Modifing SST's setting and rules to add in Ghost In The Shell elements. - OG Myth-Weavers

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Modifing SST's setting and rules to add in Ghost In The Shell elements.

   
Modifing SST's setting and rules to add in Ghost In The Shell elements.

After reading this pdf which makes it possible to play Ghost In The Shell in D20 Modern the idea of taking some of its D20 rules, modifying them, and then integrating them into D20 Starship Troopers has been stuck in my head. My initial visualization of this would essentially consist of a Federation that has its most advanced research and developments centered upon cybernetics; where every civilian receives a Class D Cyberbrain (see that pdf) in their mid-teens and can only get replacement scale cybernetics (including the very basic human scale prosthetic bodies) when medically necessary. Citizens, however, can upgrade their cyberbrains and have access to enhancing scale cybernetics. The citizens who are sufficiently injured in the line of duty may also gain the combat type prosthetic bodies--the best quality ones are only available to those proven worthy of possessing them.

Needless to say, this would dramatically change both military life and civilian/off duty life within the Federation. In the military, this would no doubt mean that squads can easily maintain constant communication with their commanders/support, that everyone can pull in real-time data on the current situation/enemy data, that memory sharing might help other soldiers avoid the fates of the ambushed, etc. Back home this could very easily be used by the Federation to dramatically increase their societal control--they now have far more access to your memories, thoughts, and the useful results of cyberbrain hacking. Conversely, this also introduces some over dependence on telecommunications in the front line and sufficiently skilled freedom fighters/hackers might be able to use cyberbrain technology to actually protect people from the dictatorship. Psychics would still exist and will most likely avoid too much brain modifications, probably only using the minimal brain machine interface already listed in the game. Despite the “techno-telepathy” made possible by Cyberbrains actual telepaths will no doubt still be used to access the rest of people’s minds—and naturally being used against the Arachnids.

I'd also tweak the Arachnids so that the ones from the movie & show--the ones we normally face in this table top rpg--are actually genetically engineered drones made/used by their counterparts in the novel. The difference from the novel is that they don't have their own spacecraft, beam and missile weapons but instead relay entirely upon the "bugs" seen in this game for transport & conquest. These “master bugs” can only be found deep inside of transport bugs or in underground cities within fully taken over Arachnid planets. Making this alternation will--in my humble opinion--add a very fascinating clash between one species which focuses heavily upon bio-tech and another species (us) who have instead utilized "conventional technology."

Rule wise, my first approach would be to just keep as much as the SST D20 rules intact as possible; only adding in the stats for the cybernetics/prosthetic bodies and try to figure out how to best handle use of that pdf's cyberbrain-hacking rules.

What do you guys and gals think of this prospect?

Moderators,

Could you please move this thread into the GM Workshop? In retrospect that board seems far more appropriate for this thread, considering how it necessitates some rule tweaks and an extensively modified SST fluff.


Thanks.





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