| From: | shadowrn@*********.com (Chris Maxfield) |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Cloning and Bioware |
| Date: | Sat Sep 29 01:30:01 2001 |
>on stem cell research. Since bioware exists that could replace as well as
>enhance the nervous system, does anyone think anything other than
>brain-death is truly inoperable? I'm mainly asking since in my campaign one
That's the way it works in my game.
>character beheaded an NPC with a monowhip (eight successes on a surprise
>action) and in the old rules the person could NOT be brought back. However,
>a person in the NPC's group found him within two minutes and would have cast
>Stabilize (even if it was pointless) and a monowhip should leave an
>exceedingly clean cut....
Although the brain stays alive for some time after a beheading, I'd say
there would be some serious brain degradation by two minutes. Assuming the
NPC had a body of 6, two minutes is technically correct for the length of
time for a deadly wound to degrade to death on the overflow track,
according to the rules, but a beheading needs some special GM
determinations. For example, I would not allow a beheaded character to
self-stabilize. :-)
Nor would I allow the Stabilize spell to keep the head alive in this
situation - though I would say it slowed down the "dying" by adding the
spell's force to the character's body for determining overflow progression.
On the other hand, a combination of Stabilize with sustained Oxygenate and
Nutrition spells may keep the head alive indefinitely, and Petrify would be
perfect for preventing death and transporting the head to high tech life
support equipment.
>On a different matter, what would the laws regarding clone rights be? Or the
>opinion of the average citizen?
The laws would vary from nation to nation and people's opinions would vary
from person to person. I'd say the situation would be very similar to
today's laws on foetuses.
>What would a clone have - obviously the Physical Attributes of a person, but
No. A persons physical attributes are as much the result of life experience
as well as genetic potential.
>would it have the same Magical abilites, though latent, since it is in the
>DNA? While mages and shamans have to train to use their powers, would a
>physical adept have to?
Are you talking about putting a head on a cloned body? If so, major
retraining I'd say. A cloned body would be genetically identical but not
completely physically identical. The magical potential would probably still
be in the cloned flesh but the dramatic shock of a new body would be sure
to require a major geasa or two. :-)
If you're not talking about putting a head on a cloned body, then I don't
understand the question. A cloned body is just an adult-sized new-born
infant (which is why I doubt the medtechs would allow a brain to grow in
the clone). It might have the same magical potential as the genome-parent
but that is still not fully understood in 2062. If it was magical, it would
have to train from scratch like any other child.
>If your base body has bioware, and after it has set in you clone that body,
>would the clones have the bioware since it is genengineered?
No. The bioware is not in the body's genome.
>I would assume the mental attributes would start at 1 for a clone, but could
>develop over a long span of time, say one point per year. I don't think
>skillchip or BTL tech is advanced enough to give memories though. What is
>the popular opinion?
If a brain was allowed to grow in the cloned body then it is the brain of a
new-born infant. I don't think there is any tech in Shadowrun that allows
the inscribing of life-experience memories on a new-born brain other than
just living it.
Chris
