Noci-Cutter Pain Editor

A spinal tap that attenuates nociceptive signals at the thalamus.

Rules Reference

Field	Value
Capacity Cost	3
Category	wetware-neural
Rek Cost	32000 (Ironball medical, Legion combat-issue, field surgeons)

Notes

Benefit: A spinal tap that attenuates nociceptive signals at the thalamus. You are immune to the Staggered condition from non-damaging pain (a hit that deals subdual-only damage cannot stagger you), and you gain a +4 bonus to Fortitude saves vs pain effects. The editor does not reduce damage, only the perception of injury. Moderate to major benefit level.

Install Risk: Medicine DC 16 for the spinal tap. Recipient makes a Fortitude save DC 14 or gains Botched Implant: chronic hyperalgesia, -2 to Fortitude vs pain and -1 to concentration-based skills for 1d4 days until a Medicine DC 15 correction.

Origin: Core Marines and Legion forward surgeons, Ironball brawler rehabilitation wards, and Rim prospectors who cannot afford to flinch at the bench.

Signature: Tracked. Common Legion and Ironball medical hardware. Civilian pain clinics use a down-spec that logs to the grid; combat variants are restricted.

Strain: Pain is the body's damage signal. While the editor is active you cannot auto-detect wounds; -2 to Insight checks where a flinch or wince would normally betray the speaker, and a Medicine DC 12 self-check each long rest to spot ongoing injuries (otherwise you discover them only when a mechanic or ally rolls a check). Long-term use dulls ordinary touch; -1 to tactile Perception checks.