Handling a cyberpsycho in your crew

This is the part of the game I prefer, since the beginning. Can't explain why exactly. But I like the concept. That's why my most beloved PC is Hollow, a solo with very low EMP and he is a cyberpsycho of course.

This post is not about Cyberpsychosis by itself. It's more about how you are going to handle it in your party. Because roleplaying with a cyberpsycho is not always an easy journey. Again it's more for new GM in CPR than for experienced GM (your not gonna learn anything here) 

CRB

You have all you need to play Cyberpsychosis from p.230 to p.232

From the Hare Psychopathy checklist, elements of psychopathy include:

• Grandiose sense of self

• Need for stimulation

• Cunning and manipulative

• Lack of remorse or guilt

• Callousness and lack of empathy

• Poor behavioral controls

• Impulsivity

• Failure to accept responsibility

• Criminal versatility

Effect of cyberpsychosis

• First sentence : Cyberpsychosis is not necessarily always violent.

• Second sentence :"Not all "Cyberpsychos" are violent.

The "silent" cyberpsycho

The reference material is clear, you are cyberpsycho before entering "rage mode". Meaning not all cyberpsycho are violent in their early stage. Let's say you have EMP 1 (borderline cyberpsycho) and you choose :

• Cunning and manipulative

• Grandiose sense of self

• Lack of remorse or guilt

And you are playing an Executive.... well he is just an ambitious dude willing to do anything to satisfy his big ego. I don't think the character gonna standout. That's almost the standard way to behave for a corporate Executive.

At EMP 0 (cyberpsycho) you will add 2 more traits :

• Need for stimulation

• Failure to accept responsibility

He is now addict to his adrenaline shot , like a junky, and it's never his fault when something go south. Still he can stay "quiet". EMP 0 mean a lack of empathie by definition, you don't need to choose the trait. So your RP will show that your character is not anymore in line with other human being.

The other ones

There are many other type in between these two opposite type. That's the beauty of cyberpsychosis. I think we should play a bit more with the "silent" ones. There is a lot of plot to be explored around NPCs suffering from that.

An keep in mind that : " .... their view of others as things to be used or harmed without thought or empathy increases dramatically." Whatever path you choose, you character has a very restricted way of thinking about other.

Not the best stuff to incorporate into a party.

Player agency

I'm not going to start the good old debate about the fanatic Paladin Lawful Good in a party of more diverse characters. But the idea is the same. At the end of the day, roleplaying a cyberpsycho will impact your party.

• The "silent" type will be kinda insufferable at some point.  But can be manipulative enough to avoid making too much trouble.

• The "violent" one is another story

In both case, after playing a while you will probably encounter another trope : "It's what my character would do" but this time ... it's not "would" but "must". As the traits of cyberpsychosis are a rules, a constrains put on your RP. 

Still, that's absolutely not an excuse to mess-up the other players fun.

Having a Cyberpsychos in your party comes with constraints for the other players. In some country "player agency" is central, like almost a religion. But what happens when you have a player using his agency to RP a cyberpsycho, the violent one. And on the other hand, a player who is RPing a rude, agressive and rebellious punk ? They gonna clash sooner or later. And by clashing, I mean the cyberpsycho gonna try to crush the other character with all his might. Both players will complain that the other one is trying to put constrains on his agency. Both are right. Same debate than with the Paladin LG and the Rogue CN in a D&D party.

The player roleplaying a cyberpscho is responsible for his good integration in the team

There is no shorcut here. You want to RP a part of the lore, fine, but don't expect the other players to do the job for you. You character will consider "others as things to be used or harmed without thought or empathy". That's why you must work hard in order to explain why he wants to be part of this group AND why the others are going to tolerate his antics. 

Else... you are bound to fail and bring PvP or frustration at your table. Unless you get lucky and all the other players are easy going.

It was a new character in a campaign already well advanced. An Epic level campaign with 2 characters per players. Nice concept for Tech, and even other characters as you have a lot of downtime to "build" your own stuff (Tech, relationship, network, faction, etc..). And you have another character already involved if something happens to your main.

Hollow is a combat zoner, born and raised in the old combat zone. Started in a community, which was raided by a gang, become a ganger than a solo. He had one friend, and only one, my other character.

>>The wrong way, as it was not a group discussion. That's a good lesson learned.

>>The right way, because 

• I'm well aware about the consequences for other and I tried my best to limit them.

• he didn't have EMP 1 at chargen, so RPing some Hare Psychopathy traits was a choice, not a constrains. Easy to tune down.

• I choose traits that where easy to handle : 

  • • Callousness and lack of empathy

    • Lack of remorse or guilt

    • Grandiose sense of self

• he has COOL 2 and no social skills, meaning he is a big introvert. He lets the others do the talking and only intervene when he saw a flaw in their plan (INT 7 + Boost + Tactics 5). He is NOT the confrontational type. 

• he has Chemskin, Techhair, and Shiftact linked to his emotions. You can't miss it when he starts to be "agitated".

• He is the best friend of one character and quickly become the bodyguard of the group Fixer. Both of them having a lot of influence in the group. Both of them having great Persuasion score (he would listen).

He will eventually reach EMP 1, and I don't intend to go under. Because a Trauma roll may always be asked by your GM. 2D6 ... you can roll 6,6 and lose 12 humanity. I intend to keep this buffer and a bit more. Mainly because he is a very dangerous Solo with a low score of Autofire 22 and a Malorian subflechette. He would kill other PCs in a rampage.

At the end of the day, he was not difficult to handle, the main issue resolved around the rash Solo/Nomad bounty huntress who speaks in a very harsh way to everybody even her boyfriend. That's just her way to speak, doesn't mean anything. But Hollow can't understand that, coming from the Old Combat Zone, respect is everything and you can't show any weaknesses. As he can't handle a Facedown (COOL 2), he doesn't. He fight as soon as someone is disrespecting him. At the end of the day, she had to tune down a bit her language and her way to address ONE person in the whole group. Not the end of the day as other characters than a cyberpsycho could also take offense in her way to speak to them. 

Playing a cyberspycho can be a great RP opportunity, but it should be handled with care. And you should discuss it as a group. If you choose an extreme RP it will certainly be problematic for the group.