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As far as I know it there are no crafting rules besides the table on p. 146 and the repairing section in Run and Gun p.143. So I wonder how you can use Bio- and Cybertechnology. Does the GM just make up thresholds? It would be very nice to have some examples similar to the repair section in Run and Gun because otherwise I don't see much use for the skill. There is the use of them as knowledge skills but then you could just take them as knowledge skills so I assume there would be some active use.

Did I miss something or is it really just left up to the GM?

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You didn't miss anything.

There are no guidelines beyond the 'task difficulty table' on p48, which is about as helpful as nothing at all. The general assumption appears to be that you will only use Cybertechnology or Biotechnology to repair damaged cyberware and maybe bioware? 'Repairing' is the only example given, both in terms of matrix damage and non-matrix damage (a broken car). There are currently no rules or guidelines for upgrading, modifying, or building cyberware or machinery, much less bioware. Biotechnology might as well just be a Knowledge skill as far as game mechanics are concerned. At most an ad-hoc check to manipulate machines in a bioware lab or some such.

There are no explicit rules whatsoever, and no rules you could use to determine the general sphere or extent of those skills' use or reach. Anything you do with them is purely homebrew.

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The rules for using Bio/Cyber tech relates to the repair, maintenance, and installation of that kind of 'ware. Usually, you'll see Street Docs having a large amount of medical, then some Cybertech or Biotech on their skill list, listing how good they are at transplanting and inserting them.

For building that kind of stuff, that's a lot trickier. What you're looking for is a plethora of things. Remember that corporations keep very heavy tabs on their intellectual property and their human resources that can do that kind of stuff. Think about an extraction mission you might have done at one point. That egg-head your team was protecting or bagging to deliver to another company was a single researcher that lends his knowledge and skills to creating one portion of Bio/Cyber ware. For Cybertechnology, you need knowledge of material fabrication and technology, biology, neurology, phisiology, chemistry, physics, and a number of other smaller skills. And that's just to create something that's intended to be used as cyberware. Then there's the computer technology aspect, where you'd need high-end data programmers, IT specialists, Matrix specialists, and groups of scripters to actually write the code that the computer engineers create.

When you think of a wage slave or scientist in these settings, those are the people you're thinking of. And that's just to create this one thing that you're looking for. That's not even taking into account all of the logistics that go into running things. Oh, and don't forget the amount of resources needed. You'd need raw parts, fabrication machines, lab equipment, clean rooms, a surgical theater...and that's if you want everything done right.

The process to make, maintain, and upgrade this stuff is extensive. To install it is pretty easy, in comparison, since once it's been created, you just hook it up and calibrate it. That's why you see such large price tags for this stuff. Now, in retrospect, this stuff isn't as expensive as it could be, but that's because of technology for mass production pushing down the costs, and military contracts doing most of the heavy lifting for the research and development aspects, letting the corporations shell off the non-military grade stuff to consumers on the streets and security companies.

And that's not even getting into Bioware, which takes more in certain skills and such to be effectively grown.

This is why you don't see skills being used to build this stuff. It's frag'n complicated. Just do what any sensible Shadowrunner does and steal it. :P

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I think that it's open for multi-character play so you can have a play/plot supporting street doc character whose role is played by a player rather than an NPC.

Rather like the guy from the DragonFall game. /twoPennies

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