell "Cyborgs" like the Major).

But a Full Conversion or Brain Transplant Cyborg (Just a living brain inside a robot body deal) are Immune to the nanoplague by default.
Partial Conversion Cyborgs and Bionic Implants are at danger from the nanoplague however...metal on flesh.

[TechnoGothic]

The GM is nudging us to try and find a way around the tower but it looks like most of the group is wanting to fight through it.

Sounds like a pretty decent GM, at least. I know more than my fair share of "killer" GMs.

A Rook is bad news; 8 attacks per melee, 4200 M.D.C. (counting force field), a main cannon that will annhilate low level Host Armors in one or two blasts, and a load of other weapons and missiles. Now, add in that the Rooks are accompanied by Popper Mines and most get a platoon of Bots, and it spells a world of hurt.

Definately dig. Or go around, or teleport, or something.

Splicers do not have much problem taking them out.
The Host Armors dig at 20 mph.

[Colt47]

Yeah, my character is closer to being a Robot then a true cyborg. I should have read that part about what the tower was packing before the last few sessions. Ugh...
Out of six characters, we lost two of our non-combat specs, one combat spec, and I nearly got blown to bits. It was fun watching the GM and Tim rolling D20s and landing natural 20s three times in a row.

Our GM is nice. He does Dungeons and Dragons, Rifts, Exalted, and a few others. He's kind of new to splicers, but he learns fast so it isn't much of a problem.

[sHaka]

Yeah, my character is closer to being a Robot then a true cyborg.

In that case, your character would indeed be fine.... until he came into physical contact with a mammilian organism. Even having their blood sprayed your direction is going to have nasty results...

You are effectively extremely allergic to mammals.