The Black Chrome sourcebook and recent Downloadable Content (DLC) for Cyberpunk RED have introduced more tools for the Medtech Role. As a longtime player of a Medtech, I couldn’t be happier. Note that a Medtech’s mileage for a given item may vary depending on their Role Ability choices.
I have included prices in Eurobucks (EB) for some items. Pharmaceuticals don’t have a cost, since by RAW each one can only be obtained via the Medicine Role Ability. However, some GMs have house rules which allow Medtechs to obtain Pharmaceuticals they don’t know how to synthesize by other means, usually for a high price. Note that you would still need ranks in Medical Tech: Pharmaceuticals to use those. Talk with your GM if this interests you.
Each entry also cites the book/DLC it appears in. All DLCs can be found on R. Talsorian Games’ website. Black Chrome PDF is at Drive Thru RPG; hardcover from the R. Talsorian store.
Trauma Team MedScan (Black Chrome, p. 14; 20EB): This is an Agent app that connects to one of Trauma Team’s Remote Specialists – although their advice will cost you 100EB for an hour. The fee grants a +1 to a First Aid or Paramedic check used to Stabilize or Quick Fix an injury.
If the PC is a Medtech, they can also get a four hour consult for one Treatment, Installation, Surgery, or Bodysculpt, with a +1 to the Med Tech or Surgery check. This use costs 500EB. Sorry, it doesn’t help with Therapy, which takes much more time.
Trauma Team Remote Specialist, with your GM’s agreement, may be a Lifepath “day job” option for your Medtech Edgerunner as well.
Raven Microcybernetics MicroWaldo (12 Days of Cybermas, p. 5; 1,000EB): My Medtech PC Doc Angel’s new favorite cyberware adds +1 to Surgery checks.
While several cyberarm and -hand upgrades can be installed in a meat arm/hand, the MicroWaldo cannot.
Note that the MicroWaldo requires Neuralware as well as a cyberarm and requires 1 upgrade slot each. Depending on what other upgrades you have, it is possible to have both the MicroWaldo and Medscanner upgrades in the same cyberarm.
Sedative (Hornet’s Pharmacy, p. 4): Sedative is a Pharmaceutical (core book, pp. 149-50) and so follows those rules.
Sedative has different mechanical effects depending on whether the target is willing or unwilling. If willing, the Medtech gains a +2 bonus to perform Treatments; if unwilling, the target becomes unconscious and cannot take Actions. Unwilling targets get a DV15 Resist Torture/Drugs check to be unaffected by a dose of Sedative.
Regardless of the purpose, only a Medtech can administer Sedative, since it is a Pharmaceutical, not a street drug.
Veritas (Hornet’s Pharmacy, p. 4): Veritas is a Pharmaceutical (core book, pp. 149-50) and so follows those rules.
Unlike other official Pharmaceuticals, Veritas has no beneficial effects for the dosed character. It is strictly a truth serum that puts the target “into a hazy, suggestive state for 10 minutes.” Mechanically, the target takes a -5 to several skill checks while affected by Veritas. Targets get a DV 17 Resist Torture/Drugs check to avoid the effects.
Even though Veritas has no legitimate medical uses, it is still a Pharmaceutical and must be administered by a Medtech.
Until next time – same Astral time, same Astral channel!
Artwork: “Consultation,” © 2021 Linda Whitson
Linda Whitson
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