Liberated Borg PCs

[Jobe00]

How would I make one? Human/Borg Hybrid (Human Dominant)?

Yeah, I have one in Star Trek Online.

[Dan Gurden]

For a playable character, you have a standard human template with some back-story. TBH you shouldn't really need much more.

In ICON you would use a few Advantages/Disadvantages to show the Borg augnmentations and disfigurements. Less certain in CODA... sorry.

[PGoodman13]

You could do the same basic Edge/Flaw modification in CODA. I'd have to check my books to find something appropriate, but it should be doable. It might also be an interesting notion to have an "Assimilated" personal development package, if there's not one already out there somewhere. Need to recheck that from Aliens, though I'm pretty sure it's not there.

I like Dan's idea, though, just a basic Human with an interesting backstory, and Edges and Flaws for any needed mechanical effects. Seven of Nine was just a Human woman with an interesting backstory; her Borg implants were plot devices and never particularly important character pieces.

[Jobe00]

I thought Seven of Nine actually had some benefits with her implants other than plot device every now and again.

This is what happens when you only watch occasional episodes of Voyager.

I do like the idea of an Assimilated personal and professional development package though. I'll look over the Borg Drone someone posted for ideas on those.

[Aldaron]

There was a thread a few months back about it, here.

There is an example of a "Former Borg Template" there.

[Cut]

As we have seen in the Seven of Nine character a lot of social problems would arise for the character that mostly should be roleplayed, but could also come down in the rules. For example the Borg background should effect social skill tests in a negative way.

And the need for regenaration and dependence of technical care aside from medical and psycological care comes to mind. These effects should way down more heavily in my humble oppinion than any positve effects the Borg background should provide. There are a number of those as well: Higher strength and endurance maybe and as a bonus, the character could get the "edetic memory" edge for free or at least during a later part of character creation than is usually allowed.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

Considering the variation between we've seen in the composition of individual drones, and the Borg growth-manufacturing cycle, a set of Borg-specific Edges modeling adjustments done to the individual drone might be in order, and then organized under each subcommand (Communication, Navigation, Defense) as a development package, along with Borg-related Flaws to make it interesting (so, three Borg Edges, a skill point, and a Borg Flaw for each Advancement Package).

For example the Borg background should effect social skill tests in a negative way.

Like...

FLAW:
Borg Maturation Input
Borg maturation processes does not educate drones in the practical processes of humanoid social interaction. Ex-drones who were assimilated young often find life outside the collective a confusing maelstrom of unknown inferences, unexpressed expectation and unwarranted vagueness.
Prerequisite: Borg template.
The character receives -1 to rolls in Social category tests, and an additional -1 to rolls to perceive and influence emotional responses (including when using Psionic skills).

[Jobe00]

Looking at the Borg entry in Aliens and the Mixes Species rules, I have an idea for a former Borg. I want some feedback on this as for its play balance. My big problem is if the Presence penalty is enough of an offset for the Regulated Physiology ability. If not, you can drop it, and I think this would make an excellent species template for a Liberated Borg.


Basically, you make a Liberated Borg using the mixed species rules with the following alterations.

The Borg Species is always the subsidiary species.

Attributes: As per the dominant species modifiers with an additional -2 Presence.
Even after being liberated from the Collective, a Liberated Borg has difficulty in social situations and projecting independence.

Species Abilities: The Liberated Borg possesses all of the dominant species' abilities and one of the following residual Borg Abilities.

Borg Implant: The Liberated Borg has a useful implant that grants one of the following Edge selections:
* Eidetic Memory (Upgraded)
* Excellent Metabolism (Upgraded)
* Exceptional Concentration & Meticulous
* Exceptional Fortitude & Great Stamina
* Fit (Upgraded)
* Great Vitality & Healthy
* High Pain Threshold (Upgraded)
* Iron Willed (Upgraded)
* Night Vision (Upgraded)
* Rapid Healing (Upgraded)
* Sense of Direction (Upgraded)
* Sense of Time (Upgraded)
* Skill Focus (Choose 2): 3D Thinking, Craftsman, Keen Hearing, or Keen Sight.
* Thick Skull (Upgraded)
* Thinker (Upgraded)

Regulated Physiology: As in the Borg entry in Aliens.

[Tobian]

I ran a game where one of the players wanted to play an Ex Borg, so I worked up the following template, with a number of customised abilities and advantages/disadvantages. It was based mostly on the on-screen evidence in Voyager. Feel free to use it/tinker with it as you see fit

[Fugazi Grrl]

Great write-up, Tobian. I'm going to use that as a basis for a background for a character I'm reviving from my earliest days of role-playing. She's been missing/awol for a long time so I thought a stint as an assimilated drone was a good way to explain her lengthy absence.

Thanks, for the stats !

[Tobian]

Thanks, hope it works out for you, and let me know how it worked. It should be possible to overlay that as a template to any alien in any of the books, and probably could be retconned a bit to ICON if necessary too Just note I put a number of 'compensations' in there, to balance out the advantages (though based on on-screen evidence). One thing I would add though, is if you did reconnect to the hive again, you could well get perfect shielding, from the borg bio-energy shield, as the Borg do... though of course with all the potential problems that would cause, and you wouldn't of course be immune to the other Borg drones then!