Hey, everybody! If you are interested in playing Cyberpunk RED, the roleplaying game, you should be aware that the game contains a mechanic called "cyberpsychosis". This mechanic is wildly ableist, on even more levels than you automatically assume. However, removing the mechanic entirely would likely break the game, as it is intended to curtail body modification and introduce a fear in the process behind it. The mechanic as presented does this extremely poorly, so I took the liberty of rewriting it, to make the game a more enjoyable experience for all players. Feel free to use this improved mechanic, which I call cyber-shutdown, described below.
In the game Cyberpunk RED, cyberpsychosis occurs when you install too many cyber-upgrades, and lose too much Humanity, which is based on your Empathy score. The gist is getting to much cyberware will cause you to lose your mind and start killing people (yikes!).
By contrast cyber-shutdown is when you get too much cyberware, which opens up your body to corporate takeover. Humanity is replaced with Security, which is your Will score multiplied by ten. Every modification decreases your Security, which makes you more vulnerable to cyber attack. Whenever a hacker or corporation tries to take control of your body, your mind, or other cyberware, they must roll a Tech check against your Security. They will role 1d10 x their Tech score, and if they roll higher than your Security, their hack is successful, and they seize control of some or all of you.
While in control of your body, the person or entity which hacked you can control any part of you that is cybernetic, while you remain in control of any human parts or biomedically engineered enhancements. Therefore, lab-grown enhancements or cosmetic surgery will not cost Security.
In order to escape cyber-shutdown, an experienced Medtech will need to make an opposing Tech check against your hackers to free you from your own body. However, you will also need to escape corporate police, who will try to eliminate you in order to cover up the cyberware attack on your body.
You could also be a victim of a ransomware attack, in which a hacker gains control of your body and puts you in cyber-shutdown in order to demand a ransom from family or friends. You will remain under the hacker's control until the random is paid or an experienced Medtech is able to free you.
Please feel free to boost this rules change, as I feel it is both more true to the spirit of the game and more inclusive of all kinds of players, who may be psychotic, lack empathy, or be otherwise disabled!
