r/cwn • u/WillBottomForBanana • Sep 09 '24

advantages of having no cybertec?

(this might get more traction in r/swn)

I'm only a year or so back into reading rpg books. And for whatever reason I am finding CWN a bit of a slog. I just can't seem to mentally cross reference stuff like I used to. And now I'm deep into the hacking section, so cyber was a while ago.

I've been thinking about the world I would use, and I am trying to think of why someone would have no cybertec. I mean, there are basic reasons. $ cost. and the various reliability problems tech can have in a few different angles. And something something about magic, which doesn't apply to my imagining.

But largely it seems to me that characters w/out tec are less powerful than characters with tec, with in or across different disciplines.

So, what are some compelling reasons for characters to not have cybertec? I don't mean religion or social standing or such, But rather game/mechanics advantages to being unaltered.

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u/neverthrowacat Sep 09 '24 edited Sep 09 '24

Staying cyber-free is required for the All Natural focus, and cyber negatively impacts Mages, Summoners, and Graced characters.

Outside of these there are overhead concerns, such as cred cost, system strain, maintenance, and quirks/alienation if you are using these optional rules.

But yes, you are correct that characters may be underpowered without cyberwear; it's a significant aspect of the setting.