Synth sleeves (common) Genesys Rpg

I'm putting together notes for a game I would like to run centered around a lot of transhumanism themes. I'm trying them out for the Genesys rpg.

I'm toying around with work-ups for synthetic sleeves. My first step is making "core sleeves" that can be upgraded.

TK-131 "tic tok" Alpha
This model is a basic synthetic sleeve made by Takihashi Korp. It's cheap and available on the open market. Has a limited number of legal structural upgrades available from TK. The number of cosmetic upgrades is almost limitless. Alphas are the least likely of any model to pass for meat.
Brawn (2) Agility (2)
Wound Threshold (18)
Power threshold -Strain- (14)
Two levels of skill chip set space available.
Upgrades:
Upgraded synth musculature, +1 brawn.
Upgraded stabilization cortex, +1 Agility.
Level 1 reinforced frame, +5 wound.
Level 2 reinforced frame, + 1 soak.
Power cell upgrade, power threshold +5.
One of 8 optical upgrades.

TK-231 " Brute" Beta
Created as a labor sleeve. Standing at 6' 6" these sleeves are built tough and durable. They come with all the same upgrade options of the alpha but zero cosmetic options off the showroom floor. Plenty of mod shops have packages available. Brutes almost never pass for meat.
Brawn (4) Agility (2)
Wound Threshold (30)
Power threshold -Strain- (18)
Vital system shielding Defense 1
Upgrades:
Upgraded synth musculature, +1 brawn.
Upgraded stabilization cortex, +1 Agility.
Level 1 reinforced frame, +5 wound.
Level 2 reinforced frame, + 1 soak.
Power cell upgrade, power threshold +5.
One of 8 optical upgrades.

TK-500 "Exod" XO-XDT
This is the premier synthetic. Cosmetic options are almost limitless and can pass for meat very easily. Standard with top of the line synth flesh that looks and feels like flesh in every way. Comes equiped with improved nerve clusters that can be dialed up or down to enhance or diminish the users sense of pleasure or pain.
Comes as a bare bones model to be upgraded and modified to the customers desires.
Brawn (2) Agility (2)
Wound Threshold (20)
Power threshold -Strain- (20)
4 levels of skill chip set space available.
Vital system shielding, Defense 1.
Upgrades:
Upgraded synth musculature,+1-3 brawn.
Upgraded stabilization cortex,+1-3 Agility.
Level 1 reinforced frame, +5 wound.
Level 2 reinforced frame, + 1 soak.
Level 3 reinforced frame +2 soak.
Wired reflexes, +1 Defense.
Power cell upgrade, power threshold +10.
Biogen auto repair system.
Quick up link data core interface.
One of 8 optical upgrades.

Genesys RPG impressions. Part 2: Characters.

Characters in Genesys are pretty straight forward. Characters seem to have enough depth mechanically without being overloaded with complexity. While the story elements the system tries to add with motivations feels really flimsy. But I would imagine it'll make more sense in the setting books. A setting specific motivation will make more sense than a generic one.

Characters have Six characteristics and four derived or secondary characteristics. The characteristics are your pool of dice that are rolled to attempt actions, while the secondary characteristics are mostly combat based akin to hit points, endurance, armor, and defense. Nothing really special here or customizable here. Abilities are mostly set based on a few choices.

Next is a list of skills separated into 6 catagories, with room to add more. Skills are where Genesys is different from most dice pool systems. Skills don't always add to the number of dice rolled but instead upgrade the dice rolled where they overlap with characteristics. Each upgrades one die per rank. So two in a Characteristic and three skill is rolling 3 die with two of them upgraded. Same the other way, two in a skill with a Characteristic of three is also rolling 3 dice with two upgraded. This to me is the biggest departure from most dice pool systems. This an aspect I have mixed feelings about. I think it's great that it keeps dice pools down. But really seems to throw things in the players favor making challenging them harder. As rolling many proficiency dice is pretty common, but they are most commonly opposed by difficulty dice alone. While the  proficiency dices counter part, the challenge die is only situational. Meaning at least for my reading rolling a triumph should be way easier than despair. Not to mention more advantage and success rolls per player roll.

Another level of character customization is talents. Talents are tiered from one through 5. Starting talents are assigned by those few choices at start, additional talents are purchased with experience, cost ascending with each Tier. To purchase each higher tier you must have more of the lower tier. So for example you can't but a tier 2 talent until you have at least 2 tier 1 talents. Some talents can be ranked by paying experience, so they expand taking up the next tier as well for more effect.

Talents seem pretty well balanced, but as with any game with edges/feats some will seem more useful than others. More than anything other aspect of Genesys characters I like talents. It's one of the few really customizable parts of Genesys. Many aspects of characters like Characteristics can only be raised with talents.

The next two aspects of Genesys characters is gear and magic. I plan to make separate post for those.

Genesys RPG impressions. Part 1: The Dice.

I've had some time to look over the Genesys RPG PDF. At some point I'll do a proper review, probably after I get the physical book. For now this is just my thoughts on a quick read. Also this is my impressions, it's my opinion of the game from my perspective.

This first installment I'll cover the dice. Genesys uses special dice made by the publisher. Genesys uses a dice pool rolling method mixed with "read the chicken bones" elements. I'm a fan of dice pool games, I'm not sure yet how I feel about negative/difficulty dice being added to the players side of the roll.

The rolling method is good and bad symbols cancel each other, and the net result is the outcome. It does it rather well, the only part of this I don't like is some of the dice sides having multiple symbols on a single side. This can slow players down from quickly seperating cancelled out sets to get the net result. Not badly, but it's less intuitive for a newcomer to the system. Also in dice pool systems I much prefer set difficulties, but I think I like players rolling difficulty more than opposed rolls.

Genesys dice separate degree of advantage and disadvantage from pass and fail. The idea is that good and bad can happen whether the player rolls a pass or fail. I still feel a bit mixed on this. I've never felt I needed the dice to tell me what part of the story I need to make more interesting. Any GM worth their salt could use degree of fail/success to do that if they really needed it.

The one difference I feel here between other pass/partial/fail games and Genesys is that Genesys is built around the dice. In other degree of success games the dice pivot the narrative. But could be replaced with any other pass/partial/fail mechanic because the narrative is hinged on the roll but not driven by it. Genesys on the other hand is reliant on more than just outcome, but also the number of different symbols on the dice, making the system inseparable from the narrative and mechanics. While the dice interpret elements of story they also don't get out of the way for the story like other fail forward style of games. Not good or bad, but it is a story game with crunch because of the dice.

Another element of the dice is the spending of rolled symbols. Players can on a success spend 'good things happen' symbols to trigger critical hits, special abilities, and effects. This is the element of the dice I like more than the "read the chicken bones" elements. This is the element of using Genesys dice that really seems fun to me, both as a GM who like to tinker, and as a GM who likes to see his players play around with meta gaming currency to pull off stunts and general badassery.

My final verdict on the dice in as follows:
Dice pool system: positive.
-Players rolling difficulties: mixed.
Reading the chicken bones: Not a fan.
Pass/partial/fail: mostly positive.
Rolled elements as meta-resources: love it.

Part 2: Characters