Balticon 50 (part 2)

As I often say, each game experience is totally different with new players, even if I'm running the same mission. But before the first mission of the convention even started, one player surprised me with his extremely unusual character build. Instead of purchasing weapons, armor, or any other items with his allotted 5,000 credits, this gamer decided he wanted to buy and implant a 5,000 credit “talent chip” in his head. The thing about this piece of cyberware is that it will randomly erase one of your existing talents and replace it with the talent on the chip—but the talent on the chip can be any talent from the Player's Guide, regardless of level or prerequisites. This player chose the “Fading Touch” talent, one of the deadly martial arts nerve strikes that allows the user to touch a hidden pressure point. This pressure point will convince the opponent's brain that his heart is beating too fast. If the attack is successful, the opponent's brain responds by slowing the heart too much, causing the opponent to go into cardiac arrest. It was a big risk, but considering that the mission involved going undercover without weapons or armor, it turned out to be an excellent choice for his character (though he did have to rely very heavily on his teammates for other things like hacking, ranged attacks, etc.) I loved the innovative approach, though!