20100521
20100519
Characters are Done (with Caveats)
Now that characters are more or less done (with some exceptions... I think Amanda has a couple of things left to do), I have something I need you guys to do for me. Transcribe the results of your lifepath rolls and send them to me in email. That way I can get to fleshing out your enemies and friends for future use in the game. Please try to get this done within the next week.
As for scheduling, it looks like the first game will be Tuesday, June 1st.
However, if you guys are able/want to play *next* Tuesday (the 25th), and thereafter go to the every-other week schedule, we can do that, too. It's up to you. Let me know if you have the desire and the availability. If we decide to play next week, I'll need your lifepath details by the end of this week.
As for scheduling, it looks like the first game will be Tuesday, June 1st.
However, if you guys are able/want to play *next* Tuesday (the 25th), and thereafter go to the every-other week schedule, we can do that, too. It's up to you. Let me know if you have the desire and the availability. If we decide to play next week, I'll need your lifepath details by the end of this week.
20100518
Losing a Player, Gaining a Player
It appears as if one of you is going to be pulling out of the game (you know who you are), but we've got an immediate replacement waiting in the wings.
Tonight is still on for character creation/finalization. See you then!
Tonight is still on for character creation/finalization. See you then!
20100513
Cyberpunk Schedule
It's occurred to me that perhaps planning to actually play the first session next Tuesday might be a stretch. I propose we gather as planned, get introduced to one another (if necessary), and put the finishing touches on your characters. Given that I have access to more books that just about anyone else, it will give folks a chance to browse (and drool, if necessary) over bits of cybertech, weapons, and the like.
We can also roll for lifepaths, and take solace in Ryan's bad results.
I'm pretty excited to get things rolling, but I'm tempering myself because I don't want to rush things too much. The best things are always worth waiting for.
See you all on Tuesday.
We can also roll for lifepaths, and take solace in Ryan's bad results.
I'm pretty excited to get things rolling, but I'm tempering myself because I don't want to rush things too much. The best things are always worth waiting for.
See you all on Tuesday.
20100510
Types of Police in Night City
The police department in Night City is broken up into a number of divisions and sections, based primarily on specialty. The majority of the force is comprised of beat and patrol officers, and just about every cop (with few exceptions) spends time on the street before going on to one of the more specialized sections.
Here's a list of the divisions in Night City. This is to give you an idea of what your character might aspire to, given enough time and experience on the force. Hopefully, this will provide you with some guidance in creating a character.
Note that it's perfectly acceptable to want to be a straight beat or patrol officer. Getting a slot in one of the other specialized divisions/sections (Vice, for example) takes skill, luck, and a certain amount of masochism.
Internal Affairs Division (IAD)
Internal Affairs are, to put it simply, the cops for the cops.
Nearly always despised by their fellow officers, IAD is charged with investigating violations and gross misconduct within the department. They often find grounds to investigate other officers based on the merest suspicion of corruption.
Investigation
Includes sections for Homicide, Vice, Robbery, and Special Investigation (SIn).
Homicide investigates murders and deaths. They're very busy, and often overworked.
Vice investigates controlled substances, including trafficking, possession, non-commercialized vice, prostitution, gambling, substance abuse laws, weapons laws, and extortion. A lot of Vice cops do undercover work.
Robbery investigates thefts, such as armed robbery, robbery, burglary, auto theft, grand larceny, fraud, counterfeiting, and embezzlement. This usually requires a lot of paperwork.
Special Investigation is a wild card unit. They investigate all manner of crimes, but traditionally are assigned to those with particularly special attention due to seriousness, publicity, politics, and/or corporate pressure. It's a section with a lot of prestige, some mystery, and a reputation to uphold.
Administration
Administration (or "Admin") is manned primarily by non-cops, such as secretaries and desk jockeys.
These guys handle administrative tasks, like payroll, benefits, etc. Mostly listed for posterity, since few cops actually aspire to work in Admin.
Tactical
Includes sections for Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT), Maximum Tactical (MaxTac), and Riot.
SWAT is typically held on alert in preparation for high risk situations, such as sieges, dealing with dangerous suspects, providing security, and sealing off critical locations.
MaxTac (also called C-SWAT or Cyborg Suppression) takes SWAT to a higher level, and specializes in taking down suspects who are particularly well-augmented cybernetically, and who are often mentally unstable as a result.
Riot is another tactical section responsible for dispersing large numbers of people, mostly using non-lethal methods (though this is not always the case).
Net Security (NetSec)
Net Security focuses on computer crime.
Given the prevalence of 'net crime, these guys are very busy, and many of the best netrunners on the force serve in NetSec. Not only do they investigate hacking and Net-related B&E and theft, but they also investigate murders related to computer crime, and act as computer support for other sections.
Patrol
Includes sections for Airborne, Cruiser, Traffic, and Beat.
Airborne cops fly helicopters and aerodynes, patrolling from the sky and assisting other sections as required.
Cruiser patrols drive the "black and whites" and respond to issues that crop up throughout the city.
Traffic patrols enforce traffic violations and hand out tickets related to those sorts of violations.
Beat cops are like cruiser patrol, but they do their job on foot (and are generally derided by just about everyone else).
Here's a list of the divisions in Night City. This is to give you an idea of what your character might aspire to, given enough time and experience on the force. Hopefully, this will provide you with some guidance in creating a character.
Note that it's perfectly acceptable to want to be a straight beat or patrol officer. Getting a slot in one of the other specialized divisions/sections (Vice, for example) takes skill, luck, and a certain amount of masochism.
Internal Affairs Division (IAD)
Internal Affairs are, to put it simply, the cops for the cops.
Nearly always despised by their fellow officers, IAD is charged with investigating violations and gross misconduct within the department. They often find grounds to investigate other officers based on the merest suspicion of corruption.
Investigation
Includes sections for Homicide, Vice, Robbery, and Special Investigation (SIn).
Homicide investigates murders and deaths. They're very busy, and often overworked.
Vice investigates controlled substances, including trafficking, possession, non-commercialized vice, prostitution, gambling, substance abuse laws, weapons laws, and extortion. A lot of Vice cops do undercover work.
Robbery investigates thefts, such as armed robbery, robbery, burglary, auto theft, grand larceny, fraud, counterfeiting, and embezzlement. This usually requires a lot of paperwork.
Special Investigation is a wild card unit. They investigate all manner of crimes, but traditionally are assigned to those with particularly special attention due to seriousness, publicity, politics, and/or corporate pressure. It's a section with a lot of prestige, some mystery, and a reputation to uphold.
Administration
Administration (or "Admin") is manned primarily by non-cops, such as secretaries and desk jockeys.
These guys handle administrative tasks, like payroll, benefits, etc. Mostly listed for posterity, since few cops actually aspire to work in Admin.
Tactical
Includes sections for Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT), Maximum Tactical (MaxTac), and Riot.
SWAT is typically held on alert in preparation for high risk situations, such as sieges, dealing with dangerous suspects, providing security, and sealing off critical locations.
MaxTac (also called C-SWAT or Cyborg Suppression) takes SWAT to a higher level, and specializes in taking down suspects who are particularly well-augmented cybernetically, and who are often mentally unstable as a result.
Riot is another tactical section responsible for dispersing large numbers of people, mostly using non-lethal methods (though this is not always the case).
Net Security (NetSec)
Net Security focuses on computer crime.
Given the prevalence of 'net crime, these guys are very busy, and many of the best netrunners on the force serve in NetSec. Not only do they investigate hacking and Net-related B&E and theft, but they also investigate murders related to computer crime, and act as computer support for other sections.
Patrol
Includes sections for Airborne, Cruiser, Traffic, and Beat.
Airborne cops fly helicopters and aerodynes, patrolling from the sky and assisting other sections as required.
Cruiser patrols drive the "black and whites" and respond to issues that crop up throughout the city.
Traffic patrols enforce traffic violations and hand out tickets related to those sorts of violations.
Beat cops are like cruiser patrol, but they do their job on foot (and are generally derided by just about everyone else).
20100508
Police Academy Skills
Here's a list of skills that everyone graduating from the academy should have, at minimum, so when allocating skill points, don't forget to make sure you have these minimums in place. Most of you would be taking these skills anyway, but these are the minimum levels you'd need in order to graduate from the academy program.
Athletics +2
Awareness/Notice +2
Brawling +2
Driving +1
First Aid +1
Handgun +2
Human Perception +1
Interview +1
Melee +1
Rifle +1
Shadow/Track +1
Also, a quick note on the Education/General Knowledge skill. It represents you formal education. Every character in this game gets Education/General Knowledge at +2 for free. If you want to raise it higher to represent a higher level of education, you can, but the first two points won't cost you anything.
To define the levels of Education/General Knowledge (just FYI):
+1: Grade school education (6th-8th grade).
+2: High school diploma or equivalent.
+3: College education (Associates degree).
+4: Bachelor's degree.
+5: Master's degree.
+6: Doctorate.
Higher levels indicate even more expansive knowledge of a variety of topics and/or additional degrees.
Athletics +2
Awareness/Notice +2
Brawling +2
Driving +1
First Aid +1
Handgun +2
Human Perception +1
Interview +1
Melee +1
Rifle +1
Shadow/Track +1
Also, a quick note on the Education/General Knowledge skill. It represents you formal education. Every character in this game gets Education/General Knowledge at +2 for free. If you want to raise it higher to represent a higher level of education, you can, but the first two points won't cost you anything.
To define the levels of Education/General Knowledge (just FYI):
+1: Grade school education (6th-8th grade).
+2: High school diploma or equivalent.
+3: College education (Associates degree).
+4: Bachelor's degree.
+5: Master's degree.
+6: Doctorate.
Higher levels indicate even more expansive knowledge of a variety of topics and/or additional degrees.
Cyberpunk Timeline
1990
Start of the first Central American Conflict. U.S. engages in interventionist actions in Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador. Military forces are sent to secure the Canal Zone from an ex-U.S. puppet dictator.
West and East Germany reunited. Warsaw Pact breaks up into separate nations.
Break-up of Soviet mega-state. From this point, the USSR begins a new era of re-approachment with western Europe; by the 2000’s, the Soviets are the Eurotheater’s most powerful allies.
Soviet president Gorbachev appoints party successor, Andres Gorborev.
Fall of South Africa. For the next four years, there is little or no communication, although terrible atrocities and genocidal wars are rumored.
1991
Eurospace Agency launces Hermes spaceplane.
Gorborev regime purges last of old hardliners.
CHOOH2 developed by BioTechnica.
First arcology built on ruins of Jersey City. Sixteen more “arcos” begin construction over the next five years until the Collapse of 1997, leaving the huge structures half-completed and filled with squatters and homeless.
Artificial muscle fibers developed at Standford Research Center.
1992
The Treaty of 1992 establishes the European Economic Community. Zones of control and protective tariffs regulate the activities of member nations France, Britain, United Germany, and Italy. A common currency unit (the Eurodollar, or “Euro”) is established, based on average value in gold of all currencies combined. Trapped in paranoid isolationism, the U.S. declines to enter.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency develops and spread several designer plagues worldwide, targeting coca and opium plants.
Governments of Chile and Ecuador collapse.
A savage drug war breaks out between Eurocorp-backed dealers and DEA all over the Americas.
First use of high energy laser lift arrays in USSR.
Simple massdriver established in Canary Islands by eight member Eurospace Agency.
1993
First TRC biologic interface chips developed in Munich, United Germany.
AV-4 aerodyne assault vehicle developed to deal with increasing riots in U.S. urban zones.
Colombian druglords detonate small tactical nuclear device in New York. 15,000 killed.
1994
World Stock Market crash of ’94. U.S. economy teeters, then collapses.
Nuclear accident in Pittsburgh kills 257. Cancer deaths soar over next ten years.
1995
Kilamanjaro Massdriver begins construction under joint agreement between ESA and Pan African Alliance.
1996
The Collapse of the United States. Weakened by the losses in the World Stock Crash, overwhelmed by unemployment, homelessness, and corruption, many city governments collapse or go bankrupt. The U.S. government, snarled in a staggering deficit and the machinations of the “Gang of Four,” is totally ineffective.
Nomad riots. By now, one in four Americans are homeless. Hundreds of thousands riot for living space throughout the United States. Nomad packs spring up on the west coast and spread rapidly throughout the nation.
First appearance of boostergangs.
Lawyer Purge. Irate citizens lynch hundreds of criminal defense attorneys.
Constitution suspended. Martial law established in the U.S.
1997
Mideast Meltdown. Tensions in Middle East escalate to nuclear exchange. Iran, Iraq, Libya, Chad, and the Arab Emirates reduced to radioactive slag. World oil supply drops by half.
Toxic spill kills off most of salmon population in Pacific Northwest. Seattle economy crippled.
“Rockerboy” Manson killed in England.
Tycho/Luna Colony founded.
1998
Neo-Luddites re-established in western Kentucky. Over the next ten years, the “Luds” are responsible for bombings of airports, factories, freeways, and mass transit terminals.
The drought of ’98 reduces most of the Midwest to parched grasslands. Between agribusiness corps and the drought, the family farm all but disappears.
10.5 magnitude quake shatters Los Angeles, and the Pacific Ocean inundates 35% of the city. An estimated 65,000 are killed.
1999
Federal Weapons Statute established.
Millennium cults begin to appear, each predicting an apocalypse on January 1, 2000. Thousands migrate to isolated communes and temples to await the end.
Copernicus/Luna Colony founded. A massdriver is constructed to provide raw materials for orbital platforms.
2000
Millenium cults run amok on January 1st in an orgy of suicide and violence. Most of these cults destroy themselves.
First “extended family” posergangs established.
Massive firestorms rage over northwestern U.S., destroying millions of acres of farm- and grassland.
Construction of Crystal Palace space station begun at L-1.
The “Wasting Plague” hits U.S. and Europe, killing hundreds of thousands.
2001
The framework of the ‘Net is now firmly in place with construction of the WorldSat Network.
2002
Food crash; mutated plant virus wipes out Canadian and Soviet crops. U.S. agribusiness crops survive due to a new biological counteragent. USSR accuses U.S. of biological warfare.
2003
Second Central American War. U.S. invades Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The war is a disaster that costs thousands of American lives.
WNS media star Tesla Johanneson exposes secret NSA transcripts of the first Central American conflict.
2004
First clones tissue grown in vitro. Microsutures, sterilizer fields developed.
Tesla Johanneson assassinated in Cairo.
First Corporate War. Twelve multinationals, including EMB and Orbital Air, battle for control of Trans-World Air.
Gang of Four is wiped out in Army-CIA counter-coup.
2005
Cybermodem invented.
EBM solos attack Tokyo office of Kenjiri Technologies, killing 18.
First Corporate War ends.
Operation Big Stick: First destruction of a corporation by national military forces. The Mantoga Corporation is wiped out by April, 2006.
2006
First human clone grown in vitro. Mindless, it only lives for six hours.
Full cyberlimbs are now in use with all U.S. military forces.
2007
Second Corporate War, involving a number of firms including PetroChem and SovOil. The dispute is over oilfields in the South China Sea.
Braindance developed at UC Santa Cruz.
2008
U.S. assault on Soviet weapons platform MIR XIII. Eurospace Agency intervenes and orbital war breaks out between the “Euros” and the “Yanks” until Tycho Colony massdriver drops a rock on Colorado Springs. An uneasy peace is reached.
“Reformation”/Reorganization of the U.S. government. First post-martial law elections are held.
2009
Joint Euro-Soviet mission to Mars departs.
Corporations eradicate mob rule in Night City.
Abortive takeover attempt of Crystal Palace construction by U.S. “terrorist group.” ESA discovers Defense Intelligence Agency plot and drops a 12 ton rock off Washington as a warning.
2010
End of Second Central American War. An estimated five-hundred thousand nomad workers, stranded in South America, begin the “Long Walk” back to America. A little over 10% are still alive when they reach the U.S. in 2011-2012.
Network 54 now controls 62% of all media broadcasting in the U.S.
Food riots in Denver kill 52.
O’Neill One construction begins.
2011
Crystal Palace is completed. ESA now has a permanent hold in high orbit zone. Construction of L-3 and L-4 colonies begins.
ESA/Soviet mission reaches Mars.
2012
Bioplague kills 1,700 in Chicago.
Concert riot in Night City kills 18, wounds 51. Old Arasaka corporate complex gutted.
First viable nanotechnology achieved concurrently by Euro and Japanese corporate labs.
2013
NetWatch established by joint U.S./Eurotheater treaty.
First true artificial intelligence developed at MicroTech’s Sunnyvale facility.
2014
I-G transformations redesign the ‘Net.
“Metal Wars” begin in Night City as gangs battle for turf.
Vatican III: Neo-Catholic Reformation.
2015
Rise of the cyber-mercenaries; Lithuania hires cyber-soldiers to repel invasions by Latvian nationals.
Nanotech becomes a commercial reality.
2016
Third Corporate War is fought in the ‘Net, as rival corporations attack each other’s “data fortresses.”
Bioware hits the streets.
O’Neill One is completed.
2017
First self-aware human clones are created.
L-3 Colony completed, named Galileo Cylinder (O’Neill Two).
NASA Mars mission departs.
2018
Brushfire wars erupt in Eastern Europe.
Second ESA/Soviet Mars mission departs.
ESA unmanned mission launched to Jupiter.
First laws that prohibit human cloning at the sentient level are passed in Europe.
L-4 Colony completed; named Paradise Station (O’Niell Three).
2019
Orbital colony at L-5 revolts. Highriders successfully repel ESA forces and announce independence. L-4 Colony placed under martial law.
2020
Second ESA/Soviet Mars mission arrives.
2021
NASA’s Chryse Base completed on Mars.
2022
First automated factories appear in orbit around Mars.
O’Neill Two declares independence.
The O’Neill War between ESA and Highriders occurs, lasting approximately seven hours. Due to numbers, and the inherent cooperation between workgangers and space pilots, ESA is forced to rescind control of O’Neill Two. They retain Crystal Palace and L-4 (O’Neill Three).
2023
Present day.
Start of the first Central American Conflict. U.S. engages in interventionist actions in Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador. Military forces are sent to secure the Canal Zone from an ex-U.S. puppet dictator.
West and East Germany reunited. Warsaw Pact breaks up into separate nations.
Break-up of Soviet mega-state. From this point, the USSR begins a new era of re-approachment with western Europe; by the 2000’s, the Soviets are the Eurotheater’s most powerful allies.
Soviet president Gorbachev appoints party successor, Andres Gorborev.
Fall of South Africa. For the next four years, there is little or no communication, although terrible atrocities and genocidal wars are rumored.
1991
Eurospace Agency launces Hermes spaceplane.
Gorborev regime purges last of old hardliners.
CHOOH2 developed by BioTechnica.
First arcology built on ruins of Jersey City. Sixteen more “arcos” begin construction over the next five years until the Collapse of 1997, leaving the huge structures half-completed and filled with squatters and homeless.
Artificial muscle fibers developed at Standford Research Center.
1992
The Treaty of 1992 establishes the European Economic Community. Zones of control and protective tariffs regulate the activities of member nations France, Britain, United Germany, and Italy. A common currency unit (the Eurodollar, or “Euro”) is established, based on average value in gold of all currencies combined. Trapped in paranoid isolationism, the U.S. declines to enter.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency develops and spread several designer plagues worldwide, targeting coca and opium plants.
Governments of Chile and Ecuador collapse.
A savage drug war breaks out between Eurocorp-backed dealers and DEA all over the Americas.
First use of high energy laser lift arrays in USSR.
Simple massdriver established in Canary Islands by eight member Eurospace Agency.
1993
First TRC biologic interface chips developed in Munich, United Germany.
AV-4 aerodyne assault vehicle developed to deal with increasing riots in U.S. urban zones.
Colombian druglords detonate small tactical nuclear device in New York. 15,000 killed.
1994
World Stock Market crash of ’94. U.S. economy teeters, then collapses.
Nuclear accident in Pittsburgh kills 257. Cancer deaths soar over next ten years.
1995
Kilamanjaro Massdriver begins construction under joint agreement between ESA and Pan African Alliance.
1996
The Collapse of the United States. Weakened by the losses in the World Stock Crash, overwhelmed by unemployment, homelessness, and corruption, many city governments collapse or go bankrupt. The U.S. government, snarled in a staggering deficit and the machinations of the “Gang of Four,” is totally ineffective.
Nomad riots. By now, one in four Americans are homeless. Hundreds of thousands riot for living space throughout the United States. Nomad packs spring up on the west coast and spread rapidly throughout the nation.
First appearance of boostergangs.
Lawyer Purge. Irate citizens lynch hundreds of criminal defense attorneys.
Constitution suspended. Martial law established in the U.S.
1997
Mideast Meltdown. Tensions in Middle East escalate to nuclear exchange. Iran, Iraq, Libya, Chad, and the Arab Emirates reduced to radioactive slag. World oil supply drops by half.
Toxic spill kills off most of salmon population in Pacific Northwest. Seattle economy crippled.
“Rockerboy” Manson killed in England.
Tycho/Luna Colony founded.
1998
Neo-Luddites re-established in western Kentucky. Over the next ten years, the “Luds” are responsible for bombings of airports, factories, freeways, and mass transit terminals.
The drought of ’98 reduces most of the Midwest to parched grasslands. Between agribusiness corps and the drought, the family farm all but disappears.
10.5 magnitude quake shatters Los Angeles, and the Pacific Ocean inundates 35% of the city. An estimated 65,000 are killed.
1999
Federal Weapons Statute established.
Millennium cults begin to appear, each predicting an apocalypse on January 1, 2000. Thousands migrate to isolated communes and temples to await the end.
Copernicus/Luna Colony founded. A massdriver is constructed to provide raw materials for orbital platforms.
2000
Millenium cults run amok on January 1st in an orgy of suicide and violence. Most of these cults destroy themselves.
First “extended family” posergangs established.
Massive firestorms rage over northwestern U.S., destroying millions of acres of farm- and grassland.
Construction of Crystal Palace space station begun at L-1.
The “Wasting Plague” hits U.S. and Europe, killing hundreds of thousands.
2001
The framework of the ‘Net is now firmly in place with construction of the WorldSat Network.
2002
Food crash; mutated plant virus wipes out Canadian and Soviet crops. U.S. agribusiness crops survive due to a new biological counteragent. USSR accuses U.S. of biological warfare.
2003
Second Central American War. U.S. invades Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The war is a disaster that costs thousands of American lives.
WNS media star Tesla Johanneson exposes secret NSA transcripts of the first Central American conflict.
2004
First clones tissue grown in vitro. Microsutures, sterilizer fields developed.
Tesla Johanneson assassinated in Cairo.
First Corporate War. Twelve multinationals, including EMB and Orbital Air, battle for control of Trans-World Air.
Gang of Four is wiped out in Army-CIA counter-coup.
2005
Cybermodem invented.
EBM solos attack Tokyo office of Kenjiri Technologies, killing 18.
First Corporate War ends.
Operation Big Stick: First destruction of a corporation by national military forces. The Mantoga Corporation is wiped out by April, 2006.
2006
First human clone grown in vitro. Mindless, it only lives for six hours.
Full cyberlimbs are now in use with all U.S. military forces.
2007
Second Corporate War, involving a number of firms including PetroChem and SovOil. The dispute is over oilfields in the South China Sea.
Braindance developed at UC Santa Cruz.
2008
U.S. assault on Soviet weapons platform MIR XIII. Eurospace Agency intervenes and orbital war breaks out between the “Euros” and the “Yanks” until Tycho Colony massdriver drops a rock on Colorado Springs. An uneasy peace is reached.
“Reformation”/Reorganization of the U.S. government. First post-martial law elections are held.
2009
Joint Euro-Soviet mission to Mars departs.
Corporations eradicate mob rule in Night City.
Abortive takeover attempt of Crystal Palace construction by U.S. “terrorist group.” ESA discovers Defense Intelligence Agency plot and drops a 12 ton rock off Washington as a warning.
2010
End of Second Central American War. An estimated five-hundred thousand nomad workers, stranded in South America, begin the “Long Walk” back to America. A little over 10% are still alive when they reach the U.S. in 2011-2012.
Network 54 now controls 62% of all media broadcasting in the U.S.
Food riots in Denver kill 52.
O’Neill One construction begins.
2011
Crystal Palace is completed. ESA now has a permanent hold in high orbit zone. Construction of L-3 and L-4 colonies begins.
ESA/Soviet mission reaches Mars.
2012
Bioplague kills 1,700 in Chicago.
Concert riot in Night City kills 18, wounds 51. Old Arasaka corporate complex gutted.
First viable nanotechnology achieved concurrently by Euro and Japanese corporate labs.
2013
NetWatch established by joint U.S./Eurotheater treaty.
First true artificial intelligence developed at MicroTech’s Sunnyvale facility.
2014
I-G transformations redesign the ‘Net.
“Metal Wars” begin in Night City as gangs battle for turf.
Vatican III: Neo-Catholic Reformation.
2015
Rise of the cyber-mercenaries; Lithuania hires cyber-soldiers to repel invasions by Latvian nationals.
Nanotech becomes a commercial reality.
2016
Third Corporate War is fought in the ‘Net, as rival corporations attack each other’s “data fortresses.”
Bioware hits the streets.
O’Neill One is completed.
2017
First self-aware human clones are created.
L-3 Colony completed, named Galileo Cylinder (O’Neill Two).
NASA Mars mission departs.
2018
Brushfire wars erupt in Eastern Europe.
Second ESA/Soviet Mars mission departs.
ESA unmanned mission launched to Jupiter.
First laws that prohibit human cloning at the sentient level are passed in Europe.
L-4 Colony completed; named Paradise Station (O’Niell Three).
2019
Orbital colony at L-5 revolts. Highriders successfully repel ESA forces and announce independence. L-4 Colony placed under martial law.
2020
Second ESA/Soviet Mars mission arrives.
2021
NASA’s Chryse Base completed on Mars.
2022
First automated factories appear in orbit around Mars.
O’Neill Two declares independence.
The O’Neill War between ESA and Highriders occurs, lasting approximately seven hours. Due to numbers, and the inherent cooperation between workgangers and space pilots, ESA is forced to rescind control of O’Neill Two. They retain Crystal Palace and L-4 (O’Neill Three).
2023
Present day.
20100507
First Game - Schedule
I'd like to schedule the first session for Tuesday, May 18th. This gives us just over a week to gather individually or in groups to get characters ironed out. Mark your calendars, and if you have any problems let me know.
20100505
Issued Equipment
By "issued," I mean that this is stuff that each of your characters has "signed out" in his or her name. If it is damaged, destroyed, or lost, it is your character's responsibility to replace or otherwise pay for it (up to and including garnishing of your wages and/or docking your pay). In the case of big-ticket items, you need to be extra careful. Cyberdecks don't grow on trees.
As police officers (albeit just out of the academy), you are all permitted to carry a concealed personal sidearm when off-duty. This might even extend to carrying long-arms (such as rifles and SMGs), but by doing so you will attract a lot of attention, especially from on-duty cops, corp cops, and private security forces. You will probably get chewed out once you're back on-duty, too. My advice is, don't do it, and if you do, don't make a habit out of it if you value your job.
Also note that your issued armor immediately marks you as police officers. It's blue and it has "POLICE" stenciled on the front and back. If you're working undercover, don't bother bringing it along. In other words, you're probably going to want to invest in something a bit less conspicuous.
ISSUED EQUIPMENT
Belt (includes holster, carrying case for cuffs, loop for nightstick, etc.)
First Aid Kit
Militech Arms Avenger 9mm Autopistol
Nightstick
Patrol Armor with Helmet
Personal Body Alarm (basically, a portable siren)
3 sets Plas-Cuffs with Key
Sonar Scanner
3 Uniforms (shirt, pants, socks, boots)
In addition, you are able to requisition items, weapons, etc, depending on your job. Of course, requisitioning something and getting it are two different things.
I am going to assume that everyone will be starting with some basic necessities. These include the following items/services:
Cellular Phone (includes camera) and Phone Plan (with voice mail, text message capability, net access, etc.)
Clothing to the tune of 500 euro (how far this goes depends on the style you adopt)
As far as day-to-day costs, I'm not going to nickel and dime you guys to death, but there does need to be some reasonable expenditures over the course of the campaign. This includes things like, oh, rent and the like.
As police officers (albeit just out of the academy), you are all permitted to carry a concealed personal sidearm when off-duty. This might even extend to carrying long-arms (such as rifles and SMGs), but by doing so you will attract a lot of attention, especially from on-duty cops, corp cops, and private security forces. You will probably get chewed out once you're back on-duty, too. My advice is, don't do it, and if you do, don't make a habit out of it if you value your job.
Also note that your issued armor immediately marks you as police officers. It's blue and it has "POLICE" stenciled on the front and back. If you're working undercover, don't bother bringing it along. In other words, you're probably going to want to invest in something a bit less conspicuous.
ISSUED EQUIPMENT
Belt (includes holster, carrying case for cuffs, loop for nightstick, etc.)
First Aid Kit
Militech Arms Avenger 9mm Autopistol
Nightstick
Patrol Armor with Helmet
Personal Body Alarm (basically, a portable siren)
3 sets Plas-Cuffs with Key
Sonar Scanner
3 Uniforms (shirt, pants, socks, boots)
In addition, you are able to requisition items, weapons, etc, depending on your job. Of course, requisitioning something and getting it are two different things.
I am going to assume that everyone will be starting with some basic necessities. These include the following items/services:
Cellular Phone (includes camera) and Phone Plan (with voice mail, text message capability, net access, etc.)
Clothing to the tune of 500 euro (how far this goes depends on the style you adopt)
As far as day-to-day costs, I'm not going to nickel and dime you guys to death, but there does need to be some reasonable expenditures over the course of the campaign. This includes things like, oh, rent and the like.
Skills and Multipliers
Here's the list of skills with multipliers. These multipliers apply for both initial purchases (with skill points) and long-term purchases (with improvement points, ie, experience points).
Some of these totals may contradict multipliers in the published rules. If they do, these totals supersede those in the book. Also note that some of the martial arts styles do have multipliers of x1, and I'm listing them for posterity. Oops.
INT SKILLS
Know Language (varies depending on language group)
African x2
Baltic x2
Celtic x2
Farsi x2
Germanic x1
Greek x2
Japanese x2
Korean x2
Pacific Island x2
Romantic x1
Semetic x1
Sino-Tibetan & S.E. Asian x3
Slavic x3
REFLEX SKILLS
Martial Arts (varies)
Aikido x3
Animal Kung Fu x3
Boxing x1
Capoeria x3
Choi Li Fut x3
Judo x1
Karate x2
Tae Kwan Do x3
Thai Kick Boxing x4
Wrestling x1
Pilot Gyro x2
Pilot Fixed Wing x2
Pilot Dirigible x2
Pilot Vectored Thrust Vehicle x2
Stealth x2
TECH SKILLS
Aero Tech x2
AV Tech x2
Basic Tech x1
Cyberdeck Design x2
CyberTech x2
Demolitions x2
Electronic Security x2
Gyro Tech x2
MedTech x2
Pharmaceuticals x2
Weaponsmith x2
So, that's that. Any questions, drop me a line or come by my cube and ask. Next stop: starting gear (ie, issued equipment).
Some of these totals may contradict multipliers in the published rules. If they do, these totals supersede those in the book. Also note that some of the martial arts styles do have multipliers of x1, and I'm listing them for posterity. Oops.
INT SKILLS
Know Language (varies depending on language group)
African x2
Baltic x2
Celtic x2
Farsi x2
Germanic x1
Greek x2
Japanese x2
Korean x2
Pacific Island x2
Romantic x1
Semetic x1
Sino-Tibetan & S.E. Asian x3
Slavic x3
REFLEX SKILLS
Martial Arts (varies)
Aikido x3
Animal Kung Fu x3
Boxing x1
Capoeria x3
Choi Li Fut x3
Judo x1
Karate x2
Tae Kwan Do x3
Thai Kick Boxing x4
Wrestling x1
Pilot Gyro x2
Pilot Fixed Wing x2
Pilot Dirigible x2
Pilot Vectored Thrust Vehicle x2
Stealth x2
TECH SKILLS
Aero Tech x2
AV Tech x2
Basic Tech x1
Cyberdeck Design x2
CyberTech x2
Demolitions x2
Electronic Security x2
Gyro Tech x2
MedTech x2
Pharmaceuticals x2
Weaponsmith x2
So, that's that. Any questions, drop me a line or come by my cube and ask. Next stop: starting gear (ie, issued equipment).
Skills
Cyberpunk features a vast array of skills. Skills are ranked from 1 to 10, with a score of 1 representing rudimentary training, and 10 indicating a master's grasp of the subject at hand (which usually takes decades to develop). During character creation, you will only be allowed to raise skills as high as rank 6.
During character creation, most skills are purchased with Skill Points (SPs) on a one-for-one basis. Some skills, especially those involving esoteric martial arts and highly technical subjects, have cost multipliers, which represent that they are significantly more difficult to learn or require more dedication to improve. The multipliers are applied to the cost of the ranks you buy in such a skill, so a skill with a x2 multiplier will cost 2 points to buy at Rank 1, 4 for Rank 2, 6 for Rank 3, etc.
Skill Points are assigned based on your character's starting age. Younger characters have fewer skill points than older characters. Older characters, while more experienced, eventually succumb to decrepitude and lose points from their physical ability scores due to age.
Because of their place in the police academy, your characters will need to fall somewhere between 20 and 25 years old. Odds are that people will prefer to start as older characters for the skill point bonus, thus gaming the system. If you guys are comfortable, I may require age to be determined by a random 19+1d6 roll to ensure that there is some variety.
Skill Points can also be used to purchase Advantages. Advantages are perks that your character begins the game with. I will be limiting advantage purchases to 6 total points. Since most advantages cost between 2 and 6 points, this will allow you to buy between 1 and 3 of them.
Conversely, you can also take Disadvantages in order to gain extra Skill Points. Disadvantages are quirks and disabilities which hinder your character in some way. You are limited to 6 points of Disadvantages to begin with. You can use the extra Skill Points to buy additional skills, or you can spend them on Advantages.
Note that some Disadvantages are oriented around personality traits or psychological issues, such as Honesty, Honor, or Bad Temper. Be aware that you can play a character with such a trait without taking the Disadvantage of the same name. The difference is that when you're saddled with a Disadvantage, you'll be forced to act a specific way from time to time. If you don't take the Disadvantage, you'll have the benefit of choosing when your character flies off the handle, tells the truth, or acts in accordance with his code of honor.
The rules for Advantages and Disadvantages can be found in this document. The restrictions listed in this blog post precede any restrictions (or lack of restrictions) that are outlined in the document.
During character creation, most skills are purchased with Skill Points (SPs) on a one-for-one basis. Some skills, especially those involving esoteric martial arts and highly technical subjects, have cost multipliers, which represent that they are significantly more difficult to learn or require more dedication to improve. The multipliers are applied to the cost of the ranks you buy in such a skill, so a skill with a x2 multiplier will cost 2 points to buy at Rank 1, 4 for Rank 2, 6 for Rank 3, etc.
Skill Points are assigned based on your character's starting age. Younger characters have fewer skill points than older characters. Older characters, while more experienced, eventually succumb to decrepitude and lose points from their physical ability scores due to age.
Because of their place in the police academy, your characters will need to fall somewhere between 20 and 25 years old. Odds are that people will prefer to start as older characters for the skill point bonus, thus gaming the system. If you guys are comfortable, I may require age to be determined by a random 19+1d6 roll to ensure that there is some variety.
Skill Points can also be used to purchase Advantages. Advantages are perks that your character begins the game with. I will be limiting advantage purchases to 6 total points. Since most advantages cost between 2 and 6 points, this will allow you to buy between 1 and 3 of them.
Conversely, you can also take Disadvantages in order to gain extra Skill Points. Disadvantages are quirks and disabilities which hinder your character in some way. You are limited to 6 points of Disadvantages to begin with. You can use the extra Skill Points to buy additional skills, or you can spend them on Advantages.
Note that some Disadvantages are oriented around personality traits or psychological issues, such as Honesty, Honor, or Bad Temper. Be aware that you can play a character with such a trait without taking the Disadvantage of the same name. The difference is that when you're saddled with a Disadvantage, you'll be forced to act a specific way from time to time. If you don't take the Disadvantage, you'll have the benefit of choosing when your character flies off the handle, tells the truth, or acts in accordance with his code of honor.
The rules for Advantages and Disadvantages can be found in this document. The restrictions listed in this blog post precede any restrictions (or lack of restrictions) that are outlined in the document.
Abilities
Cyberpunk has nine ability scores that are ranked on a scale of 2 (dismal) to 10 (world-class). An average ability score amounts to a "6."
The abilities are as follows:
Intelligence (INT): Intelligence is a relative measure of intellect and mental acuity.
Reflex (REF): Reflex is a combination of hand-eye coordination and physical agility.
Technical Ability (TECH): Technical Ability determines how mechanically and technically inclined your character is.
Cool (COOL): Cool is a measure of willpower and mental stability.
Attractiveness (ATTR): Attractiveness is how good-looking you are. It's not precisely the "dump stat" you might think it is.
Luck (LUCK): Luck will often mean the difference between life and death. It represents a pool of free bonus points you have to spend each game session.
Movement Allowance (MA): Directly relates to how far you can move, climb, jump, and swim.
Body (BODY): Body is a combination of physical strength and health.
Empathy (EMP): Empathy is your character's ability to relate with other human beings, as well as being a measure of charisma.
Characters are built using a pool of ability points. The pool varies depending on the method used to generate them. In The New Untouchables, all characters will be created using a pool of 60 ability points.
Abilities are purchased one a one-for-one basis, up to a score of 8. Raising an ability from 8 to 9 costs 2 points, and raising one from 9 to 10 costs 3 points. This means that a score of 10 in an ability will cost a total of 13 points. Scores of 9 and 10 are exceptional and rare. Luckily, you can raise ability scores during play by spending Improvement Points (IP).
As for skills, I'll cover them in another post.
The abilities are as follows:
Intelligence (INT): Intelligence is a relative measure of intellect and mental acuity.
Reflex (REF): Reflex is a combination of hand-eye coordination and physical agility.
Technical Ability (TECH): Technical Ability determines how mechanically and technically inclined your character is.
Cool (COOL): Cool is a measure of willpower and mental stability.
Attractiveness (ATTR): Attractiveness is how good-looking you are. It's not precisely the "dump stat" you might think it is.
Luck (LUCK): Luck will often mean the difference between life and death. It represents a pool of free bonus points you have to spend each game session.
Movement Allowance (MA): Directly relates to how far you can move, climb, jump, and swim.
Body (BODY): Body is a combination of physical strength and health.
Empathy (EMP): Empathy is your character's ability to relate with other human beings, as well as being a measure of charisma.
Characters are built using a pool of ability points. The pool varies depending on the method used to generate them. In The New Untouchables, all characters will be created using a pool of 60 ability points.
Abilities are purchased one a one-for-one basis, up to a score of 8. Raising an ability from 8 to 9 costs 2 points, and raising one from 9 to 10 costs 3 points. This means that a score of 10 in an ability will cost a total of 13 points. Scores of 9 and 10 are exceptional and rare. Luckily, you can raise ability scores during play by spending Improvement Points (IP).
As for skills, I'll cover them in another post.
The New Untouchables
The Cyberpunk game I want to run for you guys is what I'm calling The New Untouchables. In this game, you will all portray young police officers who are freshly graduated from the academy. Your characters will be approached in the first game session and offered a spot in a special task force. The idea is that your characters will, in theory, have yet to be tainted by the corruption that is rife in the world.
As Sean Connery's character Malone in De Palma's The Untouchables said: "If you're afraid of getting a rotten apple, don't go to the barrel. Get it off the tree."
The world of Cyberpunk is like our own, only darker. It's been changed by a constant influx of new technologies. Society often has trouble keeping up with these advances. In addition, integration of cybernetic systems into humans has brought about a dulling of humanity. The world is a nasty place, rife with brushfire wars, crime, corruption, and broken dreams. The USA is a shell of what it once was, a second-world nation at best, with the European Union replacing it as the closest thing to a world superpower.
What you need to do is think of something that will set your character apart from everyone else. What sort of cop would your character have aspired to become had he been taken from the academy and dropped into a precinct in a crime-infested suburb? Sure, everyone starts as a beat cop, but what would he have become if given enough time on the force? A crime scene investigator? A homicide cop? SWAT? A computer crime specialist? A detective?
Combine this with his background in the world, prior to attending the academy. What sort of background does the character have? Why did he want to be a cop? What was he good at in high school? If he attended college, what was his major?
If you have questions or ideas, drop by my desk, send me an email, hit me up on Jabber/Pidgin, or contact me at my AIM screen name, Hutt Jedi. Let's get a dialogue going.
As Sean Connery's character Malone in De Palma's The Untouchables said: "If you're afraid of getting a rotten apple, don't go to the barrel. Get it off the tree."
The world of Cyberpunk is like our own, only darker. It's been changed by a constant influx of new technologies. Society often has trouble keeping up with these advances. In addition, integration of cybernetic systems into humans has brought about a dulling of humanity. The world is a nasty place, rife with brushfire wars, crime, corruption, and broken dreams. The USA is a shell of what it once was, a second-world nation at best, with the European Union replacing it as the closest thing to a world superpower.
What you need to do is think of something that will set your character apart from everyone else. What sort of cop would your character have aspired to become had he been taken from the academy and dropped into a precinct in a crime-infested suburb? Sure, everyone starts as a beat cop, but what would he have become if given enough time on the force? A crime scene investigator? A homicide cop? SWAT? A computer crime specialist? A detective?
Combine this with his background in the world, prior to attending the academy. What sort of background does the character have? Why did he want to be a cop? What was he good at in high school? If he attended college, what was his major?
If you have questions or ideas, drop by my desk, send me an email, hit me up on Jabber/Pidgin, or contact me at my AIM screen name, Hutt Jedi. Let's get a dialogue going.
Introduction
One of the first roleplaying games I really fell in love with was Cyberpunk. I played the hell out of that game, bought every supplement I could get my hands on, and I wrote a lot of house rules to fill in the gaps that I saw in the system. For a long, long time, Cyberpunk was the only game I wanted to play or run.
I haven't played a long-term CP game for some years now, but I still love it. It's like chicken soup for my gamer soul in a way. I know the rules without needing to look them up. The setting is second nature to me. It's comfortable.
This campaign idea cropped up a little over a year ago. I ran it for another group, and we got through one session before an "act of God" (lay offs) broke the game up. I was always pretty disappointed that it didn't go further because it had a lot of potential and everyone was having a good time.
Having weighed my options. I've decided to revisit both this campaign and the tabletop RPG that really woke me up to what gaming, role-playing, game design, and writing were about. Sure, the setting is somewhat anachronistic. Sure, it's not exactly realistic or simulationist. But I think that if you give it a shot, you'll all have a good time.
I haven't played a long-term CP game for some years now, but I still love it. It's like chicken soup for my gamer soul in a way. I know the rules without needing to look them up. The setting is second nature to me. It's comfortable.
This campaign idea cropped up a little over a year ago. I ran it for another group, and we got through one session before an "act of God" (lay offs) broke the game up. I was always pretty disappointed that it didn't go further because it had a lot of potential and everyone was having a good time.
Having weighed my options. I've decided to revisit both this campaign and the tabletop RPG that really woke me up to what gaming, role-playing, game design, and writing were about. Sure, the setting is somewhat anachronistic. Sure, it's not exactly realistic or simulationist. But I think that if you give it a shot, you'll all have a good time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
