Cyborg
The first cyborgs appeared in the late twentieth century, as artificial hearts and electronic, motorized prosthetic limbs began to restore and repair damaged human bodies. However these protocybernetics served only medical functions, replacing their damaged or missing organic counterparts. All this started to change decades ago, when companies began to develop cybernetics that could enhance, not just restore, a body’s functionality. Just as these technologies were starting to appear, the Lunar Insurrection began.
Many of the people we think of today as cyborgs were soldiers. Lured by the promise of higher pay and free augmentations, many enlistees volunteered for cybernetic “upgrades” that made them more lethal warriors. When the War ended and these specialized combatants mustered out, many found themselves unable to fit into the peacetime world. Many took on jobs as corporate security, joined prisec outfits, or even fell in with orgcrime. Since the War, the popularity of cybernetic enhancements has spiked. The new generation of implants can improve an individual mentally as well as physically, and plenty of people are willing to spend some credits and go under the knife to become “better” than what they were.
WHY PLAY A CYBORG?
Because metal and meat is better than meat alone. Cyborgs are among the strongest of all the archetypes physically, and they start with a high wound threshold. More importantly, while any character can receive cybernetic implants, a cyborg represents someone who is particularly well adapted (both psychologically and physiologically) to having their body rebuilt with mechanical parts.
Cyborgs are strong, tough, and generally dangerous, even if they aren’t necessarily very social. If you play a cyborg, your character’s cybernetics may color people’s perceptions of them; many people assume a cyborg is a war veteran or a violent individual. Seeing noticeable cybernetics can be off-putting for some. However, that stigma is fading fast in New Angeles. If you like the idea of playing a veteran soldier, a mercenary warrior, or someone who wants to be more machine than human, a cyborg is the right choice for you.
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