Building the Cyberknight Organization

[darthauthor]

Please share if you think this is a good build for the Cyberknight order
Post suggestions and improvements as you see fit.

The Cyber Knight Order.

Note: The order is not a government or mercenary army. They are more like the Jedi Order.

300 POINTS are available, plus 20 for budget or weapons and 20 for outfits.

A. Sponsorship: Independent They answer to no one and go where they please. +10pts
B. Outfits: Speciality Clothing. Supplies startup and replacement armor 20 pts
C. Equipment: Electronic Supplies and Good Gear, Magic 55 points.
D. Vehicles: Stable of steeds, all terrain vehicles, hover vehicles (+cycles) 10 pts
E. Weapons: Members can get energy weapons and common melee weapons 10 pts
F. Communications: Full Range System. 15 points.
G. Internal Security: Impregnable. 60 points.
H. Permanent Bases: Fortified Headquarters. A permanent headquarters with several permanent buildings, including barracks (enough for half the troops), shooting range, garage (for vehicle repair), meeting hall also with smaller conference room(s), several storage buildings, commissary and arsenal (at least half are light to medium M.D.C. structures). The place is surrounded by a wall and has a security equivalent to Internal Security #4. 20 Points
I. Intelligence Resources: Scouts, Specialists: Psionic, Magic, Dbee 45 points.
J. Special Budget: Big Bucks. Up to 100 million credits 45 points
K. General Alignment: Scrupulous and Principled. 10 Points.
L. Criminal Activity: NONE
M. Reputation/Credentials: Famous. 50 points.
N. Salary: Good Salary. provides food, basic supplies, ammunition, recharging of weapons, and uniforms free of charge. It also offers reasonable access to other facilities and benefits at no charge, such as vehicle repair and maintenance, doctors and medical treatment, hideouts, base camps, access to vehicles, the use of special equipment, explosives, and similar (such use must be authorized by leadership). A stipend 500 a week. 10 Points.

Total Points Spent: 340

Between graduating squires and knights dying or lost the exact number of cyberknights is in flux on a daily basis.

General Status of the Order: Cyberknights work either on their own, with a square or with an adventure group. Their operating methods are limited only by their imagination and the code of chivalry. A cyber knight who needs to find out who or what is in a building might: Knock down the wall, knock on the door, disguise themselves to gain entry, do surveillance, hack into the building’s cameras, astrally project themselves inside, recruit a investigator to go inside, wait for someone to leave and ask them, etc.
Cyberknights find a way, make a way, within the limits of the code of chivalry.

Even the cyberknight code has its moments when, like captain Kirk, finds an exception to break the prime directive. While the internal police of the Order are concerned if the occasional “bending” of the code reflects corruption and damages the reputation of the Cyberknights. Their real attention is on knights who have gone too far.

If there are rumors of a cyber knight charging people a “protection fee” wherever they go the Order will dispatch a knight or support OCC to investigate. The investigator might go undercover in the hopes of crossing paths with the supposed cyberknight to experience first hand this protection fee. In reality, what they might find is an imposture (like a Mind Melter with a Psi-Sword) masquerading as a CyberKnight.

Other times there are actual Knights who have gone rogue and believe that the ends justify the means. Such knights have lost patience with arresting bandits, drug dealers, and such only to catch them all over again.
Likewise, Cyber Knights might make “deals” with anarchist and Evil alignment characters working alongside them or bringing down their rivals with their assistance or information. In the end, the city or kingdom is better off, in the short term. The problem is, it can look like the Cyberknights are taking the side of a gang of criminals.

The cyberknights owe no allegiance to any government. As such, they are supposed to protect the innocent and fight for justice; not wars for kingdoms.

In this respect most cities and kingdoms have a policy (often unwritten) about cyberknights operating in their territory. Some grant authority to any cyberknight to investigate crimes and make arrests as though they are deputies. Some do not recognize the authority of the order in their lands (or at all). Some only have arrangements with one specific knight because of prejudices or that one person has a reputation or saved the kingdom (in the past).

Most Cyberknights have a free hand, from the Order, to do things the way they want. A courtier might ride into a town, see the sheriff (Jim Gordon police commissioner, mayor or whatever), and ask how they can help. They might negotiate peaceful solutions to disputes. Be an investigator who reveals the truth to the “people” solving open cases. Act as a judge on criminal trials. While a champion might clear off the bounty board or ride shotgun on the wagon, train, or armored car runs that get robbed. They might also recruit a local and teach them how to defend themselves from criminals who frequently plunder their town. A crusader might take the fight to the hijackers or slays vampires who demand blood. They are the more aggressive of the knights and quick to solve problems with "physical" solutions.

The cyberknights of the order are expected to stay in touch with the Order depend on the knight, their mission and their relationship with the order. The knight may ask the order for help when they are in trouble or has come across a villain or problem they can’t solve on their own. If the Order has assigned a specific mission to the knight then communication is expected to be scheduled.

If the cyberknight disappears or is slain, the Order is expected to investigate. This investigation may be a dead end or may not find the person or reason. If they find the cyberknight was murdered they are will want justice for the Order's slain knight, if they were killed without honor.
If a cyberknight is imprisoned for a crime or by a villian. The Order will want them safely returned. Depending on the circumstance the cyberknight may be left in jail to pay for their crimes, if they are indeed guilty.
If a cyberknight wants out of the Order they are supposed to inform the Order. Most knights die in service. A few go rogue. Fewer retire. Some are medically incapable of continuing as cyberknights (losing limbs and such). Technically these men and women could get cybernetic replacements but duing so would cripple or extinguish their psionic abilities. Offically, it is still possible for the wounded cyberknight to change O.C.C.'s to become a Manhunter or such.

I'd debate that the GM should rule about whether or not a cyberknight would still be able to summon their psi-sword. Since 30% or so of Cyberknights don't have psionic abilities I'd agrue that even as a cyborg the cyberknight could still create a psi-sword.

[Mack]

Have you read SoT4: Cyber-Knights?

[Fenris2020]

It makes sense, using the same organization as a merc company. Although, the Alignment is more Unprincipled, Scrupulous and Principled, which the org chart doesn't allow for.

[darthauthor]

Just brewing content for Rifts games with the Order of the Cyberknights.

The idea is to establish expectations when two cyberknights meet. Also, what happens when a cyberknight needs the Order's help? How do they send vital information to the Order (communication channels: Radio, Astral Projection, Letter mail, word of mouth, internet, other)?

If a cyberknight is a lone wolf nomad does he still take orders from the Order? Does he help a fellow cyberknight? If caught committing a crime does the Order police him?

What happens if they are or become a "Blackguard?"

I think, in Arizona, there are 7 cyberknights called the "The Black swords"