An inherent danger associated with some cyber gear installation—particularly cybernetics that directly affect the nervous systems— is the condition known as cykosis. This ailment twists an organic sentient, causing him to behave more like a machine than a living being. When a creature succumbs to cykosis, he becomes violently insane and can no longer be played as a hero. Control of the cykotek passes from the player to the GM and the insane killing machine loses all attachment to former friends and family, seeking only the company of other cykoteks.

Luckily, the process of becoming a cykotek is neither short nor sudden. Any creature with cybernetic attachments can accumulate a number of Cykosis Points equal to his Wisdom bonus +1 (minimum: 1) before succumbing to cykosis.

Creatures acquire Cykosis Points by failing Cykosis saves, which use the cyborg’s Will Save bonus and are called for under the conditions described below. The DC of a Cykosis save is equal to 11 + the number of Cykosis Points the character already has.

Negative Levels: Any time a character receives a negative level as a result of the installation of a cybernetic attachment, he must make a Cykosis save.

Neural Interface Cybernetics: Cybernetics that interface with a creature’s central nervous system carry an extra risk of cykosis. Installation of any of the following calls for a Cykosis save: Behavioral Matrix, Berserker Chip, Daredevil, Data Archive, Fast Chip, Kata Calculator (any), NIJack system, Pain Inhibitor, Power Saver Chip, Reflex Wires, Skill Plexus, Tactical Anaylsis CPU, Tailgunner, or Total Organ Replacement.

Massive Damage: Additionally, the cyborg must make a Cykosis save any time one of the listed cyberware is damaged or disabled due to a failed Fortitude save against Massive Damage.

Once the cyborg acquires a number of Cykosis Points equal to his limit, he slowly be-comes more and more obsessed with the weakness of flesh and the beauty of cybernetics, losing interest in and concern for all other considerations. For each Cykosis Point beyond the cyborg’s limit, he suffers a –2 ability drain to his Charisma and a –2 penalty to Sense Motive checks. These penaltis are cumulative and if the character’s Charisma score is reduced to 5 or lower, he succumbs completely to Cykosis.

Loved ones, moralty, allegiances, and all other goals and interests are forgotten in favor of this cybernetic obsession and a new allegiance to other cykoteks.

There is no known cure for cykosis. While attempts have been made to develop a treatment, the difficulty of acquiring and managing test subjects has so far kept such research from advancing very far.

“We are the future. You are history.”

Advancements in cybernetic technology have ushered in a new era in which no one need be disabled. A person born blind could see with artificial eyes, someone with a major back injury could walk via a cybernetic spinal replacement, and an individual with a missing leg or arm could get an artificial one that functions as well—or even better than—the original. Enhancements that actually improved upon the original body parts soon became readily available, and demand for them soared as people realized the useful abilities that they could provide. Perhaps inevitably, some people began to see cybernetics not as a tool to help the disabled live fuller lives, but as a method of achieving their own ideals of perfection. Such individuals, known as cykoteks, became obsessed with replacing and augmenting their own body parts with unnecessary cybernetic gear. Eventually, they lost touch with their core beings entirely and went insane, viewing themselves either as machines or as weak meat that had to be replaced with metal. Because of the growing prevalence of this disorder, many societies came to distrust individuals who had augmented themselves with significant amounts of cybernetics, and some decided to ban cybernetics entirely. Despite the social stigma, cykoteks still exist. Most can function in society to some extent, but they tend to lash out violently against anyone who angers them. They often stop recognizing authority of any kind, but they rarely attack others unprovoked. Cykoteks can work with others, but they are most comfortable in the company of other cybernetically augmented creatures.

“Cykotek” is an acquired template that can be applied to any corporeal living creature (hereafter referred to as “base creature”) that has a minimum of four cybernetic replacements or enhancements. The creature retains its original type and uses all of the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +2. Base Attack Bonus: The cykotek’s base attack bonus increases by +2 over that of the base creature. Natural Armor: The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +3. Skills: The cykotek gains a +4 bonus on Computer Use checks and Knowledge (Technology) checks.

A cykotek retains all the base creature’s special qualities and also gains those described below.

Psychotic Rage (Ex): A cykotek can fly into a psychotic rage a certain number of times per day. While raging, he temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but he takes a –2 penalty to Defense. The increase in Constitution raises the cykotek’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the psychotic rage, when his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are.) While in a psychotic rage, a cykotek cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Balance, Escape Artist, and Intimidate), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration. Furthermore, he cannot use any equipment (other than his cybernetics) that requires more than a standard action to activate. He can use any feat he has except Combat Expertise and item creation feats. A fit of psychotic rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier, though the cykotek may prematurely end it if desired. At the end of the psychotic rage, the cykotek loses the modifiers and restrictions imposed by the psychotic rage and becomes fatigued (–2 penalty to Strength, –2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter. A cykotek can fly into a psychotic rage only once per encounter. The number of times per day this ability can be used depends upon the number of character levels the base creature has, as given on the table below. Entering a psychotic rage takes no time itself, but a cykotek can do it only during his action, not in response to someone else’s action. Ability Modifiers: Apply the following modifiers to a cykotek’s ability scores: Str +4, Con +6, Wis –6 (minimum Wisdom score 3). Level Adjustment: +4.

Character Level Uses per Day 1st–4th 1 5th–8th 2 9th–12th 3 13th–16th 4 17th–20th 5

The rising number of cykoteks has spawned an insidious organization known as the Cult of the Cykotek, which has already spread throughout numerous star systems. The members of this death-dealing, flesh-hating cult maintain secret bases throughout known space and attack unsuspecting individuals at any opportunity. They believe that metal is the way of the future and meat is the way of the past, so any meat that proves unwilling to embrace metal must be destroyed for the betterment of all spacefaring races. The cult is divided into various sects, which are ironically known as clans. Each clan functions much like an independent tribe, with a charismatic leader, a base of operations, and its own identifying clothing styles and accessories. Cultists display their cybernetics openly. Furthermore, they often wear the colors of their clans, as well as relics of clan significance (usually hair, teeth, or bones, which are often worn as jewelry or amulets. Every cykotek cultist also carries one relic of profound personal and religious significance: the skull of the first member of her own species that she murdered after pledging herself to the cult. This skull signifies that the cykotek has triumphed over her flesh-self and is progressing toward perfect purity. Though the cultists consider themselves part of a new religious movement, most others consider them sadistic and dangerous perversions of nature. In their crusade to rid the galaxy of meat, cult members roam the stars as pirates, marauders, and ritualistic killers. They often travel from place to place aboard stolen starships, though occasionally they form mercenary companies so that they can destroy large quantities of meat without stirring the ire of local populations