I recently decided Warforged by another name are acceptable within my campaign setting. If we have what are basically fantasy androids, why not cyborgs? I have the beginnings of a system - the average playable race comes out to 15 RP. Take a feat called Cyborg, and you get 2 RP. If you have this feat and you can explain how a magitech device can provide a racial trait, you can take it as an alternate racial trait, giving up something of an equal price or paying the difference with the points the feat gave you. If you want more points, sacrifice a regular character trait. You cannot use Cyborg to get ability score increases.
Any problems you guys can see? Anything not on the race builder or alternate trait
lists that should be achievable? Anything on the lists that shouldn't? Should Cyborgs have access to advanced racial traits?
A better name would be nice, too. This is Eberron style, so cybernetics don't exist.
I don't know how you feel about 3rd party, but this is wonderfully well written and more balanced than the race builder in ARG.
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I'm developing a class called "artiforged,"* which is what people call half-constructs in my campaign setting. The entire class centers around augmenting one's body with devices. My big design goal is to make artiforged setting neutral so they can fit in most campaign settings. They have a class feature that works similar to a sorcerer bloodline that determines the flavor of their augmentations. For example, there's one where your augmentations are magical devices attached to your body, another where you're "frankensteining" yourself with undead limbs, one where you're mutating yourself with alchemically grown organs, and one where your augmentations are actually symbiotic plants. This way, you can play a cyborg-like character that fits in your GM's campaign setting. Unfortunately, while I finished most of it, I got stumped with a couple of mechanics and had to put the project aside for my Master's thesis and RPG Superstar.
In my campaign, artiforged are rather rare. The only ones the party has seen come from a runari city. Like other runari technology, false limbs are magically enhanced stone with little to no moving parts. Runari artiforged look something like this.
If you're trying to brainstorm some kind of cyborg race, I can picture a race where each member (or the descendants of each member) is like the 6 Million Dollar Man or like Android #17 and #18 from Dragon Ball. At one point, they were a member of a different race, but got "rebuilt" so they're functionally an entirely new race. Maybe there's a racial trait that differs depending on how they were rebuilt. Maybe the only way members of this race can reproduce is by sharding a part of their personality into a new cyborg or by creating a "new version" of themselves.
*I can't decide whether to call them "artiforged" or "artiforge."
I'm developing a class called "artiforged,"* which is what people call half-constructs in my campaign setting. The entire class centers around augmenting one's body with devices. My big design goal is to make artiforged setting neutral so they can fit in most campaign settings. They have a class feature that works similar to a sorcerer bloodline that determines the flavor of their augmentations. For example, there's one where your augmentations are magical devices attached to your body, another where you're "frankensteining" yourself with undead limbs, one where you're mutating yourself with alchemically grown organs, and one where your augmentations are actually symbiotic plants. This way, you can play a cyborg-like character that fits in your GM's campaign setting. Unfortunately, while I finished most of it, I got stumped with a couple of mechanics and had to put the project aside for my Master's thesis and RPG Superstar.
In my campaign, artiforged are rather rare. The only ones the party has seen come from a runari city. Like other runari technology, false limbs are magically enhanced stone with little to no moving parts. Runari artiforged look something like this.
If you're trying to brainstorm some kind of cyborg race, I can picture a race where each member (or the descendants of each member) is like the 6 Million Dollar Man or like Android #17 and #18 from Dragon Ball. At one point, they were a member of a different race, but got "rebuilt" so they're functionally an entirely new race. Maybe there's a racial trait that differs depending on how they were rebuilt. Maybe the only way members of this race can reproduce is by sharding a part of their personality into a new cyborg or by creating a "new version" of themselves.
*I can't decide whether to call them "artiforged" or "artiforge."
That is exactly the kind of class I was looking for. I was considering a magus archetype though. Drop something for the craft construct spells and drop spell combat for the upgrades.
* Cybernetics in the Technology Guide.
* Clockwork Prosthetics in Magical Marketplaces.
* 3rd party have some Mundane and Magical ones.
* Technically, 'Alchemical Prosthetics' shouls be possible (think artificial Bones, Skins, Muscles, etc that kinda look and work like the real thing).
*Etc...
Easiest answer for me is to simply say that cyborgs are flavor.
Back in 3.0 there was an Arm of... something or other, it was basically a magic cybernetic arm that gave you some bonuses. I remember running it through the price guidelines to break it down and see how much WotC deemed a plain cybernetic arm to be worth, and it was... zero. It was free. The entire cost of the item was taken up by it being a slotless magical item with the given stats.
So thats how I'd handle it. If someone wants a magitech cybernetic part that does nothing beyond what the original can do, then you can pretty much just let them have it, its nothing but flavor. If the item gives them bonuses, then just stat it up as a slotless magical item and call it good to go.
Now that I think about it, the magic item system may well work best. Less complicated. Maybe have a trait that lets you put two items in a limb or eye slot by making one a prosthesis (so, you have a prosthetic hand that is a magic item, and you can wear a magic glove over that hand). I don't want a cyborg race, I want them to remain elves, dwarves, or whatever.
check out the golemoids from Thunderscape, they work really well, and can be yanked pretty easily from the setting
In that case, I recommend Technology Guide's cybernetics. They're kind of like special types of magic items with their own slot system. They;re pretty simple and the Technology Guide is freely available on the PRD. You can reflavor them any way you please. I'm honestly considering adding a magical version of the wirejack tendons and cyber muscles to my campaign. These enhancements are basically belts of dexterity or strength that are directly implanted into your body.
In that case, I recommend Technology Guide's cybernetics. They're kind of like special types of magic items with their own slot system. They;re pretty simple and the Technology Guide is freely available on the PRD. You can reflavor them any way you please. I'm honestly considering adding a magical version of the wirejack tendons and cyber muscles to my campaign. These enhancements are basically belts of dexterity or strength that are directly implanted into your body.
Personally, my main complain is how every Body slot items are Mutually Exclusive, no reasons given.
Going to second the Golemoid from the Thunderscape Campaign Setting.
You can find a lot of information on the Golemoid Base Class (and browse other very nice classes from the setting) HERE.
Someone was working on a half Golem bloodline, but I can't find it now.