Visions of Bronze, Visions of Brass: Setting and Mechanics

Also, to generalize from @MJ12 Commando - most things with high Sphere ratings are going to be hard to get without good connections or being basically owned by the Union, especially post-'99. There are exceptions - Bobs are the obvious example (and on a side note, are those even canon? Certainly they make too much sense to not exist, but I didn't really see them mentioned in my various glances through the rulebooks), being about as rare as dirt despite being Life 5/Mind 5 constructs - but if your augs require personal attention from a Sphere Master they should probably have roleplay justification.

Bobs are not strictly canon. They're just generic all-physicals at 3, all-mentals-at-2 conditioning-10 and some flaws to represent how they're uncreative and kind of dull clones good for basic tasks that exist because as a Technocrat you probably don't want to hire janitorial staff from the masses.
 
Right, so there are two ways I can take my character. I can either nix Nanotech Integration and use other enhancements, or I can edit backstory to justify it.

So, an open question. Does anyone have any advice for the latter? I'm having troubles coming up with something that wouldn't drastically change her character. I'm not as familiar with the Technocracy as I'd like.
 
Yeah nanotech integration isn't something easy to explain for Blackwell then, I'll have to figure out something else for her

EDIT (Half the reason I picked nanotech integration in the first place is so that I didn't have to do this : P )
 
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It's still mechanically Life 5 Prime 4 no matter how you refluff it.
Enh. Technocrats can let other people build their Devices - pretty sure that's what makes mass production of things like HITMarks and plasma cannons possible. The problem is that the fluff in this case really requires personal attention from the builder.

Mm... Swapping it out for genetic mods with those Spheres aren't going to help anything.

Oh, you know what - it's so expensive because it's a Rote. It's a Life 4/Matter 2/Prime 5 enchant Life Rote, that's why it's so expensive. If you make it as a Device and install it it's only, what, Prime 4 or PU 3? And the effect is only Life 2 regen self, too, the Life 4 is for "affect other humans". As an installed Device it'd only be Life ... well, basically Life 3 for Better Body.

Of course, the downside is, if you get it as an installed Device that way, you don't get to choose your Paradox Flaws, you're stuck with the +1/2 agg damage and it's probably possible to destroy the Device with Life without the elaborate Life-Matter-or-Entropy 5 Rote the book describes. So it's very much "bootleg" to do it that way.
 
This is what I get for being lazy and just grabbing an enhancement suggested by someone else. : P
 
Since I ony have the M20 book, I don't even know what Enhancements are a thing! :D

I just have it to justify some Focuses pretty much.
 
Allen Armstrong - I must confess, one hears all manner of unfortunate things about the more... escoteric Progenitor initiatives, but I am delighted to find that Mr Armstrong is a far cry from the horrific monstrosity one would expect from such dire predictions. He is well read, a fascinating conversationalist, and generally a very agreeable individual. I must see about getting him to explain the basics of Dimensional Science to me - while I doubt I will ever master it to the same extent, it sounds like a fascinating topic, made all the more so by his rather unique perspective on the whole thing.

Amelia Rosewater - I flatter myself as something of an expert on social systems and predictive modeling, but in truth Miss Rosewater surpasses me so utterly in those areas it is honestly a little embarrassing. She is a very focused individual, the sort that any Operative would be happy to rely upon, and I feel that working with her would be a most enjoyable experience. Her only flaw seems to be her insistence that human problems can be addressed in the same way as mechanical ones, but that is a common failing among Iterators. It might be worth recommending her for Hyperpsychology training... we will see.

Jennifer Blackwell - It is always good to work alongside a fellow Operative, and Miss Blackwell is an excellent example of our shared profession. She is focused, dedicated and extremely good at her job, a true believer in the Technocratic ideal. If anything, I would say her dedication outstrips my own, likely a legacy of our differing backgrounds. I have lived my life as part of the Union from the very beginning, and thus do not always appreciate the full scope of the advantages it offers, whereas she originally lived among the Sleepers and thus has a distinct point of comparison. Truly, she is an inspiration we could all aspire to.

Octavia Wilkinson - Ah, Progenitors. So very devoted to their own perspective. Mrs Wilkinson is a dedicated and highly skilled medic, but it does seem to colour all that she does. Beyond that, I cannot really say, having neither met her nor been given access to most of her files.

Lucy Axelle - Mrs Axelle is a living testiment to the wisdom behind our policy of capture and conversion, as opposed to outright extermination. While her somewhat unusual personality takes some getting used to, I cannot fault either her enthusiasm or her skills. I have often heard my colleagues mocking the idealists among us, but personally I have always been inclined to praise and support them. We do what we do in service of humanity, after all, and the consequences of forgetting that could be dire indeed.

Hillary Kung - Ah, the Ivory Tower. Good at what they do, vital to the success of our organisation, but all too often prone to being blinded by their own detached perspective. Miss Kung would make an excellent support agent, of that I have no doubt, but her frontline training is almost non-existent. I suspect my own judgement on this matter might be prone to some considerable bias, and so shall withhold any further commentary on the matter until new information is available.
No Susan Wu? :(
 
Oh hey, I found a "Mage Spheres for Dummies" book accompanying the M20 book, score!
 
I could just cut out the enhancements completely, they are not entirely necessary.

But. Part of the character of Jennifer is that the Union not only helped her to become herself to unlock her full potential, but that it has made her grater than anything she could have fantasied about. And uhh, the complete lack of fucks you give about your body while transgender. The Union giving her not just the body of her dreams, but one superior in every way (If only to improve her effectiveness for the Union)... It would be part of her near fanatical loyalty that would still exist even if you were to strip the conditioning away. Especially as opposed to the take she experienced from the other side (Which was based on a social flaw called "Transvestite" I saw that was patronizingly Transphobic).

I'm not particularly attached to any particular set of enhancements, just that they're linked to the body and improve function. Which is why the nano-tech integration appealed to me. Of course it being a fairly rare and high end, does kinda conflict with my ideas, so. That isn't to say I can't figure out some other package that appeals to me, I just don't get to be lazy about it. : P
 
Cheaper borderline full-body replacements are an option. While it's no longer strictly represented in the rules (barring an update to, say, training times), I'm not changing the fluff that it takes an exponential amount of effort to actually master Spheres - the flattened xp rates are just a player convenience. So there's going to be a lot more Life 4 Adepts than Life 5 Masters.

Also, stand by for selections in the next few hours!
 
I could just cut out the enhancements completely, they are not entirely necessary.

But. Part of the character of Jennifer is that the Union not only helped her to become herself to unlock her full potential, but that it has made her grater than anything she could have fantasied about. And uhh, the complete lack of fucks you give about your body while transgender. The Union giving her not just the body of her dreams, but one superior in every way (If only to improve her effectiveness for the Union)... It would be part of her near fanatical loyalty that would still exist even if you were to strip the conditioning away. Especially as opposed to the take she experienced from the other side (Which was based on a social flaw called "Transvestite" I saw that was patronizingly Transphobic).

I'm not particularly attached to any particular set of enhancements, just that they're linked to the body and improve function. Which is why the nano-tech integration appealed to me. Of course it being a fairly rare and high end, does kinda conflict with my ideas, so. That isn't to say I can't figure out some other package that appeals to me, I just don't get to be lazy about it. : P

Go for exomuscle and take a member of the Tyrants as a mentor. ;v

No, not kidding. Exomuscle is a great deal even with the innate permanent paradox and doubled cost. Great like whoa.

My guide to making a Fite mage has "can you afford exomuscle" as step one.
 
Go for exomuscle and take a member of the Tyrants as a mentor. ;v

No, not kidding. Exomuscle is a great deal even with the innate permanent paradox and doubled cost. Great like whoa.

My guide to making a Fite mage has "can you afford exomuscle" as step one.

I guess I should join the Cult of Exomuscle : P

Now to cost it out for Jen
 
Of course, the downside is, if you get it as an installed Device that way, you don't get to choose your Paradox Flaws, you're stuck with the +1/2 agg damage and it's probably possible to destroy the Device with Life without the elaborate Life-Matter-or-Entropy 5 Rote the book describes. So it's very much "bootleg" to do it that way.
Why do you not get to choose the flaws?

(Either way, this will be what I'm doing. I like Nanotech Integration, so 'bootleg' is fine.)
 
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