Lore-Accurate Low-Chrome Build

[Big Blue Dude]

Need help putting together a build. Tried a no-chrome run once, got a good eight hours into it but ultimately decided it wasn't all that fun. So now I want to try a "low-chrome build."

Essentially, the major rule is I can't take any cyberware that outright removes AND replaces organic parts. So for example any of the arms or legs. Or a Sandevistan since it canonically replaces part of your spine. Eyes are an exception because the game forces you to get Kiroshi's and you can't replace them.

The second rule is my build will be focusing on maxing out Reflexes, Body and Cool. No points in Intelligence, barely any in Tech. Figure I'll play either a Streetkid or Nomad to help get into the roleplay. They had to develop genuine skill and strength to make up for not being able to afford implants and they're not changing that now that the Eddies are rolling in.

With all this in mind, what cyberware would you recommend I use? I know sub-dermals and some of the healing items should be fine. Essentially they're just inserted to the respective organ but they don't outright replace it. You could theoretically have it removed and go back to "normal" if you had to. But do any pieces in specific seem like a good fit for such a run off the top of your head? Suggestions are appreciated.

[valium]

You should really get out of this "lore friendly" mindset, this is essentially CDPR's homebrew, with their own ruleset, and they decided to base a lot of the balance around the use of cyberware. Cyberware tends to give you a lot of the fun toys to play with, so you will be missing out on a lot of the fun.

Realistically, even very hard is easy enough to not need much cyberware. Grab Adrenaline Rush and the mitigation perks, that is your survivability handled, then grab a Satara and the tech weapon and bolt perks, now you can wholesale slaughter everything you come across.

[p30pl3h4t3m3]

pen & paper lore just say, for nearly every part of cyberware you lose more of your empathy and over time your humanity until there is nothing left. so there is no lore firendly cyberware limit (ruleswise there is by stats), you just act differently.

[Omnicide]

Second heart comes to mind, since it's in the name, it doesn't replace your first so it's fair play right? You can get very far with minimal chrome. Cool builds are pretty much made for this. You may struggle to hit damage breakpoints for 1-2 shot stealth kills without full cyberware slots to roll damage on if you choose very hard, so your weapon choices will narrow if you don't want to lower the difficulty.

I'm not sure how much flesh a cyberdeck replaces to be honest, they just look like a neural chip in the game images. It's not the deep dive port you see on the backs of some runner's heads, that's it's own thing, and I've seen old school ones that are worn on the hip like a little laptop almost. It's perfectly fine if you use one at 3 int, they are still an amazing "utility belt".

Dash would be your best survival tool in open combat but if you are going for the minimal chrome feel well... It feels like it absolutely should have been a cyberware ability, as a matter of fact if it took up the operating system slot I would use it over anything else because that's how strong it is. My sandy is an afterthought because I survive just fine on very hard by dashing around. Cool has some nice mitigation stuff which helps when crouching and aiming from cover, and that doesn't make you feel like a super borg.

This is actually a really fun way to play, you are a reluctant chromer. You don't slot anything you can live without but sometimes you can't live without it and you gotta bite the bullet. Every piece of cyberware just says difficulty -x% on it when you get right down to it anyway.