Cyborg Heritage - how would you make it?

[Invictus Spartan]

Hello again.

I LOVE Androids. I love Brigh and Casandalee. But the idea that I have right now isn't quite what Androids are...

So the idea is that my human inventor will build a kingdom/temple to Brigh in the Stolen Lands (just bought Kingmaker) to improve science, technology and/or AI acceptance. In return, he wants to be made "like an android". But Androids are made and then receive a soul. This human already has a soul and was born normally.
He would then receive cibernetic implants and turn something new. His heritage would change. I love the idea of Cyborg Heritage, cause I'm sure Gnomes would try it out, and Goblins would make steampunk implants and the sky's the limit for the creative.

Rulewise, though, I'm stumped. Should I just "adapt" Android feats? Should I just use Android and the rules for android and "name" it differently, until Paizo release a Cyborg heritage for real? Do you think they'll launch something like this someday? Can you help me homebrew it? Would you like to play something like this? AND ACTUALLY, the rare background SAVED BY CLOCKWORK is pretty much "you have a clockwork implant". What do you think about that, huh?

Thanks for your ever insightful answers o/

[Claxon]

I was going to suggest just going with the Saved By Clockwork background for whatever race you like.

Alternatively playing as an android with your backstory being that you were an Inventor that ended up having your mind and soul put into this new body (you probably can't say you did it yourself since in theory you should be able to replicate it and obviously a 1st level character would lack the means to do so).

[keftiu]

Reflavoring the Android or Automaton gives you some options, as does the Clockwork Dynamo Archetype. You could also explain just about any class features as cybernetic augmentations; a Barbarian’s Rage is overclocking their body, while a Ranger might Hunt Prey with enhanced eyes.

[Brinebeast]

I recommend setting it up as a Universal Heritage. That way there can be Cyborg Humans/Catfolk/Halflings/etc.

[Alchemic_Genius]

If you want to have all the nanite themed powers of an ansroid, I'd just play an android with some reskinning; giving away the main cool bit of the android ancestry to a versatile heritage seems kinda bad.

If what you want is cool cybernetic implants, I might recommend looking at golem grafter or sterling dynamo

As others have said, saved by clockwork is a cyborg in the Iron Man artificial pacemacer kinda way, but you can flavor it to be more extensive

Fleshwarp also straight up has a cyborg option, and a lot of the feats, due to representing physical mutations, are easy to reflavor into giving yourself more mods; like gaining darkvision could be enhanced eyes, climbing nodules can be turned into retractable climing gear, etc.

If none of these strike your fancy, I don't think homebrewing a new heritage is a bad idea; there's certainly design space for it imo. Personally, I would make the base heritage a +1 circumstance bonus vs disease poison, and effects that inflict the sickened condition, and include effects like unarmed attacks, extra senses, extra HP, movements speeds, and possibly thematic innate casting and skill/skill feat granting options. I wouldn't give them the androids nanite powers, or at least anything beyond the first one, because pillaging an ancestries main unique thing and giving it to everyone is kinda bluh

[Claxon]

Brinebeast wrote:

I recommend setting it up as a Universal Heritage. That way there can be Cyborg Humans/Catfolk/Halflings/etc.

If Paizo were going to produce it, cyborg as a versatile heritage makes sense.

However, I think the rest of us were looking at existing options (for balance and not being question) that could be reflavored to represent being a cyborg.

A versatile heritage that is basically just chock full of feats replacing your organic body with tech parts is exactly what the OP wants, we just don't want to try our hand at making it because we're not game designers and coming up with such a thing isn't easy (to do well and balanced against other options).

[Ravingdork]

Invictus Spartan wrote:

How would you make cyborg heritage?

With green eggs and ram.

[David knott 242]

I am thinking this would work better as an archetype rather than as a heritage. After all, the most likely scenario is that someone begins life as a normal creature of his kind and then at some later point (before or after starting his adventuring career) has some of his original body parts replaced. A universal heritage could cover the case where someone has most of his body parts replaced before the start of his adventuring career, but feats without a heritage might make sense for someone who has a single body part replaced (at least at first).

[Claxon]

Ravingdork wrote:

Invictus Spartan wrote:

How would you make cyborg heritage?

With green megs and ram.

FTFY ;)

[Ravingdork]

Claxon wrote:

Ravingdork wrote:

Invictus Spartan wrote:

How would you make cyborg heritage?

With green megs and ram.

FTFY ;)

You're thinking of an android. Cyborgs require fleshy bits AND electronic bits.

[Ascalaphus]

Yeah I also think this could make sense either as a heritage (focusing heavily on feats and even swapping out feats/parts), or as archetype. Compare it to the "I was ancestry X but now I'm also developing as undead" archetypes.

[Perpdepog]

TBH it doesn't even necessarily need to be a heritage or an archetype. Magical and mundane prosthetics already exist in the game; extrapolating that out to cybernetics doesn't seem too difficult.

I do admit that, if your goal is to start off as a cyborg, then having to pick up expensive items to do it probably won't be terribly satisfying.

[Sanityfaerie]

As far as archetypes are concerned, Sterling Dynamo already exists... though, admittedly, it's not amazing.

[D3stro 2119]

Perpdepog wrote:

TBH it doesn't even necessarily need to be a heritage or an archetype. Magical and mundane prosthetics already exist in the game; extrapolating that out to cybernetics doesn't seem too difficult.

I do admit that, if your goal is to start off as a cyborg, then having to pick up expensive items to do it probably won't be terribly satisfying.

Second this. If anything, this whole thing would be more of a "cyberpunk" type thing than anything else.

For starting characters though, the best would just be to parcel out more money or just call it starting equipment, because this is one thing that doesn't need to be a heritage.

[Alchemic_Genius]

Perpdepog wrote:

TBH it doesn't even necessarily need to be a heritage or an archetype. Magical and mundane prosthetics already exist in the game; extrapolating that out to cybernetics doesn't seem too difficult.

I do admit that, if your goal is to start off as a cyborg, then having to pick up expensive items to do it probably won't be terribly satisfying.

I would personally LOVE to see more things like the fancy wheelchairs that expand on magical prosthetics

[Perpdepog]

Alchemic_Genius wrote:

Perpdepog wrote:

TBH it doesn't even necessarily need to be a heritage or an archetype. Magical and mundane prosthetics already exist in the game; extrapolating that out to cybernetics doesn't seem too difficult.

I do admit that, if your goal is to start off as a cyborg, then having to pick up expensive items to do it probably won't be terribly satisfying.

I would personally LOVE to see more things like the fancy wheelchairs that expand on magical prosthetics

Good news is I believe we are getting more magical assistive items like those in the upcoming Treasure Vault. The biggest question I would have regarding cybernetics as options is what would they use for their limiting factor? Making them Invested items like magical items feels kind of weird since they aren't magical unless Pathfinder is going to take a page out of Shadowrun's book and say that cybernetic augments limit your investiture capacity or something.