This category focuses on the role playing campaigns I am involved with.
Sector 34 created a cool subnet map for their game. So I created a font to make it easier to create Subnets and put together a sheet to map out a subnet.
NB: Yes I know that Code Gates are not listed, but Sector 34’s map has them on the links between systems.
This is a basic font to map out subnets for Cyberpunk 2020. The lowercase is all of the old classic icons Netrunning section of the Core Rules, while the uppercase takes inspiration from Sector 34. All the glyphs have been created by me and are offered here with a CC-BY-SA license.
Body Conditioning or Body Building is a BODY-based skill represents the character’s knowledge of how to train the body to improve its condition. This idea originally appeared in Interface 1#1, but it was too easy to go from BODY 2 to 10 (or higher) without problems. So this is a rewrite of that idea.
| Current BODY | Target |
| Very Weak (2) | 5 |
| Weak (3 – 4) | 10 |
| Average (5 – 7) | 15 |
| Strong (8 – 9) | 20 |
| Very Strong (10) | 25 |
| 30 |
On a roll of ‘one’, roll again to determine the degree of the Fumble.
| Roll | Result |
| 1 – 4 | No effect. You just failed. |
| 5 – 6 | You look like a fool and everyone knows it. |
| 7 – 8 | Minor injury. 1 point of damage. |
| 9 | Major injury. 1d6 damage. |
| 10 | Severe injury. 2d6 damage and – 1 BODY. |
Like most
There is REFLEX training used by the US Air-force to improve the responsiveness of their pilots. The same is true for world class athletics training the lower half of their body for movement (ie MA).
MA Training would be limited to skill level / 3, with a maximum of 12.
REF Training should be limited to skill level / 4, with a maximum of 11.
It appears that there are other forms of training the can make people more Emphatic (EMP), deal with pressures (COOL), etc. However, it is difficult to know how these could be set up in game.
Back in ’94-’95, I updated the Netrunning rules to make play easier, especially for Net Combat. What follows is a summary / TLDR of those rules. Each round plays out at the same speed are the real world, just to keep the game flowing.
Initiative: The interface skill on page 46 says, “Other players can enter the Net, but cannot use the Menu.” This means that any action in the net requires Interface (See pages 149 – 150). I doubt this was intentional, so we just dropped this requirement and made Interface improve initiative. Making Netrunners, the Solos of the Net.
INT + Interface + speed – number of LDLs + 1d10
* LDLs in Africa get -2 each, not -1.
Jacking Out: The next change was logging out, the roll of 8 or less on a 1d10, seams at odds with the rest of the system and a character’s Cool should play a part.
COOL + 1d10 vs 12
Using Software: This section was a little convoluted with Interface use in some places but not others. So the goal here was to simplify the dice rolls for Net Combat. Str vs. Str roll with program types acting against one another. If the roll is tied then favor falls to the defender.
INT + Str + 1D10 vs INT + Str + 1D10
| Offensive Program | Defending Program |
| Trace | Evasion |
| Detection | Stealth |
| Decryption | Utility |
| Intrusion | Codegate |
| Anti-System / Anti-Deck | Datawall |
| Anti-Program / Anti-IC | The Str of the program it’s attacking. |
| Anti-Personal | Protection |
| Controller | Controller in device |
| Utility | vs 10 |
| Interactive | vs 10 |
| Compiler (Demon) | See the programs it’s loaded with |
One of the things that I had not considered when playing Cyberpunk 2020 & Shadowrun back in the ’90s was how people live, day to day. The cyberpunk life consisted of doing jobs until you die. They may be a little lip service to the background world, but it was rare to inhabit that world in your game.
This profile of Serge Faguet provides some insight into the life of a Corporate character. The article goes into the mix of lifestyle, drugs, and technology all focused to give himself an edge. It may be a set of extreme steps to take, but it may become to the norm.
A story from Mirrorshades (or I think it was) about a medical student regularly using a drug to enhance her mental state to be able to absorb the huge quantity of information needed for med school. So taking this to its logical extreme. If drugs, cyber-technology, and any form of enhancement you can make could give you an edge. Then those technologies become required to run with the pack, or even to be in the race.
A few questions emerge from this.
Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, & Cyberspace provide useful definitions of character types, the gear they will need, and the tech they are likely to use. So while the game-systems are different, the intent behind them is the same.
Soldiers, Fighters, Gangers, Punks, Killers, Street-samurai are all examples of the Warrior Archetype. In the cyberpunk genre, it all about who shoots first kills first and enhancing those critical combat skills. Cyber-optics, neural links, and reflect boosting become the order of the day.
Facemen include Fixers, Corporates, Mr. Johnson, and Tricksters in general. The goal is to win social conflicts to get the best deal, persuade the right person, or intimidate the gangers. To this end, they will need cyberware that enhances the social encounters.
Knowledge brokers (aka Wizards) include Netrunners, Deckers, Jockeys who access the digital web to find stuff that others can not. It can also include a character with specialist knowledge, like a Tech or Ripper Doc. The cyberware will be focused on enhancing the mind and allowing access to new data sources.
While not exhaustive, this really just provides a gateway into the character’s world and the lives they could live.
As a GM the challenge here is to balance the good with the bad. So how do you set up the consequences of cyber-enhancement? What enhancements are needed and the consequences that could involve?
The use of cyberware tends to lead to a loss of Humanity (in Cyberpunk 2020) or Essence (in Shadowrun). These are common ways of regulating a character’s actions. However, there are other GM techniques to manipulate the character’s behavior.
Peer pressure plays a part in any sort of social game. As a GM you can use NPCs reactions to your advantage.
Regardless, of why NPCs react they way they do, the effect is still the same in flavoring the cyberpunk life.
Excessive drug use can lead to addition. Cyberpunk 2020 has rules for that. Not too sure if Shadowrun or Cyberspace does. Regardless of the game-system media like, there is media other there that provides some examples of the consequences. So the question now becomes how could you model the pitfalls of addiction for a character?
One way to create the feeling of the world is to explore a character’s daily life during session zero. During it, you can bring in all the cyberpunk elements that you want in your game. Focusing on the particular things that are important, with the others becoming faded into the background.
To help set the foundation of the cyberpunk life, you can explore a day in the life or common experiences. Some examples that you could explore are;
The whole goal of this for the GM is to tease out more details about the character.
A few years ago, I was working on a set of science fiction themed floor tiles with the idea of releasing them on Shapeways. However, I was not happy with the design as the legs of the pieces snapped off quickly pointing to a flaw in the design. It’s one that could be easily fixed, but the time lag and cost of iterating the design would have been prohibitive. So with other priorities pressing in, I let it slide to the back burner.
Now, just recently I get my first 3D Printer and have been looking as Devon Jones’ designs on Thingiverse. The Terrain tiles and miniatures that he and others have created is truly inspiring, and I’ve been bitten by the 3D design bug again. So, I pulled out some old designs I did in Blender and reworked them to improve the design and create a set of sci-fi dungeon tiles that I could use with Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, Infinity, or Starfinder.
The first was a set of plain tiles, to use as a template for the other designs. Then I took the designs for an age ago and tweaked them to suit the printer.
After watching Seth Skorkowsky’s Cyberpunk 2020 -RPG Review 2.0, I found it necessary to put together an updated version of the Character sheet.
Luckily, I’d been working on something similar for a homebrew and I had most of this kicking about. So with a few quick changes for the stats & skill list, I’ve backported this character sheet to the Cyberpunk 2020 era.
The logo is adapted from the new Cyberpunk 2077 computer game and the font is Cyberpunk is Not Dead. The text is straight from the original character sheet, although I did add Seth’s sections for vehicles & clothing.
Also here’s Seth’s review on one of the best games systems I’ve ever played as it strikes the balance between realism and playability. Sadly, the tech of the world has not aged well with its FAX machines and archaic ideas around the Internet.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmdMnYm1zno[/embedyt]
I’ve started working on a combat summary for players of Cyberpunk 2020.
I used the details from the Cyberpunk 2020 Reference Book (Version 5). It collects together information from a range of Cyberpunk 2020 books. I copied the 3 column layout from the Cyberpunk 2020 Core rulebook adding a few details of my own. Finally, I added a bloody fingerprint, some splatters and the iBorg image by zoopee for a bit of extra flavor.
The Cyberpunk 2020 Reference Book (Version 5) has been available on the net for many years. It has been collated by Andrew James of http://www.node16.co.uk/ However, the Ref Book was last updated in 2002 and the website looks out of date. Any search for “Cyberpunk 2020 Reference Book, Version 5” should turn it up.
During the Reunification War, the Star League set up a staging point to enable the suppression of the Magistracy of Canopus. The Naval-base was complete in 2583 and after the destruction of the Magistracy’s navy enabled to control of a number of minor worlds.
It is unclear whether the naval base may have passed to control of the FWLM‘s, or was decommissioned in 2584. The second being more likely, as there are no records of the base in the Marik military records after the withdraw of troops in 2604.
The Explorer Corps completed planetary surveys of Eagle Rest, Cayuga, and Helvetica, but located no sign of Star League emplacements. They have set a low priority to star system-wide surveys because of the long time required for such a cache of Star League equipment.
However, the exact location of this hidden base is not located on any many possessed by Comstar.
Based on historical documentation and comparing the maps from 2750 and 3040 of the location here is a short lost of possible worlds.
Based on SLDF documents of equipment shipped and SLDF & FWLM documents of equipment removed, it is likely that the following exist onsite.
As a player, a rich world is one I’m happy to return to again and again. There is something about these rich worlds that keep drawing me onto the new horizons. So what are these worlds and what is it that keeps me coming back. Firstly some examples…
The classic that has spawned hundreds of imitators making the foundation of the fantasy genre is the only place to start when exploring the idea of rich worlds. Looking beyond the story there are many facets of Middle Earth that draw you in.
Firstly, there is the distinct races of Middle Earth. Each has a unique culture that separates it from the other peoples of the world. The way that Elves exists is distinct from the Dwarven mindset. The quick vicious intelligence of Goblins plays at a different speed to the Ents. So each race or culture approaches situations differently and this can play out in the behaviors of the NPCs, although Players as always remain unpredictable.
Secondly, the use of language or in this case languages. Each language acts as a further barrier to make each race distinct from one another. The harsh sounds of Black Speech, divides the Orks from the musical tones of the Elven languages and the Dwarven Khuzdul. The unique created languages add another layer of richness to the beautiful landscape.
The third is the long history that adds weight to each culture. Thousands of years of history that each individual carries from their own cultures help build a strong narrative. For example; The eminently that exists between Elves and Dwarves is created from their long history of wars.
Finally, there is the map which represents the geography of the world. For me the map of middle earth provides a rich tapestry to wonder around the page of possibility exploring it’s locations without having to write all the details onto the page, but explodes in my mind filling in the blanks.
The world of Westeros also has a long history with many elements not fully revealed to the readers (or watchers) of the series. George has previously stated that his inspiration was the Wart of the Roses where this first Tudor king, Henry the VII rose to power followed by Henry the VIII. That time does mark a tumultuous period of English history, and as a fantasy world build it does give you a short cut into creating a rich background for the players to carve up.
Another thing that Westeros has is the taking of standard fantasy cliches and adding a twist. For example; If you look at the Stone men which could be in D&D terms Golems or Earth Elementals, but in the mythos of Westeros are suffers of Greyscale. There are a number of differing stories surrounding each of the major elements existing in the Song of Fire & Ice. So having a basic idea with lots of embellishments and variations to the story existing to add strength to the tales, and natural rumors for the players to shift through.
White Wolf’s World of Darkness (WoD), in a similar move to Westeros, shows us a hidden history and what is concealed behind the common news stories of today to illuminate the horrors that lurk at the end of perception. And if we choose to peel back the skin we to can reveal the sores of festering evil underneath. It takes the current world events and adds another layer of meaning to over the top.
In the first 72 issues of the comic series Sandman, Neil Gaiman weaves together the legends of many cultures with a twist of modern horror to create something new. The tails are familiar, yet play out in unexpected ways as greater entities that dwell outside the myths impact upon what we know.
As the GM or World Creator, what are the simple ways to add richness to our gaming worlds with a huge amount of effort, such as, Tolkien did when writing the created histories for Middle Earth.
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