Magitek Prosthetic Arms?

[Sparrah]

So, for a while now, I've been thinking on the possibility of having my character lose an arm (or part of it) during 3.0's war. My character  has been through a few games, and in most of the incarnations, they've developed a mechanical arm.

 

So my question is, is it plausible for someone to have a magitek prosthetic arm? We've got the magitek armors and vanguards that are far more advanced than our real tech, and in reality we're getting pretty close to prosthetics that can connect to our nerves.

[Aya]

Dogberry has magitek prosthetic legs.  I'd give some thought as to where it was acquired, and at what cost.

[Ruran]

A simple prosthetic arm has been around for centuries. With magitek technology, I imagine it would be entirely possible for it to advance in that direction.

 

It's actually something that my character has been starting to look into. As Aya said, it would likely be expensive. And the more complex and advanced it is, the more rare it would be.

 

But yeah, I say go for it, if you've got a story that fits.

[Aduu Avagnar]

I point you in the direction of Merri....

[Aaron]

HoLs0V8T5AA

 

Sorry. always wanted to use this

 

In all seriousness go for it. I see nothing wrong with it.

[Flashhelix]

I think it's perfectly reasonable as long as you don't just use them for some edgy reason like to say "oh man my cool robot arms have super strength/a build-in-gun/sword-arms/whatever"

[Erik Mynhier]

So, for a while now, I've been thinking on the possibility of having my character lose an arm (or part of it) during 3.0's war. My character  has been through a few games, and in most of the incarnations, they've developed a mechanical arm.

 

So my question is, is it plausible for someone to have a magitek prosthetic arm? We've got the magitek armors and vanguards that are far more advanced than our real tech, and in reality we're getting pretty close to prosthetics that can connect to our nerves.

 

There is a gentleman on this forum by the name of Askier. For a time he played a sort of "magitech bionic man" and did it well. He could help I bet.

[Edvyn]

i never asked for this

 

/rimshot

/applause

[Soalean Monterey]

I think it's perfectly reasonable as long as you don't just use them for some edgy reason like to say "oh man my cool robot arms have super strength/a build-in-gun/sword-arms/whatever"

Since everyone seems approving, I suppose I'll reveal myself.

 

It'd be just as strong as a regular arm, just maybe somewhat sturdier. It's also not gonna be flawless. It's going to suffer from phantom pains, sometimes at the worst possible moments.

[Mikh'a]

I point you in the direction of Merri....

 

This. Pretty sure Merri said his character has had his Magitek prosthetic since he was 11? He'd be a good place to go.

 

There is a gentleman on this forum by the name of Askier. For a time he played a sort of "magitech bionic man" and did it well. He could help I bet.

 

Also this! And check out Ragnar too, his character helped with the maintenance on Askier's arm and I thought he said there were spares laying around if you ever need one/want to look at one ICly.

 

But yeah like they said, it's been around for quite a while. I know there was also a bard that had a Magitek leg because a Roe tried to eat him. >_>

[Nebbs]

Dogberry has magitek prosthetic legs.  I'd give some thought as to where it was acquired, and at what cost.

 

It's not Nebula's fault! Honest! She warned him, but he went anyway!

[Darien Cadell]

i never asked for this

 

/rimshot

/applause

 

[Havoc Snow]

The only thing I want to point out as someone who plays a Magitek Engineer and has done a lot of research into the lore behind it in FFXIV and other games (for inspiration) is that outside of the Garlond Ironworks no one canonically makes Magitek in Eorzea, everything is either pilfered Garlean tech or stuff made by Cid for a specific purpose and person. With that in mind you'd definitely need a good explanation and backstory for how he managed to come into possession of something like a fully functional Magitek limb, obviously it's not something you could just find lying around since it would have to be modeled after your own arm as far as measurements go. The other thing to consider is that all Magitek runs on Ceruleum, which is a fairly expensive fuel source to come by (being that it is refined crystals), so you'll have to struggle with your arm always needing a power source that can and should deplete at times. This can be troublesome, but also opens up the door for some interesting RP as well. I guess the biggest point I want to get across is that it's possible, but it'd still be a rather large undertaking to have done and should involve significant story explaining how you got it.

[Askier]

Well saw the title and then that I was mentioned so now I have to reply. Lol.

 

Askier has, had, a magitek arm after his left one was blown off by a explosive saving Roen's life. The process of getting the new arm was a lengthy one involving rping stealing some from a castrum, learning with Alexei how install one in character, and then having Alexei perform the surgery to install the mounts and wiring needed to use the arm but it ended up working wonderfully. Let me toss a few things out.

 

One, due to the increased weight and fact that Askier can't feel the limb at all, it greatly impeded his ability to fight so basically he's not any good up close anymore. One thing worth thinking would be having your character train with it.  I had a lot of fun rp sessions with Alexei about maitainence and training.

 

Note, it takes years for the limb to become truly synced to the body so you'll have keep that in mind. Askier was afraid to grab stuff for awhile cause he had trouble opening the hand and he still has to visually look at the arm to move it.

 

Also, consider how disguised you want the arm. I never had Askier disguise the magitek limb other than a long sleeve and a glove but I believe Merri  has a fake set of skin on his. I've had a few rp sessions where the magitek limb made him untrusted  IC.

 

And, since it was mentioned, I -did- have Askier install a six round cylinder, barrel, and firing pin into the arm once he had it attached for awhile. Askier likes explosions and him not putting in basicall gun blade parts seemed out of character. Lol. If you've met Askier you know what I mean.  I know a fellow poster said it could be overkill but if you balance it correctly and rp and don't use it every moment, its can work.out well. Its the only way Askier could easily defend himself anymore and since he was violently tortured once, he never wanted to be unarmed again. Personally I don't think a hidden blade or gun is that op considering you could have a hidden gun blade or knife on your character normally. (See Assassin's Creed games)

 

Hope that helps at all and if you have any more questions feel free to ask me.  I also know Merri is -the- engerneiring guy so you should definatly ask him too,  I just make stuff go boom IC really. Also Alexie does have extra limbs he and I stole IC if you need one and he can do the surgery if you need someone to help install it IC.

[Dravus]

My biggest concern with such things is that they're meant to be fairly rare and that there's an awful lot of people role-playing their character with a disability only for the disability to be completely meaningless as a result.

 

I've seen multiple blind characters who just happen to be able to see via magitek or characters who just happen to have a super strong replacement limb. I must admit that it rubs me the wrong way as I firmly believe that such themes should be explored tastefully and not just embraced so that someone can pass off their character as being 'cooler' through very cheap means.

 

So with that in mind? I'd strongly suggest remembering that they're drawbacks rather than perks. I have a lot of respect for those role-players out there who keep that in mind.

[Soalean Monterey]

My biggest concern with such things is that they're meant to be fairly rare and that there's an awful lot of people role-playing their character with a disability only for the disability to be completely meaningless as a result.

 

I've seen multiple blind characters who just happen to be able to see via magitek or characters who just happen to have a super strong replacement limb. I must admit that it rubs me the wrong way as I firmly believe that such themes should be explored tastefully and not just embraced so that someone can pass off their character as being 'cooler' through very cheap means.

 

So with that in mind? I'd strongly suggest remembering that they're drawbacks rather than perks. I have a lot of respect for those role-players out there who keep that in mind.

Yeah, I know that all too well. It'll be a hindrance primarily. She's going to suffer from phantom pains, potentially at the worst possible moments. As someone mentioned above, you also need to fuel magitek, so it may also from time to time run out. Don't worry. I intend to keep it balanced, buddy.

[Dogberry]

Merri has a prosthetic arm, and he put a lot of thought into the actual cost of having one. He can elaborate on the details.

 

My character has prosthetic legs, which he got after Leviathan decided to play with him instead of chomping him down whole.

 

Here's what the magitek legs give Dogberry:

 

- The ability to walk (and run, skip, dance, etc.).

- Super strong legs (Once tried to crush a man Xenia Onatopp style - almost succeeded).

- Pneumatic pistons that allow him to jump high (1st round draft pick for the New York Nicks!).

- The ability to freak people out by taking them off when he's drunk (and also sitting in a cauldron full of water and balloons.)

 

 

- Basically free leg armor.

 

Now, in addition to the trauma he faced while losing his legs (and let's not understate that), there are several drawbacks to having them including:

 

- An inability to use aether. Chakras he had open at the time closed. He will never be able to use magic. He's lucky to pull off the occasional return or teleport. (Shadowrun rules: Reducing essence reduces magic)

- Legs that can malfunction in adverse conditions. (too much mud/sand/ice/etc. in the works? Hope you brought a sled.)

- Phantom limb syndrome.

- The inability to swim (sucks to be a sea captain with heavy machinery stuck to your legs).

 

And this was AFTER about a real-time month of playing a character with no legs. He had to be carried anywhere he went. He spent time reaching out to people who could help him walk again. The people who designed his legs and performed the procedure spent time RPing their research, culminating in a fun, Frankenstein-esque RP session where they performed the operation. Also. the ones who did this for him didn't merely do it out of the good of their hearts. Dogberry is still working off the debt by aiding them in their research on Primals (yes, this whole thing ties in to the primal events we organize). There may be some failsafes put in to his legs to make sure he doesn't go back on the deal. Maybe Dogberry doesn't own his own legs.

 

I hope this gives you some ideas for your RP! Have fun!

[Warren Castille]

If you need any help setting up the story, I've got a hook for you. You might be familiar with it.

 

:cactuar:

[Stormwind]

Merri has a prosthetic arm, and he put a lot of thought into the actual cost of having one. He can elaborate on the details.

 

My character has prosthetic legs, which he got after Leviathan decided to play with him instead of chomping him down whole.

 

Here's what the magitek legs give Dogberry:

 

- The ability to walk (and run, skip, dance, etc.).

- Super strong legs (Once tried to crush a man Xenia Onatopp style - almost succeeded).

- Pneumatic pistons that allow him to jump high (1st round draft pick for the New York Nicks!).

- The ability to freak people out by taking them off when he's drunk (and also sitting in a cauldron full of water and balloons.)

 

 

 

- Basically free leg armor.

 

Now, in addition to the trauma he faced while losing his legs (and let's not understate that), there are several drawbacks to having them including:

 

- An inability to use aether. Chakras he had open at the time closed. He will never be able to use magic. He's lucky to pull off the occasional return or teleport. (Shadowrun rules: Reducing essence reduces magic)

- Legs that can malfunction in adverse conditions. (too much mud/sand/ice/etc. in the works? Hope you brought a sled.)

- Phantom limb syndrome.

- The inability to swim (sucks to be a sea captain with heavy machinery stuck to your legs).

 

And this was AFTER about a real-time month of playing a character with no legs. He had to be carried anywhere he went. He spent time reaching out to people who could help him walk again. The people who designed his legs and performed the procedure spent time RPing their research, culminating in a fun, Frankenstein-esque RP session where they performed the operation. Also. the ones who did this for him didn't merely do it out of the good of their hearts. Dogberry is still working off the debt by aiding them in their research on Primals (yes, this whole thing ties in to the primal events we organize). There may be some failsafes put in to his legs to make sure he doesn't go back on the deal. Maybe Dogberry doesn't own his own legs.

 

I hope this gives you some ideas for your RP! Have fun!

 

Magitek prosthesis are all the rage, and Alexander will do them for you no questions asked. Costs my vary but often included at least part of your life in servitude, easy choice really.

[Makyn Loneseeker]

i never asked for this

 

/rimshot

/applause

 

[Soalean Monterey]

If you need any help setting up the story, I've got a hook for you. You might be familiar with it.

 

:cactuar:

Cruel.

[Soalean Monterey]

Merri has a prosthetic arm, and he put a lot of thought into the actual cost of having one. He can elaborate on the details.

 

My character has prosthetic legs, which he got after Leviathan decided to play with him instead of chomping him down whole.

 

Here's what the magitek legs give Dogberry:

 

- The ability to walk (and run, skip, dance, etc.).

- Super strong legs (Once tried to crush a man Xenia Onatopp style - almost succeeded).

- Pneumatic pistons that allow him to jump high (1st round draft pick for the New York Nicks!).

- The ability to freak people out by taking them off when he's drunk (and also sitting in a cauldron full of water and balloons.)

 

 

 

- Basically free leg armor.

 

Now, in addition to the trauma he faced while losing his legs (and let's not understate that), there are several drawbacks to having them including:

 

- An inability to use aether. Chakras he had open at the time closed. He will never be able to use magic. He's lucky to pull off the occasional return or teleport. (Shadowrun rules: Reducing essence reduces magic)

- Legs that can malfunction in adverse conditions. (too much mud/sand/ice/etc. in the works? Hope you brought a sled.)

- Phantom limb syndrome.

- The inability to swim (sucks to be a sea captain with heavy machinery stuck to your legs).

 

And this was AFTER about a real-time month of playing a character with no legs. He had to be carried anywhere he went. He spent time reaching out to people who could help him walk again. The people who designed his legs and performed the procedure spent time RPing their research, culminating in a fun, Frankenstein-esque RP session where they performed the operation. Also. the ones who did this for him didn't merely do it out of the good of their hearts. Dogberry is still working off the debt by aiding them in their research on Primals (yes, this whole thing ties in to the primal events we organize). There may be some failsafes put in to his legs to make sure he doesn't go back on the deal. Maybe Dogberry doesn't own his own legs.

 

I hope this gives you some ideas for your RP! Have fun!

I will definitely keep this in mind, thank you!

[ChewableMorphine]

 

  It's going to suffer from phantom pains

 

 

IM NUUUUUCLEAAAAAAAAR

[Merri]

My character has had a Magitek prosthetic since his inception some five odd years ago. There has been people who absolutely hate the idea-- ...others who love it. You'll certainly find a mix of reception on it, depending on how you go about it.

 

For me, personally, it was something ingrained into my character. He had his injury and "surgery" of sorts when he was very young. I did this, as it's sort of a major life event, you know? A significant part of his background was his recovery and learning to cope. It took him years to re-learn his hand-eye coordination. He almost didn't even survive the initial surgery. Fusing metal to flesh isn't something easily accomplished. It's a foreign object, one the body might very well endlessly fight to fend off until your body is entirely spent and you just... ...die.

 

To him, it's more of a character flaw than a boon. It certainly has it's merits. One can't inflict physical pain on it (though there is something that can be done to send Merri into a debilitating shock from pain, but, that's a secret.), but it can be broken. Extremely cold weather constricts some of the metal and puts him in considerable pain, where as extreme heat can cause issues as well. As Dogberry mentioned, Merri suffers from phantom limb syndrome as well, and has phantom pain from time to time.

 

There's also the stigma of magitek. Eorzea has opened up to it in recent years, but it's still Imperial by design. Merri goes to great, great lengths to conceal his prosthetic. If he's going to bare his arms, he'll often try to cover it in a sort of synthetic skin, though it certainly doesn't look real under scrutiny or even match his skin tone perfectly.

 

As far as it's concept goes, Merri's prosthetic works in tandom with aether. Magitek as a whole is capable of sending and receiving aetheric signatures. It's sort of how their wireless technology works. Endemerrin's prosthetic basically functions in a similar matter. His own body's innate aether sort of communicates with the prosthetic. He attempts to move his left arm, which is no longer there, and the prosthetic interprets and converts those signals to motor functions in the blink of an eye. Boom, functioning arm. There's a lot more to it, as I've had years to flesh out it's concept, but that's how Merri's works. I like to think his design is very unique to him, but, that's simply the way I see it.

 

All that being said. I'd like to think it's something you shouldn't jump into without considerable thought. Think of all the little implications it would have. Your character wouldn't simply have a major, life-changing surgery and be up jumping around like normal in a week. It's a slow, slow recovery. Something that should take years to really get back to normal. Your character would likely struggle for a very long time. Doubly so with arms, given the need for hand-eye coordination and dexterity. I personally feel like having a magitek prosthetic is something better built into a character rather than given after the fact, but, that doesn't mean there isn't alternatives. There are people who pull it off well by treating it as they should, as this thread has shown. At the end of the day, it's your character, and you ought to do with it what you please. :>

[Chill Man]

There's nothing that outright says "no, magitek prosthetic limbs are not possible." And even if there were I'd say do what you please, it is is your role play. Go wild and have fun.