CHARACTERS
You are a skilled mercenary who plies their trade on the deadly streets of the city. Make your character by doing the following:
1 Visualize your cyberpunk. Who are they, what do they do and what trouble have they just escaped from?
2 Choose or create three trademarks. These are broad tags that describe the most important, interesting or useful things about your character.
3 Pick four triggers to become edges and write them next to the relevant trademarks. An edge is a particular focus, specialization or advantage. You can create your own edges if you wish.
4 Write two flaws for your character. These are troubles, problems or disadvantages your character must deal with.
5 Choose or randomly determine a drive for your character. What makes them keep taking dangerous jobs?
6 Write your gear. You can have any basic equipment that your trademarks would logically allow. Roll for up to four items of special equipment.
7 Round out your character by giving them a cool nickname and description. Tell the other players about your bad-ass cyberpunk.
TRADEMARKS
A trademark defines your past, occupation, unique talents or special equipment. When you write a trademark you’re telling everyone “this is important!” It will become a central component of your character, defining a detail such as their background, profession, signature equipment or amazing abilities.
Each trademark has a name and a list of triggers. These are skills, knowledges or traits someone with that trademark is known for. Use them to guide decisions in play. The trigger lists aren’t exhaustive, though, and you should adjust them to fit your particular vision of a character. Discuss major changes with the GM and other players. Finally, each trademark has a few example flaws (indicated with [-]) to inspire you later in the character generation process.
The below examples are arranged in categories but you can choose or create any trademark that makes sense for your character. You are not restricted to a specific selection or type of trademarks.
BACKGROUNDS
ARCOLOGY BRAT: Educated, Lie, Savings, Sneak, Gossip, Athletic, Respectable, I know my rights!
[-] Family ties, Looks soft, Naive, Fraternity/Sorority ties
GENE FARMED: Big, Muscle grafts, Heavy lifting, Fatigue suppressor, Hitting hard, Night vision, Alert
[-] Authority issues, Orders are orders, Literal, Escaped property
GUTTER SCUM: Begging, Sneak, Pick pockets, Switchblade, Spot danger, Escape, Fight dirty, I know these streets
[-] Gang ties, Always filthy, Snitch, Criminal record
JOYRIDER: Hover bikes, Brawling, Hotwire, Machine interface, Ride like a lunatic, Underground street racing
[-] Adrenaline junkie, Old injury, Stolen car/bike
METROPLEXER: Just a face in the crowd, Duck & cover, Take notice, Brawling, Scrounge, Haggle
[-] Unremarkable, I owe the block gang, Don’t trust anyone
NO-ZONER: Scavenge, Hunt, Drive, Endurance, Improvised weapons, Jury rig, Survival, Iron gut
[-] Illiterate, Obvious outsider, Blunt, Radiation poisoning
ORBITAL: Well educated, Diplomacy, Pilot, Zero-G, Toxin filter, Friends in high places, Trust fund, Ghost chip
[-] Earth grav is heavy, Accustomed to a better class of people
WAGE SLAVE: Corporate contacts, Bureaucracy, Gossip, Computing, Forgeries, Sense motives, Detail oriented, Look busy
[-] Stole from the Corp, Still employed, Old flame
ROLES
BOUNTY HUNTER: Track, Brawl, Chase, Intimidate, Awareness, Cyber arm, Shoot, Disarm, Follow leads, Subdue
[-] Cold hearted, Only in it for the money, Soft hearted
CODESLINGER: Hacking, Notice, Cyber combat, Computers, Security systems, Defence programs, Ghost chip, Repair, Sense motives
[-] Traceable, Unfit, Socially awkward
GRIFTER: Smooth talker, Charming smile, Calm things down, Read motives, Let’s make a deal, Sucker punch, Keep them talking, Lie
[-] Greedy, Playboy/girl, Reputation for double crosses
MEDIC: Patch you up, Assess injuries, Biology, Well-stocked lab, Calm under pressure, Biometric analyzer, Pharmaceuticals, Research, Bedside manner, Steady hands
[-] Blunt, Humanitarian, Merciless
REVHEAD: Drive, Push a machine to its limits, Machine interface, Drive offensive, Wired reflexes, Knows a shortcut, Shoot while driving, Repair
[-] Collateral damage, Stolen vehicle, Sentimental ride
ENFORCER: Shakedowns, Threaten with violence, Martial arts, Break stuff, Human shield, Subdermal armor, Stare down, Pistols, Underworld contacts
[-] Stands out in a crowd, Violence is always the answer, Mean streak
GUNFIGHTER: Quick draw, Guns akimbo, Cyber eyes, Targeter, Steel- eyed stare, Custom Pistol, Dodge, Flashy tricks
[-] Shoot first & ask questions later, Wanted, Attention seeker
INFILTRATOR: Stealthy, Quick, Hide, Alarms, Awareness, Locks, Concealed weapon, Chameleon DNA, Agile, Climb, Traps, Silent takedown, Escape
[-] Trust no-one, Calling card, Wanted
JAMMER: Hacking, Propaganda, Digital disruption, Inspire others, Social networks, Perform, Broadcast upgrade, Quick thinker, Distract
[-] Fugitive, Opinionated, In over my head, Recognizable
PALADIN: Awareness, Stand firm, Defend, Shoot, Loner, Righteous fury, Kick ass, Grafted muscles, Swords, Take a hit, Intimidate, Inspire others
[-] Has a code, Secret vice, Altruistic
CREATE YOUR OWN TRADEMARKS
Adjust, tweak and change the example trademarks to fit your own cool ideas, or write your own from scratch. When creating new trademarks give them an evocative name and imagine the sorts of things the trademark can do - these become your triggers. Finally, make a list of example flaws that such a trademark might have.
SKINS
EXCELSIOR: Athletic, Imposing, Beautiful, Medi-vac account, Toxin scrubber, Cyber eyes, Ghost chip
[-] Arrogant elitist, Stolen identity, Obvious wealth
FERAL: Quick, Night vision, Muscle grafts, Stealth, Leaping, Enhanced olfactory senses, Wolf DNA, Ghost chip
[-] Animal instincts, Untrustworthy, Savage
JOY: Beautiful, Flexible, Empathy matrix, Enhanced antibodies, Cyber camera, Poker face, Ghost chip
[-] Second class citizen, Someone’s property
MIL-SPEC GRUNT: Combat reflexes, Rapid healing, Dermal plates, Fatigue suppression, Targeter, Ghost chip
[-] Bio-tracker, AWOL, Bloodthirsty
ADVANTAGES
BFG: Hail of bullets, Cover an area, Serious damage, Loud, Intimidating
[-] Very obvious, Collateral damage
DAREDEVIL: Fearless, Athletic, Reflexes, Take the initiative
[-] Reckless, Old injury, Never learns
GENE HACKED: Disease resistant, Fit and healthy, Strong, Quick
[-] Secret sickness, Escaped clone
HOVER BIKE: Flies, Fast, Room for two, Agile, Flashy
[-] Exposed, Draws attention, Stolen
OPTIMIST: Confident, Inspiring, Tenacious, Positive
[-] Unrealistic, Naive, Overconfident
THE OLD BAR: Dark & dingy, Safe, Flammable liquids, Crowds, Noisy
[-] Deep in debt, The wrong crowd
CYBERWARE
CYBER ARMS: Push, Pull, Hit hard, Block a blow, Crush, Armored, Blades
[-] Poor tactile sense, Clumsy fingers
CYBER EYES: Notice, Target assist, Thermal imaging, Camera, HUD, VR
[-] Easily hacked, Obvious, Faulty
CYBER LEGS: Fast, Lift, Kick, Jump, Heel spurs, Concealed compartment
[-] Noisy, Not human, Two left feet
CYBER ORGANS: Air supply, Toxin filter, Endurance, Defibrillator
[-] Noisy, In-human anatomy
INTEGRAL NEEDLER: Concealed, Silent, Surprise, Poisoned
[-] Low ammo, One shot, Obvious
SLICERS: Long blades, Slice & dice, Pierce, Parry, Scary
[-] Too long, Self harm, Don’t retract
SUBDERMAL ARMOR: Kinetic absorption, energy absorption, pocket
[-] Bulky, Converts energy to light
WIRED: Dash, Reaction speed, Dodge, Run
[-] Only in short bursts, Jitters
EDGES AND FLAWS
Use your trademarks to inspire your choice of edges and flaws.
EDGES
Edges are specific advantages, traits or benefits directly associated with or derived from a trademark. They often represent a focus, interest, specialisation or talent related to the broader concept.
Example: Your character has the Bounty hunter trademark, making them adept at finding and restraining targets. If you take the edge Chase you are telling everyone your character is particularly good at running down their target, and just running in general.
Your character begins with four edges, though there are ways to get a few extra. These starting edges can be associated with any trademarks you have - you might choose one edge for each trademark, or put them all into a single one, or any other combination.
An edge can be virtually anything, but the list of triggers are a good starting point - either use them as written or as a starting point for your own.
FLAWS
A flaw is a drawback, trouble or disadvantage that makes life difficult for your character. Flaws should not be so debilitating that they affect everything a character does, but when they do kick in they should present a serious obstacle or problem.
Your character begins with two flaws. You will want them to come into play, so make them something you find interesting. Look at the trademark example flaws for inspiration.
DRIVES
Your drive is what keeps you hitting the streets, throwing yourself into danger and pushing through the hard stuff. It is a deep-seated desire or important personal goal that you constantly strive for. You continue to risk yourself in the hope of one day accruing enough money, resources or influence to see this thing come about. What specific, tangible goal drives your character? Use the below tables for inspiration.
Debt
[1] Repay my debt to the Razr Girls
[2] Recover what I stole from Osiris
[3] Buy out my Tyla Pharma contract
[4] Repay Pollux for saving my life
[5] Bribe Corp Sec to delete my files
[6] Cover my brother’s gambling debt
Survival
[1] Remove my cortex bomb
[2] Find my missing birth records
[3] Prove I didn’t kill “Bam Bam” Crow
[4] Get back in good with Osiris
[5] Cure my lover’s nano-virus
[6] Re-skin in a top-of-the-line body
Lifestyle
[1] Move to the orbitals
[2] Get in good with the Red Gang
[3] Bury all trace of my former life
[4] Protect the citizens of block B13
[5] Recover my family’s good name
[6] Make enough to retire in luxury
Vengeance
[1] Destroy my family’s reputation
[2] Prove my worth to Warren Falstaff
[3] Expose Yen Group’s crimes
[4] Find my sister’s killer
[5] Bring down Kitsune Media Corp
[6] Take control of the family business
When everyone has determined drives ask each other questions. Why is this goal so important? Who is Yen Group? Why do you owe the Razr Girls? Flesh out your character’s backstory.
THE DRIVE TRACK
Your drive has ten boxes called a drive track. Sometimes you will get to “tick” a box, indicating you are making progress towards your goal. At other times you will “cross out” a box, representing missed opportunities or obstacles. Each box crossed out reduces the chance of you ever achieving your goal.
Drives and drive tracks are explained in more detail on page 42.
GEAR
Gear is the equipment, cyberware and weapons your character takes on jobs. Gear can be either basic or specialised. Basic gear is described with just its name, like heavy pistol, cyber eye or medipack. Specialised gear has one or more tags listed after it, like sniper rifle (scope, silenced). A character can have a maximum of four items of specialised gear.
WHAT GEAR DOES
Gear gives you permission to do something; you can’t shoot someone without a gun, and you can’t drive somewhere without a car. Basic gear does not affect dice rolls, while specialised gear might. This will always depend on the fiction.
THE GEAR ROLL
You can write any basic gear that makes sense for your character - just list it on the character sheet. Each character can also have up to four items of special gear, chosen at the start of each job. For each special gear, declare what it is and how many tags it has, then roll a D6. If the result is equal to or greater than the number of tags, you get the item. If the roll is less than the total tags, you do not.
Example: Cruise wants a motorcycle with four tags (agile, armoured, flashy, turbo charged). He will need to roll 4 or higher to get it. If his roll is 3 or less he does not get the bike. Either way, he has used one of his special gear rolls.
You may make up to four rolls, meaning each character will have between zero and four items of special gear. You can roll for the same item multiple times, if the first attempt fails. You can also choose to forfeit one or more special gear rolls for a +1 bonus to a gear roll.
Example: Cruise really wants that motorcycle so forfeits two special gear rolls for a +2 bonus. He makes his roll, scoring a [3]. With the +2 bonus his result is higher than the four tags, so he gets the motorcycle and has one gear roll remaining.
Special gear lasts for a single job, unless the GM allows you to keep it longer.
EXAMPLE GEAR AND TAGS
RANGED WEAPONS
Light pistol, Heavy pistol, Revolver, Autopistol, Shotgun, Submachine gun, Assault rifle, Hunting rifle, Antique rifle, Grenades, Sniper rifle, Needle-gun, Stun gun, Bow, Crossbow, Spear gun, Harpoon, Mini-gun, Rocket launcher
(+) Accurate, Area of effect, Armor piercing, Burst fire, Collateral damage, Concealed, Deadly, Explosive rounds, Incendiary, Intimidating, Laser sight, Long range, Messy, Scatter shot, Scoped, Silenced, Stun, Quick draw, Rubber bullets, Targeter
COMBAT WEAPONS
Switchblade, Bowie knife, Machete, Katana, Monofilament whip, Club, Stun baton, Chainsaw, Knuckle dusters, Razor claws, Shock gloves, Spear, Net
(+) Accurate, Blunt, Concealed, Deadly, Implant, Intimidating, Messy, Quick, Quiet, Reach, Retractable, Sharp, Stun, Small, Tangle, Trip
ARMOR
Bullet proof vest, Trenchcoat, Armored jacket, Combat helmet, Riding leathers, Riot shield, Nanoweave shirt, Combat armor, Hardsuit, Bio-hazard suit
(+) Bullet proof, Stun resistance, Energy absorption, Adaptive camo, Camera, Concealed, Environment seal, Exoskeleton, Health monitor, HUD, Light weight, Night vision, Respirator, Stealth, Thermal imaging, Targeter disruption
VEHICLES
Scooter, Motorcycle, Racing bike, Hoverbike, Compact car, Limousine, SUV, Truck, Private VTOL, Sports car, Armored car, Police cruiser, Van
(+) Agile, Armored, Big, Caltrops, Cameras, Cargo space, Chaff launcher, Concealed compartment, Drone, Extra passenger(s), Fast, Flashy, Fly, Hover, Light, Nitro boost, Plow, Quiet, Small, Smoke launcher, Stealth paint, Ram, Untraceable
TOOLS
Computer, Medipack, Drone, Tool kit, Portable lab, Broadcast equipment, B&E kit, Surveillance gear, Climbing harness, Electronic skeleton key, Comm gear
(+) Accurate, Advanced, Autonomous, Camera, Concealed, Cyber, Durable, Fast, Heavy, Long range, Powerful, Portable, Quick, Quiet, Small, Well-stocked
CYBERWARE
Cyber arms/hands | Armored, Crush, Strong, Claws, Concealed compartment
Cyber eyes | Thermal imaging, Camera, Targeter, HUD, Notice
Cyber legs/feet | Fast, Jump, Heel spurs, Lift, Concealed compartment
Cyber organs | Toxin filter, Defibrillator, Enhanced endurance, Air supply
Integral weapon | Silent, Quick, Deadly, Gas, Poison, Surprise, Concealed
Interface chip | Drone control, Wifi access, Communication, Research
Subdermal armor | Kinetic absorption, Concealed, Tough, Heavy, Pocket
Wired reflexes | Fast, Agile, Quick draw, Fast interfacing
ROUND OUT
Complete your character by giving them a cool nickname and short description. Describe them to the other players. Use the tables below to help with your character’s description, if you wish.
NICKNAMES
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
(1) Angel Court Hammer Ork Razz Threads
(2) Artemis Dancer Jinx Oxford Ronin Trance
(3) Baller Dutch Keys Pandora Sabre Wheels
(4) Blaze Fangboy Looper Pins Shades Wiccan
(5) Bones Flick Merlin Pyro Switch Yoyo
(6) Cable Ghost Noble Raven Tombs Zed
STYLES
[1] [2] [3] | [4] [5] [6]
(1) Corp goon chic | Kawaii style
(2) Synth-pop flair | Practical utility
(3) Mallplex casual | Haute couture
(4) Anachronistic | Retro military
(5) Cybergoth | Arcology preppy
(6) Designer grunge | New wave tribal
AFFECTATIONS
[1] [2] [3] | [4] [5] [6]
(1) (2) (3) Bad habit (sniffing, nose / nail picking, loud chewing, addiction to common item) | Tell (tie your hair back, crack your knuckles, roll your neck, nostrils flair, lick your lips)
(4) (5) (6) Annoying habit (everyone’s your “pal”, loud laughter, know it all, way too perky) | Physical (neon tattoos, body modification, piercings, cosmetic cyberware, bling)
STUNT POINTS
Stunt points are a resource you can use to do cool stuff and improve your character’s chance of success at actions. A character begins with a pool of 3 stunt points and will spend them over the course of a job. This is the maximum number of stunt points your character can have at any time.
HIT TRACK
Characters have a hit track of three boxes, representing their physical health and resilience. As you suffer injuries your hit track will be marked off. Hit tracks begin each job cleared.
CUSTOMIZE
At the game master’s discretion, players may customize their characters further by trading drive progress and stunt points for additional edges.
WHEN A CHARACTER IS FIRST CREATED YOU CAN:
• Cross out one or two drive track boxes. Each box crossed out lets you write another edge.
• Reduce a character’s stunt point maximum by one or two points. Each point you reduce the maximum lets you write another edge.