promethean body.

IIRC Prometheans do need to breath. Only vampires can kick the O.

Matter is the arcana that manipulates dead tissue. Death would be more appropriate if a mage wanted to assist in a Promethean's Mangum Opus as it can manipulate the stuff of souls. (Especially if you've read Intruders: Encounters with the Abyss. The rules for the abyssal half-souled, in particular.)

My take on the Prometheans, though, is that they are very much alive, but the form that their life takes is scientifically impossible. Their magnum opus is a process whereby they correct the discrepancies and become a fully living soul.
At the low end of the scale, perhaps both Matter and Life would be needed, but towards the end of their journey, I don't think Matter would remain appropriate.

1) Prometheans must breathe to fuel the furnace that keeps them alive.
2) I'd still say Life. They aren't vampires or Bound; they aren't beings once living but touched by death, there has been a death and they were born from the ashes, like (if you like) maggots bursting from a corpse or a plant from rich soil. They're biological, but they're still alive, just as an elephant you modified to have alchemical biology would still be a Living being. But, you know, your game and all that.

Seratone:

What about a robotic/machine promethean? Or a half machine half biological construct. Is that possible?

If you ask me, an AI or robot powered by magic would probably be more relatable in a modern tale than imitating the Frankenstein monster.

Yes, they can be that, it's people that type casted promethans as Frankenstein monsters exclusively

I think that prometheans bodies change. The prometheans in my campain had their wounds healed up, their stitches falling off and being replaced with horrible scars. Their hair and fingernails grew, they could gain and lose weight, muscles and tans.

And my take on the Prometheans is that they're dead matter animated by the Divine Fire, much the same way that vampires are animated by vitae, the distilled essence of life, and the Bound are held together by plasm.    In my eyes, all three of these "races" have a half-life to them.   That's why they're called undead- because, while they're not dead, they don't follow the standard rules for living creatures either.  

Vampires are completely, 100% biologically dead.  

Geister have working biology, as a normal person.   However, they just have something extra mixed in that allows them to ignore death and wounds.

Prometheans, because of the mixed nature of their genesis, have whatever biology the ST gives them.   Sometimes, the Promethean is a robot or animated statue, without anything remotely close to biology.   Other times, its the resurrected body of a friend or loved one, seemingly human on all accounts.   Or even something between these two.   Each of the Created has a different body structure- and should be judged according to the nature of the individual character.


To answer the OP's question about growing hair and nails, I would like to point out that even the biologically dead vampires can grow hair or finger nails, if they so will it.   I see no reason to outright forbid Prometheans as a whole, with dynamically changing bodies, from being able to grow, attach, or transmute extra hair and finger nails.   It just depends on the prommie in question, and how he was made.

Blunt Vorpal:

To answer the OP's question about growing hair and nails, I would like to point out that even the biologically dead vampires can grow hair or finger nails, if they so will it.

I thought a vampire needed coils to grow hair and nails?

Regi:

I thought a vampire needed coils to grow hair and nails?

This is correct!

I have a different take on promethean status.  They aren't undead, the book calls them "not quite alive" though, they aren't alive in the same sense as the rest of us though.  Like a virus, or a spirit, and yes I'm including the constructs and unfleshed in that as well.     

      They get sick for example, when was the last time you've seen a zombie with the sniffles?  
       

Blunt Vorpal:

To answer the OP's question about growing hair and nails, I would like to point out that even the biologically dead vampires can grow hair or finger nails, if they so will it.

Hair and nails will grow back to their length at the time of death if cut when the vampire next rises unless a willpower dot is spent to make the change permanent. The same is true of tattoos, scars and even piercings, all of which will otherwise simply be rejected unless they were there pre-Embrace. That's hardly the same thing.

Same thing?  No.   Applicable to the current issue?  Definitely.   Even vampires, creatures known for being static, can change.  How much more so for a creature powered by the essence of change?

Blunt Vorpal:

and the Bound are held together by plasm.    In my eyes, all three of these "races" have a half-life to them.   That's why they're called undead- because, while they're not dead, they don't follow the standard rules for living creatures either

 

Kordeth:

Just to nitpick, but Sin-Eaters are in no way, shape or form undead. They are 100% living, breathing, child-bearing human beings who just happen to have a minor death god sharing a lovely-little second-floor walk-up in their soul.

Counter nitpick:  That depends entirely on a person's definition of undead.   Its not like White Wolf has released an absolute dictionary with a very specific definition of Undead.    I also say that the Tremere Liches, who are also 100% living, breathing, child-bearing human beings, are undead, as are the Purified.  Many others disagree, as is their right.

Blunt Vorpal:

Counter nitpick:  That depends entirely on a person'sdefinition of undead.   Its not like White Wolf has released anabsolute dictionary with a very specific definition of Undead.

I missed that one.   The point is yours, good sir.  (Mumbles and heads off to write house-rule)