[Torg] Cybernetic Lycanthropes

[Kansas Jim]

Jerry writes:

> So, I watched two movies yesterday that got me to think.  One being 
> Cursed with Christina Ricci and Underworld with Kate Beckinsale.  What 
> would happen if a lycanthrope from Orrish would be transformed in 
> Tharkhold reality.  Now I do not have the Orrish book any more so I cant 
> look up the laws or character rules behind a lycanthrope character.  So 
> please bear with me as I am pulling everything out of memory.

A lot will depend on the type of transformation. If it's a physical
transformation then the lycanthrope has to lose all of its Orrorshan
nature. If it was in human form during the transformation I'd say that
it just becomes a plain old Race member. If it was in lycanthrope form,
then maybe it becomes a mutant or some sort. Alternately, a GM might
rule that he becomes a magical lycanthrope rather than a Horror, since
such a beastie would be allowed by Tharkold's Magic axiom (even if the
cosm itself does not have such beasties.)

If it was a plain old transformation, then it could keep Orroshan
elements of its nature as a contradiction. But here is where you
run into the quagmire that is Orrorshan Corruption. If Corruption
is purely an expression of an Orrorshan WL, then non-Orrorshans can
only be influenced by it when under Orrorshan reality. So he could
only be a lycanthrope while in Orrorsh, outside of Orrorsh none of
that would work for him because he can't access the necessary WLs.
But some people prefer to think that Corruption can follow characters
outside of Orrorsh, basically that they take a piece of Orrorsh
with them even if they are non-natives, so while it would still be
a contradiction outside of Orrorsh to shapeshift, he would still be
a lycanthrope.

[...]

> And what if when Bill was transformed he acquired two pieces of 
> cyberware.  A limb and an eye package.  If Bill is still able to 

That would require a physical transformation, which would eliminate
the Orrorshan elements of his nature. Now if he were to acquire
cyberware normally, he might be able to get technomagic 'ware which
would work with his shapeshifting (assuming the GM let him have a
magical version of that ability.) But if he got normal cyberware, I'd
say that it would not change with him and so he'd be a probably silly
looking lycanthrope with one human cyberarm and a little human cyber
eye. Or, in keeping with the brutal nature of Tharkold, a GM might
rule that the first time he shapeshifted the cyberware gets ripped
out of his body and he'll be lucky if he doesn't bleed to death....

[...]

> Finally what about an Orrish vampire?  How would cyberware affect this 
> character?  If it had the same cybernetic implants as the lycanthrope 
> would these systems change if the vampire could transform into a bat or 
> something?  I don't remember if that was a power a vampire had in Torg 
> or not.  It would seem something it would have though.

I think he's basically in the same boat as the lycanthrope, it'd depend
on the type of transformation, how you rule Corruption works for
non-natives and if he got magical or normal cyberware.

-- 
Kansas Jim, Torg guru (ksjim (at) sdc (dot) org)
Torg website: http://www.sdc.org/~ksjim/index.html