Rules

Character generation detail

While most of the time you're not gong to interact with it very much, we do have a set of rules for character generation with 'classes' and a list of skills.

This is mostly for 'niche-protection'. Why be a Netrunner if everyone can use a Cyberdeck? Why be a Soldier if everyone can be badass?

Similarly to the old tabletop RPG every character type has something special.

Soldier

You are the ultimate badass. Stuff that knocks other people down is only a minor inconvenience and you bring the pain. It'll hurt later but you're the one who'll be left standing.

  • In-game you can use Combat Drugs on yourself when you are 'down' to get back up and in action immediately. You need to do this within 20s of going 'down' so keep them handy. Once you're livened up you might even have time to then use a MedKit.

Only Soldiers can do this.

Scout

You know the area well and know how to get around pretty much anywhere safely. There's also a loose network of people (often Nomads) who keep their eyes open. You have a secure radio (a PMR walkie-talkie provided in-game) with which you can contact them.

  • In-game GMs may spam info into the Scout radio channel, but also Scouts can ask stuff of the GMs via the radio of what's happening locally. This might reveal stuff about upcoming/ongoing linears.
  • If you hear a GM on this channel they are 'a fellow scout' not any other NPC they may have been covering face to face. There's only so many of us to go round.

Only Scouts have this.

Medic

You have the MedTech skill and can effectively use both MedKits and SIABs (provided in-game) under fire and in the most tense situations.

Only Medics can do this.

Netrunner

You have a Cyberdeck (provided in-game) and can tackle the in-game hacking tasks.

Only Netrunners can do this.

Corporate

Corporate contacts. Out here in the dirty world it doesn't sound that useful but you know people and you can call them (a PMR walkie-talkie provided in-game). They might be able to tell you things, warn you of trouble and in extremis you might be able to call in help from afar, even if it will take a while to arrive.

  • In-game GMs may spam info into the Corporate radio channel, but also Corporates can ask stuff of the GMs via the radio about Corporate and/or official activity. This might reveal stuff about upcoming/ongoing linears.
  • If you hear a GM on this channel they are 'somebody corporate' not any other NPC they may have been covering face to face. There's only so many of us to go round.

Only Corporates have this.

Fixer

Buying and selling is your thing. If you don’t have something you know where to get it. If you’ve got something you know how to offload it. Could be information, could be a one-off piece of tech, somebody to get rid of a body, or a really big gun. It won’t happen instantly; it might take a while to set up but you know where to go.

  • You will be able to ask GMs for stuff or to sell stuff. They will set a price and how long it will take to happen. Don’t go mad: a nuke will take a while…
Only Fixers can do this.

Skills

Skills work the same way as special abilities: they're for 'niche-protection' too, bringing too many real-world/LARP personal competencies to the game is both unrealistic (how many of us are actually gunfight regulars?) and unbalancing.

If your character has a skill in something in our game then your character can just do it and everybody around you should acknowledge it.

If your character doesn't have a skill in something then your character can attempt it but you're going to suck and everybody around you should notice. Occasionally if it's story-expedient that you/somebody needs to manage something (check with a GM) you might succeed.

In practice we don't expect players to carry around paper character sheets, you'll only have a few skills, here we're just making clear what the boundaries of those skills and abilities are. All custom characters are built in direct conversation with a GM and skills other than the ones we've thought of can be brought into the game. So far the 'Quick characters' have served our player base perfectly well.

Weapons

An SMG "spray and pray"

If you've got a relevant weapon skill you can just use any example of it you pick up. Likewise you can reload it in stressful situations trivially easily, just push the button/whatever.

If you pick something up and you don't have a relevant weapon skill well any dunce can pull the trigger and attempt to hit a target.

No aiming though, point vaguely and once that sucker is out of shots you'll need a few moments somewhere you can concentrate to reload it. Preferably with some light so you can find the catch etc.

  • Pistol - one-handed weapons that do 1 DOT damage, single shot repeaters, short range
  • SMG - one or two-handed weapons that do 1 DOT damage, fully automatic, short range
  • Rifle - long-arms that do 1-2 DOT damage, single shot repeaters, long range
  • Sniper rifle - long-arms that do 3-4 DOT damage, single shot repeaters, usually with a scope and maybe a very long range
  • Shotgun - long-arms that do 2-4 DOT damage, single shot repeaters with a short range but wide spread
  • Assault weapons - long-arms that do 1-3 DOT damage, fully automatic, long range
  • Heavy weapons - Mad dangerous stuff. Flamethrowers, miniguns, rocket launchers etc. If it's the sort of thing a Terminator would pick up and smile it's a heavy weapon.
  • Melee weapons - That monofilament Katana needs practice else you're liable to cut your own leg off!

Armour

The Sheriff wears it well

Armour's just like clothing right? Anybody can wear it? Nope, professionals (and the not so professional but enthusiastic ganger) all practice acting in armour, adjust it to fit well and develop the physical fitness to carry the weight around. Got the skill, you can just act in armour like you're not wearing it.

Found some armour and strapped it on for the first time without the skill? It's stiff uncomfortable and doesn't damn well fit. Plus it's heavy. Walk stiffly, struggle with normal stuff like getting out of a chair and screw trying to run. Congratulations you're now a slow moving target.
  • Light - heavier than normal clothing perhaps made from heavy leather or ballistic fabric +1 hits
  • Medium - actual modern armour specially made for dangerous situations +2 hits
  • Heavy - Stuff with solid plates in/on. You can see it from a mile off and know somebody means business +3 hits
  • Super-Heavy - I am Iron Man. Sculpted close fitting stuff with almost no gaps. Like knights of old but ceramic kevlar composite and worn by Max-Tac to fight Cyberpsychos in. +4 hits

In game, light armour is fine being represented by normal clothing that looks chunky. Medium and higher armour needs some kind of phys-rep but it can be lightweight foam etc.

The exception to this is the Corporate armoured business suit which uses cutting edge tech to deliver Medium Armour levels of protection while still looking just like clothes. For a price. Other characters can in principle get similar armour, speak to a GM if you would like to.

Medical

  • First Aid - You can use a MedKit on yourself (so long as you are not 'down') or somebody else.
  • Cybersurgery - You can perform full surgery to repair to replace limbs and organs. For this you need an actual surgical setup, it is not usually usable in the heat of the action and we'd expect mostly to be done by Patron NPCs like Florence Knightingale. This is an additional skill only available to Medics if they wish to have it.

Technical

  • Explosives - You know how to set explosives and blow shit up.