[StarSIEGE] Trapping Design Qs

[mr_pony]

Hey all. I love the StarSIEGE rules, but as I've been generating Items/Races/Powers for my setting, I've hit a few stumbling blocks.

1. Bionic base races. Is it 'cheating' to give these interference points to start, or is that better handled with penalties to cyber empathy & social flaws?

2. Can armor (or anything else with automatic class) have reliability? I like how that would work in concept (roll an unmodified 20 to see if it fails), but it seems like it might be stealing points. I'm mostly wondering because I'm not sure how else to make this item:

Tin Foil Hat: R: 6, V:0, T:3, S:1; Automatic, +1 Armor (Stress), Durability 1

3. Scoring new special effects. For example, would mind control constitute a 12 or 24 point effect? Or the equivalent of 'suggest'? Right now I'm thinking 12 former (one round), 6 latter (similarly, 1 round). Is it better to score too low?

4. Damage types. If I'm adding energy types to weapons & armor (eg Plasma, Freeze-ray, Electricity, etc.) is the following a sensible way to do it?

SFX

Hot Weapon: Adds one wound and Burning SFX (9)

Cold Weapon: Adds one wound and Stun SFX (9)

Cold Armor: Stuns unarmed attackers (0 [3-3]), double armor effect v. hot weapons (9), halved v. cold weapons (-3 flaw) (6 total)

Hot Armor: Burns unarmed attackers (0), double armor v. cold weapons (9), halved v. hot weapons (-3) (6 total)

5. Synergies. If there's a psycho-reactive slime that enhances psi effects (one player slimes the target, the psychic then goes to town), how would I create this mechanically? By creating psi abilities specific to slime, with higher effects and a ban on things not covered in slime, or by the properties of the slime itself?

Thats all I can think of for now...