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I'm thinking of playing a Brodkil PC, but I want to keep his invisibility. If I give him bionics he looses it but cybernetics are okay. So what's the difference between bionics and cybernetics. The RUE and Bionics Sourcebook are both rather vague on the difference.

Bionics is more fully replacing the body with Tech pieces. Typically, Brain, Face, some internals, are all that is left. Think Robocop.

Cybernetics, is mostly Limb replacements, & other little pieces of tech added to the Human body. Think Steve Austin, the $6 million dollar man.

Brayon wrote:Bionics is more fully replacing the body with Tech pieces. Typically, Brain, Face, some internals, are all that is left. Think Robocop.

Cybernetics, is mostly Limb replacements, & other little pieces of tech added to the Human body. Think Steve Austin, the $6 million dollar man.

Okay, but if they replace their arm they lose their invisibility. So that doesn't really fit.

HarleeKnight wrote:I'm thinking of playing a Brodkil PC, but I want to keep his invisibility. If I give him bionics he looses it but cybernetics are okay. So what's the difference between bionics and cybernetics. The RUE and Bionics Sourcebook are both rather vague on the difference.

Cybernetics mixes mechanical parts and flesh, bionics are 100% artifical. a cybernetic arm will have a fleshy coating, better sense of touch, ect, while a bionic arm is just a machine arm.

bio-systems are a special kind of cybernetic involving cloned tissue and as little artifical attachments as possible, which is why mages who lose a limb won't suffer any penalties to magic, they are 95% natural, while regular cybernetics will vary how much flesh to metal there is.

Bio-systems are like replacing an amputee's arm with artificial skeletal arm made of alloy or composite, fitted with a skein of fibers that replicate the cartilage and ligaments, maybe some artificial nerves meant to stimulate selected groups of muscles, then covered with a 'scaffolding' onto which cloned tissue is grafted and allowed to bond, fed, and exercised up to working proficiency.

Cybernetics I see as being bionics-lite; not grossly enhancing a person's physical performance beyond the norm. Running blades in place of your old legs giving you a little extra 'oomph' to your running ability? Fine. That's cybernetics. Running at 100 MPH? That's bionics.
Cybernetics also covers some of the 'softer' areas of development...enhanced senses, for example. Tweak your inner ear for less vertigo rolling and tumbling? Low lite vision 'catseyes'? Cybernetics. Building an all-around auditory sensorium and eyes in a ring around your head? Bionics.

Bionics are for military purposes, IIRC.

Bionics are generally industrial/military grade. heavy, high MDC, high strength (robotic PS). the non-limb implants tend to be big, high capability, and tough.
in effect, they are grafting bits of PA/robots onto the person.


Cybernetics on the otherhand are more like high tech versions of modern prosthetics. lighter, more fragile, less capable, (augmented PS).

Cybernetics are far less invasive. to support a bionic system you have to have a bunch of mods made to other bits of the body. to support a bionic limbs strength and weight for example, you'd have to have reinforcement of a good chunk of the ribcage. otherwise when you go about using that enhanced strength it would rip free of the body thanks to lever effects. non-limb bionic implants would similarly need extra reiforcing of the surrounding skeleton and body to support them and keep them in place, unlike most cybernetics which can use the body's existing balances/connections.


and to be complete:
Biosystems are cloned/engineered tissue over a minimal artificial framework. biosystems basically are the body, and thus don't hinder supernatural stuff.

HarleeKnight wrote:I'm thinking of playing a Brodkil PC, but I want to keep his invisibility. If I give him bionics he looses it but cybernetics are okay. So what's the difference between bionics and cybernetics. The RUE and Bionics Sourcebook are both rather vague on the difference.

The basic difference between bionics and cybernetics is that one is "military" grade and the other is "civilian" grade hardware, though it might be more accurate to think of Bionics as "heavy" and Cybernetics as "Light" given things like non-combat 'Borg types (like Mining).

Cybernetics: lung, ear, eye enhancement. Also radar detectors, radios, head jack, even sub-dermal plating.

Bionics: replacement hand, foot, leg, arm, bones, muscle.

Think of one as software, the other as hardware.