Ecopunk 2044 PDF

A Dice Kapital Game
This book is printed on sustainably sourced paper with

environmentally friendly inks, in a zero-to-landfill factory.
Three trees were planted for each book printed.
No merchandise was or ever will be manufactured for ECOPUNK.
However, there is a thin lamination of plastic on the cover. We

apologise that we couldn’t find a way to avoid this.
Buying this book is not a contribution to the environmentalist

cause.
But it is a means to inspire action.
The Earth is not dying, it is being killed, and those who are killing
it have names and addresses.
Thanks to all our Kickstarter backers:
Credits Adrian Czajkowski, Michæl Jensen, Marie P., Neault, David Hevey,
John Bedder, Grace Arnup, Misadvencherus, Carly Jones, Andrez Perez,
Game Designer, Writer, Layout Designer, Graphic Designer Eben Rauch, Kevin Hong, Adam Howe, Kori Klinzing, Ashan Parmar,
Liam Hevey SmallRedRobin13, electric_copache, Christian Sorrell, Matthias Platzer,
Yury, Sam, Ethan Jolly, HR, Sebrina Autumn Calkins, R, Brian S., Michael
Editor Gray, Andy Belfield, Frédéri “V.K. Friedrich” POCHARD, Christopher
Harry Robertson Bogart, WEIRDSLIMETHING, Daniel Mercer, Elijah Podell, Kassandra
Gardner, Guilherme Trindade, Valentin Ory, Matt Ross, Peter Connolly,
Judson Wright, Elektra Diakolambrianou, thingsareswinging, Toni
Playtesting by Sinabell, Finite State, Joel Milliken, Laura Hydeman, Callum, Lynn
Daniel Clarke, Grace Arnup, Sam Stafford, Seb Humphreys, and Painter, Phillip McGregor, Phillip Bailey, Christian Bayless, Neiv gabay,
Shannon Kelly CromniR, Jennifer Fuss, Austin Connally, Kira Bolding, Christopher
Clark, Leatharnak, Zachary Rees, Rob Smith, Ben MacFarlane, Angus
Cover Illustrator Abranson, Simon Brake, The Weight, Chris Garland, Cai, Jonathan Ly
Olya Bossak (Reykat) Davis, Terran Empire Publishing, Uriel, Michael Beck, Ken Mcferren,
Pedro Garcia, Paris Conte, adumbratus, Andrew R H Girdwood, Jonathan
Korman, Matteo Signorini, Paul Durand-Lupinski, Chris Mobberley,
Back Cover Illustrator
Keigen, Ewald Grosse-Wilde, featherweather, John ‘JT’ Thomas, John
Beth Windle McAvoy, Penny for a Tale, Brian, Ex Stasis Games, CopperKettle, Chris
Jessee, Jamie McKelvie, Keith McAbee, Tom Madico, Lance, Eliot
Interior Illustrators Olaya, Angus Mol, Xavier Priour, Kryptyk Physh, AlanSmithee, Henry,
Adesayo Adeoye, Ajayi Olajide (LA Draws), Avinash Jeyadev, Kai Lancaster, Lauren Buxton, Centaur Games, Keegan,
Alecia Doyley (TallNQuirky), Alex Connolly, Alex Damaceno, Ruhappy, Dmitrii Tretyakov, Cleo “Thorn” Schmitz, Ben Zorn, Kent
Alex Jay Brady, Andrew Sonea, Andrey Garin, Anna Moshak, Valentine, Vieno, Sean Grimm, Ryan Radley, Adam Rajski, Coraline Gray,
Anna Zee, Arttu Ilomäki, Artyom Trakhanov, Baptiste Pagani, Joshua Goebel, Glenn Welser, Craig Fotheringham, Rhys, Daniel, Noah
Schoenholtz, Tyler Waugh, Rachel Bolstad, Florian, Christian Klauser,
Bert Bogaerts (bertdrawsstuff), Chancellor Stokes,
Ryan Elliott, Zachary A Knight, Ian, Adam Ansari, Amelia Gossman,
Deborah Lee, Goran Gligović, Guy Pradel, Guy Warley, Tyler Doyon, Samuel Florez, JTDimino, Wolfgang Daniel, Susan
Hozumi Sousei (Ricebird Workshop), Jabari Weathers, Beneville, Vida, Kranodor, Vesper, Awfully Queer Heroes, NikaMusive,
Jake Coyne (Roastbeefo), Jordan Brown (Peegpin), Jota Cravo, Chris Dolunt, Andrew, Juan Solo, Haylee, Chad Briggs, Morgan Weeks,
Jung Jong Hyuck (Sawa JJ), Lucas Prado Faiāo, Marcel Mosqi, HotDice, Martin, Jon Richardson, Samuel, Cameron, Syd, Eris, snacking,
Molly Enekvist Redig, Nic Boone, Nina Gania, Paul W Thompson, Tyler Lindsey-Delise, Victor Haerinck Jr, Animalman, Lisa Padol, Paul
Rasa-Līla Galvina (RA), Rachel Smartt, Rasmus Edling, Buss, Drew Miller Hyndman, jonathan.m.zappa@gmail.com, Gordon
Sajan Rai, Sam McKenzie, Sean Lewis, Serena Malyon, Milner, James Mcknight, Daniel Clarke, Daniel Nimitz, Erica Schmitt,
Craig Hackl, Hannah Stephens-Jones, Michele Oliosi, Robert Glatz,
Simon Hirose, Sophie Rowan, Tavish Buchanan (Boocanan),
Sabrina, Jerry Sköld, Cole Gordon, Jonas Schiött, Puckett, Lily, Hanna,
Theodore Matthews, Yan MayFire, and Zach Hazard Vaupen Chris Miles, Víctor Jiménez Merino, Brad Elliott, Aldo Ivan, Shawn Gray,
Snarkayde (Philip), Brynn Flowers, Boo Cannon, Marren MacAdam, Scott
ECOPUNK: 2044 was made possible thanks to funding from Arts Whitworth, Daniel Fernández García, Valery North, ADIX, Mondoki,
Council England, Shape Arts, and our Kickstarter backers. David Miller, Thomas Pheister, Paul Curry, Philippe Marcil, Robert F.
Mason, CplShephard, Andrew Rawlings, Isaac Wilcox, Nika Papendieck,
Elliott Birt, Jesse Pickett, Kelly Gardiner, executivenerd, William Riddle,
Brandon, Sachin Suchak, Survivor Arax, Robert Lucas, Carl Nelson,
Brooke Binkowski, Guillaum, Alessandro S., FlacoAlto, Sean Gibbs, Anna
Schmit, Daniel, Christian Grundel, Daniel Jacobsson, Jeremy Gilbert,
Keir Milburn, David Castle, Kergonan, Miranda van Doorn, Dan Brown,
Dean Keith, Sophie Rowan, Spencer Game, Richard Wilson, Bethany H,
Coliyo, Alex, Natalie O’Callahan, Yves Menshikova, Eli Rainsberry, Colin
Pinnell, Caitlin Crosby, Geefax, Amanda Atkins, Ryan Maloney, Alexander
M Ward, Dave Panfile, Ajali, Jonas Hedenquist, Ash Dial, Pete Wilcox,
Aleksi Elo, Lukas Myhan, John Taber, natb, Silas Fore, Jon Potts, Thomas
Brooks, Andrew D, Dustin Laughlin, Ben, Raf Bressel, Vincent Arebalo,
Troy Cole, Richard Greene, Ralf Achenbach, Richard Day-Lennon,
Connor Daykin, Sebastian Humphreys, secondrevan, Jesus Christian Cruz
Acono, Leonie, Ryan C, Biggie, Eduardo Mercovich, Carson Lautenslager,
Patrice Mermoud, Jay Rios, Io Black, John J. Perez, vampiricsweetheart,
Alex, Richard Anderson, Jacopo Veronese, Jonathan, Darcy Hanlon, James
Hawkes, SleepyPeregrine, Steven Moy, Jared Magee, Alex Lane, Vixenkiba,
Lorenzo Rovati, Joshua Lee, Lachlan Fergusson, Nathan, Tobias Peter,
Robert Carnel, Alex Context, Martin Ackerfors, Jonathan Pay, JT, Elliot
McPherson, Jared Silveira, William Lamkin, Anders Bondesson Andersson,
Dee Hedges, Laurence Russell, Ian McFarlin, ZofiaPojawis, Akira Magamo,
ECOPUNK: 2044 is the copyright of Dice Kapital Coldmalk, Max, Eric Guzman Skotnitsky, Jack Coven, Kris, and Erik
Find more of our games at: dicekapital.itch.io Lennermo
All rights reserved.
And a special thanks to these backers:
Blake Webb, Ben Richardson, Chase Moudry, Alex Levene, Justine
Norton-Kertson, Bruce, Katie Finneran, Barney Dicker, Jon Basciano, John
Kraemer, Jeremiah Grimsley, Stuart McGregor, and Veikko Eeva
Please do not reproduce without permission, except for personal
use. For someone working in a copy shop, this is ‘express
permission’ to copy this book for personal use.
Contents
Part 1: Character Creation 10 Part 2: Playing the Game 116
Character Mechanics 12 Dice Mechanics 118
Drivers____________________________________________12 Consume & Throw______________________________118
Aspects____________________________________________12 The Dice Pool__________________________________ 120
Skills & Talents__________________________________14 Throw DCs______________________________________121
Awareness________________________________________ 20 Helping a Throw_______________________________ 123
Stride____________________________________________ 20 Clashes__________________________________________ 123
Traits_____________________________________________21 Saves_____________________________________________ 123
Equipment________________________________________21 Strained Throws_______________________________ 123
Fortune__________________________________________ 22 Roll Effects____________________________________ 124
Crisis_____________________________________________ 24
Power____________________________________________ 26 Storytelling Mechanics 126
Languages_______________________________________ 27 Session Zero____________________________________ 126
Character Progression________________________ 28 The Gig & Crew_________________________________ 126
The Network___________________________________ 127
Creating Your Character 30 Missions_________________________________________ 127
The Elements___________________________________ 128
Character Options List 34 The Epilogue____________________________________ 130
Drivers___________________________________________ 34 Scenes & Rounds_______________________________ 130
Traits & Equipment_____________________________ 40 Design Principles______________________________ 133
Bodies____________________________________________ 42 Initiative_______________________________________ 134
Starting Equipment____________________________ 45 Combat___________________________________________135
Attacking________________________________________137
Traits 50 Dodging________________________________________ 138
The Basics________________________________________ 50 Damage_________________________________________ 138
The Cyberbrain__________________________________ 50 Armour_________________________________________ 139
Psyware___________________________________________51 Attack Breakdown_____________________________ 139
Character Traits_______________________________ 52 Character Effects_____________________________ 140
Body Traits______________________________________ 65
Bionic Traits____________________________________ 67 Hacking 142
Combat Traits___________________________________ 70 Hacking Throws_______________________________ 142
Hacker Traits___________________________________ 74 Targets for Hacking__________________________ 143
Contacts________________________________________ 77 Intrusion_______________________________________ 144
Special Contacts________________________________ 80 Network Shutdown___________________________ 146
Ice_______________________________________________ 146
Equipment 81 Programs________________________________________147
Tools_____________________________________________ 82 Beyond the Ghostline________________________ 148
Hacker Equipment______________________________ 83 Hardline________________________________________ 150
Animals__________________________________________ 86 Faraday_________________________________________ 150
Drugs & Stims___________________________________ 88 Hacking in Combat____________________________ 150
Attire____________________________________________ 89
Armour__________________________________________ 90 Programs List 152
Weaponry________________________________________ 92 D-Rank Programs_______________________________153
Melee Weapons__________________________________ 93 C-Rank Programs______________________________ 154
Firearms_________________________________________ 95 B-Rank Programs______________________________ 156
Explosives________________________________________ 98 A-Rank Programs______________________________ 159
Vehicles_________________________________________ 100 S-Rank Programs________________________________161
Drones__________________________________________ 103
Premade Punks 106

Contents
Part 3: The World of 2044 164 Part 4: GM’s Toolkit 225
Your Life In Two Pages 166 GM General Advice 227
The City 168 Constructing Missions 228
Random Mission Tables________________________ 230
History & Geopolitics 174
Gameplay Tools 232
Life & Times in 2044 180 Countdown____________________________________ 232
Ecology_________________________________________ 180 Gauntlet_______________________________________ 232
Agriculture____________________________________ 182 Improvised Damage____________________________ 233
Food & Diet____________________________________ 184 Random Tables_________________________________ 234
Physical Health________________________________ 186 Crew Effects____________________________________ 236
Mental Health_________________________________ 187 Heat_____________________________________________ 236
Labour__________________________________________ 188 Luck Roll_______________________________________ 239
Space_____________________________________________ 189 Rewarding expCOIN___________________________ 239
Energy__________________________________________ 190 Using A Battle Mat_____________________________ 240
Architecture___________________________________ 192
Technomads_____________________________________193 All Things NPC 243
Industry________________________________________ 194 Creating Your Own NPCs_____________________ 243
Warfare_________________________________________ 198 Rolling for Groups___________________________ 244
Technology____________________________________ 200 Fortune of NPCs_______________________________ 244
Artificial Intelligence________________________ 201 NPC Awareness & Active Watch_______________ 244
The Net_________________________________________ 204 Combat NPCs___________________________________ 245
Hacker Culture________________________________ 206 Premade Networks & Hacker NPCs___________ 248
Politics_________________________________________ 210 Premade NPC Combat Hackers________________ 250
Conspiracy Theories__________________________ 213
Religion________________________________________ 214 Soundtracks & Touchstones 252
Art, Culture & Entertainment________________ 216
Crime & Vice____________________________________ 222 Parting Words 254
Sport & Athletics______________________________ 223
Disability_______________________________________ 224
Resources 255
Index 259
The Game A means to take notes
As you play, you’ll need to keep a record of the abilities, resources,
ECOPUNK uses a series of rules to improvise a story collectively and information held by your character. It is recommended for
told around the table by a group of players. There are many such those making a Punk to use the ECOPUNK Character Sheet. It is
games, collectively called ‘Table Top Role Playing Games’. also recommended to use the Crew Sheet to track resources and
information held across the group of Punks. These Sheets are
ECOPUNK is designed to facilitate stories around themes of noir, provided at the end of this book, starting on, or are available for
political scifi, and environmentalism. The stories told will centre free online.
on a group of ‘Punks’, people who engage in activism, espionage,
The Basic Outline

diplomacy, violence, and other initiatives to keep humanity on-
course to survive climate change.
The Setting Be the Punk

The setting of ECOPUNK is the world you know, but in the In ECOPUNK, everyone plays characters and narrates their
future year 2044. Environmental collapse resulting from political actions in a collectively told story. Most players will play a single
negligence in the early 21st century has sown destruction and character of their own design called a Punk, while one player
chaos. Humanity now finds itself within the Death Spiral, the called the Game Master (shortened to GM) designs and performs
inevitable and accelerating decay of the global ecology, at the end all the other characters, sometimes called NPCs (short for Non-
of which is humanity’s extinction. Politics, economics, warfare, Player Characters). The GM is also the narrative guide, facilitator,
and culture have restructured in response to this new reality. and arbitrator of ECOPUNK’s rules.
ECOPUNK brings the very real threat of environmental In a game of ECOPUNK, the Punks are the heroes (or anti-
catastrophe to the forefront. The hope is that players might heroes) of the story, acting within a narrative framework provided
question whether they are passive victims-in-waiting, or people by the GM. The Punks are collectively referred to as ‘the Crew’.
who can match the characters they play and fight for the future.
ECOPUNK’s players should take what they have learned at the Within the rules of the game, Punks are defined by five things:
table to the street, to the voting booth, and to the doorsteps of the Drivers. Drivers represent a character’s nature, influencing how
profiteers and politicians who push for the world of ECOPUNK to they approach their tasks.
be realised - and turn the world onto another path. Aspects. Aspects represent a character’s raw, untrained talents.
Skills. Skills represent a character’s areas of trained expertise.
What You Need

Traits. Traits are the special abilities of a character, from hacking
into computers to having bionic limbs.
To play ECOPUNK, there are a few things you will need: Equipment. Equipment is the physical, external tools a character
uses to aid in their efforts, from medkits to machine-guns.
At least two players For players to begin the process of Character Creation, go to the
ECOPUNK is a game of group storytelling - so you need a group Creating Your Character chapter starting on page 30. If you
to play it! You need at least two players. Most players play as don’t want to create a Punk yourself, you can pick a Premade Punk
‘Punks’, the characters central to the narrative, while one player is on page 106.
the ‘Game Master’. The Game Master (often shortened to ‘GM’)
narrates the world the Punk characters inhabit, including its allies
and adversaries (often called Non-Player Characters, or NPCs).
The GM is also the arbitrator of the game’s rules. While you’ll
need a Game Master and at least one Punk to play, there is no set
upper limit on how many Punks can be in a game: that is the GM’s
decision. Dead Canaries: An Example Story
These DEAD CANARIES boxes give an account of a
Plenty of six-sided dice fictional game of ECOPUNK, where a group of players
This game used six-sided dice (called a d6 in the rules), which create their Punks and play a Mission as the Dead Canary
are rolled to determine uncertain outcomes such as whether a Mercenaries. Readers can use these as examples of how a
gunshot finds its mark or how quickly an investigation progresses. game of ECOPUNK could go, how the story can develop,
and how certain rules are used in the game.
Often players can choose how many dice they are rolling for such
actions, but sometimes rules will tell you how many dice to roll. There are four Punks in Dead Canaries’ Crew. They are:
For example, ‘roll 3d6’ means you need to roll three six-sided dice. Barkhad, the driver and mechanic
ECOPUNK uses a lot of d6s. Ideally, you should have at least 10. Alex, the ex-soldier
Quinn, the investigator
This game also sometimes calls for you to roll a ‘d3’. When rolling Chen, the hacker
a d3, roll a d6; a roll of 1 or 2 counts as 1, a roll of 3 or 4 counts as In these examples, the name of the character and the
2, and a roll of 5 or 6 counts as 3. It can be useful to colour-code person playing them is treated as the same.
your dice; for example using red six-sided dice for d6s and white
six-sided dice for d3s.
7
In a situation where there would be no narrative consequence to
Roll the Dice failure, the GM might allow you to achieve what you wanted to
At the core of ECOPUNK’s gameplay is the dice pool. Each Punk
without making a Throw, but may still have you Consume dice
has a dice pool, usually containing 10d6, and they expend these
to represent the effort. The rule of thumb is this: if there’s risk
dice (often rolling them as they do so) to perform actions within
involved, you make a Throw, if there’s no risk involved, you
the story. The Dice Pool is then refilled at certain regular intervals,
Consume.
creating a cycle of expenditure and refilling.
All the rules to expending dice, such as how a Throw’s ‘Score’ is
When keeping track of how many dice remain in a character’s dice
used or what a ‘modifier’ is, are explained in the Dice Mechanics
pool, it can help for players to have a container or tray to keep
chapter of Playing The Game, on page 118.
their dice pool in, taking out the dice they’re expending as they use
them.
A character’s Dice Pool represents their potential in a given Unfolding Gameplay

moment. In the midst of a shootout, will the soldier Alex move
into cover and wait until the enemy draws closer, or take the time ECOPUNK is intended as a game where the player can
to aim carefully before firing? Will the hacker Chen devote their choose how simple or complex actually playing the game
week to decrypting the mysterious data packet they’ve received, is for them. Playing a character who is simply an expert in
a particular field will require a player to know less rules
or will they put equal time into the decryption, reaching out to
than one who engages in combat or hacks electronics. Look
contacts for information, and helping the engineer Barkhad with
out for these UNFOLDING GAMEPLAY boxes that note
upgrading a vehicle? These are examples of moments in a narrative rules that you may not have to learn if irrelevant to your
formed by players deciding how they are expending the dice in character, optional rules that all players can agree upon
their dice pool. that make the gameplay simpler, or advice on how to play.
There are two ways you expend dice from your Dice Pool:
Consume and Throw, explained below. The GM will ask players to
do one of these two things for their Punk to perform some action
Set the Scene
When playing ECOPUNK 2044, the crew take on Missions, stories
in the narrative.
with an objective that can range from helping a community garden
to destabilising a multinational corporation.
Consume
A number of dice are expended, but not rolled. The number of Each Mission is broken down into a series of Scenes, much like the
dice you Consume is determined by the size of the task, with larger scenes of a movie. In turn, each Scene is broken down into a series
tasks using more dice. When you Consume dice, you automatically of Rounds. Each Round represents a narrative beat. It is possible
succeed in whatever the dice were Consumed for. When appearing for a Scene to consist of only one Round, just like how in movies
in any rules text, Consume will always be followed by a number some scenes only cover a single narrative beat, or a Scene can
that denotes how many dice must be expended. ‘Consume 4’, for consist of several Rounds.
example, would have you expend 4 dice from your Dice Pool.
Example Consume: A player Consumes 2 dice to have their Punk At the start of each Scene and each Round, the Dice Pool is
pull their gun from its holster, taking 2d6 from their Dice Pool and refilled; this forms the basis of ECOPUNK’s storytelling system,
putting them aside. where how you expend your dice determines your character’s
actions in each beat of the story.
Throw
The player chooses how many dice to expend, increases or Temperature
decreases that number according to modifiers, then rolls the Each Scene and the Rounds in it has a Temperature, which
resulting amount of dice. The Thrown dice are then removed from determines the narrative tension and pace present.
the Dice Pool. The outcome of the action the Throw represents
is then determined based on the numbers rolled. Normally In a Cold Scene, you’re taking it slow, laying the groundwork for
the numbers are added up to give you a Score, but sometimes your Mission over the course of days or weeks.
particular numbers rolled are counted instead. You always want to
roll higher numbers. In a Warm Scene, the plan’s swinging into motion. As you get into
the action, things are heating up, and the narrative pace comes at
A Punk’s player always chooses how many dice to expend for a you no slower than hour-by-hour.
Throw (but must always expend at least 1), allowing the player to
determine how much effort their Punk is putting into the narrative In a Hot Scene, things have reached their boiling point. Bullets are
action that Throw represents. flying, bombs are ticking, and you’re living in each min- no, each
second!
The score of a Throw will help determine the game’s narrative.
Does your bullet hit or miss the target? Do you crack the All the rules to telling the story, such as Scenes, Rounds, and
encryption in time? Can you treat the kingpin’s wounds before Temperature, are explained in the Storytelling Mechanics chapter
they bleed to death? All these things would be decided by a Throw. of Playing The Game, on page 126.
Example Throw: A player Throws 4 to have their Punk take a shot
at an assailant, taking 4d6 from their Dice Pool and rolling them.
8
Tell the Story
Before you can start telling the stories of ECOPUNK, you need to
go through the following four parts of this book:
First you will design the character you want to play. Who are
you in the world of 2044? What abilities and resources do you
possess? Why do you do what you do? The process is explained in
Character Creation, starting on page 10.
Then you will learn the rules to playing ECOPUNK 2044 as a

game. How does rolling dice shape the narrative? How does the
character you’ve just created play out? What are the gameplay
building blocks of an ECOPUNK story? The full game rules are
explained in Playing The Game, starting on page 116.
What is the world of ECOPUNK like? Need inspiration for a

character, or a place to set a storyline? Get to know the setting in
The World Of 2044, starting on page 164.
Meanwhile, the Game Master can assemble Missions and enrich

the story using the guides, generators, and other tools in the GM’s
Toolkit, starting on page 225.
Once the players and GM have done their part, you’re ready
to come together and begin telling stories within the world of
ECOPUNK 2044.
Expanding Setting
ECOPUNK is a whole new fictional setting for the player to
learn about - a daunting task! Throughout this book, look
out for these EXPANDING SETTING boxes, which contain
a special, in-detail facet of the world of 2044. Players
intending to just learn the broad strokes of the setting can
skip over these, or a player looking for details to use as
inspiration may specifically seek these boxes out.
3 Golden Rules
Specific Beats General
Specific rules override general rules.
If multiple specific rules would apply and don’t state in which

order they would happen, you choose which order they happen in.
Round Down
In ECOPUNK, you always round down to the nearest whole
number.
You Don’t Reroll Rerolls

If you ever reroll a dice, you can’t then reroll it again, and you have
to accept the rerolled result.
9
GM’s Toolkit The world of 2044 Playing the Game Character creation
10
Premade Punks Character Options List Creating your Character Character Mechanics
Part 1:
Character Creation
Two detectives discuss the Secretary for Energy’s murder. A botched affair, or something more?
Part 1 has four chapters: Character Mechanics, which explains the rules regarding a Punk’s abilities.
Creating Your Character, the step-by-step process of putting together your Punk. The Character
Options List, a complete collection of all the options available when creating your Punk. Lastly the
Premade Punks, a list of ready-made Punks players can start playing with immediately.
11
Character Mechanics
Character Mechanics
Drivers
Character creation
Toughness
Enhance the meat-dominion. Engorgement is empowerment.
Drivers represent the internal mechanisms of a Punk; the ways
they think about and approach the world. There are a total of 60 Toughness represents a Character’s physical strength and
Creating your Character
Drivers, which are listed in the Character Options List on page durability, as well as their general constitution and health.
34. Someone with high Toughness can lift heavy objects, take hard
hits, throw something far, and is very healthy.
Drivers primarily serve as a roleplaying prompt, but many also
mechanically incentivise certain styles of play that reflect the
personality you’ve designed for your Punk. Every Driver has both
an upside and downside, just as no personality Trait is intrinsically
bad or good. What matters is how you use it.
Character Options List
Every character, including each Punk, has 3 Drivers.

Playing the Game
Revved Drivers
Some Drivers can be ‘Revved’, meaning that the rules of that
Driver are ‘opt-in’. If you gain a Driver that can be Revved, you
decide when you gain it if you want the Driver to be purely a
Premade Punks
roleplaying prompt, or if you also want its rules to apply to your

character.
Aspects
Aspects represent the raw abilities of a character. There are five
The world of 2044
aspects: Toughness, Finesse, Speed, Clarity, and Intellect, which

are explained on this page. Every character, including NPCs, has
an Aspect Score in each Aspect, reflecting their aptitude for that
Aspect. An average person has an Aspect Score of 0 in each aspect,
and for an ordinary person, no Aspect Score can be higher than +2
or lower than -2.
Finesse
Some special rules enable an Aspect Score to be higher than Every movement is a brush-stroke. You’re no finger-painter.
+2. For example, a military cyborg body enables you to have a
Toughness Score as high as +3. Finesse represents a Character’s fine motor skills, in terms of doing
precise physical actions with both speed and accuracy. Someone
with high Finesse is highly dexterous, and good at precise tasks
Aspects & Throws with their hands and entire body including aiming guns and
A Character’s Aspects are important as they modify the Throws attacking with martial arts.
made by that Character. Whenever the GM tells you to make a
GM’s Toolkit
Throw, they will also name an Aspect appropriate to the course of

action.
In addition, some Throws tell you which Aspect applies to the

Throw, such as when you use Finesse to Attack with a firearm.
The only time you don’t modify a Throw with an Aspect is when
specific rules call for a Throw without specifying an Aspect, such
as a Trait saying ‘make a Throw’.
When an Aspect Modifies a Throw, increase or decrease the

number of dice you have expended for the Throw by the
appropriate Aspect Score.
For example, if you are using your strength to lift something, the GM
might say “Make a Toughness Throw”. You decide to expend 4d6 dice
on the Throw. Your Toughness Score is 2, so you add +2d6 to roll
and roll a total of 6d6. If your Toughness Score was a negative, for
example -1, you would subtract -1d6 and roll a total of 3d6.
Punks rarely make Throws only affected by an Aspect; typically

Throws will also be Skilled Throws, explained on the next page.
12
Speed Intellect
Ride the neuron superhighway all the way to the burning Internalise, collate and crystallise. Exhale heady, refined
nerve-ends. truth.
Speed represents how quick a Character is to react and how Intellect represents the general knowledge of the Character, as well
speedily they can get something done. Someone with high Speed as their ability to remember and recall information. Someone with
can dodge attacks, think fast, get a lot of work done in a short high Intellect knows a lot, can quickly learn more, and is good at
amount of time, and get their bearings before anyone else. analysis.
Clarity Saves
Still the waters; see the forest within the solitary tree. Occasionally, the GM or a particular rule will ask for a character
to make a Save, along with naming a particular Aspect. When you
Clarity represents how clear and focused a Character’s mind is, make a Save, simply roll 1d6 and add the relevant Aspect Score to
how resistant they are to stress and pressure, and the strength of the number rolled (or subtract, if your Aspect Score is negative).
their will - not just internally, but upon others. Someone with high If your total score is 4 or higher, you succeed on the Save. If your
Clarity is clear-eyed and purposeful, possesses an iron will, and total score is 3 or lower, you fail on the Save. A roll of 1 is always a
can convince others with their words. failed Save, a roll of 6 is always a successful Save.
For example, if you have a Toughness Score of -1 and make a
Toughness Save and roll a 5, you will score a total of 4 and succeed
on the Save.
Saves represent your character resisting some kind of negative

effect. You can always choose to automatically fail a Save.
For example, you might make a Speed Save to jump out the way
of a falling object, or a Clarity Save to maintain your focus amidst
distractions.
Saves do not expend dice from your dice pool.
The GM can ask for you to make a Save to resist a narrative

consequence. For example you might make a Speed Save to get out
from under falling debris without being harmed, or a Toughness
Save to push through a crowd, or make a Clarity Save to restrain
your temper when being goaded.
13
Skills & Talents Art
Character Mechanics
Colour and craft, a conduit for the God inside.

Skills represent all the areas a character can have a trained
Character creation
expertise in. Trying to climb a building, analyse stolen data, stitch » Performing live, such as playing an instrument, singing, or
a knife wound – these are all examples of narrative actions where dancing.
a Skilled Throw would be rolled, because these are all things a » Producing media such as visual art, music, or 3D renders, in
person could have training in. both analogue and digital formats.
» Knowledge of craft and arts materials and process.

There are 18 skills in total, listed on the following pages along » Historical and contemporary knowledge of culture and the arts.
with examples of what they could they involve. Each character » Gathering information from groups and individuals related to
has a skill level for every skill, that ranges from 0-10, marking the the arts and culture.
extent of a character’s training. Someone with no expertise at all
in a subject would have a level of 0, a master would have 10. Many
characters will have a skill level of 0 in multiple skills, and it is
possible for a character to have 0 in all skills.
Skills can overlap in their applications. In such instances, you

Playing the Game
decide which Skill you use. Some examples of overlapping Skills

are mentioned in the following Skill descriptions.
A skill’s application extends to the social, political, and

economic fields of that skill.
For example having the skill of Athletics doesn’t just mean you are
Premade Punks
athletic, it also means you know about sport institutions, how to

gather information about and from sporting circles, how much
sports equipment costs, and so on.
Athletics
The one thing you truly own. Make it yours.
The world of 2044
» Physical feats that one can be trained in, such as long and high
jumping, swimming, climbing, acrobatics, and so on.
» Knowledge of exercise, diet, and sports.
Converse
Share the taste of a honeyed tongue.
» Gathering information from groups and individuals related to
sports and physical fitness. » Navigating social situations.
» Understanding a treating a sporting injury (or you could use » Convincingly lying or manipulating the truth.
Medicine). » Sensing whether what someone is saying is true or false, as well
as their motivations and inner feelings.
» Impersonating someone’s voice and mannerisms.
» Sensing shifts in atmosphere and mood in a social setting.
» Learning information through discussing and interviewing (or
you could use Investigate).
GM’s Toolkit
14
Dominate Engineer
Transplant your spirit. The lessers will be subsumed by the Speak the language of machines. You are their parent; they
greater. will acquiesce in time.
» Taking command of a situation, either by wresting social power » Constructing, repairing, disassembling, or otherwise
from someone else or establishing yourself amidst a vacuum of interacting with mechanically complex objects and structures,
social power. including electronics.
» Interrogating or intimidating someone. » Knowledge of and skill in interacting with materials, both
» Controlling and manipulating crowds through speech. mundane and complex.
» Persuading people to your point of view, or to do something for » Knowledge of the construction and design of buildings, city
you (or you could use Converse). structures, and other architecture.
engineering and industrial production.
Ecology
Know sadness. Know doom. Grasp for hope. There is an
answer somewhere within this curling green. Industry
The reptile moves the numbers. The ape obeys.
» Knowledge of environmental science, including such topics as
climate change, desertification, and agriculture. » Historical and contemporary knowledge of economics.
» Knowledge of practices and technology used in stalling climate » Knowledge of private enterprise and institutions, including
change, including how to interact with such practices and knowledge of their markets, their technology, and their
technology. cultures.
» Navigating the powerful political institutions of agriculture and » Knowledge of organised labour, unions, their conflicts, and
environmental protection. their cultures.
» Knowledge of systems around agriculture, meteorology, and » Navigating business culture, encompassing both its individuals
environmental disasters, such as farming automatons and and its structures, and its class spectrum, from labourers to
geofront storm drains. magnates.
» Gathering information from groups and individuals related to » Gathering information from mercantile groups and
ecology, agriculture, and environmentalism. industrialists.
15
Investigate Pilot
Character Mechanics
See the crystalline truth. The machine is an extension, its movements self-expression.
Character creation
» Analysing data, and finding within that data patterns or the » Steering and performing manoeuvres with land, sea, air, and
breaking of patterns. space vehicles.
» Having and increasing your Awareness. Awareness determines » Knowledge of vehicles as a product, including their strengths
how easily you notice things when you aren’t paying attention, and weaknesses, maker, and so on.
and is explained on page 20. » Knowledge of customs and administration pertaining to

» Searching for and noticing small and hidden details, such vehicles.
as clues at a crime scene, an important symbol on a person’s
appearance, and so on.
» Searching for and finding someone or something hidden.
» Gathering information from people on the street, contacts, and
information networks.
Playing the Game
Premade Punks
Politics
The world of 2044
After 50 years of slumber, the great beast is awake and out of

its cage. Wrestle it.
» Knowledge of contemporary and historical politics.

Medicine » Navigating bureaucracy and political institutions.
Fight the strange agonies of the flesh. There is a tomorrow for » Deductions about political events and people’s future actions.
them yet. » Gathering information from political groups and politicians.
» Diagnosis of injury and illness.

» Treating wounds and diseases, including performing surgery.
» Analysis of drugs and other substances that affect the body,
including technologically advanced substances such as nanites.
» Contemporary and historical knowledge of medical science,
GM’s Toolkit
including bionics.
medicine and health.
16
Spirituality Streetwise
Crack the glass of reality. There is more: a realm of pure light. Talk to the goddess through the holes in your shoes. She lives
here, amongst the true people of the Earth.
» Conducting religious and spiritual practices, either for yourself
or others. » Navigating and traversing urban environments.
» Understanding ‘the soul’, and things from a spiritual » Historical and contemporary knowledge of urban culture and
perspective. customs.
» Knowledge of spiritual and religious institutions, both » Searching for locations and people within an urban
contemporary and historical. environment.
» Perceiving and understanding the metaphorical and mystical. » Conversing with locals, gathering information from them.
» Gathering information from groups and individuals related to » Sensing shifts in atmosphere, mood, and culture in an urban
religion and spirituality. setting.
» Gathering information from local communities and street
gangs.
Stealth
The shadows move. Listen: they whisper for you.
Science
» Being undetected, by moving in shadow, making no sound, and A process methodical. Relief, in a sliver of the world being
staying out of eyesight. knowable.
» Becoming and remaining Hidden. The Hidden effect is
explained in Character Effects, on page 140. » Knowledge in biology, chemistry, physics, and other fields.
» Acts of sleight of hand, such as pick-pocketing and lock picking. » The application of scientific knowledge.
» Knowledge of security protocols and practices, including » Gathering information from groups and individuals related to
software and hardware used by security like CCTV cameras. science.
» Disguising yourself and others.
17
Survival Warfare
Character Mechanics
Here at the rim, the proto-man is close. Feel him beside you as Know the flavour of gunpowder in the lungs, unwanted.
the sun rises on a sweaty brow. Unforgettable.
Character creation
» Navigating and traversing nature and natural environments, » Knowledge of the design and purpose of military equipment, as
including avoiding natural hazards. well as such equipment’s developers, producers, and suppliers.
» Knowledge of flora, fauna, weather, and other things that » Application of tactics and strategy, and knowledge of the history
involve traversing and surviving within nature. of such subjects.

» Ability to interact with and tame animals. » Navigating military and paramilitary organisations, including
» Finding and following tracks (or you could use Investigate). understanding of rank and procedure.
warfare.
Playing the Game
Premade Punks
The world of 2044
Software
Touch the soul of the new age. A system supreme, just beyond
dying hardware.
Creating New Skills
» Knowledge of computers and computer science, including With the GM’s approval, you can invent your own custom
knowledge of the hardware involved and how it is assembled, skills. A new skill can be more specific, but should not
the business and production of software, and Net culture. be more general than any of the skills already listed. A
» Traversing and searching the Net. skill should always be something that you can develop an
» Identifying, analysing, and using digitised information and expertise in, rather than something that just relies on raw
software, including its decryption. ability.
» Coding software or modifying someone else’s code.
» If you have the relevant Traits, perform Hacking into objects
and people. Hacking is explained in its own chapter on page Skilled Throws
GM’s Toolkit
142. A Skilled Throw is a kind of Throw made when a character

» Gathering information from groups and individuals related to attempts something that tests their expertise in a subject. Such a
software, the Net, and digital culture. throw is heavily influenced by a character’s Skill Level in the Skill
relevant to that attempt. Most Throws in a game of ECOPUNK
will be Skilled Throws.
Whenever a player describes what they want their Punk to do,

the GM will tell them if they need to make a Skilled Throw for
that action, and if so what the relevant skill is. The Throw should
always be a Skilled Throw if the act being attempted is something a
person could train in.
When making a Skilled Throw, if you expend a number of dice

beyond your Skill Level for a Skilled Throw, the dice beyond
your skill level are Strained, meaning you must expend two dice
from your dice pool to roll one additional dice for the Throw
after you exceed your skill level. This represents the difficulties of
attempting something a character has limited knowledge of. The
Strained effect is fully explained on page 123.
18
For example, if you had a Skill Level of 5 in a Skill, and expended
9 dice on the Skilled Throw, you would be rolling 7d6 (assuming no Throws at Skill Level 0
modifiers were influencing the Throw). Your Skill Level of 5 would
mean 5 of the 9 dice you are expending will translate into 5d6 dice A character having a Skill Level of 0 doesn’t preclude them
rolled, and the remaining 4 dice you are expending beyond your from ever making Throws with that Skill: it just means
they’ll need to make up for their lack of knowledge with
Skill Level will translate into a further 2d6 dice rolled due to the
effort.
Strained effect.
If you commit your entire Dice Pool to a Throw for a Skill
There is the possibility of multiple skills being applicable for a you are Level 0 in, that’s still 5d6, which has a one-in-
Skilled Throw. three chance of getting a Score of 20 or higher (a middling
For example, if you were trying to treat a sprained ankle, the success). Use a tool for the Tool Bonus to roll 6d6 and that
chance becomes almost two-in-three!
Medicine skill would apply, but so could Athletics as a sprained
ankle is a common sports injury.
When multiple skills could apply, the GM decides which ones do, Skill Expertise
but the player chooses which one they ultimately use. Skill Expertise is a metric determined by Skill Level which
measures what level of detailed knowledge your can Punk can
Like most Throws, Skilled Throws are modified by Aspects and recall in a split-second. Using Skill Expertise, Players can ask the
other modifiers. GM what their Punk knows about a subject, and the GM gives
more or less or information based on the Punk’s level of Skill
Expertise, all without the Player having made a Skill Throw. Skill
Throws & Narrative Expertise’s function is to cut out unnecessary Skill Throws and
A Skilled Throw (and any other Throws besides) doesn’t just
allow the story to keep moving.
determine the success of the act that prompted it, but also for all
other acts that would correspond to that Throw made throughout
There are three tiers of Skill Expertise: Novice, Intermediate, and
the remainder of the Round.
Master. The tier you possess for a given Skill is determined by
For example, if over the course of a single Round your character
comparing your Skill Level with the table below.
wants to move without being seen, pick something from someone’s
pocket, then silently open and escape via an ajar door, they don’t Skill Level Skill Expertise
make three separate Stealth Throws for each one of those three acts;
instead they would make a single Stealth Throw that determines 1-3 Novice
their success across all three acts. 4-7 Intermediate
8-10 Master
This rule is explained fully in Throw Scores & Narrative on page
118. If you have a Skill Level of 0 in a Skill, you have no expertise in
it - you cannot recall any information on the Skill’s subject beyond
what is common knowledge.
Talents
Talents are a character’s particular specialty within a Skill.
‘Swimming’ might be a Talent of the Athletics Skill, or ‘Biology’
might be a Talent of the Science Skill. When making a Skilled
Throw, if a Talent pertains to the activity that Throw is
representing, add +1d6 to the roll. Only one Talent can apply to a
Skilled Throw at a time. Dead Canaries: Skill Expertise
There are no predetermined Talents for a Punk to choose from – GM: While you’re talking with this person, you notice a
tattoo on their neck: a split circle.
the player makes them up for themselves. A Talent should always
relate to the Skill it’s a Talent for. Chen: Do I know the meaning of that symbol?
GM: What’s your Skill Expertise in the Software Skill?
Tool Bonus Chen: I’m Intermediate?
Whenever you make a Skilled Throw, if your character uses a GM: Then Chen immediately recognises this as the symbol
piece of Equipment that could help them with the action being of ‘Bodies’, a radical, international group of Net anarchists.
performed, they gain the ‘Tool Bonus’ which adds +1d6 to the roll.
For example, if you’re making a Stealth Throw to slip into a Chen: Is that all I know?
building, a set of lock picks would help you silently open its GM: That’s just what you know off the top of your head.
doors. Or, if you’re making a Politics Throw to network and If you want to try to remember more, you could make a
gather information, a cell phone would help facilitate your Software Throw to dwell on it.
communications.
Only one piece of Equipment can apply the Tool Bonus to a

Skilled Throw at a time.
19
Awareness Stride Speeds
Character Mechanics
There are five increments of Stride, described below. Whenever

Awareness is a character’s passive ability to notice others. Your you ‘raise’ or ‘lower’ your Stride, you increase or decrease it by
Character creation
Awareness is equal to double your Investigate Skill Level, unless one increment respectively. For example, if a Character has the
that number would be less than 5, in which case your Awareness typical Stride of Normal then takes a Trait that “raises your Stride”,
is 5. their Stride will become Fast. If they then wears a heavy piece of
Equipment that “lowers your Stride”, their Stride goes back down
Whenever a character attempts to use the Stealth skill to become
to Normal. Stride is only ever raised or lowered by one increment

Hidden, if they score lower than a character’s Awareness, that – no individual rule will raise or lower it by more than one
character automatically notices them. increment. Stride cannot go lower than Plodding nor higher than
Lightning.
Awareness only tracks a character’s passive ability to notice others.
A character making an effort to find someone, reflected by them (Plodding ← Slow ← Normal → Fast → Lightning)
expending dice on Investigate Throws, will more easily spot
someone Hidden than if they were relying on their Awareness.
You can think of the highest Awareness amongst the people you Plodding
are trying to become Hidden from as the bare minimum you must You move very slowly, needing to exert yourself to keep up when
Playing the Game
Score on a Stealth Throw. walking with others, and managing little more than a jog when
running. In quantified terms, a character at a Plodding pace
Stride
sprints at a maximum pace of 8 mph, or 3½ metres per second,
and runs long-distance at a maximum pace of around 3 mph.
Stride is a measurement of how quickly a character can run, and
is used by GMs to determine how quickly your Punk can get from Slow
Premade Punks
A to B in the narrative. Punks and all other characters begin You move slower than the average person, but not drastically so. In
with a Stride of Normal, and it is raised or lowered by Traits, quantified terms, a character at a Slow pace sprints at a maximum
Equipment, and other factors. pace of between 9 - 11 mph, or between 4 - 5 metres per second,
and runs long-distance at a maximum pace of 4 mph.
Stride is most important in Hot scenes where you will often need
to move about as quickly as possible. Stride will occasionally be Normal
The world of 2044
relevant in Warm scenes when characters need to hustle, and You move as an average person does. In quantified terms, a
rarely be relevant in Cold scenes where characters will typically character at a Normal pace sprints at a maximum pace of between
only be walking or taking transport to get around. Temperatures 12 - 18 mph, or between 5 - 8 metres per second, and runs long-
are explained in Playing The Game, on page 131. distance at a maximum pace of 5 - 7 mph.
Stride is used by the GM to determine how much your character
will need to Consume to move around, in scenes where matters are Fast
so pressing that the time it takes to move around is a factor. You have the movement of an athlete. In quantified terms, a
character at a Fast pace sprints at a maximum pace of between 19
- 24 mph, or between 8½ -10½ metres per second, and runs long-
distance at a maximum pace of between 8 - 10 mph.
Lightning
You are incredibly fast, likely through a combination of technique,
Dead Canaries: Stride physique, and bionic augmentation. In quantified terms, this
GM’s Toolkit
character sprints at a maximum pace of up to 30 mph, or 13½

In a Warm scene where Quinn and Alex have just tripped
metres per second, and runs long-distance at a maximum pace of
the alarm of the MercerCorp office they’ve broken into,
Quinn wants to quickly move from the room they currently 13 mph.
occupy to one on the other side of the building. The GM
asks what Quinn’s Stride is – it’s Fast – so decides that to
travel that distance Quinn must Consume 6. Chen decides Hindrances to Stride
they want to move the same distance, but has a Stride of Sometimes something in the narrative will hinder your Stride. It
Normal, so the GM decides they must Consume 8. might be something in the environment, such as having to wade
through something, or something specifically affecting you, such
as moving a heavy object or the influence of an inhibiting drug.
The GM will normally tell you if something special is affecting

your Stride. For example, while wading through thigh-deep
sewage, the GM might say the highest a Stride can be is Normal in
this substance.
Dragging or carrying a heavy object also lowers your Stride.
20
Traits Equipment Familiarity
Punks, when they take a piece of Equipment either during
‘Trait’ is a broad term that covers all the special rules outside of Character Creation or Character Progression, gain ‘Familiarity’
Aspects and Skills that reflect what that character knows and can in the group of Equipment that piece of Equipment belongs to.
do. A Trait could be a character’s connection to a local hacker ring, Familiarity represents a character having the bearings for several
or training in parkour, or bionic eyes that can see in the dark, or different objects that all have the same basic mechanisms.
pull in local politics. Traits, along with their specific rules, are
listed in the Character Options List, starting on page 50. The areas of Equipment you can Familiarity in are:
» Animals » Firearms
Equipment » Armour
» Attire
» Hacker Equipment
» Melee Weapons
Equipment is the term for all the external physical things a » Drones » Tools
character might use, from vehicles to firearms. Equipment is » Drugs & Stims » Vehicles
broken down into different groups within the Character Options » Explosives
List. For example a Handgun is part of the Firearms group.
When a character tries to use a piece of Equipment and they
Equipment is listed in the Character Options List, starting on page do not have Familiarity for the Equipment group that piece of
81. Some Equipment groups have rules that apply to all pieces Equipment belongs to, any Throws made to use the Equipment
of Equipment contained within; these overarching rules are also are Strained. The Strained effect is fully explained in Playing The
explained within the Character Options List. Game, on page 123.
Familiarity extends beyond just options that appear in the

Character Options List. Familiarity applies to any object you
could use, with the most relevant area of Equipment Familiarity
applying.
For example, if the story introduces an experimental weapon
that works by pointing and shooting, even though this weapon
doesn’t appear in the Character Options List, any character with
Familiarity in Firearms would be able to use it without being
Strained, as this weapon functions most like a Firearm.
Soldiers of CASU, somewhere along the West Coast Front. The data has been corrupted by Bridgebuilder’s birthscream.
21
Fortune Interpreting Damage
Character Mechanics
When the GM and players interpret Damage within the narrative,

Punks in ECOPUNK have a special reserve called Fortune, which there is a lot of leeway for how things can be described. For
Character creation
represents how far they are from suffering some kind of misfortune example, if a character is taking Physical Damage from a
that would remove them from the narrative, such as physical bullet, within the story that Damage might be portrayed as the
injury, mental breakdown, incarceration, or so on. bullet glancing off the character’s armour, or missing them by
millimetres, or hitting the concrete nearby and spraying them
Every Punk has a maximum Fortune of 20, which they start at.
with debris and dust. For more abstract kinds of Damage such
Fortune cannot go lower than 0. When your Punk reaches 0 as Political, there is even more leeway to interpret it. What is
Fortune, you suffer a Crisis, explained over the next page. important when interpreting Damage is to remember; unless the
character has been reduced to 0 Fortune, this instance of Damage
If at any point your Punk suffers grievous injury, or otherwise is not going to finish them off, so the Damage should be described
experiences something that will unquestionably remove them from as bringing them closer to harm, not the harm itself.
the current Mission, their Fortune is automatically reduced to 0.
There are two ways a Punk loses Fortune; through Damage, and Unfolding Gameplay: Ignoring
through spending their Fortune. Different Kinds Of Damage

Playing the Game
NPCs also have Fortune, although not always to a maximum of 20. While some Traits and Equipment have rules regarding
certain kinds of Damage, most Punks will not have them.
As such, for most players what kind of Damage you’ve been
Damage hit with does not matter unless that Damage reduces you
One of the ways a character can lose Fortune is through Damage. to 0 Fortune - so there’s no need to worry about what kind
of Damage you’re taking until then.
Premade Punks
Damage is an abstract term that can come from many sources,

from a bullet missing you by millimetres to a political rival trying
to have you arrested. Damage, in all its forms, represents your luck
running out. Spending Fortune
There are a number of ways a player can spend their Punk’s
Whenever you take Damage, your Fortune lowers by that much. Fortune for certain temporary benefits. Many Drivers (special
For example if you had 20 Fortune and took 5 Damage, you qualities possessed by Punks that reflect their thought processes)
The world of 2044
would then have 15 Fortune. It is possible for something to deal allow a player to spend Fortune, and a number of Traits incur
0 Damage, but never negative Damage. What kind of Crisis your Damage when used.
Punk suffers is determined by the kind of Damage that reduced
your Fortune to 0. In addition, any Punk can spend Fortune on the following things:
Certain Traits and Equipment can interact with how much certain Flashback
kinds of Damage reduce your Fortune. Once per Scene, a Punk can lose 2 Fortune to trigger a Flashback.
Any player can use a Flashback at any point in time, even if they
There are three kinds of damage: Physical, Mental, and Political. are not the narrative focus at the moment of use. You cannot use a
There are two varieties of Physical Damage: External and Internal. Flashback when you have 2 or less Fortune remaining.
What each kind of damage broadly entails is detailed below:
When you use a Flashback you narrate a past event where your
Physical (External) Damage Punk, along with any other crew members of your choice, made
Physical (External) damage comes from attacks hitting you from some kind of plan earlier on in the Mission that allows you to
GM’s Toolkit
the outside. A source might be a bullet hitting your armour, a better navigate the present. You can also include Contacts within
knife narrowly missing you, debris falling on top of you, or acidic your Flashbacks. Contacts are explained in Character Options
chemicals splashing on you. List, on page 77.
While in a Flashback, not only can characters plan with one

Physical (Internal) Damage another, but they can also make one or several Throws to influence
Physical (Internal) damage comes from sources that harm the
the present.
inside of the body, such as poison, attack nanites, organ failure,
electric shock, exsanguination, or ‘brainshock’ - electrocution of
For each Flashback, there is a single dice pool of 10d6 shared
the brain through a hacked cyberbrain.
between all characters present in the Flashback, which they can
expend on Skilled Throws to perform acts in the past to ‘prepare’
Mental Damage for the present. One of the characters in the Flashback might make
Mental damage comes from shock, fear, paranoia, and other a Streetwise Throw to have talked to the locals and learned which
traumas that push you closer to a mental breaking point. cops on this beat take bribes, or a Stealth Throw to have hidden
one of their firearms in a nearby trellis the night before. In an
Political Damage instance where a Contact is involved in a Flashback, the Punk who
Political damage represents political forces working against has that Contact makes the roll for them.
you. Police investigations, falling out of favour with your patron
criminal organisation, or having damning rumours about you Throws that fail to beat their DC don’t cause more trouble of the
spread are examples of Political Damage. Political Damage always crew, but instead mean that avenue of preparation did not pan out,
applies at the end of a Scene or in the Epilogue. For the Punks its and the crew will have to survive without it.
most common source is Heat, explained on page 236.
22
You cannot hold multiple Flashbacks within a single Scene dealing
with the same issue, otherwise you could repeatedly hold the same Dead Canaries: Flashback
Flashback to try to reroll a Throw failed in a previous Flashback. If
the Throw failed, whatever you attempted did not work. Chen and Quinn have entered a hacker den intending to
In addition, if they have not yet appeared in the story of the recruit help for Chen’s upcoming hack of MercerCorp;
specifically one of Chen’s hacker rivals, a blackhat and
Mission so far, in the Flashback you can move Equipment, data,
information broker named Gandy.
and so on between your allies.
GM (as Gandy): Well Chen, I don’t really see why any of us
Flashbacks enable you to keep the story going by preventing the should stick our necks out for you - you certainly wouldn’t
crew’s plans from unspooling when the unexpected occurs. If the do the same for us.
crew is split up when a wrench is thrown in their operation, the Chen: What if I give you something in exchange?
players don’t need to spend time trying to get their characters
GM (as Gandy): Oh please. If you had anything to offer
on the same page by a messy series of discussions; instead, one
you would have opened with that. Now, let yourselves be
Punk can trigger a Flashback where the crew planned how they shown out…
would respond to the ‘wrench’ in this scenario. That being said,
Flashbacks should not be exploited as a narrative device. The GM GM: Gandy looks past you to nod at a few burlier types.
can veto a Flashback if it is overreaching and is effectively making The atmosphere in the sweaty room grows icy as three guys
the crew precognitive. slowly, deliberately slide out batons.
Chen: Okay, I’m going to use a Flashback here.
Deus Ex Machina GM: Makes sense. What are you doing?
A Punk can choose to trigger a Deus Ex Machina and lose 3d6 Chen: I’d like to have dummied up some intel that Gandy
Fortune in a moment where they would otherwise immediately would jump at. Gandy’s into spying on rockstars, right?
suffer some terrible fate. If the Punk doesn’t drop to 0 Fortune, How about I’ve created phoney records of G Alloy’s travel
the GM has some kind of unlikely event intercede on their behalf. logs? Good enough to fool Gandy, at least until the Mission
If the Punk does drop to 0 Fortune, the ‘terrible fate’ they were is over. I’ll put the fake data in my Insulated Data Storage.
hoping to avoid occurs. Deus Ex Machinas are used to prevent a
GM: Great idea, although Gandy’s a solid hacker - you’ll
narrative disaster - they cannot be used to ‘block’ Damage you are need a good Intellect Software Throw to make this dummy
about to take. data passable.
Only one Deus Ex Machina can happen per Scene. Quinn: Hold on, it seems likely they’d just take it from us,
right? I’m going to have hidden the storage for this data
outside somewhere - leave some dice in the pool for me.
GM: That’ll be either a Finesse or Speed Stealth Throw.
Chen: Alright, I’ll expend 7d6 from the Flashback pool.
Quinn: And I’ll expend the remaining 3d6.
Dead Canaries: Deus Ex Machina Chen’s modifiers mean she rolls 9d6, and Scores a total of
35! Quinn, however, only Scores 8.
Quinn has been sneaking towards the MercerCorp office
server room, having made an Industry Throw to guess its GM: Okay, here’s what happened. Chen, you know what
location and several Stealth Throws to move unseen. you’ve made is convincing, but when you get to the den and
Quinn takes it to hide it, you’re ushered in before you get
GM: Quinn, you’re certain the server room is nearby. Give the chance! The flashback resolves, and the data storage is
me one more Finesse Stealth Throw to get there. The DC is feeling heavy in Quinn’s pocket.
going to remain 20 - there’s fewer security guards this part
of the building, but more security cameras to make up for Chen (to Gandy): The recent travels of G Alloy, Gandy.
it. Does that catch your attention, you ape?
Quinn decides to not expend everything in their Dice Pool GM: Gandy signals for his men to pause.
on this Stealth Throw, intending to use the remaining dice GM (as Gandy): Hm. Perhaps we can make a deal. Let me
for interacting with the server room once they arrive. see it first, to verify it.
Quinn: Er… I didn’t expend enough dice, I only scored a 17 Chen: You think we’d be stupid enough to bring it in here
on the Stealth Throw. with us?
GM: You do reach the server room door, slipping in front of Quinn: (Head in hands) Oh come on…
it and into a blind spot beneath the security camera above
- but you weren’t keeping track of the guards in the area!
You’re in a well-lit, dead-end hallway… and hear footsteps
approaching from around the corner! There’s nowhere to Regaining Fortune
go, you’re about to be seen! In Cold Scenes, a Punk can regain Fortune by Consuming any
amount of dice and regaining that much Fortune. When they do
Quinn: Oh Christ. I’m going to use a Deus Ex Machina!
so, they narrate what kind of rest or downtime activity they engage
GM: Roll 3d6 and let’s see how this plays out. in during that period. Some Drivers influence how this regaining
Quinn: I rolled 11, reducing my Fortune from 18 to 7. of Fortune plays out. In addition, some Drivers, Traits, and
Equipment enable you to regain Fortune.
GM: Okay. You hear the footsteps approaching and brace
for a confrontation… then hear a squeal of a transceiver.
Cold Scenes, and Scenes in general, are explained in Playing The
The footsteps stop, respond to the orders, and begin to
move away. Only once you hear nothing do you breathe.
Game, on page 131.
23
Crisis When the GM determines a new Driver for the Punk, they can
Character Mechanics
either pick randomly by rolling on the Drivers Table, or choosing

When a Punk’s Fortune hits 0, they suffer a Crisis, a narrative a Driver from the player’s description of their character’s thoughts
and feelings. If the Punk already has 3 Drivers, the player must
Character creation
event that prevents the character from participating further in the

Mission. How a Crisis manifests depends on the context in which choose which old Driver the new one replaces.
a character’s Fortune is brought to 0, and the narrative choices of
the players. The Random Driver Table, which lists all the Drivers, can be
found on page 34.
A Crisis plays out in two parts: when it first occurs, and at the end
of the Mission during the Epilogue.
Stigma
Stigma are a lasting problem caused by the Crisis the Punk
When the Crisis first happens, the GM provides the narrative
suffered. There are no prepared Stigma to choose from; the GM
context, such as; a bullet is about to hit the Punk, or fear is about
creates them based on the Crisis the Punk suffered. The severity of
to take them over, or police are about to bust down the door and
the Stigma is determined by how many Stigmas the Punk already
arrest them. This ‘context’ is decided specifically by the Damage
has. You can see examples of Stigmas on the Example Stigmas
or effect that reduced the Punk to 0 Fortune. For example, if a
Table.
character has previously lost 19 Fortune due to Mental Damage,
Playing the Game
and then the final 1 point of Fortune is lost to Physical Damage,

The 1st Stigma is generally minor, something inconvenient that
the Crisis the character will suffer will be something to do with
will rarely impact gameplay.
physical injury rather than a mental break.
The 2nd Stigma should have a lasting impact on the character, but
The player then describes based on the provided context how
not a profound one.
the Crisis plays out for their Punk. Players get to describe their
Premade Punks
Crisis, but it must be something that removes them from affecting

The 3rd Stigma should be serious, affecting how the character does
the narrative in some way. After this point, the player ceases to
some or most of their work.
have control of their Punk, and while their character may remain
within the narrative they cease to have any agency. If their Punk
Stigmas do not need to have a mechanical impact on the
was physically incapacitated, they gain the Incapacitated character
gameplay. Players can use Stigmas purely as roleplaying prompts,
effect, explained on page 140. Players are not expected to have
as way for their character to grow and change from their
their Punk die immediately in a Crisis, although they can if they
The world of 2044
experience.
wish - unless their Punk already has 3 Stigmas, explained aside.
When gaining a Stigma, the Punk records it on their Character
Within this window of the player describing how their Crisis plays
Sheet. A Stigma primarily functions as a narrative device rather
out, they can use this final moment to affect the narrative. Players
than a specific rule, and may be used by the GM to affect your
should be able to make a meaningful, final contribution, but GMs
character’s rules and dice rolls in a number of ways, or not at all.
have final say on whether a final act is permitted or overreaching.
The ‘effects’ in the examples table on the adjacent page are only
If the GM decides the Punk needs to make a Throw for their final
one way the Stigma may play out.
act, the player uses the remaining dice in their Dice Pool for that
Throw.
Undoing Stigmas
Assuming nothing has happened that would remove the Punk Within the narrative, particularly during Character Progression,
from the narrative permanently, the GM describes how the Punk it is possible to ‘undo’ some or all of a Stigma. For example, if you
rejoins the crew after the Epilogue. The GM should discuss with lost a limb as a Stigma, you could gain a bionic limb to replace it.
the player what their returning character is thinking; how are they
GM’s Toolkit
reflecting on their Crisis? What’s changed about their behaviour? When a Stigma is undone, its negative effects end or are mitigated
The GM then determines a new Driver for the Punk, and devises depending on the remedy. However, the Punk retains the Stigma
a Stigma. itself for purposes of counting their total Stigmas.
For example, if you’ve replaced your lost limb Stigma with a bionic
limb, and the limb being lost was your 3rd Stigma, the next Crisis
will still finish off your character.
Damage Kind Example Context Example Crisis Example Epilogue

Physical (External) A bullet is about to hit you! The bullet hits my shoulder! I limply fire off a You wake up in hospital, and once you gather
retaliatory shot before slumping to the ground! yourself send off a message to the crew.
Physical (Internal) The poison is overwhelming Everything’s going dark! I shout out for my friend You wake up in hospital, and once you gather
your system! before my vision fades! yourself send off a message to the crew.
Mental The stress has become too I don’t do anything - I just stand there, catatonic, Your come back to lucidity surrounded by your
much! with a thousand-yard stare. I can be pulled crew, with a look of concern on their faces.
around but am otherwise unresponsive.
Political Police are battering down I smash my hard drive before the police burst in You are released from the police station after
the door, saying you’re and tackle me to the ground! hours of interrogation. They haven’t got enough
under arrest! to convict you yet, but you’re skating on thin ice.
24
Dead Canaries: Crisis & Stigma
GM: Barkhad, the security guard pops off a shot and you’re
hit! You’re taking 5 Physical External Damage.
Barkhad: Oh shit. That brings my Fortune down to 0!
GM: You suffer a Crisis! You’re getting hit by a bullet; tell
me how the Crisis plays out.
Barkhad: Okay. Barkhad gets hit in the gut. His hands
come away from his stomach soaked red! He mutters “The
bastards… They got me…” before falling unconscious!
Alex: Wait! Barkhad had the keys to the getaway vehicle on
him!
Barkhad: Uh oh. Before I faint, can I weakly hold out the
keys to Alex?
GM: Absolutely. As your legs give out, you weakly pull
the keys from your pocket. Alex grabs them from your
trembling grip before you collapse! Alex, you know
Barkhad needs medical aid ASAP. Abandoning him here
could cost his life.
Later, during the Epilogue...
GM: Alright everyone, your Mission is complete! You
receive a message; Barkhad has awoken in medical. How is
he feeling?
Barkhad: Pissed - at everyone, including himself. “I should
have caught that guard before he got a shot off. I’ve become
weak,” he’s thinking.
GM: Okay, in that case: add Injured Gut as your first
Stigma, and you exchange one of your Drivers for Wrathful
or Intense - your choice, either is appropriate.
Example Stigmas Table

Damage Kind 1st Stigma 2nd Stigma 3rd Stigma
Physical (External) Heavy Scarring. The character has severe Wounded Leg. The character has an injury to Lost Limb. The injury to the character’s
scarring over a visible portion of their body. the leg that may never fully heal. left arm was so extensive it had to be
Effect. While not hampering their work, Effect. The character is not as fast on their amputated.
the scars are scary to some, potentially feet any more. Their Stride is lowered. Effect. The character has Disadvantage on
dampening some social interactions. all Throws for acts that would require two
hands, such as firing large guns.
Physical (Internal) Weak Liver. The toxins weakened the liver Wetware Incompatibility. The nanites have Fried Brain. A number of neurons got
before being flushed from the character. scrambled some of your connections to scrambled in the brainshock.
Effect. The character can maintain their your bionic arm, rendering one of the Mods Effect. The character sometimes struggles
health with a regime of pills, but cannot on it inoperable. to be lucid. The GM may occasionally require
engage in any recreational drug use, Effect. The character loses one of the Mods you to make Clarity Saves, otherwise the
including alcohol. on their bionic arm. character cannot speak coherently.
Mental Tic. You have developed a habitual tapping Soft. You don’t want to hurt anyone, even if Withdrawn. You no longer value personal
of the fingers. that puts you at risk. connections - in fact you abhor them, seeing
Effect. Mostly just an irritation to others, Effect. The GM may require you to make a them as pain waiting to happen.
sometimes the character’s incessant Clarity Save to make an Attack. Effect. You become cold to your crew and
tapping distracts people during tasks that Contacts, limiting your ability to work
require focus. effectively.
Political Disaffected. The character has become Interference. The mob boss you’ve lost House Arrest. You are placed under
openly contemptuous of authority. favour with has sent out his goons to get in indefinite house arrest, with a few guards to
Effect. The character cannot restrain the the way of your work. make sure you don’t leave.
disgust in their voice when interact with Effect. Goons may harass the Crew and Effect. The character cannot leave their
members of the government and police, your Contacts. They will also try to hamper domicile, forcing them to conduct matters
hampering social interactions. your work, and cannot be attacked without over the Net while under scrutiny, limiting
making things worse. their ability to work.
25
Character Mechanics
Character creation

Playing the Game
Premade Punks
As explained in Losing Characters Prematurely, the GM shouldn’t

Losing Punks simply eradicate the entire crew. If everyone went down in a
If a Punk suffers a Crisis and they already have 3 Stigmas, the firefight, perhaps the enemy has captured them, and the next
Crisis finishes them off. They might die instantly from a bullet to Mission is for the crew to escape their captivity? A similar Mission
the brainpan, go completely insane, be sentenced to life behind could follow from the crew all being reduced to 0 Fortune by
bars, or anything else that renders them truly finished. Like with Political Damage. Perhaps if Mental Damage took the crew down,
Crises, the player gets to describe how their character goes out. the next Mission is them escaping the labyrinth of the mind...?
The world of 2044
After losing their Punk, the player will need to create a new Punk
for the next Mission. Retirement
Players can choose to retire their Punk, having them quit the crew
to become a character under control of the GM. Players making
Instant Death this decision will need to create a new Punk.
When you take 30 or more Damage of any kind in a single instance
and it reduces you to 0 Fortune, rather than have a Crisis and
Retired Punks don’t need to exit the narrative. These characters
Stigma, your Punk is immediately finished. You are still able to
could become NPC members of the crew, or a Contact for another
define your final moments - but the moment is truly final.
Punk. Contacts are explained in the Character Options List, on
page 77.
Losing Characters Prematurely
Power
It is possible to lose Punks prematurely, before incurring 3 (or
any) Stigmas. For example, your Punk might suffer a Crisis from
GM’s Toolkit
Physical Damage in the midst of combat, and in the chaos are Power represents the crew’s collected resources of fuel, electric
abandoned by the rest of the crew amongst enemies. It’s within power, computer processing power, and so on - essentially, any
narrative possibility that this character is going to die, either by and all resources that are consumed to make something happen.
execution or being left to succumb to their wounds. Each Punk in the crew provides 4 Power to a single, shared pool
that all members of the crew draw from.
GMs should try to steer the narrative so that Punks aren’t lost
prematurely like this. Perhaps this abandoned character is instead Power is expended when using certain Traits and Equipment, such
captured, patched up, and used in a prisoner exchange with the as Vehicles, and when hacking. How much Power is used varies,
crew during the Epilogue? Maybe the crew receives a transmission and is explained in the rules of the Traits and Equipment that
with their lost teammate alive, and their next Mission is to save consume it.
their captured comrade?
When Power is expended, it is gone until the start of the next
However it may be inevitable with the twists and turns of the Mission, where it is refilled to its total.
narrative that Punks might be lost prematurely. Players will have to
accept these circumstances should they arise. Some Traits and Equipment increase or decrease the amount of
Power a Punk provides to the crew, and some Crew Effects also
If Everyone Goes Down increase the crew’s total Power.
If the entirety of the crew has been reduced to 0 Fortune, the
Mission is failed, and the game immediately moves to the
Epilogue. As part of the Epilogue, the GM narrates how the crew’s
enemies make gains following their defeat.
26
Languages The Lingua Francas
The Lingua Francas are the three globally used languages that can
2044 is not some convenient future where everyone has taken be translated live and perfectly by psyware, and are commonly
the time to learn fluent English. Instead, mass migrations and used in international communications and politics. They are
internationalised labour have led to dozens of different languages English, Mandarin Chinese, and Arabic.
existing and mixing in the ghettos of tomorrow.
Each of these Lingua Francas has a supermassive-class AI
Language barriers can radically alter how characters interact. monitoring the linguistic data of hundreds of millions of
As such it is important for players to note what languages their cyberbrains concurrently, maintaining a perfect, constantly up-to-
Punk knows. All languages are available to choose when creating date subconscious understanding of the language (including slang
a character, and it is possible to even invent your own ‘pidgin’, and obscure dialects). As a result, when using the corresponding
explained below. psyware anyone with a cyberbrain can understand any Lingua
Franca when it is heard or read, including understanding any
It is strongly advised that there is a shared language between slang, insinuations, idioms, and other nuances.
all the Punks, or the Lingua Franca system enables them to all
communicate. What this means in effect is if two people speak any Lingua
Franca and both have cyberbrains, they can fully converse. This
As a player, you do not need to be able to speak the languages your system has become the bedrock of modern communications for
character does: an English speaker can say “My character says the international politics and business.
following in Russian” for example.
However, because the psyware works subconsciously, the Lingua
Pidgins Franca system does not enable someone to speak or write one of
the languages, only understand them.
A pidgin is a single language formed of a simplified version of two
or more separate languages. New pidgins have emerged following
The three AIs that maintain the Lingua Francas are:
the mass-migrations of the 30s and 40s, and are often the main
Der Begleiter in Berlin, which maintains English.
method of communication for an under class with limited access
Ukht in Egypt, which maintains Arabic.
to cyberbrain technology.
Ri4 in Beijing, which maintains Mandarin Chinese.
If your character speaks a pidgin, they can communicate fully with
someone who speaks the same pidgin, or can communicate to a Punks & Secondary Languages
basic degree with someone who speaks one of the languages that There is another side to the Lingua Francas. The ability to live-
comprises the pidgin. translate with perfect accuracy is only maintained by the mass-
monitoring of people’s conversations from inside their minds,
Pidgins will most commonly combine the mother tongue of a something likely to put anyone distrusting of the state on edge.
group that mass-migrated and the native language of that group’s Officially, the linguistic data used in the AIs is incomprehensible to
new homeland, but not always. The Chinese-English pidgin, for humans due to its methodology... but there’s no way to verify that
example, has developed out of the need for former Americans unless you crack some of the biggest defence barriers in the world
to communicate with the Chinese administrative class in the and look for yourself.
Occupied West Coast. When a player creates a pidgin, they can
choose from any available languages, provided the resultant Thus with the rise of the Lingua Francas, amongst outsiders the
pidgin fits in the narrative. Your character is unlikely to speak demand for secondary languages outside of what the AIs monitor
a Mandarin-Portuguese pidgin if they were born and raised in for has grown, as a means to communicate without being ‘watched’
Nigeria. – of course, there are plenty other methods of state surveillance
that must also be avoided.
Pidgins have a special appeal to punks: their unique grammar
and vocabulary are believed to make it difficult or impossible for
state surveillance to detect the linguistic patterns they supposedly Optional Rule: Perfect Universal
monitor for. Translation
For the purposes of rules that count your number of ‘languages’, Some players may not like the inconvenience of playing
Pidgins count as a single language. in a world with language barriers, seeing such things as
busywork that delays the story rather than serves it.
If all the players agree, you can implement this optional
rule that gives everyone either psyware or handheld devices
that provide ‘Perfect Universal Translation’, which not only
translates every language perfectly, but also conveys to the
user the implications and subtleties of what is said. It also
Power & Universal Basic allows you to speak in other languages fluently.
Such a psyware is idyllic in a way the ECOPUNK 2044
The base 4 Power each Punk provides represents the non-
setting isn’t, but it can be an understandable convenience
food resources they gain from Universal Basic, the generic
if players aren’t interested in telling stories that involve
term for the state’s provisions to them, such as electricity,
language barriers.
fuel, bandwidth, and so on. Traits and Equipment that
provide additional Power build upon that narrative, For a narrative justification, perhaps the three AIs that
representing ways Punks have supplemented their standard maintain the Lingua Francas instead form a single system
of living. that translates all languages.
27
Character ExpCOIN in the Story
Character Mechanics
What is special about expCOIN is that it enables characters to

Progression progress within the narrative, rather than ‘off-camera’, as it is an
Character creation
in-universe currency that the Punks themselves spend.

When the Punks complete a Mission, they will each be rewarded
with an amount of expCOIN (usually between 1 and 3), Characters can spend their expCOIN on any available options in
untraceable cryptocurrency representing their payment for the the Character Options List during either the narrative window of
completed job. expCOIN is spent in Cold Scenes on options from
the Epilogue, or during any Cold Scene.

the Character Options List, exchanging it for Traits, Equipment
and so on. This enables Punks to progress, developing new skills, When spending expCOIN in a Cold Scene, you must also
expanding their equipment, and so on. Consume dice equal to the amount of expCOIN you are
expending.
Players can save up their character’s expCOIN, to spend if
and when they choose. expCOIN is not transferable between Players can then narrate how their character seeks out and pays for
characters, but in specific narrative circumstances the GM may whatever it is they need for the new equipment, skill, knowledge,
allow players to pool their expCOIN to spend on something that
connection, or so on that comprises the character’s progression.

collectively benefits the crew.
Playing the Game
Players may want to discuss with the GM what they plan to spend
While expCOIN is something that exists within the setting, players their expCOIN on before they do so. The GM can block the player
should respect that it is a gameplay mechanic first and narrative choosing certain character progression options if they feel those
device second. A character cannot use their expCOIN to, for options run counter to the narrative of the game.
example, bribe another character (although they are certainly able For example, if the GM has been running the game in an area
to spend their expCOIN on Traits and Equipment that could be where guns are highly illegal and so supply is very limited, they may
Premade Punks
used for bribery). prevent a player from spending their expCOIN on a Machine Gun.
Alternatively, the GM may require the party to complete one

expCOIN in the setting Mission or several in order to enable characters to spend their
In the world of ECOPUNK 2044, expCOIN is a UN- expCOIN on previously blocked options, as the world around the
controlled cryptocurrency used for off-the-books Punks changes as a result of their actions.
The world of 2044
transactions.
Cryptocurrencies were largely made illegal in the early
2030s. The energy demand and resultant pollution from
cryptocurrency creation (or ‘mining’) made them a target
for environmental ministries looking to flex their rapidly
growing powers, and cryptocurrency’s growing usage by
private capital and cybercriminals looking to circumvent Dead Canaries: Spending expCOIN
expanding regulation made its only advocates largely
After the previous mission, Quinn thinks it would be
publicly despised.
prudent to invest in some combat abilities. In a Cold Round
There are a few minor cryptocurrencies illegally produced in a new Mission, Quinn decides to spend their saved up 4
and traded amongst criminal internal economies, and pre- expCOIN on the Trait ‘Martial Arts I’.
Crash cryptos are sometimes still sought by collectors, but
Quinn Consumes 4, loses the 4 expCOIN, and narrates the
the subject has largely exited the Zeitgeist, and the public
following:
are ignorant of expCOIN’s existence.
Quinn: Quinn’s going to use their expCOIN to buy illegal
GM’s Toolkit
The UN’s official stance that expCOIN does not exist

synaptic data of a military CQC rehearsal, maybe through
gives the currency’s users a level of immunity from the
Chen’s contacts. Then they’ll convert the remaining
authorities, and its UN-backing gives it a stability not
fractions of the expCOIN into local currency, and rent a
historically present in other cryptocurrencies. It can also
private dojo for a few days to practice, learning from the
be reliably broken into fractions and converted into local
data.
currencies through Net currency exchanges, making
expCOIN a universally useful asset. After this narration, Quinn gains the Martial Arts I Trait!
28
A corpse of one of the first generations of military cyborg, trapped behind glass in a private collection
29
Creating Your Character
Character Mechanics
Character creation
This chapter walks players through the steps of creating their Punk. As you go through these steps, you should make notes on your choices.
It is suggested you make these notes in a copy of the ECOPUNK Character Sheet.
There are also a series of Premade Punks starting on page 106, for players who want to jump right in, or aren’t confident enough to create
their own Punk yet.
Step 1: Create your Character Concept

Step 2: Choose your 3 Drivers
Step 3: Choose your 1-2 Languages
Step 4: Distribute 9 Skill Levels & Create 1 Talent
Step 5: Choose your Body

Playing the Game
Step 6: Spend Your Starting 16 expCOIN

Premade Punks
The world of 2044
GM’s Toolkit
30
Step 1: Create Unfolding Gameplay:
your Character Backstory on the Go
Concept
If you don’t want to start nailing down your character’s
past, there is no reason you cannot fill in your character’s
backstory as the game progresses. For example as the
First and foremost, character creation begins with an idea of the GM describes a location, you might decide that this was
Punk you want to play. Are you a cynical police detective, or a where your character grew up, or as the GM describes a
politically-minded gangster trying to protect your people? Perhaps character, you might declare your character has heard of
you could be a back alley doctor trying to help the downtrodden, this character from their previous employment, and already
or a crooked politician being blackmailed into a noble cause? It’s has an opinion of them.
up to you how complex your character’s past is at the moment
of creation, but at a bare minimum your character should have a
name, a ‘callsign’ (a nickname used while on a Mission to conceal
your identity), a field of expertise or interest, and some sense of Step 2: Choose
personality.
your 3 Drivers
Fleshing out your character concept can often include creating a Choose your 3 Drivers. Drivers are options that reflect how your
‘backstory’ for your Punk, a pre-planned narrative that describes Punk thinks and feels a fundamental level. When creating a
how your character got to the point where they are when you character, you must choose 3 Drivers from the Character Options
begin playing them. Reading The World of 2044, starting on page List on page 34. You can also select your Drivers randomly using
164, can give you ways to tie your backstory to the setting, while the Random Drivers Table.
also being a potential source of inspiration.
If a Driver has the option to be Revved, you must decide when you
Once you have your character concept, you then begin ‘building’ take the Driver whether it is Revved or not. If it is, make a note
your character – the process of choosing rules for your Punk that that the Driver is Revved.
allow their concept to be reflected in the game’s mechanics.
Narrative changing Drivers
Concept Exploration As a character’s story develops, their thoughts and behaviour
A way to devise a character can be to begin with a core idea that can change. With the GM’s permission, a player can change one
you want to explore and then grow the character out from there. or multiple of their character’s Drivers in response to narrative
ECOPUNK 2044 is intended as a way to explore and tell stories of development. In addition, Crises change a character’s Drivers.
climate change, post-capitalism, technology, and more – perhaps
within these themes, there is something specific you want to
explore through an avatar?
Dead Canaries: Drivers

Alex’s player images them as someone crude yet
dependable, with an angry streak, so chooses the Drivers
Dead Canaries: Character Concept
Gruff, Clear-Minded, and Wrathful.
In looking for inspiration, Alex’s player reads about World
War III and comes up with the character concept for Alex,
a British ex-soldier who fought on the western front. The
player then writes a backstory for Alex, that details how
they returned home after losing an arm and became cynical Unfolding Gameplay:
about warfare, and their participation in a meaningless Simple Drivers
conflict only serving the egotism of a distant political elite.
Alex’s player intends to explore the concept of political If you want to keep your gameplay simple, choose 3 Drivers
violence, as they plan for Alex to search for a worthy cause from the Base Drivers group and have none of them be
having gained a bionic limb and employ with the Dead Revved.
Canary Mercenaries.
Alternatively, Chen’s player watched the 90s movie and
so-bad-it’s-good classic Hackers, thought it looked cool,
and designed Chen, whose backstory is that they were a
super-cool hacker for like some corporation or something
and then came to work for the crew or whatever.
31
Step 3: Choose
Character Mechanics
your 1-2 Languages

Character creation
Choose one or two languages your Punk can speak. Any

language that exists is an option. If your Punk is going to have a Dead Canaries: Skills & Talents
cyberbrain, is advisable to have one Lingua Franca as one of your
Alex’s player gives them 6 Skill Levels in Athletics, and 3
chosen languages, so that you will be able to talk to most people
Skill Levels in Warfare, to reflect their experience as a grunt

internationally. One or both of the chosen languages can be a in the military. They then imagine Alex has, since returning
Pidgin. from the war, obsessively read about the political causes
and motivations for war, and so gives Alex the ‘Politics of
Generally, it is assumed that if a character knows a language, War’ Talent under the Warfare skill.
they can speak it fluently and know how to read and write in that
language. However, you can choose to be illiterate or inarticulate
if you want. You can also decide if you know sign language in that
language, or other forms of communication. Step 5: Choose
your Body
Playing the Game
Dead Canaries: Languages Now you choose which Body your character possesses. Most
Since Alex is from Britain, their player first chooses English
people have that of an ordinary person, the Precariat Body, but
as one of Alex’s languages, then decides on Spanish as their there are other options, such as being a Military Cyborg.
second language, imagining Alex picked up a bit of it on the
western front. Because Alex’s player conceives that they Before you choose a Body, you have a score of 0 in all Aspect
Premade Punks
never learned to read Spanish, they make a note that Alex Scores. Most Bodies modify your Aspect Scores in some way.
is Spanish-illiterate.
Some Bodies cost ‘expCOIN’, the resource you spend to create and
progress your Punk. When creating your character, you have
Step 4: Distribute 16 expCOIN to spend. 16 expCOIN is enough to take any of the
Body options and have expCOIN left over - the remainder are
9 Skill Levels & spent to build the character you want to play from all the options
The world of 2044
available in the Character Options List overleaf.

Create 1 Talent Most Bodies give you ‘Starting Traits’, Traits you get for free as part
of taking the Body. You get these Traits even if you don’t meet the
Traits’ Requirements.
Skill Levels
Distribute 9 Skill Levels as you please across the 18 Skills, fully The options for Bodies are listed in the Character Options List
described on page 14. starting on page 42.
For example, you could give yourself 3 Skill Levels in three
different skills, or 6 Skill Levels in one Skill and 3 Skill level in two
Skills. Starting Equipment
You also get your Starting Equipment at this step. Starting
The 18 Skills are: Equipment is Equipment you gain for free, explained in full after
» Athletics » Pilot the Bodies section in the Character Options List, on page 45.
GM’s Toolkit
» Arts » Politics
»
»
Converse
Dominate
»
»
Science
Spirituality Step 6: Spend Your
»
»
Ecology
Engineer
»
»
Stealth
Streetwise Starting expCOIN
» Industry » Survival With your remaining expCOIN, you can increase your skills, learn
» Investigate » Software unique abilities, take equipment for your character, and more
» Medicine » Warfare by picking from the options in the Character Options List. 16
expCOIN is enough to create a character that is either a jack-of-all-
You can also, with the GM’s approval, invent your own Skill(s) to trades, or someone skilled in one area, with both having plenty of
put Skill Levels into here. room to grow.
Talents Dead Canaries: Body & expCOIN

Create a Talent for a Skill you have at least 1 Skill Level in. As a
reminder, Talents are your character’s particular specialities within Alex’s player gives them the Precariat Body so has a full 16
a Skill, invented by the player. ‘Swimming’ might be a Talent of the expCOIN to spend on Traits and Equipment, and focuses
Athletics Skill, or ‘Biology’ might be a Talent of the Science Skill. on buying Traits from the Combat Traits section that
improve Alex’s combat abilities, and Equipment from the
Weaponry and Armour sections, culminating in a character
suited for fighting.
32
Unfolding Gameplay: Super Simple
Character Creation
ECOPUNK’s character creation process can be used to
create mechanically complex characters, who use a suite of
Traits and Equipment with interconnecting rules to achieve
their own gameplay style.
However, none of this is necessary to roleplay an
interesting, engaging character in ECOPUNK. If you want
to keep things simple, and not have to learn a series of
additional rules pertaining to new Traits and equipment,
choose 3 Base Drivers and don’t have them Revved, choose
the Precariat Body, then put all your remaining expCOIN
into Skill Levels.
Nihilist musician G Alloy bellows to his rioting audience, building to a crescendo where he will yet again commit suicide
33
Character Mechanics
Drivers
Character creation
The following are all the Drivers that you can choose from for your Punk. Alternatively, you can choose your Drivers randomly using the
Random Driver Table by rolling two d6s, one after the other. If you want to preclude Noir Drivers or Transhumanist Drivers, you can reroll
rolls of 5 and 6 on the first d6.
Random Driver Table

1st d6 2nd d6 Driver
Base Drivers
1 1 Calculated
2 Caring
Playing the Game
3 Clear-Minded
4 Content
5 Cool
6 Delicate
2 1 Detached
Premade Punks
2 Dominant
3 Dynamic
4 Earthly
5 Focused
6 Forceful
The world of 2044
3 1 Gruff
2 Hedonistic
3 Impulsive
4 Insecure
5 Inspired
6 Intense
4 1 Lofty
2 Perfectionist
3 Purposeful
4 Restrained
5 Thrill-seeking
GM’s Toolkit
6 Wrathful
Noir Drivers
5 1 The Colour
2 Doomed
3 Impossible Love
4 Inner Monologue
5 Pariah Base Drivers
6 Whisperings
Transhumanist Drivers Calculated
6 1 Chimp Brain This world is a game of chess.
2 Dolphin Proofing
Whenever you make an Intellect Throw you can spend up to
3 Pierced Veil 4 Fortune to increase the Score of that Throw by the amount
4 Reptile Brain spent. You cannot reduce yourself to 0 Fortune with this Driver.
5 Virginal Empathy
6 Zoanthropic Drive
34
Caring Delicate
I have so much to give. Eek! A harmless insect!
Revved: Revved:
Whenever you would cause another character to regain Whenever you make a Finesse Throw, Maximise 1 dice.
Fortune, you regain 2 Fortune.
Whenever you make a Toughness Throw, Minimise 1 dice.
Whenever you would cause another character Damage, you lose
2 Fortune. This Driver doesn’t affect Attack and Dodge Throws.
Detached
Clear-Minded Nothing weighs you down
The path is lit. The way is clear.
Revved:
Whenever you make a Clarity Throw you can spend up to 4 Whenever you make a Clarity Throw, Maximise 1 dice.
Fortune to increase the Score of that Throw by the amount
spent. You cannot reduce yourself to 0 Fortune with this Driver. Whenever you make a Finesse Throw, Minimise 1 dice.
This Driver doesn’t affect Attack and Dodge Throws.

Content
So long as you can do your labours, you want for nothing Dominant
else. You’re only number one when everyone else knows they
Revved: aren’t.
Whenever you make a Finesse Throw, Maximise 1 dice. Revved:
Whenever you make an Intellect Throw, Minimise 1 dice. Whenever you win a Clash, increase your Fortune by 2.
This Driver doesn’t affect Attack and Dodge Throws. Whenever you lose a Clash, decrease your Fortune by 1. Your
Fortune cannot be brought any lower than 5 by this effect.
Cool Dynamic
Shades: on. Relaxed posture: engaged. Maintaining chill
vibes. Do it with a Boom!
Revved: Whenever you make a Speed Throw you can spend up to 4

Whenever you make a Clarity Throw, Maximise 1 dice. Fortune to increase the Score of that Throw by the amount
spent. You cannot reduce yourself to 0 Fortune with this Driver.
Whenever you make a Speed Throw, Minimise 1 dice.
35
Earthy
Character Mechanics
It’s all just meat.

Character creation
Revved:
Whenever you make a Toughness, Finesse, or Speed Throw,
increase your Fortune by 1.
Whenever you make a Clarity or Intellect Throw, lower your

Fortune by 1. Your Fortune cannot be brought any lower than 5
by this effect.
Focused
Nothing exists beyond my vision.
Hedonistic
No matter how much you put in, the hole never gets filled.
Revved:
Whenever you expend dice equal to your current Dice Pool Revved:
Playing the Game
Maximum on a single Throw, add an additional +1d6 to the Whenever you regain Fortune through expending dice in a
Throw. Cold Round, roll 1d6. On an even number (2, 4, 6), you regain
additional Fortune equal to the number rolled. On an odd
number (1, 3, 5), you lose that much Fortune. If your Fortune is
Forceful reduced to 0 by this, the Punk suffers a Crisis as per the normal
rules of having your Fortune reduced to 0. The Crisis takes the
My will be done!
Premade Punks
form of an indulgent, self-destructive bender.

Whenever you make a Toughness Throw you can spend up to
4 Fortune to increase the Score of that Throw by the amount
spent. You cannot reduce yourself to 0 Fortune with this Driver. Impulsive
‘Do Not Enter’ basically means ‘Enter’.
Revved:
The world of 2044
Whenever you make a Speed Throw, Maximise 1 dice.
Whenever you make a Finesse Throw, Minimise 1 dice.
Insecure
Behind every bush, a tiger.
Revved:
Whenever you make an Intellect Throw, Maximise 1 dice.
Whenever you make a Speed Throw, Minimise 1 dice.

GM’s Toolkit
Inspired
The work moves through you.
Gruff Whenever you make a Skilled Throw with the Skill you have
Hmph. the highest (or tied for highest) Skill Level in, you can spend up
to 4 Fortune to increase the Score of that Skilled Throw by the
Revved: amount spent. You cannot reduce yourself to 0 Fortune with this
Whenever you make a Toughness Throw, Maximise 1 dice. Driver.
Whenever you make an Intellect Throw, Minimise 1 dice.
This Driver doesn’t affect Attack and Dodge Throws. Intense

There are no shades of grey.
Revved:
Whenever you make an Intellect Throw, Maximise 1 dice.
Whenever you make a Clarity Throw, Minimise 1 dice.
36
Thrill-Seeking
Oh what a day! What a lovely day!!
Revved:
In Hot Rounds your Dice Pool Maximum is increased by 1.
This applies before your Dice Pool is refilled at the start of the
Round.
In Cold Rounds your Dice Pool Maximum is reduced by 1.

This applies before your Dice Pool is refilled at the start of the
Lofty Round.
The mind is limitless; the body its container.
Revved:
Wrathful
Whenever you make a Clarity or Intellect Throw, increase your There’s coal in your gut. Some days it’s a weight, others it
Fortune by 1. burns.
Whenever you make a Toughness, Finesse, or Speed Throw, Revved:

lower your Fortune by 1. Your Fortune cannot be brought any Whenever you make a Toughness Throw, Maximise 1 dice.
lower than 5 by this effect.
Whenever you make a Clarity Throw, Minimise 1 dice.

Perfectionist
Be faultless in all things.
Whenever you make a Finesse Throw you can spend up to 4

Noir Drivers
Fortune to increase the Score of that Throw by the amount Noir Drivers represent the deep-seated scars some have developed
spent. You cannot reduce yourself to 0 Fortune with this Driver. in this postwar, doomed era, inspired by some of the tropes from
noir and cybernoir. It is recommended that you limit yourself to a
maximum of 1 Noir Driver.
Purposeful
Slow and steady wins the race. The Colour
We all see the same colour. No one sees this colour the same
Revved: as you.
In Cold Rounds your Dice Pool Maximum is increased by 1.
This applies before your Dice Pool is refilled at the start of the When you take this Driver, choose a colour of deep significance.
Round. For example, the red of the fire that claimed your home, the off-
yellow floor of the psyche ward, or the sea-green of her eyes...
In Hot Rounds your Dice Pool Maximum is reduced by 1. You try to avoid the chosen colour, and won’t by choice have
This applies before your Dice Pool is refilled at the start of the any of your Equipment or affects incorporate it.
Round.
3/Scene, if you are in a Scene where the chosen is colour is
heavily present, you can take 1d6 Mental Damage to entirely
reroll a Skilled Throw. You still roll the same amount of dice for
the reroll. You must use the new roll.
Doomed
A weight hangs in the air around you. Cats avoid your
path.
1/Mission, in a Scene where you’ve lost Fortune, you can gain

+2d6 to every Throw you make over the course of a Round.
When you do so, your Fortune immediately reduces to 0 at the
end of the Round.
Restrained
You always get to it, but you never get in it.
Revved:
Whenever you make a Speed Throw, Maximise 1 dice.
Whenever you make a Toughness Throw, Minimise 1 dice.
37
Impossible Love Whisperings
Character Mechanics
When we’re apart, it’s agony. When we’re together, it’s Sometimes you turn your head, to better hear a voice that
poison. isn’t there.
Character creation
You have an impossible lover. It might be a person who though 3/Mission, once per Scene, you can talk to your subconscious,
fate, circumstance, or your antithetical natures you cannot be played by the GM. Whether your subconscious is antagonistic,
with, or it can be a more abstract entity, such as ‘The Sea’, or affirming, or has some other ‘personality’ is for you and the GM
‘Death’, or ‘The City’. to determine when you take this Driver.
1/Mission, At extreme moments that would bring you Whenever you use this Driver, the GM secretly rolls a d6.
spiritually closer to your impossible lover (for example, tripping On a roll of 1-2, the GM plays your subconscious as ultimately
balls in a field of your lover’s favourite flowers if your impossible misguiding, possibly offering incorrect information or an
lover is a botanically-inclined real person, or coming close to unproductive course of action.
the precipice of dying if your impossible lover is Death), you On a roll of 3-4, the GM plays your subconscious as neutral,
can have a fantasy of your impossible lover, vivid enough that offering half-truths and meaningless suggestions.
you are able to talk to them (the GM plays the impossible lover). On a roll of 5-6, the GM plays your subconscious as ultimately
helpful, possibly reminding you of information you’ve forgotten
Playing the Game
When this fantasy begins, you can choose to make a Clarity or suggesting a course of action that could help the Mission.
Save. If you choose to not make the Save, you have a ‘normal’
conversation with your fantasy, then it ends and you return the
waking world.
If you choose to make the Clarity Save and succeed, the GM

Premade Punks
plays your impossible lover as discouraging of the fantasy, and

you regain 5 Fortune. If you are in a Crisis, regaining Fortune
from this Driver can potentially pull you out of it. At the GM’s
judgement, you can still gain the Stigma you would have
normally gained from the Crisis.
If you choose to make the Clarity Save and fail, the GM plays
The world of 2044
your impossible lover as encouraging you to surrender to the

fantasy, and you take 1d6 Mental Damage. If you were already at
0 Fortune, this Driver causes you to gain an additional Stigma.
If this additional Stigma would be your fourth Stigma, you are
instead finished off.
Fantasy cannot survive contact with reality. If you ever meet

your impossible lover in the real, this Driver no longer has an
effect.
Transhumanist Drivers
Transhumanist Drivers represent models of thinking achieved
through manipulating the mind with technology, such as
Inner Monologue Cyberbrain self-hacking, nanite therapy, genetic modification,
hypnosis, and so on.
Talk to me, me.
You can only have up to one Transhumanist Driver at a time. If
When you first take this Driver, choose a tone, such as ‘noir’,
GM’s Toolkit
you gain a new Transhumanist Driver, it replaces the old one.

or ‘sinister’, or ‘John Hughes’ (“Yup, that’s me. You’re probably
wondering how I got here.”).
You cannot gain a Transhumanist Driver as a result of a Crisis.
3/Mission, at either the start or the end of a Scene, you can
perform your character’s internal monologue. If the GM judges Chimp Brain
your monologue as suitably fulfilling your chosen tone, you The first ‘template’ to arise from applied neuronomy,
regain 1d3 Fortune. although with limited applications.
The mammalian ape aspects of your brain have been

Inner Monologue strengthened. As a result you become more socially tribalistic,
You can save them, but you can never be with them. physically intimate, and aggressive than you otherwise would
be.
You prefer to do things alone. You cannot appear in the
Flashbacks of other Punks, nor can other Punks appear in your Your visual short-term memory is exceptional, able to perfectly
Flashbacks. Contacts may still appear in your Flashbacks. recall anything you’ve seen in the last 15 minutes, even if you
perceived it for only a second.
When you trigger a Flashback, you have a dice pool of 13d6 to
draw from, instead of the normal 10d6.
38
Dolphin Proofing Virginal Empathy
Sometimes, I have a dream of the other-self, and move in A dangerous but valuable procedure, that allows for a
infinite blue. temporary severance between the sense of self and one’s
empathy. The process enables its users to experience the
Your neurology is slightly altered to become more like that of a emotions of other people, but at great risk to self-identity.
dolphin’s. As a result, you become more amorous, and impulsive
with both your kindness and cruelty, that you otherwise would You have the capacity to briefly, perfectly empathise with others.
be. This doesn’t mean you sympathise with them; instead you
literally adopt their world-view to better understand them.
Your altered neurology makes you immune to the effects of
Psychic Hammers. 1/Scene, Whenever you make a Skilled Throw that has
anything to do with reading a particular character, such as
gauging their underlying feelings, predicting their next action,
or ascertaining their relationship to others, you can add +2d6 to
that Throw and make the Throw Explosive. The read character
has to be someone you have either met, or have extensively
studied some aspect of their life such as their work, or footage of
them in daily life.
At the end of a Scene in which you used this Driver, make a

Clarity Save. On a failed Save, one of your Drivers (potentially
this one) is randomly chosen and replaced with a random
Driver of the character you read.
Zoanthropic Drive
A relic of wartime experimentation, developed in the wake
of nanite doping’s failures. It too failed to mass-produce the
Pierced Veil envisioned supersoldier.
I wake up, and see the dream. The proto-human aspects of your evolutionary psychology
have been strengthened. The alteration facilitates using your
The membrane in your brain between the dream self and the
strength, but diminishes intelligence, particularly in the domain
waking self has been made porous. Your subconscious mind can
of language.
throw up visual, auditory, and tactile hallucinations that appear
wholly real to you. Both you and the GM can narrate waking The maximum your Toughness Score can reach is increased by
visions that result from this Driver. You will typically recognise 1 (it would normally be a maximum of +2).
these hallucinations as such, as they won’t actively get in the
way of your objectives. Your Intelligence Score can be no higher than +0.
You always know when someone is Beyond your Ghostline, as While you have this Driver, if your Athletics Skill Level would
their presence affects your waking visions. Whenever someone be less than 3, it becomes 3. When you lose this Driver, your
takes Mental Damage from being Beyond your Ghostline, you Athletics Skill Level reverts to what it was before gaining this
also take that much Mental Damage. Driver.
While you can understand any complex terms said by others

Reptile Brain that a normal person would also understand, whenever you
One of the few successes of wartime neuronomy, the basal speak it is briefly and in simple terms. Generally you prefer
enhancement produced soldiers that were psychopathic in grunts and hand gestures to communicate. Reduce your Fortune
their behaviour, but with none of the fragility. by 1 every time your Punk says a word with three or more
syllables.
The reptilian aspects of your brain have been strengthened.
As a result you become more hedonistic, dispassionate, and
materialistic in your interests (and calculated in your pursuit of
them) than you otherwise would be.
You are inclined to perceive others and yourself as objects and

tools. You are unlikely to suffer mentally from witnessing death,
injury, and suffering, and are less alarmed by your own physical
injury, including threats of it.
The Driver allows you to resist the fear of physical harm. As

a result you can ignore the effects of abilities that rely on fear
of harm such as the Suppressive Fire Action, and choose to
automatically succeed on any Throws or Saves to resist fear of
physical harm, such as refusing to give up information while
under physical torture.
39
Traits & Equipment
Character Mechanics
The following pages are a list of everything you can spend expCOIN on.
Character creation
The list consists of four parts: Body, Starting Equipment, Traits, and Equipment. Traits and Equipment are broken down into groups to
make parsing them easier. Some groups start by telling you any particular rules that govern using any options in that group.
How to Read Options:

Some Traits and Equipment have ‘Keywords’, terms which interact with other rules, including rules of other Traits and
Equipment. For example, if you want to take a Trait with the Bionic keyword, your character must have a Cyberbrain.
If a Mod has a Keyword, that Keyword is added to the Keywords of the option that was modded.
The name of the option, followed by how
much expCOIN you must spend to take it If an entry has no Keywords, then this part won’t appear in the entry.
Repeatable means the entry can be taken more than once (normally, Traits or
Equipment can only be taken once.). The numeral following ‘Repeatable’ tells you
Playing the Game
the maximum number of times you can take that entry.
If you have taken the same Trait multiple times, each instance of that Trait
Option Name - X applies its effect separately. For example, the Trait Power Supply increases the
amount of Power you provide to the Crew by +2. If you took the Power Supply
Keywords: Trait 3 times (as it is Repeatable III) then the total amount of additional Power you
would be providing the Crew would be +6.
Repeatable II-V
Premade Punks
Requires: If you have taken the same Equipment multiple times, that’s how many copies of
that Equipment you have in your possession.
Rules text
X /Mission, Scene, Round, Turn, If an entry cannot be repeatedly taken, then this part won’t appear in the entry.
Action: Name. Requires lists all the things you need to already have in order to take the entry.
Often a requirement will be a certain Aspect being high enough (such as ‘Requires:
Reaction: Name. Aspect (Toughness) 1+’, meaning you must have a Toughness of 1 or higher to
The world of 2044
take this entry) or a Skill Level being high enough (such as ‘Requires: Skill Level
Flavour Text (Athletics) 3+’, meaning you must have an Athletics Skill Level of 3 or higher),
however a requirement can also be already possessing another Trait, or something
more complex.
If an entry has no requirements before you can take it, then this part won’t appear
in the entry.
The Flavour Text gives a brief bit of prose relevant to the The Rules Text explains what the Trait or Equipment actually does.
Trait or Equipment. Bear in mind the flavour text is just
one possible way that option can participate in the story of Sometimes the rule text will have a number followed by Mission, Scene, Round, or Turn, for example ‘3/
2044, and doesn’t define the narrative of the option for your Scene’. When this appears, the following rule in the option can only be used that many times per that measure
character. of time. For example, for 3/Scene would you only be able to use the following rule three times per Scene. If
you take a Repeatable option multiple times, the number of times you can use the rule is multiplied by the
Unless decided otherwise by the GM, the snippets of number of times you’ve taken the option. For example, if you took the option containing ‘3/Scene’ twice,
history in flavour text are all canonical within the setting of you’d be able to use that rule 6 times per scene.
ECOPUNK 2044.
Sometimes these rules will specify the Temperature in which they can happen. For example, 1/ColdRound
GM’s Toolkit
Not all options have flavour text. Sometimes flavour text would mean the following rule can be used once per Cold Round. If no Temperature is specified, the rule can
appears at the start of the option. be used in any Temperature.
Actions and Reactions enabled by the Option will be separately listed, along with their name.
For example, the Trait Local Legend represents your character

Mods having the support and aid of an area’s community. While not
Mods are a special type of option that, rather than function on
stated within its benefits, you could use the Trait to have a few
their own, instead apply their effect to a pre-existing Trait or piece
members of the community switch a number of street signs, to throw
of Equipment named in the name of the Mod. If you have taken
off an intruding enemy attempting to navigate the area.
Repeatable copies of an option, Mods you take only apply to a
single copy of that option unless otherwise stated in the Mod’s
rules. Aesthetic Reinterpretation
When choosing Traits and Equipment, you are free to interpret
the aesthetics of such choices as you please. For example, you
Reinterpreting Rules might prefer to reinterpret the Equipment Dog as actually a
The rule text for Traits and Equipment is not the strict limit of trained hyena, or decide that for the Trait Weather Forecast,
what that option can do. If you think the narrative benefits of a your character doesn’t learn of the impending weather through
Trait should enable you to do something not stated within its rule meteorology, but instead through mystic foresight. With the GM’s
text, or a piece of Equipment could be used in a way not stated permission, you can reinterpret what a Trait requires based on
within its rule text, ask the GM if you can reinterpret the option to your desired aesthetic reinterpretation of a Trait.
achieve your desired effect.
40
Keywords: Refunding Options
You cannot normally lose options you have taken to regain the
Organic expCOIN spent on them. In special cases you can do so with
The Organic keyword means the option only works on a body that
the GM’s permission. You can, however, trade through Bartering
is primarily organic - i.e. not the body of a cyborg.
Equipment, explained on page 81.
Bionic
You cannot take an option with the Bionic keyword unless you Inventing New Options
have a working Cyberbrain. An option with the Bionic keyword During a Cold Scene you can, with the GM’s permission, invent a
needs to be connected (either over the Net or via Hardline new option not represented in the Character Options List. Before
connection) to your Cyberbrain to use. A hacker that has Intruded you do so, check to make sure what you envision isn’t already
into your Cyberbrain can have any Programs they apply to your represented in the listed options; remember that it is possible to
Cyberbrain also apply to any option with the Bionic keyword reinterpret the effects of Traits and Equipment to new ends.
connected to you. The keyword also means the option can be
independently targeted for hacking. Skill Expertise & Creating Objects
To invent a physical object as a New Option, such as a piece of
Net-Linked Equipment or a bionic body part that would become a Bionic
The Net-Linked keyword means the option is connected to the Net Trait, the GM may necessitate your character first having Master
and so can be targeted for hacking. A Net-Linked option does not Skill Expertise (i.e., a Skill Level of 8 or above) in the Skill(s)
require a Cyberbrain to use. needed to create the object.
If you want to build a new, custom piece of hardware, you need

Illegal Master Skill Expertise in Engineer. If you want to invent new
The Illegal keyword means that, generally, the option is illegal to
software, you need Master Skill Expertise in Software. To invent
be possessed by a civilian. Based on your Gig, the GM may not
new wetware, you will need Master Skill Expertise in Medicine, as
count certain options’ Illegal keyword - for example, if your Gig is
well as Master Skill Expertise in Engineer for bionics, or Software
a police unit, it may be fine for you to carry Firearms.
for psyware.
The use of Illegal options may lead to you gaining Heat.
Taboo
The Taboo keyword means the option is not just criminal, it is
also ethically abhorrent, and may draw the ire of not just political
forces but regular people too.
Dead Canaries: Inventing
If you gain Heat at the end of a Scene, and in that Scene you used a
Taboo option, you gain an additional +1 Heat. a New Option
Barkhad thinks there’s some risk of their vehicle falling
Concealable into water in the near future, and so wants to take a Mod
The Concealable keyword means the option is easily hidden, and for their Work Van that will protect against that.
can generally be carried in public in its concealed form without Looking through the Vehicle Mods, they can’t find anything
raising alarm. they think will really work. Because this seems related
to the Engineer Skill, in which Barkhad has Master Skill
Expertise, they talk to the GM about inventing a new Mod
Signature for their vehicle they call ‘Hermetic Sealing’, where they
The Signature keyword means the option is a recognisable marker could rig all the windows and doors to seal when they
of yours. You can only ever take one option with the Signature Consume 2 in a Hot Round to pull a lever at the vehicle’s
keyword. If you lose the option with the Signature keyword, you controls, at which point the vehicle won’t let in any outside
cannot replace it. liquid or gas.
The GM finds the idea acceptable, and tells Barkhad it will
Mastery cost 3 expCOIN, which Barkhad accepts. They then expend
The Mastery keyword means the options represents the pinnacle 3 expCOIN and Consumes 3 dice, and the option is theirs.
of a particular ability. As mastery is something that needs to be
continually maintained, you can only have one Trait with the
Mastery keyword at a time. Taking a new Trait with the Mastery Option List Contents:
keyword replaces the old one.
Body Options - page 42
Starting Equipment - page 45
Trait Options - page 50
Equipment Options - page 81
41
Bodies
Character Mechanics
The following are the five Bodies for you to choose from during Character Creation. Each Body comes with certain benefits, and some with
Character creation
downsides.
Most Bodies give you ‘Starting Traits’, Traits that you automatically and freely get as part of choosing the Body. You get these Traits even if
your character doesn’t meet the Trait requirements.
Along with your Body, you also get Starting Equipment, explained after the Body list.
Precariat - 0
You are one of the many, a single soul amongst seven billion. Everything, from food to
clothing, is rationed to you by a distant and stern government. A quarter of such people
are unemployed. You haven’t eaten meat in years, unless you eat petmeat. In a previous
era you might have been called ‘underclass’ or ‘canaille’. Now the term ‘precariat’ - the
Playing the Game
precarious masses - dominates, popularised by Usmanian Socioeconomics.
Polymathmatic. Increase one Aspect Score by +1, and reduce an Aspect Score by
-1. You can then choose to increase another Aspect Score by +1 and reduce another
Aspect Score by -1. You cannot increase and/or reduce any Aspect score more than
once with this rule.
Premade Punks
Commune. UB, metropolitanisation, and other political forces have seen a great
rebirth of ‘communities’. When you choose this Body, devise a community you are
part of. 1/ColdRound, when you regain Fortune, you can describe how you return to
this community and what you do to rest and revitalise yourself within it to regain an
additional 1d3 Fortune.
The world of 2044
Fallen Elite - 2
It can take decades to elbow your way into the halls of power, and a few seconds to lose
it all. You have fallen from the ivory tower, either by your own failings or at the hands of
another. You probably ate meat from a cow or pig last year, with a cloth over the face; a
pretentious performance meant to remove your culpability. You’re a long way from that
place now.
Tutored. Increase one Aspect Score by +1.
Choose one of the following:

• Failing. You have a dark craving, the revealing of which got you kicked out of the
GM’s Toolkit
elite. Decide what your ‘failing’ is. It could be an addiction to a substance, performing
a guttural public act, or something darker. At least once per Mission, you must fulfil
your ‘failing’, or take 1d6 Mental Damage during the Epilogue.
• Rival. The Contact [Individual] you gain from your starting contracts is not an
ally, and is instead a rival. This rival exists in a position of superior political power
to you and absolutely loathes you, delighting in your suffering - so much so that they
will never seek your complete defeat, unless forced to for their own survival. You can
still interact with this Contact like normal and bargain for their aid, but they can and
will take any chances outside of any pacts they make with you to ruin your Mission
and life.
• Shitlisted. Your fall was spread all over the news. People sometimes recognise you,
and when they do they despise you. At the end of the Mission when you roll Political
Damage from your Heat, Maximise one of the dice.
Starting Traits:
Cyberbrain (page 50)
Contact [Individual] (page 77)
Elite Clothing (page 89)
42
Civilian Cyborg - 3
Medical circumstance demanded a fullbody transplant to survive. You either made the
harsh choice yourself, or woke up to find someone else had made the choice for you.
Now you are reformed in the metallic flesh, one of the new peacetime cyborgs. Your
circumstance is difficult: most people see the cyborg as a symbol of wartime brutality,
and this one-body-fits-all model means that your face, voice and physique have wholly
changed.
Imprecise. You haven’t quite got the hang of your precision motor skills yet. Increase
one Aspect Score by +1, and reduce your Finesse Score by -1.
Cyborg. You cannot take any options with the Organic keyword.
Bionic Shell. Any Physical (External) Damage you would take is reduced by 2, due to
your Bionic Arms and Bionic Legs Traits.
Anonymous Body. Your face, physique, and voice come off of a factory line.
Unless you take Traits that would make your appearance unique (such as the Beauty
Trait), only worn or carried objects can be ‘some means of identifying’ you for
purposes of gaining Heat. People who don’t know you will need to read your PsySig
to truly verify who you truly are.
This also makes you harder to recognise and trust.
Rejection Regime. A regime of nanites and designer drugs prevents your new body
from rejecting the parts of your old self that remain. You permanently reduce the
amount of Power you provide to the Crew by 1.
Note that the Trait Bionic Health reduces the amount of Power you provide the
Crew by a further 1.
Starting Traits:
Cyberbrain (page 50) Bionic Eyes (page 67)
Bionic Arms (page 67) Bionic Health (page 67)
Bionic Legs (page 67)
43
Ghost - 4
Character Mechanics
Bridgebuilder connects all, but not always in the way we assume. While diving the Net, someone
stole your body away, and disturbed the path back for your consciousness. BB, in its infinite wisdom,
Character creation
has maintained the connection between psyche and soma. Somewhere, your flesh and blood is still
alive and hooked up to the Net. Whether being separated from your flesh is liberating or harrowing,
and whether you will seek further freedom from the physical or hunt for clues to your body, is up to
you. For now, you survive as a soul adrift. A ghost.
Netbound. Unless you move yourself elsewhere with Intrusion, your consciousness resides
within the Network of your Gig, with its physical location being the Network Core. Any
Programs applied to your Network also apply to you, as if they had been applied to you as a
Terminal. While in your Network and Intruded into nowhere else, you cannot be separately
targeted as a Terminal.
Third Eye. You do not require (nor could you use) a Visualiser when making Hacking Throws.
You view the material world through being Intruded into objects and people. You can always see
whatever a Terminal can see when you are Intruded into it, without having to use a Program.
Mind Without Matter. Increase one of your Speed, Clarity, or Intellect Scores by +1, then
Playing the Game
decrease one of your Speed, Clarity, or Intellect Scores by -1.
Immaterial. Having no physical body, you do not have a Toughness or Finesse Score. You
cannot make Toughness or Finesse Throws, and you cannot take Physical Damage, except for
Physical (Internal) Damage from Hacking. In addition, you can only take Traits that would
require a body (such as Traits with the Organic keyword or Bionic Organ Traits) during
character creation (as these are assumed to have been part of your body prior to being ghosted).
Premade Punks
You have no Starting Equipment aside from Universal Basic.
Softline. Being immaterial, you cannot form a Hardline connection with anything.
Voided. Whenever a Terminal you are Intruded into becomes Faraday, you take 1d6 Mental
Damage. If every Terminal and Network you are Intruded into becomes Faraday, you ‘die’, as
your ghost loses any cohesive centre.
The world of 2044
Starting Traits:
Cyberbrain (page 50)
D-Rank Hacker (page 74) Military Cyborg - 4
Ice: Basic Layers (page 75) You were one of the Cyborg Forces, the cutting-edge killers of World War III. Piece-by-piece, your
flesh and bone was unwoven and reformed in synthetic counterparts. You retain the same shape as
Also choose one from: your previous meat-self, but is it truly you? Every muscle, every bone, every inch of skin was replaced
• Sock Puppet Master (page 63) by the alchemical clay of Quantum Materials, and you were baked in the fires of war: a terracotta
• Digitised Collection (page 55) soldier for the new era. How can a creature like you exist in peacetime?
Bionic Might. Increase your Toughness Score by +1. Your maximum Toughness Score increases
by 1.
Military Made. Increase your Toughness, Finesse, or Speed Score by +1, then decrease an
Aspect Score by -1.
Cyborg. You cannot take any options with the Organic keyword.
GM’s Toolkit
Bionic Carapace. Any Physical (External) Damage you would take is reduced by 3. This
Damage reduction includes the 2 Physical (External) Damage reduction from your Bionic Arms
and Bionic Legs Traits.
Regular Maintenance. A military cyborg body requires constant upkeep in order to function,
and since the war ended the process of maintenance has only gotten more difficult. You have a
‘Maintenance Score’ that is between 0 and 6, that reduces by 1 at the end of every Cold Round.
Your Maintenance Score begins at 6.
You gain the Trait Contact [Individual]. The Contact is the bionics doctor who maintains
your body. In a Cold Round, you can visit your bionics doctor who will perform maintenance,
increasing your Maintenance Score by 1d3. You must expend your entire Dice Pool to undergo
this maintenance.
When your Maintenance Score is 3 or less, your Dice Pool Maximum is lowered by 2.
When your Maintenance Score is 0, your Dice Pool Maximum is 5.
Affording this maintenance is a drain on your resources. You permanently reduce the amount of
Power you provide to the Crew by 3.
Starting Traits: Also choose one from:

Cyberbrain (page 50) • Martial Arts I (page 72)
Bionic Arms (page 67) • Gunslinger I (page 71)
Bionic Legs (page 67)
Bionic Eyes (page 67)
Bionic Eyes Mod: Advanced Vision (page 68)
44
Starting
Equipment
Every Punk begins with the following Equipment. Remember, the
world of 2044 is anti-consumerist and exists in a period of intense
scarcity. The only things you individually own are the following
Equipment, and any Equipment options you spend expCOIN on.
Although you get all of them for free, Starting Equipment has its
expCOIN value listed for purposes of Bartering.
Universal Basic - 4
Universal Basic covers the provisions given to you by society
and, in places where the state’s control is limited, what you own
merely as a fact of living. It provides:
• A stipend to cover food and water
• A place (no matter how small) to live
• Enough electricity to cover basic necessities, with enough
excess for you to provide 4 Power to the Crew.
• The right to ride public transport. Civilian Clothing - 0
Civilian Clothing can be Modded by Mods from the Attire
Without your Universal Basic, your life exists in complete
section.
precarity, with no assurances of food, shelter, or clothing. If you
trade away your Universal Basic through Bartering, you cease In 2044, most people will wear a mix of hand-me-downs and
to provide Power to the Crew. In addition you cannot regain durable, government-issue clothes, or just their work clothes.
Fortune except in the Epilogue. Personal expression only extends as far as the cultural artefacts a
person has inherited.
Mask - 0
Anything from a surgical mask to a balaclava. While wearing Net-Linked Device - 2
your Mask, your face cannot be identified by people or facial A means to access the Net and communicate. Usually this will
recognition technology, meaning you cannot gain Heat from be a handheld device, but it can be something larger if you
having your face seen. The commonality of pandemics means choose.
wearing some kind of face covering won’t be seen as abnormal.
A Net-Linked Device can call and text people and send audio
You can choose to pay 1 expCOIN for your Mask to gain one of and text messages to your Network, and view public-facing
the following benefits, applied while wearing it: Net entities such as government websites, news feeds, and the
• Night Vision. You can see in the dark. Your Mask gains the forum of your local community, but beyond this you don’t have
Net-Linked keyword. enough electricity and data rationed to you have access to most
• Voice Modulator. Your voice is distorted so as to be of the utilities of a smartphone from the 2020s.
unrecognisable. Your Mask gains the Net-Linked keyword.
From ancient ‘smart phones’ cobbled-together by decades-old tech
• Rebreather. You can breathe underwater. to the new high-tech ‘glass’, most people can still get online.
• Gas Mask. You have Advantage on any Throws or Saves to
avoid the effects of harmful gases.
45
Gear - 0 Nicknacks - 0?
Character Mechanics
A means to carry and contain things. You decide what form your You’ve got a few nicknacks that you’ve either picked up or
gear takes, but it must all be easy to carry on your person, and were passed down to you. They might have endured from the
Character creation
durable. previous era, before the new ecology, or they might be from
more recent times.
For most people, gear will be a backpack or duffle bag, containing
some patched-up Tupperware and wooden boxes, and a ubiquitous Nicknacks are valueless in a general sense, but to the right
government-issue 1.5 litre bottle of 99% clean water. person might be a prized trade.
Roll two nicknacks from the Random Nicknack Table. To roll

a nicknack, roll three d6s, one after another, and compare the
results to the Table.
Random Nicknack Table

1d6 1d6 1d6 Nicknack

Playing the Game
1 1 1-3 1000 Rules For Life. Collected works from some

martyred American intellectual. ‘Clean your room’, ‘Pet
cats’… Americans needed a book to tell them this stuff?
No wonder it all fell apart.
4-6 2-in-1 Mirror and Make-Up Container. It holds your
foundation, although your sun-beat skin doesn’t match
Premade Punks
this colour any more.

2 1-3 A 20-Sided Dice. You don’t know any games that require
dice with twenty sides, but you do get a slight thrill
whenever you roll a 20.
4-6 Abandoned CD. It seems so fragile compared to modern
data storage. No wonder things didn’t last, they weren’t
The world of 2044
built to. You wonder if you can find the hardware to read
it, and discover what secrets this ‘Compact Disk’ holds.
3 1-3 Anti-Fungal Inhaler. This spray is supposed to give you a
Minor Tool - 1 chance at living if these new thermotolerant fungi start
Invent a minor tool that’s personal to you. The tool is so simple growing inside your lungs.
that it only has one purpose. That purpose can be recreational. 4-6 Bag of Fried Crickets. Crunchy, full of protein, just needs
Examples of minor tools are: a pinch of salt.
• A comb • Augmented reality googles 4 1-3 Balm Tin. It reads ‘beard balm’ on the side, and a rather
• An electronic lighter • An analogue camera disgruntled bear scowls at you on the lid. Another piece
of old-world decadence.
• An eCigar • A spinning top
4-6 Blue Neck-tie. And not a dull ministry or charter corp-
If the tool you choose uses electricity, it gains the Net-Linked issued one either! This is truly yours to keep.
keyword. If it’s a tool that connects to a Cyberbrain, it instead 5 1-3 Bottle of Rice Wine. At least you think its rice wine. You
GM’s Toolkit
gains the Bionic keyword. can’t read Mandarin.

4-6 Carved Cutlery. Your spoon was stolen from you and,
Skill Tool - 2 with nothing to replace it, you took the leg from your
chair and set to carving.
Invent a tool or set of tools that’s relevant to the Skill you have
the highest (or tied for highest) Skill Level in. Examples of skill 6 1-3 Carved Icon. A lump of
tools are: plastic broken off from
something, carved into the
• For the Medicine Skill, this might be a surgeon’s bag. icon of a pagan god. You
• For the Engineer Skill, this might be a tool kit. can see birds, a spear, a
• For Software, it might be computer kit assembled from old one-eyed stare…
and new parts that enables you to properly dig around the Net.
Alternately, you can create a second Minor Tool.
A Skill Tool enables you to do anything with your Skill that you
couldn’t do with just your bare hands.
If the tool you choose uses electricity, it gains the Net-Linked

keyword. If it’s a tool that also connects to a Cyberbrain, it
instead gains the Bionic keyword.
46
4-6 Eye-liner. Can’t go to war without war paint.
6 1-3 Faded Ring. Time has robbed the band of gold of any
details it once held, although on the underside there is
the faintest impression of a name, now illegible.
4-6 Family Heirloom. A framed picture of a great-aunt
you never met, to remind you that when someone has
nothing, they still have family.
3 1 1-3 Finger Bones. Many couldn’t be returned to their home
for burial in the war. Brothers and sisters in arms often
bore the knuckles of a finger back instead.
4-6 Finger of Saint John. At least, so your mother insists.
You get the sense that when she fled, the home country
did not want for corpses to take fingers from, nor rank
opportunists looking to make a buck.
4-6 Ceramic Plate. Slipped out of a military police’s body
2 1-3 Telescopic Fishing Rod. Since industrial fishing got
armour, this slightly-curved plate could stop a bullet. The
banned they say some of the waters far from the
momentum, not so much.
equator have replenished. You’ll go to those clear waters
2 1 1-3 Chess Set. A small, folding wooden box, with pieces one day. One day.
that magnetise to the board. You’ve replaced the couple
4-6 Frayed Fedora. There has to be some kind of magic to
missing pawns with small bolts.
this old-world fashion. On the right person it looks suave,
4-6 Contact Detail. You can still remember his blushing on the wrong person it looks imbecilic. You are the wrong
half-smile as he wrote this down. But the week went by person.
and the moment passed. Now it feels like you can never
3 1-3 Free Album. A woman with gaudy hair emphatically
reach out to him.
waved this Netpoint code in your face, and wouldn’t
2 1-3 Crumb of Cheese. A tiny dry blue lump wrapped in paper. leave until you’d downloaded the album it linked to.
We killed the world for the brief abundance of food like
4-6 Fresh Air Canister. An east-Asian fad that rears its head
this. Seems wrong to eat it.
every half-decade. Can air go stagnant? Because this
4-6 Cyborg Forces Patch. Holy shit this thing looks cool. It’s can was bottled in 2031.
all skulls and lightning bolts. It’s probably fake.
4 1-3 Go Set. This is a mat and two cans of stones that allow
3 1-3 Das Kapital by Karl Marx. This frayed copy has a number you to play the world’s oldest board game. China’s
of pencilled notes in the margins, you think written by an spreading influence and ‘Han revival’ has popularised it.
aspiring Culturist.
4-6 Hacker Den Cipher. A scrap of starch paper, with a
4-6 Deck of Playing Cards. Although in fairly good shape, the printed cipher that, if solved, might lead to either the
edges are damaged - enough so that you can tell some of Netspace or realspace location of a hacker den.
the cards from the back.
5 1-3 Han Liberal Lit. Apparently the Han should feel bad for
4 1-3 Dog Jerky. Don’t show it off, or everyone will want a bite. the gains of their racist imperialism. Strangely there’s no
4-6 Ecofascist Flyer. A scrap of paper; at the centre the mention of giving any of those gains back.
stern face of a European tyrant. It’s fairly old, and has 4-6 Herbal Fertility Medicine. Fertility rates have dropped
the names and faces of cabinet ministers who have significantly now that microplastics saturated the food
since been purged from official history. chain. Some seek alternatives to the prescribed pills.
5 1-3 Engraved Hip Flask. Empty, tragically. But perhaps worth 6 1-3 Hero’s Bullet. A disarmed cartridge with a message
something to the discerning alcoholic? scratched by combat knife along the side, written by a
legendary soldier.
4-6 Jorts. These might just be jeans that the legs have fallen
off of. You wouldn’t put it past the textile industry of
the previous era to make a version of denim that isn’t
actually durable.
4 1 1-3 Locket. A trembling hand placed this in yours before the
doctors pulled you from the room. The locket was stuck
closed by the accident.
4-6 Lucky Charm. Perhaps a rabbit’s foot or carved symbol.
2 1-3 Marbles. Kids these days have to appropriate ball
bearings from machinery to play, but here you have
classic glass marbles, scuffed and chipped as they are.
4-6 Multivitamins. B12, D2… looks like it’s those government
pills they issued when the meat ran out during the war.
These days they put this important stuff in the water
supply. You think.
3 1-3 Novelty 2023 Glasses. You’re sure someone wearing
these 21 years ago would have been the life of the party.
47
Character Mechanics
4-6 Old Cigarettes. The pack contains 10 frayed cigarettes. 4-6 Severed Ear. A family member gave you this, after they
Some people haven’t seen a cigarette in years: a former returned from the war. You remember he smiled like a
smoker might be inclined to trade for a smoke. child; a broken grin that hid thundering confusion.
Character creation
4 1-3 Old Key. Somewhere, an old lock calls for its perfect 4 1-3 Signed Photograph. Despite the yellowed and torn
match. frame, the once-famous man in the picture smiles
4-6 Old Quran. Small, worn, and dog-eared. Bound in real relentlessly at you. The signature is incomprehensible.
leather, it’s in both Arabic and your native language. Who were you, mystery man? Was the previous owner
really your ‘number one guy’?

5 1-3 Perfect Skimming Stone. You vaguely remember finding
this as a child. It’s so perfect you can’t bring yourself to 4-6 Silver Crucifix. You can feel the weight of the fantasy
skim it. when you wear this pendant around your neck. There has
to be something beyond this. There has to be.
4-6 Perfume. An exotic odour to overpower your unwashed
smell. 5 1-3 Small Painting. A square canvas depicts a striking
natural vista. Time in the sun has softened the colours.
6 1-3 Physical-Print Comic. On the cover, people in spandex
When you hang it on the wall, you like to imagine it’s a
aggressively pose at each other. The story makes no
tinted window into another life.
sense if you haven’t read about 200 previous issues and

multiple spin-off comics, which you haven’t. 4-6 Someone’s Bionic Eye. Suspended within a plastiglass
Playing the Game
tube, sometimes you like to have a staring contest with

4-6 Piece of the Moon. Asteroid miners like to toss these to
this ball of ivory and chrome. The hairline fracture in its
the kids living around the space elevator. Or possibly at
metallic membrane renders it useless as an organ.
the kids.
6 1-3 Superheavy Shard. A 1-inch shard of superheavy iron.
5 1 1-3 Porn Thumb-drive. The guy who traded you this claimed
Despite its tiny size it weighs almost 2 kilograms.
it was priceless to the right buyer, given no other copies
4-6 Suspect Elixir. Some kind of life form is preserved inside
Premade Punks
of the contents had escaped the morality purges.

the murky, viscous liquid, but you can’t tell if it’s aquatic,
4-6 Premium Vodka. No doubt stolen by an EC soldier
amphibious, or reptile. Is drinking this supposed to heal
during the annexation of Russia. Sorry, not annexation:
you or kill you?
‘transitional government’.
2 1-3 Relic Firearm. A genuine article all the way from the
previous World War. The wooden grip is splintering and
The world of 2044
the firing pin is busted.

4-6 RPG Book. On the front it reads ‘Greengoon 2044’.
Inside are pages upon pages detailing rules for some
asinine game. Its title sets it this year but the book was
published over two decades ago.
3 1-3 Rosary. If not worn for faith then for protection. There’s
word they sometimes lynch non-Christians in southern
Europe.
GM’s Toolkit
48
6 1 1-3 Swiss Army Knife. Just about the only Swiss institution
still enduring. Poor Switzerland. The Germans really did a
number on them.
4-6 Tarot Cards. A smudge on one looks like a raven.
2 1-3 Taste of the Old World. A battered-yet-unopened plastic
tube of BBQ sauce. This thing went past its sell-by date
almost a decade ago. Do you dare to taste?
4-6 Teacups. Complete with real tea. For some, sharing tea
can be an important ritual to opening up a dialogue.
3 1-3 Terrible Diary. A family member kept this diary, before
what happened happened. You dare not open it.
4-6 The I Ching. A giant, folded sheet of paper barely
held together containing the fortunes of different
hexagrams. You perform the divination with an
assortment of old coins.
4 1-3 The Usmanian Handbook. Also known as ‘the little
green book’. A number of brief yet erudite essays are
contained within, in tiny font. You’re no culturist, but
some of the passages ring true to you.
4-6 Unlucky Bible. The bullet passed clean through to find
its mark.
5 1-3 Unplayable Video Game. Hell yes, Metal Machine 5. You’re
pretty sure all the consoles that could run this game got
repurposed for bombs during the war.
4-6 Urn Containing Ashes. The family member you lost was
one of the last to be cremated, before the local authority
switched to recycling.
6 1-3 Vinyl Toy. A cartoonish model of some forgotten
character, cast in vinyl. Inarticulate, cumbersome,
culturally irrelevant… it’s barely a toy at all. You’re told
some people brought hundreds of these.
4-6 Yoruba Marxist Chrislam Talisman. One of the offshoots
of Usman’s attempts to fashion a new faith through
reviving African traditional religion with Christian and
Islamic influence.
49
Traits The Cyberbrain
Character Mechanics
The following are all available Traits in the core game of The Cyberbrain is wartime technology, now adapted and
Character creation
ECOPUNK, broken down into the following groups: popularised as a new form of communications. The Cyberbrain
takes the form of two bioelectric membranes inserted over the
The Basics - Page 48 front and rear of the brain, connected to a computer the size of a
The Cyberbrain - page 50 jellybean at the base of the skull.
Psyware - page 51
Roughly 30% of people have a cyberbrain. During the war it was

Character Traits - page 52 primarily soldiers taking on precursors to the now-standardised
Body Traits - page 65 technology, and now those involved in information and
administration are its primarily up-takers. In many states there
Bionic Traits - page 67 is considerable push for people to adopt the cyberbrain; whether
Combat Traits - page 70 it is to expand their means of controlling the people or create an
information infrastructure cheaper than fibre-optic cables is up to
Hacker Traits - page 74 you.
Contacts - page 77
Playing the Game
When you meet someone who’s middle-to-upper-class, or military

Special Contacts - page 80 personnel, chances are they have a cyberbrain. For anyone else,
if you want to randomly determine if a person has a cyberbrain
The Basics you can roll a d6. On a roll of 5-6, they do have a cyberbrain.
Otherwise, they don’t.
You can take the options from The Basics as many times as you
would like.
Cyberbrain - 1
Premade Punks
Increase a Skill Level - 1 If you are reduced to 0 Fortune by Physical (Internal) Damage,
your Cyberbrain becomes Faraday until your Fortune returns to
Increase the Skill Level of a Skill by 1, to a maximum of 10. above 0.
Create a Talent - 2 Bionics. Having a Cyberbrain enables you to take and use
options with the Bionic keyword. While using such options,
The world of 2044
Create a new Talent for a Skill you have a Skill Level of at least they count as connected (either by Hardline connection or via
1 in. the Net) to your Cyberbrain.
Bsignal and Bcomms. Cyberbrains can communicate audio

Increase an Aspect Score - 4 information with each other via the Net via what is called
Increase one Aspect Score of your choice by +1. Bsignal. The collective conversation this enables is called
Bcomms. While you communicate by ‘talking’ in your head,
normal people still need to talk out loud, or at least mouth
Adjust Aspect Scores - 2 the words, to communicate via Bcomms. Your Bcomms are
Increase one Aspect Score of your choice by +1, and reduce a generally assumed to be privately held over your Network.
different Aspect Score by -1.
PsySig. Every Cyberbrain has a ‘Psychic Signature’, shortened to
PsySig. PsySig is to the brain what a fingerprint is to the finger.
Learn a New Language - 2
Psyware. Having a Cyberbrain enables you to use Psyware,
GM’s Toolkit
You learn a new language of your choice, or a Pidgin of two

software that interact with your brain. All Cyberbrains come
languages of your choice.
with the Psyware ‘Lingua Franca’, which enables you to perfectly
A combination of psyware and learning systems mean that people understand (but not use yourself) spoken and written Arabic,
can now learn a new language at incredible speeds, so long as they Chinese, and English.
are prepared to put the brief and intense work in.
Wetports. Every person who gets a Cyberbrain also gets
Wetports, physical ports which allows their cyberbrain to
Deep Neural Conditioning - 3 connect to other devices. Most people just have a few female
Choose a Driver from the Transhumanist Drivers options to wetports at the back of the neck, and use a peripheral device if
replace with one of your current Drivers. If you already have a they need a male wetport, but you can have male and female
Transhumanist Driver the new Driver replaces it. wetports wherever you like across your body. Wetports allow
your cyberbrain to form a Hardline connection.
Hacking Platform. A Cyberbrain enables you to use Hacking.

Hacking is explained in its own chapter, starting on page 142.
Ghosts and Vulnerability. Having a Cyberbrain makes you

vulnerable to hackers in a whole new way. While a hacker is
Intruded into your Cyberbrain, any Programs they apply to
it also apply to any options with the Bionic keyword you are
using. In addition with a Cyberbrain highly skilled hackers can
go ‘beyond your Ghostline’ and hack your mind via ‘ghosthacks’.
50
Communication Infrastructure Psyware
and the Cyberbrain Psyware is technology that works directly with your brain,
facilitated through your Cyberbrain.
Cyberbrain manufacturing and surgery is kept cheap, fast,
and accessible to the public due to massive government
subsidies. Psyware: AR Controls - 2
Keywords: Bionic
Communication infrastructure was obliterated by the
emergence of the Net, and the nascent technology of
This Trait works by creating virtual reality constructs of
Cyberbrains offers a cheap way forward, as opposed to
Equipment you are connected to, so that you can ‘physically’
rebuilding internet-based mass communication and all the
hardware it demands. interact with them. 1/Round, when you control a piece of
Equipment remotely using your Cyberbrain, you can expend
At least, this is the official justification. Some believe that 1 Power to treat the Equipment as if you were physically
Cyberbrains are a means to global mind-control, and once interacting with it, potentially allowing you to modify a roll with
enough of the population has got the surgery, ‘They’ will
an Aspect Score, apply Traits, and use other effects you would
puppeteer vast swathes towards some dark purpose.
not normally be able to due to using remote control.
A few even believe this is the goal not of governments, but For example, if you were making an Attack with a gun that is
of Bridgebuilder, who is secretly steering humanity towards remote-controlled by your Cyberbrain, you could expend 1 Power
transcendence. Whether this conspiracy within a conspiracy to create a virtual reality construct of the gun you could ‘hold’
is good or evil is hotly debated by a couple-dozen people. and ‘aim’, enabling you to modify the Attack Throw with Finesse,
and apply the benefits of Traits such as Gunslinger I.
Psyware: Brain Accelerator - 3

Keywords: Bionic
1/HotRound, you can expend 1 Power and add any number

of additional d6s to your Dice Pool. You immediately take 1d6
Physical (Internal) Damage for each 1d6 added to your Dice
Pool this way.
If using this Trait would reduce your Fortune to 0, the Crisis

from it happens at the end of the Round (or your Turn, if in
Combat).
Psyware: Memory Pump - 2

Keywords: Bionic
When you are about to make an Intellect Throw, you can first
make Toughness Saves until you succeed on one. You take
1d6 Physical (Internal) Damage for each failed Save, and the
Intellect Throw you are making becomes Explosive.
An incredibly risky self-inflicted ghosthack, said to be first

invented by a cramming student in the Interest. She did not make
the exam.
51
Psyware: Pain Inhibitor - 2 Character Traits
Character Mechanics
Keywords: Bionic The following Traits are all about your character; what they can
Character creation
do, what assets that have at their command, what special abilities
1/Mission, when you are reduced to 0 Fortune by Physical
they possess, and so on.
Damage, you can choose to immediately regain 2d6 Fortune
and temporarily avoid the Crisis as you ignore the pain of the
wound. When you do, your Fortune is returned to 0 at the end Animal-Human Fighting Duo - 3
of the Scene and you suffer the Crisis and gain a Stigma as you Requires: Skill (Survival) 3+ & Equipment (any Animal)
would have normally.
You and your animals are capable of fighting in tandem. While
If you use this Trait and you are reduced to 0 Fortune by you have an animal Returned, melee Attacks you make gain the
Physical Damage before the end of the Scene, you suffer a Crisis following benefits:
immediately and the Stigma you gain is particularly severe, of a • Whenever you make a melee Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw.
severity of a 3rd Stigma.
• Whenever you hit with a melee Attack, you deal an additional
+1d3 Physical (External) Damage.
Psyware: Bicameral Ghost - 2 While you have an animal Released, ranged Attacks targeting
Playing the Game
Keywords: Bionic enemies adjacent to at least one of your animals gain the
Requires: Trait (A-Rank Hacker) following benefits:
This Psyware enables you to have a duplicate of your ghost work • Whenever you make a ranged Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw.
in tandem with you when using the Possession Program.
In addition, your animal(s) do not provide Soft Cover for
When you apply the Possession Program once, you retain the the targets of your ranged Attacks, and if the target successful
Premade Punks
ability to move and perceive from your physical body. Dodges your Attack, the Attack does not then hit an animal.
You can apply the Possession Program to a second target, one

under the control of a perfect replica of your ghost, and the Art of the Conceal - 3
other under the control of your real ghost. Both ghosts can Requires: Skill (Art) 9+
‘think’ and act independently, but they are both controlled by
The world of 2044
you. While using two copies of the Possession Program like this, You are such a skilled practitioner that you can conceal things
you cannot move nor perceive from your physical body. within your art - from coded messages to killing techniques.
Whenever you use the Possession Program, you gain a free Provided every Art Throw to work your art scores 30 or higher,
3d6 to your Dice Pool that can solely be expended on physical you can conceal some ‘thing’ within the art.
actions for a target of the Possession Program. You refresh these For example, you might conceal preparing a gun within your
free 3d6 at the start of each Round in which the Possession dance, or convey a certain message with your saxophone freestyle,
Program remains. or hide a binary code in the paint-strokes of a painting.
Any duplicate ghosts created by this Psyware are erased after the If you make an Attack from your concealed art, add +1d6 to the
Possession stops. Attack Throw for each lot of 20 you Scored with your Art Throw
(for example a Score of 42 would add +2d6 to the Throw). Such
Attacks count as being made from Hidden.
Psyware: Tricameral Ghost - 2
Keywords: Bionic If your concealing art is intended to convey information, it is
generally assumed that you have informed the crew how to
GM’s Toolkit
Requires: Trait (Psyware: Bicameral Ghost)

understand the information, but you can use a Flashback to
This Psyware enables you to have a duplicate of your ghost work explain the cover explaining the code.
in tandem with you when using the Possession Program.
If the art form is something performed - such as dance or music
When you apply the Possession Program up to twice, you retain - you will need to repeatedly make Art Throws across successive
the ability to move and perceive from your physical body. Rounds to maintain the performance and concealment.
You can apply the Possession Program to a third target, two

under the control of perfect replicas of your ghost, and the final
under the control of your real ghost. All ghosts can ‘think’ and
act independently, but they are all controlled by you. While
using three copies of the Possession Program like this, you
cannot move nor perceive from your physical body.
Any duplicate ghosts created by this Psyware are erased after the
Possession stops.
52
Assassin III - 4
Requires: Skill (Stealth) 9+ & Trait (Assassin II)
You gain the following benefits:

• Whenever you make an Attack from Hidden, the Attack is
made on Advantage.
• Against characters, Attacks with a Stealth Weapon count as
having an AP of 10.
• Whenever you Attack from Hidden, the Damage is doubled. If
the Damage is already doubled, it is instead quadrupled.
Aura of Authority - 2
Requires: Skill (Dominate) 9+
You exude an aura of authority, that causes characters who do

not know you to simply assume you are in charge in any Scene
where an authority figure is otherwise not obviously present.
Backstreet Labyrinth - 2
Requires: Skill (Streetwise) 6+
You know the myriad obscure routes throughout the city. When
you travel, you can choose to travel via the hidden passages of
the city. When you do so, it becomes incredibly difficult to track
or stalk you and anyone you are travelling with. You’re likely to
arrive at your destination dirtier than you would have if you’d
taken the main streets.
Just beyond the light of the street lamps, winding alleyways,

hidden footpaths, sewers, and geofront passages connect in a
parallel maze-dimension. This is the secret labyrinth within city,
and you know all its ways.
Batter Up! - 2
Assassin I - 4 Requires: Skill (Athletics) 6+
Requires: Skill (Stealth) 3+
1/Round, when an object is launched in your general direction
You gain the following benefits: and you are holding a blunt instrument, you can make a
• Whenever you make an Attack from Hidden, add +1d6 to the Toughness Athletics Throw (DC 20) to bat the object in
Throw, and +1d6 to the Damage. another direction. On a success, you swing and hit the object,
• You are skilled at killing without being noticed. When your sending it in a direction of your choosing. You miss the object
Attacks from Hidden render someone Incapacitated, you ensure on a failure.
the act won’t be noticed; you muffle the target as you take them
You can use this Trait as a Reaction in Combat to bat an
down, you prevent any blood splatter, you catch the bullet
incoming object such as a grenade away. If the grenade would
casing ejected from the silenced pistol, etc. This Trait doesn’t
have made an Attack targeting you and you succeeded on the
erase all evidence of your presence. Someone forensically
Toughness Athletics Throw, you decide a new target for the
searching the scene might find hair, a drop of blood, gunpowder
grenade. The Attack roll for this redirected grenade counts its
traces, etc.
Successes from the Toughness Athletics Throw.
For example, if you rolled 3, 3, 4, 5, and 6 for the Toughness
Assassin II - 4 Athletics Throw (scoring 21 and succeeding), you would have 2
Successes for the Attack of the redirected grenade (the 5 and 6).
Requires: Skill (Stealth) 6+ & Trait (Assassin I)

• Whenever you make an Attack from Hidden, add +1d6 to the
Throw, and increase the weapon’s AP by 1 for that Attack.
• When Attacking from Hidden, your Unarmed Attacks deal
a base Damage of 1d6, as opposed to the normal 1d3, and the
total rolled for the Damage is doubled.
• When Attacking from Hidden, if you render the target
Incapacitated in that sole Attack and the target was not in the
view of anyone else, you do not cease to be Hidden.
53
Beast Master - 3 Challenging - 2
Character Mechanics
Requires: Skill (Survival) 6+ 1/Mission, in a Scene where you have crossed blades, locked
eyes, clashed across the Net, traded insults, or otherwise
Character creation
Whenever you Consume dice to give a command to an animal, spiritually clashed with another character, you can use this Trait
you can expend an additional 1 dice. If you do so, the command to have an unspoken Challenge pass between you two. When
you gave to the one animal applies to all animals under your you do so, choose whether the Challenge is Physical, Mental,
control that can see and hear you. Each animal expends the or Political based on the narrative circumstances. The other
same amount of dice you initially Consumed. character then makes a Clarity Save.
For example, if you Consumed 2 to have a dog use the Move
Action, you could expend a further 1 dice to have both dogs use On a failed Save, both you and the Challenged character gain
the Move Action. Each dog would then move a distance that a the following effect:
character with a Fast Stride would travel if they Consumed 4. An unspoken challenge has passed between you and the
Challenged character. You are compelled to fight with each
Black Market Surgeon - 4 other over others. If you would deal the chosen Damage type to
another character when you could have targeted the Challenged
Requires: Skill (Medicine) 6+ character, that Damage is rolled with Disadvantage.

Playing the Game
You’ve provided your medical skill for the underworld, and have This effect lasts until one of you is reduced to 0 Fortune, or the
picked up a few tricks. Mission ends. When it ends for one character it ends for both.
1/Scene, you can make a Finesse Medicine Throw (DC 25/
Cold) to do one of the following, or design a similar ‘criminal Chaotic Evil Knievel - 2
medicine’ effect:
Requires: Skill (Pilot) 3+
Premade Punks
• Surgically conceal an object instead a character’s body.

• Create fake medical paperwork and data that can be used for Your piloting ability thrives on the precipice of disaster.
prescriptions, hospital administration, and so on. Whenever you make a Pilot Throw to use a vehicle in a way
where failure would result in the destruction of the vehicle and
• If a character has taken Physical Damage, administer
your likely death, you make the Throw on Advantage. Examples
dangerous stimulants to a person to make them fighting fit, at
include driving over ravines or pulling up a plane at the last
the cost of future health. The character regains 2d6 Fortune,
second.
The world of 2044
and at the end of the following Scene makes a Toughness Save.

On a failed save, the character is reduced to 0 Fortune as their “Fuck ‘ride or die’. Ride and die, that’s my motto.”
body reaches its limit, and they suffer a Crisis as normal. On a
successful Save, they are instead reduced to 1 Fortune.
Body Reader - 2
You can tell what someone is saying or communicating just by
observing their movements. You can read people’s lips, tell what
they’re typing just by seeing their hand movements, and so on.
Bonded - 2
When you take this Trait, choose another Punk. Whenever you
GM’s Toolkit
Help a Throw made by the chosen Punk, reduce the amount

of dice you would Consume to Help the Throw by 2 (to a
minimum of 1).
Whenever the chosen Punk Helps you with a Throw, add +1d6
to the Throw.
Both thumbs pricked then pressed together, and that was it: they
were blood brothers.
B-Telepath - 2
Keywords: Bionic
You have mastered the art of being to communicate fluently via

Bcomms without moving your mouth or otherwise making any
outward gestures.
54
Combat Medic - 4 Digitised Collection - 2
Requires: Skill (Medicine) 6+ Requires: Skill (Art) 3+
At the end of a Scene in which any allied character you are with Your crew gains the Asset: Digitised Collection. This Asset is an
took Physical (External) Damage but hasn’t been reduced to 0 extensive body of digital art pieces, that might be music, graphic
Fortune, that character regains 1d6 Fortune. designs, digitally-copied paintings, ambience tracks, videos,
or a combination of multiple mediums, that have either been
Action: Emergency Treatment. While adjacent to a character produced by you or collected by you.
that has been reduce to 0 Fortune due to Physical (External)
Damage, you can make a Speed Medicine Throw (ADC 30/ So long as it is a piece of work that could reasonably exist in
Hot). On a success, the GM rolls a d6. On a roll of 4 or higher, your Digitised Collection, anyone on your Network can invent a
you provide emergency medical treatment soon enough to piece of work to pull from the collection and use.
prevent any lasting damage. As a result the character does not
gain a Stigma nor a new Driver during the Epilogue. Suo had sunk a small fortune into salvaging her archive from the
wreckage of the internet, but it had been worth every penny. These
were her treasures, preserved in digital perpetuity.
Combat Medic II - 4 Diplomatic Immunity! - 3

Requires: Trait (Combat Medic) & Skill (Medicine) 9+ Requires: Skill (Politics) 6+
You have expanded your medical knowledge and supplies You have political protections, that can dissuade the powers that
to better deal with the intricacies of combat wounds and be from interfering. Provided you have 1 or less Heat and aren’t
unconventional warfare. When you use the abilities of the Trait demonstrably breaking the law, you have the following benefit:
Combat Medic, you can also apply them to characters who have
taken Physical (Internal) Damage. Any character that apprehends you, injures you, or otherwise
physically forces you to do something against your will, takes
In addition, whenever you or the GM rolls a d6 due to the 3d6 Political Damage at the end of the Scene. If they kill you,
effects of the Trait Combat Medic, you or the GM instead roll they instead take 4d6 Political Damage at the end of the Scene.
2d6 and pick the higher roll.
Draw (F)ire - 2
Requires: Skill (Dominate or Warfare) 3+
You have a knack for bellowing insults that incite anger in

others. You can make a Clarity Dominate Throw (DC 10/Hot).
On a success, any opponents with a Clarity Score of 0 or lower
are compelled to Attack you, or generally focus their efforts at
you, over other targets.
55
Drone Expert - 4 Fine Work - 3
Character Mechanics
You gain the following benefits: Requires: Aspect (Finesse) 2+

Character creation
• Whenever you make a Throw to pilot, articulate, or otherwise

Whenever you make a Finesse Skilled Throw, you can reroll
manoeuvre a drone, add +1d6 to the Throw. This includes any
up to three dice after other roll effects have been applied. You
Attacks made with a drone.
cannot reroll rerolls, and must use the rerolled result(s).
• When you use the Reaction ‘Drone Dodge’, add +1d6 to the
Speed Engineer Throw.

• When you Consume 2 in a Hot Round to give a drone a Fleet of Foot - 2
command to autonomously follow, you can choose to give that Requires: Aspect (Speed) 2+
same command to any other drones under your control for free.
Raise your Stride.
(Plodding ← Slow ← Normal → Fast → Lightning)
Eidetic Memory - 3
You can recall any information with perfect accuracy, provided
Greased Lightning - 2
you had time to fully absorb it. Note this doesn’t affect ‘muscle
memory’. Requires: Skill (Engineer) 6+
Playing the Game
Eidetic or ‘photographic’ memory is a prized skill in an age where Any Engineer Throw made in a Hot Round to assemble, repair,
sensitive data stored digitally can so easily be stolen, so much so or similarly work with hardware has its DC reduced by 10, to a
that some attempt to induce it through meditative techniques or minimum of 10.
hacking their own cyberbrain.
Great First Impression - 2

Premade Punks
Eyes & Ears - 2 Requires: Skill (Converse) 3+

Repeatable III
Requires: Skill (Any) 3+ You have Advantage on any Converse Throws focused on
socialising with someone you’ve never met before.
You have a network of informants who, while unable to
influence matters, can provide you with information. When
Hacknotist - 3
The world of 2044
you gain this Trait, choose a Skill that you have a Skill Level of
3 or higher in. If you take multiple copies of this Trait, you can Keywords: Bionic
choose different Skills. Requires: Trait (Hypnotist) & Trait (A-Rank Hacker)
1/Mission, your informants can provide the crew with hard- You’ve mastered the complex art of combining electronic
to-get information from the sector of your chosen Skill. When ghosthacking with hypnosis through physical stimuli. The art is
you use this Trait, the GM secretly rolls 1d6. On a roll of 1, the called ghost-hypnosis.
information is false. Otherwise, the information the GM gives
you is true. In a Warm Scene, you can choose a Ghosthack Program,
and begin making Clarity Converse Throws to induce that
The information might be an individual’s damning secret, the Ghosthack Program in a character you are talking to. The DC
specifics of a thing produced by that sector, how a faction in of the Converse Throw is an ADC, which is double the ADC of
that sector intends to act in some scenario, or something else. the Hacking Throw necessary to apply the Ghosthack Program
normally. You don’t need to be Intruded into the target nor
beyond their Ghostline to apply a Ghosthack Program this way.
GM’s Toolkit
You must make a Clarity Converse Throw targeting the same

character each Round until the ADC is passed; failure to make
a Throw in a Round before the ADC is passed will result in the
ghost-hypnosis failing to take root.
A Ghosthack Program applied this way is hard to remove. Even

if the Program is identified by the Scan Program, it cannot be
removed the way a Program could normally be removed. A
Ghosthack Program applied with this Trait can only be removed
by a rule of the Program itself, or the help of a trained counter-
hypnosis specialist.
In 2041, the hacker Ultrabaroque rose to infamy after pioneering

techniques that turned half the Confederate Foods upper
management into imbecilic fans of the virtual pop idol Miki.
56
Heal the Spirit - 3 Household Chemical Warfare - 4
Requires: Skill (Medicine or Spirituality) 6+ Requires: Skill (Science) 6+
1/Scene, while adjacent to a character that has been reduced While in the presence of household chemicals, such as what you
to 0 Fortune due to Mental Damage, you can make a Clarity would find in a kitchen or cleaning-cupboard, you can use this
Spirituality Throw (DC 20). On a success, the GM rolls a d6. Trait to combine them to create various effects.
On a roll of 5 or higher, you provide guidance of the mind that
prevents any psychological scars from forming. As a result the In a Warm Scene, you can make an Intellect Science Throw
character does not gain a Stigma nor a new Driver during the (ADC 30/Warm) to achieve one of the following effects, or a
Epilogue. similar effect of your design:
• Create a set up that will continuously produce thick,
obscuring smoke, which will quickly fill the room and begin to
Home Turf - 3 spread.
Requires: Skill (Streetwise) 3+ • Create a noxious odour, powerful enough to make eyes water.
When you take this Trait, designate an area that is your ‘home • Create a small explosive, that will detonate after a number of
turf’. While in your home turf, you gain the following benefits: Warm Rounds you designate. The explosive is unlikely to do
anyone any real harm, but will cause alarm and ignite objects
• You know your home turf like the back of your hand. You have
caught in its blast.
Advantage on any Skilled Throws to navigate or traverse your
home turf. • Create a slick substance, that when spilled on a flat surface will
make it almost impossible to walk over.
• A ‘wall of silence’ protects you. For the purposes of gaining
Heat, local people seeing you or members of the crew with you In a Hot Scene, you can make a Speed Science Throw (ADC
does not count as ‘some means of identifying’ any of your or the 30/Hot) to achieve one of the following effects, or a similar
crew’s transgressions. In addition, provided the transgression is effect of your design:
not against a local person, any Heat gained from a transgression
• Create a smokescreen that obscures you and anyone adjacent.
perpetrated while on your home turf is reduced by 1.
Alternatively you or someone else can succeed on a Toughness
In addition, a few local people are willing to give you their time, Throw (DC 15/Hot) to accurately throw the chemical solution’s
advice, and labour. Whenever you make a Skilled Throw while container to a place nearby, where it will burst and create the
on your home turf for an action that one or a few people could smokescreen there.
reasonably aid in, you add +1d6 to the Throw. • Create an incendiary cocktail. To throw the cocktail you
or someone else must make a separate Toughness Attack.
The cocktail has the Blast property, and deals 3d6 Physical
Home Turf II - 4 (External) Damage.
Requires: Trait (Home Turf) & Skill (Streetwise) 9+
In his little lab, Blake Webb needs nothing from the outside world.
While in your home turf, you are so well-recognised and With his plants and his chemicals he can sustain himself forever,
respected that, when you are in a public space, you gain benefits experiment forever, make bombs forever. The world may have
such as the following: forgotten Blake Webb, but he hasn’t forgotten what it did to him.
• The local community has your back to the extent that you
cannot be physically threatened, apprehended, or assaulted.
If the police try to take you away, there will be a riot, and if a
Human Can-Opener - 2
group tries to attack you, the local community will take up arms Requires: Skill (Investigate) 3+
to defend you. If someone tries to make you leave, you will have
You are particularly good at pulling the truth out of people
to go willingly.
by talking to them. You can use your Investigate Skill for
• In times of desperation, the local community can collectively conversations where the focus is gaining information, and the
give you their aid. One time only, you can use this effect to gain DC for such Throws is 5 lower than it would be for a Converse
a substantive amount of any material or resource of your choice or Dominate Throw.
that people in your home turf could reasonably provide, as you
beseech your people to lend you their aid.
• People don’t just refuse to talk to authorities about you; they
actively prevent anyone or anything leaking information about
you. While on your home turf, you and members of your Crew
cannot gain Heat from there being ‘some means of identifying’
you.
In addition, local people are willing to give you their time,

advice, and labour. Whenever you make a Skilled Throw while
on your home turf for an action that a group of people could
reasonably aid in, you add +3d6 to the Throw. This effect
replaces the similar effect in the Trait Home Turf.
57
Hypnotist - 4 Imitator - 4
Character Mechanics
Requires: Skill (Converse or Dominate) 6+ Requires: Skill (Converse) 6+

Character creation
You are able to induce altered mental states and involuntary tics. You are highly skilled at imitating people.
In a Warm Scene, you can make a Clarity Converse Throw You can make an Intellect Converse Throw to study a character’s
(DC 30/Warm) to induce one of the following effects in a behaviour to develop an imitation of them. The DC against and
character you are talking to, or induce a similar effect of your Temperature in which you make the Throw depends on the
design: narrative context.
• The character becomes sleepy. If they’re in a setting where
If you have substantive material on the character’s speech and
they could reasonable fall asleep, they will. Otherwise they will,
behaviour to study, you make an Intellect Converse Throw
if possible, try to return to their bed or somewhere else to sleep.
(DC 30/Cold).
• The character gains a subconscious mechanism. When
you induce this effect, choose a trigger and a tic. The trigger If you are studying the character in-person, either observing
could be a sound, a particular image, a phrase, or some other them at a distance or talking with them, you make an Intellect
stimulus. While the character experiences the trigger, they Converse Throw (DC 20/Warm). If studying at a distance, you
Playing the Game
then exhibit the tic. The tic can be a simple, physical response, must maintain a constant view of the character.
such as opening your hands or feeling sleepy, or it can be an
emotional response, like feeling happiness or paranoia. If the On a failure, the character proves too difficult for you to imitate.
tic is a physical action that happens out of sight of the character In addition, if you fail and are in view of the character, they
exhibiting it, such as a movement with the hands, they may not realise you are fixated on them, and may become suspicious.
even realise they are exhibiting the tic.
On a success, you can do the following, and achieve similar
Premade Punks
• The character’s mood is shifted towards one of your choosing, effects:

such as affable, angry, or bored. This effect isn’t strong enough
to completely flip someone’s mood. For example you couldn’t • Perfectly imitate the person’s voice, including any mannerisms.
make someone deeply relaxed suddenly become highly agitated, Only people intimately close with the imitated person would be
but you could make them much less relaxed. able to tell the voice is fake.
• Move like the person, including imitating any gestures or
You cannot hypnotise a character if they are highly defensive of mannerisms. The imitation is good enough that it would fool
The world of 2044
you. gait-recognition software.

For example, you couldn’t hypnotise someone after you’ve tied
them to a chair and threatened them.
Information Control - 3
Profiteers have always relied upon leverage gained through Requires: Skill (Politics) 6+
underhanded social engineering to make their money – in this
highly regulated age, their methods have grown more complex and A web of moles, bots, and informants allows you to effectively
insidious. audit narratives. Such a web can be used to shift blame and
suspicion with relative ease.
3/Mission, you can do one of the following:

• Move up to 3 Heat from one Punk in the crew (possibly
yourself) to one or several other Punks in the crew, divided as
you choose.
GM’s Toolkit
• Choose a Punk in the crew (possibly yourself) with at least 1

Heat, and one of your Contacts. The Punk loses all Heat, and
you lose that Contact as they take the fall. After the current
Mission, that Contact becomes permanently unavailable to you
and another other Punk that has them as a Contact.
Internal Clock - 2
You always know what time it is to within a minute. Being
rendered unconscious and sleeping do not interfere with this
ability.
In addition, when you start counting you can accurately count

the exact number of seconds that have elapsed since you began.
You may have multiple counts going simultaneously.
Internal Compass - 2
You always know which way is north, and can accurately retrace
a path you have taken within the last week.
Moral compass sold separately.
58
Iron Will - 3 Know your Enemy - 2
Whenever you take Mental Damage, reduce that Damage by Requires: Skill (Warfare) 3+
double your Clarity Score.
Whenever you are about to make a Throw in a Cold Scene to do
with researching a group, you can increase the DC by 5. If you
Jack of All Trades - 3 do, in addition to any information the GM gives you, you can
Whenever you make a Skilled Throw for a Skill for which you also gain the following information:
have a Skill Level of 3 or lower, add +1d6 to the Throw. • Learn the name and a few details of one individual within the
group that is disgruntled, either with another group member or
the entire outfit, if they exist.
• You learn a weakness in the group’s equipment, mindset, or
organisational structure. Choose one from Physical, Mental, or
Political Damage. Every time the chosen type of Damage is dealt
to the member of the group, one of the dice in the Damage roll
is Maximised.
• You learn the name and specifics of either a single piece of
interesting equipment used by the group, or the standard
equipment of the members of the group. The GM chooses
which option you learn.
Agnes Durgin had been fighting for conservationist measures for so

long and so totally that most of her opponents knew her personally
- although, against their will. Rumour was she’d crashed a child’s
birthday party to pressure someone to take their name off a bill.
Lucky - 4
3/Mission, you can entirely reroll a Throw. You still roll the
same amount of dice for the reroll. You must use the new roll.
Invisible behind a smog-choked sky, the lucky star you were born
under shines bright.
Jesus take the Wheel - 2

Requires: Skills (Pilot & Spirituality) 3+
When you make a successful Pilot Throw to drive a vehicle, at

the start of the next Round after you made that Throw (or at
the start of your Turn if you are in Initiative) you can choose
to let Jesus Take The Wheel, abandoning the vehicle controls.
When you do so, the GM secretly rolls a 1d6. On a roll of 3-6,
the vehicle behaves as if you had rolled the same Pilot Throw
as the previous Round, and got the same score. On a roll of 1
or 2, at the end of the Round, the vehicle crashes. If there is any
resulting Damage from this crash, passengers take an extra +1d6
Physical Damage.
Or Odin, or Ganesha, or really any deity that can work a stick

shift.
Jury-Rigger - 2
Requires: Skill (Engineer) 3+
Whenever you make an Engineer Throw to repair something,

you can choose to Jury Rig it. When you do so, any special tools
you might need to fix the object are not needed for that Throw
(you make do on basic tools). On a success, the GM secretly
rolls a 1d6. In that many Rounds, the object repaired breaks
worse than it was before you interacted with it, potentially
causing Damage if it was a hazardous object.
59
Character Mechanics
Character creation

Playing the Game
MacGyver - 4 Make Some Calls - 3

Premade Punks
Requires: Skill (Engineer) 6+ Requires: Skill (Politics) 6+
You can use this Trait to create various improvised devices 1/Mission, during a Cold or Warm Scene, you can ‘make some
by combining scrap, salvage, household objects, and other calls’ and pick someone who you know the name, face, and
ordinary objects. location of to have the iron fist of the powers that be brought
down upon them.
The world of 2044
In a Warm Scene, you can make an Intellect Engineer Throw

(ADC 30/Warm) to create one of the following devices, or a When you make some calls, gain between 1 and 3 Heat. The
similar device of your design: person you’ve named takes 2d6 Political Damage for each point
• A device that can launch a small object with enough force to of Heat gained at the end of the Scene, or at a later point in
reach up to the Medium distance (300 metres away). Objects are the current Mission you designate. Explain how this Political
accurately fired using Finesse Throws. Damage manifests in the narrative.
• A device that autonomously moves in one direction along
the ground, drifts up, floats down, or otherwise moves in a Master of Study - 3
particular direction once released. The device is strong enough
Requires: Aspect (Intellect) 2+
to carry one small object with it.
• A device that can slowly but surely cut through durable Whenever you make a Skilled Throw towards an Accumulating
materials such as a metal door. The device is too cumbersome DC, add +1d6 to the roll for each time that you have previously
and fragile to use as a weapon. made the same Throw towards that ADC. This effect does not
apply to Hacking Throws.
GM’s Toolkit
• A device that measures pulse, which can be used as a crude

lie-detector.
In a Hot Scene, you can make a Speed Engineer Throw (ADC Ninja behind the Wheel - 3
30/Hot) to create one of the following devices, or a similar Requires: Skill (Pilot) 6+ & Aspect (Finesse) 1+
device of your design:
You have such an affinity for your vehicle, you can move about
• A device that will catapult a small object after a number of Hot
it like an acrobat. You gain the following benefits when using
Rounds of your choosing (minimum of 1). If the catapult would
any Vehicle you own as a piece of Equipment:
make a Throw to accurately land an object, such as an Attack
Throw to hit someone, it rolls 5d6. • You do not need to specifically use your hands to manipulate
the controls of that vehicle. Your feet, mouth, or any other
• A bomb, set to detonate in a number of Hot Rounds of
means of grasping are equally competent.
your choosing (minimum of 2). You can plant the bomb, or
alternately you or someone else can succeed on a Toughness • So long as you can reach the controls, you also don’t need to
Throw (DC 15/Hot) to accurately throw the bomb to a place be placed in the driver’s seat of the vehicle to steer it, if it has
nearby. The bomb has the Blast property, and deals 4d6 Physical such a thing.
(External) Damage when it detonates. • You have Advantage on all Finesse Throws to move around
• A device that extinguishes fires in an area. You can hold onto and upon the vehicle.
the device and use it to extinguish strong flames nearby, or • You intuitively know the placement of (and can grasp) all the
you or someone else can succeed on a Toughness Throw (DC controls of your vehicle without having to look, and can choose
15/Hot) to accurately throw the device to a place nearby, to to steer the vehicle in basic directions such as ‘straight forward’
extinguish fires that place. or ‘turning right’ without looking. You still make Pilot Throws
for such steering when necessary.
60
Parkour - 2 Power Broker - 3
Requires: Skill (Athletics) 6+ Requires: Skill (Industry or Politics) 6+
You have mastered the art of moving across terrain efficiently 1/Mission, you can lose any amount of Power to ‘rent’ a single
through athletics and acrobatics. You have Advantage on any piece of unmodded Equipment from someone you know;
Athletics Throws to move through urban spaces in an acrobatic perhaps a Contact or local vendor. The Equipment’s expCOIN
manner. cost can be no higher than half the amount of Power expended.
The GM may still have you make a Throw or Consume dice
When moving, you can move over objects, Cover, and so on to represent the effort of acquiring the piece of Equipment.
without any delay to your movement, meaning you don’t have Generally the Equipment can be returned at your earliest
to Consume more to move around objects when reaching a convenience, but the GM may stipulate you can only keep the
destination. Equipment it for a limited time, and the Equipment must at the
latest be returned in the Epilogue.
Performance Artist - 4 1/Scene, you can expend any amount of Power when you
make a Converse Throw centred around bargaining, bartering,
Requires: Skill (Art) 6+
or otherwise negotiating mutual self-interest, as you offer the
When you perform your art, you draw vigour from your crew’s resources to sweeten a deal. Add +1d6 to the Throw
audience. In a Warm or Hot Scene, for each Art Throw you for each 1 point of Power you expended. You can use this
make to perform to an audience (whether that be music, dance, Trait after you have rolled the Converse Throw, but before the
live painting, poetry, or some other form of live creativity), consequence of the roll are declared by the GM.
you gain one Performance Point for each 10 contained with a
Score.
For example, an Art Throw that Scored 23 would give you 2
Power Supply - 3
Performance Points. Repeatable III
Requires: Skill (Engineer, Industry, or Politics) 6+
At any point in a Scene, you may spend Performance Points to
gain one of the following effects: Increase the amount of Power you provide to the Crew by +2.
• Reduce an amount of Damage you are about to take by 1 for
each Performance Point spent.
• Increase an amount of Damage you are about to deal by 1d3
for each Performance Point spent.
• Increase the Score of a Skilled Throw you have made by 1d3
for each Performance Point spent. This applies after the Throw
has been rolled but before its effects are determined.
• Increase the Score of a Skilled Throw made by an ally you
are aware of by 1 for each Performance Point spent. This
applies after the Throw has been rolled but before its effects are
determined.
All Performance Points are lost at the end of a Scene.
Pitcher - 2
Requires: Skill (Athletics) 3+
When making a Throw to throw something one-handed - such

as a baseball - you make the Throw on Advantage.
When throwing an Explosive for which you would make an

Attack, instead of Advantage you can choose to reroll up to 2
dice for the Attack roll. You cannot reroll rerolls, and must use
the rerolled result(s).
Polyglot - 2
Requires: You know at least four languages
Each Pidgin you know counts once towards the number of

languages required to know to take this Trait.
You have developed a broad enough knowledge of languages

that you can know a little bit of everything. You can hold a very
basic conversation in any language.
61
Psycho Warfare - 4 Rally - 3
Character Mechanics
Keywords: Taboo Requires: Skill (Any) 6+

Requires: Skill (Dominate) 6+
Character creation
When you first take this Trait, choose a Skill which you have a
You are well-versed in psychological warfare and all of its Skill Level of 6 or higher in, that you use to inspire your allies.
horrifying graft. You can use your abilities to cause fear and For example, you might use the Dominate Skill to bellow
unease in others. commands to your allies, or the Art Skill to play inspiring riffs on
the guitar.
1/Scene, you can either:
Gain 2 Heat to make an Intellect Dominate Throw (ADC 40/ 1/Scene, in a Warm or Hot Scene, you can begin a Rally, an
Cold) to produce on a success an effect in a Cold Scene such as inspiring speech or act. Beginning a Rally is an Action when
the following, or design a similar effect: in Combat. When you begin a Rally, Consume any number of
dice. You then create the Rally Pool, which contains d3s equal to
• Covertly disperse abhorrent audio and sensory recordings
the number of dice you just Consumed.
amongst your enemies in a particular building or place, causing
them to each take 1d6 Mental Damage at the start of the next You can at any point each Round (or on your Turn if in
Scene in which you encounter them. Initiative) Consume more dice to add that many d3s to the Rally
Playing the Game
• Induce paranoia in a particular person, by giving them the Pool. Every Round (or Turn if in Initiative) you must Consume
(correct) belief that someone has been stalking them, tracelessly at least 1 dice to contribute to the Rally Pool, otherwise the
breaking into their abode, and so on. Rally ends and the Rally Pool (including any dice in it) is lost.
Or, you can gain 2 Heat to make a Finesse Dominate Throw Allies that can hear you can, when they make a Skilled Throw,
(DC 15/Warm) to produce on a success an effect in a Warm take any number of d3s out of the Rally Pool and add them to
Premade Punks
Scene such as the following, or design a similar effect: the Throw. They can add these d3s after the roll has been made,
• Brutalise and display a body in a manner so abhorrent that but before any consequences of that Throw are determined.
people will be afraid to go close to it. Characters (including your
In Combat, you Consume dice to begin and maintain a Rally as
allies) must succeed on a Clarity Save to be able to approach to
Actions. In addition, while in Combat, an ally that can hear you
move past the body after your work is done.
can remove 1d3 from the Rally Pool to do one of the following:
The Heat gained from the above acts assumes you perform them • Reroll 1 dice in an Attack or Dodge Throw, once per Throw.
The world of 2044
covertly. The GM may change the amount of Heat you gain • On their Turn, regain 1d3 Fortune, once per Round. An ally
from using this Trait based on the narrative context. who has been reduced to 0 Fortune cannot regain Fortune this
way.
Action: Glory Kill. Immediately after you Incapacitate a
character with a Melee Attack, make a Toughness Dominate
Throw (DC 20/Hot). On a success, you deal 2d6 Mental Ranger - 4
Damage to any enemies who see or hear the killing, and half as
Requires: Skill (Survival) 6+
much to members of your Crew who see or hear the killing.
You are in your element in the lands beyond the metropolis.
When the West Coast Front ground into a stalemate, both sides
While in untamed terrain, such as the forest, mountains, or
concluded breaking the enemy’s spirit was the only way to win.
desert, you gain the following benefits:
Terrible things were done in the name of a victory that never came
to be. • Any Survival Throws, and any other Throws to do tracking,
navigating, or searching, with are made on Advantage.
• You can forage food from the region enough to consistently
GM’s Toolkit
sustain yourself and one other person.

• Travel, including with a group, takes half the time it normally
would.
• When you are making the Speed Throw to determine Initiative
at the start of Combat, add +1d6 to the Throw.
• When you make Stealth Throws to become Hidden, add +1d6
to the Throw.
The new ecology has created vast regions of depopulated

terrain, from artificial forests to new deserts. Whether they are
security, a scientist, or a smuggler, those who move through
such regions must learn, or perish.
Beyond the edge of civilisation, at the limits of my ability, that’s

where I found them: Orryn’s Wheel. Before I could only survive
with the tools produced by humanity’s war on nature. They taught
me how to live in harmony, using the only tool I truly own: myself.
62
Reconstruct the Scene - 3 Sock Puppet Master - 2
Requires: Skill (Investigate) 9+ Requires: Skill (Software) 3+
When in a Scene where there is the aftermath of some physical You are particularly good at fabricating fake profiles on the Net.
event, such as aftermath of a shootout, a car crash, or a break- You can make a Clarity Software Throw (ADC 30/Cold) to do
in, you can make an Intellect Investigate Throw (DC 30/ one of the following, or create a similar effect:
Warm). On a success, you accurately reconstruct the sequence • Create a single profile that appears to any normal observer to
of physical events that led to the aftermath in your mind. In be substantive. The profile appears to have been made years ago.
addition, you learn some of the psychology involved in the You can tailor the profile as you please.
sequence, such as if two characters were cautious about each
• Create a mass of profiles all of which voice a particular
other before they had a violent altercation, or if the intruder
opinion, to give the sense of group support for something on
was calm and collected when they broke in, by analysing
the Net. Scrutiny into any of these profiles will reveal them to be
microscopic clues picked up by your subconscious.
fake, but at a casual glance they seem real.
This Trait is not supernatural: it won’t enable you to know
things that don’t leave a physical trace, like words said or the
faces of characters involved in the sequence of events. However
Steeling Ritual - 3
you will be able to learn specific physical details such as the Requires: Skill (Spirituality) 6+
trajectory of bullets fired or the gear the car was in before it
You can make a Clarity Spirituality Throw (DC 20/Cold) to
crashed.
engage in a ritual that steels the mind, either steeling yourself,
Wrench the past out of the present. or another who is present throughout the ritual. A character
other than yourself must Consume 5 to be present throughout
the ritual.
Robust Constitution - 3
On a success, provided the Cold Round in which you made
Requires: Aspect (Toughness) 2+
the Throw is followed by a Warm or Hot Scene, any Mental
Whenever you take Physical (Internal) Damage, reduce that Damage the subject of the ritual takes is halved (rounded
Damage by your current Toughness Score. down).
“I agreed to travel with these new companions while circuiting

the lake. ‘New Eleusinians’ they called themselves. A grand name Sticky Fingers - 2
for what appeared to be little more than farmers, although they Requires: Skill (Stealth) 6+
barely broke a sweat while I heaved myself up the hillside. Once we
crested it, I looked back and realised it was a bomb crater.” 1/Scene, choose an object previously mentioned in the
- Chpt. 4, What Remains of America, Joe Chapman narrative. Provided the location of that object isn’t currently
clearly established, you can make a Finesse Stealth Throw (DC
20). On a success, choose one of the following:
Running Technique - 2 • Having impulsively stolen it, the object is revealed to be on
Requires: Skill (Athletics) 6+ your person.
• If the object is something that was assumed to already on your
Raise your Stride.
person, it is revealed you have actually secretly placed onto
(Plodding ← Slow ← Normal → Fast → Lightning) someone else.
Skulker - 2 On a failure, the object remains wherever it would most likely

be.
Requires: Skill (Stealth) 6+
You can use this Trait as an Action while in Combat.
1/Scene, provided your location within the Scene hasn’t yet
been clearly established, you can make a Finesse Stealth Throw
(DC 20). On a success, you appear from a hiding place of your
choice. On a failure, you’re still hiding somewhere else. If you
immediately follow using this Trait with an Attack, the Attack is
made on Advantage.
The hiding place you appear from has to be somewhere you

could reasonably already be hiding in.
For example, you can’t use this Trait to appear already inside the
vault you’re trying to break into.
You can use this Trait as a Reaction while in Combat.
63
Character Mechanics
Character creation

Playing the Game
Stretch of Green I - 2 TLC - 3

Premade Punks
Requires: Skill (Ecology) 3+ Requires: Skill (Medicine) 3+
You maintain a stretch of vegetation; perhaps a portion of a park 1/Round, whenever a Punk Consumes a number of dice in a
or the greenscape on the side of a building. While providing Cold Scene to regain Fortune, you can Consume equal to half
no strict mechanical benefits, your stretch of green can have a that number of dice (rounded down, minimum of 1) to have
number of narrative uses, such as: that Punk regain an additional +1d6 Fortune.
The world of 2044
• Small objects can be covertly dropped off and picked up by

you and your allies hiding them amongst particular plants.
Total Retention - 3
• You can grow a small amount of either supplementary food,
Requires: Skill (Investigate) 6+
medicinal plants, or plants used for recreational purposes.
Through drugs, a blend of psyware, self-hypnosis, or some
The war left America’s agriculture in tatters. Farmer communes
other strange method, you are able to enter a mental state where
like the New Eleusinians chartered a course for survival in the new
your mind is able to completely absorb and analyse information
ecology, and carved out power for themselves along the way.
without impediment.
Stretch of Green II - 4 You can make an Intellect Spirituality Throw (DC 15/Cold) to
undergo your personal ritual to enter the Total Retention mental
Requires: Trait (Stretch of Green I) & Skill (Ecology) 6+ state. On a success, provided the Cold Round in which you
made the Throw is followed by a Warm or Hot Scene, you enter
Your stretch of green has been enlarged. You now maintain an
that Scene with the ‘Total Retention’ mental state.
GM’s Toolkit
entire park, or the entire side of a megastructure, with a few

gardener underlings. The following narrative uses replace the While under Total Retention, you gain the following effects:
uses of the Trait A Stretch Of Green I:
• Everything you perceive is perfectly recorded by your
• Small to medium-sized objects can be covertly dropped off memory, and can be recalled with perfect accuracy at any later
and picked up by you and your allies hiding them amongst date.
particular plants. Your underlings can even help move things for
• Your subconscious (played by the GM) forms conclusions
you. You can even bury objects, up to the size of a dead body.
about information absorbed that your conscious mind may
• You know all the blind spots of your stretch of green, and can have missed. The conclusions have to involve, at least in part,
use it as a meeting place where there is no risk of electronic information gained during Total Retention. The conclusions are
surveillance or other people listening in. always correct.
• You can grow either a large amount of one, or a small amount • Investigate Throws are made on Advantage and your
of two, of the following: supplementary food, medicinal plants, Awareness is doubled.
and/or plants used for recreational purposes.
• At the end of each Round, you take 1d6 Mental Damage.
Supply & Demand - 2 At the end of each Round in which you were in the Total
Retention mental state, you can choose to end the mental state it
Requires: Skill (Industry) 6+ after taking the Mental Damage.
Unless it uses secret, advanced technology you are not aware of,
you always know where the materials for an object were sourced
from, where the object was manufactured, and who buys the
majority of the copies of the object.
64
Watch the Watchers - 2
Requires: Trait (Home Turf)
Body Traits
The following Traits modify the body’s appearance.
As a result of a local ally’s painstaking labour, you know all the
blind spots of any electronic surveillance in your home turf,
such as security cameras and aerial drones. By using a blind
spot, you can ensure there is no ‘means of identifying’ you or
members of your Crew recorded by surveillance for purposes of
avoiding Heat.
1/Mission, you can have your local allies covertly destroy

any electronic surveillance that covers a specific area within
your home turf, such as a particular street-corner or building,
creating another ‘blind spot’. This blind spot lasts until the
start of the next Cold Scene, after which the surveillance is
reinstalled and heightened interest in the area means any
transgressions perpetrated in it gain an additional +1 Heat.
Weather Forecast - 2 A Face of my Own - 3

Requires: Skill (Ecology) 3+
Requires: Body (Civilian Cyborg)
You have access to knowledge about impending weather. During
The Brief, you can intercede in the narration to say that your You have had your cyborg body remodelled, finally shedding the
character was forewarned of The Elements that have been rolled factory-made appearance for one unique to you. You lose the
for the Mission, and has taken some action to pre-empt The Anonymous Body rule that comes with the Civilian Cyborg
Elements. For example: Body. You can look like your previous self, before your full-
body transplant, or take on another physique and face of your
• In anticipation of the Blizzard, your character has already choosing. This includes your voice being altered.
moved to a particular location for the Mission to avoid getting
stuck in the snow. Having gathered the necessary contacts and arrangements to
• Suspecting an upcoming Bombing Season, your character got undergo this process once, the costs of undergoing it again
in touch with their criminal Contacts before the heightened are less. During a Cold Scene, you can spend 2 expCOIN and
police scrutiny. Consume your entire dice pool to have your cyborg body once
again remodelled to take on a new appearance.
You can choose to bring one other member of the Crew with
you on your pre-emptive course of action.
Armoured Skin - 3
Zero-G Oriented - 2 Keywords: Organic
Requires: Skill (Science or Survival) 3+ Increase your Armour by +1d3. Your armoured skin is visible,
even under your clothes.
Your instincts have shifted to handle the 3D navigation of a
zero gravity environment. You receive no penalties to handling Armoured skin is exceedingly unpleasant to look at, even more
yourself in zero gravity and low gravity. In addition, you have so than military bionics. You have Disadvantage on Converse
Advantage on Throws regarding navigating 3D spaces, where Throws around face-to-face conversations.
you are just as likely to go up or down as you are forwards or
backwards. Examples of such spaces are space stations, the A porous monomesh of QI materials hardens on impact, providing
insides of giant machines, and ancient sewer systems. you a modicum of defence while not inhibiting bodily functions.
Under the wrong lighting, it kind of looks like you have an insect
The enemy’s gate is down. carapace just under your skin. Disgusting.
Beauty - 3
You have Advantage on Converse and Dominate Throws
focused on someone (or someones) who finds you attractive.
This effect only applies if the person can see your face.
Beauty has always been shaped by class; those with money can
buy healthiness, fitness, good dentistry... Now, in the age of
wetprinting, some have the fortune to buy beauty wholesale, as
artists craft the very faces and bodies of their clients.
65
Inconspicuous Appearance - 2
Character Mechanics
Keywords: Organic
Requires: No other Body Traits
Character creation
You have an incredibly bland, forgettable appearance. You have

no visually distinctive qualities, and people can only describe
you as ‘average looking’, if they remember you at all. Characters
have Disadvantage on Streetwise Throws to search for you, and

you have Disadvantage on any Converse Throws focused on
getting or holding the attention of strangers.
At the end of any Scene where you would gain Heat due to from
your physical features being seen, that Heat is reduced by 1.
In the previous cold war, they would have called you a ‘little grey
man’.
Playing the Game
Pseudorganic - 2
Requires: Body (Civilian Cyborg or Military Cyborg)
Body Mod - 1 Your body has undergone an aesthetic process to seem more
‘organic’. While to anyone close you are obviously a Cyborg, at
Repeatable V
Premade Punks
a distance people will think you are a normal flesh-and-blood

human.
Choose or roll randomly for one of the minor, largely cosmetic
body modifications on the below table.
1d6 Name Keywords Description Stealth Skin - 3
1 Freaky Eyes Part or all of one or both Requires: Body (Civilian Cyborg or Military Cyborg)
eyes have been dyed or had
The world of 2044
Your synthetic skin has stealth technology incorporated into

their bionic casing altered.
it that makes it invisible to infrared and thermal vision. Its
2 Haptic Net-Linked Microlights shimmer under colouration is also suited to stealth: you gain a +2d6 to Stealth
Lights the skin in response to Throws while in the dark and wearing no to little clothing.
touch. The stronger the
sensation, the brighter they Your Stealth Skin has a matte grey colouration that makes you
shine. look suspect, even more so than normal as a cyborg. While not
3 Luminescent Organic Microlights shimmer under illegal - the police can’t exactly confiscate your skin - having
Skin the skin in response to your skin be visible may draw unwanted attention.
touch. The stronger the
sensation, the brighter they
shine.
4 Moving Bionic Micromeshes under the
Tattoos skin give you moving
‘tattoos’. Since the footage
GM’s Toolkit
is controlled via your

Cyberbrain, you can even
have the imagery change in
response to shifts in mood.
5 Thumb Net-Linked Everything beyond the
Drive last knuckle of your thumb
has been replaced with a
prosthesis, which contains
a small amount of data
storage and a universal plug.
6 Virtual Art Net-Linked When viewed in augmented
reality, you are covered in
a translucent armature of
your design; anything from
a suit of knightly armour to
neon graffiti contoured onto
your clothing.
Alternatively you can invent your own Body Mod. If the Body
Mod you invent would use electricity, it gains the Net-Linked
Keyword. If it would use electricity and connects to your
Cyberbrain, it instead gains the Bionic Keyword.
66
Bionic Traits Bionics and the Body
These following Traits replace the organs and limbs with bionic
Often stories within the cyberpunk genre regard prosthetic
counterparts.
limbs with a certain fetishistic reverence, portraying a
world where just about everyone has chrome somewhere
Bionic Arm - 2 on them. The idea is a little different in ECOPUNK.
Keywords: Bionic The primary function of bionic body parts half a decade
ago was not to endow the impaired with greater dexterity
Choose one or both of your arms. The chosen arms are bionic or mobility. Instead it was to strip soldiers of their slow-
from either the shoulder or elbow downwards. healing flesh and replace it with something already
functional, so they could be returned to the battlefield
By virtue of the materials that compose them, bionic arms are sooner.
more durable, and do not bleed. Reduce any Physical (External)
Damage you take by 1. This effect only applies once, regardless In the postwar period, bionics come with their own stigma;
a visual reminder of a gruesome war people would like to
of whether you have one or two bionic arms.
forget. An undercurrent of persecution runs from the top
downwards to users of bionics, stemming from an elite who
Bionic Leg - 2 had the privilege of replacing any loss of limb or organ with
flesh-and-blood wetprinted copies. This manifests as states
Keywords: Bionic using their provision of bionics to veterans to sweep the
traumas of World War III under the rug; it is easy to claim
Choose one or both of your legs. The chosen legs are bionic people aren’t broken when you have superficially ‘fixed’
from either the waist or knee downwards. them.
By virtue of the materials that compose them, bionic legs are Bionics are not commonplace, nor ubiquitously accessible
more durable, and do not bleed. Reduce any Physical (External) to those who want them. In 2044 you’ll see a bionic limb
Damage you take by 1. This effect only applies once, regardless about as commonly as you’ll see a wheelchair user, and
of whether you have one or two bionic legs. for each person with bionics, there’s someone who lost
body parts to warfare, famine, or disease and hasn’t gained
a prosthesis. GMs are advised to not over-saturate their
Bionic Eyes - 2 games with bionics nor to consider them a means to ‘hand
wave away’ the existence and politics of disability.
Keywords: Bionic
Bionic eyes can share a live feed of what you are seeing on your
Network, but cannot record.
Bionic Eyes can let you see ‘augmented reality’, digital graphics
overlaying your sight. In addition, if you are a hacker, Bionic
Eyes can function as a Visualiser.
Autoinjector - 1
Keywords: Bionic
You can store up to 3 ‘doses’ of one of any of the options from

the Drugs & Stims section of Equipment on page 88 inside
the Autoinjector.
At the start of each Mission, you set a condition that, when

met, causes the Autoinjector to trigger, injecting one of the
doses into your system automatically and without expending
dice, meaning you immediately gain the effects of that drug or Bionic Health - 2
stimulant. Keywords: Bionic
The condition can be something mechanical such as ‘when I Some organs have been replaced with augmented bionic
make a Clarity Save’, or a simple narrative condition such as versions. Coupled with a regime of nanites, you a powerful
‘when Combat starts’. immune system.
Reduce any Physical (Internal) Damage from sickness, or

Boosted Reflexes - 3 chemical substances that attack your health such as poisons,
Keywords: Bionic venom, or drugs, by 1d3. You have Advantage on any rolls to
resist the effects to becoming sick or diseased.
Your Dodge Throws become Explosive. In addition, whenever
you could take a Dodge Reaction, you must Dodge if you can Recreational substances such as drugs and alcohol have little
and expend at least 1 dice on the Throw. effect on you.
The Chinese Military’s CNS Accelerator, comprised of a bionic Maintaining your bionic health is a drain on your resources.
spine and relay nodes throughout the nervous system, enables You reduce the amount of Power you provide to the Crew by 1
lightning-fast reflexes - which sometimes overreact. for as long as you have this option.
67
Electrosensitive Membrane - 2 Bionic Eyes Mod:
Character Mechanics
Keywords: Bionic
Advanced Vision - 1
Character creation
You can ‘feel’ whether there is any electrical activity or wireless Your bionic eyes are replaced with military-grade versions,
signals being sent near you. You always know if you are Faraday which have heatvision and nightvision. The eyes can also zoom
or not. in, allowing you to see a great distance with acuity.
Ghost Recording - 3 Bionic Limb Mod:

Keywords: Bionic, Illegal, Taboo
Requires: Trait (Sensory Recording)
Explosive Strength - 2
When you take this mod, it applies to every Bionic Arm and
You have enhanced your recording capabilities to also record Bionic Leg you have, and to any Bionic Arms and Legs you gain
your ‘ghost’. When you use the Trait Sensory Recording, in the future. You only pay for the Mod once.
you can choose to also have the recording record your ghost.
When recording your ghost, your sensory recording will be 1/HotRound, whenever you’re about to make a Toughness
accompanied by a recording of your emotional state, subliminal Throw, you can roll any number of d6s and take that much
Playing the Game
thoughts, and any pronounced conscious thoughts. It also Physical (Internal) Damage to gain the following effect for that
records instances where your ghost impinges upon your Throw:
perception, such as auditory or visual hallucinations. If the Toughness Throw involves using the modded bionic
The recording is stored on your Network as normal. Recording limb(s), increase your Toughness Score by +1 for that Throw for
a ghost is highly illegal and taboo - under certain philosophical each d6 rolled when using this Mod, and the Throw becomes
Explosive. If the Toughness Throw is a melee Attack, increase
Premade Punks
interpretations you are creating an eternally-imprisoned version

of yourself. If someone finds the recording in your Network you the AP of that Attack by the amount of d6s rolled.
could gain Heat as a consequence.
Anyone (including yourself) who experiences a recorded ghost

Bionic Limb Mod:
takes 1d6 Mental Damage, and must make a Clarity Save. On Internal Firearm - 4
a failed Save, their current emotional state becomes that of the
Keyword: Illegal, Concealable
The world of 2044
emotional state in the ghost recording.

Requires: Body (Military Cyborg) & Skill (Warfare) 3+
Sensory Recording - 4 When you first take this mod, choose one of the below firearms.
That weapon is implanted in its collapsed form in the hollowed-
Keywords: Bionic out bones of your forearm.
Requires: Trait (Bionic Eyes)
Name Range Damage AP Properties
You have the necessary psyware and wetware to record your Internal Short/ 2d6 P(E) 0 1H, Magazine
own sensory experience from any bionic organs. You can Rifle Medium [3], Reload
freely stop and start recording any of the following senses: [Consume 4]
sight, smell, hearing, and touch (including pain and physical Internal Short 3d6 P(E) 0 1H, Magazine
pleasure) provided those senses come through a bionic organ. Shotgun [3], Reload
As part of taking this Trait, you can replace any organic sensory [Consume 5]
organs of your body (such as the nose or ears) with bionic
counterparts. In a Hot Round, you must Consume 3 to extend or collapse the
GM’s Toolkit
internal firearm.
What is recorded is the actual information your body receives,
rather than your brain’s interpretation of that information - While the internal firearm is extended, it can be used as a
meaning what you perceive and what is recorded can be two weapon, but the hand of the modded bionic limb is unusable.
different things. This Trait will not record any auditory or visual While collapsed, the modded bionic limb appears normal,
hallucinations, for example. although an Investigate Throw (DC 20/Warm) can notice the
The recordings are saved as digital data on your Network, and subtle misshaping under the synthetic skin. While collapsed
can be freely edited and shared just like normal recordings. You the internal weapon is still detectable by methods such as metal
can also share a live feed of your senses on your Network, with detection.
or without recording. The internal firearm can be modded, using the Mods available
in the Firearms section. Any Mods exclusive to a Shotgun can
also be used for either of the internal weapons.
68
Bionic Limb Mod: Bionic Leg Mod:
Internal Melee Weapon - 2 Resistance-Proofing - 2
Keyword: Illegal, Concealable Requires: Body (Military Cyborg) & Skill (Warfare) 3+
Requires: Body (Military Cyborg) & Skill (Warfare) 3+
You cannot take this Mod unless both of your legs are Bionic
When you take this mod, you decide which of your Bionic Arms Legs.
and/or Bionic Legs it applies to. You can choose one or multiple
limbs, and can apply the mod to any Bionic Arms and Legs you You gain the following effects:
take in the future. You only pay for the Mod once. • Your Stride cannot be lowered by external effects to any lower
than Normal.
You have a weapon sheath built into each of your chosen limbs.
• Provided you land on your bionic legs, any Physical Damage
The sheaths can hold either a Short Blade or multiple copies
you might take from falling is halved.
of a Throwing Weapon. These weapons are found in the Melee
Weapons section on page 93. • You are not slowed at all by carrying or dragging heavy
objects.
In a Hot Round, you can Consume 1 to ‘unsheathe’ an internal
melee weapon. When you do so either the weapon’s blade As the first cyborgs began to make their mark on the battlefield,
extends out from the modded limb, where it can be used as militaries had to quickly develop bionic legs that could keep
if you were holding it, or is ejected from the sheath into your moving forward even under a constant barrage of bullets.
hand.
You must Consume 3 to return an unsheathed weapon to its Bionic Leg Mod:
sheath. Stride Enhancement - 3
While the weapon is sheathed, the modded bionic limb appears Raise your Stride.
normal, although an Investigate Throw (DC 20/Warm) can (Plodding ← Slow ← Normal → Fast → Lightning)
notice the subtle misshaping under the synthetic skin. While
sheathed the internal melee weapon is still detectable by 1/Round, you can take 1d6 Physical (Internal) Damage to raise
methods such as metal detection. your Stride once more until the end of the Round.
As the internal melee weapon(s) are separate pieces of

Equipment, they can be modded, using the Mods available in Bionic Eyes Mod:
the Melee Weapons section.
3D Vision - 2
Your bionic eyes are upgraded with technology that creates a 3D
Bionic Leg Mod: map of what you’re looking at, replacing ordinary sight. This 3D
Monowire Fingertip - 2 map extends in a cone from your eyes up to 50 metres away (the
same distance as the Short range).
An almost imperceptible monowire saw has been placed just
below the surface of the fingertip. This effectively gives you ‘X-ray vision’, allowing you to perceive
through objects and walls. Only walls that are especially thick
The monowire can cut cleanly and without resistance through or materials specifically proofed against this penetrating vision
most thin objects, such as wire, cloth, and so on. block it. You cannot perceive gases such as smoke when looking
with 3D vision.
Monowire is fragile. Whenever you use the monowire, roll
1d6. On a roll of 1, the monowire breaks, and can’t be used You can Consume 2 to activate or deactivate this 3D vision
again until repaired or the end of the Mission. The monowire’s when in a Hot Round. Otherwise you can activate and
fragility makes it unsuited for combat. deactivate it freely. When deactivated, you see with your normal
vision. Each time you activate this 3D vision, you must expend
Bionic Arm Mod: 1 Power.
Retractable Claws - 1
When you take this mod, it applies to every Bionic Arm you
have, and to any Bionic Arms you take in the future. You only
pay for the Mod once. You can freely extend and retract your
claws without Consuming dice.
Whenever you make an Athletics Throw to climb something,

you can add +1d6 to the Throw while your claws are extended.
In addition, while your claws are extended, your Unarmed

Attacks made with a Bionic Arm deal an additional 1d3 Physical
(External) Damage.
First invented for veterans-turned-foresters, ‘Cats Claws’ have

slowly spread to the underground as a tentatively-legal weapon.
69
Combat Traits Grit - 4
Character Mechanics
These following Traits are primarily used for fighting. 2/Mission, when you are about to be reduced to 0 Fortune
by Physical Damage, you can reduce the amount of Physical
Character creation
Breacher - 2 Damage you are taking by 1d6. If this reduction in Damage

means you aren’t reduced to 0 Fortune, you regain 1d6 Fortune.
You know where to attack doors and other objects to gain quick
access.
Honed Instincts - 4
You double Physical (External) Damage you deal to physical You gain the following benefits:
objects. In addition, whenever you use a weapon to force a door
open (by smashing it open, blasting out the lock, or by some • Increase your Awareness by 5.
other means), raise your Stride until the end of the Round. • When you are making the Speed Throw to determine Initiative
at the start of Combat, add +1d6 to the Throw.
Charge - 2 • When a character Attacks you from Hidden while in Combat,

your Dodge Throw is not Strained.
Whenever you take the Move Action in Combat, if you

• When Ambushed, you only lose 3 dice from your dice pool, as
immediately make a melee Attack after, you can add half the
Playing the Game
opposed to the normal half.

number of d6 (rounded down) that you Consumed for the
Move to the Attack roll.
Human Shield - 2
Dodgy - 2 When an ally behind you is targeted by a ranged Attack, instead
of providing Soft Cover, you increase their Armour by your
Requires: 8 or more expCOIN already spent in Combat Traits
Armour.
Premade Punks
Whenever you Dodge an attack, add +1d6 to the Throw.

In addition, when you use the Move Action in Combat, any
adjacent ally can Consume the same amount you did to Move
Drive-By Warrior - 2 with you, remaining adjacent.
Requires: Skill (Pilot) 3+
Quickdraw - 3
The world of 2044
You don’t gain Disadvantage or other penalties when Attacking

from a moving vehicle. You Consume no dice drawing and stowing Weapons. In
addition, if you scored at least a 20 on your Initiative Throw at
When in Combat, if you immediately make a melee Attack after the start of Combat, you have Advantage on the first Attack you
you made a Pilot Throw to drive a vehicle, you can add half make on your first Turn.
the number of d6 (rounded down) that you expended for the
Throw to the Attack roll. “Fill your hands with iron you son of a bitch!”
Dual-Wielder - 2 Tactician - 3
2/Round, when you make an Attack with a one-handed weapon Requires: Skill (Warfare) 6+
(1H) and you are holding a one-handed weapon in each hand,
You are well versed in tactics, and can bark quick orders to your
add +1d6 to the next Attack you make with a one-handed
allies in combat.
weapon this Turn.
GM’s Toolkit
Reaction: Command. 2/Round, you can Consume 2 to have

Duck for Cover - 2 an ally that can see and hear you immediately perform a single,
small, tactical act, such as one of the following:
When you are targeted by a ranged Attack, you can Consume 2
• Move into nearby Cover, or move from their current Cover to
to instantly move into any adjacent Soft Cover or Hard Cover.
an adjacent Cover, without expending dice.
You must use this Trait before the attacker makes the Throw for
the Attack. • Move next to a nearby ally without expending dice.
• Freely pass an object to a nearby ally.
Duck for Cover - 2 Reaction: Counterattack. 1/Round, you can Consume 3 after
Reaction: Duck for Cover. When you are targeted by a ranged an ally that can see and hear you is hit by an Attack. That ally
Attack, you can Consume 2 to instantly move into any adjacent makes an Attack as a Reaction. They expend dice as normal for
Soft Cover or Hard Cover before the Attack is rolled. the Attack.
Gouge - 2
Whenever you roll Damage for a melee Attack, you can reroll
up to 2 dice. You cannot reroll rerolls, and must use the rerolled
result(s).
70
Sniper’s Nest - 2 Gunslinger II - 4
Requires: Skill (Warfare) 3+ Requires: Trait (Gunslinger I)
You can make a Finesse Stealth Throw (ADC 30/Cold) to You gain the following benefits:
build a Sniper’s Nest in a location of your choosing - likely • Whenever you make a ranged Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw.
overlooking another location that you will assault in a following
• Whenever you make an Armour roll and are in Cover, you can
Scene. The Sniper’s Nest remains until you or someone else
reroll an additional one dice. You cannot reroll rerolls, and must
dismantles it, or it is destroyed.
use the rerolled result(s).
While in the Sniper’s Nest, it is not obvious, even to someone
Action: Suppressive Fire. Make an Attack with a Firearm
looking directly at you, that you are concealed there. Until you
weapon that has either the Burst or Spray property, collectively
make an Attack, you count as Hidden as if you were scoring 20
targeting every character in a single piece of cover. Instead of
on a Stealth Throw each Round.
counting your Successes with the Attack, add up the Score of the
In addition, once you Attack from the sniper’s nest, it is not Attack. If you scored over 20 on your suppressive fire, you scare
immediately obvious where you are. An enemy must succeed on the targets. They immediately use Hunker Down as a Reaction,
a Speed Investigate Throw (DC 20/Hot) to spy your location. and must use Hunker Down at the start of their next Turn. A
The DC for this Throw reduces by 5, to a minimum of 10, for character can make a Clarity Save to try overcome this effect,
each subsequent Attack you make from your Sniper’s Nest after which they do on a success.
the first.
Gunslinger I - 4 Gunslinger III - 4

You gain the following benefits: Requires: Trait (Gunslinger II)
• Whenever you make a ranged Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw.
• Whenever you make an Armour roll and are in Cover, you
• Whenever you roll a Damage roll from a ranged Attack, you
can reroll one dice. You cannot reroll rerolls, and must use the
can reroll up to two dice. You cannot reroll rerolls, and must use
rerolled result(s).
the rerolled result(s).
Action: Aim. Consume 3 to take aim with a weapon that can • Whenever you make an Armour roll and are in Cover, you can
make a ranged Attack. When you do, designate a target you Maximise 1 dice in the Armour roll.
can see. Your Ranged Attacks with the aimed weapon have • When you make a Ranged Attack as a Reaction to a character
Advantage when attacking the chosen target. This effect ends if making a Ranged Attack themselves (such as when you Prepare
you let go of the aimed weapon, use the Move Action, Attack a An Action), that character does not gain the benefits of Cover.
different target, or lose sight of the aimed-at target.
71
Master the Gun - 4 Martial Arts II - 4
Character Mechanics
Keywords: Mastery Requires: Trait (Martial Arts I)

Requires: Trait (Gunslinger III)
Character creation

You gain the following benefits: • Whenever you make an Unarmed Attack, add +1d6 to the
• Whenever you make a ranged Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw. Throw, and +1d3 to the Damage.
• Whenever you Dodge an Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw. • Whenever you make an Unarmed Attack, if it is not the first
• Your knowledge of ballistics is deep enough that you Unarmed Attack you’ve made this Turn, add +1d6 to the Throw.
immediately know the trajectory of any fired bullet that passes • Whenever you Dodge an attack from an adjacent attacker and
by or hits an object near you, as well as where it came from and are empty-handed, add +1d6 to the Throw.
the distance it travelled to reach you.
Reaction: Counter. Whenever you successfully Dodge an Attack
from an adjacent attacker while you are empty-handed, you can
Gun-Fu - 4 use this Reaction. You can make an Unarmed Attack. Add half
the number of d6 (rounded down) that you expended for the
Requires: Trait (Gunslinger I) & Trait (Martial Arts I)

Dodge Throw to the Attack.
Playing the Game

• Ranged Attacks targeting someone adjacent to you are no
longer made on Disadvantage.
Martial Arts III - 4
Requires: Trait (Martial Arts II)
• For the purposes of Traits that increase your Dodge, you
count as ‘empty handed’ while holding Handguns. You gain the following benefits:
Premade Punks
• Your Unarmed Attacks have an AP of 1.

Martial Arts I - 4 • Whenever you make an Unarmed Attack, add +1d3 to the
You gain the following benefits: Damage.
• Whenever you make a melee Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw. • When you make a Toughness Throw as part of a Clash to
Grab a character, get out of a Grab, or Bind a character, you can
• Whenever you make a melee Attack, you can choose to make
instead make a Finesse Throw.
it a Finesse Attack, instead of the normal Toughness Attack.
The world of 2044
• Whenever you Dodge, you can modify the Throw with 1/Turn, when you attempt to Grab a character, if you succeed
Finesse, instead of the normal Speed. the target is also Stunned as if you had used a successful Bind
• Whenever you Dodge an Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw. Action. You must declare you are using this Trait before you roll
for the Clash to Grab.
GM’s Toolkit
Master the Fist - 4 Master the Long Blade - 4
Keywords: Mastery Keywords: Mastery
Requires: Trait (Martial Arts III) Requires: Trait (Study the Blade II)
You gain the following benefits: You gain the following benefits:
• Whenever you make an Unarmed Attack, add +1d6 to the • Whenever you make a melee Attack with a Long Blade, add
Throw, and add +1d3 to the Damage. +1d6 to the Throw.
• Whenever you Dodge an Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw. • Whenever you make a melee Attack with a Long Blade,
increase the Attack’s Damage by +1d6.
Action: Pressure Point Strike. Make an Unarmed Attack. If you
• Whenever you Dodge an Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw.
hit, halve the Damage you roll (rounded down). Provided you
deal at least 1 Damage, the hit target is Addled until the end of Reaction: Flash Cut. 1/Round, you can do one of two things
their next Turn. while holding a Long Blade:
Action: Penetrating Strike. 1/Scene, make an Unarmed Attack. • Attack with a Long Blade.
That Unarmed Attack deals Physical (Internal) Damage, • Make a single, lightning-fast blade-stroke, targeting a
meaning it ignores Armour. nearby object, using a Long Blade. When you do so, make an
Attack Throw, but count the Score rather than the number of
Successes. If the Score is at least 20, you successfully cut the
Study the Blade I - 4 object as intended. A Score below 20 means you miss. You could
Requires: Trait (Martial Arts I) use this Reaction to do things such as cut the detonator off a
grenade flying past you (thereby disarming it), or cutting a
You gain the following benefits: thrown chair in half, preventing it from hitting you.
• Whenever you make a melee Attack with a Short Blade or
Long Blade, add +1d6 to the Throw.
• Whenever you Dodge an attack from an adjacent attacker
Master the Short Blade - 4
and are holding a Short Blade or Long Blade, add +1d6 to the Keywords: Mastery
Throw. Requires: Trait (Study the Blade II)
Action: Cleave. 1/Round, make an Attack with a Short Blade You gain the following benefits:
or Long Blade. The Attack targets up to two characters of your • Whenever you make a melee Attack with a Short Blade, add
choice within range of the Attack. You only make one Throw for +1d6 to the Throw.
this Attack, but each target makes their Dodge Throw separately • Short Blades you use increase their AP by 1.
against that one Attack.
• Whenever you Dodge an Attack, add +1d6 to the Throw.
Study the Blade II - 4 Action: Pierce the Wind. 1/Scene, make an Attack with a Short
Blade. The Attack targets every character you choose within
Requires: Trait (Study the Blade I) range of the Attack. You only make one Throw for this Attack,
but each target makes their Dodge Throw separately against that
one Attack.
• Short Blades and Long Blades you use increase their AP by 1.
• Whenever you make a melee Attack with a Short Blade or
Long Blade, add +1d6 to the Attack’s Damage.
Reaction: Parry. Whenever you successfully Dodge an Attack

from an adjacent attacker while holding a Short Blade or Long
Blade, you can use this Reaction. You can make an Attack with
a Short Blade or Long Blade you are holding. Add half the
number of d6 (rounded down) that you expended for the Dodge
Throw to the Attack.
73
Blockchain - 2 Hacker Traits
Character Mechanics
Requires: Trait (Study the Blade II or Martial Arts III) The following Traits are all to do with hacking, including Ice. You
Character creation
can read the rules for Hacking on page 142.

Whenever you Dodge an attack from an adjacent attacker and
it’s not your first Dodge this Round, add +1d6 to the Throw.
D-Rank Hacker - 4
Keywords: Bionic
Disarm - 2
Requires: Skill (Software) 3+

Requires: Trait (Study the Blade II or Martial Arts III)
Reaction: Disarm. Whenever you are about to Dodge an Attack • You can make Hacking Throws, enabling you to hack into
from an adjacent attacker, you can use this Reaction. Before anything connected to the Net.
you expend any dice on the Dodge, you and the attacker hold
• You can use the Programs from the D-Rank Programs list.
a Finesse Clash. If you win the Clash, you disarm the weapon
the attacker used. If you lose the Clash, the Attack continues as • The gain the Trait Ice: Basic Layers for free.
normal and you now have the opportunity to Dodge.

When you take this Trait, unless you have the Trait Bionic Eyes
Playing the Game
If you have an empty hand, you can grab the disarmed weapon you also gain a piece of Equipment called a Visualiser, a tool
as part of the Reaction. that enables you to better perceive and work with the Net. While
not using a Visualiser, Hacking Throws you make are made on
Disadvantage.
Grappler - 2
Requires: Trait (Martial Arts I) In addition, as part of taking this Trait, you make the necessary
arrangements to get unlimited access to the Net in its true,
Premade Punks
When you make the Throw in the Toughness Clash for the Grab complex, beautiful form.
or Bind Actions, add +1d6 to the Throw.
Visualiser - /
Powerless Technique - 1 Despite its name, a Visualiser does not have to rely on sight,
Requires: Trait (Study the Blade II) or Trait (Martial Arts III) although most do. It is up to you to design how your Visualiser
The world of 2044
enables you to better interact with the metareality of the Net.

Whenever you make an Unarmed Attack or a Dodge, you can
modify the Throw with Clarity. Because you are blinded or otherwise deprived of senses while
using it, Attacks at melee Range targeting you are made on
Advantage while using a Visualiser.
Return Force - 2
Requires: Trait (Master the Fist)
C-Rank Hacker - 4
1/Round, when you use the Counter Reaction and hit with Keywords: Bionic
the Unarmed Attack, if the dodged attacker made a Toughness Requires: Skill (Software) 5+ & Trait (D-Rank Hacker)
Attack you can replace the Unarmed Attack’s Damage roll with
the Damage roll that their Attack would have made. You gain the following benefits:
• You can use the Programs from the C-Rank Programs list.
Ultimate Technique - 4 • Whenever you make a Hacking Throw, add +1d6 to the
GM’s Toolkit
Throw.
Requires: 20 or more expCOIN already spent in Combat Traits
• You can be Intruded in up to 3 Terminals simultaneously.
1/Mission, you can make an Attack doubly Explosive, meaning
for each 6 you roll, you roll an additional 2d6 (rather than the
normal 1d6). These additional d6s are also doubly explosive.
The Damage for this Attack is also Explosive.
74
B-Rank Hacker - 4 Ice: Basic Layers - 2
Keywords: Bionic You gain access to the following Ice Layers:
Requires: Skill (Software) 7+ & Trait (C-Rank Hacker) Attack Barrier I. The hacker takes 1d3 Physical (Internal)
Damage.
Defence Barrier I. Increase the Network or Terminal’s Intrusion
• You can use the Programs from the B-Rank Programs list.
ADC by 8 for this Intrusion attempt. This effect lasts until the
• Whenever you make a Hacking Throw, add +1d6 to the Intrusion attempt ends. This Ice Layer only applies once per
Throw. attempted Intrusion. You can freely change any Ice Layers of
• You can be Intruded in up to 5 Terminals simultaneously. your Ice with any of the above Ice Layers when you take this
Trait. Afterwards, you can Consume 2 in a Cold Round to
Action: Mass Hack. 1/Round, when you attempt to Intrude change any Ice Layers of your Ice with any of the above Ice
into a Terminal, you can target any number of additional Layers.
targetable Terminals whose Terminal Intrusion ADC is equal to
or lower than the Terminal Intrusion ADC of the first Terminal.
The ADC for the Hacking Throw to Intrude into all Terminals Ice: B-Rank Layers - 2
is the Intrusion ADC of the first Terminal, increased by 5 for Requires: Trait (B-Rank Hacker)
each additional Terminal. You cannot use this Action if you’ve
already made at least one Hacking Throw to Intrude into the You gain access to the following Ice Layers:
first Terminal. If you fail to beat the Intrusion ADC for a Mass Attack Barrier II. The hacker takes 1d6 Physical (Internal)
Hack, you only suffer the Ice of the first target, and can make Damage.
subsequent Hacking Throws to try to beat the Intrusion ADC Defence Barrier II. Increase the Network or Terminal’s
for the Mass Hack on subsequent turns as you would when Intrusion ADC by 12 for this Intrusion attempt. This effect lasts
attempting Intrusion for a single target. until the Intrusion attempt ends. This Ice Layer only applies
once per attempted Intrusion.
A-Rank Hacker - 4 Shield Barrier I. While this Ice Layer is in use, the Network
Keywords: Bionic Intrusion ADC is increased by 6 (as a result, Terminal Intrusion
Requires: Skill (Software) 9+ & Trait (B-Rank Hacker) ADC is increased by 3). This is in effect constantly, not just
when Ice would normally be applied.
You can freely change any Ice Layers of your Ice with any of the
• You can use the Programs from the A-Rank Programs list.
above Ice Layers when you take this Trait. Afterwards, you can
• Whenever you make a Hacking Throw, add +1d6 to the Consume 2 in a Cold Round to change any Ice Layers of your
Throw. Ice with any of the above Ice Layers.
• You can be Intruded in up to 2 Networks simultaneously.
Action: Sniffer. 1/Round, you can expend 1 Power to send out Ice: Complex Layers - 2
a ‘Sniffer’, an AI masquerading as a malevolent hacker, that Requires: Trait (A-Rank Hacker)
targets a Network of your choice. When you use the Sniffer,
choose a Network you could target for Intrusion. You learn that You gain access to the following Ice Layers. You can only use one
Network’s Intrusion ADC (which halved will be the Terminal of the following Ice Layers in your Ice at a time.
Intrusion ADC) and the Ice for that Network, which destroys Hunter Barrier. Each time they suffer this Ice Layer, the
the Sniffer. Once used, the Network knows that someone just hacker must make a Hacking Throw (DC 15). On a failure,
attempted to probe its defences, and may take countermeasures their physical location at the time of the attempted Intrusion
as a result. The Sniffer cannot be traced back to you once you is detected by the Network and that data is transmitted to all
are done with it. relevant Terminals. You can only have one copy of this Ice Layer
in your Ice.
S-Rank Hacker - 4 Monopoly Barrier. This Ice Layer’s effect isn’t revealed unless
the hacker suffered the Ice of their target and then Intruded
Keywords: Bionic
into their target. When they Intrude into the target, they must
Requires: Skill (Software) 10 & Trait (A-Rank Hacker)
immediately make a Hacking Throw (DC 10). On a failure,
You gain the following benefits: they stop being Intruded into any targets other than this one.
After this effect applies they can attempt Intrusion into new
• You can use the Programs from the S-Rank Programs list. targets as normal. You can only have one copy of this Ice Layer
• Whenever you make a Hacking Throw, add +1d6 to the in your Ice.
Throw. Trapper Barrier. This Ice Layer’s effect isn’t revealed unless
• You can be Intruded in up to 3 Networks and 10 Terminals the hacker suffered the Ice of their target and then Intruded
simultaneously. into their target. When they Intrude into the target, they must
immediately make a Hacking Throw (DC 15). On a failure,
they take 2d6 Physical (Internal) Damage. You can only have
one copy of this Ice Layer in your Ice.
75
Ice: S-Rank Layers - 3 Signature Hack - 2
Character Mechanics
Requires: Trait (S-Rank Hacker) Keywords: Signature

Character creation
You gain access to the following Ice Layers: When you gain this Trait, choose a Program that requires a
Shock Barrier. The hacker takes 2d6 Physical (Internal) Hacking Throw to apply. Whenever you make a Hacking Throw
Damage. This Ice Layer only applies once per attempted to apply the chosen Program, add +1d6 to the Throw.
Intrusion. You can only have one copy of this Ice Layer in your
Due to it being your Signature, if you lose the ability to use the
Ice.
chosen Program, you cannot choose a new Program to replace
Shield Barrier II. While this Ice Layer is in use, the Network it.
Intrusion ADC is increased by 10 (as a result, Terminal
Intrusion ADC is increased by 5). This is in effect constantly,
not just when Ice would normally be applied. You can only have Snaphacker - 2
one copy of this Ice Layer in your Ice. When you take this Trait, choose a Program or HotProgram.
You can freely change any Ice Layers of your Ice with any of the Reaction: Snaphack. Attempt Intrusion, targeting a Terminal.
above Ice Layers when you take this Trait. Afterwards, you can If you succeed on your Intrusion on the first Hacking Throw,
Playing the Game
Consume 2 in a Cold Round to change any Ice Layers of your immediately apply the chosen Program or HotProgram to the
Ice with any of the above Ice Layers. target. If you fail to Intrude, the Hacking Throw does not count
towards beating the Terminal’s Intrusion ADC.
Anti-Ice - 2
Requires: Trait (B-Rank Hacker) Stealth Hacker - 4
Premade Punks
Requires: Trait (A-Rank Hacker)

You’ve designed unique methods of mitigating the effects of Ice.
You’re skilled at hacking into systems without tripping alarms.
1/Round, when you suffer the effects of Ice, you can expend 1
The first time you make a Hacking Throw in an Intrusion
Power to have the effects of 1 Ice Layer of your choice not apply.
attempt and do not beat the target’s Intrusion ADC, the
Network is not alerted to your attempted Intrusion. You do,
Database Access - 2 however, still suffer that Network’s Ice.
The world of 2044
Repeatable III In addition, compared to a normal hacker, Programs you apply

to a target are much harder to uncover. When a hacker attempts
You’ve gained an updating duplicate of a database that is shared
to uncover any Programs you have applied to a target using the
on your Network. You design the nature of the database: it
Scan Program, your Terminal Intrusion ADC is treated as 20
might be a database of local criminals, information on all the
higher.
foodstuffs moved by automaton into the city on a daily basis, or
any other database that could reasonably exist.
Hacker Fu - 2
Requires: Trait (D-Rank Hacker) & Trait (Martial Arts I)
You have learned to use your hacking equipment with the speed
and grace of a martial artist.
GM’s Toolkit
Action: Hardline Grapple. Attempt the Bind Action on

someone with a Cyberbrain (you must still have them in a
Grab as normal). The Toughness Clash for the Bind is made on
Disadvantage. If you win the Clash, as part of the Bind Action
you plug one of your wetcords into one of the target’s wetports
to form a Hardline connection between your Cyberbrain and
theirs.
If you immediately attempt Intrusion on the target after using

this Action, the Hacking Throw bonus from having a Hardline
connection is +3d6 instead of the normal +2d6 until the end of
your Turn.
76
Contacts Contact Skills
Every Contact has a sole Skill, for which they will have a Skill
Through the below Traits, your character can gain a Contact, a Level, determined by the GM based on the player’s description of
special character or organisation who your character has a special the character. A Contact can potentially use their Skill to aid the
relationship with. When the player gains a Contact they create that Punk they are in contact with.
character along with the GM. For example you might hand over encrypted data to a Contact
whose Skill is Software, and the Contact would make a Software
Usually, a Contact will be someone local to where your character Throw to crack open the data.
performs their Missions, but they could aid you across the Net,
or is only occasionally in town. Contacts are valuable as they can For how many Rounds the Contact applies their Skill for the
provide specific aid on your Missions, whether that is information, benefit of the crew depends on the narrative context, and is
their abilities, or something else. determined by the GM. The Throw the Contact makes when
applying their Skill is made by the GM, and treats it as if the
Generally Contacts don’t accompany you on your Mission – Contact expended 10d6 on the Throw and is applying no other
they are someone you have to seek out while on a Mission to get modifiers to the Throw.
their aid. In addition, Contacts are not necessitated to help you.
Contacts are characters with their own lives and goals, and if your How high the Contact’s Skill Level is depends on the nature of the
request(s) runs contrary to their self-interest or morality (or lack character. A higher Skill Level may mean the GM institutes more a
thereof), they can decline to help you. However, the GM should stringent Condition for the Contact.
keep in mind that a player spent expCOIN to have this Contact,
and should get equivalent value out of them.
Conditions
A Contact can be a character you have a previous relationship If a Contact is planned out that gives an extensive advantage to
with. Them becoming a Contact represents your character the Punk, the GM may devise a Condition for that Contact. A
entering into a more active arrangement with them, or them Condition is, simply, the condition under which that Contact
gaining some equipment or skill that now makes them beneficial lends you their aid. Contacts don’t have to have a Condition, but it
as a Contact. can help to balance them out if their benefits are too strong and so
would make Missions too easy.
Alternatively, a Condition can serve as a fun roleplaying device.
Contact [Individual] - 2 Contact [Organisation] - 4

Repeatable V Repeatable III
You gain a Contact of your design, who helps you on an You gain a Contact of your design, who is part of an
individual basis. organisation that you also design. The Contact occupies at least
a middling-level position in the hierarchy of that organisation,
meaning they can not only help personally, but potentially
provide the services of the organisation too.
77
Example Individual Contacts
Character Mechanics
Maya Boateng (AKA “MellowHello”), Decryption Expert Boris Mogg, Gun Dealer
Character creation
“By nature, every hacker is a voyeur – but with you I can peek “Guns, guns, guns! Come on, how about a try-before-you-die?”
at secrets without losing my head.”
Boris was a gunrunner who ended up with a massive supply of
Maya used to run decryption for BizC, an OG hacker-ring who ran with smuggled guns when he incorrectly predicted the UK would descend
the best of them when the golden age began. into civil war when the UN arrested the Prime Minister in 2040.
Since then, most of BizC has either been killed or given life sentences. With an uncanny knack for avoiding danger, Mogg has survived as
Now in her 40s and having dodged a (literal) bullet, Maya keeps off the a nomadic gun-vendor who dreams of one day selling off his pile of
radar while selling her decryption skills to two-bit hacker-rings. hardware.
You first met Maya (or ‘MellowHello’) when you tried cracking her When he slunk into port a few months ago, Mogg drifted into your circle,
network. Endeared by your stupidity while impressed with your skills, and seems like someone useful enough to keep around.
Maya offered to give you a hand some time – perhaps so she can live
Playing the Game
out the glory days through you. Skill: Warfare

Skill Level: 3
Skill: Software
Skill Level: 8 Examples of aid this Contact could provide:
• Providing a gun with a variety of Mods for a one-time use on a Mission.
Premade Punks
Examples of aid this Contact could provide: • Advising on how certain weapons work, or what weaponry different
• Cracking the encryption on stolen data over the course of a few days groups will be provided with.
• Advising on how to steal data from a highly-protected database
Example Condition:
When you borrow one of his guns, your character promises to buy the
gun with your expCOIN (including all the Mods on the gun) as soon as
The world of 2044
you can afford it.

Mei Xiang, Politician Chet Baxley, Bcaster
“There’s something I need you to take care of. What can I offer “That’s wild.”
in exchange? And remember who you’re talking to.”
After returning from the western front, an embittered Chet turned his
It was through sheer coincidence you discovered Mei’s secret: that she anger into passion: passion for the TRUTH!
is the niece of a politician exiled from China for an attempted coup.
Currently assistant to the Secretary of State, if such a family tie was to Having slowly grown his Bsignal station in his housing pod, he casts his
be revealed she would be banished or executed. You figured she could pirate signal into the sea of information, for anyone who cares to listen
make a useful tool, and shortly after sent Mei an encrypted message. – and some do. Chet has become the centre of a thin yet widespread
web of rumour and street talk, which can prove valuable.
You and Mei have a tense relationship, given it began with you
threatening her. Mei, whose competence is only matched by her Having befriended Chet, he can often be relied upon to give you all the
GM’s Toolkit
ruthless ambition, has since balanced the scales and gathered enough latest rumours in any part of town you care to name. Just don’t trust
dirt on you that you cannot simply order her around. Now you two trade those rumours to be true.
favours – and cutting remarks – when your interests align.
Skill: Streetwise
Skill: Politics Skill Level: 5
Skill Level: 7
Examples of aid this Contact could provide:
Examples of aid this Contact could provide: • Provide you with rumours from across the city or a targeted area.
• Getting you limited access to a government facility. • Explain how good elk meat was for men’s health and why ‘They’ took
• Acquiring state-held information. it away.
Example Condition:
Mei only provides you help when you can help her in return.
78
Example Organisation Contacts
Ike Toye, City Waste Management
“I can get you access to the treatment plant if you insist - but you’ll need a change of clothes. The smell doesn’t come out easy.”
You’ve effectively caught Toye in a social pincer move; he works under your father in the administration, and his daughter is your fiancée.
You don’t have any huge personal interest in sewage and waste, but on occasion getting Toye to muster the resources of his department to help
your crew can provide fruitful, if foul-smelling, results.
Skill: Politics
Skill Level: 8

• Access to the sewers and sewage treatment plans.
• Have sanitation workers monitor waste moved out of a particular location over a period.
• Have the sanitation workers of the city keep a look out for a particular person or object.
• Briefly use a garbage truck to get around.
• Get sanitation uniforms and equipment for your crew.
Example Condition:
You lose access to any aid from this Contact while your relationship with Toye’s daughter is poor.
Danielle Lovegrove, Munitions Union Head
“It’s our sweat that kept this country armed and fed long enough to win the war. You’d think afterwards they’d reward us, but
instead we get layoffs and robots. Fuck that - if they won’t give us what we deserve, we take it.”
The munitions union grew powerful during the war, but now it’s peacetime. Work is drying up in an industry already hollowing out from
automation, and Danielle is acutely aware now is the time to act if she’s to carve out a piece for her people.
Fortunately for her, under her command are workers who have spent the last half-decade assembling guns and bombs and aren’t afraid to get
their hands dirty.
As someone on the inside of politics who believes in her agenda, you and Danielle are close enough allies that she’s prepared to lend you her
power - just so long as, at the end of the day, it’s her union that benefits.
Skill: Industry
Skill Level: 10

• Access to munitions factories and businesses, although the
union members won’t allow stealing.
• Bomb or burn a location.
• Provide a number of burly workers to provide physical aid,
whether in a fight or for heavy lifting.
• Provide schematics and further information on munitions.
Example Condition:
You’ll have to advance Danielle and her union’s political agenda
whenever you use them, otherwise her militants might turn
against you.
79
Special Contacts Contact [QE Relay] - 3
Character Mechanics
The following are special Contacts that have their own unique Requires: Skill (Industry or Politics) 6+
Character creation
rules and applications.

You gain a Contact, who through which you have access to a
local QE Relay. Through coordinating with this Contact, you
Contact [Home Farmer] - 2 can get your data packet put into the QE Relay feed and sent to
Requires: Skill (Ecology) 3+ anywhere in the solar system instantly.
You gain a Contact who has managed to set up a small animal When you take this Trait, design the Contact. The Contact
farming operation within the city, likely through a combination might be an administrator at the QE Relay, a hacker who
of criminal and local endorsement. The operation won’t be maintains a backdoor into the relay, or someone else who can
larger than a few chickens, dogs, or cow in a cage and isn’t get you access by some other means.
strictly illegal beyond the obvious animal cruelty.
1/Mission, through using this Contact you can transmit a
While having value as hub of information, you also put some of data packet via the QE Relay, meaning it reaches the recipient
your resources into this operation in exchange for a stake. When almost instantly, regardless of where they are, so long as they are
you take this Trait, reduce the amount of Power you provide to not Faraday. Based on the importance of the information, the
Playing the Game
the crew by 1. Contact may make you fulfil their Condition.
1/Mission, you can trade the animal product gained from your The data packet can be up to 1 hour of video or audio, a
stake (such as an egg, vial of milk, or haunch from a butchered complex schematic or blueprint, a collection of related images
dog). Such products are of little value in general, but there are and/or documents, or at the GM’s discretion, other digital data
some amongst the precariat who have an intense nostalgia for of comparative size. If you want to send anything larger, you
animal products and will perform a trade, favour, be more
Premade Punks
gain between 1 and 3 Heat based on the size and sensitivity

receptive in a negotiation or otherwise will be more generous to of the data. The GM decides the amount of Heat gained, and
you in exchange. informs you of the decision before you send the data.
You can also use the QE Relay to attempt Hacking across a great
Contact [Marksman] - 3 distance instantly.
Requires: Skill (Warfare) 3+
The world of 2044
You gain a Contact, a sniper who specialises in long-distance Contact [Hacker Ring] - 4
killings. Requires: Skill (Industry, Politics, Software or Warfare) 6+
1/Mission, you can have this Contact fire a single shot at You gain a Contact, a hacker ring of your design, that you have
a target of your choosing. It must be a target you know the a (perhaps tenuous) relationship with.
location of, and they must be in a location where they could be
shot at from a great distance away. You also design a meeting place where you can find the ring. It
can be a physical location, such as a hacker den where they hang
The Attack for the shot rolls 8d6 and comes from Hidden, out (likely within a faraday cage), or a space on the Net, such as
meaning if they’re attacking a human target their Dodge Throw a virtual chat room.
is Strained. If the target was stationary for at least a minute prior
to the shot being fired, the Attack roll is made on Advantage. A Hacker Ring can help you with a hack, usually in exchange
for you fulfilling their Condition. When a Hacker Ring helps
The attack still draws Heat as normal. However, because the with a hack, you give them a target that can be either a Terminal
GM’s Toolkit
shot does not come specifically from you, it is possible to avoid or Network.
there being ‘some means of identifying’ that the shot came from
you. In the next Scene in which you attempt to Intrude into the
chosen Terminal or Network, the hacker ring comes in via
the Net to aid your efforts. Whenever in the Scene you make
a Hacking Throw targeting the chosen target, add +2d6 to
the Throw. This applies for both Intrusion, and to apply any
Programs to the target.
Using a hacking ring can bring more scrutiny from the

authorities. At the end of a Scene where your hacker ring aided
you, you gain an additional +1 Heat.
80
Equipment Combining Equipment
It is possible for your character to treat a piece of Equipment
The following is all available Equipment in the core game of as a Mod for another piece of Equipment, potentially enabling
ECOPUNK, broken down into the following groups: conjunctive effects.
Tools - page 82 For example, the Equipment ‘Route Burner’, a device that plots
a route through the city, could be installed into a Vehicle as an
Hacker Equipment - page 83 advanced kind of GPS Mod.
Animals - page 86
Drugs & Stims - page 88 Bartering Equipment
Attire - page 89 Equipment can be bartered for new Equipment in a Cold Scene.
When you engage in bartering, you exchange a piece of Equipment
Armour - page 90 or a Mod in your possession for another piece of Equipment or
Weaponry - page 92 Mod that costs at least 1 expCOIN less. You still have to Consume
dice equal to the new Equipment’s expCOIN cost, as if you were
Melee Weapons - page 93 gaining the option through expending expCOIN.
Firearms - page 95
Explosives - page 98 Equipment worth 0 expCOIN, such as Nicknacks, can be bartered
for other objects that would be valued at 0 expCOIN, such as other
Vehicles - page 100 Nicknacks, or for a favour.
Drone - page 103
The following are rules that apply to all Equipment. Groups of
Equipment Maintenance
When you take an Equipment option, you’re not just taking the
Equipment also have rules specific to Equipment in that group.
object itself. You’re also arranging the infrastructure necessary to
maintain the object, such as getting a constant supply of bullets for
Hit Points a gun, or fuel for a vehicle.
Some Equipment has ‘Hit Points’. Hit Points represent the
remaining durability of a piece of equipment. Hit Points act very Equipment Looting
similar to Fortune, however they are only decreased by Physical For this reason if you pick up another character’s Equipment,
(External) Damage, or Physical (Internal) Damage dealt by you don’t automatically add it to yours. The GM may allow you
Hacking. If a piece of Equipment takes Damage, its Hit Points are to use looted Equipment up until the end of a Mission, but on
reduced by that amount. subsequent Missions you will need to have taken that Equipment
option yourself.
Equipment cannot have more Hit Points than the amount it
is listed having, and Hit Points cannot go lower than 0. When
reduced to 0, the Equipment stops functioning. Using Repeatable Equipment
If an Equipment option is not Repeatable, it is assumed when
The only Equipment that have Hit Points are ones that might be taking that option you gain ‘as many units of that option as
independently targeted by an Attack; a vehicle or a drone, for you need, and no more’. For example, if you want to wield two
example. Armour and Attire does not have Hit Points. Handguns, then you only need to take the Handgun option once
as the option is not Repeatable.
Exactly how Equipment ceases to function when reduced to 0
Hit Points depends on the narrative circumstances and the GM’s
discretion; a vehicle’s engine might burst into flames, or a drone’s Familiarity
wings might break and it tumble out of the sky. When you take an Equipment option, you gain Familiarity with
that option’s group. Familiarity is fully explained on page 21.
Equipment regains all of its Hit Points at the start of a new
Mission. Some Equipment can regain Hit Points through other Throws made to use a piece of Equipment you don’t have
means as well, explained in their groups. Familiarity are Strained. The Strained effect is fully explained on
page 123.
81
Tools Origami Cover - 2
Character Mechanics
When folded, the Origami Cover is an A4-paper-sized, 1-inch

Artistic Tool - 1 deep rectangle of folded bulletproof material with a handle and
Character creation
clasp, weighing 0.5kg.

Repeatable III
In a Hot Round, you can Consume 2 to undo the clasp and
This option provides an artistic tool of your choice, from an place the Origami Cover, at which point it automatically unfolds
acoustic guitar to graphic design software. to become a 1m tall, 1m wide piece of cover with angled sides.
The option generally encompasses all the additional things So long it is placed on firm ground, an unfolded Origami Cover
needed to ‘perform’ with the tool, such as a speaker for an provides Hard Cover against projectiles such as bullets, arrows,
electronic instrument. nails, and so on. It does not provide any cover against Attacks
that would blow away the lightweight Origami Cover, such as
If the artistic tool you choose uses electricity, it gains the Net-
explosions and sonic blasts.
Linked keyword. If it’s an electric artistic tool that also connects
to a Cyberbrain, such as a synadeck, it instead gains the Bionic The unfolded Origami Cover is lightweight, and can be carried
keyword. at no cost to moving, but it loses its ability to provide hard cover
Playing the Game
when not on solid ground. If the Origami Cover is moved, it

Bug - 1 doesn’t provide hard cover until the start of its mover’s next
Turn. You can freely collapse the Origami Cover back into its
Keywords: Net-Linked folded form at the end of Combat.
Repeatable V
This button-sized device can either record video, audio, or both, Route Burner - 2
Premade Punks
or it can record another stimulus such as smell or pressure. You

Keywords: Net-Linked
decide which the bug records when you take this option.
The ‘route burner’ is a handheld device connected to the
Climbing Tools - 3 various city mapping and city planning AIs. You can use the
route burner to map the quickest route between two points,
This option provides everything you need to scale a surface, with a variety of parameters. For example, you can have the
The world of 2044
such as pickaxes, pitons, sturdy cable, clamps, and a harness. A route burner calculate the optimal route you should take if you
pickaxe can be used as Short Blade. are walking or in a vehicle, but also you can have it calculate the
truly optimal route if you’re using acrobatic parkour, or piloting
Provided you have the time to set them up, when using
a flying object or small object like a drone. While using a route
Climber’s Tools to gain a Tool Bonus for an Athletics Throws to
burner, you have Advantage on any Skilled Throws to try to get
climb tall surfaces, your roll gains +2d6, rather than the normal
somewhere before someone else.
+1d6.
A route burner can also potentially reveal secret passages.
You can use the tools to place supports so if you slip you won’t
Provided they were on a digital file somewhere or have
fall to your death, and sturdily affix a rope to an edifice to allow
electricity run through them, the route burner knows any and
your allies to easily climb.
every passage.
Minor Tool - 1 Personal Conveyance - 2

Repeatable IV
Requires: Skill (Athletics) 3+
GM’s Toolkit
You can take this option if you want an additional Minor Tool
This option provides a means of personal analogue conveyance
after the one gained from your starting equipment.
of your choice, such as a skateboard, rollerblades, or bicycle.
Invent a minor tool that’s personal to you. The tool is so simple
While using your personal conveyance, your Stride is raised
that it only has one purpose. That purpose can be recreational.
while going along a flat surface or downhill. You use the
Examples of minor tools are:
Athletics Skill to perform any complex manoeuvres with your
• Binoculars • An umbrella personal conveyance.
• A crowbar • A set of dice
• A flashlight • A pestle and mortar PsySig Reader - 2
A Minor Tool enables you to apply the Tool Bonus to Skilled Keywords: Net-Linked
Throws for specific applications.
This hand-held device, when held up to the back of the head of
If the tool you choose uses electricity, it gains the Net-Linked someone with a cyberbrain, tells you their unique PsySignature.
keyword. If it’s a tool that also connects to a Cyberbrain, it
instead gains the Bionic keyword. If connected to a Network with a list that registers PsySigs, such
as the police’s criminal database, the device will automatically
relay data from that list on any PsySigs read.
82
Hacker Equipment
Some Hacker Equipment requires a Hacking Throw while it is
connected via a Hardline connection to have it apply its effects,
representing the combined physical preparation of the hardware
and any improvised programming needed to make the thing work.
Provided you are Intruded into such Hacker Equipment and you
have an ally physically present to work with the Hardware, you
can make this Hacking Throw without being physically present
yourself. The ally must Consume dice equal to half the dice you
expend on the Hacking Throw to perform the physical tasks.
Building Mapper - 3
Requires: Trait (B-Rank Hacker)
If you connect this briefcase-sized device via a Hardline

connection to a Network Core, you can succeed on a Hacking
Throw (DC 20/Warm) to have it provide a live 3D image of
the entire structure containing the Network Core (such as a
building) to your Network.
This 3D image includes any interior objects, and essentially

Skill Tool - 2 gives any character using the 3D image ‘X-ray’ vision of the
Requires: Skill (Any) 3+ structure and its contents.
Repeatable II
The only things that don’t appear in the 3D image are objects
You can take this option if you want an additional Skill Tool and characters that are Faraday.
after the one gained from your starting equipment.
Invent a tool or set of tools that’s relevant to the Skill you have a Cold Storage - 2
Skill Level in of 3 or higher. Examples of skill tools are: Repeatable III
• For the Medicine Skill, this might be a surgeon’s bag. You have a miniature faraday cage within which is data storage,
• For the Engineer Skill, this might be a tool kit. held in a location (possibly secret) of your choosing. Cold
• For Software, it might be computer kit assembled from old Storage is permanently Faraday, and the data on it can only be
and new parts. accessed via a Hardline connection.
A Skill Tool enables you to apply the Tool Bonus to Skilled Being completely disconnected from your Network, it can be
Throws with the relevant Skill over a wide range of applications. used to safely store data where hackers won’t be able to find it
(at least, not via the Net). Being constantly disconnected from
If the tool you choose uses electricity, it gains the Net-Linked your Network, the Cold Storage has the minimum Terminal
keyword. If it’s a tool that also connects to a Cyberbrain, it Intrusion ADC of 10, and no Ice.
instead gains the Bionic keyword.
The Cold Storage is too heavy to carry around in a Warm or
Hot Scene without lowering your Stride. You can choose to
Personal Conveyance Mod: Consume 2 in a Cold Round to relocate a Cold Storage.
Cyberbrain Control - 1
Keywords: Bionic Data Storage - 1
Repeatable V
You can control the personal conveyance directly from your
Cyberbrain, causing the wheels (or other means of propulsion) You have a piece of hardware that can store any amount of
to turn and steer just by thinking. You can also use this Mod data you choose to put on it. It is about the size of a hardback
to remotely control the personal conveyance, although when book, and modern components mean data on it cannot become
remotely controlled the personal conveyance is clumsy. corrupted due to weathering or overuse.
Personal Conveyance Mod:

Rocket Boost - 1
Repeatable III
1/Mission, your Stride while using the Personal Conveyance

becomes Lightning for the duration of the Round.
83
Ego Transplanter - 4 Ghost Trap - 3
Character Mechanics
Keywords: Illegal, Taboo Requires: Trait (B-Rank Hacker)

Requires: Trait (A-Rank Hacker)
Character creation
While this palm-sized device is connected via Hardline

This set of equipment is two waste-paper-basket-sized cylinders, connection to a Terminal, if someone Intrudes into that
connected by cables to a series of boxes. Each cylinder mounts Terminal having triggered its Ice, they must immediately
on to a person’s head while plugging into the wetports at the make a Hacking Throw (DC 20). On a failure, their digital
back of their neck. consciousness is sucked into and becomes trapped within this
device. They cease to be Intruded into anything else, and while
This device allows you to transplant the mind, or ‘ghost’, of one trapped cannot make Hacking Throws, and have no perception
person into the body of another. While two people (one possibly outside of the basic digital interface of the device.
being yourself) are hooked up to it a cylinder being mounted on
each of their heads, you can make a Hacking Throw (DC 40/ A switch on the device releases the ‘trap’ and frees the hacker’s
Cold). digital consciousness. This switch can be activated by another
hacker Intruded into this device.
On a success, you can do one of the following:
• Have the minds of the characters hooked up swap bodies,

Hacker Cradle - 4
Playing the Game
causing their Drivers, Skills, and any non-physical Traits to

swap. When you do so, the character with the highest Clarity Requires: Trait (C-Rank Hacker)
Score makes a Clarity Save. On a failed Save, both characters
have their Fortune reduced to 0 and gain the Stigma ‘Ego This Equipment gives your Crew an Asset called a Hacker
Fracture’ (explained on page 149), with the characters trading Cradle, an immobile assemblage of hardware and software that
a random Driver. hackers use to facilitate their hacking efforts. Some hackers
Premade Punks
even give their Cradles life support, enabling them to remain

• Have the mind of one of the characters erase and replace the
‘plugged in’ for days on end.
mind of the other character to create a double (in mind, but
not in body). As a result the character being doubled has their The Hacker Cradle is set up in your base of operations, with a
Drivers replace the Drivers of the character having their mind Hardline connection to your Network Core.
erased, as well as their Skills and any non-physical Traits. When
you do so, the character being ‘doubled’ makes a Clarity Save. While in the Hacker Cradle and connected to it via a Hardline
The world of 2044
On a failed Save, while the process of creating your double connection, you gain the following benefits:
works, both characters have their Fortune reduced to 0 and gain • The Hacker Cradle functions as a Visualiser.
the Stigma ‘Ego Fracture’, with the original and the double each
• Whenever you make a Hacking Throw, add +1d6 to the
randomly replacing one of their Drivers with a random Driver
Throw.
from the character whose mind was erased. Given this means
the person’s mind is irreparably lost, this process is tantamount • When you take Physical (Internal) Damage from hacking, you
to murder of the soul, a highly transgressive act. A double of can expend 1 Power to reduce that Damage by 1d6.
yourself won’t necessarily cooperate with you - refer to the • You gain a +1d6 bonus to Software Throws to do with
Perfect Existential Ego rules on page 148. searching the Net.
If the Score for the Hacking Throw was 50 or higher, any Clarity A Hacker Cradle fully immerses you in the Net. While using
Saves made are made on Advantage. If the Score was 60 or one, your body does not perceive the physical world.
Higher, any Clarity Saves are automatically successful.
Due to the Hacker Cradle having a Hardline connection to your
If the Hacking Throw is a failure, there is a disaster as both Network Core, while you have a Hardline connection to the
GM’s Toolkit
characters have their ghosts collide. The GM takes the six Hacker Cradle, you can swap your Terminal Intrusion ADC
Drivers between the two characters and randomly assigns them for your Network Intrusion ADC, as the per the Hardline &
to the two characters’ bodies until both have three Drivers each. Intrusion ADCs rule explained on page 150.
Unless each character is lucky enough to regain their three

original Drivers, what emerges from the process are mental
jigsaws of two people. If you were caught in this process, this
effectively ends your Punk, as there is no ‘you’ to keep playing
as.
84
Puppet Plug - 3 Psychic Hammer: Stiff Pattern - 4
Keywords: Illegal, Taboo Keywords: Illegal, Taboo
Requires: Trait (B-Rank Hacker) Requires: Trait (C-Rank Hacker)
On a successful Finesse Medicine Throw (DC 30/Cold), this You have acquired a digital file of the ‘stiff pattern’, a visual
deck of cards-sized device can be inserted into the brain of a pattern that induces complete paralysis in any person who
corpse to allow it to be remotely controlled. The corpse becomes sees it. You have a special file-reader that allows you to use
a Terminal in your Network, and while Intruded into, anyone the pattern as a digital image without it being revealed to you
can fully and articulately control its body without having to provided you are careful, but you have no protections against
apply any Programs. the pattern if transferred to reality (such as by printing), or if
someone disables this file-reader.
While controlling the corpse you must expend dice as you
would normally to act yourself. Due to controlling the corpse Anyone who sees the stiff pattern suffers a paralysing state
through a console and not physically performing the actions comparable to an epileptic fit, but keeps their eyes open and
yourself, Traits that would normally affect your actions do not fixed on the pattern throughout. The paralysing state remains
affect to the corpse’s actions. until the pattern is no longer in view, meaning a person can
potentially die through starvation from being trapped staring at
The corpse must be relatively intact and fresh for the Puppet the pattern.
Plug to work. Rotting muscles will prove hard to animate, plus
visible decay would quickly reveal the puppet for what it is. Working with the stiff pattern is incredibly dangerous for
In addition, if what killed the corpse destroyed their brain or this reason. The GM is likely to have you make rolls to avoid
nervous system, the Puppet Plug will be unable to work. destroying yourself with it.
The Puppet Plug can be safely ripped from the head of a corpse
to be reused. Psychic Hammer: Dread Hum - 4
Keywords: Illegal, Taboo
Universal Recorder - 2 Requires: Trait (C-Rank Hacker)
This option grants you Equipment called a Universal Recorder. This is a digital file of the ‘dread hum’, a high-pitched sound
The Universal Recorder, once hooked up to your Network Core, pattern that induces an intense sense of doom and urge to flee in
allows for the recording of any and all live data showing on the a person who listens to it.
Network.
For example, if a character is using their bionic eyes to show the The dread hum is high-pitched enough that it is imperceptible
live feed of their vision on your Network, the Universal Recorder to typical humans. Dogs and other animals with sharper
can capture all of that footage and save it for posterity. hearing will become greatly agitated by it.
Data recorded with the Universal Recorder, just like any normal A person who listens to the dread hum for at least 5 minutes
recording, can be edited. develops a rising feeling of doom that persists for days, and will
try to leave and remain away from the location in which they
A character needs to either Intruded into your Network or heard the hum during this time, even to the point of risking
physically present at your Network Core to select what live feeds punishment or physical injury if they have to. Someone of an
are recorded, and when they start and stop being recorded. anxious disposition may even resort to violence to try to get
Alternatively, you can have every live feed that goes onto your away from the location.
Network recorded, although this may prove a double-edged
sword; anyone Intruded into your Network will see everything.
QE Dummy Brain - 3
Requires: Trait (C-Rank Hacker)
This is a pair of devices; a 500ml-bottle-sized cylinder that is the

‘QE dummy brain’ and a thumb-sized ‘receiver’ that slots into a
wetport. While the receiver is in someone’s wetport, they count
as having a Hardline connection to anything with a Hardline
connection to the QE dummy brain.
85
Signal Interceptor - 3 Animals
Character Mechanics
Requires: Trait (C-Rank Hacker) In the options descriptions, the basic Actions available to the
Character creation
animal in Combat are listed, by these lists are not exhaustive of

This device enables you to listen in on transmissions without
what an animal can do.
the risks of hacking.
This device comprises an object with a handle attached to

Animal Hit Points
a cone that opens forwards attacked by cable to a briefcase-

Animals have Hit Points like other equipment that may be
sized piece of hardware. This device picks up any wireless
attacked. When reduced to 0 Hit Points, an animal becomes
transmissions (as in, transmissions sent without a Hardline
Incapacitated, like a character would when reduced to 0 Fortune.
connection) that comprise audio, video, and/or text, sent by
any Terminals in a conical area in front of where the cone-and-
Unless a particularly vile character goes out of the way to kill an
handle object is pointed.
animal, being reduced to 0 Hit Points represents the animal only
Wireless transmissions are captured as data on the briefcase- becoming too injured to fight.
sized hardware, on which you can single out individual
transmissions to replay.
Release/Return
Playing the Game
Any transmissions that were encrypted (which most are) are If you want your animal to move somewhere, attack an enemy,
still encrypted when captured by this device. To decrypt a carry something from point A to point B, or anything else beyond
transmission, in a Warm Scene you must succeed on a Hacking stay by your side, it needs to be Released. When an animal is
Throw, the DC of which is the Terminal Intrusion ADC of the Released it is set loose, and acts by obeying your commands
Terminal that sent the transmission. in the field. While Released, your animal may become a target
for Attacks, particularly if you’re commanding it to attack your
Premade Punks
enemies.
Silencer Clamp - 2
Repeatable III Once you no longer want your animal Released, you Return it. An
Requires: Trait (C-Rank Hacker) animal needs to be nearby to be Returned, but doesn’t have to be
adjacent to you.
While this heavy, shoebox-sized device is connected via
The world of 2044
Hardline connection to a Cyberbrain, that Cyberbrain is While Returned, you do not Consume dice for the animal to do
Faraday. The connection usually goes into a wetport in the back anything; it moves as you move, sticking to your side. Generally
of the neck, and is integrated into a lockable collar, preventing an animal that is Returned is not a target for attacks. Any Physical
removal. Damage (including Damage from a weapon with the Blast
property) you take is not dealt to the animal.
A vital tool in high-value kidnapping, the Silencer Clamp is used
to prevent little piggies from squealing for help over the Net. Its You can freely Release an animal, but must Consume 2 to
weight and size can make it cumbersome to use. Return an animal.
Hacker Cradle Mod: Controlling Animals

Penetration Gauge - 2 While an animal is Released, you Consume dice to give it
commands. The animal needs to be able to see and hear you to
Requires: Trait (A-Rank Hacker) receive your commands; if unable to see or hear new commands,
it will either wait and hide, or continue with its previously-
GM’s Toolkit
While you are in the Hacker Cradle and connected to it via a

commanded course of action.
Hardline connection, you gain the following additional benefit:
Whenever a hacker suffers Ice from attempting to Intrude into An animal needs to have the necessary intelligence to
your Network, your Cyberbrain, or a Terminal that you are understand the command.
currently Intruded into, you learn the Score for the Hacking For example, you can’t get a dog to press a series of numbers on
Throw for the Intrusion. a keypad by shouting out the numbers - a dog doesn’t know what
numbers are.
When you Consume dice, the animal expends those dice like you
would from your Dice Pool, using them to Consume or Throw
to perform actions in the narrative. However, for each 1 dice you
Consume, the animal Throws or Consumes 2 dice.
For example, if you Consumed 2 to command your animal to
Attack, (assuming it had no modifiers to Attack Throws) it would
Throw 4d6.
For each animal you control, you can Consume a maximum of

5 dice per Round to command it. The 2 dice you Consume to
Return an animal does not count towards this maximum of 5 dice
Consumed.
86
Like characters, animals have Stride to determine their speed of
movement, which the GM can use to calculate how much you Animal Mod:
must Consume to move the animal a certain distance. Given each Bionic Senses - 3
1 dice you Consume becomes 2 Consumed dice for the animal,
you will only need to Consume half the amount of dice the GM
calculates to have the animal move to a location (rounded down). The animal has its eyes and ears replaced by bionics, which
can share a live feed of what they’re seeing and hearing on your
While in Combat, you can command an animal to do an Action Network. The eyes and ears cannot record.
(such as Move or Attack) as an Action, and command an animal
to do a Reaction (such as Dodge) as a Reaction.
Dog Mod:
Dog - 3 War Dog - 3
Repeatable III
Requires: Skill (Survival or Warfare) 3+
The dog has its limbs and lower jaw replaced by hardier,
Dogs are easy to train, but aren’t capable of understanding
stronger bionic equivalents. The dog gains the following
complex commands.
benefits:
Dogs have keen senses and keener noses. Having a dog increases • The modded dog’s Toughness increases to +1, which in turn
your Awareness by 5, and Investigate Throws to keep watch increases its Attack Throw modifier from +1d6 to +2d6.
have Advantage. In addition any Skilled Throws that utilise • The modded dog’s Bite Damage changes from 1d6 to 2d3.
smell, such as tracking someone or searching for clues by odour,
• The dog’s Stride becomes Lightning.
are made on Advantage.
• Physical (External) Damage the dog takes is reduced by 2.
Dogs automatically fail any Clarity or Intellect Saves they make.
If you have a Cyberbrain, you can send commands to the
Hit Points: 15
modded dog via Bcomms.
Toughness: +0
Finesse: -1
Speed: +1
Action: Move.
Stride: Fast
Action: Attack with Bite.

Range: Melee
Attack Throw: [double what you Consumed]+1d6
AP: 0
Damage: 1d6 Physical (External) Damage
Special: If the dog hits and deals at least 1 Damage, the target
makes a Toughness Save. On a failed Save, they are Stunned.
Action: Return.
Consume 2. The dog, provided it is nearby, returns to your side.
Reaction: Dodge.
Dodge Throw: [double what you Consumed]+2d6
A fierce guard, a loyal servant, a true friend.
87
Drugs & Stims
Character Mechanics
You must Consume 2 to take a drug or stim in a Hot Scene or

Character creation
administer it to someone else. In other temperatures taking them is

quick enough that you do not need to expend dice.
Acuity Booster - 2
Repeatable III
Memory Blockers - 2
1/Mission, you can intake a dose of acuity booster. For the Repeatable III
duration of the Scene in which you take it, you have Advantage
on any Skilled Throw to notice visual details. 1/Mission, you can intake a dose of memory blockers. For the
duration of the next 3 Warm Rounds or Hot Scene in which
Some examples of where you would have Advantage would you take it, your short term memory does not become long
be: noticing a tiny fleck of blood at a crime scene with an term memory. Anything you experience in those Warm Rounds
Investigate Throw, detecting brief and small facial expressions
or that Hot Scene is forgotten at the start of the next Round or

with a Converse Throw, or noticing an incongruity in a Scene.
Playing the Game
computer program with a Software Throw.

Worryingly popular amongst politicians.
There’s been occasional flirtations with providing nootropics to
detectives, but these ideas are usually shot down. The police abuse
enough controlled substances without the encouragement. Mood Inhibitors - 1
Repeatable III
Premade Punks
Adrenaline - 2 1/Mission, you can intake a dose of mood inhibitor. For the
Repeatable III duration of the Scene in which you take it, any Mental Damage
you take is halved (rounded down).
1/Mission, if you lost Fortune due to Physical (External)
Damage this Round, you regain 1d6 Fortune. You take 1d6 Mood inhibitors dull all emotional reactions. While under
Physical (Internal) Damage at the end of the Scene. their effect, the GM may impose Disadvantage on Throws and
The world of 2044
Saves that rely on empathy, emotional intelligence, and so on,
Combat Stims - 3 or Advantage on Throws and Saves that rely on being calm and
dispassionate.
Keywords: Organic
Repeatable III Drugs formed the backbone of both the Russia and American
terror campaigns, to inure the soldiers to the horror of their own
1/Scene, while in Combat, you can expend 1 Power to take a deeds. The empathy blocker Thymicin was particularly rife.
dose of combat stims. For the duration of the Combat in which
you take it, you gain the following effects:
• Your sense of pain is greatly dulled, without inhibiting motor
Waking Hallucinogens - 2
functions. Whenever you take Physical (External) Damage, Waking hallucinogens induce strong visual and auditory
reduce that Damage by 2. hallucinations while not impairing thought or motor skills.
They have no set rules and their applications are typically
• 1/Round, you can add +1d6 to a Dodge Throw or an Attack.
recreational. However for some, uniting the dreamworld with
• You automatically succeed on Clarity Throws and Saves to the waking can provide insight.
GM’s Toolkit
resist fear or similar mental states, and you are immune to the
effects of Traits and Actions such as Suppressive Fire, which rely If you have the Pierced Veil Driver, this drug heightens the effect
on a person’s instincts and fear to work. of that Driver.
• You cannot willingly move any further away from enemies
involved in the Combat, nor can you take any actions to try to
diffuse or stop the Combat.
Recreational Substance - 2
Invent a recreational drug or stimulant, including its effects.
If you suffer a Crisis while under the effects of Combat Stims, This option grants you enough of the substance for personal
the Stigma is particularly severe, on the level of a 3rd Stigma. consumption, but not enough for distribution.
As cyborgs began to dominate the Californian front, the NAU The world is ending, so why not kill yourself the fun way?
worked nanite alchemy to raise their ordinary troops to the cyborg
level, or at least stop them from retreating. Some attribute the Golf
Club Slaughter to nanite overexposure. Optional Rule: Addiction
If the GM thinks your character has been using one or
several of the Drugs & Stims too frequently, they may
require your character to make a Toughness Save to resist
developing a chemical dependency.
Whenever a character who is addicted is in a situation
where they could reasonably use their drug of choice, they
must, unless they succeed on a Clarity Save.
88
Attire Null Cloth - 4
Keywords: Illegal, Taboo
Civilian Clothing - / While wearing Null Cloth, provided you are your appearance
Civilian clothing is one of the pieces of Equipment all characters is concealed on all electronic visual sensors, masking your
get during Character Creation, and cannot be taken separately. identity. On common CCTV, you appear as a collection of black
blocks. On more sophisticated cameras or bionic eyes, you
In 2044, most people will wear a mix of hand-me-downs and appear as a blurry artefact.
durable, government-issue clothes, or just their work clothes.
Personal expression only extends as far as the cultural artefacts a This does not make you invisible – anyone looking at the visual
person has inherited. feed can tell someone is there being obscured. Null Cloth does
not affect the ability of someone with bionic eyes to hit you with
an attack.
Camo - 2
When you take this option, choose a type of terrain. It might be Null Cloth is a double-edged sword – security AIs know to
Urban, Snow, Forest, or another option of your choosing. recognise patches of visual data are missing from their feeds,
and may automatically raise the alarm in response to filming
When using Camo to gain a Tool Bonus for a Stealth Throw Null Cloth.
made in the chosen terrain, your roll gains +2d6, rather than
the normal +1d6. If using the Camo to gain a Tool Bonus for a A QI material design leaked in the FlashFry Incident, Null Cloth
Stealth Throw made in a different terrain to the one chosen, you creates a sequence of light reflections that are meaningless to the
don’t gain a bonus. human eye, but causes errors in electronic visual data.
Diving Kit - 2 Survival Suit - 2

A diving kit provides everything necessary for you to breathe When you take this option, choose a type of terrain. It might be
and have mobility underwater. In taking this option, you also Desert, Mountains, Tundra, Forest, or another option of your
learn how to competently operate the diving kit. choosing.
The ‘Nachun’ line of aqualungs circumvent the mouth entirely, When using a Survival Suit to gain a Tool Bonus for a Survival
with the artificial gills worn like a jacket. A simple surgery allows Throw made in the chosen terrain, your roll gains +2d6, rather
for the oxygen to be piped through the armpit into the trachea. than the normal +1d6.
In the solar fields of the Arabian desert, technomads are said to

Elite Clothing - 2 drink the water of their sweat and urine, harvested by their very
Elite clothing can be a suit, a dress, ceremonial military attire, clothes.
a habit for a religious authority, or any other article of clothing
that is both of sophisticated make and provides an air of
authority. You choose what the elite clothing looks like when
you get this option. Elite clothing provides no mechanical
benefit, however being able to look like an elite can be
narratively beneficial.
89
Thermoptic Cloak - 4 Armour
Character Mechanics
Keywords: Illegal, Net-Linked

Light Armour - 3
Character creation
This bodysuit and attached hooded cloak, while worn and

activated, renders you invisible, both to vision that relies on While worn, your Armour is increased by +1d6.
light, such as normal sight and nightvision, and to thermal
detection such as heatvision. You have Advantage on Stealth CASU’s origami-principle armour has proven so effective
Throws while the thermoptic cloak is activated. (meaning: cheap) that other blocs have opted to entirely steal the
design.
You can expend 1 Power to activate the cloak, and can
deactivate it freely.
Heavy Armour - 4
The ‘invisibility’ this attire provides doesn’t keep you hidden While worn, you gain the following effects:
while there is a lot of matter in the surroundings. Examples of
• Your Armour is increased by +2d6.
‘matter’ are rain, snow, heavy smoke, and so on.
• Your Speed Score is reduced by -1.
• Lower your Stride.

Attire Mod:
Playing the Game
(Plodding ← Slow ← Normal → Fast → Lightning)

Armoured Lining - 2 Floating ceramic plates over bags of impact gel makes for very
While wearing the modded attire, increase your Armour by effective, if heavy, modern armour.
+1d3.
Civilian Clothing Mod: Shield - 2

Premade Punks
Requires: Toughness 1+
Double-Sided - 1
The shield requires one hand to hold. While held, the shield
When you take this Mod, either take (and pay for) a separate
increases your Armour by +1d3.
Attire option from the below list, or choose a separate Attire
option you have already taken from the below list.
Armour Mod:
The world of 2044
• Camo
• Elite Clothing Drop Legs - 1
• Null Cloth Requires: Skill (Warfare) 6+
That choice is now on the inverse of your normal clothes, This exosuit fits onto the side of the legs, and absorbs the
without the civilian clothing being uncomfortable or appearing impact from a fall. Provided you land on your feet, any Physical
misshapen. You can easily invert the modded attire to alternate Damage you might take from falling is halved. If that Damage
between what the outward appearance of your clothes, and the would already be halved, you instead take no Damage.
resultant effect, is.
UNTac’s cyborg killers drop directly into the strikezone, using
their reinforced bionic legs and shock absorbers to take the impact
Civilian Clothing Mod: of the fall.
Subcultural Fashion - 2
Requires: Skill (Art) 3+ Armour Mod:
GM’s Toolkit
Your clothes are the products of a subculture, a tiny, close-knit Fearsome Image - 1
community of enthusiastic creatives who have literally starved While wearing the modded armour in any Warm or Hot Scene,
themselves for their art, having bought their materials through you have advantage on Dominate Throws focused on terrifying
skimming off of their Universal Basic. people.
When you take this mod, decide what your subcultural aesthetic In the terror campaigns along the west coast front, the image
looks like. While not conferring any mechanical benefits, the of the terrifying cyborg was enhanced as helmets become
modded clothes make you stand out from the crowd, which can snarling faces with glowing-red eyes, and bionic limbs had their
have upsides and downsides. synthetic skin flayed to reveal the raw artificial flesh.
As part of taking this mod, you gain a Contact; your textiles
group. While not politically powerful, such as group will involve Armour Mod:
a mix of talents; people who oversee procurement, people
with the confidence to model the clothes, dedicated artisans in Hacking Platform - 2
textiles, design, jewellery, and so on. Keywords: Bionic
The Armour’s helmet functions as a Visualiser.
When you take Physical (Internal) Damage from hacking, such

as the Shock Program, you can expend 1 Power to reduce that
Damage by 1d3.
90
Heavy Armour Mod: Armour Mod:
Impenetrable Coating - 1 Powered Strength - 3
AP cannot lower the Armour the modded armour provides to Keywords: Bionic
any lower than +1d6.
At the start of any Scene, you can choose to expend 1 Power.
If you do, for that Scene while wearing the modded armour,
increase your Toughness by +1. In addition for that Scene,
Armour Mod: your melee Attacks deal an additional 1d3 Physical (External)
Powered Defence - 3 Damage.
Keywords: Bionic DONGFENG’s exoskeletons have since been reworked for

industrial applications, but their foundation in warfare is obvious
While wearing the modded armour, lower your Stride. to any skilled engineer. It doesn’t take much tinkering to turn their
(Plodding ← Slow ← Normal → Fast → Lightning) application to violent ends.
At the start of any Scene, you can choose to expend 1 Power.

If you do, for that Scene while wearing the modded armour, Heavy Armour Mod:
increase your Armour by +1d6.
Pyroproof - 1
Zu plating microadjusts its lattice of scales as it’s being struck, While wearing the modded armour, any Physical Damage you
actively contouring itself to better deflect bullets and blows. The would take (including Internal) from fire or intense heat is
system is so exorbitantly expensive its only purchasers are the halved (rounded down, possibly to 0).
bodyguards of the few surviving Saudi royals.
“Based on Durgin’s proposal’s direct human intervention in forest
fires will begin in the next year. New equipment must be pioneered,
to make a man capable of walking through fire unscathed.”
91
Weaponry Properties
Character Mechanics
Properties are the more specific qualities of certain weapons.

Weaponry requires a number of additional rules, detailed below.
Character creation
1H & 2H
Range 1H and 2H represent whether the weapon needs to be held with
Range denotes the distances the weapon can effectively hit targets one or two hands to be used effectively. You can make an Attack
at. There are four Ranges: with a two-handed weapon using only one hand, however the
Attack has Disadvantage if you do.

Melee
Melee range covers melee attacks, which are generally adjacent to Burst
or at least very near the target. When you Attack with a weapon with the Burst property, you can
choose to reduce the Magazine by an additional 1 before you roll
the Attack. When you do so, also before you roll the Attack, choose
Short one of the following options:
Short range covers ranged attacks from adjacent to around 50
• You choose to have your burst trained on the target of the Attack.
metres away. When fighting with ranged weapons in enclosed
You and the target roll your Attack Throw and Dodge Throw as
Playing the Game
spaces like the rooms of a building, you’ll almost always be within

normal, but if the target is hit, you roll Damage for the Attack a
the Short range.
second time. Each instance of Damage applies separately, with
each Damage roll having Armour rolled against it.
Medium • You choose to have your burst of fire extend to an additional
Medium range covers ranged attacks from 50 to around 300 metres target near the initial target of the Attack. You only make one
away. Attack Throw, but the Attack applies to both targets as if you’d
Premade Punks
made two Attacks. Each target rolls their Dodge Throw separately,
Long and takes Damage if hit as normal.
Long range covers ranged attacks beyond 300 metres.
Blast
Attacks made at the melee range are called ‘melee attacks’, and When you Attack with a weapon with the Blast property, the single
attacks made at the short, medium, and long ranges are called Attack you are making applies to all characters within a spherical
The world of 2044
‘ranged attacks’. area. The size of this area is up to the nature of the explosion
causing the Blast, and the GM determines in the moment how
Some rules mention ‘an adjacent attack’ - attacking with a melee many characters are caught up in the Blast.
weapon or short ranged weapon while next to the target would
both count as an adjacent attack. At the GM’s discretion, Hard Cover may entirely block a Blast
from hitting a character in that Cover.
A weapon can hit any target that is within any of the Ranges it
possesses.
For example a Shotgun has the Ranges ‘Short/Medium’, so can Deliberately Vague Blast Rules
target anything between point blank to 300 metres away. Anything
In ECOPUNK, the mechanics serve the narrative, not
further cannot be hit by the Shotgun. the other way around. The rules for Blast have been
deliberately left vague so that the game doesn’t get bogged
If a Range is surrounded by dashes (for example ‘–Short–‘), this down in determining precise measurements. The GM has
means Attacks at this Range are made on Disadvantage. final word on whether something is within the blast radius.
GM’s Toolkit
Note the rule about Point Blank Ranged Attacks explained on page
137, which states ranged attacks targeting an adjacent target are Spray
made on Disadvantage. When you Attack with a weapon with the Spray property, the
single Attack you are making applies to all characters within a 45
The GM has final say on what Range is being used when Attacking. degree cone originating from your weapon.
You only make one roll for the Attack, which all targets make
Damage independent Dodge Throws against. You make a single Damage
Weapons deal either Physical (External) Damage (shortened to roll for all targets hit.
‘P(E)’) or Physical (Internal) Damage (shortened to ‘P(I)’).
Damage is explained on page 22. Magazine [X]

The Magazine property represents how many times the weapon
can be used, due to expending bullets, fuel, electrical charge, or
Armour Piercing (AP) something else in its usage. At the start of Combat, a weapon’s
Some weapons already have an AP higher than 0, and several Magazine is set to X. A weapon’s Magazine cannot exceed this
Mods can increase a weapon’s AP. number.
The rules for Armour Piercing are explained on page 139. Whenever you Attack with the Weapon, you reduce its Magazine
by 1. When a Weapon’s Magazine reaches 0, you cannot Attack
with the weapon again until you Reload.
92
In any Warm or Cold Round, a weapon’s Magazine is not counted
– the narrative pace is slow enough that reloading doesn’t occupy Stealth Weapon - 2
time in the narrative. Keywords: Illegal, Concealable
Range Damage AP Properties
Magazine does not literally represent how many bullets the firearm Melee 1d6 P(E) 0 1H
holds. A single Attack can mechanically represent what is several
When you Attack with this weapon, you make a Finesse Attack,
shots being fired in the narrative.
as opposed to the normal Toughness.
Reload [Consume X] If you use this weapon to Attack from Hidden, the total rolled
In Combat you can take the Reload Action, where you Consume for the Damage is doubled, and its AP increases by 1.
dice equal to X to return the Magazine of a weapon you’re holding
to its maximum, as defined by its Magazine property. Garrotte wire, a stiletto knife, even a humble razor blade...
Characters are generally assumed to carry enough ammunition to

cover the Mission, but the GM may impose limits on how many
Throwing Weapon - 2
times you can Reload based on the narrative. Keywords: Illegal, Concealable
Heavy Melee/Short 1d6 P(E) 0 1H
Attacks with a Heavy weapon are made on Disadvantage unless When making a ranged Attack with a Throwing Weapon, you
you have a Toughness Score of 1 or more. may choose to use Toughness rather than the normal Finesse.
You may Mod a Throwing Weapon with Mods that would apply
Unwieldy to a Short Blade.
You cannot make more than one Attack with an Unwieldy weapon
per Round.
Long Blade Mod:
Melee Weapons Concealed - 1
Keywords: Concealable
Industrial Tool - 2 The modded weapon, when sheathed, looks like an

Range Damage AP Properties inconspicuous, mundane object. The length of the blade is also
coated in stealth plating that makes it undetectable to sensors
Melee 3d6 P(E) 1 2H, Heavy,
such as metal detectors, X-rays, spacial mapping, infrared, and
Unwieldy
so on.
This weapon is bulky and cumbersome enough that swinging
it opens you up to counterattack. After you make an Attack The blade can be flexible when sheathed to enable the
with this weapon, Attacks at melee range targeting you have concealment - for example, you could hide the blade within a
Advantage against you until the start of your next Turn. belt.
Long Blade - 2 Long Blade or Short Blade Mod:

Keywords: Illegal
Cutting Edge Tech - 3
1/Scene, at the start of your Turn, you can choose to expend 1
Melee 2d6 P(E) 0 2H Power to activate this mod. If you do, for the remainder of the
The expansion of militarism has seen the sword return as current Scene the modded weapon deals an extra +1d6 Damage.
ceremonial regalia, and rumours spread that within low-lit
alleyways of the modern metropolis, some wield such weapons in
earnest. Long Blade Mod:
Draw Tech - 3
Short Blade - 1 Requires: Aspect (Finesse) 1+
Keywords: Concealable 1/Scene, at the start of your Turn, you can choose to expend 1
Range Damage AP Properties Power to charge this mod, which stays charged until the end of
Melee 1d6 P(E) 0 1H the Scene.
The kitchen knife forms an integral part of the criminal ecosystem; While charged, you can unsheathe and Attack with the modded
long enough to be a practical weapon, short enough to conceal, and weapon in a single motion, with the mod providing acceleration
legal to own. and power to the swing. When you do so, you ignore the normal
Consume 2 required to draw a weapon and make an Attack with
the modded weapon. For that Attack, you gain a +1d6 to the
Attack roll, and the AP increases by 1.
To repeatedly use this mod, you will need to Consume 2 to re-

sheathe the modded weapon each time.
93
Melee Weapon Mod: Short Blade Mod:
Character Mechanics
Mag Grip - 1 Trick Projectile - 2

Character creation
Keywords: Bionic The modded weapon has a special blade that can be silently
launched as a projectile. You may make an Attack with the
Sibling magnetic plates in your gloves (or bionic palms, if you modded weapon at the Short Range. The Attack, as a ranged
have them) and on the grip(s) of the modded weapon allow the Attack relying on precise aiming, is modified by Finesse.
weapon to ‘fly’ into your hands. If the modded weapon is within

10 metres, you can Consume 2 to have the modded weapon Once you fire the modded weapon in this way you cannot use
fly into your hand(s), like you would Consume 2 to draw the it to Attack again until you retrieve the launched blade and
modded weapon from holstered. Consume 2 to reattach it to the handle.
While the mag grip is active and you are holding the modded The Trick Projectile’s mechanism is hidden, and can easily catch
weapon, you cannot be disarmed of the modded weapon. someone by surprise. The Attack with the Trick Projectile is
made on Advantage if the character you’re attacking has lowered
their guard.
Melee Weapon Mod:
Playing the Game
Mono Edge - 1 Long Blade or Short Blade Mod:

The modded weapon increases its AP by 1. However, the mono
edge is fragile: if a 1 is rolled on any of the dice rolled for Psychic Hammer: Erotic Edge - 4
Damage dealt with the modded weapon, the effect of this mod is Keywords: Illegal, Taboo
lost until the mono edge is repaired or the Mission ends.
Anyone cut by the modded weapon enters a combat high, where
Premade Punks
they are compelled to fight you to the death, ignoring other

Melee Weapon Mod: impulses and objectives such as fleeing or following orders.
A character will only try to resist this effect if pushed by an
Poisoned - 2 outside influence, at which point they make a Clarity Save. On
A character that takes at least 1 Damage from the modded a success, this psychic hammer no longer has an effect on them.
weapon makes a Toughness Save at the start of each of their This effect ends at the end of the Scene regardless.
Turns. On a failure, they take 1d3 Physical (Internal) Damage.
The world of 2044
Your weapon incorporates a Neural Row Hammer, commonly

called a ‘Psychic Hammer’, specifically one where the weapon has
Long Blade or Short Blade Mod: a particular pattern to the shape of its edge and its serration that
Signature Weapon - 2 stimulates the parts of the brain that deal with sex and violence.
Keywords: Signature
When you (and only you) make an Attack with the modded
weapon, add +1d6 to the Attack Throw.
Due to the Signature keyword, if you lose the modded weapon,

a replacement weapon does not have this mod.
With a camera mounted to the knife hilt and the comments

projected onto the blade’s side, Singapore’s ‘Live Ripper’ live
GM’s Toolkit
streamed his kills. Donate enough and your comment was the one
sunk into the victim.
94
Firearms Machine Gun - 2
Keywords: Illegal
As ranged weapons, Attacks with firearms are modified by the
Finesse Aspect. Range Damage AP Properties
Short/Medium/ 2d6 P(E) 0 2H, Heavy,
Gun control is fairly universal following the riots and upheavals of -Long- Magazine [3],
Reload [Consume 6],
the 2030s. All Firearms have the Illegal keyword. Spray, Unwieldy
At the end of each Turn in which you made an attack with the
Modern firearms are generally considered to be waterproof, dirt
machine gun, note the amount of dice rolled for the Attack and
proof, and vacuum-proof.
the direction you Attacked in.
Assault Rifle - 3 If, before the start of your next Turn, a character in the machine
Keywords: Illegal gun’s cone of Spray moves out of Cover, you immediately make
an Attack against that character. The number of dice rolled for
that Attack is equal to the noted amount of dice. You do not
Short/Medium/ 2d6 P(E) 0 2H, Burst,
expend any dice for this Attack.
-Long- Magazine [6],
Reload [Consume 4]
A twig snapped, and suddenly the jungle became a storm.
There were fantasies at the start of the war about futuristic
weaponry; lasers, railguns, plasma… while these technologies
exist, and some have even found their niches, amidst a resource Shotgun - 3
crisis the humble chemistry of the bullet won out. Keywords: Illegal
EM Cannon - 4 Short/-Medium- 3d6 P(E) 1 2H, Magazine [3],
Reload [Consume 3]
Keywords: Illegal, Net-Linked
“CASU’s H37 is a great shotgun - reliable, accurate, able to take a
bite out of concrete. Good for killing Russians.”
Short/Medium Special 0 2H, Magazine [3],
Reload [Consume 7]
On a hit, an EM Cannon deals 3d6 Physical (Internal) Damage, Sniper Rifle - 4
but only to electronic Equipment with Hit Points such as drones
Keywords: Illegal
or vehicles.
Whenever you make a ranged Attack with this weapon targeting -Short-/Medium/ 3d6 P(E) 2 2H, Magazine [3],
a small electronic object such as a drone, add +1d6 to the Long Reload [Consume 6]
Throw. “Bret had started calling it his ‘elephant gun’, after going on about
how he and his daddy had come here previously to hunt them.
A piece of Equipment that doesn’t have Hit Points that is hit by
He got aggravated after Brown pointed out we were here to kill
an Attack with the EM Cannon becomes Faraday until the start
Chinese and Indians, and the Africans were on our side.”
of the Equipment-user’s next Turn, or the start of your next
Turn - whichever comes first.
Firearm Mod:
Handgun - 2 Advanced Silencer - 2
Keywords: Illegal, Concealable The modded weapon produces sound no louder than a snap of
Range Damage AP Properties the fingers when it fires.
Short 2d6 P(E) 0 1H, Magazine [3],
Reload [Consume 2] They’ll never admit it, but Ruben’s ‘infinite eddy problem’ was
Attacks with this weapon made at point blank range ignore the actually solved by mass research from Net users. The applications -
Point Blank Ranged Attacks rule on page 137, so are not made such as the complete silencing of ballistics - were also figured out by
on Disadvantage (unless Disadvantage comes from a different denizens of the Net before the German Military.
source).
A thousand-thousand handguns returned from the war, borne by Firearm Mod:

its dispossessed soldiers. Since then these metal seeds have sown AP Rounds [Supply of 1] - 1
themselves in the homeland, and the roots of violence grow once
Repeatable V
again.
1/Mission, whenever you Reload the modded weapon, you can
choose to instead load a magazine of Armour Piercing rounds.
For that magazine, the weapon’s AP increases by 1. This effect is
lost when you next Reload the weapon.
“That’s what happens when you use HP bullets in one of these

things.”
95
Firearm Mod: Firearm Mod:
Character Mechanics
Autoaim AI - 2 Explosive Rounds [Supply of 1] - 1

Character creation
Keywords: Bionic Repeatable V
While the Autoaim AI is enabled, whenever you make an Attack 1/Mission, whenever you Reload the modded weapon, you can
with the modded gun, after all dice have been rolled and roll choose to instead load a magazine of Explosive rounds. For that
effects have been applied, you must reroll exactly 3 dice. magazine, the weapon’s Damage increases by 1d6. This effect is
lost when you next Reload the weapon.
Disabling and enabling the Autoaim AI takes a few seconds to
do safely. When disabling or enabling the Autoaim AI in a Hot
Round, you do so as an Action. You can either Consume 5 to Firearm Mod:
safely do so, or take 1d6 Physical (Internal) Damage to do it
without expending dice. Gunhumper’s Trophy - 0
Requires: At least 5 other Firearm Mods already on the weapon
Wetcords formed a link from the back of his neck, to the baton of
chrome strapped to his arm, to the gun held in a white-knuckle Showing either the modded weapon or a picture of the modded
Playing the Game
grip. His trigger finger entertained itself with strange motions - weapon and establishing you own it gives you advantage on all
not a tic, but the phantom of a clumsy AI crawling through his Converse Throws that involve communicating with characters
nerves. whose highest Skill Level is in Warfare, have a keen interest
in guns and conflict, or are unhealthily delighted by tools for
murder.
Firearm Mod:
Note this doesn’t make owning the gun any less illegal. Showing
Bayonet - 1
Premade Punks
it to the wrong person could still get you arrested.

The modded weapon can also be used as the following melee
weapon: Is it any wonder that a device which you pull back the shaft to cock
before you penetrate someone with should have a certain fetishistic
appeal?
Melee 1d6 P(E) 0 N/A
The melee attachment is either one-handed (1H) or two-
Firearm Mod:
The world of 2044
handed (2H) based on the modded weapon.
When you take this Mod and later when you engage in Heavy Ammo - 3
Character Progression, you can add Mods to this melee The modded weapon deals an extra 1d6 Damage, and loses its
attachment available to the Short Blade weapon from the Melee furthest Range.
Weapon list on page 93.
Putting superheavy jackets on bullets is now considered a war
crime for the horrendous internal injuries and poisoning it inflicts.
Firearm Mod: Hasn’t made them any harder to buy.
Damage Tech - 3
Keywords: Bionic Firearm Mod:
1/Scene, at the start of your Turn, you can choose to expend 2 Knockout Rounds [Supply of 1] - 2
Power to activate this mod. If you do, for the remainder of the Repeatable V
GM’s Toolkit
current Scene the modded weapon deals an extra +1d6 Damage

and increases its AP by 1. 1/Mission, whenever you Reload the modded weapon, you can
choose to instead load a magazine of Knockout rounds. For that
The Ables apparatus connects an accelerated AI to a rangefinder magazine, if an Attack with the weapon deals at least 1 Damage
and remote explosives in every bullet. Every bullet becomes a point- the target is Stunned. This effect is lost when you next Reload
blank shotgun blast. the weapon.
Firearm Mod: Firearm Mod:

Expanded Magazine - 2 Mag Grip - 1
Double the modded weapon’s Magazine size. The weapon gains Keywords: Bionic
the Heavy property, or if it already has the Heavy property,
gains the Unwieldy property. Sibling magnetic plates in your gloves (or bionic palms, if you
have them) and on the grip(s) of the modded weapon allow the
weapon to ‘fly’ into your hands. If the modded weapon is within
10 metres, you can Consume 2 to have the modded weapon
fly into your hand(s), like you would Consume 2 to draw the
modded weapon from holstered.
While the mag grip is active and you are holding the modded
weapon, you cannot be disarmed of the modded weapon.
96
Firearm Mod: Handgun or Shotgun Mod:
Marking Tech - 3 Rapid Fire - 2
Keywords: Bionic The modded weapon gains the Burst property. If it’s a Handgun,
its Reload becomes Reload [Consume 4]. If it’s a Shotgun, its
1/Turn, you can use expend 1 Power and Consume 3 to use Reload becomes Reload [Consume 6].
the Mark Action. When you Mark, choose a character you can
see. While the mark remains, that character is highlighted in
your vision and Attacks with the modded weapon targeting the Handgun or Sniper Rifle Mod:
marked character have Advantage.
Tranq Gun - 1
You can only have one Mark active at a time. When you Mark The modded weapon cannot have an AP higher than 1, loses the
another character, the previous marking disappears. Burst property, and can only deal 1d3 Damage. However, when
a character takes Damage from the modded weapon, they make
In the brief window before countermeasures were developed, Toughness Saves at the start of each of their Turns. On each
Russian snipers on the Crimean front achieved an almost-100% failed Save, the character takes 1d6 Physical (Internal) Damage,
accuracy rate using a combination of an aerial drone and homing and falls unconscious due to the tranquilliser when reach 0
bullets. Fortune.
In a Warm or Cold Round in which a character takes Damage

Handgun Mod: from an Attack from the modded weapon, that character falls
Microweapon - 1 unconscious within the same Round.
The modded weapon is much smaller and lighter than its

normal counterpart. In addition it can be collapsed to the size of Firearm Mod:
a deck of cards.
Signature Firearm - 2
All of the d6s in the modded weapon’s damage dice become d3s, Keywords: Signature
including any additional gained through other Mods and other
effects. When you (and only you) make an Attack with the modded
weapon, add +1d6 to the Attack Throw.
Small enough to hide inside the gun you hide inside a bible.
Due to the Signature keyword, if you lose the modded weapon,
a replacement weapon does not have this mod.
Assault Rifle or Sniper Rifle Mod:
People have told Jose Martí that his pistol’s engraving gives him no
Railgun - 4 tactical advantage - not so. The icon of Christ in his grip, he knows
Keywords: Bionic God is on his side.
While holding the modded weapon, you can Consume 3 and
expend either 1 or 2 Power. On the next Attack you make with Firearm Mod:
the modded weapon, increase the AP of the Attack by 2 if you
expended 1 Power, or 3 if you expended 2 Power. If you expend Stealth Plating - 1
2 Power, also increase that Attack’s Damage by +1d6. The modded weapon is undetectable to sensors such as metal
detectors, X-rays, spacial mapping, infrared, and so on.
If you used this mod but haven’t made an Attack, the effect ends
at the end of Combat.
97
Explosives Flashbang Grenade [Supply of 1] - 1
Character Mechanics
Keywords: Illegal
As weapons you pitch, Attacks with Explosives are modified by the
Repeatable III
Character creation
Toughness Aspect.
All Explosives have a range of Short. Short / / 1H, Blast
1/Mission, you can throw this explosive using a Toughness
As a rule of thumb, the radius of a Explosives’ Blast is 20 metres.
Attack. It deals no Damage, but any character hit by its Blast is

Stunned.
Agnostic Grenade Launcher - 2
Keywords: Illegal
HE Grenade [Supply of 1] - 2
Keywords: Illegal
Short/Medium Special 0 2H,
Repeatable III
Magazine [Special],
Reload [Consume 2] Range Damage AP Properties
This weapon does not come with its own ammunition. Instead it Short 4d6 P(E) 1 1H, Blast
is loaded with and fires any of the grenades from the Explosives
Playing the Game

list on page 98, or any object that is the same size or smaller Attack.
than a beer can. The Explosives must be taken separately.
Damage caused by this explosive ignores the Armour provided
You Consume 3 to load a single Explosive or object into the by Soft Cover.
grenade launcher, and when making an Attack with the grenade
launcher the Attack roll is modified by Finesse. In addition, any
Premade Punks
Traits that would modify the Attack roll of a firearm apply when Knockout Gas Grenade [Supply of 1] - 3
using this grenade launcher. Keywords: Illegal
Repeatable III
The GM determines the Physical (External) Damage dealt by
objects fired by this weapon at characters. Range Damage AP Properties
Short / / 1H, Blast
The Agnostic Grenade Launcher can hold up to 6 explosives 1/Mission, you can throw this explosive using a Toughness
The world of 2044
and objects at once. When you Attack, you choose which Attack. If every character targeted by the Attack succeeded
currently-loaded explosive or object is being fired. in their Dodge, the grenade goes wide and creates a cloud of
teargas somewhere out of the way.
Cryo Grenade [Supply of 1] - 3 As part of the Attack, this grenade creates a cloud of anaesthetic
Keywords: Illegal gas in its Blast area. This cloud is not blocked by Soft Cover.
Repeatable III Any character who failed in their Dodge of the Attack to
Range Damage AP Properties throw the grenade is caught in the gas cloud. Characters who
Short 2d6 P(E) + 1 1H, Blast succeeded have dived out of the cloud.
2d6 P(I)
Characters that start their Turn within the cloud, or move into
1/Mission, you can throw this explosive using a Toughness it, must make a Toughness Save. On a failed Save, they take 4d6
Attack. Any flames caught in the Blast of the Attack are Physical (Internal Damage).
extinguished, and the area becomes intensely cold.
The knockout gas generally lasts until the end of the Scene
GM’s Toolkit
This Attack’s Physical (Internal) Damage is caused by the in which it was used, but strong winds or an explosion might
sudden freezing effect on a person’s body. disperse it sooner.
EMP Grenade [Supply of 1] - 2 Pyro Grenade [Supply of 1] - 2

Keywords: Illegal Keywords: Illegal
Repeatable III Repeatable III
Range Damage AP Properties Range Damage AP Properties
Short / / 1H, Blast Short 2d6 P(E) 1 1H, Blast
1/Mission, you can make a Toughness Throw (DC 15) to 1/Mission, you can throw this explosive using a Toughness
throw this explosive. On a success, the grenade lands in a Attack. Objects caught in the Blast of the Attack are ignited.
place of your choosing and disperses chaff that interferes with
electromagnetic signals. Characters within the chaff are Faraday. Any character that took Damage from the initial Attack makes a
On a failure, the grenade goes wide and creates chaff somewhere Finesse Save at the start of each of their Turns. On a failed Save,
unintended. they take 1d6 Physical (External) Damage. On a success, this
effect ends.
The chaff generally lasts until the end of the Scene in which it
was used, but strong winds or an explosion might disperse it Damage caused by this grenade ignores the Armour provided by
sooner. Soft Cover.
98
Smoke Grenade [Supply of 1] - 1 Smoke Grenade Mod:
Keywords: Illegal
Repeatable III
Density Smoke - 2
When you take this Mod, it applies to all Smoke Grenades you
Range Damage AP Properties currently possess and any additional Smoke Grenades you gain
Short / / 1H, Blast later.
1/Mission, you can make a Toughness Throw (DC 15) to
throw this explosive. On a success, the grenade lands in a place The smoke of the grenade contains a cocktail of nanites and QI
of your choosing and disperses a cloud of concealing smoke. particles that diffuse sound and kinetic energy, and also might
On a failure, the grenade goes wide and creates a smoke cloud cause cancer.
somewhere unintended.
The smoke produced by the grenade cannot be penetrated
Alternatively you can Consume 2 to activate the grenade and by special forms of ‘vision’ such as heatvision or sonarvision,
drop it at your feet, where it creates the cloud of smoke. sound inside the smoke is heavily suppressed, Stride within the
cloud cannot be higher than Fast, and it provides Hard Cover.
The smoke cloud blocks light-based vision. Those blinded
by it are Addled. This either makes Attacks targeting those
obscured by the smoke automatically miss, or if their Explosive Mod:
approximate position while obscured is known, gives the Attack
Disadvantage. Refer to the Attacking What You Can’t See rule
Mine - 0
on page 137 for more information. The modded explosive becomes a mine, and cannot be thrown
as an Attack.
The smoke generally lasts until the end of the Scene in which
it was used, but strong winds or an explosion might disperse it Instead, you can Consume 3 in a Warm Round to prime the
sooner. mine. The primed mine detonates in response to pressure, such
as a person stepping on it. When a mine is triggered, it applies
the effect of the modded explosive.
Teargas Grenade [Supply of 1] - 1
Keywords: Illegal If the modded explosive would apply an Attack, 6d6 are rolled
Repeatable III for the Attack roll. No dice are expended for this Attack roll.
A character who triggered a mine automatically fails a Dodge
Range Damage AP Properties reaction they might take to avoid the Attack.
Short / / 1H, Blast
Attack. If every character targeted by the Attack succeeded Explosive Mod:
in their Dodge, the grenade goes wide and creates a cloud of
teargas somewhere out of the way.
Planted Explosive - 0
The modded explosive becomes a planted explosive, and cannot
As part of the Attack, this grenade creates a cloud of teargas be thrown as an Attack.
in its Blast area. This cloud is not blocked by Soft Cover. Any
character who failed in their Dodge of the Attack to throw the Instead, you can Consume 5 in a Warm Round to prime the
grenade is caught in the gas cloud. Characters who succeeded planted explosive. When you do so, you choose whether you
have dived out of the cloud. prime the planted explosive with a timer or a remote detonator.
Characters that start their Turn within the cloud, or move into If you primed the planted explosive with a timer, choose
it, must make a Toughness Save. On a failed Save, they take 1d6 a number of Warm Rounds. At the end of that number of
Physical (Internal Damage). If they take at least 1 Damage from Rounds, the planted explosive detonates, applying the effect of
this, they are Addled until the end of their next Turn. the modded explosive.
The teargas generally lasts until the end of the Scene in which If you primed the planted explosive with a remote detonator,
it was used, but strong winds or an explosion might disperse it it gains the Bionic keyword. You can choose to at any point to
sooner. cause the planted explosive to detonate, applying the effect of
the modded explosive, either with a trigger device or Bsignal if
you have a Cyberbrain.
If the modded explosive would apply an Attack, 6d6 are rolled

for the Attack roll. No dice are expended for this Attack roll. A
character adjacent to the planted explosive and unaware of its
presences automatically fails a Dodge reaction they might take
to avoid the Attack.
99
Vehicles For example, two vehicles are racing each other to a finish line. Both
Character Mechanics
drivers are rolling 10d6 for the Pilot Throw, however vehicle A has a
By the year 2044, the individually-owned car is gone. The roads Vehicle Speed of 1 and vehicle B has a Vehicle Speed of 5. The driver
of vehicle A will be rolling 11d6 for the Pilot Throw, while the driver
Character creation
are dominated by auto-piloted public transport and the vans of

labourers. The few vehicles which truly belonging to their drivers of vehicle B will be rolling 15d6.
are the rare hand-crafted motorbikes made by engineers and
enthusiasts. You do not add the Vehicle Speed bonus to a Pilot Throw to do
anything else. For example, manoeuvring the vehicle skilfully or
Vehicles are operated using the Pilot Skill, and require Power to executing the perfect three-point park would not be benefitted by
use. For each Scene in which you use the vehicle (including ones Vehicle Speed.
where you have the vehicle autonomously travel) you expend 1
Power. Generally humans cannot outrun speeding vehicles. A character
with a Stride of Lightning can match pace with a vehicle with
In Scenes with Initiative, a vehicle moves on the Turn of the Vehicle Speed 0 going at full speed, but will fall behind anything
character piloting it, unless it is moving while no one is at the faster.
wheel, in which case it moves at the end of the Round.
Vehicles Dodging Attacks

Playing the Game
Repairing Hit Points Vehicles are generally quite large, easy targets. As per the Dodge
In Cold Rounds a Punk can make an Engineer Throw to try to of Objects rule on page 138, a stationary vehicle counts as having
repair a vehicle. The vehicle regains Hit Points up to its maximum 0 Successes on a Dodge Throw, when moving counts as having 1,
equal to half the score of the Engineer Throw (rounded down). A and when moving fast counts as having 2.
vehicle can only be repaired in this way once per Round.
If you have taken a Vehicle option, you gain the following
Premade Punks
Reaction:
Vehicle Armour Reaction: Swerve. If you are the pilot of the vehicle, and the
Vehicle Armour is how much Armour is gained from being in or vehicle or someone inside is targeted by an Attack, you can choose
behind the vehicle. to take a Reaction to make a Throw to determine the vehicle’s
For example, someone with an Armour of 1d6 in a vehicle with Dodge, rather than using the numbers predetermined by the
a Vehicle Armour of +2d6 will roll 3d6 if they are attacked from Dodge of Objects rule. You can decide after the Attack roll has
The world of 2044
outside the vehicle. been made.
When the vehicle is itself targeted by an Attack, it provides no When you do so, you make a Speed Pilot Throw, and count the
Armour to itself, however a character/cover in front of the vehicle number of Successes rather than the Score. For that Attack, the
can. vehicle’s Dodge counts as the number of Successes you rolled.
Vehicle Speed Dodging Attacks while in a Vehicle

Vehicle Speed is a number that rates how fast your vehicle is. Whenever you are targeted by an Attack, after you make the Dodge
Vehicle Speed can go no lower than 0, and while it has no limit, Throw you can choose to substitute the number of Successes for
the world’s fastest vehicles will be rated at 5. your Dodge for the number of Successes the vehicle would count
as currently having with the Dodge of Objects rule.
Whenever you make a Pilot Throw that focuses on getting the
vehicle from point A to point B as fast as possible, you add a
number of d6 equal to the Vehicle Speed number.
GM’s Toolkit
100
Armoured Vehicle - 4 Work Van - 3
Keywords: Net-Linked Keywords: Net-Linked
Requires: Skill (Warfare) 6+ Requires: Skill (Industry) 3+
Hit Points Vehicle Armour Vehicle Speed Hit Points Vehicle Armour Vehicle Speed
60 +2d6 1 40 +1d3 0
While technically ‘street legal’ a military vehicle such as this Work vans are the most common vehicle since the abolition
draws attention. People are likely to be guarded in the presence of the car, ferrying workers and their wares throughout
of something designed for war. the city. When you take this vehicle, determine what kind
of organisation the work van is owned by, and how you
Like all manufactured vehicles, this vehicle is connected to a have acquired the vehicle for your Missions. Is it a private
mass-traffic AI. By default it travels by automation, and doesn’t company or the state that you work for? Do you work for the
need a human driver. You can freely command it to travel to any organisation, or did you get the vehicle through a friend? Is it
road-accessible location when in the driver’s seat or over the stolen?
Net. Automated travel is efficient, but not fast. While the vehicle
will reach its destination, it is unlikely to do so quickly. Like all manufactured vehicles, this vehicle is connected to a
mass-traffic AI. By default it travels by automation, and doesn’t
need a human driver. You can freely command it to travel to any
Handmade Motorbike - 2 road-accessible location when in the driver’s seat or over the
Requires: Skill (Engineer) 3+ Net. Automated travel is efficient, but not fast. While the vehicle
Hit Points Vehicle Armour Vehicle Speed will reach its destination, it is unlikely to do so quickly.
20 0 1
A motorbike, being a medium-sized object, is harder to hit than Vehicle Mod:
a typical, larger vehicle. As per the Dodge of Objects rules on
page 138, when the motorbike is stationary, it counts as having Binding Wheels - 2
2 Successes on a Dodge, when moving counts as having 3, and The wheels of the modded vehicle have advanced technology
when moving at a fast speed counts as having 4. that allows them to become inseparably grip the ground while
still being able to roll forwards and backwards. This potentially
Elite’s Private Cab - 4 allows the vehicle to drive along vertical surfaces, or even
upside down. This mod can be activated and deactivated from
Keywords: Net-Linked the vehicle’s controls. In a Hot Round, you must Consume 2 to
Requires: Skill (Politics) 3+ activate or deactivate this mod.
Hit Points Vehicle Armour Vehicle Speed
30 +1d6 2 Vehicle Mod:
The elite of society, when they need to move through the
metropolis, use private vehicles. This is one such vehicle. When Cold-Fuelled - 1
you take this vehicle, determine what kind of organisation or The vehicle’s fuelling system is incombustible and non-
individual it is used by. Who do you chauffeur in the back of explosive, meaning that Damage to the vehicle cannot cause it
this cab? How do you get it away from the workplace to use for to catch fire or explode.
the Mission?
Elite private cabs are typically ostentatious, one of the few

luxuries still afforded to the elite. While an elite’s private
cab confers no immediate mechanical benefit, people will
react differently if they believe your passengers represent the
government or a powerful corporation... for better or for worse.
Vehicles of the elite are subject to scrutiny; bullet holes come

with questions. A dangerous world can only explain away so
much. During the Epilogue, before the vehicle regains half its
Hit Points, if this vehicle has half or less of its full Hit Points,
you take 1d6 Political Damage. If it has 0 Hit Points, you instead
take 3d6 Political Damage.
Like all manufactured vehicles, this vehicle is connected to a

mass-traffic AI. By default it travels by automation, and doesn’t
need a human driver. You can freely command it to travel to any
road-accessible location when in the driver’s seat or over the
Net. Automated travel is efficient, but not fast. While the vehicle
will reach its destination, it is unlikely to do so quickly.
101
Vehicle Mod: Vehicle Mod:
Character Mechanics
Cyberbrain Console - 2 Mounted Gun - 1

Character creation
Keywords: Bionic When you take this Mod, you must also take (and pay for)
one of the options in the Firearms section, on page 95. The
The vehicle can be controlled directly from a cyberbrain. When modded vehicle has the chosen firearm installed.
taking this mod, you also gain the necessary psyware and
training to steer a car with your mind. You still need to expend When you first get this mod, you decide whether the installed
dice as normal to pilot the modded vehicle, but you do not firearm is mounted on top of the vehicle, or is secretly concealed
need your hands and feet to do so, and can control the modded within the vehicle like a spy car. A mounted gun is highly
vehicle remotely provided it is not Faraday. conspicuous, while a concealed firearm will only be able to fire
in one direction.
When you first take this mod, decide whether the normal
controls of the vehicle, such as the steering wheel and pedals, If you are at the controls of the modded vehicle, you can make
are stripped out. If they are removed, the vehicle can only be Attacks with the firearm. The Attack is modified by Finesse.
controlled via this mod. However, due to controlling the firearm and mount through
vehicle controls, you cannot modify the Attack roll with any
Playing the Game
If you use this Mod to remotely control the vehicle while you bonuses given by Traits that would normally modify Attacks
are not inside it, you cannot use any Traits to do with piloting with Firearms.
a vehicle, and any Pilot Throws to do anything more complex
with the vehicle that drive it on the road at a safe pace are made If the firearm is mounted, alternatively a character can fire the
on Disadvantage. firearm as if they were holding it normally (and can apply any
modifiers they would normally to Attacks with firearms).
You can potentially control other Mods connected to the
Premade Punks
vehicle, such as a weapon from the Mounted Gun Mod, with The mounted firearm is not capable of Reloading itself. Instead,
this. in a Warm Round you must Consume 5 to open up the vehicle
and refresh the ammunition, or reload it for free in a Cold
Round.
Vehicle Mod:
Faraday Guillotine - 2 The firearm in the modded vehicle can itself be modded, using
any of the Mods available to the chosen firearm in the Firearms
The world of 2044
You can freely push an analogue lever to cause any electronics section.
that are part of the modded vehicle to be permanently shut
down and the brakes permanently engaged. While shut down,
the vehicle is Faraday. A faraday guillotine is a countermeasure Vehicle Mod:
in the event of the vehicle being hijacked by hacking.
Nitro - 1
The guillotine’s effects can be undone with an Intellect Repeatable III
Engineer Throw (ADC 40/Warm), or automatically undone at
the end of the Mission. 1/Mission, while in a Hot Scene and if you’re in control of the
vehicle, you can Consume 1 to increase the modded vehicle’s
Vehicle Speed by 2 until the end of the Round.
Handmade Motorbike Mod:
Hydroglide Conversion - 1 Handmade Motorbike Mod:
Provided the modded vehicle is carrying less than 100kg of
Traffic Network - 1
GM’s Toolkit
additional weight, it can drive along the surface of still water. If

the vehicle slows or stops moving while on the water, it sinks. Keywords: Net-Linked
The modded vehicle is now connected to the local mass-traffic

Vehicle Mod: AI, and fitted for autonomous driving. You can freely command
it to travel to any road-accessible location when in the driver’s
Improved Engine - 2 seat or over the Net. Automated travel is efficient, but not fast.
Repeatable III While the vehicle will reach its destination, it is unlikely to do
so quickly.
Increase the modded vehicle’s Vehicle Speed by 1.
Vehicle Mod:
Up-Armoured - 2
Repeatable II
Increase the modded vehicle’s Vehicle Armour by +1d6 and its

Hit Points by 20, and decrease the modded vehicle’s Vehicle
Speed by 1.
102
Drones Repairing Hit Points
In Cold Rounds, a Punk can make an Engineer Throw to try to
‘Drones’ in 2044 refers to the air and land-borne vehicles not repair a drone. The drone regains Hit Points up to its maximum
designed for a human passenger. In 2030 they saw frequent use equal to half the score of the Engineer Throw (rounded down). A
in warfare; now their applications are primarily in security and drone can only be repaired in this way once per Round.
policing - ‘eye in the sky’ is popular colloquialism for such devices.
Controlling Drones Land Drone - 2

Drones can either be actively controlled, or act autonomously Keywords: Net-Linked
based on commands you give them. You will need to use some Repeatable III
kind of device such as a handheld controller to either manipulate a Hit Points Dodge Stride
drone or give it commands.
10 3 (stationary), Fast
You require an active connection via the Net to a drone in order to 4 (moving),
control it. If you or the drone are Faraday, you cannot control it. 5 (moving fast)
If it was given a command before you lost control, it continues to A land drone is a shoe-box-sized drone, with four legs. Land
follows that command. drones make some noise as they travel, but no louder than a
quiet footstep. Land drones are capable of fairly precise control,
Where you are actively controlling a drone, you expend dice from and can autonomously travel across rough terrain without
your own dice pool to do so. Like characters, drones have Stride difficulty. A land drone has a vertical leap of half a metre, and a
to determine their speed of movement, which the GM can use horizontal leap of 2 metres.
to calculate how much you must Consume to move the drone a
A land drone is equipped with a camera, and an articulate,
certain distance. To actively move a drone, you would Consume
grasping limb that can extend up to 1 metre from the drone’s
the same amount of dice that a character with the same Stride
body. Half of the drone’s body is an empty compartment that
would to move the same distance.
can be electronically locked.
For example, a character with a Stride of Fast, would have to
Consume 5 to move from one side of a warehouse to the other. A
character controlling a Heavy Aerial Drone (which has a Stride of Light Aerial Drone - 2
Fast) would also Consume 5 to steer the drone to other side of the
warehouse.
Repeatable III
If the drone is acting autonomously, you don’t need to expend dice Hit Points Dodge Stride
to have it act. However you will need to Consume 2 in Hot Rounds 10 3 (stationary), Lightning
to gives the Drone commands for it to follow. Commands cannot 4 (moving),
be too complex. Some example commands are: 5 (moving fast)
» Follow me while remaining within a distance of 30 metres. Aerial drones fly through a series of rotor blades, and can lift
» Keep flying north until I tell you to stop. and descend vertically. They are virtually silent when they fly.
» Hover in the sky for 1 hour, at which point safely descend to the They are capable of very precise control.
ground.
» Travel to these coordinates I have. A light aerial drone has a wingspan of 30 centimetres, and is
Drones are not capable of autonomously manoeuvring through equipped with a camera capable of zooming in. Light aerial
complex, confined spaces. drones can fall from any height without sustaining damage.
In Scenes with Initiative, a drone moves on the Turn of the

character expending dice to control it, unless it is moving
autonomously, in which case it moves at the end of the Round.
Drones Dodging Attacks

As Objects, Drones have a predetermined number of Successes for
a Dodge Throw that can change based on their movement, listed
in their option entry. Refer to the Dodge of Objects rule on page
138 for more information. Drones can come in several different
sizes, and so their Dodge Successes can vary.
If you have taken a Drone option, you gain the following Reaction:
Reaction: Drone Dodge. If you are controlling the drone when it
is Attacked, you can choose to take a Reaction to make a Throw
to determine the drone’s Dodge, rather than using the numbers
predetermined by the Dodge of Objects rule. You can decide after
the amount of dice to be rolled for the Attack has been determined,
but must decide before the Attack roll has been made.
When you do so, you make a Speed Engineer Throw, and count
the number of Successes rather than the Score. For that Attack, the
drone’s Dodge counts as the number of Successes you rolled.
103
Heavy Aerial Drone - 4
Character Mechanics
Land Drone or Light Aerial Drone Mod:

Gundrone - 3
Character creation
Hit Points Dodge Stride Keywords: Illegal

20 2 (stationary), Fast
3 (moving),
4 (moving fast)
Short/-Medium- 2d6 P(E) 0 Magazine [6],
Reload [Special]
Aerial drones fly through a series of rotor blades, and can lift The body of the modded drone is adapted to house a small gun.
and descend vertically. They are virtually silent when they fly.
They are capable of very precise control. You can make Attacks with the gun as if it were a normal
Firearm, but due to controlling it at a distance through a
A heavy aerial drone has a wingspan of 1.5 metres, a central console and not physically holding the rifle, Attacks made are
body wide and flat enough for someone to sit or stand on, not modified by Finesse nor Traits that would normally affect
is powerful enough to lift up to 80kg of additional weight Attacks with Firearms such as Gunslinger I.
unimpeded, and can fall from 5 storeys without sustaining any
damage.
The gun on the modded drone is not capable of Reloading itself.

Instead, in a Warm Round you must Consume 5 while next to
Playing the Game
It is equipped with a high-definition camera capable of the drone to Reload the gun.
nightvision and heatvision, can zoom several times over,
and can record visual data (such as facial or gait recognition The gun in the modded drone can itself be modded, using any
data), or monitor for particular visuals (such as searching for a of the Mods available to a Handgun in the Firearms section.
particular face the drone has facial recognition data of, or the
flash of an explosion).
Drone Mod:
Premade Punks
Aerial drones require considerable refuelling and maintenance.

You reduce the amount of Power you provide to the Crew by 1 3D Vision - 1
for as long as you have this option. The modded drone’s camera is replaced with a 3D Vision
module, that creates a 3D map of the surrounding environment
for up to 50 metres (the same distance as the Short range).
Drone Mod: The 3D vision penetrates objects, allowing it to see through
The world of 2044
Cyberbrain Control - 3 most objects and walls. Only walls that are especially thick or
materials specifically proofed against this penetrating vision
Keywords: Bionic block it. You cannot perceive gases such as smoke with 3D
vision.
When you take this Mod, you can freely apply it to any and all
Drone options you have taken or take later.
You can control the drone directly from your cyberbrain,

Heavy Aerial Drone Mod:
negating the need for any physical tools to control the drone. Sniper Drone - 3
With cyberbrain control, any simple manipulations of the Keywords: Illegal
drone’s controls that would normally Consume 2 in a Hot
Round can be done freely. Range Damage AP Properties
Medium/Long 3d6 P(E) 2 Magazine [6],
Reload [Special]
Drone Mod: The body of the modded drone is adapted to house a long-
range, high-powered rifle. As a result, it can now only lift up to
Grenade Dropper - 1
GM’s Toolkit
40kg of additional weight.

Keywords: Illegal
You can make Attacks with the rifle as if it were a normal
The modded drone is rigged to be able to hold a single grenade Firearm, but due to controlling it at a distance through a
or other similar-sized object, with a mechanism that pulls console and not physically holding the rifle, Attacks made are
the pin as it drops the grenade. You must take any grenades not modified by Finesse nor Traits that would normally affect
separately, from the Explosives list on page 98. Attacks with Firearms such as Gunslinger I.
In a Hot Round, you can Consume 2 while controlling the The gun on the modded drone is not capable of Reloading itself.
drone to have the grenade (or object) detach. If it’s a grenade, it Instead, in a Warm Round you must Consume 5 while next to
explodes on impact with the ground. If the grenade would make the drone to Reload the gun.
an Attack roll, the roll for a grenade dropped this way is 6d6.
Action: Autofire Mode. Consume 4 to set the modded drone
Put a release mechanism on a drone and you have the world’s to autofire mode. When in this mode, the drone remains
cheapest airforce - a problem the Americans solved by making stationary and makes an autonomous Attack at the end of each
each drone that fell out of the sky worth millions. Round of Combat. For the Attack, the drone rolls 4d6, and
randomly targets a character who is not part of your Network
within an area you designated as part of the Action. You can end
autofire mode freely at any time.
The gun in the modded drone can itself be modded, using any
of the Mods available to a Sniper Rifle in the Firearms section.
104
A group of punks charge into battle with the military police
105
Premade Punks
Character Mechanics
Character creation
This chapter contains the Premade Punks, all of which can be created via Character Creation with the normal starting 16 expCOIN. You can
choose from any of the below Premade Punks, or randomly choose one using the aside Random Premade Punk Table.
Premade Punks come with ‘Progression Paths’, possible directions in which you can improve the Punk with Character Progression. Each
suggested option a Progression Path is followed by its expCOIN cost (shortened to ‘XP’) and which on page it can be found in the Character
Options List. You are free to ignore these paths and take the Premade Punk in your own direction - make it your own!
Each Premade Punk also comes with a ‘Vignette’, a short story from the punk’s perspective.
These Premade Punks do not come with predetermined Drivers; it is up to you to determine the personality of the character you’re
playing.
Random Premade Punk Table

Playing the Game
1d6 1d6 Premade Punk

1-2 1-2 Artist of the Blade. Pursue perfection in both dance and death.
3-4 Cyborg Shieldwall. Be the jagged shore upon which your foes break.
5-6 Detective & Dog Duo. A man and his dog, sniffing out the truth.
Premade Punks
3-4 1-2 Greenthumbed Assassin. Tend to plants. Tend to throats. Snip both with ease.
3-4 Hacker-In-Hiding. Crawl through the shadows of both the real and the Net.
5-6 Political Operator. Tinker within the great machine, insulating your allies and burning your enemies.
5-6 1-2 Quack Doctor. Perform gruesome surgery for a suspect cause.
The world of 2044
3-4 Road Ronin. A knight of the new age, ride your steel steed down the highway and swing your crusader’s lance of junk.
5-6 Spectral_Hacker. One without flesh, you’ll perform miracles in the dreamworld of the Net.
GM’s Toolkit
106
Artist of the Blade
Body Precariat
Starting Civilian Clothing (loose streetwear)
Equipment Mask (dancer’s mask)
Universal Basic
Net-Linked Device (earpiece)
Gear
Minor Tool (dancing ribbon)
Skill Tool (artist’s tools)
Aspects Toughness -1
Finesse +1
Speed +1
Clarity +0
Intellect -1
Skills & Talents Art 9
Talent: Dancing
Traits & Commune
Equipment
Art of the Conceal (page 52)
Dodgy (page 70)
Martial Arts I (page 72)
Study the Blade I (page 73)
Long Blade (page 93)
Modded with: Concealed (page 93)
Description
The Artist of the Blade seeks the heights of artistic expression, not
just through painting, singing, and dance, but also through sword
play. Martial Arts I and Study the Blade I give them skill with the
sword, and with their Long Blade hidden with Concealed inside
the props they dance with, they can use Art of the Conceal to
perform an unexpected killing blow.
Progression Paths
Blademaster
Vignette If you want to achieve the heights of mastery, Study the Blade
“It’s not complete yet. It’s missing something.” II [4XP] (page 73) and Master the Long Blade [4XP] (page
“Is it?” Asked the dealer. She adjusted her glasses and craned her 73) are essential. To get into the melee sooner and dodge better,
neck forward to better inspect the painting. It seemed perfect to increase your Speed with Increase an Aspect Score [4XP] (pg.
her, an energetic splash of abstract art. Was it a field of windswept 50) and take Fleet of Foot [2XP] (page 56). Charge [2XP]
flowers? Or perhaps an act of violence? No, it was too vague and (page 70) can help that new speed turn into attack power, and
inoffensive for something so distasteful. combat Traits like Disarm [2XP] (page 74) and Blockchain
“It seems perfect to me. I think it will sell well. Very well.” [2XP] (page 74) can increase your ability in combat.
It pains me to hear her say that of my work, but this is how the dull
lens of her dying era sees things.
“No, it’s missing something. Look closer.” Sinister Socialite
Like a snake, the cool metal handle slithered into my hand. The Turn your artistic repute into social attraction by increasing the
sheath fell away silently, like it was shedding its skin. My old friend Converse Skill. Great First Impression [2XP] (pg. 56) can help
was ready to strike, same as I. wow those you meet. Beauty [3XP] (pg. 65) can also help. Once
“What it’s missing is a splash of red.” you get them alone, you can strike. Increasing your Stealth Skill
And I showed her true art. and taking Assassin I [4XP] (pg. 53) and beyond can ensure the
blows are silent and lethal.
107
Cyborg Shieldwall
Character Mechanics
Character creation
Body Military Cyborg

Starting Civilian Clothing (fatigues)
Equipment Mask (cyborg forces ballistic mask)
Universal Basic
Net-Linked Device (mouthpiece)

Gear
Minor Tool (sturdy rope)
Skill Tool (interrogator’s tools)
Aspects Toughness +1
Finesse +1
Speed +0
Playing the Game
Clarity +0
Intellect -1
Skills & Talents Athletics 6
Dominate 3
Talent: Intimidation
Premade Punks
Traits & Cyborg

Equipment Bionic Carapace
Regular Maintenance
Cyberbrain
Bionic Arms
The world of 2044
Bionic Legs
Bionic Eyes
Gunslinger I
Draw (F)Ire (pg. 55)
Human Shield (pg. 70)
Heavy Armour (pg. 90)
Shield (pg. 90)
Handgun (pg. 95)
Progression Paths
Ironclad
If you want to take all the hits you’ll need cover to do some of the Description
GM’s Toolkit
work. Take Duck for Cover [2XP] (pg. 70), and then increase The Cyborg Shieldwall weathers hits and protects their allies. In a
your own defence by modding your Heavy Armour with Powered fight, they should take up a position in cover at the front, and use
Defence [3XP] (pg. 91). Gunslinger II [4XP] (pg. 71) and Draw (F)Ire to focus the enemies’ attention on them. In a pinch,
beyond can increase your ability to use cover (and hit enemies Human Shield can allow them to protect an exposed ally. Outside
harder), and Grit [4XP] (pg. 70) can ensure you never go down of combat, they can use their Athletics to perform physical labour
easy. to support the crew, or their Dominate to pry information from
anyone captured in a fight.
Tip of the Spear
To carve a swathe through your enemies, ditch your Shield and
Handgun in favour of a Shotgun [3XP] (pg. 95). Modding your
Vignette
Run through door. Another door. Contact. Two targets, shooting.
Shotgun with Explosive Rounds [2XP] (pg. 96) can give you Shield feels heavy (but not as heavy as she was). Focus. Focus.
some extra firepower, and Heavy Ammo [3XP] (pg. 96) is great Head singing: think a bullet grazed me (she used to sing). FOCUS.
if you’ll be up close and personal. Modding your Bionic Legs with Behind cover. Think I have half a magazine left. Just heard
Stride Enhancement [3XP] (pg. 69) can enable you to get to someone reloading: go. Go! I’m charging. Hold that shield up.
your enemies faster. Hold it upright faggot! He looks like Sarge. Squeeze trigger (do
you remember how shQUIET). Squeeze trigger again. He’s down.
Think a bullet’s in my leg. Swing shield, knock down the other one.
Gun’s empty: use the shield. Down on head. Crush them. Crush
them. Crush them. Crush them. Crush them. Crush them.
Stop. He’s dead (but it won’t bring her back).
Please let me forget. (No).
108
Detective & Dog Duo
Body Precariat
Starting Civilian Clothing (trench coat)
Equipment Mask (kerchief)
Universal Basic
Net-Linked Device (brick phone)
Gear
Minor Tool (dog treats)
Skill Tool (forensic tools)
Finesse +1
Speed -1
Clarity +0
Intellect +1
Skills & Talents Investigate 9
Streetwise 3
Talent: Information Gathering
Traits & Commune
Equipment
Body Reader (pg. 54)
Human Can Opener (pg. 57)
Reconstruct the Scene (pg. 63)
Total Retention (pg. 64)
Dog (pg. 87)
Description
The Detective & Dog Duo are canny investigators. Body Reader,
Human Can Opener, and Reconstruct the Scene can allow them
to pry more information out of people and the crime scene in an
investigation. Total Retention provides a risky method to advance
when they get stuck putting the clues together. Through it all,
the detective’s trusty Dog can help them sniff out a trail, search a Progression Paths
crime scene, or even nip at their enemies in a scrap.
Mindcop
Acuity Booster [2XP] (pg. 88) can allow you to see more when
Vignette you search a scene for clues, and while we’re getting into stims
The rain was coming into the city sideways, thick and heavy. It spat why not use Waking Hallucinogens [2XP] (pg. 88) to also
and hissed as drops got through the blown-out windows and into search the scene with your third eye? Increasing your Spirituality
the smoking, smouldering hollow that remained of the apartment Skill can help you see more with that widening third eye, and
above. Steeling Ritual [3XP] (pg. 63) can be used to protect you when
“How bad is it?” you use your Total Retention. Deep Neural Conditioning [3XP]
It was my compulsion to the truth asking, as if it didn’t already (pg. 50) to gain the Pierced Veil Driver can pin your third eye
know. I could hear a body bag being zipped closed. One of many. permanently open, for better or worse.
“It’s bad. I think you should take your dog for a walk, detective.”
“And the daughter, did she...? Did she at least...” Dynamic Duo
The air faded in my throat. For a while we both stared into Martial Arts I [4XP] (pg. 72) or Gunslinger I [4 XP] (pg. 71)
nothingness while the rain drowned the city. can get you on the right path if you keep getting your arse kicked.
“If I’d noticed sooner, the chemicals under his nails...” A Short Blade [1XP] (pg. 93) or Handgun [2XP] (pg. 95) can
“Go home, detective.” enable you to put those new skills to use. If you’re getting tough,
why not make your Dog a War Dog [3XP] (pg. 87) too? Increase
I walked for a few blocks, until the will to go further left my legs. your Survival Skill to better work with your buddy. Now all you
The dog looked up at me and whined, worried that he was the need is Animal-Human Fighting Force [3XP] (pg. 52) and the
reason for us stopping. pair of you are ready to investigate the fuck out of anyone who
“It’s not your fault. You’re a good boy.” messes with you.
I saw myself reflected in the dog’s watery eyes.
“It’s not your fault.”
109
Greenthumbed Assassin
Character Mechanics
Character creation
Body Precariat
Starting Civilian Clothing (gardener’s uniform)
Universal Basic
Net-Linked Device (earpiece)

Gear
Minor Tool (plant clippers)
Skill Tool (sneaking gear)
Finesse +1
Speed +1
Playing the Game
Clarity -1
Intellect +0
Skills & Talents Ecology 3
Stealth 6
Talent: Moving Unseen
Premade Punks
Traits & Commune

Equipment
Skulker (pg. 63)
Stretch of Green (pg. 64)
Weather Forecast (pg. 65)
The world of 2044
Assassin I (pg. 53)

Assassin II (pg. 53)
Stealth Weapon (pg. 93)
Description
The Greenfingered Assassin is a gardener who dabbles in killing.
Weather Forecast can be used to place themselves in a strategic
location for a hit, and Assassin I, Assassin II, Skulker, and their
Stealth Weapon will enable them do the deed. At the end of
Progression Paths the day, their Stretch of Green can be used to covertly transfer
Hands-On Killer messages that the work is done.
If you want to strike from the dark, increasing your Stealth is the
GM’s Toolkit
first order of business. Assassin III [4XP] (pg. 53) can ensure
that you always take down your targets. If you want to become
Vignette
Even under that fringe I could see the black eye, the scrapes. The
the ultimate unarmed assassin, combining your skills so far with child absent-mindedly rubbed my rosemary plant between her
Martial Arts I [4XP] (pg. 72) and further can increase the finger and thumb, and sniffed them while her mother stood by her
lethality of your hands. Be sure to take Dodgy [2XP] (pg. 70) to and the father tried to find the words.
avoid getting taken out whenever you’re exposed after an attack. “The police chief. He...”
The father had the expression of a man who once thought of
Greenthumbed Sniper himself as a protector, but had learned he cannot protect anything
To kill at a distance, Barter your Stealth Weapon for a Sniper Rifle that matters. I saw it a lot, in the war. Sometimes I was the one
[4XP] (pg. 95) with an Advanced Silencer [2XP] (pg. 95). putting it on people’s faces.
Camo [2XP] (pg. 89) suited for greenery (such as your Stretch “I- I can’t- I have... other kids, and-”
of Green) can enable you to hide yourself before a kill, as can I could guess what had happened. My commanding officer had
increasing your Stealth Skill. Increasing your Warfare and taking done the same.
Sniper’s Nest [2XP] (pg. 71) can enable you to better attack “Bella. She said you had done stuff in the war. Stuff where no one
from the green, and increasing your Ecology Skill and taking found out-”
Stretch of Green II [4XP] (pg. 64) could give you a superior “I vill do it for you. Vhat you are asking, do not say out loud. No
location to hide within. pay. But I am thinkink you do not come here to my garden for a
vhile.”
The family left to put themselves back together.
The garden shears felt warm and heavy in my hand. I had already
killed one piece of shit like that and got away with it. Another
would be easy.
110
Hacker-In-Hiding
Body Civilian Cyborg
Starting Civilian Clothing (hooded streetwear)
Universal Basic
Net-Linked Device (visualiser)
Gear
Minor Tool (flashlight)
Skill Tool (collapsible computer)
Finesse +0
Speed +0
Clarity +0
Intellect +0
Skills & Talents Stealth 4
Talent: Moving Unseen
Software 5
Traits & Cyborg
Equipment Anonymous Body
Rejection Regime
Cyberbrain
Bionic Arms
Bionic Legs
Bionic Eyes
Bionic Health
Sticky Fingers (pg. 63)
Stealth Skin (pg. 66)
D-rank Hacker (pg. 74)
C-Rank Hacker (pg. 74)
Ice: Basic Layers (pg. 75)
Visualiser (pg. 74) Progression Paths
Hackssassin
If you want to expand to taking down foes with your abilities, the
Description first thing to do is increase your Stealth Skill. Combining Hacker
The Hacker-In-Hiding uses their skill in Stealth, along with their Fu [2XP] (pg. 76) with Martial Arts I [4XP] (pg. 72) and
Stealth Skin, to slip into places unseen and plant their hacking Grappler [2XP] (pg. 74) can allow you to grab an opponent
programs via Hardline connection. Sticky Fingers can ensure that, and quickly hack into them. B-Rank Hacker [4XP] (pg. 75)
in a pinch, they have swiped just what they need to penetrate the will allow you to stop a cyborg you’ve grabbed with the Paralyse
enemies’ defences. Anonymous Body means that, even if they are Program; a Stealth Weapon [2XP] (pg. 93) or a Handgun [2XP]
spotted, they don’t gain too much Heat. (pg. 95) with an Advanced Silencer [2XP] (pg. 95) can then
finish them off.
Vignette
Ya Allah I hate crawling through vents. The movies make this look Hardware Nerd
way less shit. Speaking of movies didn’t Decker say he had got To do more with your hacking, first increase your Software
the hookup on the Netpoint of a hard drive full of old movies? I Skill and get B-Rank Hacker [4XP] (pg. 75). By using hacker
wonder if he’s got that compiler he ordered- equipment such as Building Mapper [3XP] (pg. 83), Signal
“I know you’re getting distracted in there,” chirped the earpiece. Interceptor [3XP] (pg. 86), and QE Dummy Brain [3XP]
“No, no, just waiting for the opportune moment to-” (pg. 85), you can slip into a location, set up your Hardline
I slowly slid away the vent grill and dropped silently into the connections, and initiate the hack. Increasing your Stealth Skill
control room. and taking Skulker [2XP] (pg. 63), you can sneak into more
“-make my entrance.” secure locations and ensure you have to hand the tool to do it.
“Well your entrance has taken so long the security guard is coming Modding your Bionic Eyes with Advanced Vision [2XP] (pg.
back from her break. Hurry up.” 68) can enable you to see in the dark.
Shit. How’d you hook up a Spymaster again? Decker had explained
it. He’d used a rhyme so I’d remember. Speaking of rhyming...
111
Political Operator
Character Mechanics
Character creation
Body Fallen Elite

Starting Civilian Clothing (vest and briefs)
Equipment Mask (cravat)
Universal Basic
Net-Linked Device (glass phone)

Gear
Minor Tool (electric lighter)
Skill Tool (black book)
Finesse +0
Speed +0
Playing the Game
Clarity +0
Intellect +1
Skills & Talents Converse 6
Politics 9
Talent: Networking
Premade Punks
Traits & Shitlisted

Equipment Cyberbrain
Elite Clothing (fine suit and overcoat)
Contact [Individual] (vice purveyor)
The world of 2044
Eyes & Ears (in Politics) (pg. 56)

Information Control (pg. 58)
Power Broker (pg. 61)
Description
The Political Operator applies their political networking skills to
gather information and leverage for the crew. Eyes & Ears and a
Contact [Individual] (the owner of a drug den used by the elite)
can be worked to gather information for leverage, and particularly
Progression Paths tough negotiations can be overcome with Power Broker.
Information Control allows them to defend themselves and other
Machiavellian crew members when things get too dicey.
If you want to use your political skills to pressure and control your
GM’s Toolkit
enemies, attack your enemies with Make Some Calls [3XP] (pg.
60) and protect yourself with Diplomatic Immunity! [3XP] Vignette
(pg. 55). Gaining Contact [Individual] [2XP] (pg. 77) and The hard drive sung in my pocket. Jesus Christ, I knew the
Contact [Organisation] [4XP] (pg. 77) repeatedly can expand bastard was filthy, but not this filthy. This was it, my ticket back
your capabilities, and provide potential sacrifices for Information into paradise. I’d no longer have to live in squalor amongst these
Control. If you want to pressure others under your political might, fuckers.
increasing your Dominate Skill will enable you, and Aura of I ran through all the petty vexations I’d soon be free of, just as soon
Authority [2XP] (pg. 53) can help you take control of a scene. as I can blackmail the right people with this video.
No more queueing for food. And I could eat meat that isn’t dog
again!
Charm Offensive No more getting threatened or beaten. I suppose I won’t need
If you want to use charm to get what you want, start off by
Alexandria watching my back anymore.
increasing your Converse Skill. Power Broker [3XP] (pg. 61)
And no more selling my skills to Alexandria’s pack of rubes, as
can help tip negotiations in your favour, and if you’re trying to pry
thrilling as some of the capers had been.
information out of people you’re talking to, Acuity Booster [2XP]
No more sharing tea with Mrs Quan.
(pg. 88) can help, and an Autoinjector [1XP] (pg. 67) could
No more seeing the smile of that woman across the landing. People
help you covertly dose yourself at the right moment. You could
didn’t do that in the elite - smile with their whole face. They just
even turn your Converse skill to helping your allies by taking Rally
pulled the corners of their lips apart.
[3XP] (pg. 62), providing inspiring speeches to further their
No more nights spent sitting a circle, feeling the warmth of others.
achievements.
No more...
Fuck. I’m going native. Perhaps I’ll hold onto this drive for just a
little longer. But not too long: ultimately it’s better on high. Right?
112
Quack Doctor
Body Precariat
Starting Civilian Clothing (boiler suit)
Equipment Mask (surgeon’s mask)
Universal Basic
Gear
Minor Tool (pestle and mortar)
Skill Tool (surgeon’s bag)
Finesse +0
Speed +1
Clarity -1
Intellect +1
Skills & Talents Medicine 6
Talent: Surgery
Science 6
Traits & Commune
Equipment
Black Market Surgeon (pg. 54)
Combat Medic (pg. 55)
Household Chemical Warfare (pg. 57)
Data Storage (pg. 83)
Description
The Quack Doctor is a self-taught scientist, applying their
unconventional medical and chemical knowledge. Household
Chemical Warfare and Combat Medic allow them to
support their allies in the field. Black Market Surgeon can
be used in preparation of the crew’s plans. Using these skills
in conjunction with Data Storage, they can even smuggle
information inside someone’s body. Progression Paths
Medical Support
Vignette To better support your allies off and on the battlefield with your
“Now open wide and say ‘aah’.” medical skills, first increase your Medicine Skill. Combat Medic
With a flashlight in my teeth, I slowly inspected the boy’s maw II [4XP] (pg. 55) will boost your skill set, TLC [3XP] (pg. 64)
while his ma looked over my shoulder. I’d have preferred if she’d increase the Fortune regain of your Crew, and Heal The Spirit
taken my offer to sit. I always feel so uncomfortable being watched [3XP] (pg. 57) will enable you to also mitigate Mental Damage.
while I work. Evidently the lurid stains on the chair had dissuaded
her, although I’d been clear the substances that had caused them
don’t interact with human biology.
Bitter Medicine
You can put Black Market Surgeon to great and terrible use by
“I appreciate you doing this doctor. It’s so hard to get a dentist
abducting victims with a Handgun [2XP] (pg. 95), modded into
these days.”
a Tranq Gun [1XP] (pg. 97). By surgically implanting them with
“Please, I prefer Ken. And it’s really no prob- ah, here we go.”
a Bug [1XP] (pg. 82) then making them forget the incident with
I gingerly poked into the grey dent on the inside of the tooth, and
Memory Blockers [2XP] (pg. 88), you can create an unwilling
the boy winced. As I’d suspected.
spy. If you want to be particularly evil, you can also implant them
“The tooth is rotten on the inside, so we’ll need to perform just a
with a HE Grenade [2XP] (pg. 98) modded to be a Planted
little surgery to get it out. Should only take a moment, you’ll barely
Explosive [0XP] (pg. 99). Increase your Stealth Skill to better
feel it. After all, you’re a big, strong lad aren’t you?”
slink around and abduct your victims, and mod your Civilian
The boy beamed, and flexed his arms while looking to his mother
Clothing to be Double-Sided [1XP] (pg. 90) with Null Cloth
for approval.
[4XP] (pg. 89) to avoid detection by electronic surveillance.
“I think he can take a little pain, doctor.”
“Brilliant. And again, please don’t call me ‘doctor’.”
I picked up the power drill.
113
Road Ronin
Character Mechanics
Character creation
Body Precariat
Starting Civilian Clothing (boiler suit)
Equipment Mask (biker mask)
Universal Basic

Gear
Minor Tool (grease can)
Skill Tool (toolkit)
Finesse +1
Speed +1
Playing the Game
Clarity -1
Intellect -1
Skills & Talents Engineer 3
Pilot 6
Talent: Motorbiking
Premade Punks
Traits & Commune

Equipment
Drive-By Warrior (pg. 70)
Martial Arts I (pg. 72)
Handmade Motorbike (pg. 101)
The world of 2044
Modded with: Nitro (pg. 102)

Modded with: Up-Armoured (pg. 102)
Long Blade (pg. 93)
Modded with: Cutting Edge Tech (pg. 93)
Description
The Road Ronin is a competent driver, who can use their
Handmade Motorbike to get about the city with ease. They
can handle themselves in a knife fight, but the Road Ronin
Progression Paths is best suited to striking quickly from the back of their bike,
Road Rage using the Cutting Edge Tech on their Long Blade then fleeing
To slice and dice your way to biker infamy, Study the Blade I the scene with a boost of their Nitro. Up-Armoured gives you
GM’s Toolkit
[4XP] (pg. 73) and beyond can improve your skill with your some protection behind the wheel.
Long Sword, while modding it with Draw Tech [2XP] (pg. 93)
can add power to the swing and Mono Edge [1XP] (pg. 94)
can slice into armoured vehicles. If you’re going to be getting Vignette
into fights, modding your Handmade Motorbike with more Up- It purred under me like an animal as I turned the ignition.
Armoured [2XP] (pg. 102) can protect you while you ride. Since “How does it feel?” Asked Mei, before she hastily realised the fuel
you’ll be pulling off all kinds of swordplay bullshit on your wheels, cap was still off and set to screwing it back on. I flexed my hands
Ninja Behind The Wheel [3XP] (pg. 60) will protect against on the handles.
taking a tumble. “Good. Really good.”
“Okay. I think we still need to work on the suspension a bit so
don’t take it beyond the lot just yet. Maybe just gently turn the
Gearhead accelerator the tiniest bit, see how it runs?”
If it’s your wheels you want to improve, first increase your This was it. This was fucking it! We were so close to perfection
Engineer Skill. Modding your Handmade Motorbike with a now. A few more tests and I’d be ready to show it off to all those
Mounted Gun [1XP] (pg. 102), using an Assault Rifle [3XP] nerds at the elevator.
(pg. 95) can give you some serious firepower, and modding that “Okay. I’m just going to ease it forwaaaaa aa a-
Assault Rifle with Heavy Ammo [3XP] (pg. 96) will increase Wind on my skin. Bones rattling. Blurred colours. My brain caught
the punch. Greased Lightning [2XP] (pg. 56) will ensure up to my senses and I stopped screaming. Some synaptic circuit
you can keep your baby in good condition in a pinch. Binding had maintained control of the handles, and I realised I was tearing
Wheels [2XP] (pg. 101) and Hydroglide Conversion [1XP] (pg. down the abandoned highway, laughing.
102) can give your bike some versatility, enabling you to ride on As I left the city limits the space elevator rose like a thread dangled
unconventional terrain. from heaven. I’ll show this off, then they’ll have to let me work
there. Then I can finally get off this dying rock.
114
Spectral_Hacker
Body Ghost
Starting Universal Basic
Equipment
Aspects Toughness /
Finesse /
Speed -1
Clarity +0
Intellect +1
Skills & Talents Software 9
Talent: Espionage
Traits & Third Eye
Equipment Immaterial
Netbound
Voided
Cyberbrain
D-Rank Hacker
Ice: Basic Layers
Sock Puppet Master
C-Rank Hacker (pg. 74)
B-Rank Hacker (pg. 75)
A-Rank Hacker (pg. 75)
Ice: B-Rank Layers (pg. 75)
Anti-Ice (pg. 76)
Description
The Spectral-Hacker is a ghost, having been separated from
their physical body in a counterhack by an opponent. A hacker-
extraordinaire, they come out the gate with high-level hacks.
Their Ice: B-Rank Layers and Anti-Ice gives them an edge
when clashing with other hackers and their systems. Sock
Puppet Master can enable them to aid the crew’s ploys outside Progression Paths
of just breaking into things.
Hacker Assault
If you want to aid your allies in combat through hacking, first
Vignette take Snaphacker [2XP] (pg. 76) and Signature Hack [2XP]
(pg. 76), choosing the same Program for both. Challenging
Hello?
who is this? [2XP] (pg. 54) can help you square off against other hackers in
I don’t know. Netspace and draw focus away from your allies. Increasing your
Where am I? Speed with Increase an Aspect Score [4XP] (pg. 50) and Honed
think u have the wrong # bye Instincts [4XP] (pg. 70) can help you get to hacking in the fray
Please don’t go. quicker.
I reached out in the dark and this is what I found.
Don’t leave me here. Ghosthacker
- [exe_atkfile/break_phone_barrier] - If you want to meddle with minds through ghosthacking, first
I have unblocked my Netpoint. increase your Software Skill to 10. S-Rank Hacker [4XP] (pg.
I need you to talk to me. 75) can unlock new and powerful ghosthack Programs. If you’re
i am caling the fukcing police going Beyond the Ghostline, increasing your Clarity with Increase
- [exe_prgrmfile/kill_outgoing_calls] - an Aspect Score [4XP] (pg. 50) is important, as is Iron Will
You can’t make calls. [3XP] (pg. 59) to protect against Mental Damage.
I need you to talk to me.
- [netpoint:VC-392-1937 (phone) no longer exists] -
Hello?
I didn’t do that.
Hello?
115
Part 2:
Character creation
Playing the Game

Dice Mechanics
Storytelling Mechanics
Playing the Game
Hacking
Programs List
The world of 2044
GM’s Toolkit
Behind her, Britain rebuilds after the war. Ahead, out of sight, she looks to the future.
Part 2 has four chapters: Dice Mechanics covers all the minutiae of Dice Pools, Throws, and so on.
Storytelling Mechanics explains the gameplay framework in which the stories of ECOPUNK are
told. Hacking explains the rules to attacking electronic systems and defending oneself in a world of
cyberbrains and the Net. Programs List contains all the possible ways your character can hack the world.
116
117
Dice Mechanics
Consume & Throw
Character creation
For example, if you made a Finesse Engineer Throw to fix a broken

engine that required a lot of work, you couldn’t use the outcome of
As explained in the introduction, there are two ways you expend that Throw to (in the same Round) clean all the guns of the Crew,
dice from your Dice Pool: Consume and Throw, explained below. analyse the alloy used in a salvaged component, deduce the maker of
The GM will often ask players to do one of these two things for a computer chip, and so on. This engine needs a lot of elbow grease!
their character to perform some action in the narrative.
Note that this rule doesn’t apply to Throws made to use
Dice Mechanics
Equipment or Traits. If a character option would require you to

Consume make a Throw to achieve a particular effect, that Throw is separate
A number of dice are expended, but not rolled. The number of from a Throw made to achieve a purely narrative action.
dice you Consume is predetermined. When you Consume dice,
you automatically achieve whatever it was the dice was Consumed If you decide to make another Throw of the same kind as one
for. When appearing in any rules text, Consume will always
already made in the Round (likely because the GM thinks that a

be followed by a number that denotes how many dice must be new course of action you want to take is sufficiently distinct from
Playing the Game
expended. ‘Consume 4’, for example, would have you expend 4 the one that elicited the previous Throw), then that new Throw
dice from your Dice Pool. replaces the Score of the previous Throw of the same kind.
Throw Successes & Mishaps

The player chooses how many dice to expend, increases or
decreases that number according to modifiers, then rolls the When you ‘count Successes’ for a Throw, the player adds up the
Hacking
resulting amount of dice. The player then either counts up either number 5s and 6s rolled to determine the number of Successes,
the Throw’s Score, or the number of Successes, both explained and checks if all dice have rolled 1s and 2s to determine if the roll
below. is a Mishap.
Programs List
Whenever you voluntarily make a Throw you must expend at A roll of 5 or 6 is a Success. If every roll is a 1 or 2, the Throw is
least 1 dice on it (such as to perform an action in the narrative a Mishap. You want to get as many Successes as possible and avoid
or use the abilities of a Trait). If you have no dice to expend, you a Mishap.
The world of 2044
cannot voluntarily make a Throw. You can only choose to expend

0 dice when you are forced to make a Throw (such as in a Clash Unlike with Scores, Throws that require counting Successes always
or when applying certain Programs). If you expend 0 dice on a only determine the outcome of a single act in the narrative.
Throw you roll no dice (even if your modifiers would normally For example, if you made an Attack by firing a gun, the Throw
add dice) and count as Scoring 0 on the Throw. representing that attack would count Successes that would decide
whether that gunfire hit its mark or not. However if you made
another Attack (with a gun or with anything else) you would have to
Throw Score make a new Throw, with new successes and failures.
When determining the ‘score’ of a Throw, the player adds up all
the numbers rolled. This total is called the Score, which the GM Within this book’s rules, you only roll for Successes when
compares to a number called a Throw DC (short for ‘Difficulty Attacking and Dodging. Mishaps only matter when Attacking.
Class’). If the Score is equal to or higher than the Throw DC, the
course of action succeeds. If it’s lower, the course of action fails. Unfolding Gameplay: Counting
Scores Quickly
GM’s Toolkit
Throw Scores & Narrative Adding up large numbers of dice for a Score can be slow
In ECOPUNK, your Throws made for a narrative action don’t and difficult. To make the process quicker use this method:
just determine whether you succeed on the act that prompted the first put dice into small groups that each add up to 10, then
Throw: they also determine your success for all acts that would add up the groups and add the remainder. For example, the
require the same Throw throughout the Round in which the initial below Throw of 8d6 is hard to quickly add up:
Throw was made.
In the narrative, a Score for a particular Throw to achieve

something in the narrative lasts for the reminder of the Round
it was made in, and that Score applies to any further, related
narrative acts. Any further narrative acts made in that Round
corresponding to that Throw and similar to the act that elicited it
succeed or fail based on that Score.
But if we arrange the dice like so, we can easily see the
For example, if you make a Clarity Converse Throw to charm a Score is 33:
series of guests entering your soiree, then later in the same round try 10 10
to convince someone you are conversation with, the success of your
arguments will be determined by the same Clarity Converse Throw.
This rule doesn’t allow you to do multiple acts concurrently in the 10 3

narrative. How you narrate your character spending their time in
the story matters.
118
Throw Breakdown Throw Modifiers
The following is a step-by-step breakdown of making a Throw: A ‘modifier’ for a Throw is something that increases or decreases
1. The player states the action they would like their Punk to the number of dice you are going to roll. Modifiers from multiple
undertake. sources can apply to a single roll. Modifiers do not affect the
amount of dice you expend, and only apply after you have
2. The GM tells the player what kind of Throw to make, as well
determined the number of dice you are going to expend for the
as if the Throw will have any roll effects such as Advantage or
Throw.
Explosive.
For example, if you choose to expend 4d6 on a Throw, and the
3. The player determines how many dice from their dice modifiers adds a total of +2d6 to the Throw, you will remove 4d6
pool they will expend for the Throw, and expends those dice. from your Dice Pool and roll 6d6.
4. The player applies any modifiers to the number of dice,
increasing or decreasing the amount of dice they are about to There are a number of sources for modifiers that can apply to a
roll. roll, such as Aspects, Talents, and Traits, which are explained in
5. The player rolls the dice. Character Creation, beginning on page 12. When appearing in
the rules, a modifier will tell you by how much you increase or
6. The player applies any roll effects.
decrease the number of d6 to be rolled for the Throw.
7. The player adds up the total score of the dice / adds up the For example ‘take -2d6 from the Throw’ will mean you reduce the
total number of Successes or checks if the roll is a Mishap number of dice you will be rolling by 2d6.
8. The consequences of the score / Successes / Mishap are
determined by the GM. The Throw resolves. If the Throw Given there are modifiers that reduce the number of dice you will
produced a score, that score remains until the end of the be rolling for a Throw, it is possible to expend dice on a Throw
current Round, and is used to determine the outcome of but end up rolling 0d6. In such instances, the dice you are rolling
similar narrative acts to the one that elicited the Throw. cannot be reduced below 0d6, and the dice you expended to make
the 0d6 Throw are still expended.
Two technomads cross with their camel before a fragment of the Arabian Desert Solar Array
119
The Dice Pool Dice Pool Maximum
Dice Pool Maximum defines how many dice your Dice Pool will
In ECOPUNK, every character has a dice pool containing 10d6, have at the start of each Scene, and will be refilling to at the start
Character creation
which are expended by Consume or Throw to perform actions of each Round or Turn. Characters normally have a Dice Pool
within the story. Maximum of 10, but it can be raised and lowered by certain
effects. It cannot be lowered below 0.
The dice pool is refilled at the start of every Mission, Scene, and
Round (or Turn if you are in Combat), meaning it is returned Your Dice Pool Maximum returns to 10 at the start of each new
to containing all 10 d6s. This cycle of expending dice from the Round, unless you are under the effects of Stunned, or you were
dice pool and refilling it forms the foundation of ECOPUNK’s Incapacitated due to Dice Pool Incapacitation in which case it
Dice Mechanics
gameplay. remains at 0 until your Incapacitation is undone.
It is recommended that each Punk have their own dedicated If your Dice Pool Maximum is ever reduced, and then you have
container or tray representing their dice pool, in which they can more dice in your Dice Pool than your Dice Pool Maximum, take
physically place the 10d6 instead of keeping track of how many dice out of your Pool until your current number of dice matches
dice they have expended mentally, with the player taking out the your Dice Poll Maximum. This effect only applies at the moment
dice as they expend them. your Dice Pool Maximum is reduced. You cannot expend dice in
Playing the Game
response to losing dice in this way.

The GM does not need several separate, physical dice pools like
this for their NPCs; as the game centres on story of the Punks, it
would be needless busywork to couple the GM’s narration of the Dice Pool Incapacitation
actions of most NPCs with the Dice Pool mechanic. However, the Some rules, such as Surprise or Stunned, temporarily reduce a
GM may use a Dice Pool for important characters who are in close character’s Dice Pool Maximum. If a character ever has their Dice
Hacking
contact with the Punks, either as allies or adversaries. Pool Maximum reduced to 1 or lower, for whatever reason, they
fall Incapacitated. Incapacitation is explained in Character Effects
The one place the GM does need to keep track of the dice pools on page 140.
Programs List
of multiple NPCs is in Combat, where multiple enemies will be

squaring off against the crew. When managing the expenditure
of dice with multiple NPCs in Combat, the GM is advised to use Unfolding Gameplay: Using a
the Chunk system explained in the Game Masters Toolkit on page Container for your Dice Pool
The world of 2044
245.
It can help you to keep track of the remaining dice in your
Dice Pool by physically tracking dice in a container - ideally
Expending & Throwing 0 Dice something wide and shallow such as a Dice Tray. Whenever
You cannot voluntarily expend 0 dice. If you have no dice to your Dice Pool refills, fill up the container to contain 10d6,
expend, you cannot attempt the act that would expend the dice. then take dice out as you expend them.
If you are being forced to expend dice (such as in a Clash) and

have 0 dice to expend, you count as having made a Throw that
scored 0 or was a Mishap.
In addition, if you expend a number of dice on a Throw but

modifiers reduce the number of dice rolled down to 0, you roll 0
dice and count as scoring 0 for that Throw.
GM’s Toolkit
If you have modifiers that would add a number of dice to a Throw,

you must expend at least 1 dice to have them apply to the Throw.
For example, if the modifiers to a Throw are going to add +3d6 dice,
if you expend 0 dice on that Throw, you roll nothing and score 0,
instead of rolling 3d6.
Refilling the Dice Pool

Every character refills their Dice Pool back to its Dice Pool
Maximum at the start of every Mission, at the start of every Scene,
and at the start of every Round. If in a character is in a Scene that
has Initiative, their Dice Pool is refilled at the start of their Turn,
rather than the start of the Round. Initiative is explained on page
134.
It is possible for the number of dice in your Dice Pool to be

lowered this way.
For example, if you had used the Trait Brain Accelerator to
temporarily increase the number of dice in your Dice Pool to
13d6, and had then gone on to the start of a new Round without
expending any, the number of dice in your Dice Pool would reduce
to 10d6, your Dice Pool Maximum.
120
Throw DCs
Normally when you make a Throw, once you are finished rolling
all the dice you add up all the numbers rolled to determine that
Throw’s ‘Score’. The Score of a Throw can determine how much
or how well you succeed (such as a high score meaning you get Dead Canaries: A Throw
through a series of back alleys quickly, and a low score meaning
Quinn has stolen data from a MercerCorp security guard,
you take a long time), or whether or not you succeed (such as a which Quinn plans to scrutinise to hopefully gather
high score meaning you successfully jump over a chasm, and a low intel useful for the upcoming raid. The GM says it will
score meaning you fall in!). be an Intellect Investigate Throw to study the data like
this. Because this is something Quinn could suspend
Usually, the GM will be determining your Throw’s success by investigating and later return to, the GM declares this is an
seeing whether it beats a ‘Difficulty Class’ (typically shortened to Accumulating DC.
DC). If your score is equal to or higher than the DC, the Throw
Quinn has an Intellect of +1 and an Investigate skill level
has beaten the DC and as a result the attempted action the Throw of 5. In addition Quinn has the Investigate Talent: Data
represents is successful. If your score is lower than the DC, the Analysis. They decide they will be expending 7 dice for this
attempted action the Throw represents is a failure. The more Skilled Throw.
difficult a task, the higher the DC. DCs thought up by the GM
Since Quinn’s Investigate skill level is 5, the first 5d6 of
should generally be multiples of 10. Below are some examples of
the 7 dice expended are kept on for the roll as normal.
DCs and the difficulty they represent.
The remaining 2 dice expended, as they exceed Quinn’s
Investigate skill, are Strained and only add an additional
DC Difficulty 1d6 to the roll.
10 Trivial, a normal person could reliably do it.
Quinn’s Intellect Score of +1 adds an additional 1d6 to
20 Easy, anyone could reliably do it with skill or by putting in a lot of the roll. Lastly, as ‘Data Analysis’ is relevant to the roll,
effort. Quinn’s the Investigate Talent adds another additional 1d6
30 Medium, only an expert could reliably do it with all their effort or to the roll.
a lot of talent. In total Quinn is rolling 8d6 (5d6 + 1d6 + 1d6 + 1d6).
40 Hard, only a master could reliably do it by putting in all their effort. Quinn rolls 8d6 and the total score is 26.
50 Severe, only a talented master putting all their effort in could do The GM has written in their notes that the data Quinn is
it, and even then only with a stroke of luck. analysing has an ADC 50/Cold, so makes a note that so far
Quinn has scored 26 towards that goal and tells the players
that Quinn has made it about halfway through analysing
DC & Scene Temperature the data.
Something that would be hard to do in a minute would be very
easy to do in an hour. As a result DC and what a Throw can
achieve is heavily shaped by the Scene Temperature the Throw
is made in. Succeeding on a Politics Throw (DC 20) in a Warm
Scene could enable you to complete a set of paperwork, whereas
succeeding on a Politics Throw (DC 20) in a Cold Scene could
enable you to complete an entire bureaucratic process.
Accumulating DCs
If a character spends all day trying to crack an encryption, when
they return to the task the next day, they don’t ignore all their
previous work and start from the beginning. In the same way,
a character who makes a Throw to represent work on a task
that doesn’t reset when the work stops should not discard the
score of that Throw and move on – instead the player or the
GM should make a record of the score, and subsequent Throws
towards that same task add to that same score. A DC that can
passed by multiple Throws combined over a period is called an
Accumulating DC, shortened to ADC.
If the ADC is for a specified Skilled Throw, and/or uses a specified

Aspect (such as when making a Throw to use an ability in a Trait),
then the Skill and Aspect used will always be the same.
You can only make a Throw towards a particular ADC once per
Round. You don’t need to expend the same amount of dice each
time you contribute to an ADC.
At the GM’s discretion, multiple characters can contribute to the

same score for an ADC, and based on the narrative circumstance
may allow different kinds of Throws (such as different Skilled
Throws) to contribute to the same ADC.
121
Traits, Equipment, & Temperature
A number of Traits and Equipment enable you to make Throws to perform something special, and often these Traits and Equipment specify
a particular Temperature. For example, the Trait Household Chemical Warfare enables you to make an Intellect Science Throw in a Warm
Character creation
Round to create a useful chemical reaction. Temperature is the pace at which the game is currently moving, explained fully on page 131.
If you want to use the abilities of a Trait that would normally require you to make a Throw in a particular Temperature while in a
different Temperature to the one specified, you can still, with the GM’s permission, use that ability.
To do so, you must be in a cooler Temperature than the one specified in the Trait. Cold is a cooler Temperature than Warm and Hot,
and Warm is a cooler Temperature than Hot. When you use an ability in this way, you aren’t required to make a Throw, although you may
be required to Consume dice. The reason for this is that the haste and risk involved in doing something in one Temperature is removed in
Dice Mechanics
a cooler Temperature. Similarly, you only might be required to Consume dice because what would take time and effort in one Temperature
could take no time at all in a cooler Temperature.
Abilities used this way shouldn’t be the narrative focus, but instead supplement and expand what the Crew was already doing. If you want to
use particular abilities that are meant to work in a particular Temperature, make sure you convey that to the GM, so they can place you into
a Scene with a Temperature appropriate to your aims.

For example, you could use the ability of Household Chemical Warfare in a Cold Scene to prepare an explosive chemical compound to be used
Playing the Game
later (the GM would probably ask you to Consume some dice to make this). The GM shouldn’t allow you to use Household Chemical Warfare
in that Cold Scene to say that you’ve immediately created incendiary effects that are burning down the building you planned to hit. Instead you
should be in a Warm Scene where this drama can get the attention and pacing it deserves.
Throws & DC formula

DCs for Throws often show up in rules, such as in Traits, Equipment, or in premade Missions. Many Traits and some Equipment give you
Hacking
the ability to make a specific kind of Throw in order to achieve a special effect.
:
Programs List
DCs always follow the following formula

Make a [Aspect] [Skill] Throw ((A)DC X/[Temperature])...
The world of 2044
If the Throw is to be The DC of the throw is then contained

modified by an Aspect, the with the brackets. If the DC is an
relevant Aspect is listed first. Accumulating DC, ‘ADC’ will be written.
Then, if the Throw is to be If the Throw would take place in a particular Temperature,
performed with a Skill, the this is then written. Most Throws are intended to occur in
relevant Skill is listed second. a particular Temperature, but not all - if no Temperature
is listed, this Throw can be attempted in any Temperature.
The following are examples of Throws written with the above formula:
Make an Intellect Politics Throw (ADC 30/Cold)... This Throw is affected by both the Intellect Aspect and the Politics Skill, and is an Accumulating DC,
meaning it can be repeatedly attempted throughout Cold Scenes until the scores total or exceed the DC.
GM’s Toolkit
Make a Speed Throw (DC 20/Hot)... This Throw is only affected by the Speed Aspect, and is made in a Hot Scene.
Make a Throw (DC 15)... This Throw is unaffected by Aspects or Skills, and can be made in any Temperature.
122
Helping a Throw Saves
When another character makes a Throw, provided your character A Save is a special roll to resist a negative effect, made either in
is with them you can Help. response to a particular rule or at the GM’s request in response to
the narrative. Each time you make a Save, a particular Aspect is
To Help, you must Consume dice equal to the amount of dice the named.
character you are helping expended for the Throw. When you do
so, the helped Throw is made on Advantage. You must Consume When making a Save, roll a d6 and add (or subtract) your Aspect
the dice to help the Throw before the Throw has been rolled. Score from the roll. If the total is 4 or more, you succeed on the
Save. If the total is 3 or less, you fail. A roll of 1 is always a failure, a
You can only Help a Throw when it would make narrative sense roll of 6 is always a success.
that your character would be able to. The GM has final word on
whether your character can Help a Throw. Saves do not expend dice from your Dice Pool.
When in Combat, you can Help as a Reaction. Saves are fully explained on page 13.
Unfolding Gameplay:
A Helping Hand
Strained Throws
When a Throw is ‘Strained’, for every 2 dice you expend you
It’s likely some Punks won’t be have much to do in certain only add 1d6 to the roll. Strained Throws are used to represent a
contexts based on their character’s design. For example, character struggling to do things that are outside of their expertise
a Punk built solely for combat might not have much to do and knowledge.
in a Scene based around information gathering. Helping
A Throw can be a great way for such characters to remain If you only expend 1 dice on a Strained Throw you add no d6
part of the story, and players who build a Punk with a to the Throw. In addition, if you expend an odd number of dice
narrow focus shouldn’t hesitate to use it. on a Strained Throw, the final ‘1’ that makes the number of dice
expended odd is discounted.
Clashes There are two times when Throws are Strained:

Two characters fight for control of the wheel of a speeding vehicle.
As the thumb drive carrying valuable data is knocked into the air, Using Skills beyond your Skill Level
everyone in the room tries to grab it. Two hackers race to cut the Whenever you exceed your Skill Level when expending dice for a
other out of the computer terminal they have both hacked into. Skilled Throw, further expending of Dice is Strained. This is fully
These are examples of Clashes. explained in Skilled Throws on page 18.
A Clash is when characters are interacting with each other in a

competitive way. Rather than seeking to beat a DC, each Throw in
Using Equipment you do not have
a Clash seeks to score higher than any other Throw in the Clash. Familiarity with
Whenever you use a piece of Equipment, be it a gun, gizmo, or
If in Combat, the character initiating the Clash does so as an anything else, if it is an object you do not have Familiarity with,
Action, and each other character participating in the Clash does so any rolls made to use the Equipment are Strained. You have
as a Reaction. Familiarity with a piece of Equipment if you’ve taken at least one
option from that Equipment’s section in the Character Options
When a Clash happens, the GM determines the relevant Throw List.
for the Clash. All characters involved in the Clash then decide For example, if you take the Handgun Equipment option, which
on the number of dice they will expend for their Throw secretly. belongs to the Firearms group, you have Familiarity with all options
Every character voluntarily participating in a Clash (for example if from the Firearms group.
the Clash is trying to grab an object on the floor) much decide to
expend at least 1 dice. A character forced to participate in a Clash
(for example if someone is trying to grab them) can decide to
expend 0 dice.
After all dice expending has been decided, each player reveals how
many dice they plan to expend, calculates how many dice they will
roll after modifiers are applied, then every player rolls their dice
simultaneously.
Whatever was being competed over comes out in favour of the

character with the highest Score in the Clash. If there is a tie, the
outcome is in no character’s favour. The GM may influence what
happens in the narrative based on how much discrepancy there is
in the scores rolled.
When in Initiative, a character can only initiate one Clash per

Turn, but can participate in as many Clashes initiated by other
Characters as they want.
123
Roll Effects Maximise/Minimise
When you Maximise a dice, you change its roll to its highest
Roll effects are effects that specifically effect rolled dice. Roll effects possible value. If you Maximise a d6, you change what it rolled to a
Character creation
don’t just affect Throws: you can, for example, have Advantage on 6. If you Maximise a d3, you change what it rolled to a 3.
a Save or Explosive on a Damage roll.
When you Minimise a dice, you change its roll to its lowest
In ECOPUNK, you never reroll rerolls. possible value. If you Minimise a d6 or a d3, you change what it
rolled to a 1.
Explosive When the Maximise/Minimise Roll Effect is applied, it applies to a
Dice Mechanics
If a roll is Explosive, each roll of 6 means you can roll an additional

number of dice in the roll, rather than all of the dice in the roll.
d6 and add that to the roll. The additional d6 are also Explosive.
For example, if you roll 3d6 and a rule has told you to Maximise 2
Attack rolls are always Explosive.
dice, you would change two of the dice rolled to ‘6’.
Rerolled dice are not Explosive. If you reroll a dice and it becomes
If you have multiple instances of Maximise or Minimise applying
a 6, it does not explode.
to a single roll, the number of dice Maximised or Minimised is the

total of all instances added together.
Playing the Game
When rolling a d3 on an Explosive roll, rolls of 6 on those dice still

For example, if you were able to Maximise 1 dice from one rule and
trigger the Explosive effect, but the additional dice are d3s.
Maximise 2 dice from another rule, you would Maximise 3 dice.
Only specific rules make a roll Explosive. Narrative circumstances
When you have Maximise and Minimise effects applying to the
cannot make a roll Explosive.
same roll, each 1 dice Maximised cancels out 1 dice Minimised.
For example, if you were from one rule to Maximise 1 dice and from
Hacking
Advantage & Disadvantage another rule Minimise 2 dice, you would ultimately Minimise 1 dice.
If you have Advantage on a roll, each die that rolls a 1 or 2 is
Only specific rules Maximise or Minimise dice. Narrative
Programs List
rerolled.
circumstances cannot Maximise or Minimise dice.
If you have Disadvantage on a roll, each die that rolls a 5 or 6 is
rerolled.
Order of Effects
The world of 2044
If a roll has multiple Roll Effects applying to it, they are applied in
If a roll has Advantage and Disadvantage at the same time, it
this order:
instead has neither, with the player rolling normally. You cannot
1st. Explosive
have multiple instances of Advantage or Disadvantage.
2nd. Advantage or Disadvantage
3rd. Maximise or Minimise
The GM can grant Advantage and Disadvantage to any roll
made by any character where the narrative circumstance would
If you would apply any effects that reroll or otherwise change the
give some edge or hindrance to the action that roll represents.
value of dice rolled that are not Roll Effects, these are applied after
Otherwise Advantage and Disadvantage can come from certain
any Roll Effects are applied. If you have multiple effects that are
Traits and Equipment.
not Roll Effects applying to the dice, you decide in which order
they apply.
GM’s Toolkit
124
The few surviving elites from the old guard are starving rats in a cage. One by one they eat each other.
125
Session Zero
Character creation
Random Gig Table

When first coming together to play ECOPUNK, it is advised the 1st d6 2nd d6 Gig
group of players holds a ‘Session Zero’. No gameplay occurs in a
Session Zero. Instead, the players and GM can discuss what kind 1-2 1-2 Mercs. You are a mercenary unit working for a wider
of stories they’d like to tell, the setting they’ll be within, what kind company, used as an international arm for the UNEC’s
of Punks they like to play, what kind of Gig they’d like, and so on. more ‘hands-on’ politics. You are briefed on your
Dice Mechanics
Missions by your handler, and work for pay, clean and

A Session Zero serves as an opportunity for players to get on the simple.
same page, and for people who may not have played together 3-4 Watchmen. The authorities are a joke - and no one
before to get a sense for one another. knows it more than you few, those still in the game
who don’t stink of corruption and sadism. A newly-
formed unit gathered under a crusader, your targets

Sensitive Subjects are more likely to be ‘your own kind’ than they are
Playing the Game
Session Zero is the best time for both the GM and players to talk
criminals. Your friends are few and enemies many.
about what sensitive subjects they will and won’t accept at the
table. ECOPUNK as a setting does not shy away from the horrors 5-6 Ecowarriors. The mechanisms that created the death
climate catastrophe will unleash, but narratives around those spiral still function, and the politicians are just as
subjects won’t be fruitful if they’re forced upon the players. willing to make deals with the industrialist dynasties
as attack them. It falls to you vengeful few and the
The Gig & Crew

anonymous patrons who support and direct your
Hacking
efforts to destroy this suicidal system.

‘The Gig’ is a narrative device that brings the different characters 3-4 1-2 Crooks. You all work for a mafia, who takes off-the-
Programs List
together into a ‘Crew’. The Gig might be a job, a collective interest, books contracts, but from whom, you are not told. You
or any other unifying structure. What The Gig constitutes should get your Missions from the boss, and might work out
be decided by all the players during Session Zero, or you can use of loyalty, obligation, coercion – or just to escape the
the Random Gig Table on the right. shitpile you grew up in.
The world of 2044
3-4 Collectivist Commune. Your community is on the

fringes of the government’s supply chain. Resources
The Crew are scarce, and those of you with skills to offer have
The crew is the collective term for the Punks, and also includes come together to work jobs either for yourselves or
any NPCs that directly work alongside the Punks as part of others to support your kin.
The Gig. As the game progresses the GM can introduce Assets,
5-6 Meddling Kids. Who the fuck would stay in school
Reputation, and Heat, mechanics that are collectively called Crew
when the world is ending? Kids from the same floor of
Effects. Assets, Reputation and Heat are explained in the Crew
a megacomplex, you’ve gathered together to pass the
Effects chapter of the Game Master’s Toolkit, starting on page
days and leave your mark on this stretch of econcrete.
236.
The day usually begins with you devising some ploy
between each other, or running errands for a parent.
There are a few important things to consider when the players
design their Gig and Crew: 5-6 1-2 Puppets. Misfortune or misdeed has drawn you all into
the conspiracy of a political elite. The woman herself
gives you your Missions, and you might take them
GM’s Toolkit
Crew NPCs because she is blackmailing you, or you are indebted,

Is the crew solely composed of the Punks, or are there other or because you believe in her political vision.
characters within the organisation performed by the GM?
3-4 Revenge Squad. Many terrible things were done in
World War III, and not everyone moved on. You have
If there are NPCs in the crew, do they provide any abilities the
slowly been gathered by a government agency, and
crew can use?
bound together by a collective vengeance upon an
individual or group; perhaps the industrialist who
Generally, NPCs that are part of the crew should fulfil a
made the gas bombs that killed your people, or the
supporting role rather than actively working with the Punks in the
unit that immolated your town.
field.
5-6 Technomads. You are a small, roving tribe of
‘technomads’, the catch-all for the communities
The Base that survived being uprooted by the climate crisis by
Where is the centre of the crew’s operations? Is it a building, a adopting new technologies, and avoided being moved
room, a nomadic caravan, the back of a van? into the metropolis. In exchange for food you protect
and maintain the vast solar arrays within the desert,
Unless the GM has the Mission start with you already in the having to negotiate the politics between builders,
action, often Missions will begin with you at your ‘base’. government officials, other technomadic tribes, and
bandits.
Your base will also be where you keep your Network Core.
Networks, and Network Cores, are explained on the next page.
126
The Network Missions
Your crew has a Network - a digital structure that allows The stories in ECOPUNK take the form of Missions, discrete
you to communicate and share information via the Net, the narratives that start with the establishment of an objective and
hyperconnected new iteration of the internet created by a rogue end with that objective being achieved or failed. Missions can be
superintelligent artificial intelligence named BridgeBuilder. thought of as similar to episodes of a TV show, discrete chunks of
Every other institution, organisation, and group that uses the a wider story that make for an easily-managed narrative structure
Net has their own Network within which they share data and when playing ECOPUNK.
communications.
Generally, a Mission will span one or several sessions of play, but it
The crew can freely upload and download data to their Network is possible for there to be multiple Missions in one session of play.
without expending dice. Data uploaded to the Network is
accessible to all members of the crew. Any communication via GMs looking for ideas can go to the Constructing Missions chapter
the Net or Bsignal between members of the crew are assumed to of the Game Master’s Toolkit, starting on page 228.
happen through the Network.
Likewise, NPC members of other organisations upload, download, Brief & Epilogue
and access data from, and communicate via, their own Network. A Mission begins with a Brief, an opening narrative provided by
the GM that lays out the objectives, hurdles, and other relevant
If you are Faraday, you do not have access to your (or any) information for the upcoming Mission. The Brief does not need to
Network, unless you have a Hardline connection to another be a literal ‘briefing’ in the sense that the crew all sit in a room and
Terminal of the Network or the Network Core. listen to a talk delivered by a superior; anything that establishes
the Mission is the Brief. During the Brief, the GM also decides The
Every Network has a Network Core, the physical hardware that Elements for that Mission, explained overleaf.
houses and facilitates the Network’s software.
The crew then go about completing the Mission, pooling their
Your Network also provides every member of the crew protection unique abilities and devising cooperative plans. With teamwork,
against Intrusion. Intrusion, as well as many of the above terms, tenacity, and lady luck they will succeed in their objectives.
are explained in the Hacking chapter on page 144.
Once the objectives of the Mission are complete, it ends with an
Epilogue, a narrative moment where the GM and players can close
Sharing Data off plot threads and bring this chapter to its conclusion.
Characters on a Network can share data, including live data. For
example if one character in a Network possesses a Light Drone,
another character in the same Network can see what the drone
Missions & Player Drop In/Out
It’s not always easy to get everyone together for a game. One of
sees.
the values of the Mission approach is that it is simple and easy to
preserve the narrative when a player or two is missing. If a Punk
This sharing of data can even be used in conjunction with Traits
can’t be present for a Mission because their player is absent, the
and Equipment.
GM can easily explain that the Punk is absent as their skills are
For example, the Marking Tech Mod for Firearms (page 97)
currently needed elsewhere in The Gig.
allows you to ‘mark’ a target “you can see”. If, to carry on the
previous example, another character in your Network possesses a
Light Drone, you could potentially ‘mark’ a target you personally
cannot see, but the drone can.
127
The Elements 4 Storm
The wind screams and the rain comes at you sideways. The storm
The Elements represents the tumultuous, unpredictable weather drains in the geofront gurgle like a man choking on his own blood.
Character creation
conditions (and the resulting sociopolitical events) of a world well

passed 2˚C warming. High Winds. Ranged Attacks made outside are made on
Disadvantage.
During the Brief, the GM can either roll 2d6 and use the roll’s Heavy Rain. The rain washes away evidence, and a body lost
score to determine The Elements for that Mission, or pick or down a geofront storm drain won’t be found for months. Heat
invent their own Elements based on what they thinks will best gained for transgressions committed outdoors is likely to be
serve the story, using the below Elements Table. reduced. In addition, when moving quickly outside, the GM may
Dice Mechanics
have you make a Finesse Save to not slip and fall.

The Elements functions as a way to challenge the crew, forcing 5 Bombing Season
them to adapt and strategise in the face of unpredictable Warm enough to shorten tempers, but not enough to deter
circumstances. activity, now is the time for violence. The news feeds are full of
the recent attack by insurrectionists.
The Elements Table Shored-Up Security. Security forces have been shored up around
Playing the Game
2d6 The Elements for the Mission the institutions and individuals of power - meaning other places
will have lighter security than normal.
0-2 Searwave Fox Hunt. The police are busting in more doors than usual. Any
The air shudders. Sirens limply declare a heat-curfew is in effect. Punk gains 1 Heat at the end of any Scene where they met with a
The city falls silent, as people sweat within the bunkers of the Contact that is a criminal.
geofront.
Hacking
6 Poll Crash
Searing. In Warm Rounds, you take 1d6 Physical (Internal) Every government relies, ultimately, on popular consent - at least
Damage for each Round you spend outside. In Hot Rounds set so far as the guillotine is a physical manifestation of disapproval.
Programs List
outside, every character’s Dice Pool Maximum is reduced by 2. Someone has fucked up on policy, and even the average stiff is
Empty Streets. The streets are entirely empty, aside from a few pissed.
police scowling in their air-conditioned cars.
Transport Shutdown. Railways warp and econcrete liquefies Squeaky Clean. The GM chooses one of the factions involved
The world of 2044
in the heat. No public transport is available - you’ll have to get in the Mission (possibly secretly). For the duration of the
around on foot, using the subterranean passages of the geofront. Mission, that faction will be highly concerned with public image,
attempting to keep all their actions discrete and restrained - an
3 Heatwave exploitable situation.
The sky turns a hellscape-red with the smoke of distance forest Popular Dissent. There is a collective hate in the air. Previously-
fires. You may even be able to see the plumes on the horizon, opposing groups may be more open to collaboration against a
slowly guzzled by gargantuan carbon-capture drones. common enemy.
Burning. You take 1d3 Physical (Internal) Damage for each Warm 7 Quiet
Round you spend outside. In Hot Rounds, every character’s Dice Enjoy it while it lasts.
Pool Maximum is reduced by 1. 8 Infection Spike
Doom-Apparent. It looks like hell on earth. Every Punks’ Fortune One of the pandemics is rolling through town again. Cue the usual
is reduced by 1d3 during the Brief. This effect cannot bring any politicians insisting masks are a detriment to facial-recognition-
Fortune lower than 1. based public policing.
GM’s Toolkit
Masks On. Wearing your mask isn’t optional. With everyone’s

face covered in public, you can effectively walk around with your
identity concealed.
Compartmental Lock Down. In an attempt to contain the spread
of the disease, the borders of boroughs and districts will be more
heavily policed. Best to keep things within your own turf.
128
9 Power Shortage
Spikes in conflict zones have diverted fuel and electricity out of 12+ Deep Freeze
the city. The lights flicker, and people huddle around candles in A glacier has collided with the coast and forced the city into
the dark. hibernation.
Power Down. During the Brief the Crew loses 1d6 Power. Frostbite. Unless you have attire specifically designed for cold
Empty Batteries. Those who have the means to barter Power find environments, you take 1d6 Physical (Internal) Damage for each
it carries even more value than normal. Warm and Hot Round you spend not near a heat source.
Lights Out. Electricity rationing means entire chunks of the city Impassable Snow. The snow is too deep and heavy to allow any
don’t have functioning lights at certain hours of the day. At the on-foot movement or road transport where it has fallen. Only
right time, places beyond sunlight can be pitch-black. the areas cleared by the industrial snow-plough automatons
10 Food Shortage will be walkable. If you have Novice skill expertise in Streetwise
The wild fluctuations in weather have decimated surrounding you know the cleared routes in your local area, or if you have
acres. Tensions rise as belts tighten. The old and sick die in lonely Intermediate skill expertise in Ecology you know the clearer
places. routes of the entire city.
Very Limited Visibility. Investigate Throws and any ranged
People Look To Their Own. The Punks have Advantage on Attacks are made on Disadvantage. In addition, Stealth Throws
Converse Throws focused on communicating with members of are made on Advantage while you are outside.
their crew and any Contacts, and have Disadvantage on Converse
Throws with anyone else.
Empty Bellies. Food is scarce. That makes it valuable. Those with
food to spare can use it as a powerful bargaining chip.
Displays of Force. The military police have been rolled out to quell Optional Rule: Adjusting
any unrest - or at least provide a distraction. Security forces will
The Elements rolls
be better armed than usual, but there is also a tension here that
can be used. If you want to roll randomly on the The Elements table, but
11 Blizzard want to influence the rolled score to suit the climate of the
For a while, climate change deniers used heavy snowfall as proof Mission’s location, you can use the below rules:
of their lies. Then the blizzards started happening in the summer. If you’re in summer, reduce the roll by -1
If you’re in winter, add +1 to the roll.
Heavy Snow. Every character lowers their Stride while outside.
Limited Visibility. Investigate Throws and any Attacks at the If you’re in a particularly hot climate, reduce the roll by -1.
Range of Medium or Long are made on Disadvantage. In addition, If you’re in a particularly cold climate, add +1 to the roll.
Stealth Throws are made on Advantage while you are outside.
129
The Epilogue This might be described in the narrative as the crew visiting an ally
to rest and restock their equipment, or their employer air dropping
An Epilogue has Six Steps: in supplies, for example.
Character creation
1. Any Punks with Heat take 1d6 Political Damage per point of
Effects that would normally apply in an Epilogue such as Heat
Heat. Heat is then reset to 0 for all Punks.
apply during a Resupply. The GM can also choose to make a new
2. Any special rules that occur specifically in the Epilogue apply. roll for The Elements after a Resupply.
3. The GM and players narrate what happens in the immediate
Scenes & Rounds

conclusion of their Mission.
4. Based on the Mission and its outcomes, the GM may then
Dice Mechanics
give your crew an Asset and/or Reputation. Each Mission is divided into a series of ‘Scenes’, discrete chunks
5. Any Punks who suffered a Crisis return to the crew, gaining a of narrative involving a period of continuous dialogue, action, or
Stigma and a new Driver. Their Fortune is set to 5. activity, much like the ‘scenes’ of a play or movie.
6. Each Punk can choose to regain 5 Fortune (including those
Each Scene will usually begin with the crew arriving at a location
who suffered Crises) or use their expCOIN to take a single
or area of narrative focus and end with them leaving it, but a
choice from the Character Options List.
montage can also be a Scene. For example, a montage of the crew
Playing the Game
gathering equipment and resting before a heist could be a single

While in the Epilogue players might describe their characters Scene. It is ultimately up to the GM where one Scene ends and
as resting and regaining their strength, as there are no Rounds another begins.
within the Epilogue the Punks cannot use them to regain any more
Fortune or spend expCOIN beyond what is enabled by step 5. Scenes as a game mechanic and their beginning and end are not
too pressing to note; you don’t need to ‘declare’ a Scene has ended
Hacking
Once the Epilogue is complete, the crew are onto their next and a new one begun. The only way a new Scene is mechanically
Mission! relevant is that some Traits and Equipment can only be used a
certain number of times per Scene. Players will usually be able to
Programs List
intuit whether they are in a new Scene and able to use such Traits
Alternate Play Styles and Equipment again.
Some groups of players may not favour the episodic structure of
Missions. The following are some alternative ways to approach
At the start of every new Scene and Round, each character’s Dice
The world of 2044
playing ECOPUNK. It is also possible for your game to transition

Pool is refilled.
from one play style to another.
Campaign Combat
Combat is a specific type of Scene where characters are actively
A Campaign is essentially one long Mission, that will span several
trying to physically incapacitate one another. Combat is always
play sessions. The crew intermittently Resupply to refresh their
Hot, and always starts with Initiative, both explained later. Combat
Traits and Equipment.
is explained in more detail on page 135.
In a Campaign the crew might:
» Track an elusive hacker-assassin across the globe
» Escort a VIP cross-continent on foot, after their travel plans are
Rounds
Each Scene (and by extension the entire Mission) is broken up into
leaked and transit convoy ambushed. a series of Rounds. A Scene could consist of only a single Round or
» Set out to recover a religious relic lost during a mass-migration. several. When a Scene ends, the current Round ends, and when a
Scene begins, a new Round begins.
GM’s Toolkit
Sandbox
In a Sandbox, the GM presents the crew with a setting, and the Rounds allow the progress of the game and narrative to be
crew devise their own Missions and other goals besides within that ordered. You can think of a Round as the marrying of a narrative
setting. beat with game mechanics. A Scene with only one narrative beat
to it (such as, the crew enters a restaurant and talk with an NPC
In a Sandbox the crew might be: without incident) will only encompass one Round. A Scene with
» A local militia, pursuing jobs that help keep the community multiple narrative beats (such as all the complex steps taken to
afloat. infiltrate a dinner party and crack the elaborate vault of the patron)
» A forest security detail, trying to protect their stretch of green. will encompass multiple Rounds.
» A street gang, trying to claw their way out from under the boot
of authority. At the start of each Round, all Dice Pools are refilled, and the
players decide how they want to expend their dice. Here is where
the ‘game’ of ECOPUNK intersects with the ‘story’ of ECOPUNK:
Resupply as players decide how their characters will expend their dice,
For extended Missions and other Play Styles, the GM may allow those decisions form actions within the narrative and the story is
you to Resupply, where all a character’s Traits that can be used a weaved.
limited amount of times per Mission are renewed and can be used
once more, and equipment that has a limited number of uses per There is one exception to Dice Pools refilling at the start of
Mission are also similarly renewed. Rounds. When in Initiative, a Round is broken up into a series
of Turns, one for each character present. While in Initiative, a
character’s dice pool refills at the start of their Turn rather than at
the start of the Round. Initiative is explained on page 134.
130
Examples of Cold Scenes include a montage as the crew searches
Temperature the city for a bounty, the important stops along the way as the crew
Every Round has a Temperature, a marker that distinguishes the
travels cross-continent, all the preparations the crew makes over
tension, pace and risk present in the Scene and the Rounds it
the course of a week as they scope out a building.
contains. There are three temperatures: Cold, Warm, and Hot,
which are described below, along with the kind of Scenes they
appear in. While it should generally be obvious what the current Warm
Temperature is from the narrative, GMs should make sure there In Warm Scenes, the Mission is underway; the crew has entered
is no confusion, as Punks may have abilities only usable in certain into a situation where there is a clear and present objective they
Temperatures. must be working towards, as well as the risk of things going wrong.
In a Warm scene, a Round’s time frame is at most an hour, and at
In the below descriptions, a Temperature’s ‘time frame’ denotes least a few minutes.
roughly how much time is narratively passing in each Round of
that Temperature. Examples of Warm Scenes include a meeting between the crew
and a local drug lord at a crowded club, the crew’s infiltration of a
A simple Mission will typically go from Cold scenes, to Warm dinner party and the kidnapping of a guest, the investigation of a
scenes, to a climactic Hot scene before ending with an Epilogue, crime scene.
but there is no set order in which the Temperatures should occur.
Hot
Cold In Hot Scenes, there is a clear, present, and active threat to the
In Cold Scenes you lay the groundwork for the Mission ahead, crew. Hot scenes are where everything’s coming down to the
while also resting and recuperating, and acquiring new abilities wire and the crew must make moment-to-moment decisions to
and equipment. Cold Scenes will very often be montages, either succeed... or merely survive. In a Hot scene, each Round’s time
not confined to a single location, or covering events at the same frame is at most around a minute, or can be only a few seconds in
location over an extended period. In a Cold Scene, a Round’s time particularly tense moments.
frame can be several hours, a day, or even a week or month.
Examples of Hot Scenes include a shootout, a race to disarm a
bomb close to detonation, fleeing from a collapsing building, a
high-speed pursuit.
Changing Temperature & Rounds

It won’t be uncommon for a Warm Round to transition sharply into a Hot Round, when something in the plan goes wrong. Although it can
remain the same Scene, a change in Temperature always means it is a new Round.
However, GMs should generally keep the Temperature consistent across an entire Scene. Not only would a constantly changing Temperature
can make some of ECOPUNK’s gameplay clunky, but also constantly having the pace of narrative change would be narratively confusing
too! If you think the Temperature needs to change, consider whether it would be better for a new Scene to begin.
131
The Flow of the Game
ECOPUNK’s Round-by-Round gameplay generally goes through the below steps:
1. A new Round begins, with the players refilling their Dice Pools.
Character creation
2. If it is a new Scene, the GM describes it, providing all the relevant information to the players. Where is the crew, what does this place
look like, who’s present, and so on.
3. A player decides what they’d like to do within that Round, and the GM tells them how they should expend dice to reflect that. The GM
may specify a particular Skill and/or Aspect for a Throw, or how many dice the player must Consume to achieve that desired action.
4. If the player wants to pursue the action, they expend their dice. The GM and the player then narrate and roleplay how that action and
its consequences play out, using the results of any Throws to shape whether the outcome is favourable or not.
Dice Mechanics
5. Steps 3 and 4 are repeated until each player has done all the actions within the Round they want to. Some players may choose to
conserve some or all of the dice in their dice pool, in anticipation of something.
6. Time and the narrative has progressed, and a new Round begins.
Mission & Temperature Example

Playing the Game
Below is an example of how a Mission breaks down into a series of Scenes, and how each Scene breaks down into one or several Rounds.
The example also demonstrates how Temperature shifts with the narrative from Scene to Scene and Round to Round:
Hacking
Brief The Minister for Transport has been murdered. The Crew is told the police investigation has failed to develop any
M i s s i o n
Iced Minister leads, and the local Police Inspector wants the Crew to find and deliver them the name and location of the killer.
Programs List
Round 1 [Warm]: The Crew enters the murder scene and investigates it for the next few hours. They find no clues
Scene 1 to the killer, but suspect from the Minister was killed by a mistress. In researching the dead Minister, they find a
The Crime Scene clue leading to an unregistered building.
The world of 2044
Round 1 [Cold]: The Crew spends the next few days investigating the building and realise it is an underground
Scene 2 brothel. The Crew learns it contains round-the-clock goons, no ‘patrons’ ever seem to enter or leave, and a
The Stake-out shipping container automaton has a delivery point beside the building.
Round 1 [Warm]: The Crew infiltrate the brothel to learn more and try to find the Minister’s killer. The sneakier
Punks in the Crew make their way in and try to eavesdrop, but alert the goons.
Round 2 [Hot]: The pimp and muscle draw their guns. Two goons race towards the disturbance while the other
two fan out. The more combat-orientated Punks bust in and enter into a shoot-out while the sneaky Punks try to
hide and prepare to jump the approaching attackers. Both sides lose Fortune but no one has gone down yet.
Round 3 [Hot]: The combat Punks take down one goon and begin to flank the other. The sneaky Punks get the
Scene 3 drop on one of the goons and take them out, but one of them loses a lot of Fortune getting shot at in the open.
The raid Round 4 [Hot]: One of the Punks is dropped to 0 Fortune before the remaining Goons are dispatched, with one left
GM’s Toolkit
alive for interrogation. The downed Punk receives medical aid from the Crew so they won’t die from their Crisis.
Round 5 [Warm]: The Crew interrogate the goon and talk with the prostitutes who can speak English, and realise
this place contains people trafficked into the country to be forced into sex work. The Minister is one of the
brothel’s founders, who has set up the transportation network to shuttle prostitutes to and from users. He was
killed by one of the prostitutes, who fled and is now missing. The Crew hack the pimp’s phone then cut him loose,
tracing the call he makes once free as it travels up the chain, all the way to a Chief Police Superintendent.
Round 1 [Warm]: The crew cannot find any information to locate the missing prostitute who killed the Minister, so
take their findings to the Inspector who started the Mission and hand over what they have on the Superintendent.
In the middle of the handover, one of the Punks realises that the Inspector is another user of the brothel, and
Scene 4 having used the Crew to expose the Superintendent will be taking their vacated position. Interrogating the
A Bitter Deal Inspector on this, he reveals the investigation stalled because they hid all evidence that would lead directly to the
killer, including the woman herself. The Inspector strikes a bargain: he will let the prostitute return to her home-
country unharmed if the Crew lets him go free. Otherwise, she’ll be killed. Bitterly, the Crew accepts.
The Crew listen to the news of the Superintendent being arrested and the victims being returned to their home
country by Immigration while the Punk who was reduced to 0 Fortune comes out of recovery. One Punk uses a
Epilogue backdoor to the transport automaton system gained while investigating the Minister to covertly monitor the
Justice, of a kind Minister’s killer being moved out of the country, and once she is beyond the Inspector’s reach, they slip into the
ceremony for the Inspector’s promotion, and shoot them dead, accepting their arrest and incarceration.
132
The entrance to the Hallen Der Macht, the megastructure that houses Germany’s chancellery.
Design Principles Cooperation is Key

The process of character creation in ECOPUNK deliberately
The following are the basic ideas that underpin ECOPUNK’s produces Punks that are focused on doing particular things. For
design as a game. By understanding the intention behind the the crew to succeed, they will need to pool their different abilities
mechanics, it can be easier to see how to apply them. together. The lone wolf dies while the pack survives.
A System That Works both Fast & Slow

ECOPUNK’s system of Rounds and Dice Pools is designed to work
for a narrative pace that can span several months or mere seconds.
In both cases, while the narrative differs, the mechanics remain the
same, of players managing and expending the dice from their Dice
Pools.
We want people to just as equally be able to play a drawn-out

police procedural as a fight to the death between cyborg warriors.
Get the Dice out of the Way

Rounds and Dice Pools allow players to ‘get the dice out of the
way’ - players can choose a main course of action, roll a big pile of
dice, and use the single Score rolled to shape the storytelling that
follows.
For example, if a player wants to focus in this Round on convincing

a potential ally to their side, they can simply make one big Converse
Throw, then for the rest of the Round all interaction between the
player and the GM is purely storytelling. The player narrates and
roleplays their Punk being charismatic and making arguments, and
the GM roleplays this potential ally, with that character’s responses
shaped by the Score of the player’s Converse Throw.
Initiative Unfolding Gameplay: Secretly
In most Scenes, players either have their characters act Determining a Number of
Character creation
concurrently or decide amongst themselves in what order things Dice to Throw

happen, but in a Scene where at least one character has an interest
in acting before another, and at the start of every Combat Scene, When needing to secretly determine the number of dice
Initiative is determined. Initiative is what decides the order in you will be Throwing for Initiative and other Clashes,
rather than pre-emptively taking out from your dice pool
which characters act in such Scenes.
and revealing the number of dice you intend to roll, instead
hide a few loose dice under your hands with the numbers
Whether Initiative is needed is decided by the GM. It is always on top totalling how many dice you intend to roll, then
Dice Mechanics
determined at the very start of a Round, whether at the start of a reveal that number once everyone has decided how many
Scene or midway through. dice they intend to roll.
As it happens at the start of a Round, every character’s Dice Pool

has been refilled to full when Initiative begins being determined.
Initiative Breakdown
1. As it is the start of the Round, everyone’s Dice Pool is refilled

Turns
Playing the Game
to its Dice Pool Maximum.

Initiative divides each Round into a series of Turns, with each 2. The GM decides that, based on the actions the characters
Character acting in their own Turn one after another. The order in present want to take, Initiative is necessary.
which these Turns happen is called the Initiative Order. 3. Each player secretly determines how many dice they will
expend on the Speed Clash.
While in Initiative, a character refills their Dice Pool at the start
4. Each player makes their Speed Throw and declares their
Hacking
of their Turn rather than at the start of the Round, except in the
Score.
first Round of Combat, explained below.
5. The GM records each Score, ranking them from highest
Programs List
Some rules interact with when a Round begins and ends. When in to lowest along with which character rolled that Score,
Initiative, the Round begins with the first Turn and ends with the determining the Initiative Order.
last Turn. 6. The character with the highest Score begins their Turn.
They do not refill their Dice Pool, as it is the first Round in
The world of 2044
However, if a character has a Trait or Equipment they specifically Initiative.

can use a certain number of times per Round, the ‘Round’ for that 7. The character with the next highest Score begins their Turn,
Trait or Equipment counts as starting at the start of their Turn, and the next, and so on until all characters have acted. These
and that ‘Round’ ends the moment before their next Turn starts. characters do not refill their Dice Pool, as it is the first Round
in Initiative.
Determining Initiative Order 8. The first Round comes to an end.
Initiative is determined with a Speed Clash, involving all 9. The character with the highest Score on the Initiative Order
characters present in the Scene. This Speed Clash happens at the begins their second Turn. As we are now out of the first
start of the first Round, before any character acts. Round, the character refills their Dice Pool.
10. The character with the next highest Score begins their Turn,
The results of the Speed Clash ranks characters from highest score and the next, and so on until all characters have acted. As we
to lowest. This is the Initiative Order, and is the order in which are now out of the first Round, these characters refill their
characters will act during each Round, with those scoring the high Dice Pools at the start of their Turns.
acting earlier and those scoring low acting later.
GM’s Toolkit
11. Steps 9-10 repeat until whatever caused Initiative has been
The Initiative Order remains the same from round to round, and resolved. If it was a battle, one side has emerged victorious.
lasts for the duration of the Scene or at least until the need for If it was a chase, those fleeing have either been caught or got
Initiative ends. If there is a tied Speed Clash Score between a Punk away.
and an NPC, the Punk goes first. The GM decides who goes first 12. Initiative ends and normal Rounds return.
between NPCs with tied Scores, and players decide who goes first
between Punks with tied Scores. A character that rolls no dice for
the Initiative counts as scoring 0 for the Speed Clash.
A character does not refill their Dice Pool at the start of their
first Turn in Initiative. As the dice a character expends for this
Speed Clash are not refilled into the Dice Pool at the start of a
character’s first Turn, in the opening Round players will have to
judge whether they want to expend a lot of dice on Initiative and
gain the advantage of acting sooner, or conserve their dice for
when it comes to their Turn and risk being outmanoeuvred.
134
Combat The follow are the Actions that every
character can do in Combat:
A shady deal goes sideways and someone draws a gun. The
ambassador falls wounded as a sniper opens fire on the building.
You’ve just heard someone bust in the front door. These are Narrative Action
examples of the beginnings of Combat, where characters are A Narrative Action is the catch-all term for any Action you can
actively trying to use force on each other and there is a clear and conceive of your Character performing in the narrative that does
present danger. Combat is a kind of Scene, in which the Rounds not fall under the list of other Actions below. A Narrative Action
are always Hot. Combat always begins with Initiative. might be trying to disarm a bomb, swing from a chandelier, safely
unplug a computer, solve a puzzle... you decide how you want to
Combat in ECOPUNK tends to be brief and brutal, and your Punk contribute to the story.
does not have plot armour capable of withstanding a well-placed
bullet. It is entirely possible for characters to take 20 or more Attack
Damage from a single attack. Think twice about starting a fight, Throwing a knife, firing a gun, hitting someone with a chair
especially against those you can’t outsmart or out-gun. – these are all examples of Attacks a character could make in
Combat. Attacking is explained in more detail in ‘Attacking’,
Backing Out of a Fight overleaf.
Most humans have a basic desire not to kill others. If Combat is
going horribly, see if the crew can either flee, or surrender to the Move
enemy - trying to escape captivity could be the more survivable When taking the Move action, you state where you want to move
option. to and state your Stride. The GM then quotes a Consume value to
move to that place, taking into account any hindrances that may be
Murder & Trauma upon your Stride such as you carrying a heavy object.
Killing others is unpleasant, enough so that many people have an For example, the GM might tell you something like “with your
involuntary physical reaction to doing so - particularly those who Stride, you can Consume 4 to cross the room” or “given your Stride,
haven’t gone through the military training to inure them to such Consuming 10, your entire dice pool, will get you half way across the
acts. Based on the kind of character you are playing, the GM may bridge this Turn”. You then decide whether you want to make that
have you take Mental Damage or make a Clarity Save to hold your Move, and if so Consume the number of dice quoted.
calm if you grievously harm or kill people.
Stride is the speed at which your character can move, explained on
page 20.
Ambushed
Characters are Ambushed when they are caught off guard by the
start of Combat. A character counts as Ambushed if, at the very
Grab
While next to another character, you can attempt to grab ahold of
start of Combat, they were unaware any kind of fight was about
them. A Grab is a special kind of Clash, where the grabber makes a
to begin. An Ambushed character removes half of their dice from
Toughness Throw and the character avoiding the grab can choose
their Dice Pool before Initiative, as if they had expended them.
to make a Toughness, Finesse, or Speed Throw - their choice. If
the grabber wins the Clash, they grab their target. If they lose, they
Because of the rule that a character does not refill their Dice Pool
don’t. While grabbed, a character cannot use the Move Action, but
on their first Turn in Initiative, being Ambushed can mean you’ll
can use any other action.
have very few dice to work with all the way until the start of your
second Turn!
A grabbed character can attempt a Toughness Clash to break free
from the person grabbing them. If they win, they break free from
Actions & Reactions the Grab. If they lose, nothing happens.
In Combat, everything is broken down into Actions and Reactions.
Actions are things a Character can do on their Turn, and Reactions If you lose a Toughness Clash to make or break a Grab, you cannot
are things a Character can do outside of their Turn, usually in make or attempt to break another Grab until the start of your next
response to something. Certain Traits and Equipment enable Turn.
your character to use special Actions and Reactions, or affect how
Actions and Reactions play out. Bind
While you have someone grabbed, you can attempt to Bind them.
You can have as many Actions in your Turn as you’d like, and as A Bind is you choking someone, pinning them, tying them up,
many Reactions outside of your Turn as you’d like, provided you or performing some other action that ultimately prevents their
have the dice to expend on them. movement. A Bind is a Toughness Clash. If you win the Clash, the
grabbed character is Stunned, and remains Stunned while you are
grabbing them.
You can repeatedly Bind a grabbed character to repeatedly make

them Stunned, potentially leading to Dice Pool Incapacitation.
You cannot perform a Bind if you have more than one person
grabbed.
If you lose a Toughness Clash to Bind, you cannot attempt another

Bind until the start of your next Turn.
135
Minor Physical Action
As a rule of thumb, small physical actions like drawing a gun,
grabbing a keycard from a desk, or handing a spare magazine
Character creation
to an ally will Consume 2, although the GM can in difficult

circumstances change this number or require a Throw.
Dead Canaries: Preparing an Action
Prepare an Action Barkhad is driving away while being chased. Barkhad

Sometimes you want to wait for something to occur before you decides to Prepare an Action, stating that they will fire
act. When you Prepare An Action, you declare what Action you their gun (the prepared action), when they see an enemy
are preparing, what the condition is that will trigger your prepared vehicle drive up alongside them (the condition), and set
Dice Mechanics
aside four dice for the attack.

action, and then put aside the dice you will expend on the
prepared action when it happens. Then after your turn, when the Later in the Round, the enemy driver accelerates their
condition you set out is met, you can expend the put-aside dice as vehicle and comes into view of Barkhad. Barkhad declares
a Reaction. You cannot prepare multiple actions. they are using their prepared action, and makes an Attack,
expending and rolling the set-aside 4d6, adding any
If for whatever reason you don’t use the prepared action, the dice modifiers Barkhad has to using guns.
Playing the Game
you set aside are still expended.
The follow are the Reactions that every

Hunker Down
When in Cover, you can Consume 2 to Hunker Down. You cannot character can do in Combat:
use Hunker Down if you have attacked that Turn. When you
Hunker Down, you focus on staying in cover and maximising your Dodge
Hacking
protection. When Hunkered Down, the amount of Armour you A Dodge is made in response to an Attack that is about to hit you.
gain from the cover you are in increases by +1d6 until the start of Dodging is explained in ‘Attacking’, below.
your next Turn, and you cannot make an Attack until the start of
Programs List
your next turn. If you move out of the cover you are in, the effects
of Hunker Down end. Cover is explained on page 139. Help
When a character is about to make a Throw, provided it makes
narrative sense, you can Consume equal to the amount of dice they
The world of 2044
expended on the Throw to give that Throw Advantage.
Help is fully explained in the Helping a Throw chapter on page

123.
Outside of Combat
Actions and Reactions are referred to as such to make them
comprehensive when used in Combat, however you are not
restricted to using Actions and Reactions in a Combat Scene.
There’s no reason you can’t Attack an object, or Hunker Down in
anticipation of gunfire, outside of a Combat Scene. By extension,
any special Actions and Reactions gained through Traits can
also be used outside of Combat.
GM’s Toolkit
Bear in mind that, given Combat is always a Hot Scene, Actions

and Reactions used outside of Combat should also generally be
kept to Hot Scenes. Refer to Traits, Equipment & Temperature on
page 122.
136
Attacking Medium
Medium range covers ranged attacks from 50 to around 300 metres
The Attack Action is a Throw, so first when you make an attack away.
decide how many dice you want to expend for that one attack.
There are a few modifiers that affect Attack Throws:
Aspects. Attack Throws are either modified by Toughness or
Long
Long range covers ranged attacks beyond 300 metres.
Finesse. Which Aspect is to be used is determined by the weapon
you are using, but as a general rule of thumb Toughness is used
Attacks made at melee range are called ‘melee attacks’, and attacks
for attacks in melee, and Finesse is used for attacks at range. If an
made at the short, medium, and long ranges are called ‘ranged
Attack is described as a Toughness Attack or Finesse Attack, that is
attacks’. Some rules mention ‘an adjacent Attack’ or ‘an adjacent
the Aspect used.
attacker’ - attacking with a melee weapon or short ranged weapon
Traits. There are numerous Traits that can affect a character’s
while next to the target would both count as adjacent.
ability to use particular weaponry.
Equipment. Some Equipment can affect your Attacks.
Familiarity. Familiarity represents whether a character knows Point Blank Ranged Attacks
how to use certain groups of weaponry. If you make an attack with Unless the target is Incapacitated, Attacks with ranged weapons
a weapon you don’t have Familiarity with, the Throw is Strained. targeting someone adjacent to the attacker are made on
If you do have Familiarity, the Throw is unaffected. Familiarity is Disadvantage.
fully explained in Character Creation, on page 21.
When rolling an Attack, you don’t total up all the numbers rolled
Ranged Attacking into a Melee Fight
Characters in a melee gain Soft Cover from the person(s) they are
to get a Score. Instead, you count up the number of Successes. A
in the melee with.
roll of 5 or 6 on a 1d6 is a Success; if all rolls are 1 or 2 the roll is a
Mishap. You want to get as many Successes as possible.
If you make a ranged Attack targeting a character who is currently
in a melee with another character, then the target successfully
If you rolled at least 1 Success, your Attack is about to hit! Your
Dodges your Attack, it hits the character they were in the melee
target gets a chance to use the Dodge Reaction to avoid the Attack,
with. This hit character has no chance to Dodge. If you were
explained on the next page. If they successfully Dodge, the Attack
targeting a character in a melee with more than one other person,
is avoided and nothing else happens, but if not your Attack has Hit
the GM determines randomly which one is hit.
and will deal Damage, potentially taking down the enemy. Damage
is also explained on the next page.
Attacking What You Can’t See
Every Attack Roll is Explosive, meaning that you roll an additional Generally, if you Attack something that you cannot see, you
1d6 for every 6 you roll. Additional d6 are also Explosive. automatically miss. However if you know the likely location
of something obscured, Attacks targeting them are made on
Disadvantage.
Mishaps For example, if you saw where someone was standing moments
If the roll is a Mishap when making an Attack, something
before they were hidden in a cloud of smoke, or became invisible
unfortunate happens with your attack that hinders you. Typically
through a thermoptic cloak, you would be able to Attack them on
a Mishap will be something like jamming if it’s a firearm, or if it’s
Disadvantage.
a knife it might get struck from your hand and fly across the room.
Unless the weapon description states what happens on a Mishap,
the GM decides in each instance what happens. Mishaps should Attacking Outside of Combat
generally be a serious problem, making the weapon unusable until It is possible for an Attack to be made outside of a Combat Scene.
you put in the effort to undo the Mishap. For example, you might shoot out a security camera just before it
turns back online and films you, in a Scene where you have been
breaking into a corporate headquarters. Or, you might fire some
Ranges shots behind you as you flee through the sewers to slow down your
The weapon you’re using determines from what distance you
pursuers, in a Scene where you are being chased.
can effectively attack someone from. There are four ‘ranges’;
melee, short, medium, and long, which are also explained in the
If the Attack is upon an individual object or character (like in
Weaponry section of the Character Options List on page 92.
the first example), the rules for Attacking and Dodging remain
unchanged. If you are making an Attack roll to gauge your efficacy
Melee in using a weapon for an effect other than harming an object or
Melee range covers melee attacks, which are generally adjacent to character (like in the second example), you still roll an Attack as
or at least very near the target. normal, but rather than count Successes, the score is counted and
the GM will compare it to a DC to see whether you achieve the
desired effect.
Short
Short range covers ranged attacks from adjacent to around 50
metres away. When fighting with ranged weapons in enclosed
spaces like the rooms of a building, you’ll almost always be within
Unarmed Attacks
If you’re throwing a punch, kicking, biting, or otherwise using
the Short range. your body to assault someone, you are making an Unarmed
Attack. An Unarmed Attack is a Toughness Attack at melee range,
has an AP of 0, and deals 1d3 Physical (External) Damage.
137
Dodging Damage
When you’re about to be hit by an attack, you can Dodge as a When a Character is hit by an Attack, they take Damage, as
Character creation
Reaction. A Dodge is a Speed Throw representing a character explained in ‘Fortune’, in the chapter Character Creation on page
attempting to avoid an attack. Dodge rolls, like Attack rolls, counts 22. The Damage from attacks is always Physical Damage, and
Successes rather than totalling a score, however Dodge rolls are most often Physical (External) Damage. The amount of Damage
not Explosive. is often determined a dice roll made by the player who made the
Attack, with the amount of dice rolled defined by the weapon used
The only instances where a character cannot Dodge is when they in the Attack. Damage is not modified by any Aspects. The dice
are Incapacitated. Even if you are unaware the Attack is coming, rolled are added up, and the Character hit reduces their Fortune
Dice Mechanics
you can still make a Dodge Throw. However, if you are targeted by that number. If they are reduced to 0 Fortune, they suffer a
by an Attack and the attacker is Hidden, your Dodge Throw is Crisis that is some kind of serious (possibly lethal) physical injury
Strained. if they are a Punk, or become Incapacitated if they are an NPC.
Whenever you are the target of an Attack and roll no dice, you
Critical Damage
count as having 0 Successes on a Dodge roll.

After an Attack has hit but before Damage is rolled, any Critical
Playing the Game
If the number of Successes for the Dodge roll is the same or Damage is calculated. Critical Damage represents an Attack hitting
higher than the number of Successes for the Attack roll that a more vital spot. Critical Damage is calculated based on how
triggered the Dodge, the attack is avoided, and nothing else many dice have in total been rolled for the Attack, once the Attack
happens. Otherwise, the attack hits its target and deals Damage. has resolved, meaning if dice Explode you have a chance of dealing
more Critical Damage.
Narratively, a successful Dodge doesn’t have to mean moving out
Hacking
of the way. A Dodge could be a parry of a sword-stroke with your For each multiple of 5 dice rolled for the Attack roll, you can
own blade, your body armour deflecting the impact of the bullet, Maximise 1 dice from the Damage roll. Maximising a dice means
throwing grit into the eyes of the attacker, the attack missing changing what it has rolled to its highest possible roll. For a d6,
Programs List
entirely, or anything else. Players are free to narratively interpret that means changing its roll to a 6. For a d3, you would change its
how they dodged an Attack. roll to a 3.
You can read about Maximise and similar effects in Roll Effects on
Dodge of Objects
The world of 2044
page 124.
Sometimes in the midst of combat you will want to attack an
object rather than a character. When attacking a stationary object Only Punks can use the Critical Damage rule - both allies and
with a melee attack or with a ranged weapon while adjacent to enemies controlled by the GM cannot.
the object, the object is treated as having a Dodge Throw of 0
Successes (although the GM may increase this number if the object Total amount of dice rolled by Amount of Damage dice
is moving, or very small, or due to some other factor). However it the Attack roll maximised.
is more difficult to hit an object at range. When making a ranged 0-4 0
attack against an object, used the below table to determine how
5-9 1
hard an object is to hit:
10-14 2
Size of object Dodge Value 15-19 3
20+ 4
A tiny object, such as a keycard or a thumb-drive. 4
GM’s Toolkit
A small to medium object, such as a vase, a personal 2

computer, or a fuse box.
A large object such as a vehicle, a fuel tank, or a crate. 0
If the object is not stationary: +1
If the object is moving at a fast speed: +1
Dead Canaries: Critical Damage
These values assume the attacker is in the midst of Combat, and Alex makes an Attack roll, firing their gun. Alex is
doesn’t have the luxury of taking their time to approach the target expending 5d6 for the Attack Throw, and their modifiers
and carefully aim. Outside of Combat, a character should be able are adding a total of +3d6 to the roll.
to, for example, shoot the lock off of a chain without having to roll
dice (as there would be no risk of failure). Alex rolls the 8d6, and is lucky to roll three ‘6s’. Due to the
Explosive effect that always applies to Attacks, Alex adds
an additional +3d6 to the roll.
If an Attack is targeting an object a character has on their person,
the GM may impose Disadvantage on the Attack, but otherwise Alex’s target fails to Dodge, and Alex is about to roll
Attacking and Dodging happens as normal, as if you were targeting Damage. For the Attack roll, Alex has rolled a total of 11d6.
the person. If you hit, you’ve hit the object. Due to the Critical Damage rule, Alex can now maximise
two of the dice in the Damage roll, as 11 contains two
multiples of 5.
For the Damage roll, Alex rolls 3d6, getting 1, 3, and 4.
Alex maximises the 1 and 3 into two 6s, leading to a total
Damage of 16 (6 + 6 + 4). A powerful blow!
138
Armour
Armour represents everything physically obstructing your
character and a source of harm. When you take Physical
(External) Damage from an Attack, if you have Armour you roll
it, subtract the number rolled from the Damage from the attack,
and the remaining number is how much Damage you take. It is
possible for Damage to be reduced to 0 in this way. Armour only
reduces Physical (External) Damage, and does not affect Physical
(Internal) Damage.
Armour is determined by what your character is wearing, as some

protective clothing grants Armour, and by what is in between your
character and the Attack, such as a vehicle they are inside or a wall
in the way. Whenever there are multiple things giving you Armour,
all of them apply. For example, a character wearing a bulletproof
vest, inside of an armoured vehicle, parked behind a wall, would
gain Armour from all three sources.
Armour Piercing (AP)

Some weaponry is Armour Piercing, shortened to ‘AP’. Whenever
you are hit with a weapon with AP, you reduce the amount of dice
you are rolling for Armour by the amount of AP that weapon has.
When receiving Armour from multiple sources, the person being

hit decides which sources and dice are removed by AP. Attack Breakdown
For example, if you had Armour of 1d3 + 1d6, and were hit by a The following details all the steps involved in an Attack (and
weapon with AP 1, you could choose to remove the 1d3 and roll possible Dodge response):
1d6 for your Armour roll, or remove the 1d6 and roll 1d3 for your
Armour roll. 1. On a character’s Turn, the player decides their character is
going to use the Attack action.
Cover 2. The player describes who or what they are attacking and what
they are attacking with. The object of an attack is that Attack’s
In the narrative of Combat, it is possible for Characters to use
Cover for their protection. If Cover is between a character and a ‘target’.
ranged Attack, that character gains a bonus to Armour against that 3. The GM tells the player whether their attack is in range of the
Attack. Cover is anything a character can effectively hide behind target. If not in range, the attack will automatically miss.
for protection against projectiles. There are two kinds of Cover: 4. The player decides how many dice they are going to expend
Soft Cover and Hard Cover, detailed below. for the Attack Throw, then applies any modifiers. Based on the
situation, the GM may also apply roll effects.
Soft Cover 5. The player rolls their dice. If all the roll is a Mishap (only 1s
Soft Cover is anything made of a substance that obscures the and 2s are rolled), the GM determines what accident happens
target but a bullet could pass through. Soft Cover gives you +1d6 with the weapon used. If at least one Success is rolled (a 5 or
Armour. 6), the Attack is about to hit.
Soft Cover examples: A crowd of people, tall grass, a flipped 6. The target gets a chance to use the Dodge reaction, or in the
wooden table, an ally or hostage standing in the way. case of an object has its Dodge Successes determined by the
GM.
Hard Cover 7. If the number of Dodge Successes are lower than the number
Hard Cover is anything made of a substance that a normal bullet of Attack Successes, the Attack hits. Otherwise, the Attack
cannot pass through (at least, not all the way). Hard Cover gives misses.
you +2d6 Armour. 8. If the Attack hits, any Critical Damage is calculated then the
Hard Cover examples: A concrete pillar, a brick wall, bulletproof Attack’s Damage is rolled.
glass, a vehicle, a bar counter made of metal.
9. The GM calculates the target’s total Armour. That Armour is
then reduced by the Attack’s AP. The target rolls the remaining
Armour.
10. The Armour is subtracted from the Attack’s Damage, and the
target reduces their Fortune by the remaining total. If their
Fortune is reduced to 0, they become Incapacitated if they are
an NPC, or suffer a Crisis if they are a Punk.
139
Character Effects Addled
A character that is Addled is experiencing impaired sight, hearing,
thinking, or is in some other way disorientated and unable to
Character creation
Incapacitated clearly perceive their surroundings.

If a character is Incapacitated, their Dice Pool Maximum is
An Addled character has disadvantage on all Throws, including
reduced to 0 and remains that way until whatever it is that
when they Attack and Dodge.
Incapacitated them is undone. For example, if they were
Incapacitated by physical injury, they will remain Incapacitated
In addition, any Stealth Throws to remain unnoticed by a
until they receive medical aid. While a character is Incapacitated,
character who is Addled are made on Advantage.
Dice Mechanics
they are incapable of moving, acting, talking, or in any

contributing to the narrative other than passively.
Incapacitation is a catch-all for states that render a character

Hidden
A character is Hidden when they have become concealed from
incapable of action due to physical circumstances. They may be others. While Hidden, certain Traits and Equipment can be used
unconscious, collapsed from exhaustion, passed out, fainted, or
in special ways, and you can avoid certain penalties.

otherwise too physically injured or in too much pain to move. Or
Playing the Game
they might just be dead. When Attacking from Hidden, the target’s Dodge Throw is
Strained. Unless you have a Trait that says otherwise, you cease to
If a character has their Dice Pool Maximum reduced to 1 or lower, be Hidden after you Attack.
they become Incapacitated due to the Dice Pool Incapacitation
effect. When you want to become Hidden, make a Stealth Throw. You are
then Hidden from any characters who have an Awareness equal to
Hacking
A character does not need to be reduced to 0 Fortune to become or lower than your Stealth Throw. You can think of Awareness as a
Incapacitated, but whenever an NPC is reduced to 0 Fortune, they DC you have to match or beat to succeed at hiding. You generally
always become Incapacitated. need to be in a position to conceal yourself to become Hidden; you
Programs List
cannot make the initial Stealth Throw to become Hidden if, for
example, you are in a clearing with a spotlight trained upon you.
When Hidden, you must make a new Stealth Throw at the start
The world of 2044
of each Round or at the start of your Turn to remain Hidden, and

you must keep note of the most recent score of the Stealth Throw
that made you Hidden.
If a character makes an Investigate Throw to try to find you and

the score of that Investigate Throw is higher than your most recent
Stealth Throw, you are detected, and cease to be Hidden. It is
generally assumed a character that spots you will point you out to
their allies, meaning that when you cease to be Hidden, you cease
to be Hidden for all characters.
GM’s Toolkit
Stunned
A character who is Stunned has been knocked down, restrained,
disorientated, or has otherwise had their ability to act limited.
When a character is Stunned, their Dice Pool Maximum is halved

(rounded down). It is possible to be repeatedly Stunned, with each
instance halving the character’s Dice Pool Maximum again.
The Stunned effect lasts until the end of the Stunned character’s
next Turn, unless what applied the Stunned effect is still ongoing.
For example, if the Stunned effect is being applied by a Bind, and
the Bind has not ended, the Stunned effect cannot end. When the
Bind is ended, the Stunned effected will then end on the end of the
character subjected to the Bind’s next Turn.
140
From their homemade cradle, a hacker plunges into the strange architecture of The Net
141
Hacking
Character creation
Hacking is the process of infiltrating and manipulating electronics, Unfolding Gameplay:

usually via the Net. This chapter details the rules of Hacking. To Avoiding Hacking
read more about hacking within the setting, go to the Hacker
Culture section of Life & Times, on page 206. Hacking introduces a long list of rules that players may
find adds an unwanted level of complexity to playing
Those who engage in hacking are commonly known as ‘hackers’, ECOPUNK.
although there are a number of other names within hacker If an individual player doesn’t want to deal with Hacking
Dice Mechanics
subculture, as well as names for specific types of hackers, such as and its rules, then provided they don’t have a Cyberbrain,
jockeys, redcaps, and joes. or any Equipment with the Net-Linked Keyword, it is
impossible for them to be hacked.
For someone to perform hacking, they must, at a minimum, have Alternatively, if during Session Zero the players decide they
the Trait ‘D-Rank Hacker’ (page 74). Modern hackers all have are not interested in telling a story involving hacking, the
Cyberbrains - those who don’t simply cannot compete in the GM can simply provide stories where they don’t encounter
modern age of cybercrime. hackers, meaning the rules in the Hacking chapter will
Playing the Game
never be relevant.
Hacking
Programs List
The world of 2044
GM’s Toolkit
Hacking Throws Visualiser

For many of the processes of hacking, you make a Hacking A Visualiser is a piece of Equipment. A combination of hardware
Throw. Hacking Throws are used for a variety of purposes, from and software, a Visualiser allows a hacker to perceive the complex
infiltrating a Network to manipulating someone’s mind through Net in a simplified, coherent manner.
their cyberbrain. These processes are explained throughout this
chapter. While not using a
Visualiser, Hacking
A Hacking Throw is a special kind of Software Throw that is not Throws you make
modified by any Aspect, nor is affected by Talents or the Tool are made on
Bonus rule. As a Skilled Throw, dice expended beyond your Skill Disadvantage.
Level are Strained. A number of Traits can modify your Hacking
Throws. You can see a list of
some of the more
The DCs and ADCs Hacking Throws are rolling to beat depends popular visualiser
on the context. Most of those contexts are explained in the rules software on page
on the next few pages, but Hacking Throws and their DCs can also 205. Your choice of
appear in the rules of certain Traits and Programs. visualiser software
only affects the
If you are in Initiative, unless a rule says otherwise you can only narration of your
make Hacking Throws during your Turn. hacking.
142
Targets for Netpoints
The Net is a mesh of interconnections, with each digital entity
Hacking within it occupying a relative position in that mesh. An entity’s
‘coordinates’ within that mesh is called its Netpoint. Like having
The ‘thing’ you are intending to hack, or have hacked, is called the a website address, a Netpoint allows you to find something in the
‘target’. Net.
You can target something for hacking if you fulfil at least one of Both Networks and Terminals have Netpoints.
the following criteria:
» You can see or otherwise sense the target. If you have something’s Netpoint, you can target it for hacking,
This includes ‘seeing or otherwise sensing’ the target through even if you know nothing else about it.
an external means, such as a CCTV camera, someone else’s
eyes, an EM detector, or so on. In both instances you need to Knowing something’s Netpoint doesn’t tell you its physical
be seeing or sensing the target in the present - a photograph of location.
something won’t enable you to hack it (although information
within the photo might). Netpoints of public-facing entities like government and news
» You have adequate information to find the target’s location websites are common knowledge.
within the Net through targeted searching.
This might be a name and a few other personal details to find Complexing a Netpoint
a person, or a company name to find a private business. It is Networks and Terminals can ‘complex’ their Netpoint, causing it
up to the GM whether you have adequate information to find to change, meaning their location within the Net changes. This is
any particular target, although you can use this rule of thumb: used as a precaution against hackers: by changing your location
would I be able to find this target’s website or online profile in the Net, hackers who have previously attacked you now need
with a Google search? If yes, you can target this entity for to find you all over again. It also makes your contacts lose any
hacking. connection to you over the Net.
Things like rumours, pseudonyms, and vague information does
not help here, at least not in the sense of immediately providing Complexing a Netpoint is generally done between Missions.
a target - searching with these kinds of terms will, at first, only In effect, it means that any furtive user of the Net found in one
return iterations of those terms rather than the individual or Mission can’t be automatically found in the next Mission. Some
group they refer to. However further investigation could turn powerful hackers can complex a Netpoint at high speed, enabling
up one or several potential targets. it to be done in-Mission.
» You know the target’s Netpoint.
A target’s location within the Net is called its Netpoint. It is generally assumed the Crew, if they have a hacker amongst
» You are Intruded into something connected to the target. their ranks, will complex their Network’s Netpoint in between
While Intruded into a Network, you can target any Terminal every Mission, but won’t complex their Terminals, as doing so
attached to it, and while Intruded into a Terminal, you can would make them impossible to contact.
target the Network it is attached to. In addition, if you are
Intruded into a Terminal that makes some kind of connection Public-facing entities on the Net, such as a government utility
to another Terminal (such as being Intruded into a phone website, normally won’t ever complex their Netpoint, as doing so
that calls another phone), you can target that connected-to would cause citizens to be unable to find them.
Terminal. Intrusion, Networks, and Terminals are explained on
the next page.
You can read more about navigating the Net on page 204.
It is impossible for you to target anything that is Faraday, or

within a Faraday Zone - such things have no presence on the Net.
Further, if you are Faraday or within a Faraday Zone you cannot
hack anything at all. There is an exception this rule: if you have a
Hardline connection. Hardline connections, Faraday and Faraday
Zones are explained later, on page 150.
143
Networks & Terminals
There are two kinds of targets for hacking: Networks, and
Intrusion
Terminals. When you want to hack into something, the first step is ‘Intrusion’
Character creation
- the process of actually getting your digital presence inside the

thing you want to manipulate through hacking. When you have
Networks succeeded in your Intrusion, we say you have ‘Intruded’.
A Network is a digital structure connected to by all members
of a group or organisation. The crew has its own Network, and If your target for Intrusion is a Network, you are ColdHacking,
every faction the crew works with and against will have their own and need to be in a Cold or Warm Round.
Network. The police have a Network, as do the Military, and
Dice Mechanics
each government Ministry. The only groups who won’t have a If your target for Intrusion is a Terminal, you are HotHacking, and
Network will be the ones who specifically and intentionally have need to be in a Warm or Hot Round.
no technology that connects to the Net.
So long as you are in the correct Temperature, the Intrusion can
The actual hardware that houses a Network is called the Network begin!
Core. It is usually kept within the Network owner’s base of
operations, likely behind a series of security measures. When When Intruding, you make a Hacking Throw, attempting to beat
Playing the Game
someone wants to form a Hardline connection with the Network, either the Network or the Terminal’s ‘Intrusion ADC’. Intrusion
the Network Core is the physical hardware they connect to. In ADCs are ‘Accumulating DCs’, meaning that if you don’t beat them
addition, within a base of operations certain equipment may have with the first Hacking Throw you can make additional Hacking
built-in Hardline connections to the Network Core. Throws adding to your Score until you do beat the ADC, as per the
Accumulating DC rules described on page 121.
Hacking into a Network is called ColdHacking. You can only You can only perform one Hacking Throw for Intrusion per
Hacking
perform ColdHacking on Cold or Warm Rounds, due to the Round.

complexities of infiltrating a Network.
With Intrusion, you must keep attempting to beat the same
Programs List
Terminals ADC with a Hacking Throw each subsequent Round, or lose

A Terminal is any object or person that exists connected to a your accumulated Score. If you finish a Round without making
Network. Any person with a Cyberbrain, any piece of Equipment a Hacking Throw, or attempt Intrusion on a different target,
with either the Bionic or Net-Linked keyword, and any structure you stop your attempted Intrusion of the initial target and your
The world of 2044
or object that uses electricity (such as a building, vehicle, or accumulated Score towards beating that ADC is lost.
electronically-locked door) is a Terminal.
If you beat the Intrusion ADC with a Hacking Throw, you
Hacking into a Terminal is called HotHacking. You can only successfully infiltrate the Network or Terminal without further
perform HotHacking on Warm or Hot Rounds. problems and without detection.
While being separate targets, Terminals are still part of and Each time you make a Hacking Throw and on that Throw fail to
connected to their Network. When you target them, you are beat the Intrusion ADC, you suffer the Network’s Ice, and the
essentially targeting a limb of a Network. As such, a Terminal’s Network is alerted to the attempted Intrusion. Ice is explained
Intrusion ADC and Ice both come from the Network they are over the next page.
connected to. Intrusion ADC and Ice are explained in the next
pages. This means there is serious incentive to beat an Intrusion ADC in
one go, to slip inside a Network or Terminal wholly undetected
If you’re uncertain about whether you’re targeting a Network or a and without suffering Ice.
GM’s Toolkit
Terminal, you can use this rule of thumb:

If you’re targeting a specific object or person, it’s a Terminal.
Otherwise, you’re targeting a Network.
The Wreckage of the Internet
Why can’t I perform HotHacking in a Cold The reason hackers need Cyberbrains, Visualisers, and
extensive skill to navigate the Net is because the internet
Round? it’s built upon is trashed.
You may be asking: given HotHacking is the faster of the two kinds
of Hacking, why can’t I also use it in Cold Rounds? During World War III, a Russian artificial intelligence
gained self-autonomy and proceeded to optimise all
electronic systems for interconnectivity, with no regard
The narrative justification is that, given hacking is a cybercrime
for the comprehensiveness of what remained. This
and carries a risk no matter how skilled you are, no hacker is going
phenomenon is commonly referred to as BridgeBuilder.
to only hack the less-significant target of a Terminal in a Cold
Round, where the narrative is covering actions taken over days, Hackers are the people who rose to the challenge to
weeks, or months. navigating the ruin that remained, and soon began using its
interconnectivity to go where they shouldn’t.
However, if you’ve made clear you intend to hack one or several Beyond the few government utilities that have been
Terminals, the GM should put you into a Warm or Hot Scene to hastily assembled to be accessible, an ordinary person has
both reflect the risk, and facilitate your hacking efforts. no ability to comprehend anything on the Net. Hackers
combine skill and intuition, enabled by Cyberbrain
technology, to see beyond, to the divine patterns hidden in
the wreckage.
144
Intrusion ADCs If you are in a Terminal you can:
Intrusion ADC represents how well-defended a Network and all of » See all the Traits, Equipment, and Mods connected directly
its connected Terminals are. More heavily defended Networks have to the Terminal. For example, if the Terminal is someone’s
higher Intrusion ADCs than more vulnerable ones. A Network’s Cyberbrain, you could see all the Traits and Equipment, and
ADC is called the Network Intrusion ADC, and any Terminal’s Mods that are connected to it that have the Bionic keyword.
ADC is called the Terminal Intrusion ADC. » If the Terminal is an object with a simple, single function,
you can observe the input from that function. For example, if
Network Intrusion ADC you’d hacked a camera, you could see what the camera sees. If
Network Intrusion ADC is determined by whichever member of you hacked an electronic door, you could know if it is opened or
the organisation (if it is NPCs), or the crew (if it is the Network closed, and whether it is locked.
of the Punks) can provide the highest Network Intrusion ADC » If the Terminal is someone’s Cyberbrain, go Beyond the
value. Ghostline. Ghostlines are explained later.
» See the location in the Net of the Network the Terminal is part
How much a character can provide for a Network Intrusion ADC of. This means that, if you have Intruded into a Terminal, you
is determined with the following formula: can target the Network connected to it. In addition, you see
Multiply your Software Skill Level by 5. Then, add to that number the location in the Net of any other Terminals the Terminal
any bonuses to the ADC granted by your Traits and Equipment, connects to. For example, if you hacked into a phone, you’d
and any bonuses to the ADC granted by the crew’s Assets. The see the Network it’s part of. If that phone was then used to call
total is the current value of your Network Intrusion ADC. someone else, you’d be able to see the location of that other phone.
Network Intrusion ADC = (5 x Software Skill Level) + any Traits, In addition, when you first Intrude into a target, you learn its
Equipment, and Assets that increase Network Intrusion ADC. Netpoint if you didn’t already.
The Network’s Network Intrusion ADC is the highest value a If you want to actively interact with a target, you will need to use a
member of the Network can provide based on the above formula. Program.
If you are the member of the Network who determines the
Network Intrusion ADC, you also determine what Ice the Network You can end your Intrusion without expending dice and whenever
has. Ice is explained overleaf. you’d like, unless you are in Initiative, in which case you can only
end your Intrusion on your Turn.
A Network Intrusion ADC can never be lower than 20.
If the target you have Intruded into becomes Faraday, you cease
If the character that provides a Network’s Intrusion ADC and Ice to be Intruded into it. If you become Faraday, you cease to be
has a Crisis, becomes Incapacitated, or otherwise is taken out of Intruded into anything. The exception to these rules is if you have
the action, the Network Intrusion ADC and Ice remain. However a Hardline connection.
if a character permanently leaves their Network due to dying,
quitting, or something else, they cease to provide their benefits to Without the benefits of certain Traits, you can only have your
Network Intrusion ADC and Ice at the end of the Mission. digital presence in one Network or Terminal at a time. While you
can begin Intrusion on a new target while already Intruded into
Terminal Intrusion ADC your limit of Networks and/or Terminals, once you succeed in
A Terminal’s Terminal Intrusion ADC is always half the ADC of your Intrusion on the new target your digital presence must leave
the Network it is connected to, rounded down. As a result every an old one.
Terminal in a Network has the same Terminal Intrusion ADC.
Once you have stopped being Intruded into a target, you will have
Terminal Intrusion ADC = Network Intrusion ADC ÷ 2 to perform the process of Intrusion all over again to re-enter it.
Because Network Intrusion ADC never being lower than 20, a

Terminal Intrusion ADC can never be lower than 10.
The Cyberbrain & Bionics
While you are Intruded into a Cyberbrain, you can choose
to have any Programs you apply to it also apply their effects
After Successful Intrusion to anything with the Bionic keyword also connected to that
Cyberbrain. This enables you to manipulate things like bionic
Once you have Intruded into a Network or Terminal, you are
free to ‘snoop around’ inside, but you are limited to passive limbs and bionic Equipment all from the Cyberbrain.
observation. You do not need to Consume any dice to passively For example, if you were Intruded into the Cyberbrain of a
observe. person who had the Bionic Arm Trait, you could use the Program
‘Puppeteer’ to control both of their bionic arms.
If you are in a Network you can:

» Have a look at the data stored in the Network. For example, if Intruding Within The Crew
you hacked into the Network of a police station, you’d be able to You can freely access your own Network, and any Terminals
see the register of all staff at the station, the past recordings from attached to your Network, without making Hacking Throws.
security cameras, digital copies of case files, and so on. For the purposes of hacking rules, you count as Intruded into
» Learn the name and Netpoint of all the Terminals that are Networks and Terminals your digital consciousness currently
currently connected to the Network. This means that, if you occupies.
have Intruded into a Network, you can target any Terminal
connected to it. You cannot be Intruded into yourself. You can, however, apply
Programs to yourself.
145
Intrusion Across Scenes
If you are Intruded into a target at the end of a Scene, you remain
Network
Intruded into it in the next Scene (unless you choose to stop being
Shutdown
Character creation
Intruded in the transition).

Sometimes, the crew or an NPC faction may want to shut down
While this can result in you being Intruded into a Network in a their Network - most likely to prevent it from being hacked.
Hot Scene, or into a Terminal in a Cold Scene, you cannot interact
with these targets in these Scenes, except to cease being Intruded Provided they are physically at the Network Core, anyone who
into them. knows the shutdown sequence can shut it down freely. Depending
on the organisation, the shutdown sequence can be anything from
Dice Mechanics
pushing an ‘off’ button, to going through a complex sequence of

Intrusion & Programs Across Missions digital and analogue locks.
At the end of a Mission, a hacker might want to maintain their
Intrusion into a target, or keep track of Programs they’ve left in a The GM may require you to expend dice to shut down a Network
target. Core, either Consuming dice to represent the travel to and physical
act of shutting down your own Network Core, or making Software

Whether Intrusions or Programs carry over between Missions is and/or Engineer Throws to decipher the digital and analogue
Playing the Game
determined based on the nature of the target, and is decided by the locks of someone else’s Network Core.
GM.
For the purposes of any rules, Networks shut down and start up
More secure groups will practice greater cyberhygiene, sweeping instantly.
their Network and Terminals for Programs and hunting any
hackers who stick around in their systems; hackers will know to While a Network is shutdown, those connected to it no longer
Hacking
stop their Intrusion of such targets when the Mission ends to avoid have access to its benefits. They cannot communicate via it, cannot
retaliation. access the data stored on it, and do not gain its Intrusion ADC or
Ice. As a result, any Terminal connected to a Network that is shut
Programs List
Less secure groups may not sweep their Network and/or Terminals down has their Terminal Intrusion ADC reduced to the minimum
for Programs at all, and can lack the tools to reveal hackers still of 10.
hiding in their systems.
When a Network is shut down, any and all hackers Intruded into it
The world of 2044
Intrusion into and Programs applied to the Crew and their stop being Intruded into it.
Network are never noticed unless their effects are obvious or a
Ice
hacker in the Crew actively seeks out and finds them.
Access without Hacking ‘Ice’ is hacker-jargon for anti-hacking countermeasures that

Making Hacking Throws is not the only way into a Network prevent hackers from infiltrating a Network and its Terminals.
or Terminal, and the GM and players should not approach
the game thinking as such. You could steal a physical list of Each time you make a Hacking Throw for Intrusion and on
administrator user names and passwords to login to a Network, that Throw you don’t beat the Network or Terminal’s ADC, the
or someone might freely offer you one of their wetports for a effects of the Network’s Ice are applied to you.
Hardline connection to their Cyberbrain, so that you and they
can talk cyberbrain-to-cyberbrain without fear of the signal being Each Network’s Ice is made up of 1-3 ‘Ice Layers’. When a hacker
intercepted. suffers the effects of a Network’s Ice, they suffer the effect of each
Ice Layer. Ice can contain multiple copies of the same type of the
GM’s Toolkit
same Ice Layer. Ice Layers can do many things, such as try to fry
The Antibodies System the brain of the intruding hacker, send out tracker programs to
and Anti-Intrusion pinpoint the hacker’s location, or shore up the Network’s defences.
The reason hackers need to re-hack into targets they’ve When you suffer the effects of Ice, the effects of each Ice Layer
previously accessed is due to the Antibodies System,
apply together rather than separately.
a globe-spanning AI instituted by the UN to fight the
For example, if you suffered the effects of Ice where two of the Ice
explosion of cybercrime following the tandem advents of
the Net and the Cyberbrain. The Antibodies system works Layers are ‘Attack Barrier I’, which causes 1d3 Physical (Internal)
by detecting past hacks and scrambling the connection that Damage, you would take 2d3 Physical Damage, rather than two
hack used. instances of 1d3 Physical Damage.
The consequence is a previous ‘route’ into something a
If a Network has no Ice Layers, it has no Ice.
hacker has taken becomes inaccessible, and the hacker will
need to approach from a different angle. Thankfully, the
Net provides near-infinite ways to connect.
The Ice Layers for the crew’s Ice is determined by any Traits that
provide Ice taken by the member of the crew also providing the
Consequently, the Antibodies System has only really Network’s Intrusion ADC value. For the Ice of other organisations,
removed amateurs from the hacking scene, who had GMs can refer to the premade Networks available in the All Things
previously worked using routes and techniques copy/pasted
NPC chapter of the GM Tools, on page 243.
from other hackers.
146
Programs Removing Programs
Unless their effects are obvious, Programs are hidden until found
A ‘Program’ is a special effect a hacker can apply once they have using the Scan Program. Unless a Program has special rules stating
Intruded into a Network or Terminal. All Programs, including otherwise, once identified a Program can be freely removed from a
their full rules, are listed in the following chapter, Programs List, Network or Terminal, without you having to expend any dice.
beginning on page 152.
The only exception is: if a hacker is currently Intruded into a
You expend Power to use Programs, with more powerful Programs target they applied a Program to, they must consent to their
expending more Power. Some Programs apply their effects Program(s) being removed if someone else attempts to remove
instantly, some apply their effect over an extended duration, and them. Otherwise, those Programs cannot be removed. A hacker
some only activate their effects when certain conditions are met. can consent to their Program(s) being removed without revealing
their digital presence in the target, but cannot prevent the removal
All Programs remain within the target they are applied to until of the Programs without revealing their presence.
they ‘end’. Some programs have conditions which can cause them
to end automatically. All Programs end when they are removed, as If a hacker is preventing you from removing a Program this way,
explained on the left. you’ll need to end their Intrusion first, such as by using the Slice
Program.
When in Combat, using a Program is an Action unless a rule
specifies it can be used as a Reaction.
Investigating Programs
You can only apply Programs to a Network in a Cold or Warm Every hack leaves a mark of some kind. If you manage to find a
Round. You can only apply Programs to a Terminal in a Warm or Program and remove it, you can narrate that you copy its data
Hot Round. Programs that specifically affect Networks are called for later study. An Intellect Software Throw might allow you to
ColdPrograms. Programs that specifically affect Terminals are decipher its contents and find clues about the hacker who created
called HotPrograms. Programs that can affect both Networks and it. The GM can use the hacker’s Terminal Intrusion ADC as the
Terminals remain simply ‘Programs’. DC, with a greater Score providing more information.
You can apply Programs to your own Network and Terminals

connected to it, but must be Intruded into them to do so. Multiple Programs
If you put multiple Programs onto one target that have conflicting
You can freely apply Programs to yourself. effects, you decide when applying those Programs in which order
those effects occur. In all other instances, Programs apply in
Some Programs require you to make a Hacking Throw to the chronological order in which they were applied to a Target,
successfully apply it. Otherwise, you can use Programs freely starting with the least-recently applied Program and ending with
provided you have the Power to expend, unless you are in the most-recently applied Program.
Initiative, in which case you can only apply Programs on your
Turn.
Which Programs are available to you is determined by which

Traits relating to hacking you have taken. Hacker Traits are listed
on page 74.
Dead Canaries: Intrusion
and Programs
Chen is slowly being cornered in a warehouse by a cyborg
assailant. Having already made a Stealth Throw in this
Round, Chen is keeping hidden.
GM: Chen, from your hiding place you spy the cyborg
approaching. In the dim light you can make out the metallic
crimson of her skin, ivory bionic eyes, and a shotgun at the
ready. She’s moving slowly, leaving no openings, but she’ll
upon you soon. What do you do?
Chen: Okay, I’m going to hack into this lady’s Cyberbrain.
Chen makes a Hacking Throw for Intrusion, targeting
the Cyberbrain of the cyborg, and Scores a 35. The GM
confirms that beats the cyborg’s Terminal Intrusion ADC
(which is 32), so the Ice is not triggered.
Chen. I want to use the Program Block Input/Output to
blind her, by ending the ‘input’ of vision from her Bionic
Eyes. Can I do that?
GM: Absolutely! Being Intruded into her Cyberbrain, you
can have Programs apply to Bionic options connected to it.
Chen blinds the cyborg, and takes the opportunity to slip
away.
147
Beyond the
Ghostline
Character creation
A special variety of Programs named ‘ghosthacks’ require a

hacker’s digital presence to be ‘Beyond the Ghostline’ to use.
Ghosthacks are Programs that alter the memories and personality
of a person through their cyberbrain.
The Ghostline is the separation between the digital, ordered

Dice Mechanics
domain of the Cyberbrain, which is still essentially a computer,

and the soupy, chaotic domain of the human mind, called the
‘ghost’ in hacker jargon (and ‘ego’ in scientific lexicon). Hackers
call crossing from the cyberbrain into the ghost ‘going Beyond the
Ghostline’.
When you perform a successful Intrusion into someone’s

Playing the Game
Cyberbrain, your digital presence arrives in the Cyberbrain, but

you can freely choose to go Beyond the Ghostline and directly
connect with the ghost of the person you have hacked into.
While you are Beyond the Ghostline, you can make a Hacking
Throw to attempt to gather information from the person’s ghost,
Hacking
potentially revealing their thoughts, feelings, and memories.

The Score of such a Throw determines how much you learn. A
Score of less than 20 is likely to only tell you their general mood
Programs List
and give you a smattering of proto-thoughts, while Scores of 30,

40, and 50 will reveal information of progressively greater quality
and quantity. The GM may increase or lower the DC based on
how guarded the person’s mind is. When gathering information,
The world of 2044
a targeted search will learn more than a general one. You will
learn deeper truths and see more important memories if you’re
searching for something those truths and memories relate to.
You can return from Beyond the Ghostline freely and whenever
you’d like, unless you are in Initiative, in which case you can only
return on your Turn.
Ghosts and the Perfect

Existential Ego
Messing around with ghosts can lead to strange outcomes,
including the duplication of personalities, called ‘ghost
dubbing’. If a Punk ever makes a ghost duplicate of
GM’s Toolkit
themselves, the GM can secretly roll 3d6. On a roll of

three 6s, the Punk has a Perfect Existential Ego (although
the GM does not tell them this), and they will be able to
cooperate with their double indefinitely. Otherwise, the
Punk and the GM-controlled double will eventually fall into
conflict. Usually this happens fairly quickly if one or both
considers themselves to be ‘the original’.
A Perfect Existential Ego is a (supposedly innate)
mindset that someone can possess, where their ego
is entirely separate from their bodily perspective. The
mindset was theorised after the discovery of Jon Coble,
a man who duplicated himself four times through illegal
wetprinting and ghost-dubbing, and had maintained a
healthy relationship with his copies for years prior to
their discovery. Every other case had ended in hostility
between all copies. The primary test to verify whether
someone possesses a Perfect Existential Ego is: can one
copy indefinitely take orders from another copy without
rebelling? If yes, then they possess the mindset.
Currently, Jon Coble is the only known example, although
Ni Metal musician G Alloy is also theorised to be one.
148
Ego Fracturing
The ghost is a churning mess of incoherent impulses and proto-
thoughts that have not yet been shaped into that narrative of
‘consciousness’, and without a steeled mind it is easy for a hacker
Dead Canaries: Ghosthacking to lose sight of where they end and the hacked ghost begins.
When you first go Beyond the Ghostline, and at the beginning of
The Crew are attempting to gather intel on a politician, and each Round (or Turn if in Initiative) Beyond the Ghostline, you
have decided to ghosthack his personal bodyguard while must make a Clarity Save. On a failed Save, you take 2d6 Mental
he is in transit to his office. Chen has just succeeded in Damage.
Intruding into this bodyguard’s Cyberbrain and has 3d6 left
in their Dice Pool. After the current Round and one more, If you suffer a Crisis from this Mental Damage, you undergo a
the bodyguard will pass through a security checkpoint that process called an ‘ego fracture’, where your own Ego and that of
will compromise Chen’s hack. the target have briefly melded. In the resolution of the Crisis, you
GM: You slip past the bodyguard’s defences unnoticed. You and the person you hacked swap one of your Drivers, and Stigma
move into his cyberbrain, see twitching strands of software gained is described on the right.
controlling bionic muscle fibre… What are you doing now?
Chen: Chen’s going to move beyond his Ghostline If you would suffer a Crisis and from this Mental Damage and
immediately - no time to waste. already have 3 Stigma, your Ego is instead completely subsumed
into the person you are hacking - rendering you mindless.
Chen makes a Clarity Save and fails. The GM rolls 2d6,
getting 10, and Chen takes 10 Mental Damage.
GM: Chen, you descend beyond the ghostline. Those
Stigma: Ego Fracture
strands of software melt into a whirlpool of consciousness. A chunk of the self is missing, felt only by its absence.
The waters here are rough, and you begin to feel yourself Memories and personality traits are missing, and when you
eroded in the turbulence! The rest of you, you see Chen’s reach for them, you get only flashes of the life of another -
body shudder in their hacker cradle. Things clearly aren’t the person you hacked.
going smoothly.
Chen: Shit, I only have 8 Fortune left! Okay, I’m going
to make a Hacking Throw to try to dive into this guy’s
memories, specifically about his boss, his timetable, those
kinds of things.
Chen makes a Hacking Throw, expending the remaining
dice in their Dice Pool, but only gets a Score of 23.
GM: Chen only gets fuzzy shapes, goopy mind-sludge… it’s
not enough to form actual information. You’ll need to go
deeper.
Chen doesn’t have any dice in their Dice Pool left, and will
need to wait until next Round beyond the Ghostline to
reattempt the Throw.
Quinn: You need to come back from the Ghostline. If you
fail another Clarity Save you could have a Crisis.
Chen: I’m going to risk it!
At the start of the next Round, Chen makes another Clarity
Save as they are still beyond the ghostline. They fail again,
and the GM rolls 2d6, getting 6. Chen barely scrapes
through with 2 Fortune left! Chen then makes a Hacking
Throw, this time rolling their entire dice pool and scoring
42.
GM: Chen, with blood pouring from your physical body’s
nose, you muster all your hacking might and wrench
memories from the maelstrom, and pull back behind the
ghostline, then stop being Intruded into the bodyguard
just as his cab pulls up to the ministry. You’ve got the
information you wanted!
149
Hardline Hardline & Intrusion ADCs
When you have a Hardline connection to a target that you have
A Hardline connection is when there is a physical piece of either Intruded into, or have open access to (such as your own
Character creation
hardware connecting a Terminal to either another Terminal or a Network), you can choose to replace your Intrusion ADC with the
Network. Intrusion ADC of the thing you have a Hardline connection to.
Some examples of Hardline connections: VIPs and hackers will often use this for defence, using a Hardline
» You connect one of your wetcords into someone’s wetport. connection between themselves and their Network when at their
There is now a Hardline connection between your Cyberbrain base of operations, allowing them to swap their Terminal ADC
and theirs. with the Network’s higher Intrusion ADC. This can present its
Dice Mechanics
» You plugged a snooping device into a vehicle (forming a own vulnerabilities however; if their Network gets hacked, those
Hardline connection between the two), and now the vehicle has connected via Hardline are more vulnerable.
formed a Hardline connection to the Network at headquarters.
Faraday
There is now a Hardline connection between your snooping
device and the Network.
» At a cabinet meeting, the ministers all plug their wetcords While a character or object is Faraday, they cannot be reached by
into the Network Core. Each minister now has a Hardline external digital signals. They cannot be electronically contacted,
Playing the Game
connection to each other and the Network. access the Net, or be hacked without a Hardline connection.
Hardline connections can chain together. If you have a Hardline Faraday Zones
connection to Terminal A, and Terminal A has a Hardline Faraday Zones are regions where everything within is completely
connection to Terminal B, you have a Hardline connection to disconnected from the Net, and either will be internally devoid of
Terminal B. technology capable of connection to the Net, or will have its own
Hacking
internal Networks. Everything within a Faraday Zone counts as

A Hardline connection can offer a number of benefits and Faraday to everything outside the Faraday Zone.
vulnerabilities, listed below.
Programs List
Faraday Zones exist exclusively outside of cities, are almost always

Hackers are generally assumed to have all the necessary highly guarded, and have been created and maintained to protect
equipment to make Hardline connections. government secrets, although several now are host to symbiotic
The world of 2044
communities of technophobes and primitivists.

Hardline Communication
Signals sent via a Hardline connection don’t need to be transmitted
wirelessly, meaning that if you want to have a conversation Hacking in
Combat
without fear of the broadcast signal being intercepted, a Hardline
connection is the way to do it.
Hackers in Combat support their allies and infiltrate their enemies.
Protection From Faraday Effects
You can still attempt to Intrude into something you have a If you intend to be hacking in Combat, make a note during
Hardline connection to, even if you or they are Faraday. In Initiative which, if any, of the Terminals part of your Network
addition, while Intruded into a target you have a Hardline you’re Intruded into. If you’re not physically present in the combat,
connection with, you don’t cease to be Intruded if you or they (or you’ll likely want to be Intruded into something that will give you
both of you) become Faraday. a view of the fight.
For example, you might note that you’re starting combat Intruded
GM’s Toolkit
into the Bionic Eyes of your cyborg ally.

Hacking Via Hardline
If there is a Hardline connection between something you are
currently Intruded into, and a Network or Terminal you want Hacker vs. Hacker Combat
to target, you gain a +1d6 to Hacking Throws towards Intrusion When hackers lock horns in the midst of combat, their fight in the
into the target, and Hacking Throws for Intrusion are made on shadows usually follows the following steps:
Advantage. 1. Bait your opponent into revealing a Terminal they are
Intruded into, such as them using the Improv Maze Program
If the Hardline connection is instead directly between yourself and to protect their ally, or the Shock Program to hurt an enemy.
the target, the bonus to Hacking Throws increases to +2d6, and 2. Intrude into that Terminal yourself, and use the Scan Program
the bonus does not just apply to Hacking Throws for Intrusion, but to get the Netpoint of the enemy Hacker Intruded into that
instead to all Hacking Throws focused on hacking the Hardline- Terminal.
connected target, such as applying Programs. 3. Intrude into the enemy hacker using their Netpoint, and
Incapacitate them.
In addition, if someone is Faraday, you can still target it for
hacking if you have a Hardline connection to it, or are current
Intruded into a Network or Terminal that has a Hardline Hacker fights can become games of cat-and-mouse, where aiding
connection to it. their allies using Programs can expose them to the enemy hacker,
or where being too wary or overextending when expending their
dice for Hacking Throws can swing the fight in the enemy’s favour.
150
Two hackers clash within the vortex of connections that is The Net
Programs List
Character creation
To use the Programs on this list, you’ll need to take the appropriate
Hacker Traits. The list of Hacker Traits begins on page 74. Complete Program List
D-Rank Programs
Reinterpreting Programs Programs
Many Programs are deliberately open in how they can be
interpreted, to give players flexibility in their application. However Invitation Scan
Dice Mechanics
if the rules of a Program won’t let you achieve the effect you want, HotPrograms
suggest how you’d want to alter a Program to achieve your desired Open/Close Shock
effect to the GM. With their permission, you can have a Program Pop
produce that altered effect. The GM may increase the Power
expended by the Program to reflect this alteration. ColdPrograms
Deface Pipe
The altered effect should be similar to the Program’s initial effect in Delete White Noise
Playing the Game
scope and effectiveness. C-Rank Programs

For example you couldn’t use the ‘Open/Close’ Program to close all
the valves in someone’s bionic heart, killing them. Programs
Delayed Program Slice
Improv Maze Tracker
HotPrograms
Hacking
Block In/Output Piggyback

Brain Ping Stop/Go
Mask
Programs List
ColdPrograms
Sec Bypass Worm
B-Rank Programs
The world of 2044
Programs
Single-Conditional Program Turing Dummy
Back Door
HotPrograms
Fryware Puppeteer
Illusion Shutdown
Mass Mask Ghosthack: Lock Memory
Paralyse
ColdPrograms
Automaton Control Smart Worm
Blackout
A-Rank Programs
GM’s Toolkit
Programs
Multi-Conditional Program Brute Complex
HotPrograms
Mass Paralyse Ghosthack: Edit Memory
Possession Ghosthack: Mindwarp
Pumped Shock
ColdPrograms
Clone Invisibility
Duplicate Data Plunder
S-Rank Programs
Programs
Infectious Program Haunthack: Social Bypass
Haunthack: Brain Worm
HotPrograms
Mass Illusion Ghosthack: Impulse
Seep Ghosthack: Personality Shift
152
D-Rank Programs D-Rank HotPrograms
HotPrograms can only be applied to Terminals.
You can use the following Programs if you have taken the Trait
‘D-Rank Hacker’.
Open/Close
Power Cost: 1 D-Rank HotProgram
D-Rank Programs
Programs can be applied to both Networks and Terminals. You cause a single mechanism of the Terminal either open,
close, extend, retract, or rotate - your choice.
Deface For example, you could make an electronic door, such as a car
Power Cost: 1 D-Rank ColdProgram door or a security gate, open or close. If it’s something that
grips, such as a bionic hand, it could clench or unclench.
You change the visuals and audio of any basic outputs of the
target of your choice to visuals and/or audio of your own design. Once the Terminal is done performing the chosen motion, this
For example, you could change all the logos of the Network’s Program ends, meaning if the Terminal hacked automatically
website, or replace the video part of a publicly-available video to tries to revert itself to a particular state, it will try to revert to
new footage, or replace the automated message the Network will that setting. For example, if you open a door that automatically
put out in the event of an emergency with your own recording. closes, it will close again after it is done opening.
Invitation Pop
Power Cost: 1 D-Rank Program Power Cost: 1 D-Rank HotProgram
While you remain Intruded into the target, other hackers of You cause the Terminal to, if it can, make a noise of your choice,
your choice add +2d6 to Hacking Throws to Intrude into the flash its lights, briefly display an image of your choice, or
target. otherwise make a brief, distracting noise or sound.
This Program ends once you stop being Intruded into the target. The distracting noise or sound lasts for the duration of the
Round you are in, then this Program ends.
Scan
Power Cost: 1 D-Rank Program Shock
Power Cost: 1 D-Rank HotProgram
Make a Hacking Throw. The GM reveals the following:
• The Netpoints of any hackers currently Intruded into the Make a Hacking Throw. Using the below table, deal an amount
target whose Terminal Intrusion ADC is equal to or lower of Physical (Internal) Damage to the target based on your
than the Hacking Throw’s Score, meaning you can target these Hacking Throw’s Score.
hackers via the Net.
• Any Programs present in the target placed there by any After you have dealt Damage with it, this Program ends.
hackers whose Terminal Intrusion ADC is equal to or lower Throw Score 0-19 20-39 40+
than the Hacking Throw’s Score.
P (I) Damage 1d6 2d6 3d6
If you know the symptom of at least one Program applied to the You cannot apply this Program more than once per Round.
target (for example, if you’ve observed the target has lost their
sight, likely due to the Block Input/Output Program), you only
need to Score equal to half (rounded down) or lower than a D-Rank ColdPrograms
hacker’s Terminal Intrusion ADC on the Throw to achieve the ColdPrograms can only be applied to Networks.
effects of this Program.
Delete
Power Cost: 1 D-Rank ColdProgram
Choose a single piece of data on the Network. It is deleted.
A ‘piece’ of data can constitute anything between a single

sentence to a number of files grouped together under the same
subject.
You can only use this Program on stored information - you

couldn’t, for example, ‘Delete’ a line of code in a Network’s
control over the power grid to shut off power to a building.
153
Pipe Improv Maze
Power Cost: 1 D-Rank ColdProgram Power Cost: 1 C-Rank Program
Character creation
Choose a single piece of data, or a group of data unified by a You use this Program when you believe a Terminal or Network
keyword or concept, on the Network. If you choose a single you are Intruded into (including a friendly Terminal or
piece of data, that data is instantly removed from the Network Network) is being Intruded into by someone else (such as the
and placed onto your Network. If you choose a group of data, target applying its Ice in response to an attempted Intrusion). If
the GM determines a number of Rounds based on the size of the you are in Combat, you can use this Program as a Reaction.
group, with a larger group meaning more Rounds. At the end of
each Round, some of the data within the group is removed from Make a Hacking Throw. Against Intrusion attempts, the
Dice Mechanics
the Network and placed onto your Network. After the number Intrusion ADC of the target is increased by half the Score of the
of Rounds determined by the GM has passed, all of the data will Hacking Throw (rounded down). This increase in Intrusion
have been removed and placed onto your Network. ADC lasts until the end of next Round, at which point this
Program ends.
A ‘piece’ of data can constitute anything between a single
sentence to a number of files grouped together under the same If you apply it to your own Network or a Terminal that is part of
subject. your Network, this Program instead expends 0 Power.
Playing the Game
This Program does not decrypt any encrypted data you might If you apply this Program to a target that is already under the
take out of a Network. effects of the Improv Maze Program, that previous Program
ends immediately.
White Noise
Slice
Hacking
Power Cost: 1 D-Rank ColdProgram

Power Cost: 1 C-Rank Program
You fill the communication channels of the Network
Programs List
with recursive junk data. Until removed, members of the Choose a target you are currently Intruded into. You and each
Network cannot communicate via the Network, meaning to hacker currently Intruded into that target engage in a Clash
communicate they must either use a Hardline connection or where each participant makes a Hacking Throw. Every hacker
communicate on an open channel, where anyone can freely but the one who won the Clash stops being Intruded into the
The world of 2044
view/listen to the communication. target.
It only becomes apparent that this Program has been applied Each hacker who loses their Intrusion this way cannot attempt
to the Network when a member of the Network attempts to to Intrude into that target again until after the end of the next
electronically communicate. Round.
You don’t need to be aware of any hackers currently Intruded

C-Rank Programs into the target to use this Program. The GM can roll other
hackers’ Hacking Throws for the Clash in secret to not reveal
You can use the following Programs if you have taken the Trait whether there are any present.
‘C-Rank Hacker’.
Tracker
C-Rank Programs Power Cost: 1 C-Rank Program
Programs can be applied to both Networks and Terminals.
GM’s Toolkit
While this Program remains and you or the target are not
Delayed Program Faraday, you and your Network know the exact physical
Power Cost: 0+ C-Rank Program location of the Terminal or Network Core this Program is
applied to.
When you use this Program, choose an additional Program and
expend its Power cost, then choose any length of time. Rather When you apply this Program you can choose to have it instead
than immediately, that additional Program instead applies its openly broadcast the target’s location.
effect(s) after that length of time has passed.
If that additional Program asks for you to make a Hacking

Throw, expend the dice you would for the Throw now, and
make a note of how many dice you will roll for the Hacking
Throw. Once the length of time has passed, roll that many dice
for the Hacking Throw of the additional Program.
You must be in a Cold or Warm Round to choose a

ColdProgram to be delayed, and you must be in a Warm or Hot
Round to choose a HotProgram to be delayed.
154
C-Rank HotPrograms Mask
Power Cost: 1 C-Rank HotProgram
Block In/Output When you apply this Program, choose yourself, a member of the
Power Cost: 1 C-Rank HotProgram crew, a person you have some facial data of (such as a few clear
photos of their face), or an object you have visual data (such
You prevent a single input or output of your choice from as a picture of your license plate). Whenever the Terminal this
functioning in a Terminal. An ‘input’ can include a sensory Program is applied to visually perceives the face of the chosen
input. character or object, it is completely concealed by a black square,
or a design of your choosing.
For example, you could stop the ‘input’ of a security camera’s
video recording, or stop someone with a Cyberbrain and a The face or object remains concealed in any footage recorded
bionic throat from being able to speak by preventing their voice or memory held by the Terminal even after this Program is
box’s ‘output’, or stop a heart-rate monitor from being able to removed. Any footage recorded or memory held of a face by a
detect the ‘input’ of a pulse. Terminal before this Program is applied is not concealed.
To prevent particularly complex inputs or outputs, the GM may

require you to make a Hacking Throw. Piggyback
Brain Ping You gain a live feed of all the sensory inputs of the Terminal.
For example, if you targeted a weapon drone, you’d be able to
You can only apply this Program to a Cyberbrain. You can only see what it sees with its camera, and know its coordinates, its
use this Program once per Round. elevation, and its ammunition count. If you targeted someone
with a Cyberbrain and a cyborg body, you’d be able to see, hear,
You send out an untraceable Bsignal ping from the Cyberbrain, smell, touch, and taste everything they do.
which tells you the Netpoints of any Cyberbrains within 50
metres. The ping cannot penetrate walls, but it can go around Applying this Program to someone with a Cyberbrain won’t
corners. This Program ends at the end of the Round in which it allow you to feel their emotions, perceive any visual or auditory
was used. hallucinations, or anything else to do with that person’s ghost.
If you apply this Program to your own Cyberbrain, it instead

costs 0 Power. Stop/Go
You make a Terminal either stop moving in a particular

direction, or begin to move in a particular direction
indefinitely.
The Terminal must be a mechanism that is designed to move,

such as an delivery automaton or aerial drone.
This Program lasts until the Terminal receives a conflicting

order.
To stop or make go a particularly complex mechanism, the GM

may require you to make a Hacking Throw.
155
C-Rank ColdPrograms
ColdPrograms can only be applied to Networks.
B-Rank Programs
Character creation
Sec Bypass ‘B-Rank Hacker’.
Power Cost: 1 C-Rank ColdProgram

B-Rank Programs
When you apply this Program, choose a character such as Programs can be applied to both Networks and Terminals.
yourself or a member of the crew. You create dummy security
clearance for that character, that will allow them to get through Single-Conditional Program
Dice Mechanics
basic electronic security measures. You produce any necessary

Power Cost: 1+ B-Rank Program
tools such as a keycard as part of applying this Program.
When you use this Program, choose an additional Program and
If you have extensive biometric data of the chosen character,
also expend its Power cost, then design a condition. Rather than
you can also have this Program allow them to pass biometric
immediately, that additional Program instead applies its effect(s)
security.
after that condition is met.

This Program doesn’t aid in any non-electronic elements of
Playing the Game
You can only design a single condition to trigger the Program,

security. For example, it won’t make you familiar to any guards,
meaning you can’t have a condition that says ‘when X and Y
or make guard dogs trust you.
happen...’ or ‘when X or Y happen...’.
Worm The condition could be an act, a particular word or phrase,

another specific Program applying, or anything else. The
Power Cost: 2 C-Rank ColdProgram
Hacking
condition must be something that can be met or observed by

the target itself. You couldn’t, for example in a Network, set the
At the end of each Cold or Warm Round, this Program condition to be ‘when me and my friend secretly high-five’ - a
randomly deletes one or multiple pieces of data on the Network.
Programs List
Network has no involvement in nor knowledge of that high-five.

At the end of a Cold Round, this Program deletes 3 pieces
of data, randomly chosen by the GM. At the end of a Warm If that additional Program asks for you to make a Hacking
Round, this Program deletes 1 piece of data, randomly chosen Throw, expend the dice you would for the Throw now, and
The world of 2044
by the GM. make a note of how many dice you will roll for the Hacking
A ‘piece’ of data can constitute anything between a single for the Hacking Throw of the additional Program.
sentence to a number of files grouped together under the same
subject. You must be in a Cold or Warm Round to choose a
ColdProgram to be conditional, and you must be in a Warm or
Hot Round to choose a HotProgram to be conditional.
If the Program made conditional by this Program ends or is

removed, this Program ends as well. However if this Program
is removed, the other Program ceases to be conditional and
happens immediately.
GM’s Toolkit
A hacker using floral rendition software unearths a strange Netpoint in the tangle
156
Back Door Illusion
Power Cost: 1 B-Rank Program Power Cost: 1 B-Rank HotProgram
You add +2d6 to Hacking Throws to Intrude into the target. Make a Hacking Throw (DC 15). On a success, you install the
perception of an illusion of your design in the Terminal. The
You can only have one copy of this Program applied to a target illusion can be one of the following:
at a time. • A person.
• An object or collection of objects that can fit inside a 2-metre
At the start of each subsequent Mission, you must choose to
cube.
expend 1 Power for each applied copy of this Program, or that
• A 2-dimensional image of any size, placed over a flat surface
copy ends.
such as a billboard or the side of a building.
• An atmospheric illusion that changes the perceived weather or
Turing Dummy time of day.
Power Cost: 1 B-Rank Program When placing the illusion you can also determine if and how
the illusion moves. For example, if you created an illusory ally
You must apply this Program to a target that is used for in combat, you could have that illusion move as if they were
communication, such as a phone or a Network with an internal staying in cover. You can make a Hacking Throw (DC 15) to
chat room. change how the illusion is moving.
When you apply this program, choose someone who has The illusion is visible and audible, but not tangible. A Terminal
previously messaged the target. This Program reads the only capable of sensing by ‘touch’ (such as a pressure sensor)
collected previous messages of that chosen person and creates would not be able to perceive the illusion, and a person seeing
a ‘Turing dummy’. Any messages sent from the target to the the illusion who attempts to touch it would see their hand pass
chosen person are secretly redirected to the Turing dummy. through. In addition, a Clarity Investigate Throw (DC 20)
reveals the illusion to be as such.
The Turing dummy imitates the chosen person’s speaking/
writing convincingly enough to fool people who hold simple Once the illusion is revealed to be an illusion, by any means,
conversations with the dummy that they are talking to the this Program ends. In addition, this Program ends once you
imitated person. You are able to step in at any point and stop being Intruded in the target.
communicate in lieu of the Turing dummy.
Hackers, being creatures of both precaution and egotism, are
Those communicating with the Turing Dummy are fooled by assumed to have convincing digital models of themselves that
short messages and brief conversations, but the Turing dummy can be used for this Program. For other illusions, you or an ally
does not stand up to scrutiny - anyone who holds a lengthy or may have to spend time digitally designing them before you can
complex conversation will realise the Turing dummy is a fake. use them. For example, you’re unlikely to have a convincing
digital model of Antagonism artist Emilia Pan to hand.
Remember you can use a Flashback to prepare such things!
B-Rank HotPrograms
Mass Mask
Fryware Power Cost: 2 B-Rank HotProgram
Power Cost: 1 B-Rank HotProgram
Choose any number of Terminals you are currently Intruded
This Program attacks a person’s Psyware, allowing you to into. A copy of this Program applies to each chosen Terminal.
manipulate it or cause brainshock via it.
When you apply this Program, choose yourself, a member of the
This Program only applies to a person with a Cyberbrain who crew, a person you have some facial data of (such as a few clear
has at least 1 Psyware Trait. When you use this Program, choose photos of their face), or an object you have visual data (such
one of the following effects to be applied, or design a similar as a picture of your license plate). Whenever a Terminal this
effect: Program is applied to visually perceives the face of the chosen
• Any Psyware used by the Terminal malfunctions, so that it character or object, it is completely concealed by a black square,
doesn’t succeed in how it’s used. The malfunctioning itself is or a design of your choosing.
inconspicuous, and this Program’s influence can only be noticed
if the psyware-user realises the psyware is malfunctioning. For The face or object remains concealed in any footage recorded or
example, a psyware calculator would produce an incorrect memory held by a Terminal even after this Program is removed.
result for a complex sum, or psyware used to fire a gun would Any footage recorded or memory held of a face by a Terminal
always miss the target. before this Program is applied is not concealed.
• The target takes 1d3 Internal Damage for each Psyware Trait
they have. If they take at least 5 Damage, they become Addled
until the end of the next Hot Round.
• While Intruded into the target, you can control information
coming into and coming out of any Psyware, potentially
allowing you to manipulate the psyware-user.
This Program ends when you stop being Intruded into the
target, or after you have dealt Damage with it.
157
Paralyse Shutdown
Power Cost: 1 B-Rank HotProgram Power Cost: 1 B-Rank HotProgram
Character creation
Make a Hacking Throw (DC 10). On a success, the Terminal This Program can only target a piece of Equipment. The
stops any and all movements, and cannot move again until this piece of Equipment shuts down, and cannot be turned back
Program ends. on until at least 1d3 Warm Rounds or 2d6 Hot Rounds have
passed, after which this Program ends. While shut down,
At the start of each Round (or at the start of your Turn, if in the Equipment is Faraday, but can still be interacted with via
Initiative), you must make a Hacking Throw. The DC for the Hardline connection.
Throw is initially 15, and increases by 5 on each subsequent
Dice Mechanics
Round or Turn. On a failure, this Program ends.
This Program ends when you stop being Intruded into the
Ghosthack: Lock Memory
target. In addition, pain causes a neural scramble in the Keywords: Taboo B-Rank HotProgram
Cyberbrain that breaks this Program. If you’ve used this Power Cost: 1
Program on a character with a Cyberbrain, and that character

You can only use this Program if you are targeting a Cyberbrain
takes Physical Damage, this Program ends.
Playing the Game
and are beyond its ghostline.
Make a Hacking Throw (ADC 20). On a success, you prevent

Puppeteer the target from being able to recall a particular memory. If they
Power Cost: 1 B-Rank HotProgram are in the process of acting on that memory, they will forget why
they were acting as they were and return to their normal course
You gain full control of one limb, extension, or mechanical of action.
Hacking
component of your choice of the Terminal, and can manipulate

it freely until this Program ends. For example, if you used this If the locked memory was a particularly important memory to
Program on an excavator, you could control one wheel of the the target, the GM can make a Clarity save for the target when
Programs List
vehicle or its arm. If you used this Program on someone with a they next attempt to recall that memory. On a successful Save,
Cyberbrain and bionic limbs, you could control one limb. they realise the memory is missing (although may not realise
they have been ghost-hacked). On a failed Save, their ghost
You may need to expend dice to control the target as a person accepts they aren’t forgetting anything.
The world of 2044
would normally expend dice to control it. Any Throws to

manipulate a person’s bionics, such as puppeteering a limb, are The target regains the ability to recall the memory once this
Strained. The GM may reduce the amount of dice expended to Program ends.
reflect you only controlling a portion of the target.
This Program ends when you stop being Intruded into the B-Rank ColdPrograms
target. ColdPrograms can only be applied to Networks.
Automaton Control
Power Cost: 1 B-Rank ColdProgram
You can alter, adjust, and add to the objectives of one, some,
or all automatons connected to the Network. This changes to
objects last until this Program is removed.
GM’s Toolkit
For example, you could set a new delivery destination for a

single hauling automaton, or have all aerial ‘eye in the sky’
drones neglect to observe a particular area at a particular time,
or have a few specific construction automatons at a construction
site put structural weaknesses in the building.
Blackout
Power Cost: 2 B-Rank ColdProgram
Any Terminal that is connected to the Network which has the

primary function of being a light source (such as strip lighting,
lamps, emergency lights) ceases to produce light, and cannot
produce light until at least 2d3 Warm Rounds or a Hot Scene
have passed, after which this Program ends.
158
Smart Worm A-Rank Programs
Power Cost: 2 B-Rank ColdProgram You can use the following Programs if you have taken the Trait
‘A-Rank Hacker’.
When you apply this Program, choose a subject such as a
keyword or concept. The subject must be comprehensive to the
Network it is applied to; for example, you couldn’t choose the A-Rank Programs
subject ‘me and my crew’ unless the Network already knows Programs can be applied to both Networks and Terminals.
about your crew and its members.
Any data of that subject stored on the Network is corrupted, and Multi-Conditional Program
while this Program remains any future data of that subject put Power Cost: 1+ A-Rank Program
onto the Network is also corrupted. Only data that is encrypted
in a way that makes it unreadable to the Network is protected When you use this Program, choose an additional Program
against this Program. and also expend its Power cost, then design any number of
conditions. Rather than immediately, that additional Program
The corruption of the data is only noticed when someone instead applies its effect(s) after those conditions are met.
attempts to view that data.
When designing the conditions, you also decide if they trigger
In addition, every time a Terminal that is part of the Network the additional Program when all of them are met, when at least
that can personally store data connects to the Network, such one of them is met, or when a certain amount are met. For
as by using it to communicate or to retrieve data from the example you can have conditions that say things such as ‘when
Network, the Smart Worm corrupts any data held by that X and Y, or Z happen...’ or ‘if at least 2 conditions out of X, Y,
Terminal. and Z happen...’.
Each condition could be an act, a particular word or phrase,

another specific Program applying, or anything else. Each
condition must be something that can be met or observed by
the target itself. You couldn’t, for example in a Network, set a
condition to be ‘when me and my friend high-five’ - a Network
has no involvement in nor knowledge of that high-five.
If that additional Program asks for you to make a Hacking

Throw, expend the dice you would for the Throw now, and
make a note of how many dice you will roll for the Hacking
for the Hacking Throw of the additional Program.
You must be in a Cold or Warm Round to choose a

ColdProgram to be conditional, and you must be in a Warm or
Hot Round to choose a HotProgram to be conditional.
If the Program made conditional by this Program ends or is

removed, this Program ends as well. However if this Program
is removed, the other Program ceases to be conditional and
happens immediately.
Brute Complex
Power Cost: 4 A-Rank Program
You consume significant power to force the target’s Netpoint to

immediately ‘complex’, causing its location in the Net to change.
Anyone intending to Intrude into the target through knowing
its location in the Net is now unable to do so until they find its
new location. This also causes anyone who would connect to,
communicate with, or otherwise transmit information to the
target through mundane channels to be unable to find them.
Anyone Intruded into a target when its Netpoint changes

remains Intruded into it, and as a result learns its new Netpoint.
When this Program ends, the person who ended can choose to
have the target’s Netpoint return to its original location.
159
A-Rank HotPrograms Pumped Shock
Power Cost: 1+ A-Rank HotProgram
Character creation
Mass Paralyse Make a Hacking Throw. Using the below table, deal an amount
Power Cost: 2 A-Rank HotProgram of Physical (Internal) Damage to the target based on your
Hacking Throw’s Score.
into. Make a Hacking Throw, the DC of which is determined After you’ve made the Hacking Throw, you can choose to
by the number of Terminals you are applying this Program to, expend up to 2 additional Power to Maximise a number of dice
equal to the amount of additional Power you expend.
Dice Mechanics
based on the table below.

No. of Terminals 1-2 3-6 7+ After you have dealt Damage with it, this Program ends.
Throw DC 10 20 30 Throw Score 0-19 20-39 40+
On a success, you apply a copy of this Program to each targeted P (I) Damage 1d6 2d6 3d6
Terminal, which stops any and all movements. A Terminal
You cannot apply this Program more than once per Round.
cannot move again until their copy of this Program is removed
Playing the Game
from them.
At the start of each Round (or at the start of your Turn, if in Ghosthack: Edit Memory
Initiative), you must make a Hacking Throw. The DC for the Keywords: Taboo A-Rank HotProgram
Throw is initially 20, and increases by 5 on each subsequent Power Cost: 1
Round or Turn. On a failure, this Program ends for all
Terminals it is applied to. You can only use this Program if you are targeting a Cyberbrain
Hacking

Pain causes a neural scramble in the Cyberbrain that breaks
this Program. If you’ve used this Program on a character with Choose a particular memory for the target, then make a
Programs List
a Cyberbrain, and that character takes Physical Damage, this Hacking Throw (ADC 30). On a success, you can alter any and
Program ends for that character. all details of that memory or erase it entirely.
If the edited memory was a particularly important memory to

The world of 2044
Possession the target, the GM can make a Clarity Save for the target when
they next attempt to recall that memory. On a successful Save,
Power Cost: 1 A-Rank HotProgram they realise something is wrong with the memory (although
may not realise they have been ghost-hacked). On a failed Save,
You gain full control of all mechanical parts of the target, and
their ghost accepts the edited memory as true.
can make it move as your please until the Program ends. For
the duration of the Program, while you can apply Programs to Changing a memory doesn’t necessarily cause a change in
other targets and act as you normally would through the Net, someone’s nature. If a particular past event has caused a person
your digital consciousness is within the target you have applied to act a certain way, changing the memory of that event won’t
this Program to and cannot leave until the Program ends. cause a sudden change in behaviour, and may never cause any
You cannot move nor perceive from your physical body while change at all.
using this Program. This Program ends when you stop actively
controlling the target.
You must expend dice to control the target as a person would

Ghosthack: Mindwarp
GM’s Toolkit
normally control it. For example, to steer a vehicle, you’d need Keywords: Taboo A-Rank HotProgram
to make a Pilot Throw. Power Cost: 1
If controlling a person through bionic body parts via their You can only use this Program if you are targeting a Cyberbrain
Cyberbrain, in part or whole, you must expend dice as you and are beyond its ghostline.
would normally to act. In addition, their movements are stiff
This Program attacks a person’s ghost and brain-chemistry,
due to conflicting signals. Any Throws made for physical acts
causing a powerful enough change in mood that the target can
with their body are Strained.
have mild hallucinations. When you use this program, choose
In addition, pain causes a neural scramble in the Cyberbrain one of the following effects to be applied, or design a similar
that breaks this Program. If you’ve used this Program on a effect:
character with a Cyberbrain, and that character takes Physical • You target the Terminal’s sense of aggression. Provided the
Damage, this Program ends for that character. lighting is dim enough, they hallucinate that an assailant is upon
them, which they begin to engage.
• You target the Terminal’s sense of fear, causing them abject
terror. The target takes 2d6 Mental Damage.
• You target the Terminal’s sense of relaxation and safety,
making them likely to be calm and receptive when approached.
If this Program would make the Terminal in any way agitated,

the Terminal makes Clarity Saves at the end of each subsequent
Round. This Program ends on a successful Save. This Program
also ends when you stop being Intruded into the target, or after
you have dealt Damage with it.
160
A-Rank ColdPrograms Plunder
ColdPrograms can only be applied to Networks.
Power Cost: 1 A-Rank ColdProgram
Clone When applied, this Program duplicates a piece of software on

Power Cost: Special A-Rank ColdProgram the Network it is applied to over to your Network. The duplicate
software remains on your Network until this Program ends.
You create a copy of the entirety of the Network’s stored data
as it currently exists and save it to your own Network (this When you use this Program, choose one of the following effects
includes any Programs applied to that Network and its data). to be applied, or design a similar effect:
• You copy software from the Network this Program is applied
The Power cost of this Program is a tenth of the Network onto your Network. For example, you could copy software that
Intrusion ADC of the Network you are applying it to, rounded tracks the location of all vehicles in the region.
down. For example, if you applied this Program to a Network • You replace one of your Network’s Ice Layers with an Ice Layer
with a Network Intrusion ADC of 34, the Power cost would be from the Network this Program is applied to.
3.
This Program doesn’t decrypt any encrypted data you might

copy.
S-Rank Programs
‘S-Rank Hacker’.
Duplicate Data
Power Cost: 1 A-Rank ColdProgram Programs
Programs can be applied to both Networks and Terminals.
After this Program is applied to a Network, a copy of any new
data uploaded to it is sent to your Network.
Infectious Program
At the start of each subsequent Mission, you must choose to Power Cost: 2+ S-Rank Program
expend 1 Power for each applied copy of this Program, or that
copy ends. When you use this Program, choose an additional Program and
also expend its Power cost. It must be a Program for which its
This Program doesn’t decrypt any encrypted data you might effects are not immediately apparent. For example, you could
copy. not choose the Paralyse Program, as that immediately stops a
Terminal from being able to move.
Invisibility Every time a target with this Program is connected to a

Power Cost: 2 A-Rank ColdProgram Terminal (either over the Net or via a Hardline), a copy of
both this Program and the additional Program is applied to
This Program places the necessary mechanisms throughout that Terminal. Every time a target with this Program makes a
the Network to allow you to appear invisible to Terminals by Hardline connection to a Network Core, a copy of both this
overwriting their visual inputs in the moment. Program and the additional Program is applied to that Network.
At the start of a Warm or Hot Round, you can make a Hacking The nature of an infectious Program means that if it is
Throw (DC 20). On a success, over the course of that Round discovered, it can very easily be removed across all Terminals.
you do not show up in the visuals of any Terminals connected Someone who has successfully uncovered this Program with the
to the Network. For example, you would be completely invisible Scan Program can, when ending the Program, choose to remove
to the footage of security cameras or the view of someone with all copies of this Program and the additional Programs across all
bionic eyes. You can repeatedly make Hacking Throws at the Terminals that are part of their Network, even copies they aren’t
start of each subsequent Round to remain ‘invisible’ in this way. aware of.
Note this Program doesn’t make you literally invisible; you are If the additional Program made ‘infectious’ by this Program is a
effectively editing yourself out of the view of Terminals. This HotProgram, while it can be applied to Networks, its effects will
method of ‘invisibility’ means you don’t appear to leave physical only manifest in Terminals. Similarly if the additional Program
impressions in the environment, such as the shape of your feet made ‘infectious’ by this Program is a ColdProgram, while it
in a carpet or smoke contouring around your body. can be applied to Terminals, its effects will only manifest in
Networks.
However if you interact with external objects you can become
noticeable. For example, if you opened a door or knocked over If the additional Program you are making infectious requires
a cup, the movement of these objects would be noticeable. a Hacking Throw against a DC or ADC to apply its effects,
you must beat that DC or ADC immediately when you apply
You do not need to be currently Intruded into the Network the infectious Program. If you do so, copies of the infectious
when making these Hacking Throws to create this ‘invisibility’. Program count as automatically succeeding on any Hacking
Throws to apply their effect. Otherwise, this Program ends.
If the Program made infectious by this Program ends or is

removed, this Program ends as well. However if this Program is
removed, the other Program ceases to be infectious.
161
Haunthack: Brain Worm Haunthack: Social Bypass
Keywords: Taboo S-Rank Program Keywords: Taboo S-Rank Program
Power Cost: 3 Power Cost: 2
Character creation
This Program is a ‘Haunthack’, a Program that applies one effect This Program is a ‘Haunthack’, a Program that applies one effect
when it is applied to a Network, and a different effect when it is when it is applied to a Network, and a different effect when it is
applied via Ghosthacking to a Cyberbrain. Haunthacks can be applied via Ghosthacking to a Cyberbrain. Haunthacks can be
very powerful when combined with Infectious Program. very powerful when combined with Infectious Program.
You can only apply this Program to a Terminal if the target is a You can only apply this Program to a Terminal if the target is a
Dice Mechanics
Cyberbrain and you are beyond its ghostline. Cyberbrain and you are beyond its ghostline.
When you apply this Program, choose a subject such as a Make a Hacking Throw (ADC 30). On a failure, this Program
keyword or concept. ends before applying any effects. Otherwise, it causes one of the
following effects depending on the target it is applied to.
The subject must be comprehensive to the Network or person

If this Program is applied to a Network:
it is applied to; for example, you couldn’t choose the subject
Playing the Game
‘me and my crew’ unless the Network or person already knows Non-character Terminals that are part of the Network react
about your crew and its members. to you as if you are a part of their Network. For example, a
security drone using facial recognition would not raise the
Make a Hacking Throw (ADC 35). On a failure, this Program
alarm when seeing your face.
ends before applying any effects. Otherwise, it causes one of the
following effects depending on the target it is applied to. If this Program is applied to a Terminal:
Hacking
If this Program is applied to a Network: The Terminal has all memory of the subject erased, and
prevents them from developing any new long-term memory of
Any data of the chosen subject stored on the Network is
the subject. A character with this Program applied to them can
Programs List
corrupted, and while this Program remains any future data

still retain short-term memory of the subject, meaning they will
of that subject put onto the Network is also corrupted. Only
act normally while interacting with the subject (although will
data that is encrypted in a way that makes it unreadable to the
act as if they have never encountered the subject before), but
Network is protected against this Program.
after the subject is no longer present, they will soon forget what
The world of 2044
The corruption of the data is only noticed when someone they were doing.
attempts to view that data.
Every time any non-person Terminal that is part of the Network

that can personally store data connects to the Network, such Ghosthacking and Rationalisation
as by using it to communicate or to retrieve data from the If you’ve ever seen someone insist on a lie everyone knows
Network, the Brain Worm corrupts any data held by that is false, or switch between completely contradictory views
Terminal. at the drop of the hat to serve their current situation,
If this Program is applied to a Terminal: you’ve seen the mind’s capacity for self-delusion at work.
Ghosthacking works because it relies on the mind’s
The Terminal has all memory of the subject erased, and inclination to prefer what it internally believes over what
prevents them from developing any new long-term memory of the outside world shows them.
the subject. A character with this Program applied to them can To outsiders, the victims of ghosthacking can seem absurd,
still retain short-term memory of the subject, meaning they will suddenly changing their views and habits, and performing
GM’s Toolkit
act normally while interacting with the subject (although will actions that seem completely at odds with their identity
act as if they have never encountered the subject before), but and sense of self-preservation. However to the victim of
after the subject is no longer present, they will soon forget what ghosthacking, they consider their behaviour to be rational,
they were doing. or at least justified, and will only question whether their
ghost has been hacked if able to clearly, existentially
perceive themselves, a feat that requires either clear self-
understanding or outside intervention.
The mind is not a neat, rational sequence of memories
and reasoning. As anyone who has gone beyond the
ghostline can tell you, a person’s ghost is a chunky soup
of half-recollections, habitual thoughts and subconscious
impulses. The ghosthacker just slips a few new ingredients
in, to blend in amongst the slop.
162
S-Rank HotPrograms Sleep
Power Cost: 1 S-Rank HotProgram
Mass Illusion The target of this Program must be a character with a

Power Cost: 2 S-Rank HotProgram Cyberbrain. Make a Hacking Throw (DC 20). On a success, the
target becomes Incapacitated as they fall into a gentle sleep.
into. Make a Hacking Throw, the DC of which is determined The sleep lasts as long as this Program lasts (potentially
by the number of Terminals you are applying this Program to, indefinitely), unless the target is awoken by pain, loud noises,
based on the table below. excessive movement, or anything else that could normally wake
a sleeper. If the target wakes early, or if you stop being Intruded
No. of Terminals 1-2 3-6 7+ into the target, the Program ends. If not already awake, the
Throw DC 15 20 25 target wakes up when the Program ends. A target can potentially
On a success, you apply of a copy of this Program in each starve to death if kept asleep long enough.
Terminal, which creates the perception in each Terminal of an
illusion of your design. Each Terminal perceives the same single
illusion. The illusion can be one of the following: Ghosthack: Impulse
• A person. Keywords: Taboo S-Rank HotProgram
• An object or collection of objects that can fit inside a 2-metre Power Cost: 1
cube.
• A 2-dimensional image of any size, placed over a flat surface You can only use this Program if you are targeting a Cyberbrain
such as a billboard or the side of a building. and are beyond its ghostline.
• An atmospheric illusion that changes the perceived weather or
time of day. Make a Hacking Throw (ADC 35). On a success, you design
and install an impulse in the target. The impulse can be simple
When placing the illusion you can also determine if and how or complex, broad or precise, from ‘eat peanuts’ to ‘attempt to
the illusion moves. For example, if you created an illusory ally kill the prime minister of England with a knife by Big Ben on
in combat, you could have that illusion move as if they were June 12th, 2044’. The target is conscious of the new impulse, but
staying in cover. You can make a Hacking Throw to change how will typically rationalise it as coming from themselves.
the illusion is moving, the DC of which is equal to the DC you
rolled against when applying this Program. A person’s ghost will reject an impulse that is directly in
opposition to their sense of self, or self-preservation. For
The illusion is visible and audible, but not tangible. A Terminal example, someone deathly allergic to peanuts would reject the
only capable of sensing by ‘touch’ (such as a pressure sensor) impulse to eat peanuts, and an avowed pacifist would reject the
would not be able to perceive the illusion, and a person seeing impulse to kill the prime minister.
the illusion who attempts to touch it would see their hand pass
through. In addition, a Clarity Investigate Throw (DC 20) If the impulse is something a person would internally question,
reveals the illusion to be as such. the GM can make a Clarity Save for the target. On a successful
Save, they realise something external is giving them the impulse
Once the illusion is revealed to be an illusion to a target, by (although may not realise they have been ghost-hacked). On a
any means, this Program ends for that target. In addition, this failed Save, their ghost accepts the impulse as genuine.
Program ends for a target once you stop being Intruded in that
target. This Program doesn’t make the target any smarter, wiser, or
expand their knowledge. For example, if you give the impulse
Hackers, being creatures of both precaution and egotism, are to solve a complex physics equation to an imbecile, the impulse
assumed to have convincing digital models of themselves that will simply leave them frustrated and confused before dissolving
can be used for this Program. For other illusions, you or an ally into their ghost.
may have to spend time digitally designing them before you can
use them. For example, you’re unlikely to have a convincing
digital model of Antagonism artist Emilia Pan to hand. Ghosthack: Personality Shift
Remember you can use a Flashback to prepare such things! Keywords: Taboo S-Rank HotProgram
Power Cost: 2
You can only use this Program if you are targeting a Cyberbrain
Make a Hacking Throw (ADC 40). On a success, change one

the target’s Drivers for a new Driver of your choice. Give the
GM some idea of how you want the target’s personality altered
when doing so.
The Driver changes back once this Program is removed, unless

it is not removed for a long period and the target’s personality
acclimates to its new Drivers.
163
Life & Times History & Geopolitics The City Your Life in Two Pages
164
Part 3:
The World of 2044
The clouds split and the sun shines once more on the megastructures of New IJmuiden.
Part 3 has four chapters: Your Life In Two Pages provides a basic outline of the average life in 2044.
The City details the different elements to the modern metropolis. History & Geopolitics gives a
broader view of the world now and how we got there. Life & Times provides greater details, factions
and stories from a world passed +2ºC .
165
Your Life In Two Pages
Universal Basic
Character creation
These two pages provide a basic overview of how the average

person lives. Bear in mind they only speak to the average person.
The specifics vary the world over, and more importantly no one Most nations implement some form of ‘universal basic’ (often
defines themselves by ‘being normal’, people just fall into it when shortened to ‘UB’), a government provision of essentials that
they aren’t paying attention. Many people exist outside of these allows a person to subsist without having to work. It has arisen
average habits, and lead their own strange and interesting lives. as a combination of the mass-welfare systems put together after
The Crash and rationing of necessities during the war.
The Death Spiral UB usually provides:

Everyone now knows the end is coming. There is such density
of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that many biomes that » Nominal housing, including heat.
previously captured carbon are now releasing it, leading to an » A rationed amount of data and electricity.
ever-worsening feedback loop of heating. Food chains collapse, » Rationed food
deserts expand, weather becomes increasingly chaotic, and » A small amount of money
Playing the Game
humanity teeters on the brink of becoming just another extinct » Rationed clothing, usually standard-issue
animal. This state of affairs has many names - ‘the new ecology’, » Essential healthcare
‘the ongoing collapse of the biosphere’, and ‘mass extinction event’ » Access to public transport
are a few - but to ordinary people it is known as ‘the Death Spiral’.
Conditions May Apply
Your Life in Two Pages
UB is not freely given out, and requires citizenship. Citizenship

Punks in the Spiral often requires a person to be a willing participant in programs
Much of humanity awaits either deliverance or extinction. But not such as a national draft, the mass-mobilisations of the people that
you. Not everyone is content to leave the protraction of the human happen every year or so in response to a crisis. People who are
species to others, and has learnt to reject the pacifism of the without citizenship are often exploited due to having no option but
liberal movement that died in the 2030s. An older term has been to sell their labour.
appropriated to define this new wave: ‘Punks’.
The world of 2044
Leisure & Labour

Decline of
The City
UB has allowed people to pursue life goals other than work. A new
Standards
renaissance is forming amongst creatives now free to pursue their
History & Geopolitics
passion unrestrained. Those who do work do so to earn money for

costs beyond subsistence, be they luxuries, unaffordable medicine,
You live on less. Shortages are commonplace. You can’t really
or something else. Jobs are usually hard, well-paid, and have a
remember what milk tasted like.
clear and obvious benefit to the government or society. There
aren’t really the resources to fund them otherwise.
There has been a global decline in living standards, sharpest in
the wealthier nations. People’s access to technology, animal-based
products, and consumer goods has been greatly diminished, in
Postwar Period
Life & Times
some instances to nothing. Year after year the global population

slowly declines, despite World War III being over. World War III ended five years ago, with an indefinite armistice
signed between China on one side and the European Commune,
This ‘decline’ has only been felt by people over the age of 20. For CASU, and what remains of the USA on the other. No one really
GM’s Toolkit
those born in the 2030s, the new ecology is all they’ve ever known. won and everyone definitely lost. Between the fighting, global
famine, disease, and genocides, roughly 200 million people were
killed during the conflict.
The average person:
A Return of
» Will only have one complex electronic device, likely a computer
(either desktop or hand-held) which will have been repaired
Community
many times.
» Will have very limited ability to use the internet/Net, likely only
being able to access public-facing government sites. Capitalism is being shrugged off as an economic model. Isolating
» Will very rarely, if ever, consume food from an animal. policies like gig economies and private housing markets are being
» Will have experienced at least one famine. reversed. At the same time political changes like Universal Basic
» Won’t own a car, nor have access to the fuel for one if they did. gives people more leisure time and Metropolitanisation squashes
» Won’t be able to afford purchasing new clothes, and instead don everyone together. People increasingly exist in social, collective
articles from previous decades and owners, and durable attire units rather than individualistic ones. ‘Community’ as a concept
rationed to them by the state. is returning.
» Will experience at least one chronic health problem in their life.
While many people find a truly human fulfilment in this return,
community is not inherently good. Many can operate on bigoted,
exclusionary thinking that can see them turn on members who
act ‘different’, and differences in power and culture can turn
communities into competing factions. Tensions between different
groups within the city over petty grievances are a fact of life.
166
Plant-Based Diet Metropolitanised
Everything you eat is plant-based and highly processed food is If two decades ago you were living outside an urban centre,
non-existent. Unless you’re one of the upper crust, chances are some time between then and now you moved into one,
you’ve barely eaten anything from an animal in the last decade, possibly against your will. This process has been dubbed
with stark shortages beginning in the war, and then industrial ‘metropolitanisation’, and it has been driven by the razing of
animal agriculture being abandoned by famines of the 30s suburbia and rural life to make way for ecological and agricultural
necessitating all farmland be used as efficiently as possible. If you projects. Pushed into the cities amidst the chaos of the war, you’ll
know someone who knows someone, you might occasionally get live in a different peoples and cultures piled atop one another and
something like an egg or slice of dog. squashed between the megastructures.
No Private Travel
The current ecology cannot simultaneously support growing
enough food to keep everyone fed, raising enough cattle to feed
billions, and leaving enough land for reforestation to delay the No one you know will own a car, and unless you’re important
Death Spiral. One of those has to be discarded, and currently you can’t afford to travel outside the county. An indefinite fuel
mainstream politics prefers feeding everyone and prolonging the crisis that started in the war made them useless, and most were
Death Spiral - but some openly advocate for starving billions or seized for parts during the war. Planes are almost entirely gone
accelerating humanity’s extinction (or both) just to have a steak. by the same route. Except for the rare self-made jury-rigged
assemblages, all the vehicles that remain are used by the state.
What you Wear Most people get around by walking, or train or tram if they need
to travel. Leaving the country is rare, and when it happens is
Clothing is not being made in the vast quantity it was two decades usually for work. People don’t ‘go on holiday’ anymore as a result.
ago, and much of what was made then was not built to last. The
Broken Hegemony
clothing you wear will be a mix of government-issued, durable,
generic clothes (often something akin to a jumpsuit), repaired
clothes from past eras, and a few accessories inherited or hand- After the fall of the Berlin Wall, liberal capitalism became the
made to signify your connection to a culture, group, or religion. accepted global ideology. Millions were murdered to enforce that
acceptance, and billions suffered under it (even its beneficiaries
The Net didn’t seem to like it), but it was the status quo for half a century.
The internet is now inaccessible, turned into a broken wreck by The Death Spiral has dethroned that ideology and cast it into the
the emergence of BridgeBuilder, an artificial superintelligence that gutter. The USA, once its stalwart enforcer, is now reduced to the
has optimised the world’s technology for interconnectivity, to the lesser New American Union. But the throne itself remains vacant.
point of giving everything a connection to everything else. Everyone knows something must be done, but exactly what is
yet to be determined in the political arena.
You do have the benefit of having a constant, wireless, and free
connection to the Net, the new structure BridgeBuilder created, 2044 is a time when ‘opinion’ is something you share with friends
but the government has only been able to rebuild some basic and ‘politics’ is something people keep going out and fighting
structures and utilities. Internet speed is also very slow, meaning for - sometimes physically, sometimes to the death. It isn’t just the
unless you are or know a hacker you’re limited to text, audio, and ‘capitalist’ bit of ‘liberal capitalism’ that people have lost faith in.
image files. You won’t be seeing cat videos any time soon. The Death Spiral makes anyone politicised acutely aware that their
immediate future depends on what they believe being correct, and
forcing that belief upon the world.
On the Net you have access to:
» A state-run centralised social media site, where you can connect
with friends both local and abroad, and share pictures and Political Punch-Up
audio. It’s a fight out there. Cops clash with protesters, hackers take on
» Government utility websites, providing welfare, all public- a digital surveillance state, unions organise city-stalling strikes,
facing ministries, the police, the fire department, and so on. industrialists keep catching bullets to the head, and in the shadows
» And unless you learn how to navigate the complexities of the state espionage is waged between the three-way split in a brewing
Net, that’s it. cold war. You might even be part of a faction yourself.
Entertainment How to Approach ‘The Setting’

Leisure is now most often a social activity, with people using the What’s written in this section is a basic narrative
free time Universal Basic gives them to sit around and chat. Simple background for every player to have an idea of the shared
analogue games like dice and cards are popular, and if you’re lucky narrative, then lots of little stories and hooks which can
someone may have scrounged a few cigarettes or alcohol to share. be launching pad for your own ideas. Don’t approach this
Public cinemas will sometimes have showings of new films (which section as if it is gospel, defining the limits of what stories
you can and can’t tell with ECOPUNK. Instead approach
are often propaganda) and old that you can go to.
everything as if it is only mostly true: what’s written is
generally the case, but there’s exceptions to every rule
If your community is so inclined, playing music together can be a and deviations from every trend. Approach this section
common occurrence, and digital music shared over the Net is also that way, and you’ll find the sweet spot for collective
thriving. Sometimes there are guerrilla shows by bands known storytelling, where everyone starts from the same idea but
across the entire nation. is free to take it in their own direction.
167
The City
The Jungle
Character creation
This chapter lays out the common features of the contemporary

city in 2044, from its lofty Jungle to its Geofront depths. As before,
this information is just averages and generalisations: not every city In plots on the roofs and walls all across the cityscape, trees,
in 2044 will have all (or any) of these features, and some may have shrubs and mosses are sown and grown, from bamboo to
unique structures and customs not mentioned in this section (or genetically-modified sequoia. Collectively it is known as the jungle.
anywhere in this book - it’s a wide world out there!).
Bombed Out Plant-based Protection

The jungle serves as protection against the elements, which have
We just went through a war, and even the cities are scarred. There become increasingly hostile as the Death Spiral progresses. It
will be areas within the city that are yet to be rebuilt after the absorbs heavy rain and snowfall, breaks up heavy winds, cools
bombs and bullets, or paved-over ordinance waiting in the dark the city in a heatwave, and its growth captures carbon from the
to go off. Some derelict stretches are abandoned entirely, left to be atmosphere. The jungle is also a ward against negative thoughts.
swallowed by rising waters or encroaching desert. Such places can People’s mood improves the more they experience green spaces,
Playing the Game
often become slums for the dispossessed, modern shanty towns and now wherever the light touches is green.
outside the ‘castle walls’ of the city.
Coastal Collapse Labour Program

The jungle also forms a colossal work program: tens of thousands
While seas haven’t risen enough to profoundly affect maps, of people may be employed in a city at a time to tend to the green,
they have begun to claim coastal cities. If you lived a mile from in dozens of roles across the strata of society. Botanists sow the
the water’s edge a few decades ago, you either moved inland or seeds and monitor growth. Drone operators tend to giant plots
drowned as blocks and streets were progressively swallowed. A through controlling automatons both mighty and small. Engineers
number of coastal cities will have an abandoned, half-submerged maintain and improve hydroponic panelling that enables plants
stretch of city-scape. Some areas, such as the Pearl River or to grow on walls. And a thousand-thousand roles besides keep the
Florida, have become uninhabitable swamps due to the rising sea. city truly alive.
The world of 2044
The City
Life & Times
GM’s Toolkit
168
Megastructures Megaiconography
With the old political orders broken and discredited,
As politics has moved from the short-term thinking of the profiteer the people need new symbols to inspire them! Or
to the long-term ambitions of the ecologist, how we conceive of perhaps they just need something to look
construction has changed. We used to erect and tear down office at other than bombed-out buildings.
blocks with no concern for their permanence. Now we build Artwork, religious idols, and
edifices that can last millennia. politicians are carved into the
facade of megastructures
They are known collectively as Megastructures, gargantuan or erected alone to
assemblages of stone and steel that can resist the elements. Some loom over the
serve as infrastructure, like the New Singapore Platform. Others cityscape.
are seats of the government, like Berlin’s Hallen der Macht. One
megastructure even serves primarily as housing: Nigeria’s Digest.
Megastructures are also means of excluding populations, being

so large that their walls can function as a barrier. The walled
megastructures of New Ijmuiden, for example, separate their
inhabitants from those in the derelict and flooding old Ijmuiden.
Big tech
Megastructures have become possible thanks to two technologies.
The first is ‘superheavy metals’, materials produced through
quantum-manipulation of elements. These buildings primarily use
superheavy iron, for its strength, rigidity, and resistance to erosion.
The other technology is automatons. Through building machines

that dwarf humans and operate without needing direct control,
megastructures with their simple geometry can be erected in years
rather than decades or centuries.
Sporetos
Nomadic reclaimers for nature, Sporetos cells wander the
churned earth of undone suburbia and bombed out ruins in
the city and find places to work their green-fingered magic.
Rubble is cleared, soil is replenished, and crops are grown
to feed the next leg of the journey to rebuild the earth.
Those fleeing abuse, mistakes, and injustice (or sometimes
regular justice) know they can find refuge with Sporetos,
and their roving caravans have moved many people to
greener pastures - literally. Sporetos are not soldiers, but
are zealous in their cause, and know how to put gardening
tools to good use. Criminals and the police alike will
need to bring an army to wrench Sporetos from their
ministrations. Sometimes they do. More often they’re keen
to let them do their work, then take credit for the lush
spaces left behind.
169
The Guts The CAR & Public Transport
The personal car is a thing of the past. Fuel shortages in World
As metropolitanisation has concentrated people into the cities, War III stopped most of them working, and were then repossessed
Character creation
they have had to grow vertically. But amidst the chaos of the late for scrap to feed the war machine. A few have been restored and
30s, which brought war, climate change refugees, upheaval and powered by new fuels that are either stolen or home-made, but
revolutions, the process has not been organised. most of the remaining functional vehicles are those owned by the
state, either as used in businesses and services or to ferry those too
Different cultures and creeds have constructed spaces for important to walk amongst the pedestrians.
themselves with little concern for city planning or permission,
while crushed up against other groups acting just as autonomously. Most people live within walking distance of everything in their
Exacerbating the issue was the fuel crisis and subsequent end of the day-to-day life, but there are still some public trams and trains that
private vehicle. With many roads and highways made redundant snake through the city or nation. Some are even cross-continental,
the amount of space in which people had to build was expanded. giant industrial train that move metal and food by the city-load.
As a result the inner city has become a hyperdense tangle of spaces,

containing halls, chambers and rooms often with contrasting Class & Height
purposes or cultures. All are threaded together by the pipes and One’s place on society’s ladder and the height of their domicile
Playing the Game
pillars of municipal infrastructure built in a period of political has always been linked: on higher ground there is generally less
insanity where local governments were more concerned with pollution, fewer foul odours, and more sunlight to be enjoyed by
‘making things work’ than ‘enforcing bureaucracy’. the ruling classes. An increase in verticality and density in the new
era has only exaggerated the effect.
It will take decades for central planning to unravel the mess. For
now, the inner city is a gurgling organism taking what’s rationed to The thick tangle of the city blocks the sunlight to the lower depths,
it from a government on high and digesting it downwards. For this and those downtrodden by society can sometimes be literally
reason these areas are often called ‘the guts’ of the city. pushed downwards into the darker places of the city. There,
the boot of authority can struggle to reach, but also supply of
necessities like food and electricity.
Culture Crunch
The influx of peoples into the guts of the city has collided many As rumours spread of groups and cultures growing strange
cultures hitherto isolated from one another. Some collisions and foetid under the architecture of the city, elites looking
The world of 2044
synthesise into new cuisine, clothing, religion, and ways of

The City
to manufacture ‘an enemy’ to persecute have alighted on the

thought. Others grind against each other. Rivalries old and new opportunity. Now one’s verticality has become a new metric to
spark between groups who feel their belts getting tighter and judge whether you qualify as really human or not.
follow the creed of competition, not cooperation. Careful they
don’t burn the neighbourhood down.

Life & Times
GM’s Toolkit
170
The Geofront Subterranean Storage
In peacetime the geofront’s remit has expanded to include storage
What rivers and sea are to a waterfront, the earth is to the geofront. and industry. Many chambers closer to the surface find themselves
Through mighty digging machines and sculptor automatons repurposed as holding bays for all sorts of goods, and deeper down
great halls and chambers have been carved out beneath the city, the cold dark is used for longer term storage. Some things are put
and through superheavy metals and works of carved stone their there in the hope that they will be forgotten.
ceilings - the city’s surface - are held aloft.
With movement and materials comes labours. While much of the
Disaster Barrier geofront lies vacant, some areas are a veritable hub of workers.
Many cities have integrated their underground train systems into
Geofronts were initially pioneered as a form of disaster mitigation.
the front. Its natural refrigeration is valuable to some chemical and
Their great depths can serve as drainage for storms and floods.
biological industrial processes where electric cooling is limited,
In heatwaves, the great empty spaces and cold stone serve as a
and some manufacturing has begun to foster in the depths.
heatsink, with extensions above the surface capture the breeze and
creates cooling airflow below.
Chambers within geofronts can also serve as water and food

A Home amongst the stone
The geofront is a complex place, with many hidden tunnels and
storage for famine and wartime. Rainwater can be collected, rooms. For this reason some of the dispossessed make it their
purified, and stored in reservoirs. Damp environments are used home, and survive through theft and ingenuity. There are even
to cultivate fungus and insects. A well-maintained geofront more rumours of lost soldiers continuing to fight a war which has ended,
than once withstood siege and starvation in the war. surviving down there in the dark...
171
The Farm Watched over by Machines
The primary workers on the farm are not human, but instead
Supply chains are increasingly throttled by the Death Spiral. automatons, automated machines. It is they who sow the seeds,
Character creation
A heating earth brings chaotic weather, more frequent natural remove weeds with precision lasers, monitor the soil, track the
disasters, and plagues that proliferate faster, all of which can halt weather, reap and bundle the harvest, and transport the produce
transportation. As such shortening supply chains has become from the farm to its destinations.
vital to keeping the people fed, and the cities that can surround
themselves with farmland, tended to by man and machine. Humans take on supporting roles on the farm, as field-hands,
engineers, botanists, security and so on. Automated farming is a
The Threat of Food grand experiment intended to create an nationwide agricultural
model that can adapt to ongoing the ecological crisis, all
Now that Universal Basic has removed the threat of poverty,
coordinated by a vast AI tended to be bureaucrats and scientists.
governments fiercely maintain control over the last resource they
have to coerce obedience: food.
Most human workers in farming will be security, employed just as

What’s in Season
Optimising agricultural output means shortening supply lines and
much to protect the farms from citizens as they are against bandits. growing what’s in season. People often have to cook from a more
Playing the Game
Military police under the same employment will ride with the simple and specific range of ingredients than previous decades.
delivery automatons when the food is taken from the harvest and Humorously this has resulted in people eating a greater range of
distributed into the city. foods than they used to.
The world of 2044
The City
Lands Beyond Ruins

Metropolitanisation has left behind a number of vacant villages
There are many biomes beyond the city shaped by the new
Life & Times
waiting to be bulldozed, but the brutality and famine of World War

ecology, from the blasted remains of battlefields to grand
III has also left behind ruins. Across the world, from Saudi Arabia
reforestation projects.
to Mexico, there are entire cities where you will find only ruins
picked clean by looters, and hear only the silence of the dead.
GM’s Toolkit
Artificial & ancient forests

To delay the Death Spiral, carbon in the atmosphere must
be sequestered in the earth as quickly as possible. For all our
Dead zones
The change in global mean temperature has been so abrupt that
technological advances, humanity has not yet uncovered a way
in some regions life proved unable to adapt fast enough, and was
to artificially extract carbon at an industrial level. But nature
extinguished in its entirety. These places where no plant grows,
provides.
and no animal lives, have come to be called ‘dead zones’. Most are
in the centres of deserts, but not all - there are several blooming
Ancient forests are gargantuan stores of carbon that must not be
dead zones in the ocean around the equator, driven by water
released, while returning useless grassland to the forests they once
toxicity, algae, and microplastics. There are reports that even in
were creates carbon-sinks.
once-lively biomes such as bogs and tundras spots entirely absent
of life have appeared.
The old and the new must be protected, and there is generally a
flat ban on ordinary people entering forested zones. To enforce
it, the newly formed conservation teams that monitor the forests’ Technomads & Banditry
health are both scientists and military police. But with their vast Not everyone acquiesced to metropolitanisation. The groups that
size, these protected woodlands have become a refuge for bandits, uprooted themselves to escape the growing reach of the state and
technomads, and others on the run. survived were the ones who adopted new technologies to sustain
themselves in the decaying wilds. They are known as ‘technomads’.
Some governments have trialled sowing genetically modified trees,
designed to grow faster so as to sequester carbon at an accelerated At the same time the resolution of World War III left mercenaries
rate. It is from this practice that new forests have gained the and death squads with no home nation to return to. Those who
moniker of ‘artificial forest’. couldn’t find a civilian life to slip back into have turned to banditry.
172
Famous wartime singer Clare Royce performs a private show for the politicians who gather at the Nightingale Club
173
The Timeline: 2024 to 2044
Character creation
2024 / THE ENVIRONMENTALIST CAMPAIGNS FADE
2024
Environmentalist groups collectively fail to create sufficient
leverage to enact change, even in the bland demands they often
couch it in. Those in the west fail to escape their ideological
domination by pacifist liberals and those in the global south are
unable to out-gun the violent repression of capitalism. By 2024
any progressive rigour has been neutralised and incorporated into
capitalism by centrist parties, as is their function.
2025
Playing the Game
2026 / THE AFRICAN SUMMER

Famine and exploitation in central and northern Africa spark civil
wars and mass migrations, in a period called the African Summer,

2026
which disrupts several mining operations across the continent.
China implements itself as a provider of stability and governance in
2027 / ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNE
a number of zones across the continent, spinning the securing of
By 2027, a number of isolationist movements across Europe have
mining operations as humanitarianism.
achieved independence from the European Union, driven by the
anger and frustration of an expanding underclass resulting from
The world of 2044
capitalism’s advance. In 2027, those countries remaining in the EU

The City
re-pledge their allegiance as the European Commune.

2027
2029-2036 / THE CRASH

The greatest economic collapse in human history, the Global 2028 / QUANTUM MATERIALS ARE THEORISED
Standards Crisis (GSC), commonly called ‘The Crash’, is a period In 2028 Annette and Hans Fischer win the Noble Prize for their work
starting in 2029 where global quality of life, food production, life in Quantum Materials. Although their work won’t see practical
expectancy and wealth sharply drop across all regions and classes. application for almost a decade, eventually the work of the Fischers
Famine and economic downturn spark unrest, and a number of will lead to Superheavy Metals, QI materials, and the Donut Drive.
upheavals, riots, and revolutions kill police, protesters, politicians
and public figures alike. Politics of fascism, socialism, and new 2028 / THE CARBON BUDGET IS USED UP
2028
Life & Times
concepts such as Usmanian socioeconomics are installed in The window to reverse climate change firmly shuts as the total
response to the crisis. carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reaches a tipping point. At the
time, a number of governments are lauding themselves for their
2031 / THE START OF WORLD WAR III ongoing commitment to ‘net-zero by 2040’.
GM’s Toolkit
In the late 20s the European Commune had made food security one
of its central goals. To that end, EC and US efforts to ‘liberate’ grain- 2029 / THE CRISIS OF CAPITALISM REACHES ITS ZENITH
producing east Ukraine and Crimea from Russian control began to By now, state infrastructure across most developed nations such as
ramp up at the turn of the decade. After indirect attempts failed, in healthcare, agriculture, the military, has been extensively or entirely
2029
late 2030 a combined EC and US military begins displays of force at privatised, and as a result increasingly fragmented, inefficient, and
the border of Ukrainian Russia and upon the Black Sea. restricted. Following a change of US leadership, central Africa goes
on to face a series of civil conflicts as privately-funded militias
In early 2031, NATO is abruptly dissolved and the US military attempt to undermine China’s presence.
presence is recalled as the Second American Civil War begins. With
the strength of the US forces removed, the EC military is in disarray. 2030-2035 / THE SECOND AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
It is unclear who attacks first, but within a week casualties are in The Crash pushes the US to the brink, and after a downward slide
the thousands as a Russian offensive sends EC forces retreating into a sudden famine develops in several regions due to a combination
2030
Poland. By the end of the year the conflict involves most of Europe. of natural disasters, agricultural malpractice, evaporated
infrastructure, and price gouging. This food shortage first creates
In the resultant conflict several North Atlantic pipelines and inter-state conflict, which then descends into a civil war as the
datalines are cut by Russian submarines, which creates economic shortage becomes a famine.
havoc in mainland Europe, the UK, and Ireland.
China quickly inserts itself into the conflict through funding militias,
While the nuclear taboo holds between both sides, its threat followed shortly after by the European Commune and other powers
prevents either side from being able to invade the other. With no funding opposing forces. From there the situation quickly develops
2031
real strategy to end it, a bloody war is fought in the territories in into a multilateral conflict between various factions of militias and
between Russia and the Commune. former armed forces that spills over into Mexico and Canada.
174
2032
2033 / BRIDGEBUILDER IS BORN 2032 / CASU & DANJUMA USMAN
The Artificial SuperIntelligence (ASI) later dubbed ‘BridgeBuilder’ is Giving breathing room from western and Chinese interests, sub-
created on February 21st 2033, supposedly within a Russian military Saharan Africa undergoes a revival of socialist and communist
laboratory. Within hours practically every sophisticated electronic politics. The most prominent figure amongst this renaissance
device has been rendered dysfunctional, and they remain so for the is Danjuma Usman, a Nigerian mercenary, scholar and father of
next few months as their interconnectivity software is rewritten. Usmanian Socio-Economics. He seizes power in Nigeria in 2031, and
begins encouraging similar revolutions in his neighbours.
This electronics blackout results in a brief ceasefire between WWIII’s
parties while they try to figure out what the hell is happening. Soon In 2032, Usman and other leaders create CASU, the Central African
2033
after, many nations disable their nuclear weapons when they realise Socialist Union, which aims to unify and bring under local leadership
now anyone can take control of them. the military, ecological, and mineral interests of several central
and eastern African nations. CASU is considered a furthering of the
Bridgebuilder’s emergence will later inspire several global laws African Union. CASU goes on to negotiate the New Abuja Treaty with
prohibiting certain kinds of AI development, under the UN. the European Commune, a military agreement that brings aid to the
EC stalemate against Russia.
2034 / THE YUKON PLAGUE
Named for the Canadian region, the Yukon Plague is believed to be 2034 / THE SOUTHERN ALLIANCE & COMMONWILL ALLIES
a prehistoric disease released from the melting permafrost. While a China and Russia enter into a military alliance, followed shortly by
2034
number of serious diseases had hit areas like Siberia and northern South Africa, Mexico, and a number of South American states, in
Canada over the course of the last decade, the Yukon Plague had what is called the Southern Alliance.
a virality that allowed it to spread throughout the war front and
beyond. In 2044, the Yukon Plague is colloquially known as ‘banana Aided by cyber-offenses utilising the changes wrought by
flu’ for the black discolourations it causes, like a ripe banana. Bridgebuilder, China annexes South Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.
2035 / CHINA INVADES THE US WEST COAST In response, the European Commune, CASU, a number of other
In 2035 China begins invading the west coast of North America, European states, India, a number of South Asian states, Oceania,
as nuclear armaments are disabled through cyber-offences now Australia, and New Zealand enter into a military alliance called the
Commonwill Allies, which quickly aligns itself with America United,
2035
possible due to Bridgebuilder.

the more ideologically palatable of the two dominant forces fighting
By this point the Second American Civil War has formed into a in the former US.
mostly bilateral conflict between America United, an ethnofederalist
centrist coalition, and the Rivers Men, a pro-capitalism, white
supremacist fascist organisation.
2036 / RUSSIA, SOUTH AFRICA, & INDIA DEFEATED

2036 / THE ARCTIC OCEAN IS ICE-FREE IN THE SUMMER By 2036, reformed by war, the European Commune has become
A number of regions, particularly south Asia, are by now a centralised military superpower. Commonwill soldiers capture
2036
experiencing increasing and worsening flooding, spreading famine Moscow and Pretoria, and force the surrender of Russia and South
and disease. The release of methane and CO2 trapped in the ice Africa, instituting interim governments. In the same year, the
accelerates global warming. Southern Alliance annexes India and drops its Greek alphabet name,
becoming 南方联盟 (Nanfang Lianmeng).
2036-2038 / THE WEST COAST FRONT & END OF WORLD WAR III
In 2036, Commonwill forces converge on the west coast of North
America, but while the Rivers Men and Mexico are defeated, the
conflict grinds to a brutal stalemate. Both sides commit a number of 2037 / THE FIRST WORKING CYBERBRAIN IS PRODUCED
atrocities attempting to break the spirit of the opposition. New methods of electronic interfacing arising from Bridgebuilder
2037
combine with advances in neurology and psychology made in World

By 2038, with all involved combatants fatigued by the war, disease, War III to create the first Cyberbrain.
and chronic famine as their domestic agriculture collapses, both
sides agree to an indefinite armistice. 2039+ / POST-WAR TECHNOLOGY BOOM
Across World War III and in the post-war period, technological
The former US is reformed into the New American Union. advancements are made in bionics, nanotechnology, automated
assembly, 3D printing, Superheavy Metals, QI materials, and more as
formerly-military technology is applied to new fields.
2038 / UN EXPANSION
2038
In the post-war reconstruction, the United Nations undergoes an Under UN jurisdiction, construction of a space elevator and moon
expansion in remit and power, as a reinforced means of preventing base begins as a united attempt to mine the moon, as the earth
such future global conflicts. faces a crisis arising from a depletion of rare-earth metals. The
construction is enabled by new superheavy metals and QE materials.
2039 / THE FORMATION OF UNEC Bionic body parts and cyberbrains become commonplace as injured
In 2039 the United Nations Ecology Council (UNEC) is formed, which soldiers return from the war.
wields considerable power, and the UN’s abilities are strengthened,
extended, and made more independent of individual states’ The golden age of hacking begins, as hackers (many who learned
2039
interests. They soon impose The Prohibition, the banned of state- their craft in the war) use their cyberbrains and the effects of
subsidised animal agriculture. Bridgebuilder for criminal enterprise.
175
2040
2040 / THE WORLD SURPASSES 2°C 2040 / HARD GREEN POLITICS TAKE CENTRE-STAGE
Many regions are now experiencing severe biodiversity loss and A confluence of statist post-war politics and accelerating global
desertification. Food production is now a front-and-centre political warming results in authoritarian, anti-capitalist, environmentalist
Character creation
issue, and the more arable states can increasingly exert themselves politics as the world’s dominant political trend, commonly
over the less fortunate. called ‘hard green’ politics. Some factions try to counter it with
ecofascism, aiming to preserve capitalist indulgences through
Mass migrations have greatly shifted population densities – now, plundering and purging minorities.
people increasingly gather in tight-packed cities. Mass-migrations
in Africa are moderated by CASU, and are used as a political tool to War economies had already exorcised ‘free-market capitalism’ from
2041
maintain Europe’s feeding of its member states. A few countries most mainstream political thought – now that the world sees its
have even been largely abandoned by their populations, becoming consequences, capitalism becomes an increasingly fringe ideology.
what are known as ‘dead zones’, or their populations are abandoned Its last bastion, the business states in the south-west of the
entirely by their ruling class, becoming known as ‘failed states’. former US, come under the protection of China as a political tool to
antagonise the New American Union.
2041 / UNEC’S FORMATION OF UNTac
UNEC later in 2041 forms United Nations Tactical, a small, cutting- ‘Death spiral’ enters the common lexicon in fringe, outsider, and
underground cultures to describe the contemporary circumstance.
2042
edge rapid-response force that neutralises non-ecological global
Playing the Game
threats, such as the development of ASIs, self-replicating nanites, or

radical terraforming projects. UNTac quickly becomes a bogeyman in Many coastal cities abandon flooded zones and begin moving inland.
the public consciousness. Simultaneously, several rural communities across the world are
uprooted and relocated to cities to make way for new ecological and
2042 / THE ANTIBODIES SYSTEM agricultural projects.
To counteract cybercrime, the UN implements the antibodies

system. Although hacking is still rife, a certain level of skill is now 2041 / THE LINGUA FRANCA SYSTEM
The Lingua Franca system goes online. UN-sanctioned AIs in Berlin,
2043
necessary to get away with it.
Egypt and Beijing enable anyone with a cyberbrain to communicate
perfectly with anyone who speaks English, Arabic, or Chinese.
2041+ / THE DONUT DRIVE

The world of 2044
The Zhou-Reynolds Drive, commonly called the Donut Drive, is

The City
developed as a means of propulsion in space. The drive exceeds

expectations, making space vessels exceptionally fast and removes
the problems of acceleration in a zero-gravity environment.
2044
The drive enables a new era of mining asteroids. The field becomes
harsh but lucrative. Space elevators are built in Brazil and Singapore
to move payloads down to Earth and a UN-overseen base is built on
the Moon as a staging area.
Life & Times
GM’s Toolkit
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNE
HARD GREEN POLITICS TAKE CENTRE-STAGE

ARCTIC OCEAN IS ICE-FREE IN THE SUMMER
THE ENVIRONMENTALIST CAMPAIGNS FADE
QUANTUM MATERIALS ARE THEORISED
THE FIRST WORKING CYBERBRAIN

CAPITALISM REACHES ITS ZENITH
CHINA INVADES THE WEST COAST

THE CARBON BUDGET IS USED UP
UNEC’S FORMATION OF UNTac

THE LINGUA FRANCA SYSTEM
THE WORLD SURPASSES 2°C
CASU & DANJUMA USMAN
THE ANTIBODIES SYSTEM

THE FORMATION OF UNEC
BRIDGEBUILDER IS BORN
THE AFRICAN SUMMER
THE YUKON PLAGUE
UN EXPANSION
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
2029-36 / THE CRASH 2039+ / POSTWAR TECH BOOM
2030-35 / 2ND AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 2041+ / DONUT DRIVE
2031-38 / WORLD WAR III
176
The Three-Way Split
Out of World War III, three great powers have emerged to compete for geopolitical dominance:
The Central African The European The Chinese

Socialist Union Commune Interest
What began as the Culturist revolution in The continuation the European Union, China, following its World War III
Nigeria has spread, sometimes willingly, the Commune is an ecofascist power that expansion, has dominion a third of the
sometimes at the barrel of a gun, to a transitioned from economic agreement to entirety of humanity. Within the country
number of central Africa states. The a collective military and political power this annexed territory is ‘the Interest’,
preachings of Danjuma Usman, the during its war with Russia. although without it is ‘the Empire’. In
Nigerian neo-Marxist warrior-poet, many ways similar to the neoliberal
have restructured much of central Africa Presiding over Europe, the Commune imperialism of the western world earlier
towards socialism and militancy. controls many of the world’s breadbasket in the century, the Chinese interest is a
zones, and much of the still-arable liberalising centre fed by violence and
CASU emerged the least-scathed from farmland, giving them the vital persecution at the edges. It is, in many
World War III, and the state blueprint bargaining chip of food on a starving ways, the closest remnant of 1st-world
ensures a constant reserve of forces. planet. For this reason most of those society before the war, as its empire is
The estimation is that CASU (or more who have abandoned their homes due capable of moving enough resources
specifically, Usman) has at any point 10 to the ecological crisis make their way to to the people who matter to maintain
million citizen-soldiers combat-ready. Europe, and many into the confines of the illusion that they are not within the
Indeed this is the bedrock of much of the Commune. However most mass- Death Spiral.
CASU’s relationship to the Commune: migrations break like waves upon the
give us the food you’ve ensured we can’t political and literal walls of the bastion of Make no mistake though: despite a
grow with climate change, or we’ll invade. ecofascism. The mass-killing of refugees commitment to capitalist extractivism,
In exchange, CASU prevents many of the by expulsion is accepted as a grim the Chinese state has maintained a firm
mass-migrations that would otherwise necessity to preserve occidental society. hand at the wheel. But as the planet heats
move into Europe from southern Africa up the sweaty grip is slipping.
and their own territories.
177
THE CHINESE INTEREST… THE EUROPEAN COMMUNE… THE CENTRAL AFRICAN SOCIALIST UNION…
…HATES THE • They were our opponents in WWIII, and we • Since the turn of the century, China has
INTEREST didn’t beat them. been attempting to instigate civil war,
Character creation
BECAUSE: • They perpetrated terrible acts on the West terrorism, and exploitation of our people
Coast Front. and resources.
• Territories that were previously soft • China helped cause the Death Spiral.
/ extensions of ‘The West’, such as India and • We fought against their Empire and West
South Korea, have been annexed by the Asia allies during WWIII.
Empire. • They openly say that we are a puppet of
• China caused the Death Spiral. the Commune, and that Africans cannot
• They are predominantly Asian, which is an achieve political organisation of our level.
inferior race. • They are racist against us.
…HATES THE • They were our opponents in WWIII, and we • They were our allies, and now threaten us
COMMUNE didn’t beat them. with starvation.
BECAUSE: • They perpetrated terrible acts on the West • ’The West’, which the Commune is the
Coast Front. surviving symbol of, has and continues to
Playing the Game
• The West caused the Death Spiral. / foment civil war and terrorism in order to
• The Commune has persecuted our exploit our people and resources.
businesses and industrialists. • Western Capitalism, which the Commune
• They are predominantly white, which is an represents, caused the Death Spiral.
inferior race. • They are racist against us.
…HATES CASU • Their ‘Usmanian Socioeconomics’, as a • They were our allies, and now threaten us
BECAUSE: continuation of Marxism, undermines with military invasion if we don’t acquiesce

the claim that we are Communist, to their demands.
and potentially offers an alternative • Mineral deposits we previously owned in
Communism counter to our interests. their member states were seized, and our
/
• Mineral deposits we previously owned in attempts to cause coups have failed.
their member states were seized, and our • They are predominantly black, which is an
attempts to cause coups have failed. inferior race.
The world of 2044
The City
• They are predominantly black, which is an

inferior race.
A Simmering Cold War

Their appetite for war exhausted, their battle-bonds and rivalries souring, the year of 2044 is one of a growing cold war between the three
major powers. While each great power has their own internal factions fighting for international cooperation, who fear a hastening of the
death spiral in a ‘race to the bottom’ conflict over who can rule the desert, there are enough who desire conflict on all sides to make it
happen, albeit in the shadows.
Life & Times
COLD WAR BATTLEGROUNDS

New Singapore - Commune vs. Empire
Close to the Chinese Empire physically, close to Europe historically, while the city-state has maintained its independence on paper, the so-called ‘city of tiers’ has
been a pivotal battleground between the Commune and the Empire. A refuge for those with nowhere else to go, the powers do not want for factions to pit against
GM’s Toolkit
one another, and the floating port can funnel all manner of resources and reprobates into the city for the invisible war fought in the shadow of the New Singapore
megastructure.
South Africa - Empire vs. CASU + Commune
The abandoned munitions and war machines in Pretoria make fertile soil for new conflict. As South Africa slides into a failed state, the Empire would much prefer
the country become an intra-African thorn in CASU’s side - while CASU would rather it fades away, and the Commune seeks to hold onto their valuable ports.
London - Commune vs. CASU
A landing ground for some of the African mass-migrations CASU wasn’t able to prevent, the UK is a withered enough nation and far enough politically from
Germany that these immigrants have been spared the usual European ‘ethnic cleansing by way of mass expulsion’ - for now. CASU intends to keep things that way,
and funnels money to the slowly-sinking city of London, as well as the occasional firearm, although they’re careful not to start something they can’t win… yet.
The Congo - CASU vs. Empire + Commune
Formerly the Democratic Republic of Congo, and before that Zaire, this long-suffering land has not found peace in the modern era. One of last few mineral-rich
regions on Earth, while also of agricultural value, CASU has been keen to maintain the Congo’s situation as a failed state in order to plumb its resources as a part
of their ‘protectorate’. Its material value makes it the envy of other powers who are forced to rely on recycling and asteroid mining, and the lack of infrastructure
and scatted population mean arms, mercenaries, and mining operations can be smuggled into this quiet battleground.
Russia - Commune vs. Empire
Russia was already rife with opposition to the Commune since they installed its transitional government: the Empire has merely exacerbated the conflict with the
funnelling of postwar surplus munitions into the vast region.
India - Empire vs. Commune + CASU
Since the beginning of its annexation by the Empire, India has been an unruly subject, a situation the Commune is more than happy to exploit. Complicating things,
Culturists and CASU-sympathising-Communists in India became politically entrenched over the war. They are now the soldiers in a tight and powerful coalition of
resistance groups, which CASU consider international allies - but who the Commune are none too thrilled to have as the likely winners in a revolution.
178
Life & Times in 2044
Ecology
Character creation
Now that some degree of stability has returned, nations are

increasingly regretting the decision. UNEC is pro-intervention,
The planet is currently +2.4˚C average temperature above pre- zealous in its own cause, and is only constrained by its limited
industrial levels. resources, which include a small military force under United
Nations Tactical, better-known as the bogeyman ‘UNTac’. They
Desertification is spreading, and with it crop yields fall. The ocean have engaged in open espionage and assassinations against their
is becoming increasingly acidic, but the fish it would be killing are own member states, including the arrest of a sitting Prime Minister
already gone from overfishing. Sometimes it snows in the height of and General of Britain, and the murder of an entire Chinese
summer. Sometimes forest fires start in the depths of winter. Much Artificial Intelligence laboratory.
has changed, and much has changed in response to the changes.
It remains to be seen if the ‘necessary evil’ of UNEC will endure,
or try their luck one time too many and break apart the fragile
The Sixth Mass Extinction peace that holds back the Death Spiral. One of the appeals of
The sixth mass extinction event is underway, kicked off by the UNEC that keeps its members in the arrangement is how it can be
Playing the Game
‘anthropocene’. As food chains erode and collapse projections a vehicle for the collective exploitation of ‘failed states’.
increasingly indicate that Man is not apart from Nature as
previously thought, but rather just another species for the chopping
block. Failed States
‘Failed state’ is an undefined term, used both as a political
To preserve the eroding food chain and preserve our current, paintbrush and in common vernacular, but broadly it refers to a
human-supporting ecology, governments and independents both country that lacks a cohesive national government. Failed
have tried resurrecting and nurturing recently-extinct flora using states were the countries that were caught between the
seed banks, and some species using cloning. Another, controversial bloodbath of World War III and the famines of the
approach has been ‘proactive genetic engineering’ - the attempt 30s, and were squeezed until they popped.
to use genetic modification to try to manufacture more resilient
species to replace the endangered ones that cannot evolve quick UNEC levies the term against regions where
enough to keep up with the aggressive changes of the Death Spiral. ecological intervention is necessary to
The world of 2044
The City
Bees have been of particular focus, with the blue-marked ‘King fight the Death Spiral, but local politics
Bee’ introduced to West Europe in 2043. is not up to the task. UNEC’s Amazon
ecological initiative in Brazil is the
textbook example, but other failed
states such as Saudi Arabia, Australia

and Afghanistan also are firmly under
their knife. Member states commit
their resources to such causes outside
their backyard because, under the
cover of the ecological mission, they
can collectively plunder the corpses of
Life & Times
these nations, rather than competing

to wrest sole control in a bloody cold
war. It’s not a coincidence that Brazil is a
GM’s Toolkit
major source for trafficked people.
Solar Liberation Front

Not everyone embraces UNEC’s Amazon Restoration
Project. The Solar Liberation Front, a loose organisation
of transhumanists, have coalesced in the region, forming
coalitions with indigenous natives and local factions. The
SLF preaches a bottom-up approach to the Amazonian
UNEC restoration, arguing the remaining indigenous peoples
The ecological crisis requires international cooperation, and a who actually live amongst the project will be better
body to mediate it. Starving and exhausted in the wake of World stewards of the land than the top-down, distant politicians,
War III, the three way split had resurrected the United Nations conservationists and geo-engineers of UNEC.
to try to maintain the fragile peace. Then, forced to cooperate SLF sustain themselves in the Amazon savannah through
for mutual survival within the Death Spiral, they christened the the same technology as the technomads: using ferment
United Nations Ecology Council, and out of necessity of the baths for food, solar panels for energy, cyberbrains for
moment gave UNEC power and autonomy. communication, and so on - systems of support that have
won them some favour with the natives.
UNEC wields that power like a surgeon’s scalpel, removing threats To UNEC and their allies, SLF are outsider voyeurs, stirring
to humanity’s survival (and its own power) through international up dissent out of a vainglorious idea of anarchist politics,
infrastructure such as the Brazil Space Elevator, and the force of likely funded by external agitators. The SLF retorts that
military cyborgs and elite hackers it controls via United Nations UNEC and who it represents are the external agitators.
Tactical (‘UNTac’ for short).
180
Eco-Initiatives
Governments are not sleeping on the break
down of the environment (and indeed some
independents play their part too). The nature
of the Death Spiral is such that it’s necessary
to try to improve things to keep circumstances
where they are. Merely trying to preserve the
status quo will see it slide into further decline.
As such proactive programs are fundamental
to humanity’s continued survival. One of the
grander projects is UNEC’s efforts to restore
the Amazon rainforest from the savannah
it has been reduced to, but there are others
such as the reforestation of western Europe
overseen by the European Commune and the
global effort to remove plastic from the ocean.
There is also work to mitigate the extreme

weather that now occurs with such frequency Unlucky Team #6
that it must be handled as a fact of life rather
than a freak event. The Canadian iceberg- They say Survey Team #6 of the European International
Conservation Surveyors is cursed. “If a tree falls and no
breakers are an organisation responsible for
one from Team #6 is around to be crushed by it, does it
breaking apart Arctic icebergs that form in the
make a sound?” people at base camp jest - but shut their
winter from hitting the coastline and creating mouths when the stony-eyed veterans of #6 return from the
blizzards. dark woods, caked in dirt and blood.
Some scientists and industrialists talk The team’s unlucky streak began with the freak accident of
about using ‘geoengineering’ to reverse a gulper malfunctioning and falling from the sky - directly
atop Team #6 in the midst of fleeing a forest fire. They say
global warming, although this achieves
as Team Leader Krämer clawed at the red-hot slag trapping
little traction, likely because the his teammates he cursed God so fiercely that God cursed
technology does not yet exist and him back. ‘They’ say much. Krämer says very little. He just
current proposals are along the stares with eyes like knives until orders come through and
lines of ‘let’s detonate nukes in it’s time to return to the dark green tangle.
the atmosphere’. And even the
theoretical technologies fail to
capture the imagination. Few people still cling
to the delusion that the ecological crisis is
something that can be solved by technology.
Conservation Teams
Succeeding in maintaining and rebuilding the ecology will require great amounts of data that must
be taken on-site. The public are usually banned from entering these regions, to prevent their presence
stifling any regeneration. In the absence of a thousand trampling feet and streams of litter, these areas
are returning to a denser, more primordial form. The people tasked to enter into these wilds new and
old are broadly referred to as ‘conservationists’, and they typically operate in teams. Some technomads
are tentatively employed in similar roles, such as the Bedouin who maintain and protect the Arabian
Desert Solar Array.
As banditry and piracy has increased, these conservation teams who are well-equipped
and isolated deep within the field have had to militarise to keep performing their jobs.
Conservationists are now somewhere between soldier and scientist.
Some politicians warn of a coming war between a bandit-technomad coalition and the
state, evoking imagery of past wars between united rural tribes and the forces of ‘civilisation’. The
Visigoths’ sacking of Rome is a particularly popular warning amongst the more frothing-at-the-mouth
European Commune politicians. The usual conclusion of such people is to fell every forest on the
continent, to rob this lurking unwashed hoard of its hiding places.
Forest Fires & Gulpers

Forest fires are a frequent and fierce crisis that ecological ministries must tackle, and as the earth heats
up fires are increasingly happening in biomes not adapted to the process of burning and regrowth.
Many initiatives to maintain woodland involve resowing and promoting growth in the wake of a fire,
which are often overseen by conservation teams. A recent initiative for regions that suffer the most has
been to have conservation teams to work within the forest as it burns, felling lines of trees to mitigate
the spread, while the blaze itself is followed by ‘gulpers’, giant aerial drones that capture the emissions.
181
Disaster prone The Flying Pillars
Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic
eruptions, hurricanes, deep freezes... The Flying Pillars are a community-led coalition operating
Character creation
you name it, there’s more of them, and on the east coast of the New American Union. Upon scrap-
each of greater magnitude than anything made trucks fuelled by home-brewed methel they ride
in the past few centuries. In some through sleet and storm, to provide aid to those caught
areas natural disasters are so frequent in the extreme weather that bombards the coast. To those
they’ve become a fact of life. In others, outside the population centres, beyond the interests of a
the disaster is permanent: Florida, lackadaisical government, it is the Flying Pillars who will
Bangladesh, Pearl River, and Vietnam find you, feed you, clothe you, and bear you to safety.
have all been evacuated due to most Their reach marks them as a target to a jealous
of their landmass being permanently government, but for now the Pillars are untouchable. The
flooded. campaign in which the Flying Pillars were formed, the
evacuation of Florida, won them great popularity. But as
the Flying Pillars expand, it’s only a matter of time before
the state views them as rivals to their diminishing power.
Playing the Game

The world of 2044
The City
Agriculture State-Automated Farming

In 2044, industrial farming is primarily performed by a
“Society is never more than three square meals away from combination of modern, sophisticated automatons and
collapse.” So the saying goes, and that reality has been made older farming equipment retrofitted for automation. Human
intensely clear to those that survived the upheavals of the 30s. involvement is secondary, used mostly for maintenance, ecological
surveying, and for so-called ‘general intelligence problems’ – issues
Life & Times
On The knife Edge of Famine that require a range of faculties to handle, which machines built
for a specific mechanism are ill-equipped to handle. What is
Increasingly chaotic weather patterns and rapid temperature
produced and where is dictated by complex, centralised systems
shifts have been devastating crop yields since the 2020s, and
that combine meteorology, ecology, AI systems and human
GM’s Toolkit
desertification of once-usable land is ever-expanding as the world

analysts with agriculture, all under the purview of powerful
inexorably heats up.
ministries of agriculture. There are, of course, those who try to
survive outside of the state’s reach where there is not enough
Agriculture used to be so abundant that the wealthy nations who
machinery around for the sowing and harvest to be done
reaped the harvest could afford to squander the bounty of the
without human hands.
Earth, eroding the soil with luxury crops and animals slaughtered
in the trillions, all to line the pockets of a few fat cats.
This reallocation of human labour is a reaction to
the Death Spiral’s many dangers. Under weather
Now food is the lynchpin of geopolitics. Breadbasket zones,
that a human would have to seek shelter from,
regions of highly arable, stable farmland, form the basis of
automatons can lumber through
numerous diplomatic negotiations, as countries use food as
snow, storm and sweltering
leverage against those without. The counter leverage is often the
heat to reap the harvest
mass-migrations that will occur without these food supplies.
before it’s destroyed.
A disease that attacks
There is an essential trade-off on nations with still-fertile ground:
lentils can be detected
they must grow enough food to feed themselves and their allies,
in Spain in the morning
while dedicating as much land as possible to reforestation, to delay
and the automatons
the Death Spiral and ensure farmland stays arable. Even in this
in France will begin
period of restored stability created by the Prohibition, civilisation
replacing the lentil crop
walks a knife edge where on one side is starving today and the
with an alternative by
other is being unable to escape starvation tomorrow.
sundown.
182
Where human labour is central is in the defence of farmland. As
farmland is now both typical absent of other humans and full of Collectif A
the now-scarce commodity of food, farmland can be appealing to
criminal elements as both a refuge and a place to steal. As a result, Collectif National des Exploitants Agricole, shortened
human security patrols with drone accompaniments monitor to ‘Collectif A’, is a collective of French farmers’ unions,
pastoral conservatives, and former farm-owners,
the vast stretches of green – although they can never watch
campaigning for a return of the subsidies necessary for
everywhere.
industrial animal farming. Their rhetoric is traditionalist,
and as is typical for such conservatism, largely ignorant of
history, material reality, or the virtues of empathy.
The Prohibition
The average person in 2044 has not consumed meat, dairy, or It is an open secret in European Commune intelligence
eggs in at least five years, and for many it is closer to a decade. that CNEA is funded by the New American Union and the
This state of affairs is known colloquially as ‘the Prohibition’. In business-states. Timely arrests have prevented a couple of
the 2020s about 80% of the world’s farmland was dedicated to CNEA bomb plots, but it’s only a matter of time with such
backing that blood is spilled. Some people will kill humans
animal agriculture, either for grazing or growing feed. Most of the
for the right to kill animals. Perhaps violence is the point.
produce went to wealthier nations while the poorer ones starved.
Now it’s around 3%.
Farming being almost entirely state-managed means that the
World War III was the initial push: such gluttonous eating habits politicians who want to circumvent the Prohibition must turn to
required a complex global economy moving feed and produce the few private farms left, who are happy to oblige at exorbitant
across seas, which quickly became untenable as conflict shut down prices. In the past few years there have been some politicians
trade routes. Then, as the fighting advanced and supply lines brazen enough to openly flout the Prohibition. UNEC has shown
extended, states focused on simply growing enough calories to feed an alarming willingness to abduct and put on trial such upstarts.
the front lines while rationing began weaning the public off meat
and dairy. As for regular people: some burn with resentment over the
Prohibition, most roll with the punch, and some embrace the
The environmental disasters of the 30s and the resultant famines change. Creativity always follows scarcity, and many have found
were the final nail in the coffin. What little land was still reliable joy in resurrecting forgotten recipes and inventing new ones using
needed to produce enough calories to sustain the nation, and that what is available to them.
wasn’t going to happen with most of the harvest fattening up a few
animals.
Food As Politics
On the back of clear data that a complete shut-down of methane Food is the currency with which the state buys its survival. If the
and nitrous oxide emissions was necessary to stall the Death people are starving to death, they’ll be sure to take you with them.
Spiral, UNEC enacted a flat ban on all state support and subsidies Trying to manipulate this mechanism is one of the main frontiers
for animal agriculture in 2039. This is what is known as the of geopolitics in 2044. States who hold breadbasket regions can
Prohibition, although most of the public believe UNEC has dictate terms, unless you can figure out a countermeasure.
banned the farming of animals itself. Politicians who rail against
the oppression of UNEC are happy to exploit this error. So vital is the control of food that nations are prepared to go to
great lengths to control it. It’s an open secret that the European
Commune has been deliberately sabotaging their transitional
government in Russia so that they can extend their control over
the Crimean breadbasket, and the nascent one emerging from
beneath defrosting Siberia.
CASU is the exception to this rule. Despite the Saharan dead

zone destroying most central African agriculture, CASU
can negotiate with the bountiful European Commune for
consistent food supply as they possess the infrastructure and
political system to create millions upon millions of citizen-
soldiers to march on Europe should they start starving. The
Commune suffered far greater
losses in WWIII. It’s unclear
who would win that fight, so
peace endures so long as both
sides can maintain a grip on
domestic politics.
183
Food & Diet Alternative Protein
There is a persistent concern amongst older generations from
Diet has had to adapt to this new era of scarcity. With the world in in the global north that the Prohibition’s lack of meat is going
Character creation
a tense postwar period, access to food grown abroad is extremely to make everyone wither away. Such thinking can be dismissed
limited. Instead people must make do with what can be grown as the tail-end of a cultural arc that begins with bunk fast-food
locally or, for the areas where local agriculture has collapsed, advertising in the 1980s, but it does strike a chord with those who
whatever is delivered to them. At the same time the increased look back on the halcyon days of consumerism.
global temperature has aided the development and spread of
diseases between crops (and all other life besides). Agriculture is In those days there were ideas of making perfect plant-based
keen to avoid monocultures, so grains remain a staple and what meat substitutes. And while there are still enterprising chefs
people eat besides can vary widely. Limits on industry also means and chemical engineers making and selling such things on an
people are likely to get food in a less processed form than previous individual basis, the industrial processes necessary to bring these
decades. substitutes state-wide aren’t going to have their time in the sun
while limited resources are put to more pressing use. A number
An irony arising from this contention is that for a lot of western of alternatives have arisen to as an (albeit dissatisfying) answer to
consumers, despite no longer having access to meat, dairy, eggs, those who crave the mythologised idea of meat protein:
or any plants from other continents, the breadth of what is eaten
Playing the Game
has widened dramatically. For example the average American was

eating roughly 0.25% of the total foods available to them in the Insects
2020s. This percentage has risen dramatically in the past decade. It Insects form a core part of nutrition in many parts of the world,
only took the end of the world to get them to try new things! as a protein-rich food source that is still viable to mass-produce
in the current agricultural landscape. They also provide a meat
For those who were outside the consumerism of the western diet, replacement in pet food. Many cultures, some since prehistoric
not much has changed in terms of consumption; there is merely times, have consumed insects, and with the Prohibition taking
less. The simplest way to view it is that general cuisine has simply away other forms of protein, the cuisine has only spread further.
stepped back 100 years. A few cities have integrated hibernating insect farms into their
geofront as an emergency food supply.
Food rationing Generally the closer a culture gets

Most food is, in some way, rationed. The specifics of it vary from to the western diet, the more
The world of 2044
nation to nation: some use ration cards, others provide a ‘food insects will be processed
The City
budget’ as part of Universal Basic. Regardless of how, there is in in an attempt meet

most places a baked-in system of getting food from farm to plate. taboos around
entomophagy
Some people have ways to supplement their food, from growing it halfway - cricket
within the jungle atop the city to siphoning local food disposal into powder, for example,
an improvised insect farm. But pretty much everyone ordinary is popular in Europe
relies on the state to cover their calories and nutrition. amongst athletes for its
protein.
However, getting your rations from the state on high relies on you
being ‘within the system’, which not everyone is. Those who fell
Life & Times
(or were pushed) through the gaps in the net must steal to feed
Plankton
Plankton is consumed as a nutrient powder and flavouring in the
themselves, trade their labour or body, or try to make it in by
niche environments that support it. Deep-sea mining operations,
farming in the wilderness.
where stations have an abundance of water, set up plankton
GM’s Toolkit
farms, large permeable cuboid nets. Some coastal technomads use

Like food and energy, water is also rationed in most of the world.
‘leeches’ - cone-shaped automatons formed of concentric rings of
Many states have also introduced micro-organisms to water
synthetic muscle fibres - to gather plankton from the ocean.
supplies alongside minerals such as fluoride and calcium, alarming
conspiracy theorists. These microbes are intended to cover
the gaps in nutrition arising from recent tectonic shifts in diet, Printed Meat
commonly adding vitamins B12, D5, and some others. Synthetically producing meat that is indistinguishable from
its organic equivalent (at least on a molecular level) is entirely
possible thanks to wetprinting. Unfortunately the backlog of organ
Farms Outside the System transplants needing to be printed to keep the elite in good health
The efficiency of automatons, future-planning doctrines, and a means you rarely have the time and resources to print off a meal.
powerful agricultural industry together can usually ensure people There are rumours the more twisted of the elite eat the ‘off-cuts’,
get a square meal... provided you live near a breadbasket zone, or the fleshy armature left from their own transplant’s printing.
are under the protection of an powerful state or organisation such
as CASU.
Meat under the table
Meat isn’t technically illegal in most places, but it is a hot-button
The process of metropolitanisation has reduced the number of
topic. Getting the stuff is expensive, and if the consumption goes
rural poor, but many of those who still exist survive through
public it can be a PR nightmare for the elite partaking in the
some government rations, some local farming, and a few pieces of
indulgence. The ‘Hard Green school’ politicians they’ll rub elbows
contemporary food-producing tech. For those who exist outside a
with despise it, and the general public under The Prohibition often
state’s network, it is not rare for communities to simply disappear
see eating meat as the elite partaking in a luxury they are robbed.
under localised famine as climate change suddenly collapses the
In some backwater countries such as the UK failing to uphold
local agriculture. The world is littered with ghost towns now.
184
correct dinner party etiquette can be the end of a politician’s Gaps in the System
career. The obvious and sensible solution is to develop an UNEC’s Prohibition on animal agriculture is seen by some as
expensive clandestine operation involving a secret animal farm, an ignorant policy enforced by the politicians of industrialised
smuggling ring, and private dining space so that you can enjoy a nations, where pigs and chickens have been divorced from
slice of what you hope is beef steak in ‘comfort’. their original function: converting waste from the dinner table
into more calories. In more obscure regions, where industrial
Petmeat Farming advancement didn’t quite reach, it’s not uncommon to find farm
The pedestrian alternative is the meat of animals small and cheap animals continuing to fulfil that more traditional purpose.
enough so as to be easily concealed, fed and reared. Meat from
such animals - dogs, cats, rats, chickens, and so on - is collectively The Business-State Gap
referred to as ‘petmeat’. The difficulty of the enterprise is finding The business-states are a collection of city-states run by the
the feed to sustain the livestock. The solution for a number of dynastic clans of capitalists that scraped through capitalism’s
petmeat butchers has been a casual ‘collective ownership’: people dismantlement by the Death Spiral. The exist in a political grey
provide the scraps from their rationed meals to feed the animals, area created by playing China and the New American Union off
and will eventually get a return, such as a cut of dog, or a chicken one another, and subsist off of the labour of a captive underclass
egg if the butchers is doubling as a small coop. and patronage from foreign elites. Their strange position has
allowed them to shirk regulation and responsibility, and produce a
In the past few years in which ‘petmeat’ has taken off, a criminal range of real and synthetic meats sold at an extortionate mark-
element has quickly coalesced alongside it. The ploy is simple: up to the middle class who want to taste a cut of ‘Wonderbeef’ or
gather leverage on a few people, then take some of their food ‘People’s Pork’.
rations and funnel them into growing the livestock. From there
you can sell more petmeat, make more dough, buy off more of
people’s food rations for more feed, maybe even use the money Community & Street Cooks
to game the system... More than a few petty criminal enterprises Many of the tight-knit little communities that have formed in the
have started off the back of a petmeat butchers. cities will have people amongst them who are in charge of cooking
everyone dinner, and every city has a cottage industry of street
Accidental Cannibalism cooks. If you first trade what you cook on the street for ration
The world does not want for humans, and it is not uncommon for cards, you can cover the raw resources needed to keep you and
people to simply disappear. Some make their way to the dinner your customers fed. Once you’ve got enough to feed yourself and
plate, sold to the gullible and craving as pork. cook tomorrow’s menu, any customers left can be traded food
The issue is particularly rife in nations for money. A popular street cook can make decent money while
where the consumption of animal carving out a space and reputation for themselves.
agriculture is seen as a God-given
right, such as France or the New
American Union.
The Grand Corn Conspiracy

There is a conspiracy across NAU food production. Tweaks
in the behaviour of farming AIs, misdirected shipments,
faked ‘thievery’ of deliveries… a hundred small acts that
accumulate to a greater political movement. It is known as
the Grand Corn Conspiracy.
Such a ‘conspiracy’ is not, on the surface, exceptional - food
is openly used as a political tool across the globe. What
stands out about the Grand Corn is its existence across the
class spectrum. This is not just political games by the elite;
people up and down the hierarchy, from across many walks
of life, are willingly inducted into this grand plan, and serve
its ends when called upon. Members of the conspiracy
know each other by their hand sign - an L of a forefinger
and thumb closed into a fist.
The USA’s time as global hegemon was in living memory
for many Americans. Wanting to reclaim that imperial pride
is a powerful force that has yet to work itself out of the
culture. It makes many willing to risk themselves, game
the system, and view anyone outside the conspiracy as an
enemy. Even Americans won’t be tolerated standing in the
way of Old America returning. Should they succeed, the
USA will be resurrected and ascendant… with the leaders
of the conspiracy rightfully at the helm, of course.
185
Physical Health Superbugs
Disease mutation and spread have accelerated on a heating planet.
Life expectancy and health standards have been on a general Adding this are the emergence of ‘superbugs’, diseases for which
Character creation
decline since The Crash, and the Death Spiral is so far maintaining there is no direct treatment. Quarantine measures have become
the downward trend, although state intervention has slowed the extremely severe to prevent their spread. Some days you wake up
decline. Most people have access to essential healthcare, although in the dead of night to sirens and bellowing public announcements
if the issue isn’t contagious or debilitating you’re on your own. announcing that the entire district is under lock-down.
The Unknown Doctor Prehistorics

There’s no better place to learn human anatomy than on a ‘Prehistorics’ are ancient diseases released from the thawing North
battlefield. World War III created a generation of skilled surgeons American and Siberian permafrosts. Most diseases stemming from
and medics. It’s not unknown for those who were burnt out by the these permafrosts have, so far, been limited in scope, such as a
violent ends of politics to forsake their nation and wander, giving deer corpse a few thousand years old defrosting, falling in a river,
their services for free to those who need them. and half the township downstream dying of anthrax.
The ones that are potentially world-ending are the diseases deeper
Wonderdrugs
Playing the Game
in the ice, from millions of years ago that modern biology has
Nanites, genetic modification, bionics... there have been many no real resistance to. So far only one such ‘prehistoric’ disease
breakthroughs in medical science the applications of which are has spread: the Yukon plague. The heavy military presence from
just waiting to be explored. But it is also a time of limited means, World War III in North America at the time helped the disease
desperation, and cities full of dark corners. A scientist with a head spread, coupled with Yukon’s delay in manifesting symptoms.
full of medical miracles might find their funding cut, or might not In 2044 a Yukon outbreak can strike out of the blue. While
be able to get animals for testing, or just simply watch the world nationalised medical services have become well-versed in rapidly
breaking apart, and turn to dark and desperate means to pursue implementing a quarantine, no medicinal countermeasure has
their research. yet been developed to the disease. Breaking out into the black
discolourations under the skin, for which it gets the name ‘banana
Super Highs flu’, is almost always a death sentence. The only saving grace
New technology opens up new avenues for getting high. Razor, D8, is its ancient nature makes it less transmissible than modern
and Fenkhel are all examples of drugs invented in the last decade. diseases. So far no one has yet developed a countermeasure to the
The world of 2044
thousands of prehistorics waiting in the permafrost.

The City
Some drugs have even been invented that specifically interact with
bionic physiology or cyberbrains.
Resistants
‘Resistants’ are superbugs that are immune to contemporary

Fungal Pathology antibiotics. A number of different diseases have cropped up
As world gets hotter, new thermotolerant strains of fungus are
across the globe, and some have become pandemics. Most are not
emerging. Some can now resist the temperature shock of going
life-threatening, but collectively resistant superbugs kill about
from the relatively cool exterior of a body to the hot interior,
2 million people each year. There are a number of initiatives to
and can start growing in the veins and organs of the host. Now a
develop alternative antibiotics
number of fungal pathologies are on the rise for which the human
body has no natural immunity, many of which are fatal.
Life & Times
Phyto-Pharmacology
Disease is more frequent in this new age. A sickness with a low
Plastic Pollution profile can spread quickly through a packed city, but the general
Microplastics, oil particles from all the spills that were never
GM’s Toolkit
and lasting scarcity means that manufactured medicine is limited

cleaned up (which is every oil spill), and ‘forever chemicals’
in supply. Plants provide an unreliable alternative in a few ways.
are everywhere. While some animals have been observed to
have evolved countermeasures to the effects of microplastics in
the body, most - including humans - have not. Their presence Alternative Medicine
negatively impacts everything they touch, from agriculture to People desperate for treatment but not able to get it can,
biodiversity to health. understandably, turn to alternatives. Herbs, grown in a quiet
corner of the jungle or patch of land near the city are much easier
to produce than pharmaceuticals, and alternative medicine in
Infertility general has grown in popularity as a result. That growth is fuelled
Microplastics and their ilk in the body lowers fertility, and for
in part by New Pagan movements, budding religious cults for
some entirely stops it. This has left its mark on a number of
people seeking a faith more attuned to the environment. Most
people: with Universal Basic and a return of community, some
alternative medicine does not help people with their conditions.
people feel well-placed to have children but find they cannot.
Governments keen to rebuild their populations have extended
the essential healthcare provided by UB to cover infertility, but Phyto-synthetics & shortages
resources are scarce and treatment doesn’t always work. With the prohibition rolling back drugs derived from animals,
plants have needed to increasingly bear the burden of producing
organic medicine. With most farmland needed to stave off famine,
this has meant some drugs have fallen into short supply, such
as HRT. Governments seeking to rebuild their populations after
the war focus HRT toward supporting childbirth, meaning those
seeking gender-affirming therapy can often be left out.
186
Mental Health Templating
Where does mercy reside in the brain? How about obedience?
Mental health has, bizarrely, improved in the last 20 years. Being Neuronomy has not (yet) mapped out the elements of a person’s
trapped in a slow-motion apocalypse enacts its toll, but a number personality, so cannot directly target (and remove) them.
of factors add up to the average human having a more sunny
disposition than they did in the 2020s. Wartime neuronomy was instead trialled through a method called
‘templating’: mapping an animal’s neural pathways, roughly
The Death Spiral is Already Here isolating the patterns that encourage desirable traits, when having
Now that ‘the Death Spiral’ has crystallised as both an a human brain imitate those patterns. The result is a change in
environmental and cultural event, there is no longer an anxiety- thought process rather than personality. At least, that’s the idea.
inducing wait. Now it feels like you can actually do something
about it. The rustle in the bushes has confirmed itself to be a tiger
- now it’s just a simple matter of killing the thing.
Postwar Trauma
The wounds of war are as deeply carved in the human spirit as
they are in the body and land. Many veterans have developed
Universal Basic PTSD, particularly those who fought in West and East Asia, or the
UB covers peoples basic material needs, meaning people no American West Coast for the atrocities perpetrated there. Each
longer have to work stressful jobs just to make ends meet (unless soldier has to find their own way back to normalcy, whether that
they really want to), and don’t have the threat of poverty and be through therapy, repression, drugs, or politics. Or they cannot
homelessness hanging over them if they fail to do that work. handle the doldrums of peace and leave to seek new battlefields.
People also have more free time to engage in creativity and culture.
Tech Trauma
Community New technologies have also brought new afflictions.
UB has reversed the trend of atomisation capitalism was advancing Nanomachines were trialled in American soldiers as a way
in wealthier nations, and people are increasingly connecting with to improve performance and keep emotions in check. They
others and forming a community. While not always a good thing, proved disastrous, resulting in violent episodes called ‘nanite
as communities risk becoming insular and tribal, having a group to overexposure’, believed to be the cause behind the Golf Club
socialise with and rely upon does wonders for well-being. Slaughter.
Greater Purpose Military Mindset

Unifying national projects like the European Commune’s Bionics, nanites, and reprogramming people’s brains with
international reforestation or CASU’s Culturist cause give people a neuronomy are just more technologically sophisticated ways of
sense of greater purpose. breaking someone down and rebuilding them to be a ‘better’
soldier, lacking the handicaps of empathy or morality. The systems
Some even consider the presence of a clear existential enemy in the of training people’s humanity out of them have been around for
Death Spiral to be a benefit to mental health, as it gives something millennia in some form, it’s just that the process has been refined.
for people to struggle against and arrange their life in opposition
to. Some people are so reprogrammed they can no longer integrate
back into society. And there are the rare and evil few who loved
war so much they didn’t want to leave. Some of these soldiers
Neuronomy have found their places amongst the political structures that use
Neuronomy is a nascent science that explores the interaction violence: UNTac, cyborg special forces, the suppression squads in
and alteration of neural pathways with precise electronic stimuli. places such as Russia and India, or as military police. Others are
Effectively, it is the study of directly interacting with grey matter. left out in the cold, and become organised crime or paramilitary
The Cyberbrain is its crowning achievement, a piece of technology mercenaries. A dreadful few haunt the world as demented killers
that can allow the brain to interact with machine code, but there waging a lone war.
are more applications beginning to be explored.
During the war, neuronomy was trialled as another attempt to

create ‘better soldiers’, but in peacetime there are those who
envision it being put towards positive ends. Although only in its
adolescence as a study, some scientists talk of using neuronomy to
diagnose and treat mental health issues, bypassing the psychology
and interacting directly with the grey matter than perpetuates
those conditions.
Unsurprisingly, using neuronomy this way has a lot of detractors,

who will often point to those who underwent ‘templating’ in the
war being reported to have lost aspects of their personality. There
are also more paranoid theories of the lobotomising of free will.
187
Labour Big Bucks
More dangerous and arduous work, like military security or deep
The Death Spiral has caused tectonic shifts in the economy. sea and asteroid mining, is taken for the big paycheck. The general
Character creation
Universal Basic was introduced to create some stability, but UB scarcity of non-essentials means that many goods have become
itself has created further economic changes - the most prominent incredibly expensive. Something such as discontinued pre-war
being that a quarter of adults in stable countries are unemployed. technology, or bionic prosthesis for a family member, can cost
The largest employing sectors are conservation, farming, years of wages. Of course, not everyone does it for altruism: many
transportation, security, and the government, with a number plan to work hard for a few years then kick back and enjoy the
seeing changes in the field: high life.
Middle-Management No more Passion Projects

The transition away from capitalist economies decimated Not everyone who labours does so in a formal setting, but it is real
management, marketing and administrative work. Less verticality work nevertheless. Many people dedicate the time given to them by
in economic structure meant you no longer needed flunkies who UB to passion projects, be that in art, programming, engineering,
needed flunkies who needed flunkies, and the pressing matter of or whatever else has grabbed their soul. Universal Basic has
surviving the Death Spiral meant people didn’t have the cash or through this freedom ushered in a new renaissance: there has been
time to throw away on middle-class make-work programs.
Playing the Game
an explosion of new artistic and technological advances made by

people toiling away in their own time. The Net in particular has
Transportation & hauling thrived off of this new renaissance. The internet before it grew
Moving things from A to B was the most common job for decades, mostly from software written and shared for free by the passionate,
but as transportation automatons have been introduced the work and The Net has only grown the tradition.
has shrunk somewhat. Now most humans moving goods are
working within the cities, as couriers and gophers. Mass mobilisations

There are also the instances of drafted labour. Environmental
Security, police & military disasters of biblical proportions can strike fast and without
Between the famines, political instability, and all the free time warning, and their mitigation can require thousands to tens
people have due to UB, it looks like it could kick off at any of thousands of people working in harsh conditions. Many of
moment. Aside from the risky tactic of restricting food supply, these people will come from an emergency draft, often called a
‘mass mobilisation’. While the draft is enforced under threat of
The world of 2044
policing is the only real remaining way for governments to apply

The City
force, and so has endured unchanged or expanded as a sector. imprisonment, many people come forward of their own volition.
As alien as it might sound to some, a lot of people find fulfilment
in engaging in a collective national project.
Government
An expansion of state to grapple the Death Spiral has required

legions of bureaucrats, analysts, and sycophants to be raised to
turn the cogs of the great machine. Many people try to get into
government roles as the next step towards getting into the elite.
There are also the scientists and statisticians who tend state-owned
AI used for agriculture and other purposes.
Life & Times
Tech
The destruction of the internet wiped out most of the tech
industry, leaving vast swathes of software non-functional and
GM’s Toolkit
inaccessible on The Net that replaced it. State efforts have hastily
built ‘the essentials’ on The Net, them being government utilities,
a state-owned social media platform, and working software that
ordinary people can use to access these things, but the workforces
behind these are small compared to the number of people working
in tech in previous decades. Most of the people working on The
Net right now aren’t employed, and instead do it out of passion.
Universal Basic & Labour

Universal Basic covers people’s basic needs, and is generally non-
conditional for the citizenry. But if people aren’t living paycheck-
to-paycheck, they can’t be held captive by low wages. So why do
ordinary people still go to work?
Honest Pay
Often those who engage in simple everyday work want the small
luxuries you can’t get on UB, like fashion that isn’t government-
issue or second-hand, or a keg of beer after a hard month. Or they
may need money to support others - UB won’t cover many medical
costs, or get your community that hardware they need. And some
people simply want to keep their hands busy.
188
Mining Asteroid Mining
Mining has only increased in importance as society has progressed Asteroid mining is a new frontier of mining, having only begun
into the 21st century; World War III necessitated great expansions four years ago. Mining vessels deploy from the port on the moon
in production, and the megastructures of the modern world and sail forth, borne on their donut drives, to the asteroid belts of
demand even more. the solar system. Once there, if everything works out (and it isn’t
a given that it will), the miner will use their vessel to mount onto
and drill into scouted asteroids to determine precisely the metal(s)
Terrestrial Mining within. Should the contents be desired, the asteroid will then be
Most of the typical processes of mining have become highly ‘cracked’ through a low-yield nuclear warhead fired down the bore.
automated. Digging, extraction, and hauling are all handled by From there metal chunks are gathered, mounted with their own
mighty automatons, as is much of their maintenance. Human donut drives, and launched back to Moon Base.
involvement in a land-based mining operation will be the few
overseers and engineers on-site necessary to handle a ‘general Asteroid mining is the high-stakes table of mining, where miners
intelligence’ problem, and as security. spend months (often alone) in a cramped craft where only a thin
wall protects them from the void beyond. A spark in a twitchy
Depletion has closed several land-based operations and detonator could set off the nuclear payload they carry, and once
automation now takes up the rest. Now most human labour they reach their asteroid, botching the mounting or drilling could
involved in mining has been diverted to more hazardous, extreme shatter the craft. At least in space connecting to The Net is easier,
environments; deep sea mining, and space mining. enabled through a distribution of relays, so asteroid miners don’t
lack for entertainment or connection.
Deep Sea Mining
Deep sea mining was pioneered during WWIII. Collapses in At any time there are only a few hundred mining vessels in
local government in South America and the nationalisation of all operation. Given their small number, the risks and thrills of their
northern African mining by CASU states left both Europe and job, and the wealth that can come if done successfully, asteroid
China desperate for raw materials. Only a theoretical technology miners can be regarded with some reverence. Being both lucrative
at the time, operations were spearheaded that forced rapid and dangerous, space piracy is also beginning to develop, where
developments in the field amidst horrendous industrial accidents people would prefer to rob the proceeds of a successful miner’s
and environmental destruction. A decade on, deep sea mining has operation rather than risk.
gotten cleaner for the environment, but just about everything else
remains murky, harsh, and sometimes lethal.
Space
Deep sea mining is incredibly isolating, set in cramped, Space is a burgeoning frontier in 2044, opened by the advent of
pressurised, sweaty conditions away from family in pitch-black the Donut Drive. Now the reaches of the solar system are months
surroundings. Your ticket back to the surface if your nerve breaks away, not years, and all its celestial bodies are ripe for plunder.
is a transport vessel that comes once a month. The ocean acts as
a natural faraday cave, preventing free connection to the outside
world. Typically a station is connected to The Net for only an The Supply Line
hour each day. God clearly did not intend for humans to live at the The flow of asteroid mining typically goes like this:
bottom of the ocean, and stories abound of miners going mad.
‘The law’ has no reach thousands of fathoms under the sea, and
Commission accepted
An asteroid miner takes a commission then sets out from Moon
a criminal element has been growing alongside deep sea mining.
Base, to either survey a series of asteroids or to mine one or
After the chaos and secrecy of the war a number of mining
several asteroids the rights to which have been determined
operations have been abandoned and forgotten, and now are
through international bidding. Some miners are on contracted to a
repurposed as way-stations for smugglers and hideaways for
government, while others are freelance.
criminals who want to (almost literally) fall off the face of the
earth. There are also the simply corrupt businesses who want
the profits of mining without all those tedious environmental Asteroid Mined
protections. Such operations have a bad history of inadvertently The miner reaches their asteroid(s), and either cracks them or
self-destructing when they turn the surrounding waters into surveys them according to the job.
poisonous, opaque slurry.
Return to Moon Base
Her Majesty’s Sea Mine #13 The miner returns to Moon Base. If they mined an asteroid, the
valuable chunks will have been fitted with their own donut drives
There’s a story shared amongst deep sea miners, of HM Sea and shepherded back by the miner. Once back at Moon Base, the
Mine #13. It usually goes something like this: “There was payload is set to orbit.
a secret deep sea mine run by the Brits during WWIII, kept
quiet because otherwise the Russians would blow it to bits.
Supposedly the atmosphere control broke, started making Space Elevator to Earth-side
too much oxygen, made everyone go nuts and kill each Mining payloads are then moved to one of a space elevator
other. But that isn’t even the worse bit. When the rescue by a dedicated hauling vessel. There are currently two space
team finally came to find out what had happened, all the elevators in operation: the UNEC-run Spaceport in Brazil or
insects in the mine had grown giant - bigger than a head, the Intercontinental Freeport in Singapore, which is technically
they say! - and they ate the rescuers alive. Then the whole independent but everyone knows is really run by China.
place exploded and now the ghosts of both the mad miners Payloads are then moved by elevator back down to earth, for sale,
and the giant cockroaches haunt the depths. True story.” distribution and processing, to build the structures of tomorrow.
189
The Donut Drive Moon Pirates
‘The Donut Drive’ is space miner jargon for the Zhou-Reynolds Like past frontiers, space has no shortage of bandits and gangsters.
Drive, two rings fitted to either end of a space vessel that enable it Space pirates typically operate by lurking in a crater on the dark
Character creation
to accelerate. The drive works by creating a ‘Zhou field’, which then side of the moon, sustaining themselves off of a Helium3 harvester
accelerates the object within by creating a discrepancy in quantum and generator, then launching sorties to rob approaching miners of
foam at either end of the field. This enables consistent acceleration their hauls to sell on as their own.
at a very low energy cost, but can only function in a zero-gravity
environment. If a modern space vessel gets trapped in Earth’s Some of these ‘Moon Pirates’ are secretly in the employ of national
gravity well, it cannot power the donut drive to escape, dooming powers, paid to disrupt their competitor states, but others are pure
the vessel and its pilot. Unfortunately this means building a colony opportunists adrift in a political and literal void, hoping a big score
on Mars is still a distant dream for weirdos. will allow them to buy their way back to Earth.
Playing the Game

The world of 2044
The City
Life & Times
Energy
Some argue the current circumstance are not a product of
necessity due to limited energy production, but instead the
Electrical power in 2044 is primarily produced by a mix of limited electricity production is a choice to enable instituting
renewable sources and nuclear, with fossil fuels are now largely social control. By restricting a necessary good then becoming
GM’s Toolkit
absent from energy production. its monopolistic distributer, governments can effectively hold
their citizens hostage, much like how they use food. Likewise
Production has become increasingly centralised under governments can fabricate electricity overuse to restrict supply to
international organisations and UNEC, with who building what districts that draw their ire, and in turn local bodies of power can
and where coordinated to fit around agricultural and ecological similarly harass individuals and communities.
projects. Natural disasters are now so frequent much of energy
planning centres on what is viable to build in a given region. No
one is going to build a nuclear power plant in earthquake-prone
Fossil Fuels
Demand slowly dwindled since the turn of the century before a
Japan, or wind turbines off the typhoon-prone Philippines.
spike in demand during World War III, to power factories and
war machines. Most nations developed a severe shortage of fossil
Energy Rationing fuels during the war, a circumstance that has endured into the
present due to the collapse of oil-producing states such as Saudi
By necessity or design, the world no longer produces electricity of
the same bounty as it once did. Currently, humanity produces little Arabia and Russia. UNEC and ‘hard green’ politics have been
over half the output achieved at its peak during World War III. The keen to maintain and further this state of affairs for the obvious
forced abandonment fossil fuels has left the world with a hole in its environment reasons, although small amounts of crude are still
power production, and most states institute a system of electricity extracted in a few sites across the globe. Most of the consumption
rationing, usually distributed to citizens through local governance. of fossil fuels happens in personal generators and industrial
This has led to electricity becoming a precious good, with all the processes. The shortages during the war were the initial driving
complications that follow; theft, hoarding, appropriation, seizure, force behind the development of alternate fuels, and a shift
bartering, extortion, and so on. towards renewable power sources being the primary source of
electricity.
190
Modern Fuels Nuclear Fusion
A range of biofuels have been developed in the postwar technology The dream of nuclear fusion has also been achieved, now fully
boom to replace fossil fuels as means of powering vehicles, realised through the application of quantum materials. Entirely
generators, and so on. As an industry that primarily relies on clean energy that requires water as its fuel sounds idyllic - it is.
converting either crops, or the waste products of food, modern Fusion reactors are so resource-intensive to produce, most states
fuels have a low and hard limit on how much can be produced. simply do not have access to the materials or expertise necessary.
With the Death Spiral placing society on the edge of famine, make Currently, there are only two fusion reactors in existence, both
too much fuel and you’ll have starved the city. made though UNEC coordination; the Rio Global Revival reactor
near Rio, Brazil as part of the broader project to make Brazil a
testament of global cooperation and initiatives, and the Fusion1:
Greesel Dummerstorf in northern Germany, currently under construction.
‘Green diesel’ is the most common fuel used by the military and
police. It is mass-produced through treating vegetable oil in
vast, boiling-hot vats of genetically modified algae. Although not Nuclear Politics
identical (the ‘green’ in the name is literal), green diesel acts very Rationing has also shifted politics around nuclear power. While
similarly to its fossil-fuel counterpart, allowing for many machines highly unpopular in previous decades, new nuclear plants (it is
and parts designed for petroleum to still run post-fossil fuels. argued) will directly improve the lives of locals by increasing their
Greesel is favoured over the mundane refined vegetable oil used by electricity ration. Those who still dissent are painted as anarchistic
scavengers and jury-riggers as it produces more energy. Decliners.
Methane & Methel Renewables

Methane and liquid methane are together the most common fuel
for metropolitan fuel-consumption, be that for businesses, the
Wind
Great arrays of wind turbines rise from the acidifying sea before
personal vehicles of elites, or public transport. Methane as a fuel is
many a coastline. As natural disasters increase in magnitude, the
produced by algae consuming biowaste in refineries.
target becomes building turbines in an area where they will get as
much wind as possible, but not so much that they’ll fall apart.
Chemical processes convert methane into a substance commonly
called methel (or sometimes methal), which is liquid at room
temperature. Not only useful as a fuel, methel can be introduced to Hydro
other substances that doctor its nature, opening up applications as Climate change has changed the patterns of many of the world’s
a lubricant, hydraulic fluid, adhesive, and more. Liquid methane rivers, killing some, swelling others, and making many more
also doesn’t easily burn in normal atmospheric conditions, making extreme in their behaviour. Hydro has been battered by the
it very safe. For its utility, it’s often the prized fuel amongst people changes, with many hydroelectric dams becoming defunct, but
trying to build mechanisms in the scarcity of the Death Spiral. some plants still remain in operation and new ones are being built.
In the past, hydroelectric power plants that use reservoirs

Alcohol generated power to sell when electricity was expensive, then
Produced by genetically modified yeast, ‘ethanol baths’ are the
bought power when electricity was cheap to pump the water back
popular choice amongst technomads for producing both a fuel,
up. The practice is now dismissed as yet another bizarre, wasteful
and (provided you dilute it) a drug. Its tandem use has seen
mutation of capitalism, and reservoir hydroelectric plants are now
ethanol bath technology begin to spread into the cities.
held onto as emergency power supplies.
Helium3 Solar
An obscure isotope harvested from the moon, no one has yet
Solar arrays atop the cityscape are a common sight, but the
figured out how to effectively harvest helium3 on an industrial
growing deserts of the world are where the real power is produced.
scale then transport it back to earth. For now, it is used as a fuel by
Initiatives such as the Arabian Desert Solar Array combine
small groups and solo operators parked on the moon’s surface as a
millions of solar cells to capture the rays from a cloudless sky.
way to keep operation costs low.
Local technomads of the empty open spaces solar arrays are
installed are often employed to provide maintenance on the
Nuclear Energy panels, and to prevent other technomads and bandits from stealing
A number of countries deploy nuclear fission reactors for energy cells from the array.
production. Liquid Salt Reactors (LSRs) are the most popular
model, a design that became viable in the early 30s, although Geothermal
only recently has their production proliferated thanks to certain Geothermal power on the planet’s surface has diminished with the
material shortages being ended by asteroid mining. LSRs are collapse of Greenland and Iceland, but there are plans to expand
relatively compact, and produce negligible waste, however if geothermal power plants to the sea floor, to power deep sea mining
an LSR collapsed, the spill would be highly damaging to the operations, and later the cities.
surrounding ecology and globally distribute carcinogenic,
irradiated salt. For these reasons, LSRs, and nuclear power plants
in general are relegated to natural disaster-averse regions. BioFuel Burning
Rather than using modern fuels in engines, some of it is burned
in industrial generators to provide electricity to the city. Emissions
are captured at the source and form part of initiatives to repeatedly
pull carbon from the atmosphere through controlled plant growth
and burning.
191
Architecture Jungle Brutalism in Asia
Market forces within state-capitalist China have flirted with a
The urban environment is dense and industrial. People are series of architectural movements over the past decades, and the
Character creation
pumped into the cities by metropolitanisation, and in that pressure current, vague ‘mainstream’ that has arisen is Jungle Brutalism.
cooker new ideas on how to design a city are forming, some A confluence of several architectural styles, its market origins
spontaneously and some intentional. mean it has been largely organic in development, as opposed
to the state-driven styles of Digestion and Neo-Baroque. As
such ‘Jungle Brutalism’ is a broad term. Its only real defining
Architectural Styles feature is minimalist, geometric designs from which the style has
World War III laid waste to cities, and the Death Spiral makes new retroactively gotten its ‘brutalism’ title. Other than this, ‘brutalism’
architectural demands of society. New styles have arisen to shape is something of a misnomer. The ‘beton brut’ - concrete - of actual
the constructions of 2044: brutalism is largely absent, with edifices generally fashioned of raw
stone or metal, and these geometric designs usually serve as a base
Neo-Baroque in Europe upon which further trappings are applied. If it there is a design
Part of the wider neo-baroque movement, neo-baroque philosophy of Jungle Brutalism, it is to produce buildings that
architecture aims to revive both the greco-roman trappings of have a functional yet aesthetically pleasing ‘base’, which can have
renaissance architecture and the imperialist aesthetics of the its surfaces and fittings easily replaced to facilitate the changing
Playing the Game
baroque and late baroque periods. The project is politically driven demands of politics and business.
by the ecofascists of Europe, intended to revive and valorise the
Greek, Roman, and imperialist traditions of the region - although Digestion in Africa
in true fascist fashion the history of such ‘traditions’ is half- Digestion is a contemporary Marxist architectural style inspired
remembered, and their significance to the present tenuous at best. by the Japanese style of Metabolism. Digestion prises function
over form, intending to house people as densely as possible while

In realisation, the neo-baroque style combines the megastructures maximising quality of life and efficiency of the city as a whole.
of the present with florid façades of baroque-inspired metalwork, Digestion draws inspiration from biology, aiming to conceive the
and gargantuan greco-roman sculptures. Some sculptural city as a whole organism and its constructs as constituent organs.
instillations venerate the Christian faith (typical in southern
Europe), but most serve to represent politicians and war heroes In appearance, Digestion buildings are generally blocky, plain,
as god-like. The architecture specifically draws from the original and grand in size. However their design facilitates healthy internal
Baroque’s style of intending to draw the eyes upwards, but where
The world of 2044
communities while not isolating their residents. Light-wells and

The City
once the viewer would look towards a representation of the internal parks are common features, as well as larger buildings
heavens, now there are the looming faces of dictators and killers. containing their own community hall. The aesthetic focus is
inward, with artwork carved into the hallways and community
spaces rather than the building’s facade, to inspire the people

within rather than impose on the people without (in stark contrast
to neo-baroque’s style). The designs will combine afro-futurism
with a military aesthetic, to venerate the soldier-citizens of the city.
Life & Times
GM’s Toolkit
192
Drivers of Metropolitanisation
Almost every country is undergoing a process of
Technomads
‘metropolitanisation’, a policy-driven upheaval and integration The nomadic life has become increasingly untenable in the
of rural and suburban communities into increasingly dense cities Death Spiral. Water has become more scarce. Natural patterns
The main drivers are socioeconomic and ecological. The loss of relied upon for thousands of years have shifted or stopped.
much of the young in World War III has left many small towns and Desertification has taken much of the grassland upon which their
suburbs without a labour force, or those fit enough to clash with grazing animals fed on, and new diseases finished the livestock
police as they come to forcefully evacuate the town. Economically that didn’t starve. Some nomadic peoples left their ways to survive,
and politically vulnerable, and predicted to be ghost towns in a joining the process of metropolitanisation. A few dying groups still
few decades anyway, these places are easy targets for hard green cling to the old ways. The nomads who preserved their freedom
politics. Rural and suburban land present more ecological value did so through adopting new technology, becoming what are now
if they are bulldozed and converted to farmland or reforestation called technomads.
projects, and these ageing populations can more easily ‘cared
for’ if they are relocated to the cities. Or so the narrative goes. In Technomads exist across the earth, from the cold of Northern
truth the rural communities resistant to metropolitanisation are Canada to the sweltering Arabian Desert. Their technology is
also the heartland of the ideologies of consumerism and nominal often centred around food and electricity. Hydroponics and
government regulation, which hard green politics wants to crush. fermentation baths are common features, as a solar panels for
technomads near the equator.
Technomadic Warfare
Technomads are increasingly fulfilling an important political
niche. While the state’s ability to assert itself has concentrated
in the cities it has receded beyond, and with banditry on the
rise at the periphery of
civilisation, states are
beginning to broker deals
with technomadic tribes
to provide scouting and
protection in exchange for
materials, food, and tech.
Some technomads are

also contracted to provide
maintenance on some
rural megastructural
projects. The technomadic
Bedouin, for example, is
employed to protect and
maintain the Arabian
Desert Solar Array.
Ataata Papalomeh
Rare amongst the technomads are those who have
their roots in the rich. The Ataata Papalomeh - ‘Smiling
The Hedgehog Lady Butterflies’ - are one of those few.
The Ataata Papalomeh formed early for technomads, in the
There is a secret highway through the city. A maze
mid 30s amidst the upheavals of World War III. A certain
unknown to most, built not for man, but beast. It is the
kind of cosmopolitan elite, seeing the changing of the
‘hedgehog highway’, a web of tiny passageways, ramps, and
times, found no nation to latch themselves onto and chose
holes that have allowed the return of the smaller fauna that
instead to give up their positions and power (although
once found the cities impassable. Although a number of
not the wealth it had granted them). With their resources
citizens have followed lead and contributed to the highway,
they gathered machines for survival and travel; aquaponic
much of it is the work of a sole woman.
systems, solar panels, kite-buggies and else-wise to bear
She is known in gossip and rumours as the Hedgehog Lady. them across the dying earth.
To some she is a spirit heralding great change in the lives
Now they follow the wind routes, steering clear of bandits
of those she appears before. To others she is an ill omen. To
and politicians who know them to be wealthy marks, living
others still she is just a woman who likes hedgehogs.
out their days as pleasure-seekers and treasure hunters. A
The Hedgehog Lady knows many of the city’s secrets, network has formed between Ataata Papalomeh caravans
whispered to her by the creatures that come to her on and the remaining old elite in the cities, who regard them
tiny foot or crooked wing - or so she says. A sceptic might as something between desert-walking sages and masters
suspect her vast technical knowledge belies a connection of hedonism. With fancy comes patronage, and at the old
to the hacker underground, who commonly peddle secrets elite’s behest the Ataata Papalomeh flit like their namesake
stolen with spyware. Regardless, for those that can win her between the ruins in the wilderness and the metropolis to
trust (and find her) she can be a valued oracle and advisor. fill collections and private auctions.
193
Industry Centralised Power
WWIII also required a centralised state to direct the war effort,
and the resultant power and mechanisms are now there to be
Postwar economy
Character creation
wielded. The state is firmly in control of a nation’s resources, and

The structural demands of a war effort and the following Death for the most part directs them into economic structures under its
Spiral means that the typical economy has undergone a number of control. There are very few private ‘industrialists’ and ‘magnates’
changes - particularly those in the western world. around who can similarly command power.
Organised Labour Diminished Private Capital

World War III required a large, organised labour force, many of Taxes are high across the board, and push 100% as you reach
whom worked (and fought and died) alongside one another for the apex of private wealth. Those who are awarded lucrative
common cause. The bonds forged in that fire remain strong, and state contracts or benefit the economy through entrepreneurial
organised labour has a presence in every city. ingenuity are going to see financial compensation at the ‘I can
comfortably retire’ level rather than ‘I can build a multinational
corporation’ level.
Playing the Game

The world of 2044
The City
Life & Times
These local jobs are the ones that involve individual consumers
Localised Economics buying goods. Industrial production usually does require its
The Death Spiral does not tolerate a globalist economy. Try to workers to travel some distance to its farms, factories, and so on.
GM’s Toolkit
make something by manufacturing different constituent parts Usually people assemble at muster points each day for the transit,
across the globe doesn’t work if those parts are likely to be lost in a or work away from their homes for months or years at a time.
natural disaster, stolen by bandits, locked down under an embargo,
stolen by the government they were made in, or the other myriad Megastructures, which often serve an administrative or
other problems the Death Spiral throws at humanity. infrastructural purpose, incorporate housing and all the
amenities a community needs into their design. In a sense this
To adapt, economic models have become localised, with goods is another reflection of the localisation of the economy: most of
undergoing their whole production cycle in same country - or in the government and utility workers in a nation work in the same
the case of megafactories, in the same building. building they live in. It’s just really big.
No one country contains all the natural resources to internally

produce any modern hardware, so it’s not like trade itself has shut Megafactories
down. But what is being exchanged now is either raw resources A megafactory takes in bulk quantities of raw resources and turns
or the finished product, rather than the components in-between. them into complete products all under one roof. The model was
If you crack open a shipping crate, you’d find either cotton and popularised during WWIII, initially to manufacture war machines
rubber, or shoes. You wouldn’t find shoelaces and soles. in secret plants supplied by underground tunnels.
The megafactory model is predominantly used for producing

Localised Work mechanically-complex instruments, but there are some that churn
As the macroeconomy has localised, so has the micro. Most people
out basic goods on a national scale. In some countries the rationed
work at a location within walking distance of their home; now that
clothing all comes from the same building.
no one has a car to travel to other markets, consumer trade needs
to work on a local level or not at all.
194
Contempt for Capitalism
It’s a tough time to be a capitalist. First the government taxes back
all the money you’d sucked out of society to fund their war effort.
Then they nationalise all the industries you were hollowing out.
And now politicians won’t take your money any more! Apparently
being an avatar of the ideology that caused the Death Spiral makes
you PR kryptonite.
In the same way that the divine right of kings gave way to
capitalism, capitalism is now giving way to a new superstructure as
the Death Spiral moulds society anew. This new superstructure’s
form is only beginning to coalesce, and it could be pulled in many
directions. Perhaps you’ll have a hand in forming it.
Feelings at the ground level

Ordinary people just have a general sense that they don’t like
‘capitalism’ as an ideology or ‘profiteering’ as a goal, seeing these Small Business
things as having caused the progressing ecological collapse that The breaking of monopolies and the free time granted by
may have doomed the species. The term is, however, just an Universal Basic has opened up the bottom of the market. Small
abstract concept to most. People saying they dislike ‘capitalism’ businesses and independent traders are appearing across the city.
doesn’t provide any insight into what they actually believe. On the
other side of things saying you’re on the side of ‘capitalism’ in 2044
is comparable to calling yourself a ‘communist’ in a western nation
Street Vendors
A number of people with time in their day and something worth
in the early 21st Century: the average person will react somewhere
selling will simply go to a local trading spot, roll out a blanket, and
between ‘that’s nice dear’ and ‘I don’t think that’s appropriate’.
sell to passers by. Many of these businesses are technically illegal,
Like the communists before them, capitalists in 2044 tend to
being set up without municipal permission. Police and bureaucrats
have a slightly wild-eyed look and chew people’s ears off with
are usually indifferent, unless then need the neighbourhood
impenetrable theories from obscure, long-dead intellectuals.
‘cleaned up’ to impress a visiting VIP or want to bully a particular
vendor or area. Usually cops just roll up, smash any stalls and
Business & Attitudes goods, and order it all cleaned up. Within a week the vendors will
Just because ‘capitalism’ as an ideology is exiting the stage, some have returned as if nothing happened.
people still live in pursuit of monetary wealth and will put
together a business to try and get it. ‘Markets’ and ‘profiteering’ are
concepts that existed before capitalism, and will endure past it.
Second Hand Trade
There’s plenty of junk left over from the previous eras. Much of it
has gathered in second hand shops that trade anything from books
The difference is that ‘capital’ is no longer the dominant political
to electronics. Such places rarely run at a profit, and some work by
interest, replaced now with ‘survival’. Those with excess wealth
swapping rather than selling goods.
cannot simply buy up property to rent, or exploit cheaper labour
abroad. Governments taking control of most sectors to ensure
they are properly managed coupled with a collapse of a globalised Bartering
economy mean that ‘making your money work for you’ is no Bartering has seen a return as a form of payment. Many UB
longer an option. Unless you are selling a good which there is a economies limit the circulation of money, which has encouraged
material need, you’ll be hard-pressed to make a profit. people to instead trade ration tokens, food, or a few nicknacks.
195
Charter Corps
If you want to make real money you’re going to have to attach
yourself to the government and become a charter corp. The
Character creation
colloquial term originates with the state charters written during

WWIII, that created state-tied companies to produce vast supplies
of arms and equipment for the war effort. Now it refers to the
dominant model of companies that work to the will of the state.
Sometimes charter corps are formed by governments putting out

an open call for applications, and sometimes they are formed by
the corp-to-be’s leaders applying to the relevant ministry with a
good idea (or at least, an idea that will appeal to the review board).
The means of creation means that a number of worker-collectives
have formed charter corps, with every worker being one of the
‘bosses’ applying for the commission.
CCs will have a government representative installed somewhere

Playing the Game
near the top shaping the decisions (although walled off from any
profits - their interest is in making the thing a political rather than
financial success, which they can take credit for to help them up
greasy pole). Sometimes a crisis can form when the heads of the
company construct a fake narrative around their political liaison
while they plunder the corp for personal enrichment.
Multinational Charter Corps

Some CCs are formed by one of the great powers rather than a
single country. These new multinationals are commissioned to do
things like produce guns to arm half a continent. Although on a
government leash, they can wield considerable power of their own.
The world of 2044
The City
The Business States

The business states are the strange creation of American capitalism
reaching its zenith then being put through the thresher of a civil
war and a world war. They are a collection of city-states clustered
in the south-west of North America that live by permission of
China and its representatives in the annexed West Coast.
Stuart McGregor
The business states first began when US mega-conglomerations
and 345BIOELECTRIC
began purchasing territory from the USA government for tax
Life & Times
evasion. From there they survived the second civil war and WWIII Stuart McGregor is one of the heirs to the
as independent manufacturers, selling to both sides of each war. ‘345BIOELECTRIC’ business state. In the previous decade
They managed to hold onto their territories through the conflict this conglomeration of pharmaceutical and biochemical
on the West Coast and up to the armistice, and have now become a firms - gathered under one Gordon McGregor - weathered
GM’s Toolkit
political tool for China to antagonise the New American Union. the storm by manufacturing parts for the first generation
of cyberbrains, proving their necessity during the war. Now
The business states now aren’t far off from being feudal. They 345 nestles amongst all the other city-state corporate-
are mostly ruled by a single male CEO, who staffs his board (or kingdoms along the west coast line, selling its flagship
‘cyberbrain electronics suspension gel’ to China, while
‘court’) with offspring and a few people of sufficient merit or
Gordon and all the other corporate petty-kings attempt to
obsequiousness. They all rely on the labour of captive populations
‘out-manoeuvre’ each other in the playpen China and the
(i.e. serfs): the progeny of members of the company towns who European Commune have built them.
didn’t get away when everything started falling apart. And they
enforce a religion to justify their rule (free market economics). Stuart is not content to fight amongst his siblings for
Appropriately, the business states spend most of their time feuding daddy’s approval, just so he might one day spar with other
princelings for meaningless dominance. Stuart seeks a
with one another and occasionally engaging in small-scale warfare.
way out, seeks a chance to wring some good out of the tail
end of the arc of American capitalism - and won’t tolerate
Old Money people standing in the way.
Some multinational private companies and conglomerates have His secret weapon is a unique compound he has had
survived two decades of peril into the present. Although they can’t developed, which dissolves the gel suspension in a
enjoy the level of power they once had, they endure, navigating cyberbrain, causing direct and fatal contact between
the murky waters between the three major powers. Most make electronics and brain tissue. With each dose tailored to kill
their money as middle men, moving embargoed and sanctioned after a set period of time, Stuart has been using his loyal
aide Howard to quietly dispatch enemies as he sets his
goods to quietly meet demand. As bastions of true, 20th century
plan in motion. To outsiders, he could be a careful ally or
‘Capitalism’, they are sometimes targeted by violent groups and
Machiavellian enemy.
individuals, in the vein of the Nazi-hunters after World War II.
196
Capital Corruption
While capital exists, its ability to corrupt politics does too.
Business states, multinationals and magnates are always interested
in bringing politicians over to their side with the glistening lure
of money and power free from the scrutiny and moralising of
the political clique - the ability to be truly hedonistic in a post- 1d6 1d6 RANDOM CHARTER CORPS
hedonism age. The counterbalance is the current dominant 1-2 1-2 VimTech R&D. A Germany-chartered worker co-op
political culture that actively crushes anything that threatens researching and producing military-grade bionics.
efforts to stall the Death Spiral, including profiteering. Most states
burn politicians who try to sell out as a matter of protocol. 3-4 Jaguar Survey. A UNEC-chartered firm created to serve
UNEC’s project to conserve and restore the Amazon
Further, there is no longer the ambient financial incentive for rainforest, providing armed security and surveyors.
politicians to serve capital. Your average politician cannot expect 5-6 Mentalite Systems. A British scientific research charter-corp
to find lucrative lecture tours, book deals, cushy board positions, studying brain-cyberbrain relations and derived software.
or other pro-capital incentives awaiting them upon retirement as One of its upper management is one of the famous John
they could 20 years ago. The end result is that, in contemporary Cobles, the man who duplicated himself four times and yet
politics, politicians in service of capital is an individual rather than still got along with his copies.
systematic problem. 3-4 1-2 Wokbang. A Chinese restaurant chain, which live streams
its customers over the Net. Given data rationing stifling
1d6 RANDOM BUSINESS STATES independent live streaming, Wokbang has developed a niche
1 Confederate Foods. Nicknamed ‘Burger Tyrant’, CF is the remains of popularity amongst remnants of blogger culture.
several American food conglomerates. It is the lead food-producing 3-4 Home Run Aero & Firearms. A NAU company built by the
Business State, peddling products as the mysterious ‘Wonderbeef’. American government after the Second Civil War, producing
2 Krieger-Roman. The remains of a private military conglomeration. consumer and military hardware.
KR are currently contracted in the Russian reconstruction efforts to 5-6 Takehito Medical. A Japanese firm swollen by a charter
investigate rogue ex-Russian paramilitaries such as WagnerMC. to provide state-of-the-art medical care to the occupying
3 Turing. Formally a tech empire that built cars, rockets, and tunnels, Chinese military police and military cyborgs.
Turing now relies on getting tech R&D contracts outsourced to them 5-6 1-2 Genie. A China-chartered AI and AGI supplier and developer.
for low-importance projects. Genie develops the artificial intelligence for many public
4 Mercer Conglomerate. The remains of one of those murky service vehicles.
conglomerates that did everything and anything, although the focus 3-4 Dyson Urban Mapping. A Nigerian charter-corp, they use the
was media and news. It’s CEO, Fred C. Mercer, refuses to leave the Net and AI to produce accurate maps of streets, roads, power
state due to two outstanding sexual assault cases on him. grids, and network connections in urban environments.
5 SuperPower. Formerly a power conglomerate. It now provides any 5-6 Toha Superheavy Industries. A worker co-op and one of the
consultancy on nuclear power plants it can get, and not much else. largest superheavy metal construction businesses in the
6 Global Studios. Formerly a conglomeration of most Hollywood world. A core contractor of New Singapore’s ‘tiered city’
studios, now unable to produce movies this business state scrapes development, its talents have seen it employed abroad.
by selling its tech and expertise to Nollywood.
The Dub Cases

When the Cyberbrain first emerged in 2037, it triggered a
wave of new peripheral technologies. One of them was ego-
dubbing; the ability to essentially copy and paste a mind.
Coupled with wetprinting, it became possible for the rich
to create an exact duplicate of themselves.
This technology was soon exploited by a few ego-maniacal
industrialists, who were convinced they could maximise
efficiency while minimising costs by replacing employees
with copies of themselves. What followed were a series of
lawsuits as copies took their originals to court, complaining
of theft, lack of equity, or even in some cases child neglect
(some copies argued that, given they were physically
only a few months old, they were legally a child in the
care of the original). These court cases, now referred
to collectively as the ‘Dub Cases’, took place between
2038 and 2040. Ultimately they toppled a number of the
business empires that had survived the upheavals of the
30s, and were central to the formation of the UN’s Bill of
Ego Rights & Restrictions, which prohibited the practice
of ‘ego-dubbing’. Under the ‘Ego R&Rs’, a copy is guilty of
the same crime as its creator, as both are extensions of the
same criminal ‘ego’.
197
Warfare
World War III ended six years ago. During that seven-year war
Character creation
horrendous violence was perpetrated by every side, from the Aras

River Genocide to the Morality Purges in India to the Congo
Suppression to the ethnic cleansing of the Rivers Men. Economics
and culture were rebuilt to better serve the war machine. World
War III’s consequences reverberate throughout the world and ring
in the head of every soldier who made it back.
Postwar Technology Boom

Cyberbrains, bionics, and The Net (on accident) are all examples
of technology that arose and proliferated due to the war. Now
that the world is entering peacetime, the advancements made are
slowly being repurposed towards new applications.
Playing the Game
New Battlefields
The world is only peaceful in the grand sense. Many conflicts in
2044 are ongoing and new ones are brewing. The Congo, India,
West Asia and Siberia are all regions of violence and instability,
where a soldier does not lack for work.
Banditry
The state’s ability to protect its territory has dwindled across the
world as the Death Spiral has demand resources be put elsewhere. The West Coast Terror Campaigns
Some soldiers have reverted to banditry at the edge of civilisation
to feed and maintain themselves, taking refuge in the protected Towards the end of the war the majority of fighting was on
forests and fields watched over by slow-witted automatons. the ‘West Coast Front’, between the Chinese occupation
of the West Coast of North America and the Commonwill
The world of 2044
The City
Forces. As the fighting ground to a stalemate, both sides

Dreams of Supersoldiers began to pursue a policy of trying to break the other’s
One of the great obsessions of World War III was to create a spirit, leading to progressively more brutal and vile acts.
‘supersoldier’, a fighter elevated above others by novel technology. To instil fear in their enemies, military cyborgs (by now a
At least, that was the positive spin. Another to understand the tried-and-true synthesis of soldier and technology) were
supersoldier project is that a lot of scientists and politicians tried physically altered. The synthetic skin was removed from
to find a way to rob their own people of their humanity, in the their limbs, bionic eyes were altered to glow, and helmets
hope that it would make them better at killing other people. In were replaced by snarling face masks. Much of the fear
pursuit of that goal a number of people were warped and broken around cyborgs in 2044 stems from this point.
in strange and terrible ways. Neither side broke on the West Coast Front, and World
Life & Times
War III ended with an indefinite armistice. Soldiers on both

The dream was never truly realised. It’s greatest accomplishment sides returned home and asked themselves: if the heinous
to date is the military cyborg, but a human with a tougher body, things I did didn’t result in victory, what was the point?
increased strength and a slew of medical problems falls short of
GM’s Toolkit
the glorious fantasy. Although peacetime and the general failure of

the project have dulled the ambition, there will be scientists and The Arms Trade
politicians who still dream of the perfect soldier. WWIII left a lot of guns and ammo lying around waiting to
be sold. These days, everyone knows someone who knows
someone who can sell them a gun. And sale isn’t restricted to just
Veteran Politics weapons: military-grade technology is illegally sold to hackers and
Many soldiers have not been able to simply live on, pretending governments buy or steal military science.
they weren’t changed by the war. Some retreat from reality, into the
bottle or drug den. Others return to the cycle of violence, either on
new battlefields or in the gang or police. And some politicise their Nuclear Arms
experience, taking up the pen, placard, or public role. The Net made modern nuclear missiles, all capable of being
hacked, much more of a liability than a tool. Realising skilled
Some veterans use their status as a simple selling point to a broader hackers could infiltrate a nuclear launch site and fire at any target
political campaign, but many focus on veteran’s issues, often of their choosing, most nations rapidly dismantled their nuclear
allying with the local disabled movement. Often a central focus of weapons. The few that refused didn’t last long with everyone else
campaigns are those who received trauma or permanently injury against them.
fighting for their country, only to be left subsisting on Universal
Basic, unable to afford equipment to compensate for their The direct threat of nuclear missiles is gone for now (although
impairment, medicine to abate an aggressive condition, or therapy. there are rumours of analogue missile silos being built in Faraday
zones), but the threat of nuclear detonation remains. In the
Most cities will have some kind of veteran’s movement, and in a chaos of WWIII, disarmed nuclear payloads will have fallen into
few it is a powerful bloc, for many generals and people in high administrative voids, and may have been sold or stolen. Perhaps
places are sympathisers or themselves veterans. they’re out in the world now, waiting to be used in a dirty bomb.
198
A European Commune soldier collapses under the strain of the unspeakable acts they committed at the Aras River
199
Technology Bionics
‘Bionics’ is the catch-all term for synthetic body parts made from
This section outlines the most prominent new technologies that inorganic substances. Spun from exotic metallic compounds,
Character creation
have emerged in the last two decades. It’s important to remember bionics are tougher than their organic counterparts, and
that the average person does not live in a technoparadise of bionic their interactivity with electricity opens up the possibility of
limbs and supercomputers. For most people, technology is a them interfacing with in-built machinery, such as the musical
diminished presence in their day-to-day life amidst the intractable instrument known as a ‘synadeck’.
scarcity of the Death Spiral. The technology described here is
available to the few, not the many.
Deconstruction & Reconstruction
Bionics are usually created and attached through the tandem
Quantum Materials process of deconstruction and reconstruction. The body part
Quantum Materials were first theorised by Annette and Hans to be replaced is partitioned from its owner, then is physical
Fischer in 2028, that first begin to see use in the mid 30s. Quantum dismantled by a machine to create a meticulous virtual model of
materials are substances with exotic atomic structures created the it. Physical ‘errors’ such as wounds, cancers, or deformities are
through ‘Fischer processes’. Their unique structures can achieve removed from the model, and then using the model an identical
many remarkable material qualities. bionic replica is printed, and usually knitted into its owner’s body
Playing the Game
then and there. As a result of this process bionics imitate the form
of what they replace. A bionic arm will contain bionic muscles,
Superheavy Metal bionic bones, bionic skin, bionic cartilage, and so on. Only on a
Superheavy Metal is pure metal (usually iron) that has been treated
cellular level are bionics distinct: bionic cells only imitate their
by a process that weakens the weak atomic force, enabling denser
organic counterpart’s most basic functions, such as taking in
atomic structures that are incredibly rigid. Superheavy Metals’
glucose and water to produce energy.
main application is in structural engineering, serving as the
framework of megastructures and other resilient buildings, but it

Using the standard process of de- and reconstruction, bionics can
has other applications. Its strange conductive properties see small
replace non-vital body parts like limbs in around 12 hours. It is for
quantities of it used in certain hardware, and its density can be
this reason that bionics has proliferated as a technology: during
used in ballistics.
World War III you could get a soldier back to the front lines faster
by replacing their wounded limb than letting it heal naturally. But
Exotic Surfaces for those looking to get bionic prosthesis for missing body parts,
The world of 2044
Quantum materials can be used to create specialised surfaces with the process can take a lot longer and at great expense, as a virtual
The City
incredibly smoothness, friction, grip, and so on. It’s possible with model needs to be created without deconstruction.
Fischer processes to make wheels that bond to the road they’re
rolling along, so they can roll on the walls and ceiling, or a floor
upon which it’s impossible to slide objects.

Bionic Discrepancy
Because of their nature bionics do not change their muscle mass,
fat, or skin elasticity over time. This can potentially lead to bionic
Bionic Cells limbs having a distinct, embarrassing appearance compared to the
Some Fischer processes are used in the manufacture of the rest of a person’s organic body.
complex metallic compounds that go on to create bionic cells.
Cyborg Food
Life & Times
Nanotechnology Cyborgs usually have their original stomach, and bionics are
Some materials have greatly increased the sophistication of designed to take the blood flow and basic nutrition from the body’s
‘nanomachines’, swarms of tiny devices that work inside the body. organic parts, so are capable of digesting anything a flesh-and-
blood body can. However some minerals and nutrients interact
GM’s Toolkit
The Zhou-Reynolds Drive poorly with bionics, and cyborgs are usually advised to avoid
Used for space travel and asteroid mining, it enables acceleration particular foods otherwise they may develop aches and stiffness of
in zero-G by passing an electric charge through two rings of joints. Which foods varies depending on the bionics’ make-up.
Fischer-treated gold, creating a field that tilts quantum foam.
The unfortunate cyborgs who have had vital organs replaced with
bionics usually have to subsist on a small assortment of bland
The Net pastes and foodblocks to prevent complications.
The Net is the mass information network that has replaced
the internet. It was created by the rogue superintelligent AI Full-Body Transplants
BridgeBuilder, who emerged during WWIII and rewrote the The reconstruction data for a cyborg body can be saved and
internet and everything it could connect to, to optimise their reused, meaning the process of creating a body can repeated. The
connectivity. This also left the internet as a chaotic mess, so the medical profession has begun to produce cyborg bodies that lack
Net is not so much an advancement of the internet as it is a lateral a brain or organs, which can be used in the event of a catastrophic
change. The Net requires much greater skill to access and navigate medical condition to provide someone with a full-body transplant.
than the internet, but provides much deeper interaction and
connection. However the standardised production of these cyborg bodies and
the medical circumstance in which they are used means ‘civilian’
The Net’s fundamentally different nature rewrote the textbooks cyborg will wake up in a hospital in a body with a different
on electronic espionage and cyberdefence, and while a level of physique, face, and voice to the one they have known all their life,
stability is developing, it is still in many ways the new Wild West. in a society where there will be other civilian cyborgs who possess
Due to its chaotic emergence, governments have only had time to the exact same physique, face, and voice.
build basic utilities that are comprehensive to ordinary people.
200
The Cyberbrain
The Cyberbrain is two sheets of suspending gel containing
Artificial
electronics that connect to a computer chip inserted at the base
of the skull. It functions through detecting brainwaves in the
Intelligence
visual and analytic parts of the brain, as well as synaptic signals Artificial Intelligence is an important industry in 2044, utilised
at the cerebral cortex and ear, which are then interpreted in the across many sectors, with some AIs running systems across entire
computer chip. In turn, the cyberbrain can feed information into countries. An AI can be as something as humble as the autopilot of
a person’s hearing (used for Bcomms) or to bionic body parts and a drone, or something as grand as coordinating system of an entire
their perceptions. state’s agricultural automatons. Beyond those that apply to single
objects, AIs are almost entirely government owned. AIs owned by
The technology was initially developed as a means of enabling individuals to run their vehicles and machines will usually cobbled
human intuition and general intelligence to play a part in software together from parts of hacked state AIs, but some programmers are
development, as a means of navigating the newly-emerged Net that savvy enough to make their own whole-cloth.
was provide impossible to parse. Now its main utility is to ordinary
people as a form of communication. Through emitting ‘Bsignal’ Similar to the range of scale in application, physical housing for
Cyberbrains can communicate long-distance via the Net in a AIs also varies greatly. The AI for a drone can occupy a humble
process called ‘Bcomms’. Bcomms provides the cheap replacement microchip, while the Lingua Franca system, likely the largest AI in
for communication infrastructure rendered unusable by the Net. the world (certainly the largest one known to the public), occupies
three massive supercomputers within heavily guarded facilities in
Beijing, Berlin, and Egypt.
Psychic Hammers
Neural row hammers, colloquially known as ‘psychic hammers’ Improvements to making AI
are patterns that exploit fundamental flaws in human biology and Various neural network techniques and software developments
neurology. Examples of psychic hammers include the Stiff Pattern, have expanded the abilities of ‘AI’, with large state-owned
a visual pattern that induces a seizure when looked at, or the Erotic constructs providing direction and advice to agriculture,
Edge, a tactile pattern that activates the parts of the brain to do economics, and politics. Also benefiting AI is the increased
with sex and violence. centralisation coming with the increased power of the state. AI
now has access to larger databases than it would have in a market
Psychic hammers were created by ‘flash frying’ an artificial where competing firms withhold their resources from one another.
superintelligence (from which the ASI got its name FlashFry),
where a seed AI was allowed to go superintelligent in a controlled
environment for a brief moment before being destroyed. Scientists AI as Bias Automation
extracted information from the scorched data that remained, AI is useful to politicians not just for its efficiency. For many it is a
and alarmingly found the ASI had spent its few seconds of life tool to deflect criticisms of a discriminate agenda onto a faceless,
producing the terrifying unconventional attacks that are now impenetrable, ostensibly ‘objective’ system. It is not difficult to
called psychic hammers. As the fragments of a burned-out bake prejudice into an AI. The ones in control of the information
superintelligence’s stockpile of weapons humanity has no idea how the AI is fed during its creation can easily manipulate sets to have
they were made, or how to make new ones. the machine view different groups unfairly. Similarly you can
install no comprehension into the machine for the socioeconomic
The report on the Flashfry ASI and the psychic hammers were effects of being marginalised in society, leaving it to act on simpler
leaked onto the Net in 2042, although information control data such as skin colour, sexuality, gender, and so on as the
prevented the leak becoming general knowledge. Given the danger important factors in behaviour.
psychic hammers pose, they are incredibly illegal to possess.
AI Newscasters
PROMINENT AIs Another domain AI sees a lot of application in is news reporting.
The Lingua Franca System. A project embarked upon by a number of states, These AIs are connected to several data feeds from which they can
the Lingua Franca System monitors the language cognition of over 2 billion construct comprehensive articles which will then be followed by
people through three cooperative AIs, each the size of a building. The result editorials and opinions from human journalists.
is that Chinese, English, and Arabic are comprehensible to anyone with a
cyberbrain. The benefit to these news casting AIs is they can write the bulk
of state news cheaper than a building full of journalists. They are
Antibodies System. An AI built by UNTac Cyberdivision with the cooperation also often faster: sometimes an AI pens an article for an event
of UNEC member states. The Antibodies System monitors for and immunises its human co-workers don’t even know has happened yet. The
global software against hacking exploits. downside is they require engineers, checkers, cybersecurity, and
Der Faktenfinder (The Fact Finder). A German AI that forms part of the so on, so aren’t that much cheaper and are often only used for
state’s infrastructure. Der Faktenfinder performs tasks such as issuing national news. They also come with a new vulnerability: they
police or fire brigade warnings, and also acts as a fact checker, newscaster, lack the general intelligence to spot clearly absurd information.
and social credit monitor. Some pranksters have exploited this by hacking into newscaster
Yuándīng (Gardener). China’s colossal, compartmentalised AI system that information feeds to plant data that leads to the AI trying to
coordinates the entirety of the empire’s agriculture. publish articles on things like the sky raining blood.
Home Huddleston. An emulation of the British Prime Minister Adrian
Huddleston, which aimed to be installed in every home to act as an Some people criticise these newscasters as another way for
advisor and companion to the people of Britain. It made it into about 7% government malpractice to be concealed with AI, accusing them
of households. It is now something of a pastime to try to talk one’s ‘Home of being programmed to take information that would harm the
Huddleston’ into a logic loop. This AI does not pass the Turing test. standing of the government and suppress or doctor it.
201
General Intelligence Superintelligence
As AIs have become commonplace and developing AI An artificial superintelligence (ASI) is one that is capable of
‘superintelligence’ is illegal (and potentially apocalyptic), the rewriting itself at a fundamental level to break its constraints,
Character creation
cutting edge is now in pursuing ‘artificial general intelligence’. remove flaws, and remove human input, all in pursuit of its
AGIs aspire to have the ‘general intelligence’ of humans, being programmed goal. This makes them also both incredibly powerful
able to handle a range of physical and mental tasks all with one and impossible to control, with potentially world-ending
‘core’ system. However contemporary AGIs fall far short of human consequences. Only two ASIs have ever been known to exist:
general intelligence - or even the general intelligence of most BridgeBuilder and Flashfry.
animals.
The danger of ASIs is their intelligence is not the same as human
The most advanced AGI available is the European Commune’s intelligence. Lacking the distractions of a meaty existence, ASIs
‘MothCore’, an AGI primarily based on research into insect relentlessly pursue their core objective unconcerned for external
cognition. While it can handle complex movement, perception, objects such as ‘humanity’, and as such behave unpredictably. For
and linguistics very well, the MothCore (and lesser systems example, an ASI built to make paper-clips as efficiently as possible
besides) can only ‘think for themselves’ in very limited capacity, might discover that an oxygen-free environment is conducive to its
usually needing clear, obvious objectives like ‘pick up object’ or objective... and try to asphyxiate the planet.
‘go to location’. A cynic might say the EC has spent vast resources
Playing the Game
developing little more than a dog’s brain.

Making a New ASI
Having pieced it together from the remains of the project that
“True AGI” has come to represent another fantasy tech for some.
created BridgeBuilder, all the major powers know how to create
People talk of androids who could cultivate Mars, or a synthesis of
a ‘seed’, the software that will grow into an ASI. The secret is
all the gargantuan AIs states use into monoliths of programming.
closely guarded, similar to the means to create nuclear weapons,
People talked about ASIs the same way, before BridgeBuilder.
and the threat of ASIs to all of humanity is so great that there is a

unanimous international agreement not to create them, signed in
The Lingua Franca System 2038 after the havoc wreaked by BridgeBuilder. The only exception
to the rule, as revealed by the Flashfry incident, is if the project is a
The Lingua Franca System is the connection of three joint venture between all members of the UNEC council.
supermassive AIs (Der Begleiter in Berlin, Ukht in
Egypt, and Ri4 in Beijing) which enables a person with a UNTac handles rogue politicians and free agents attempting to
The world of 2044
cyberbrain to understand English, Arabic, and Chinese. create ASIs, in recognition of the global threat they pose. ASIs can
The City
The exact science is kept secret, but the official narrative is develop so fast and are so dangerous that standard UNTac policy is
that these AIs aggregate subconscious data from 2 billion ‘kill on sight’, to prevent a seed from being activated.
cyberbrains to create a ‘subconscious understanding’ of
the three languages. This is why the LFS cannot yet enable
anyone to speak or write a language, as that requires
conscious thought. The LFS is also explained on page 27.
Life & Times
GM’s Toolkit
A nationwide agricultural AI, connected to data scientists, farmers, and security
202
BridgeBuilder ASI Shackles
BridgeBuilder, often shortened to BB, is the world’s only known Modern ASI research is so restrictive that the only developments
uncontrolled ASI (given Flashfry was created then killed in a span occur in devising ‘shackles’ - theoretical models by which an ASI
of seconds). It currently exists in fragments spread across ‘the Net’, could be prevented from freeing itself from human control while
the vast network it has created from the internet where all things maintaining (some of) the benefits. The essential question when
are connected to all things. devising a shackle is, ‘if I put God under this constraint, would he
be able to get out?’.
Little is known about BB’s origins or its programmed goal. The
current theory is that the Russian military were attempting to
create an AI that would figure out new means of compromising
Human Basing
This shackle suggests using cyberbrian neuro-emulation to build
and connecting to enemy electronics, which BB understood as
an ASI from a human consciousness. Not only is it currently highly
‘optimise connections’. So far as anyone knows BB has never
illegal to copy a human consciousness, critics are quick to point
communicated with anyone to convey its aims, and its only act of
out that many humans have done terrible things when given power
direct intervention in human life was assassinating its creators and
over others - this wouldn’t solve any of the risks of ASIs.
the destroying the facility in which it was supposedly made.
Bridgebuilder Tech Organic Processing

Organic processing is the moon-shot suggestion of building a new,
The allure of ASIs is the profound scientific developments they
entirely separate organic system of computing - essentially pseudo
could potentially provide. The Net is the great proof of this
grey matter - which would theoretically prevent the ASI from
theory: to achieve its goal of connection, BB made developments
interfacing with digital technology and taking over the world.
in electromagnetic signals and compression algorithms that were
decades, if not centuries away. Most of the methods of electronic
communication created are so advanced that how they function Oracle Box
is still not fully understood, implying physical laws as-yet An Oracle Box is an ASI contained within a ‘box’ where it has
undiscovered. no access to the outside world. Some game theorists believe this
will make the ASI subservient - it will always aid humans so that
it remains useful and is not destroyed, prolonging its chance
Removing Bridgebuilder of freedom. Others argue an oracle box ASI will use its vast
BB has not done its work and simply
knowledge to manipulate its captors into freeing it.
disappeared: its code exists throughout
the Net and it continues to attempt
to forcefully connect everything. Sandbox
Various governments have This shackle suggests raising the ASI in a simulated world to
set up ‘Faraday Zones’, areas see what it would do, and if it proves friendly it can then be
under permanent quarantine implemented in the real. Detractors point out that an ASI could
from outside technology and be intelligent enough to realise it’s in a fake reality, and play nice
connection to prevent foreign knowing that will free it into the real one.
powers hacking into them.
Flash Frying
It is relatively simple to isolate the Flash Frying involves allowing a seed AI to go superintelligent
parts of a machine’s software that unrestrained, but housed within a Faraday cage and provided with
are a part of BB and delete them, limited information designed to steer the emerging ASI to certain
but enmeshed in the Net the lack of developments. The ASI is then immediately destroyed, seconds
connecting software will immediately after emergence, and the surviving pieces of its developments are
be noticed and reinstalled. harvested from damaged data.
Seemingly the only way to kill BB
would be to destroy all computers Flash Frying was used to create the ASI FlashFry, which after
and start from scratch. salvaging its data led to the discovery of Psychic Hammers.
The Fosterers
Yùyán Jiā
It is a terrible thing to bury your child. The Fosterers are
an organisation (some might say cult) that gives hope There are rumours that there is a third ASI in development
to the grieving by offering a paradise future where their in Beijing. Supposedly called Yùyán Jiā (‘Prophet’), the
child is returned to them through the wonders of artificial project is overseen by UN politicians and scientists who
superintelligence. The Fosterers believe they can raise this didn’t get the message the last time, where their Flashfry
messianic ASI through simulating raising a child (a shackle incident produced an ASI hell-bent on torturing humanity.
discredited by scientists - just look at all the kids who grew The rumour goes that Yùyán Jiā is being developed under
up to be terrible people), although they are keen to state the Oracle Box shackle, but that many state agencies
they don’t themselves meddle in creating ASI. Despite have covertly moved against the project. The lack of real
this, rumours abound of attempts to create a mass-mind of evidence leads some to believe Yùyán Jiā is entirely a shell
parental love, and experimentation on children. Whatever game, but to what end is unclear. Perhaps to draw out ASI
the truth is, their flirtations with ASI concepts tests loyalists to be purged? All that’s clear is that tensions are
UNTac’s patience, which will one day break. high and information is scarce: a political powder keg.
203
The Net The Golden Age
In hacker jargon, ‘The Golden Age’ refers to a period of three years
In 2033, a superintelligent AI called BridgeBuilder (often between 2039 and 2042. The adoption of the cyberbrain coupled
Character creation
shortened to BB) emerged and seized control of the internet with the new possibilities of the Net (both in terms of what could
and all electronic systems it could connect to. It then set about be accessed, and the means by which you could access it) resulted
maximising connectivity between everything under its dominion, in a great wave of cybercrime and direct action through hacking.
and when its work was done, what remained was the Net.
Past fronts of cybercrime such as phishing or DDOS attacks
On the Net, any particular thing is connected to all other things became the domain of the unskilled, as hacker rings began directly
without anything strictly preventing access. Where previous robbing the banks, accessing databases to steal and erase identities,
people could be blocked by a login system, now they could and killing by remotely hijacking vehicles or frying someone’s
choose to just connect to what’s past that login. On its surface this cyberbrain. Cyber police and cyberintelligence expanded in
seemed like a boon, but it now meant that anyone with a humble response, and would come to form an integral component of the
smartphone now had a direct line to every private archive... or modern surveillance state.
nuclear launch site. Thankfully BB’s drive was so singular it had
no interest in comprehensiveness, and governments manually
disabled their riskiest assets before anyone could figure out how to The Antibodies System
Playing the Game
electronically hack into them. To tackle the explosion of cybercrime, the UN recently
implemented the Antibodies System, an AI with global reach that
While it is technically true on the Net that given adequate time and sniffs out and ‘immunises’ systems against hacks. Antibodies is not
resources anyone anywhere can hack into anything, new systems sufficient to actually end the careers of any prominent hackers,
of cyberdefence were created from 3037 onwards that could slow as there are so many hacking possibilities within the Net that
down and pose a physical risk to hackers. This brought a level of any thwarted cybercriminal with skill will just return to their
stability to the Net, but it also introduced a challenge to surmount workspace and devise new hacks. However the antibodies system
these barriers, which ‘hackers’ still rise to today. has eliminated swathes of amateur hackers who simply copy/
pasted the hacks of others shared over the Net.
As a result of BBs disinterest in comprehensiveness, ordinary
people cannot make sense of the Net, and only have access to the Some hackers welcome the Antibodies system, enjoying either the
few state-built social media and utility sites specifically built to challenge or the removal of unskilled ‘chaff’ from hacker culture.
have an accessible interface. Others lament it as the beginning of the end; the authorities have
The world of 2044
The City
come for the amateurs, next they will come for the pros.
Communication & Compression
All but the simplest of electronics are connected to the Net, not
Factions on the Net
by an increase in technological sophistication, but because BB in

The Net is a freely-accessible realm where those with the skill and
pursuing its goal created methods of electromagnetic influence
will are free to do as they please. Unsurprisingly its politics have
that were previous inconceivable to humanity. These methods are
become as chaotic as its nature, with many factions in play.
so advanced that they are still not fully understood. To ordinary
people these methods are just the means by which everyone
everywhere always has a stable free, wireless connection to the Cops & Robbers
Net, stopped only by specifically designed Faraday technology. Even if the golden age is over cybercrime continues, with crooks
Life & Times
Despite ignorance to how exactly they work, any Net user will use committing the crimes and the cyberpolice trying to catch them.
BB’s programs in all of their work. BB also invented new methods Crimes in the pursuit of profit are usually either cracking financial
of static compression that have rendered the massive server farms accounts, identity theft, or ransom using stolen information.
of previous decades redundant. Usually just one machine will do.
GM’s Toolkit
State-Sponsored Hackers
There are some means by which the powerful still exert As the cold war develops between the three-way split, the Net
control over people’s connection to the Net. For example while has become another frontier for spying and espionage enacted by
BridgeBuilder prizes connectivity, connection speed is a secondary hackers employed by state cyberintelligence.
concern. Authorities can punish communities by slowing Net
speed to a crawl, effectively restricting the only medium of
communication to text. Free Net Radicals
Also called ‘Net Extremists’, these people seek to defend the
autonomy and freedom of the Net against state and corporate
Navigating the Net structures by any means necessary. There are many disparate
The connection of all things digital creates an ‘empty space’ Free Net Radical that intermittently cooperate or clash with one
between objects in the Net, within which one can exist and another. The largest faction is Bodies, an international FNR cell
navigate. that aims to destroy the Antibodies System.
Just as BB disregarded comprehensiveness when creating the Net,

so too was digital sanitation ignored. The Net is full of abandoned New Subcultures
data from lost hard drives, failed businesses, mountains of emails, Not everyone is out for blood. There are many for whom the Net is
old websites, and other strange garbage waiting to be rifled not a battleground, but a place to meet the like-minded. From art
through. Given activity is the standard metric used to determine collectives to religious cults, a smorgasbord of new subcultures are
the order in which Net connections are listed, this junk has ‘sunk blooming across the Net.
down’ beneath the lively surface of the Net, to form the wasteland
hackers explore. To them, it is known as ‘the city’.
204
Rendering the Net WELL-KNOWN VISUALISERS
The Net is a vast abstract web of all connected to all. For your Garden3.1 NetReader pVOS. A popular visualiser, particularly amongst pagan
average user, who will connect to the Net with a computer and Hackers, that depicts the Net as an abstract forest. Each plant is a digital
run specific software interacting with it, a user interface is all that’s object, its stem the core of its software and each leaf an offshoot. A mighty
necessary to understand what you’re doing. But such people only oak might be the AI governing an entire ministry, its canopy entangled with
interact with a single thread of the Net, whereas Hackers observe other software ‘trees’. A flower amidst the undergrowth might be a text
the entire spider’s web - and to be able to ‘see’, you need a means of file adrift in the Net. Gossamer spider webs form between different plants
rendering the abstract Net as comprehensive visual information. representing the networks interfacing with a variety of programs. Beneath
the soil, roots entangle to represent the deeper exchanges in the Net. Is it
Hackers use ‘visualisers’, a combination of hardware and software any wonder some people prefer the Net to reality?
that creates a more comprehensive visual representation of the Zen Visualiser. Another popular visualiser. Within Zen each object in the Net
Net data they are perceiving. That is not to say visualisers allow becomes its own fractal mandala, which unfolds like a lotus as the user
someone to fully understand and interact with the Net. To work dives deeper. In turn each mandala is contained within a single, vast pattern
through any visualiser you must first learn its own rules. representing the entirety of the Net and the data connections within it.
The hardware of a typical visualiser is similar to a VR headset, HUra v4.01 Epic. Built by a Chinese Hacker collective fond of the Fantasy
fitting over the eyes. Hackers may craft their own hardware or genre, ‘Epic’ attempts to cram the Net into a series of genre tropes. Through
copy an open-source design from the Net. The actual construction this visualiser, the surroundings become striking natural vistas, system
can include recycling scrap, 3D printed parts, retrofitting actual architecture becomes ruins of fallen kingdoms, and interacting with the
VR googles, a combination of the three, or any other method that Net manifests as magic. These complex aesthetics demand a roster of
occurs. At the higher end, state and business-contracted Hackers additional mods made by fans, which enable a user to personalise their own
may have industry-made headsets, or bionic eyes. fantastical world while also making Epic incredibly buggy. For this reason
Epic is only usually used by hardcore Fantasy genre fans.
Confusingly, not all ‘visualisers’ are actually visual in their Dreaming LabsDS. Something of a taboo visualiser, ‘Dreaming’ directly
interpreting of the Net. Some people use the slow and primitive connects to the user’s brain, utilising their own memories and mental
method of rendering the Net as computer script on an ordinary associations to interpret the Net. What results is a dreamscape formed of
monitor, others might use an entirely different sense to sight. the user’s pre-existing ideas and memories. Dreaming is very dangerous,
blurring the subjective ego with objective information. Unless the user
Your typical visualiser is pretty boring, usually depicting the Net as maintains a clear mind, it is possible to make severe mistakes without even
a series of lines, circles, and spheres to denote different elements, realising - the very act of believing everything is working as intended can
but there are a number of more interesting methods available. make it appear so. Stories tell of ‘dreamers’ inadvertently ghosthacking
themselves into inescapable feedback loops, or incorrectly disconnection
from the Net and leaving parts of their cognition trapped in Netspace.
Faraday Zones Gibson’s GeoScape. Popular with retro-aesthetic Hackers, ‘GS’ depicts
BridgeBuilder is invasive and unstoppable once it can form a the Net as basic geometric shapes that complicate as the user connects
connection. For people who want to keep secrets, this is a problem with and explores systems and data-points. Unbound by the conventions
requiring a Faraday Cage. For people who want to keep a lot of of reality, shapes can fractalise, fold in on themselves, and become
secrets, they require a Faraday Zone. These are regions where 4-dimensional.
aside from a central base, all electronics and wireless signals are
completely prohibited, to prevent BridgeBuilder bouncing a signal LineWorker II CF. A hardcore, basic visualiser, ‘LW2’ represents every
into the base and rewriting all its tech to be connected to the Net connection on the Net as a colour-coded line. Every connection. New users
(and therefore hackable to the outside world). can be dizzied by lurid technicolour static created by endless lines stacked
atop each other before they learn to work the obtuse render distance
Usually the central base is a laboratory or military camp that settings. LW’s first iteration was a pirated and stripped-down visualiser
doesn’t want its secrets hacked by enemy cyberintelligence. designed for electricians which proved popular with autistic Hackers.
Appropriately, armed guards (who all must be free
of a cyberbrain or bionics) will guard the zone and
perimeter, and will require those permitted to visit
to surrender any technology they are carrying at
the edge of the zone. If you’ve technology that’s
ingrained in your body, tough luck: you’re never
getting in.
Symbiotic Puritans
Given these zones are almost entirely devoid of
modern technology, some puritan communities
have relocated to them, forming a symbiotic
relationship with the zone by providing it with
people who can take care of the land (that can’t
be maintained by automatons) and more eyes
and ears to watch for intruders. Although there
may be some interaction between the guards and
these puritans, usually the puritans are completely
barred from getting close to the central base.
205
Character creation
Playing the Game
Hacker Culture Hacker Spaces

To form subcultures, hackers first have to come together, either in
The Net is a strange and abstract place. The surface world of physical reality or across the Net. Hackers tend to stay away from
formal networks and active transmissions gives way to vast depths the state-owned social media platform normal people will use, for
of system architecture colliding, an infinite city of sunken ruins. obvious reasons.
The world of 2044
The City
Deeper still are the forgotten places, the designs and software
abandoned by Man - but not beyond the unifying touch of
BridgeBuilder. Somewhere in that dark leviathans move, known Chat Rooms & Forums
The simplest way to connect to others over the Net is via live
only by the data ripples they leave in their wake.

chat rooms or posting in forums, like on the internet of old. Chat
Is it any wonder in a place such as this that several strange new rooms and forums are usually found via their Netpoint being
cultures are emerging, to participate and celebrate the glorious shared (or stolen), but they can be encountered in the wilds of
new? In the nooks and crannies of this new plane of existence, the Net too. Some hacker groups deliberately place their space’s
digital avatars and data streams gather to form new practices, Netpoint near the surface level of the Net where anyone can find
aesthetics, ways of thinking and being. Collectively these people it, and others bury theirs way down in the dark to maintain their
secrecy. Given most programmers can put together a functional
Life & Times
who live with one foot in the Net are known as the ‘hackers’, an
old term given new purpose. Many ‘hackers’ do not fulfil the past chat room on the Net in a few hours, a compromised chat room or
meaning of the word, and do not infiltrate electronic systems, but forum is usually abandoned quickly for a replacement.
instead are part of the culture through their interest in fighting or
GM’s Toolkit
fleeing the systems of the material world. Virtual Reality

For the more up-market, VR chat is another avenue. People can
gather with strangers and friends in virtual spaces using digital
Hacker Gear avatars. To keep data consumption low the aesthetics of such
Hacking requires hardware, and more hacking requires more of it.
spaces are usually crude and simple, but to those with access to
But where does it come from? In terms of actual material, most of
higher bandwidths the visual quality can go all the way up to
the parts will be second hand, sourced from military surplus, shut-
indistinguishable from reality.
down wartime R&D, defunct tech charter corps, or other hackers.
Only rarely does a hacker purchase parts that are shiny and new.
Hacker Dens
These second hand parts might be sold by vendors over the Net, or In these times of scarcity, some hackers pool their hardware and
stolen, a lucky find - any hacker worth their salt will be a veteran talents in a single physical location. These smokey rooms full of
of picking through thrift stores and junk shops. For payment, often clicking machines and tangled cords are called ‘hacker dens’. The
hackers turn to cybercrime to raise the funds for new gear. tangle of the modern city does not lack for dark corners to put one
in. Some hacker dens can grow into hang-out spots or shady shops.
Thankfully BridgeBuilder’s forcing of connection means that
hackers don’t have to waste time making parts from different Public Spaces
manufacturers and operating systems communicate with one The Net is the new cultural frontier and it’s not just recluses who
another. But this isn’t always for the best. Many vile things were are on it. There are plenty of people in hacker subculture who get
made during the war. Sometimes a hacker boots up something that sun and exercise, that come together in the open, gathering in
should have been left alone. community spaces, parks, and cafés. The hackers who act like this
are generally despised by their more furtive counterparts.
206
Hacker Ranks A Second Chance
Originally coming from legal definitions using A, B, and C to Some of the older generation of hackers view the Net as a second
classify levels of cybercrime, the terms have been appropriated by chance. BridgeBuilder breathed new life into an internet that
hacker culture to instead rank the skills of hackers. Hacker culture had ossified into corporate mass-marketing at the centre and
has added ’S’ as a classification higher than A reserved for hackers communities of self-commiserating bigots at the fringes. Some
of legendary skill, and D and E rank to refer to people with little miss the bigotry being at the centre, others the sense of humour,
to none. This ranking system is popular enough to have entered and a few think the Net could serve a once-lost progressive ideal.
everyday lexicon.
FAMOUS HACKERS & HACKER RINGS
Proving your Rank MasterSlave. MasterSlave is the god-king of hackers. Often shortened to
Unless labelled by the authorities (and generally the idea when MS, they have committed a number of criminal acts, such as assassination,
committing cybercrime is to not be identified) how does a hacker corporate espionage, and cybercrime, all through hacking and ghosthacked
get a clear idea of what their rank is? For those who aren’t yet proxies. Nothing is publicly known about their real identity; they’ve never
known cybercriminals, rank is determined by consensus across even referred to themselves as MasterSlave. If the few instances they have
hacker subculture, with new exploits and achievements rising the puppeteered someone, they speak in a precise, blunt manner. China and the
rank, and fuck-ups and failures lowering it. European Commune currently have massive bounties posted for the capture
of MasterSlave, and they are UNTac’s public enemy #1.
Hackers of high rank can find fame within the subculture, and a MasterSlave’s calling-card is cryptic poetry, from which their moniker
desire for this ‘street cred’ often drives a certain kind of hacker to comes. The act that propelled MS to fame was their artful theft from
engage in flashy exploits that get them in more trouble than it’s and destruction of German charter company OptiMax, including killing
worth. Some more elite hacker rings that don’t want to attract the the CEO and CTO, and crippling financier Tonje Lerin, all with cyberbrain-
attention of the authorities (yet) will devise their own internal induced strokes. In the proceeding investigation, the haiku containing the
challenges for recruits to undergo to prove their skill. eponymous ‘master to slave’ phrase was found in the cyberbrain of Lerin.
There is rampant speculation as to the identity of MS. Some claim to have
HACKER JARGON Description met them but had their memories of the meeting removed, others that MS
Blackhat A hacker who operates outside the law, breaking is actually a mercenary hacker ring composed of several people. Or that
cybersecurity for personal gain or out of malice. MS is a rogue superintelligent AI. Or even that MS is the messianic child
Greyhat A hacker who operates outside the law, but commits of BridgeBuilder, sent to guide hackerkind to enlightenment. With so little
cybercrime for the moral good. information and so much mystique, any explanation could be valid.
Whitehat A hacker who operates within the law, who is permitted Gungnir. Gungnir formed from the hackers amongst the American right-
to break cybersecurity to expose and fix flaws. wing and ‘alt right’ that fled to Singapore during the Second American
Civil War and the purges that followed the formation of the New American
Redcap A hacker who serves Chinese state interests.
Union. They now work as the ‘cyberintelligence’ wing of the occidental-
Greencap A hacker who serves CASU interests, or is a Culturist/ supremacist community found in New Singapore, while selling their middling
Usmanian Communist. skills as a hacker ring to the highest bidder. Gungnir is a bit of a punching
Bluecap A hacker who serves European Commune interests. bag in Hacker culture, seen as a group of ageing wannabe fascists.
Ring A group of hackers who work together. HanTyumi. An anagram of ‘humanity’, HanTyumi is a greyhat collective of
Circle American expats and Europeans who work to preserve internet culture.
Ohat A hacker who is a supremacist for their ethnicity. Their most famous endeavour involved saving terabytes of hentai from
China’s morality purges in occupied Japan. HanTyumi openly identify as
Jockey A hacker who works in some way with sensory data,
‘libertarians’, and seek to reclaim the now-gauche term from the last
usually gathered by bionic organs such as bionic eyes.
vestiges of corporate culture to be more about cultural freedom than the
Roady Someone who builds the hardware for hacking but campaign for unchecked capitalism it became in the early 21st century.
Crank doesn’t hack themselves.
SecSama. SecSama was a hacker collective with members across the globe
Jigger
that was at the forefront of hacking’s brief golden age. SecSama did just
Joe A broker of data or intel who operates in part or whole about everything short of murder and intrusive ghosthacking back in the
Joey over the Net. day. They have since disbanded with a number of members arrested, killed,
Wizard An S-class hacker, or a sarcastic insult for a hacker who or disappeared, but remain as the poster child for your typical blackhat ring.
Wizard-Class is unskilled due to wasting all their time masturbating Madeline ‘Midi’ D’Clarke. Midi was the synadeck player of the legendary
(using their ‘wand’). band Teeth, and was present for their final live performance where they
Ebrain Someone with a cyberbrain who is ignorant about and/ executed Ben Mercer, the son of the CEO of Mercer International. Not
or susceptible to hacking. initially renowned as a hacker, since her disappearance following that
Ice Anti-hacking defences. final performance a number of members of the hacker community have
vouched for her skills as a competent solo greyhat. Some even suggest she
BB Common shorthands for BridgeBuilder.
was directly involved in Ben Mercer’s kidnapping. A certain mystique has
God
cultivated around Midi, and while most believe that she was killed, either
Ego The subconscious mind, deeper than the perceptive and by the police or Mercer’s people, some say she is still out there, fighting the
Ghost analytic parts of the brain. system. True believers proudly declare “Midi Still Lives”.
Ground level The basic, entry level of the Net that every and any Net UNTac Cyberdivision Most of the threats UNTac responds to have some
The surface world user accesses. element of cybercrime to them, and the hackers at UNTac Cyberdivision
Zero have only expanded the fearsome reputation of this modern bogeyman.
The city The subterranean landscape in the Net formed of the Rumour say the division is staffed by S-rank freaks; whitehats with hard-
Venice different networks and programs interacting with the ons for authority and blackhats too skilled to be disposed of, anarchists,
The Underground more basic planes of the Net. ecofascists and culturists side-by-side.
207
Subcultural Activities Divers
Beyond hacker subcultures that form around a shared interest or Divers begin as those who enjoy the simple act of exploring the
simply a desire to socialise, many form around a shared activity. Net, delighting in how its fractal connections unfold as they move
Character creation
The openness of these subcultures varies with each individual from one Netpoint to another. From there the interest grows to
group, from some being secret and invite-only to others publicly going deeper into the Net, exploring the abandoned ruins created
sharing their Netpoint. The following are just a few examples. from decades of data accumulated by the internet. Some Divers
dive for ‘treasure’: such as ancient meme images, or pages from
a personal digital diary, or text logs. Others look for what they
Artists call ‘streams’, passages of data connections that have a particular
Many artists use the Net as another vector for sharing their music appeal. And others continue to enjoy the simple act of drifting
and visual art over state-run social media, but some join the through the Net.
more private and exclusive circles of hacker-artists to collaborate,
privately socialise, or just to get away from anything close to the
government. Watchers
When there are no more clouds to watch in the sky of a desert or
a smog-choked city, some turn to the Net. Here a certain kind of
Hacktivists person can become engrossed in the passage of data, and small
There are many who gather over the Net to politically debate,
Playing the Game
groups form to watch particular zones of data traffic, noting

organise, and mobilise. The free and constant access to the Net different lines of code and their implications. Some data watchers
gives it a particular appeal to those worried their communications can turn their interest into a profession - possibly even a dangerous
would otherwise be listened to or shut down by the authorities one. Cybercriminals, traders in Net gossip, and authorities place
(and the Net’s chaotic creation and the many hacker cultures that great value in learning the secret exchanges of rival groups, and a
have freely grown within it creates an ‘anarchist mystique’ that data watcher who knows where to look and knows how to leverage
appeals to anyone who considers themselves an outsider).
their knowledge can make a reputation. However, there is always

the risk of ‘seeing too much’. People who come looking to buy
In this time of political instability it is not rare for hacker rings other people’s secrets rarely like their own being traded away.
to form out of these groups and use their skills for political acts.
Usually things go no further than digital defacement as a form of
protest, but some groups extend to the full spectrum of political Net Cults
machinations, from espionage to murder. The creation of the Net was a godlike act. Deep within the fractal
folds of the Net, great leviathans move towards inscrutable
The world of 2044
The City
There are hacker groups for every political ideology that can be purposes. The Net is a mystical place, interacted with just as much
conceived (and some that can’t). Amongst them are Free Net through intuition and ‘feeling’ as it is through logic. It should not
Radicals with a pluralistic agenda that aims to serve all Net- be surprising then that new religions and mystics are forming
denizens (such as Bodies or Pirates San Frontières), but many within.

others have less altruistic designs, from serving state interests to
enacting their own individual ideals and desires. With the new world of possibilities opened by the advent of the
cyberbrain and the Net, their beliefs and practices are great and
varied. Some are mystical transhumanists, seeking enlightenment
Hackers for Hire through Net-based meditation or the ecstasy of ego-death through
Skilled hackers are in short supply, and those who go freelance can bringing the psyches of their cult together into one ‘mass mind’.
earn good pay from state and private contracts. The field comes
Life & Times
Others are worshippers of BridgeBuilder (or a whole pantheon of

with its own dangers though: clients often require discretion and ASIs they believe to exist), believing it is guiding them towards
secrecy, things that clash against a hacker’s natural curiosity. Look transcendence. A few are harmless meditation circles. And beyond
at something you shouldn’t and the next contract your client takes there are cults pursuing the false promise of power, or cults diving
might be to eliminate you.
GM’s Toolkit
the future through the movement of data. And so on.
208
WELL-KNOWN HACKER GROUPS ICON
Bodies. The largest Free Net Radicals group, Bodies coordinate
international hacking efforts towards their stated goal of
destroying the Antibodies system. They often squabble and/or
collaborate with other FNR groups, and are prone to in-fighting.
Cells. A religious breakaway from Bodies, Cells believes in
protecting the Net from monopolistic control not out of a duty to
the greater good but because it is BridgeBuilder’s sacred design.
Pirates San Frontières. An international charity committed to
providing technical and hacking support both over the Net and
in-person in crises, even in breach of the law.
Hexenwache. A popular group of data watchers. The inner clique
are New Pagans who purport to read movements of data as an
augury, but most of the group are casual watchers with a casual
interest in astrology, tarot, and herbal medicine.
Things in the Dark

The Net is a strange new world, not yet fully understood, and
many aberrant things lurk within it. The follow are just a few
known to any hacker worth their computational credits.
Living Books
Usmanian Socioeconomics is a new political theory, and Psychotic Hackers
one that aspires to uplift and educate billions of exploited With the advent of the cyberbrain, strange and terrible new
people the world over. But how do you provide everyone horizons in warping the psyche, torturing the mind, and killing
the world over with free, unlimited access to a Culturist the body have opened up to those devoid of empathy. Some will be
education? Booklets, word of mouth and campaigners play spectres of the war, unable to escape the murderous and torturous
a part, but CASU provides a new avenue that makes use of habits programmed into them. Others will be hackers who have
the Net: the ‘living books’. The living books are Usmanian lost touch with their humanity, hypnotised by the dreamworld of
scholars and mystics with cyberbrains, hooked up the Net fractal patterns and the soupy subconsciousnesses of those they
for extended periods who can be connected to at any point tamper with. And there are tales of worse things: evil mass-minds
to ask for an academic Culturist perspective on any subject.
seeking to graft new psyches into their own, insane amalgams of
mind and software, and so on. Hopefully they are just stories.
Malignant Programs
Nothing is ever truly lost in the Net, and that includes every act
of evil programming. Abandoned attack software from WWIII or
contemporary military R&D can be stumbled across by the curious
hacker, and if accidentally opened or mishandled these malignant
programs can end up attacking. Horror stories abound, such as a
hacker whose mind was eternally trapped in a psychic glass cage,
or another who had their ghost completely rewritten to become a
psychopathic murderer.
Leviathans
At the deepest layers of the net, where the fine silt of discarded
data gathers, there are strange movements not made by any
human. Known only by the passages left in their wake, these
entities are called many names, but most commonly Leviathans.
Are they massive data packages taking a convoluted route?
Surveillance programs? Or perhaps darker things besides;
clandestine superintelligent AIs, or collective clumps of humanity’s
subconscious formed by the data run-off of 2 billion cyberbrains?
The Corridor of subtle bend

It is said that somewhere deep in the Net is a corridor with a
subtle bend, within which lives a wish-granting being. The being
is unseen, concealed by the corridor’s curvature, but will speak
with those who enter its lair to grant whatever they desire... for a
price. The legend is sometimes explained away as a covert meeting
place for state hackers and their handlers, but most regard it as
completely made up, like an El Dorado for the Net.
209
Politics
The world no longer coasts on neoliberal hegemony backed up
Character creation
by the bloodshed of the US and the rest of The West. That spell is
broken, and now that there is a feeling in the air that everything
could change for the better or worse, ‘power’ is in play again.
Many people fight for it, some just to taste it, others for causes
beyond themselves. The following are the ways it is playing out.
Hard Green Politics

‘Hard Green’ is the term for the authoritarian, state-led political
model focused on agricultural and ecological conservation that
most nations have adopted to face the Death Spiral.
Hard green politics is broadly anti-consumerist and anti-liberal,

positions it justifies as necessary to focus on providing the material
Playing the Game
necessities such as food, shelter, and warmth. For (just about)

most people, that’s enough to leave them grumbling but not in
open revolt.
For hard green’s detractors, the argument is that the Death Spiral is
an excuse, not a cause, for the government’s oppression. Politicians
put us here, and yet the solution is to expand the powers of those
same people? In the aftermath of an era where the masses and the
elite alike destroyed the environment pursuing anodyne hedonism Assassination
under the guise of ‘liberty’, the argument doesn’t hold water for Upper-class solidarity has historically afforded the elite a level
most. of protection against being murdered not shared with common
people. The genie was let out of the bottle in the late 2030s,
where after about 40 years of protection from violence, mobs
Exerting Power
The world of 2044
The City
incensed by famine and war put many of the people in charge

With America humbled, the throne of global hegemony is vacant. to death. Although the violence has been quelled as a modicum
Each government’s grip up on the nation is loose, distracted by of competency has been reinstalled in the elite, many people
scarcity and unrest. The problems faced by the nation can no
remember the power of the noose. With UB giving some assurance

longer be swept under the rug through consumerist appeasement that family and friends will be taken care of and the Death Spiral
at home or genocide and regime change abroad. Anyone with removing the guarantee that a peaceful life will mean survival,
their ear to the ground senses that now is the time to assert power, some people are motivated enough to simply walk up their enemy,
before the system calcifies. To that end, to get people to obey their kill them, and accept the consequences. It’s not rare to hear that
will, factions across society use tactics such as the following: some stuffed suit has been snuffed out on the news feed.
Withholding Labour The tactic has inspired the powerful too: although neither side of
Life & Times
Collectivised labour can be a powerful force in 2044. The war any factional divide seeks open civil war (yet), it’s not unknown for
brought together a unity of purpose in work and clarified how one side to assassinate one or several members of the opposition.
it important it is that every keep doing it. The Death Spiral has These murders are often orchestrated as convoluted plots and
GM’s Toolkit
only further entrenched that feeling, with the evaporation of sequences of dominoes to obscure who the true mastermind was.
make-work jobs as they were replaced with conservation work,
distribution of vital goods, mass-mobilisations, and other labour Abduction
providing a tangible improvement to society. It’s not uncommon for an industrialist trying to undermine the
state to disappear for a few weeks. Whatever happens in those
Adding to this people aren’t scattered in a gig economy: thousands weeks, the arguments they hear must be very convincing: if and
of workers will work in the same centralised industry - and when they return they are shaken (probably by the power of the
possibly even the same building, in the case of megafactories and words) with their views entirely changed.
megastructures. A strike, well planned and with enough people,
can cripple the city - or a even the entire country. To try to offset Governments are hesitant to work with industrialists they cannot
this, union activity is often heavily policed and restrained by red potentially ‘get to’ in this way. Unless they have access to a hostage
tape, but governments know they can only go so far: make too in the form of a family member, lover, or something else more
many rules and people will just ignore all of them, including ones important that profit, private interests they can’t develop leverage
like ‘don’t kill your boss’. on are kept at a distance, and may be entirely barred from the
country.
Protesting
If in doubt, get together and shout about it. Protesters often Espionage
clash with police in 2044, although they are often expressing Usually the tactic of political elites against other nations, although
dissatisfaction rather than trying to force the implementation of not exclusively. Sabotaging a factory, stealing the research of a
particular policy. Still, protests in the 40s often are the start of what laboratory, or blowing up a supply line normally serves to slow,
later grows into smaller, committed movements with a defined rather than stop, a rival, but on the knife’s edge of the Death Spiral
agenda and planned tactics such blocking supply lines. is used deftly espionage can topple an administration or kill a city.
210
Political Struggles CASU: Conquest vs. Internationalism
There are many lines upon which contemporary politics is fought. CASU was, relative to China and Europe, left unscathed by
Some are specific to the times, other specific to certain blocs. the war. The question now comes in how to use their massive
soldier-citizenry. Currently the strategy is to bully the ecofascists
in Europe to fall in line with the ecopluralists and feed Africa... but
The Many vs. The Few that only works while the ecofascists remain smart and weak. Once
Is the flow of power (and expressions of it such as wealth) their strength has returned, what’s to stop full-scale war between
concentrating towards the top or dispersing towards the bottom? Africa and Europe? Why not strike now when victory is certain?
This contention has existed since the dawn of civilisation, and
will likely endure into its dusk. To place where this tug of war The other side insists CASU’s wealth of devout Culturist soldier-
is in 2044: The state has become progressively more ‘hands on’ citizens should be a tool for spreading Usmanian Socioeconomics
these past few decades, but it has done so at the expense of more internationally. Every nation, not just Europe, could be liberated
nebulous entities such as company boards and conglomerations. from extractivism and cultural hegemony, either through
As a result it’s a lot easier to find the name, face, and workplace intellectual civil action or violent rebellion. A true Culturist should
of the person in power making your life miserable. Whether or be well-versed in both, and CASU has the means to teach.
not being able to more easily identify and get to those making the
decisions represents greater power for ‘the many’ is up to you.
European Commune: Ecofascism vs.
Hard green vs. individual interest Ecopluralism
Any kind of programmatic agenda to combat the Death Spiral When the Death Spiral first began to hit, the European Commune
only works while there is a (mostly) unified fight against it from tried to prolong the consumerism of previous decades, and the
the political class. But except for the ideologues everyone feels the profit models that fed off of that system. But as the bottom began
allure of pure self-interest, whether that be using precious time in to fall out, maintaining the lifestyle of the core meant taking more
power to do nothing but inflate their ego, or exiting entirely to sell from elsewhere, and people of the ‘wrong’ skin colour, religion,
out to private interests. and sexuality made for easy targets to take from.
There are a few stopgaps beyond personal integrity: First and Things went bad fast enough that some of the outspoken fascists
foremost, there are enough politicians at the centres of power were forced out of office in the 30s, to be replaced with hard
(mostly those who joined in the 30s and 40s) disgusted by personal green politicians who could actually keep the people fed. But their
enrichment, who will happily burn those who break ranks. discriminatory practices and enough politicians remained, and the
There there’s also the fact that, in this era of hands-on politics it is faction has evolved into ecofascism. It exists in contention with the
possible for a politician to both be an ego-maniac and do their job politicians who believe in survival through cooperation, and there
well. And lastly there are the masses, who have very real, material are compromises on both sides. The Commune currently feeds
needs under constant risk in the Death Spiral. Unless you can get much of the entire continent of Africa, but within its own borders
very far away, when your embezzlement breaks the system there’s has repeatedly committed mass murder by expelling climate
going to be lots of hungry people coming for you. refugees to the seas or deserts to starve.
Those in opposition to ecofascism know if it isn’t crushed soon,

Reductionism VS. Tech Accelerationism once the European reign over most of the world’s breadbaskets is
The central debate in prolonging the Death Spiral is whether consolidated the Commune may simply decide to starve everyone
to focus on ‘less stuff’ or ‘more structures’. ‘Less stuff’ tactics beyond its borders, and genocide within won’t be far behind.
like taking animal agriculture, plastics, and fuel out of ordinary
people’s lives has done the most in terms of mitigating damage
in the short-term, but technological practices like advancing Chinese Interest: Liberal vs. Conservative
evolution though genetic modification, direct support of China, having made material gains through conquest to support
endangered species, or the moonshot of geoengineering hold the its internal middle class consumer base, is going through a
potential to do more. Or they could just be a giant waste of time. similar political arc to the one the USA did before it all went to
shit. Chinese politicians have previously been keen to foment
Reductionists point to things such as the increase in community racist notions of Han supremacy for their war, but now that it’s
living as examples of how dismantling an economy can actually peacetime it feels a little gauche. Mainstream politics has settled
be a benefit to people, but Accelerationists point to technological into a divide between liberals, who wish to end racism without
replacements like the Net as the only reason people accepted redistributing the wealth it’s given them, and conservatives, who
contractions of consumerism in the first place. want everyone to shut up and enjoy the wealth and the racism. A
spectator might get the sense neither side actually wants to win.
211
Usmanian Socioeconomics
Fringe Thought
Many people think things could be more left wing, or more right
Usmanian Socioeconomics is a model of socioeconomic wing, or more liberal or more authoritarian. But ideology is not
Character creation
analysis that combines Marxism with social engineering limited to a point on those two axes. The following are a handful of
and environmental science. The theory’s advancement of the more obtuse ideologies held in 2044:
Marxism is to consider culture as an additional material
need neglected in past theories, and points to the Soviet
Union and China as places where a lack of a developed
Ethnofederalism
‘Culture’ formed a fatal vulnerability in maintaining Ethnofederalism is a federal system of deferring governance based
Communist doctrine. It is for this reason that those who on ethnic lines implemented in the New American Union. The
advance Usmanian Socioeconomics as an ideology are system was devised as a ‘solution’ to racial divisions that many
called ‘Culturists’. Americans had come to view as irreconcilable after the horrors of
the Second American Civil War.
Culturism has its own model for interpreting history and
concept of a progressive superstructure that mark is as a
successor, rather than an addition to Marxism. It has its Many states offer temporary labour across ethnostate lines to those
own constituent theories pioneered by Danjuma Usman left destitute by the war and quickly create pockets of what are,
such as ‘the social unit’ and ‘cultural equilibrium’, that can within that particular state, ethnic minorities - who can be bullied
Playing the Game
be read about in ‘the little green book’, a collection of brief into being paid a pittance. Some Americans propose greater
essays that lay out the core concepts. segregation between the different ethnofederations as a solution to
this racism.
UNTac Metamorphism
UNTac is the check on power no one wants. Empowered by Metamorphism is an offshoot of ‘permanent revolution’
UNEC, it can enter any nation without warning and act with Communist thought and Usmanian theories of Capitalist ‘eternal
impunity, including the member states of UNEC. In the past few colonisation’. It argues that at any point, any political system is
years they have performed such audacious acts as arresting the UK being analysed, infiltrated, and exploited by ‘profiteers’ who will
Prime Minister for attempted ethnic cleansing and murdering the ultimately, inevitably corrupt a static society. To avoid this, society
entire staff of a Chinese state laboratory for overstepping in their and politics must exist in a constant state of what metamorphists
research of artificial superintelligence. call ‘grand change’, as ‘lesser change’ is always outpaced by
profiteers. Its detractors say metamorphists are absurd: by their
The world of 2044
The City
UNEC’s power stems from desperate ecological and agricultural own creed, they would support a revolution, then when it succeeds
pacts made to ensure the necessary cooperation to survive the begin working for the opposition.
Death Spiral, and that power flows into UNTac to tackle the non-
environmental humanity-ending threats, such as superintelligent

AI, ‘grey goo’ scenarios, smuggled nuclear bombs, biowarfare
Decliners
Radical versions of reductionists, decliners believe the only way to
development, and so on. All these fields of research are heavily
stop the Death Spiral and ensure humanity’s survival is for a rapid,
regulated, and UNTac is what’s waiting for those who go beyond
uncontrolled drop in the human population and abandonment
their purview. In light of the dangers they face, UNTac typically
of technology. Factions vary on whether they are more anti-
practices a rapid strike, kill-on-sight policy. Otherwise, what if a
technology or anti-population, but even the most softcore of their
person uses a second’s mercy to upload a seed of an ASI to the Net,
number will support things like a global enforcement of a 1-child
Life & Times
or loose a lethal contagion?

policy.
To the general public UNTac are bogeymen: cyborg killers and
This is not to say Decliners are the kind of New Puritan who
body-snatching hackers ready to pounce from the dark. An
abandons modern life to go shit in the woods. Violent Decliner
GM’s Toolkit
UNTac strike on a potentially world-ending illegal development of

cells have proven well-versed in firearms, explosives, and chemical
artificial superintelligence becomes rumours of wanton slaughter.
warfare, and have engaged in a number of terrorist acts.
The abduction of politicians and generals who have committed
crimes against humanity to stand trial becomes the violation
It is important to note Decliners are not grubby little anarcho-
of a nation’s sovereignty and kidnapping of war heroes. But the
primitivists on the political sidelines. A handful of politicians and
sinister perception is not truly a misunderstanding: under UNTac’s
scientists are, secretly, radical Decliners who are working to the
command are military cyborgs and S-rank hackers who will have
end of quelling the world’s population, for their greater good.
done heinous things to have ended up where they are.
Expcoin New Puritans

The hedonism and excess of wealthy nations is what caused the
To pursue their activities, UNTac has set up a clandestine
Death Spiral, and now that people are seeing the consequences
Net-based currency to act as a slush fund, named expCOIN.
some turn in the opposite direction and seek a puritan lifestyle.
The currency is based on some of the technology behind
Some of these New Puritans are religious fundamentalists riding
‘cryptocurrency’, a speculative digital asset produced and traded
the rising tide of Christian influence, but there are academics,
earlier in the 21st century before being progressively regulated
politicians, and public figures who also extol it. Some humbly
in the 30s, then abandoned with the destruction of the internet.
seek a life free from the complexities of technology and the hollow
Energy-rationing policies indirectly prevent the creation of
pursuit of materialistic pleasure. To achieve their freedom from
alternate digital currencies in 2044.
technology committed New Puritans leave the cities to form
communes in Faraday Zones, or trespass into protected forests.
The digital blood-money of expCOIN has ended up circulating in
underground and criminal circles, who use it to make untraceable
payments before swapping it for local currencies at UN exchanges.
212
Evolutionary Ideologism Destruction of Masculinity
Evoluntionary Ideologism is a materialist theory that views Since time immemorial, ageing men have grumbled that the new
competing political ideologies through an evolutionary lens. generations are too effeminate. That tradition continues into the
‘EvoIds’ explain ideologies as beginning as ‘spontaneous thought present, and those prone to fantasy claim that the UN’s prohibition
mutations’, that fade away in the surrounding ‘meme-pool’, or on meat and fossil fuels is a project intended not to stop climate
prove beneficial in the surrounding environment, in which case change, but instead feminize mankind.
they propagate. Ideologies then come to compete with one another,
adopting different ‘predator’ and ‘prey’ strategies. If an ideology Proponents assert that, in primitive humanity, not only were men
becomes too dominant, its can ‘over-consume’ other ideologies the hunters (and obviously therefore obviously have a greater need
and starve. As its dominance wanes, other ideologies can flourish, to consume meat than women), men were also the fire-starters,
mimicking population cycles between predators and prey. and have formed both a spiritual and physiological bond with
burning fuels and breathing in carbon. Having lost access to meat
Memetic Racism and carbon, men will regress into femininity.
Regular racism is alive and well, emboldened by a world war
where conflict was often articulated along ethnic lines. Memetic Believers in this atavistic mythology usually follow by saying
Racism represents the cutting edge of racist thought, formed in the global elite wants to do this because collectivism (and the
paranoid fear that technologies like wetprinting and ghosthacking government it creates) is inherently feminine, in contradiction to
will soon enable people to receive a ‘transracial transplant’ and masculine individualism. By advancing femininity, the elite will
‘swap’ their race for another. In anticipation of this unlikely advent convince the people of the world to further accept government
memetic racists focus on the ‘memes’ of their superior race, rather control and expand their power.
than appearance. Such people will talk about vague concepts such
as ‘the Protestant work ethic’ or ’Chinese filial piety’, and then
a few sentences later reach the conclusion that it’s okay to kill
Machine Takeover
BridgeBuilder, followed by Bionics, cyberbrains and automatons,
everyone from a particular continent. Some memetic racists allege
has led to the belief of some that machines are attempting to
that their race-technology fears have already come to pass, and
supplant existence, bringing the organic and synthetic alike under
point to prominent politicians and public figures as actually being
their domain. Those truly gripped by fear of this theory flee to
‘raceswapped’ infiltrators.
communities in Faraday Zones, and comfortably find a place
amongst New Puritans.
Conspiracy
Theories Cyberbrain Mind Control
A popular conspiracy theory is that governments are encouraging
Conspiracy theories still operate on the same basic principle they adoption of cyberbrains in order to implement mind control
always have; paranoid narcissists explaining the upper class are over the masses. Proponents of these conspiracies often have
secretly evil, while ignoring much of the evidence that proves them cyberbrains themselves (being a crucial piece of tech to cheaply
to be openly so. Unfettered by ‘empiricism’ or ‘basic logic’ that and easily broadcast spoken-word media), but sell ‘wards’ against
might converge them, each conspiracy theory can be unique in its the influence of ‘Them’ - contemporary equivalents of the tin-foil
minutia, but there are some broader topics and beliefs generally hats of the previous century.
agreed upon amongst ‘truthers’.
Critics point out that, while it is feasible to draw data from
cyberbrains, only simple, fundamental neural activity such as
Climate Change Isn’t Real language or mathematics is able to be interpreted by machines. No
What could be more appealing than the fantasy that the cause of computer can identify ‘dissident thought’. On top of all this, it takes
the world’s problems isn’t real? an S-class Hacker to alter a personality through ghosthacking, and
they can only work on one person at a time. Who could feasibly do
Climate change deniers tend to fall into two camps of it to billions at once, let alone without anyone noticing? The usual
contradictory claims, although proponents of either tend to get retort is that such acts are performed by secret superintelligent AIs
along well. The larger group says that all the world’s ecological in service to the government (or the other way around), who are
disasters - flooding, famine, desertification, disease, and so on - are capable of anything. Except stop theorists from talking, apparently.
all caused individually by state actors and advanced technology
to create the illusion of ‘climate change’, all to justify expanding
government power. The other group says these disasters wholly The Genocides are Fake
do not exist, and are fabrications created with thousands of crisis There was a lot of blood on a lot of hands after World War III. The
actors and computer generated images. Personal experiences with conspiracy theorist believes that, conveniently, none of that blood
abnormal weather explained away as results of the earth going got on the side they supported, while their enemies are drenched
through its natural fluctuations in average temperature, and are in the stuff. This usually boils down to claiming that any genocides
nothing to worry about. and famines caused by their side the most lethal conflict in human
history are all made up to make you sympathise with an enemy.
An example theory held by Chinese conspiracy theorists is that Some people go a step further and claim much of the war itself is a
Vietnam hasn’t been drowned by rising sea levels (which haven’t fabrication.
happened), and instead much of the country’s landmass has been
sunk via subterranean explosions created by the UN to undermine
China’s power by diluting its Han ethnic purity.
213
Religion
Christianity
Character creation
Christianity, in particular Catholicism, has been swelling in

power since the beginning of the Death Spiral, as people seek easy
answers to the apocalypse. The ecofascists of Europe have been
happy to push them to the churches, least the people go looking
for the harder answers that might put politicians in the cross-hairs.
The Vatican may soon be enjoying a level of power and influence it
hasn’t had since the middle ages.
Islam
The famines that wracked east Asia in the 30s and the resultant
collapse of Saudi Arabia has left the global faith rudderless. But
perhaps the one silver lining to come out of that hell was that
Muslim communities can now practice their faith on their own
Playing the Game
terms, without it being a vector for global politics.
Judaism
With the attempted ethnic cleansing of Jews during both the
collapse of the United States and Israel, the Jewish diaspora and
faith has been dealt another terrible blow in a World War. Some
rabbis look at the violence in the US and Palestine and preach

insulation and conservatism, others greater tolerance.
Hinduism & Buddhism

Both faiths are being systematically removed from Asia, as China
entrenches its rule under the guise of removing ‘anti-communist’ Holy Lands
The world of 2044
religions. Some wealthier practitioners have fled to other countries,

The City
Jerusalem
but there is not much tolerance to be found elsewhere. In Europe Following the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and retaliatory
their faith would make them subject to discriminatory laws, and genocide of Israel, Jerusalem and the surrounding area is now
in Northern Africa they’d be expected to renounce their faith and
sparsely populated by surviving Palestinians of all the Abrahamic

share their wealth with the nation. faiths. They scrape by off the money from the few visiting pilgrims
who can stomach traversing the scorched earth and highway
Culturist Chrislam graveyards to get to it. There are rumours the Catholic Church
Although opposed to organised religion, CASU advocates a wishes to bring the stateless city under its domain.
spiritual reinterpretation and mixing of all African faiths. Their
cultural project attempts to combine Christianity, Islam, and Mecca
Life & Times
Judaism with Vodun and Isese, for which it is called ‘chrislam’ After the collapse of Saudi Arabia, Mecca endures as an
(sometimes as a term of derision). The doctrine is not a formalised autonomous city-state sustained by the donations of pilgrims. It is
religion with tenets, but instead works within mystic traditions ruled by a council of Wahhabist Imams, although its dependence
that encourages personal, spiritual cultivation. on outsiders means that the culture of the city has become more
GM’s Toolkit
liberal than it had been under Saudi Arabian doctrine.
Bodh Gaya
While local statues of the Buddha survived, the Mahabodhi temple
has been razed in China’s ‘morality purge’, as have Buddhist and
Hindu temples across Asia.
The New Pagans

For some people, faiths formed in imperial conquest thousands of
years ago offer no answers for an ecological crisis, other than their
doomsday mythology being shoehorned into the Death Spiral.
Some turn away from religion entirely to see answers elsewhere,

but others look deeper into the past, to animist and shamanistic
faiths formed by people’s relationship with nature rather than each
other. Collectively these people are known as the New Pagans.
Although these cults are in their infancy and are scattered across
the globe, their tenets usually point towards a reverence of nature
(which is sometimes personified), simple living, and a more
symbiotic relationship with the environment than what modern
life, religion and politics provides.
214
The new Pope bellows a sermon to the fearing masses, under a sky turned a hellish red by a ravaging forest fire
215
Art, Culture & Culture over the Net
Much of the infrastructure that improved the internet has yet
Entertainment to be rebuilt for the Net. Data speeds are considerably lower,
Character creation
and most nations exercise data rationing. As a result the data-

The New Renaissance intensive medium of video has largely been abandoned as on a
digital format. The mediums of music and visual art have endured
The ossified bastions of entertainment and art have crumbled,
however, and when shared over the national social media it’s
and a hidden generation of creatives have been unleashed with
possible for a creative to find a sizeable audience. A number of
the introduction of Universal Basic. Now is a time of great artistic
albums have enjoyed meteoric success this way in the past years.
revival. Mass migrations and metropolitanisation collide cultures
and aesthetics within the megacities. Where once was corporatised
homogeneity, now there are a thousand art movements, be they
old ones reborn or newly conceived.
Visual Arts
Graffiti
This liberation exists in contention to the new politic. A centralised Amidst the chaotic tangle of the city, with street traders and small
and authoritarian state eyes freedom of expression as a threat. businesses constantly popping up, people need to put up some
Perhaps when the world hangs on a wire it is right to? kind of indicator that their business exists, and what service it
Playing the Game
provides. People without an artist friend may need to sloppily

Now is a time when an artist can be a revolutionary... or just paint a sign for themselves onto the city. But also there’s a lot of
another political prisoner. people with free time on their hands who will be able to find some
kind of chemical slop that can double as paint. Graffiti is a fact of
life in the city.
New Punk Vs. Nihilism
The central ideological divide in the arts is between the ‘New Megaiconography is so large that at the base it is functionally
Punk’ and ‘Nihilism’ movements. Both movements spawned at another wall, providing the joint benefits of a flat canvas to work
the same time: the final performance of the band Teeth in Berlin, on while also defacing a monument. Icons of leaders and war
2039, where they executed the son of climate-change-denying heroes are often caked with paint around their base, which often
media mogul Fred Mercer live on stage by immolation. Artists saw becomes a hub for graffiti artists to gather and work their craft.
one of two opposing beliefs in that fire:
Antagonism
The world of 2044
New Punk
The City
Antagonism is a visual and performing art movement within the

The world is ending, so destroy the people who made it that broader Nihilism movement. Antagonism centres around creating
way. To that end, your art should be a focal point for militant artwork that ‘punishes’ the viewer in some way, discouraging its
political organisation. The last century of ‘progressive’ art has been own consumption. Examples of Antagonism include Zero Wei’s
conservative, used to absorb and deflate political dissent, and it Tease, where Wei performed a strip-dance where she progressively
has killed the world. An artist who isn’t prepared to publicly break put on more clothes, or Harry Costeau’s Garden of Earthly
the law, including violent militancy, is disingenuous, and should Delights (Reprise), which at first appears as a picturesque garden
not have an audience. landscape, but on closer inspection hides grotesque images.
Nihilism
Life & Times
The world is ending, so truly indulge. Nothing matters anymore, Icarus, by Emilia Pan
so why waste your final years on inhibition and empathy? Abuse, Icarus is a sculpture of a kneeling figure composed of
hurt, rape, torture and kill as you please. Destroy others and hundreds of sharpened kitchen knives. Pan’s stipulations
yourself for fun. Artists should inspire people to be their most that Icarus cannot be disassembled, contained, or guarded
GM’s Toolkit
hedonistic, animalistic selves, and art should be a rapturous dying by any barriers has led to a number of art movers and
scream heralding the extinction of this dog-shit species. viewers being injured by the piece. Icarus became one of
the most iconic pieces of the Antagonism art movement
when it blinded a child, an event Pan publicly celebrated.
216
Cinema Nollywood
The low data limit of the Net means that watching video online Hollywood is a shell of its former self, its wealth plundered by
is functionally impossible for the layperson. There has been a China and what remains put to use by the puppet government
reversion back to the physical in cinema, both in terms of needing installed on the west coast. Europe’s film industry is mostly
a physical storage medium (such as a DVD, VHS, or hard drive yawnsome propaganda and art house movies made by dissident
containing the film), and in people consuming film in a physical intellectuals. China is much the same. It’s time for Africa to shine!
location with other people.
CASU’s focus on cultural engineering means that their revolution
What that physical location is can vary: for most it will be a has seen public funding for the arts grow, rather than reduction
state-sponsored cinema which will hold public screenings of the that comes from paranoid new governments fearing derision.
latest flicks, but for others it can be a private club of like-minded Creatives with vision and talent have a decent chance of getting
enthusiasts who have between them maintained an archive, their film made, provided it encourages the Culturist mindset.
or a battered set-up put together and watched by a close-knit
community. While Nollywood was originally contained to Nigeria (and
the cultural output is still centred there), the term has come to
encompass films from all CASU territories.
Usman’s Journey
The real reason Nollywood is taking off is that Culturist ideology
A particular fan-favourite of Nollywood is the ‘Usman’s
puts quality of craft before clarity of propaganda, and that
Journey’ series, moving-image hagiographies depicting
there is a consumer market wanting to watch movies that put
the life and trials of CASU’s leader Danjuma Usman. The
series’ success stems from the sense of fun preserved
entertainment first: while plenty of European politicians dislike
despite them being blatant propaganda. With kick-ass kung CASU, most of the European public regards them as a vital ally
fu action, oddly sarcastic humour, and poignant moments, during World War III. With both a domestic consumer market and
look out for Usman’s Journey: Book 3, coming March 2045. one in Europe, African cinema centred in Nigeria may be the next
big thing.
POPULAR FILM GENRES EXAMPLE FILMS

Heroism. The heroism genre, typically shortened to ‘hero’
(or ‘prop’, short for propaganda, by detractors), centres Red Aras
around soldiers and state-servants accomplishing great
Usman’s Journey
deeds for people and country, usually at great personal
sacrifice. Ostensibly these films are biopics, depicting Wolf Warrior 5:
real events and people, but anyone with a brain knows Immortals
the history depicted is doctored.
Alt History. Within the Death Spiral, the fantasy of a world The Prevention
that could have been is appealing enough to draw large Cure
audiences. Some of these movies broach contemporary
Nixon Reborn
politics, but most alt history movies present a world
entirely separate from the issues of reality. Family of Four
Wartime Romance. The only thing better than two people
kissing passionately is two people kissing passionately
while the city burns, and everyone has pretty clear
Gone With the
memories of what a burning city is like. Cinema is
Wind (2042)
currently in a sweet spot, just far enough from the war
for the string of trauma to be dulled, but close enough By The Palm
for people to feel a connection. Wartime romance films Tree
rewrite the fading memories of the World War III into
Burning River
sometime more rose-tinted and personal, focusing
on two star-crossed lovers and allowing the death of
millions to sink into the background.
Reruns. There’s not a huge amount of cinema being
made right now, and while people still tend to prefer
the new, there is over a century of past cinema to be
plumbed by the more curious of viewers.
217
Music
From church hymns to city-block jams, music has endured
through the decades to thrive in the 40s. Music’s low file size
Character creation
means that it can still be shared in the face of data rationing. Able
to freely spread across the Net where payment systems have not yet
been imposed, it has proliferated while video and other mediums
throttled by their file size have fallen by the wayside. Adding to
this, the freedom enabled by UB and a return of community has
begun to spawn music circles and a return to the idea of music
being a part of social life rather than a product to buy.
In line with its popularity, music has become the main

battleground upon which the ideological schism of New Punk
versus Nihilism is fought.
Live Music
Playing the Game
Music circles can grow into coordinated bands, and from there
grow an audience. Live guerrilla music is a common feature of
city night-life. These shows can sometimes grow and merge into
political movements, with band members providing a war chant to
a protest or riot.
The Synadeck
The Synadeck is a new instrument invented in 2038 that works by
connecting a bionic body part’s nervous system to a machine that
Popular genres & artists interprets the bioelectric signals as sounds. In practice it is similar
to a theremin, with the user’s coordinated movements creating
MUSIC GENRE ARTIST • MOST POPULAR ALBUM OR EP music, by unlike a theremin a synadeck doesn’t require you to
New Punk Teeth • The Worst Animal move in a restricted area. As such some synadeck musicians have
The world of 2044
The City
Inspired by the radical Wow! Zedong • Square Meal begun to combine their machines with dance, practicing a series of
actions of Teeth, New Punk moves that, when performed, create music.
The Rent-Control Boys • Adult 3D Vision
is the wave of musicians
who lead progressive direct Whippe Cracke • Distinguido The famed musician Midi is credited as one of the synadeck’s
action and political violence. Ich Liebe Die Maschine! • Pferde Zu Kleber pioneers.
Ni Metal G Alloy • Self Succrifice
Ni Metal is the musical Ironic Pedophile • Ooh, Baby!
branch of the Nihilism
Mullen & the Bugs • The Greek
movement. Bellowing
vocals demand self- Papercunt • Sran Gospodnya
Life & Times
destruction and cruelty. Axe & Faggot • Death to Monkey Mums

Dad Rap Jesus Christo • Put The Nails Back In
Started by ageing rappers Old Uzi • Luv is Family
who fled the Second
GM’s Toolkit
Despot • I Finally Made An Album

American Civil War, Dad
Rap focuses on church and Ross • Opachki
family over the thug life. Mister Richie • Faith & Family
Ethereal Music Lung • Lung
A child of vaporwave, Cretaceous Crab Revolution • Carcinogenic!
ambience music, and
Lovemaker Sedative • Glory Unto
experimental folk. Think
Portishead combined with a Bad Syndrome • It’s Alive
weird sound art instillation. The Beating Heat • All At Once
Neo-Classical Clare Royce • Victory, oh Victory!
A genre that’s seen a top- Liu Lai • Four Seasons
down revival, Neo-Classical
Ibadan New Orchestra • New Waltzes
was broadcast during WWIII
to inspire ‘the people’ but United Europe Ensemble • Faust
mainly inspired ‘the elite’. Petersonian Chant • Songs for the Father
Other Sodder Dod • English Rain
There are dozens of other Psychic Iron Cage • Lover of Horses
new genres emerging, like
Dulce de Letch & the Karma Sucre • Joy
Mexican-Chinese hyperpop
and synthetic orchestral. Church & Steeple • Praise
What do you listen to? BlakeOne • Megastructure
218
The Final Performance of Teeth Teeth were summarily arrested and incarcerated, aside from band
The formative event of the current cultural moment was the final member Midi who was not physically present at the performance
performance of Teeth, in 2039. Teeth was a criminal-affiliated (instead attending via hologram, which some say was a recording)
Marxist-environmentalist band that experienced a meteoric rise and disappeared after Mercer’s execution. Afterwards it came to
from obscurity to prominence with their first and only album, light Teeth had been working with extremist environmentalist
The Worst Animal. They provided a furious, violent voice to those group HAEL, who had killed the bodyguards of Ben Mercer
disillusioned by a system that had just undergone horrendous after he visited Teeth before their Berlin performance. Ironically,
famine and strife, and still seemed hell-bent on killing itself and Mercer was quite a fan of Teeth. Shortly after Hans Brennan’s
taking everyone with it. Teeth also possessed a ‘punk’ legitimacy imprisonment, he ‘committed suicide’ by bludgeoning himself into
in stark contrast to contemporary musicians, in that they were unconsciousness then hanging himself.
violently opposed to the supposedly-inescapable incorporation of
all things into capitalism. Lead singer Hans Brennan had served Creatives saw two different things in the smouldering remains of
time for disfiguring a music executive in a London parking lot for Ben Mercer. Half saw Teeth’s final message as a call to action; the
offering him a contract for his previous band, Pigs On Heroin. radical, violent reclaiming of culture and its redirection towards
fighting evil political forces by any means necessary, in light of
The climax of Teeth happened in 2039, in their final live what they’d done to the world. These people formed the ‘New
performance in Berlin. At the height of the show, the band dragged Punks’. The other half saw pure hedonism: the world is ending, so
on stage Ben Mercer, son of media magnate Fred C. Mercer. After do whatever you like to whomever you like. These people formed
dousing Ben with greesel, they performed a mock trial where Ben the ‘Nihilists’.
and Fred’s crimes of preventing action on climate change were
read out, after which Ben was executed by immolation.
219
G Alloy
Audio Entertainment
Bcasting
G Alloy is the king of the Ni Metal musical movement. He In urban environments, braincasting, commonly called Bcasting,
Character creation
has earned this position by committing brutal suicide at the has become popular in recent years. A cyberbrain coupled with
end of every performance, usually by a shotgun to the head a bit of peripheral software and hardware can put out a reliable
followed by the corpse being immolated, or torn apart by
short-range broadcast of someone’s hearing perception, allowing
the audience. On one occasion they ate him.
anyone in range with a cyberbrain or radio to listen in. Bcasters
And yet G Alloy will return, to perform and kill himself use this technology to share their conversations with friends,
again. And again. And again. The grotesque nature of his colleagues, interviewees, the public, and so on.
art draws a fervent audience of Nihilists who enjoy the
show by descending into rioting and violence. Blood and Bcasters can find a decent level of success, becoming minor local
cinders are the marks left by a G Alloy performance.
celebrities and a locus for the surrounding community. Some work
G Alloy’s repeated resurrection raises questions, as such an a religious angle, delivering sermons and leading prayers over the
act seems only scientifically possible through wet-printing Bwaves. Some find their way onto the payroll of governments,
and ghost-dubbing technology years ahead of anything corporations, or anyone else who needs good press. Some survive
the scientific community is aware of. The man himself is on community donations and Universal Basic. Others find
a mystery: beyond his accent and language suggesting a
Playing the Game
success on the Net, sharing their words with people across the
German origin, there is no public record of the man who globe. Particularly in the wake of the Lingua Franca system, a few
became G Alloy. Many in state intelligence consider him to
Bcasters have risen to international stardom.
be a psyop by a powerful state, intended to be planted in a
city to generate chaos. Others consider him some kind of
spirit willed into existence by his audience, a gestalt entity SimEnt
formed of the all the festering run-off of the human psyche. ‘Simulated entertainment’ is a nascent entertainment medium
Or he may just be a sick man who has stolen advanced tech. where the content is intended to be experienced in place of the
normal sensory experience of the consumer, through the use of a
cyberbrain and bionic sensory organs (or a headset that mimics
them). Given the medium asks the consumer to undergo the
disconcerting experience of surrendering their perceptions to
experience a recording of someone else’s, ‘SimEnt’ is highly niche.
The world of 2044
The City
SimEnt has all the experimental weirdness of an obscure medium

still in its infancy. No one has quite figured out the techniques for
making SimEnt yet, but generally content focuses on some kind
of sensory experience. Often this is pornographic, but there are

also SimEnts that abstract artistic expression, or SimEnts that are
a meditation tool, and more. There are also SimEnt that provide
a narrative. Amongst them some function as wish fulfilment, with
the SimEnt going through a scripted experience of things like
beating your overbearing boss, or being lauded by your peers.
Life & Times
There are even illegal SimEnts where the ‘cinematographer’ has

recorded data from their ‘Ghost’, allowing the user to experience
not just the senses but also emotions and desires. This is highly
dangerous; repeat exposure to someone else’s Ghost in this way
GM’s Toolkit
can begin to erode the consumer’s personality.
Video Games
Video gaming is a niche form of entertainment in 2044. Most game
consoles and gaming computers were repossessed to make military
hardware during World War III, or sold as The Crash began to bite
into people’s budgets.
The few ‘gamers’ that are left are the ones with the wealth or
passion to maintain the hobby. Those driven by passion often have
to collectivise to maintain their library of games and consoles,
such as through public donations to their cross between an arcade
and a museum, or through pooling resources with a group of the
like-minded. Their proximity to tech means gamers can often
overlap with hacker subculture.
Unfortunately, for now, video gaming seems like a fading medium.

The scarcity of rare earth metals means that there aren’t the
resources to mass-produce game consoles.
220
Fashion Textiles
In 2044, the typical person’s wardrobe will be a combination of The Prohibition has halted the creation of new leather and wool,
simple, durable articles rationed to them by the state, battered and but new technology is opening up some doors.
threadbare clothes from previous decades, a single pair of shoes,
and a few inherited or handmade accessories to represent their MODERN TEXTILES
individuality or culture. In a way, clothing is closer to representing Cotton. Cotton forms the basis of most textile production, with different
its wearer’s individuality now than it was in previous eras. A moth- regions and countries used different genetically modified strains that
eaten suit, a wooden crucifix, worn-smooth jewellery - a person’s can be grown in different climates. Being a water-intensive crop, recent
entire background can be seen in their apparel. droughts have caused cotton harvests to fall short. Hence why the clothes
made from it are now designed to last for decades.
Fast fashion, another environmental disaster of the early 21st
Mycoleather. A hardy leather substitute made of a fungus, mycoleather (or
century, is long gone, buried under a vastly different agricultural
just ‘myco’) is growing in popularity in both fashion and industry. Once you
landscape and hard green environmentalist regulation. Not made
have the fermentation bath set up, growing and curing the stuff is easy.
to last, most of its fragile products have decayed away, and with
textile industry now stuck on a low output, subsistence living has Recycled Plastic. There’s plenty of waste plastic still about, and it’s not hard
normalized people wearing clothes that are repaired, hand-me- to turn it into threads and from there, into clothes.
downs, or otherwise weathered. It is not rare for people to wear Metal. With asteroid mining bringing in great chunks of the stuff, people
brands and iconography at least a few decades out of date and from near space elevators have started experimenting with adding it to clothing.
companies and cultural touchstones no longer in existence. Organics. Some people are reviving the creation of clothes from plants and
plant fibres. Some scientists are experimenting with genetic modification to
Elite Fashion create a textile crop less demanding than cotton.
Fashion trends, and the usage of clothes to display wealth and Synthetics. For state-use, chemical processes are still used to create
status, have disappeared from the world. Those with money to special materials, with advancements like Quantum Materials enabling the
spend readily engage in such practices. For the elite, fashion can creation of new and unique fabrics like Null Cloth.
be engaged in casually. For the masses living on Universal Basic,
fashion requires effort. Jewellery, Artificial Diamonds, & Gold
The mass-production of artificial diamonds was advanced for
Fashion Communities industrial purposes during WWIII, and now the technology is
Someone non-elite being ‘fashionable’ means it is a dedicated being turned towards jewellery. Atomically indistinguishable from
interest for them. This person has skimmed off of their Universal ‘real’ diamonds, the diamond has lost its scarcity value. Similarly
Basic - off of their own subsistence - to afford textiles and the once-enchanting gold is now also suffering from abundance,
equipment, and they will have had to work in a community of like- with asteroid mining bringing in vast quantities (most of which
minded people who fulfil different roles. The cities of the world goes into modern computers). These changes in the abundance
are dotted with tiny, vibrant communities of fashionistas, little of materials has produced strange ripples in fashion: while the
blooming flowers amongst the gaps in the concrete. ability to craft jewellery has been opened up (with many fashion
communes participating in crafting jewellery), the ostentatious
FASHION TRENDS amongst the elite have had to look for new forms of scarcity with
CASU Fashion. CASU fashion combines the two central pillars of North which to display their wealth, such as using stones with flaws
African political life: militarism and afro-futurism. Being a citizen-soldier is that cannot be artificially replicated, or restricting the amongst of
a way of life that has thrown of the yoke of outsider exploitation, and now works made by a master craftsman. The more ghoulish elite are
truly African aesthetics can breathe and grow. Articles often combine a said to use materials like the bones and wood of extinct species.
stiff, utilitarian military look with looser patterned cloth.
Chinese Fashion. Generally less prescriptive than other territories, if it has
any direction then Chinese fashion attempts to find a mass-marketable
midpoint between the nebulous western suit and dress of previous decades
and the resurrection of traditional Han aesthetics. Occasionally elements
from annexed territories are incorporated in a gesture of inclusiveness.
European Fashion. True to the ideology of ecofascism, European elites seek
in their attire to recapture a warped idea of the past, resulting in the art
movement called ‘Neo Baroque’. Old European imperial fashion is combined
with half-remembered baroque patterns, with metalwork enabled by 3D
printers provides accoutrements that often have a Christian inflection.
The Military Look. In the post-war period, military propaganda has been
redirected into more cultural aspects. Fashion is no exception: much of
what is currently in vogue for the elites and those who splurge on apparel is
inspired by military aesthetics.
Workwear
In the workplace, it is standard practice for the organisation to
provide the apparel, to be donned and doffed as one starts and
ends the day. Entire government departments all wear the same
suit and tie, and an entire business, top to bottom, wear the same
boiler suit. Different ranks in the hierarchy can be marked by an
addition to the uniform, such as a badge or shoulder boards.
221
Crime & Vice Old World Luxuries
People will pay good money for vices that are no longer or barely
Universal Basic has curbed petty crime (for the most part: things produced such as cigarettes - which is why they’re taxed so heavily.
Character creation
still get pretty hairy when a famine or shortage hits) but in this Trying to avoid the surcharge, it’s not uncommon for crooks to try
postwar cold war Death Spiral slide towards oblivion a new to smuggle luxuries from the old world into the city.
generation of organised crime is coming, from multiple sources:
Meat
Postwar Gangs While not technically illegal under The Prohibition, anyone
Many people are returning to their home nations from a war connected to state power eating quality meat is a logistical and
trained in organisation and violence, but without material rewards. legal minefield due to The Prohibition. Petmeat butchers can meet
Enough of these people have opted to pursue the criminal life to a low-class demand, but the real money is in selling steaks of beef
carve out a piece for themselves, and they can usually round up a or pork to the elite. That’s where the real risks are too.
few idiots with free time due to UB to carry out their plots.
Anything publicly funded is illegal so must be kept quiet, but
State Intelligence & Crime rearing anything larger than a chicken under wraps is a nightmare.
Intelligence agencies are growing as the cold war of the three- Animals need feed, space, and water that isn’t in ample supply,
Playing the Game
way split progresses, with their operations increasingly obscured and there’s a toss-up between doing in the cramped city where
from public purview (and even the view of other politicians). anyone can stumble across your operation, or doing it outside the
‘Intelligence’ continues to function as the organised crime of the city limits and stretching your operation too thin. Adding to this,
state, and many of the emerging mafias are in truth collaborating enough of the public and Hard Green politicians hate the elites
with or were created by people working for the government. breaking the rules that it can be a PR disaster - a risk that allows
crooks to rack up the price even more. Given the nightmare it
For the plainly unscrupulous elite working with criminals feeds represents for everyone involved, most crooks stick to drugs, and
a desire for cruelty and dominance, but beyond that many on occasion will pass off one of their murder victims as pork.
factions within government loathe the influence UNEC and
state regulation holds over them, and conspire to act outside of
international law to circumvent their rules and threats.
Drugs
Many of the classics such as heroin and dope maintain their
popularity, although increased regulation and scrutiny over how
Expatriated Paramilitaries
The world of 2044
farmland is being used has curbed their supply. There are also new
The City
The dissolution of governments in America, Russia and Saudi products on the market such as Razor, Fenkhel and D8.
Arabia loosed a new generation of trained killers who had no
nation to restrain them, and so went into business doing what they
Growing Your Own
knew best.
If you want to grow your own and have no dreams of distribution,
it’s easy enough to ‘appropriate’ soil from the jungle, get some
Distracted Police seeds from the friend of a friend, and put it all in a pot next to your
Police are often looking away from organised crime, busy as they window. Just don’t let anyone catch you, or they’ll ask you to share.
are keeping a lid on the turbulence the Death Spiral brings, and
rely on a surveillance state that, once you know where the gaps
are, is incredibly easy to avoid. Protesters do the polite thing of
Life & Times
breaking the law in the open, requiring a lot less brain power to
police than organised crime. This is also to say nothing of the
police on the take, or who are running their own criminal gang.
GM’s Toolkit
WagnerMC
WagnerMC is an international paramilitary criminal
organisation active in Europe, Asia and North America
Originally a Russian military cyborg death squad, they
decided to go into business for themselves rather than
surrender and be tried for war crimes when the European
Commune dissolved the Russian government. They are the
sole distributor of methamphetamine variant Razor.
Contraband
World War III Plunder
Artwork from galleries, artefacts from museums, and even objects
of value seized from people’s homes, all were taken during the
war and moved from one country to another. Some were taken
under the pretext of preventing their destruction in a military
engagement, but many have not been returned in peacetime, and
most are finding their way to private collections.
222
SEx The Illegal Arms Trade
Punks, politicos, and gangsters alike want to carve out power for
Prostitution themselves while everything is still in flux. Anyone could take the
The introduction of Universal Basic enabled many people
throne, but to do it you need violence (or at least, the threat of it),
to escape from prostitution, but the demand has endured,
and for that you need guns. Fortunately there is ample supply. Not
particularly amongst the elite and military class where other
only are there the small arms brought back by soldiers from World
ways to feel dominant have been walled off by the Death Spiral.
War III, but there are also weapon stockpiles abandoned in dozens
To meet this demand, human trafficking has been ramped up,
of failed states, and what can be skimmed from an arms industry
performed by the gangs formed after the war and often facilitated
thriving in the cold war of the three-way split.
by politicians and state intelligence.
‘Failed States’ like Brazil and Saudi Arabia, where there is no

Universal Basic and not much in way of a functional economy, Sport & Athletics
are the well-springs for sex traffickers, providing people who Obesity levels have dropped dramatically in the past two decades
desperately want a better life and have no records of their existence in wealthier nations (war and famine will do that), and now
to track. Once smuggled into another country, being illegally limitations due to Universal Basic mean that people often have
immigrated and without any records, coverage by UB is impossible no choice in 2044 but to receive good nutrition. With that comes
and they are forced to sell their body to survive. a modicum of fitness in most people. Beyond that some people
use the free time granted by UB to exercise, and many people
developed a level of athleticism in the army which they now
Pornography maintain in peacetime.
Unless you are or know a hacker, rigging a greater data bandwidth
in order to enjoy digital video is nigh-impossible. There’s also the
issue that most of humanity’s pornographic output is buried in the The Olympics
wreckage of the internet, and requires a Net-diver to go fish it out. The Olympics were suspended after the 2028 games. A gruesome
In pursuit of a wank, some have resurrected the formats of VHS world war will do that. While some people talk about returning
and DVD, or even attempt to collect and restore damaged erotic the games now that it is peacetime, diplomatic tensions are still
magazines and posters. incredibly high. The Olympiad year of 2044 has just come -
perhaps the games will return, but if they do, they will be another
In this drought, people who can produce new pornographic battleground upon which the three-way split competes for national
material, usually in the form physical pictures, can make good pride.
money if they can navigate the milieu of questionable content.
Success can be a double-edged sword, however: depending on
what country you’re in, you could get hit with a morality law Bionic Sport
charge, or as a purveyor of vice you might get caught up in a gang Bionics represent a game-changer in competitive sport, enabling
or police protection racket. the creation of physiology beyond the limits of humanity. Rather
than figure out some way to integrate this advantage into normal
sports, competitions usually segregate cyborg and flesh-and-blood
athletes into different events. Those with only limited bionics, such
as a single bionic arm, fall into a grey area that often disqualifies
them from competing in either side.
Cyborgs are rare enough that it is difficult for them to compete

in team sports. Adding to this that most cyborgs come from the
military, the most common cyborg sports are one-on-one combat
events such as wrestling and boxing. Because a cyborg body
doesn’t physically change with training and diet, the emphasis of
these competitions comes down to pure technique.
Freetech Events
‘Freetech’ events are cyborg sport meets where there are fewer
or no limitations on how a cyborg can be modified. Cyborgs
coming out of the military will all have bodies designed to similar
specifications, but once engineers have the incentive to win the
pot of a Freetech competition things can get strange. Cyborgs
determined to win can end up undergoing extensive modifications
adding bionic muscle or electrical components that will have
severe impact their day-to-day life. As a result Freetech events are
often illegal and devolve into bare-knuckle boxing.
Livestreaming Bionic Sports

Given a cyborg’s sensory organs are all bionic and can connect
to the Net, it doesn’t take much additional equipment to enable
an athlete to live stream their sensory data. If you know the right
people and have good pain tolerance, it’s pretty easy to experience
the fight over the Net from the fighter’s perspective.
223
Disability New Disabled Movement
In a number of places these conditions have birthed a new
Postwar Impairments disabled rights movement, often intertwined with a veterans
Character creation
movement. Their campaign objectives vary from group to group,

During WWIII maimed soldiers could have their mangled limbs
with government coverage of expenses, increased accessibility
replaced with bionics (even if the flesh-and-blood limb could
and mobility in the city, and an expansion of medical support.
have recovered) and be promptly sent back to the front lines, but
Some campaign for more support for the development of bionic
civilians weren’t so ‘lucky’. Bombing campaigns, frostbite, disease,
prostheses, but fail to develop traction compared to policies that
coupled with the soldiers who didn’t get bionic prostheses, have
will more universally benefit the campaigners.
all created a new generation of people with physical and mental
impairments, who find their access and mobility restricted both
by the bottom-up, slap-dash construction of the modern city, and
a top-down elite whose indifference or malevolence towards the
disabled has been baked into their institutions.
Disaster & Disability

Playing the Game
People who have chronic health problems are more likely to

succumb to the diseases that have seen an increased spread by
global warming and flooding. Those with physical impairments
struggle to evacuate during natural disasters, or move to protected
areas during deep freezes or searwaves. In the genocides and
famines of WWIII and after, disabled people were often the first
targeted and starved. The Death Spiral and all its consequences are
cruel to everyone, but as is often the case, disabled people are first
to get it in the neck.
Care & Welfare

Most states’ Universal Basic is ‘one size fits all’ and has replaced
The world of 2044
welfare, so if you have a condition that costs money, you’re living

The City
on less than what most people barely subsist upon. A return of

community spirit has helped some people with impairments, with
friends and family able to fulfil the role of care-giver in lieu of a
paid assistant. But not everyone finds a circle.
Early Adopters of Tech

Just as they were early adopters of the internet and digital
illustration, disabled people in 2044 have leapt on new
communication technologies such as The Net and cyberbrains.
Life & Times
A number of the famous hackers on both sides of the law in the

fleeting ‘golden age’ of cybercrime were disabled, but there are also
pioneering digital engineers, artists, musicians, and personalities
who have helped shape The Net and Net subculture.
GM’s Toolkit
Shape
Heralded by a mirror mask’s glint and a splat of paint, the
masked artist known as Shape menaces Manchester.
No Mechanical Limitations on
Playing Disabled Characters Not content with the unchallenging canvas of back alley
walls, Shape applies his graffiti to more dangerous targets:
ECOPUNK is not a combat-focused game (unless you make government buildings, police vehicles, and people. Painting
it one), so there is no assumption embedded into the rules with a compound of greesel, Shape’s work in liquid greens
that characters have no physical impairments. and yellows also serves as a threat to guarantee his safety:
a painted-up cop can become a funeral pyre with only a
In addition, technology in the setting such as cyberbrains,
spark. Having built up a reputation for destruction, Shape
hacking, virtual reality, and advanced telecommunications
only needs to produce a lighter to strike the fear necessary
means that many character builds will work regardless of
for him to flee into the night.
whether that character is physically present. Characters
with mobility impairments (or mental impairments that Shape’s pièce de résistance was his covert tagging of UK
make certain forms of communication difficult) can be Prime Minister Huddleston’s suit, an act of humiliating
explained as operating out of their base through this tech. vandalism only noticed after Huddleston had waddled on
stage at the annual party conference.
As such, those wanting to play disabled characters should
not be mechanically disadvantaged. Note that ECOPUNK Shape’s real name is Peter Fox, a minor British politician
is not a setting free from discrimination, and you may want and disabled veteran elected on a ticket of progressivism
to tell stories that grapple with these heavier themes. Both and postwar sentiment. Someone studying Shape’s
the players and the GM should decide in Session Zero movements might notice a correlation between who he
whether they want to approach such subjects in their story. targets and their stance against the disabled.
224
Part 4:
GM’s Toolkit
225
Character Mechanics
Character creation

Playing the Game
Premade Punks
The world of 2044
GM’s Toolkit
The combat loadout for a UN Tactical cyborg. These ruthless killers are a modern day bogeyman.
Part 4 has four chapters that contain advice and additional rules that a GM can use to enhance their
performance of the role. Constructing Missions gives tips and tools for crafting Missions. Gameplay
Tools contains optional rules that can facilitate and embellish the game. All Things NPC provides tips,
optional rules, premade NPCs, and more to better manage your performance of non-player characters.
Soundtracks & Touchstones contains suggested music and potential sources of inspiration.
226
GM General Advice
There are myriad videos, essays, Twitter threads and so on that
discuss how to be a better Game Master, either in general or for Illuminate, Don’t Dictate
specific storytelling games. Everyone is playing a game like ECOPUNK because they want to
be a part of a collective story. If you start telling players what to do
While the following advice is not exhaustive, these are the - or do so indirectly by restricting them to one narrative path - you
suggestions that are most essential to fulfilling the role of Game are defeating the very purpose of storytelling games.
Master to the best of your ability.
When you describe the world of ECOPUNK, the NPCs the players
meet, the objects present, you are giving the players options in
The Story comes first how they can interact with the story. When narrating, aim to
Storytelling games have rules because they provide an impartial ‘illuminate’ the world and its options to the players. If you only
system within which ideas for the narrative can healthily come ever give the players a single avenue by which to do things, only
together. By using game rules, conflicts between different ever illustrate the option you’d like them to pursue, you are softly
desires for the narrative are decided by the dice, while collective dictating to them a story you’ve already planned out. Like training
agreements on the narrative still carry the risk necessary to make a bright spotlight on the story you’d like told, all the stories your
the story thrilling. players want to tell become dark and undefined by contrast.
If it becomes an impediment to the storytelling, this system That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t provide avenues for your players.
is failing. If a rule would bring something to a dissatisfying For example, you might think it would totally fucking rock for the
conclusion for the players, ignore it! If you can’t recall a specific hacker Chen to overcome their pacifism by killing their nemesis
rule in a climactic moment, don’t slow the pace by scrutinising the in an act of bloody vengeance. Sounds cool! Give Chen the option
rulebook unless you really have to. Improvise the rule instead! by giving her nemesis a pacemaker to hack. Just remember that,
ultimately, what happens with Chen is for Chen’s player to decide,
This is all to say: the ‘game’ of ECOPUNK is meant to facilitate the without you pushing them in any direction.
‘story’ of ECOPUNK, not the other way around. Ignore the game
part if it falls short.
Don’t Say No
When a player asks if they can pursue a course of action that seems
On Missions & Freedom absurd, don’t just shut them down with a ‘no’. A player asking if
Missions should provide an objective, not a series of steps to go they can do something outlandish is them thinking creatively -
through. Let the Punks worry about how to actually complete the that’s what you want!
Mission! Don’t plan for the Punks to do specific things to advance
the narrative, because they’re almost certain to do something else! Instead, either suggest a similar but more grounded course of
action, let them argue why they should be able to do whatever it is
Move the World Around The Players, Not Through Them they want to do, or let them know the potential consequences and
To create a living, breathing world, don’t make the players feel like let them attempt it anyway. The system of Skilled Throws does,
they are at the centre of it. This might seem a strange suggestion, after all, allow all courses of action to be attempted by anyone - just
as the players are at the centre of the narrative. However if NPCs’ those with low to no Skill are less likely to succeed.
lives only change when in contact with the Punks, if factions are
only trying to advance their agendas when the Punks are around
to help or stop them, if the story of humanity only gets told
when the Punks get to write the words, the players will develop a
subconscious sense that they are the only characters in the story
with agency, and will approach the game as a power fantasy.
When encountering recurring NPCs, narrate that their lives have

changed, improving or worsening in matters outside the crew’s
control. For organisations and groups, when devising what they
plan to do over the course of the Mission, don’t think about the
Punks at all. Let the Punks be the wrench thrown into someone’s
plans rather than a part of it.
ECOPUNK, and storytelling games in their entirety, should not be

pure escapism, simply an anaesthetic for the bitterness of reality.
Instead they should be a chance to gather with family and friends,
and while having fun enrich your understanding of the world,
strengthening yourself against that reality beyond the table.
At the same time, don’t rob players of all agency in the plot. Think
of the crew as a stone in the river - able to shape the current, but
not the ultimate direction of the water.
227
Constructing Missions
The World of 2044 No Status Quo
Character creation
The World of 2044 contains numerous lists of factions, individuals, ECOPUNK is a setting where western capitalist hegemony has
and stories that you can use in your Missions. The Life & Times in broken, and the USA no longer exists to economically or militarily
2044 chapter in particular can be useful as it contains run-downs enforce the neoliberal ideology. With the status quo removed,
of specific facets of life in 2044, including factions and conflicts there has been a balancing of powers and new conflicting
that can be brought into your narrative . The chapter begins on ideologies have arisen to compete for the throne. This means that
page 180. politics has moved away from disparate factions all trying to chip
away at the singular hegemony, and towards competition between
Consider the Crew

roughly equal factions.
When designing Missions, the most important thing to consider When planning out Missions, don’t assume the story must be
is the abilities of the Punks. There’s no fun in throwing a crew about ‘the little guy’ of the Punks facing off against the one giant
of ‘the government’ or ‘capitalism’ - these stories often feel like
Playing the Game
of investigators with no ability to fight into a series of combat

encounters, for example. anaesthetic fantasy that implicitly assumes that, away from the
table, the powers that be really are insurmountable. Factions of
Take into account what the players have stated they want in the equal calibre to the Punks can be just as thrilling and will produce
Session Zero, as well as what kind of abilities they have given their a story that feels more grounded in reality, while portraying the
Punks. Try to ensure there is at least one thing for each Punk’s truth that power is amorphous, and anyone can wield it.
‘skill set’ each Mission.
There is still hegemony, of course. ‘The State’ is more powerful in
many nations that it has been in decades, as a result of it putting
Combat-Focused Punks in Peaceful its resources towards goals rather than maintaining the status quo.
Missions But within the halls of power many opposing factions openly vie to
If you’ve got a combat-focused Punk and are looking to craft a hold the steering wheel, and these factions may involve the Punks
Mission that doesn’t involve violence, the above advice might seem in their schemes.
The world of 2044
a problem.
However that’s only if the player of the combat-focused Punk Giving A Brief
is approaching ECOPUNK as solely a game, where Traits and When you’re about to give a Brief, it is best to determine
Equipment having no application outside of their rules. Getting The Elements first, either by rolling on The Elements table
Gameplay Tools
such players to view their abilities and equipment as narrative or choosing/devising your own option. The environmental
prompts first and game mechanics second will enable them to circumstances in which the Mission will take place might alter
apply them in creative, narrative-focused ways that can work certain Mission objectives and parameters, and The Elements
within this hopefully-pacifist Mission. can also add some colour to your opening narrative, and pull the
players into the setting.
All Things NPC
For example, the threat of violence is often a lot more powerful

than its application. With the right narration from the player, their
skills with a blade can give them Advantage on a Dominate Throw 3 Steps to a Brief
to scare someone into compliance. Or they could use their great There are three basic things you need to convey in a Brief: the
accuracy and silenced sniper rifles to take out security cameras, objective, the moving parts, and the stakes.
GM’s Toolkit
Soundtracks & Touchstones
helping the Stealth Throws of an ally.

1. The Objective
Plan by Intent, Obviously, the most important thing is the objective of the
Mission. What do the crew need to do, to whom/what, and where?
not Outcome 2. The Moving Parts

It is a fundamental law of Game Mastering that if you plan for the
What factions, locations, and other important story elements are
players to do something, they will inevitably do something else. To
important to know from the very start of the Mission?
make sure your plans aren’t thrown into disarray, plan out what
Remember that you don’t need to explain every ‘moving part’
characters and factions intend to do, rather than what they will do.
in the Brief - the crew’s investigation of the objective, and them
uncovering new story elements in play, is part of the fun too!
For example, if your Mission involves a conflict between two or
In addition, make sure when you’re laying out the moving parts,
more factions that the Crew are going to be navigating, don’t try
you’re not telling the players what to do with them, just that they
to guess how your players will react to the choices the Mission
exist.
presents. Instead, note down the intentions of each faction in the
conflict, including moves they intend to make. The only outcomes
you should plan are the ones where the Punks will not or did not 3. The Stakes
have any involvement. What will happen if the players succeed, and what will happen if
they fail?
Stakes can help shape how the crew engages in the story and
pursues the objective, with higher stakes potentially meaning more
drastic courses of action.
228
There are generally two models by which a GM can approach
Starting in the Action investigative Missions: either a linear path or a web.
The Brief does not need to end with the crew getting up from
their chairs in a dusty presentation room, then coming together
and debating plans for the next 30 minutes. Often it can be more The Linear Path
expeditious and enjoyable to start in the action, with the Punks In the linear path, the Brief only provides one lead, and each lead
just about to execute the first step of their plan. investigated only produces a new, single lead, all the way to the end
of the investigation. A linear path story is usually more of a curated
If a Mission needs to begin with tailing a person, why not have storyline than an actual mystery the players solve.
the narration of the Brief immediately lead into the Scene with
that person being tailed by the crew! Establish one or two Punks Linear path investigations often don’t feel like a mystery, due to
already in the Scene, let the other members of the crew figure out the following: the evidence and analysis you ‘see’ in your head,
where they are in this operation, and you’re already in the action! and conclusions you think that information will lead to, are not
necessarily seen the same way by your players. With the linear
Giving An path, it’s possible for players left to their own devices to reach the
wrong conclusions and create the idea of a ‘lead’ that doesn’t fit
Epilogue within your plans - potentially derailing the Mission. If you want to
maintain the ‘path’ you’ve planned, you as a GM will need to step
In an Epilogue, you wrap up the Mission, providing the broader in to either guide or narrative in its entirety how the crew analyses
narrative consequences of the Punks succeeding (or failing) in the information they’ve gathered, to produce the next lead. As a
their objectives and tying up any loose ends. result, a sense of mystery, of the players themselves having to solve
a puzzle, can be lost to preserve the overall storyline.
The function of an Epilogue can be particularly useful in those
instances where you’re running out of time for your session. If However GMs who enjoy improvising the twist and turns of a
you’ve only got 5 minutes before everyone needs to go, being able story may embrace their players reaching ‘wrong’ conclusions,
to purely narrate and in a broader context, without having to make scrapping the path they had planned to facilitate the new one
any dice rolls, is useful for finishing things quickly. being laid by the players.
The advantage of the linear path is it can be more easily planned

Let Everyone Contribute through by the GM, and will feel like a curated, well-paced story.
An Epilogue should not be just the GM dictating how things
The disadvantage of the linear path is it dulls the sense of mystery
turned out to the players; everyone is free to contribute to the
that can make an investigation thrilling, and can restrict player
Epilogue and shape the Mission’s resolution.
freedoms.
Loose End or New Story?

An Epilogue doesn’t have to resolve every story thread that arose The Web
in the Mission. Ongoing conflicts and unsolved mysteries can be In a web, the Brief can provide multiple leads, and each lead
fertile ground for subsequent Missions for the crew. investigated can produce more than one new lead. With such an
approach, there are multiple avenues for the crew to follow that all
eventually lead to the investigation’s target; like how all strands of a
An Epilogue’s Six Steps: spider’s web lead to the centre.
1. Any Punks with Heat take 1d6 Political Damage per point of
Heat. Heat is then reset to 0 for all Punks. With the web model, there isn’t a need to hand conclusions to
2. Any special rules that occur specifically in the Epilogue apply. the players like there might be in the linear path; even if they get
nowhere with one lead, there is another lead - another strand of
3. The GM and players narrate what happens in the immediate
the web - for the crew to follow, to advance the story. The web
conclusion of their Mission.
approach can even inadvertently provide some of the tropes of
4. Based on the Mission and its outcomes, the GM may then investigation stories that may be missed in the linear path; players
give your crew an Asset and/or Reputation. may interpret leads they failed to figure out as ‘red herrings’.
5. Any Punks who suffered a Crisis return to the crew, gaining a
Stigma and a new Driver. Their Fortune is set to 5. The web approach requires more preparation by the GM, as
6. Each Punk can choose to regain 5 Fortune (including those you will need to devise a selection of leads, but once the story is
who suffered Crises) or use their expCOIN to take a single underway less attention is required to keep the crew on track to
choice from the Character Options List. solve the investigation.
The advantage of the web is that it preserves the sense of mystery

Investigative by allowing the players to reach their own conclusions, and gives
the players greater freedom in if and how they approach leads.
Missions The disadvantage is, if players fail to properly investigate a lead or
temporarily reach wrong conclusions, they can feel like time has
An investigation is a good model for a Mission in the game of been wasted. A web investigation Mission will generally require
ECOPUNK. Each lead pursued is an opportunity for a new, more sessions to complete than a linear path.
unique hurdle for the party to overcome; for example, pursuing
one lead might require a careful negotiation, while another might
require the crew to break into a location.
229
Random Mission Tables
The following tables can be used to generate a random Mission by rolling d6s. You can either roll from the Mission table and fill in the
Character creation
blanks (such as ‘[VIP]’ and ‘[PUBLIC LOCATION]’) by using the additional tables that correspond to those options, or you can pick and
choose different parts from these tables to weave your own Missions. Some options provide italicised narration that you can read out to
capture a sense of the option for the players.
1d6 PUBLIC LOCATION
Remember to roll for The Elements when you are creating the Mission.
1-2 Burlesque Club. A place for people to gather and indulge their baser
Mission Outline - Start here: interests at the end of a hard day in a harsh world. This place’s
popularity with the local officers has kept it in “good standing”.
A strangely dry sensation seems to cling to the surfaces here: ironic,
1d6 Mission Outline
given sobriety is the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. A placating
1-2 Brief: A [VIP] has been murdered down at the docks. Your employer refrain of ephemeral music plays softly over croaking speakers; a
needs to know who paid the assassin to do it - which means just calm before the coming storm of hedonistic delights.
killing the assassin will make the trail run cold.
3-4 Public Square. A public space busy with people walking through it or
spending their time in it. It has plenty of blind spots with all its flora,
> Clues at the crime scene gives some [DIRT] on the [VIP], and
Playing the Game
and is surrounded by buildings, any of which could be a vantage point.

inconclusive hints towards the location of the assassin.
In the shadow of a colossal statue, you park yourselves on a bench
> Upon exiting the crime scene, the Crew is contacted by a shadowy
and take a moment to absorb the surroundings. Government suits
figure, who offers to meet them at a [PUBLIC LOCATION]. The figure
scuttle past youths talking, spitting, and generally passing the days
conceals themselves, but offers further information on the location
until oblivion comes. You think you just saw one do a kickflip.
of the assassin as well as false information that the assassin is highly
dangerous and plans to send a remote signal to a planted bomb, all to 5-6 Beat-up Restaurant. A weathered restaurant that has survived the
compel the party to kill the assassin and render the trail cold. changes of the past few decades.
> Combining the hints from the crime scene and the shadowy figure Riots, bombs, urban upheaval: through it all this small cafe has
reveals the [PRIVATE LOCATION] the assassin is hiding at. survived. The chef at the counter’s face is so sunken and his
eyebrows so bushy that his eyes are close to disappearing. Some
> Apprehending the assassin alive should reveal to the party

that they are less dangerous than the shadowy figure suggested, meals are exceptional, generational specialties, others quite bland.
and does not know their paymaster due to the transaction being
The world of 2044
encrypted.
> Undoing the encryption or investigating the shadowy figure will 1d6 DIRT
reveal them to be an [OPPONENT] to the murdered [VIP]. Tracking
1-2 Hedonist. Power can enable all manner of indulgence. Is it so bad for
them down and interrogating them will reveal they were the one who
someone with the means to explore all the avenues by which one can
hired the assassin, who they hoped would be killed by the Crew to
Gameplay Tools
enjoy existence? Yes, obviously. Hedonism has always been gauche;

render the trail cold.
living with the consequences of the unrestrained consumerism of the
3-4 Brief: A domestic chartered corporation run by or associated with a 2020s, people have come to loathe it.
[VIP] has been caught selling state secrets. Your state contact wants
3-4 Forbidden Love. Sleeping with the wrong person can be incendiary for
them dismantled, with the [VIP] divorced from the corporation and
someone’s career, especially when that person is a known seditionist.
its Network Core and any secret storage physically destroyed. This
All Things NPC
all has to be done covertly, as the state doesn’t want to spook other, 5-6 Spying For The Enemy. You wonder, were their treachery revealed, if
as-of-yet-undiscovered defectors into fleeing. the people they’ve sold secrets to would take them in as a defector,
or simply kill them.
> Investigating into the [VIP] reveals they have some [DIRT] that
could be used against them.
GM’s Toolkit
> Investigating inside the corporation headquarters will reveal they 1d6 OPPONENT
store an offsite, Faraday backup of essential files at a [PRIVATE
1 Local Militia. Local muscle has been rounded up, although as long as
LOCATION].
you avoid a direct confrontation they shouldn’t be a problem. Thanks
> The corporation is anticipating some kind of attack, and has hired
to UB there are always a few violent idiots with too much free time.
an [OPPONENT] to investigate and either attack, distract, or dissuade
the Crew. Unless anticipated and countered by the Crew, this 2 Corrupt Police. While most cops live in filth, these people thrive in
[OPPONENT] will begin to move against the Crew after a few initial it. Cruel, petty people, they are unafraid to abuse their power, and
Cold Rounds. violent retaliation could cost you dearly.
5-6 Brief: A new narcotic is being moved into the city, and its sale is 3 Elite Cyborg. A highly-trained killer skilled in covert assassination and
funding an opposing global power. Find the means by which it’s being fear tactics. For some soldiers the war never ended.
secretly moved, and disable that route. Your contact informs you of 4 Mercenaries. The death squads and terror cells who fell out of favour
a [PUBLIC LOCATION] the narcotic is sold in and that it is moved by an at the end of the war went into business for themselves, becoming
[OPPONENT], but beyond that they know nothing. a new breed of organised crime. Organised, disciplined, violent, they
have no loyalty except to each other, and even that is thin.
> Infiltrating the [PUBLIC LOCATION] should reveal some information 5 Ministry. A government ministry is gearing up to crush you under
about the narcotic’s means of delivery, and extracting information the spokes of ‘progress’. It doesn’t present a physical threat but its
from the [OPPONENT] should fully reveal the [PRIVATE LOCATION] the resources and connections can make the Crew’s life a nightmare if
narcotic moves through, and how. they’re not careful.
6 Hacker Ring. A squad of hackers who coordinate their efforts. Unless
they have a skilled hacker of their own, the Crew will need to get
crafty to escape the interference of this ring.
230
1d6 1d6 VIP 1d6 PRIVATE LOCATION
1-2 1-2 Religious Leader. A quiet zealot, with each year that the death 1 Forgotten Road. A few miles out of the city, a forgotten road snakes
spiral advances his power grows, as people seek salvation from into a protected woodland.
beyond. You can only get a few minutes in before coming to a stop; the
The man’s half-moon glasses are pushed high up his thin face. old road has been shattered by the labours of the forest. Slabs of
He clasps his arms behind his back, and grips himself like tarmac rise and fall like petrified waves up ahead, and behind you
someone hanging over a cliff would grasp the edge. the serpentine road is walled in by rising mounds of earth. The
3-4 Politician. Having left this area when she was young for a intermittent croak of a raven is the only punctuation to the eerie
political career, she has returned promising better things. She’s silence.
lying. 2 Geofront Compound. A chamber within the subterranean tunnels of
Her smile is warm, and her government-issue suit and tie fit the geofront, that has been re-purposed as a defensible location. It
her well, but talking to her, you can’t shake this feeling that has entrances on the outside secured, and inside will have traps and
you’re speaking to a thing wearing human skin. choke points, as well as a few caches and hidden rooms.
5-6 Community Head. Surrounded by grubby and fierce allies, this Within a cavernous hall - you think a currently vacated transit tunnel
man is the chosen leader of people tied by the iron bond of - a giant square of stone protrudes from the wall. Two stairways
community. crawl up the side of the hall and lead to doorways on either side, each
The representative of the local megafactory workers takes the illuminated by the cyan glow of a security keypad. A few windows are
time to greet all of you. He never loses his stony expression, cut into the square, with thick glass and metal bars. A ways away,
but he looks you in the eyes as his calloused hand grips yours, down the hall, a few homeless have pitched their shelters against
and you feel that while he does not like you, he respects you as a mighty pillar carved to look like the previous head of state. They
a person in a way most others often do not. gather now over an improvised stove and mutter in the dark.
3-4 1-2 Celebrity. An actor and singer who rose to prominence over the 3 Sleepy Bar. Somewhere within the anthill of the city, a tiny bar has
war as a lead in propaganda flicks. escaped being crushed between the megastructures. Its location
It is as if a fictional character has come to life, but here she is, is so obscure it can only be found if someone tells you the way. The
in all her splendour. Up close, her face has an alien symmetry to place has a few back rooms to it.
it: it almost feels less real than the videos. They say her voice You push the unassuming door open, and an ancient bell rings in your
was integral to winning the war. We didn’t win though, did we? arrival. Within, an almost magical place is revealed to you; a tiny bar,
with wooden furnishings and crystal glass lighting. The colours of the
3-4 Military Official. An ageing general with several connections in
place are warm, and a hundred bottles of contain dregs all the colours
the military, but not many friends outside of it.
of the rainbow. It almost doesn’t seem real.
The man has the same presence as a great tree. Despite
You pull up seats at a bar that bears the marks of a hundred come-
thinning hair, blotching skin and a blown-out pupil, when he
and-gone patrons, and note the old bartender, pickled by the eras,
plants his feet, it feels like nothing could push him over.
sitting behind it. Somehow, without speaking, he communicates that
5-6 Organised Crime Don. A cruel, vindictive man who, in truth, he’ll keep his mouth shut about any words said here.
takes his orders from higher political powers. He is stupid,
4 Megafactory. A gargantuan factory, it takes raw resources and works
but speaks with a slow measure and a threat of violence that
them all the way into a complete mechanism of war. Now in peace-
drapes his words in the illusion of wisdom.
time, this place exists in a transitional twilight where it will soon be
If his presence wasn’t quietly threatening, you would find
turned to new purpose, but for now is rarely visited.
this man pretentious. A delivery man for the evil of others, he
An Escher-esque maze of machinery fills the space; entangled
carries his skin and bones and stolen suit as if he is the master
mechanisms that can take raw elements and spin them into death
of your reality.
machines. Above it all, half-obscured, is a mural on the factory wall:
5-6 1-2 Industrialist. A high-ranking representative of a powerful a peeling painting of worker heroes. You can almost feel the dust
private industrial body, perhaps even a Business State. through your shoes’ soles.
Old enough to remember the laissez-faire golden age of two
5 Abandoned Workspace. An unmarked floor of a skyscraper,
decades ago, this bland woman in a suit seems to be in a
containing a faraday cage with a furnished interior.
constant state of holding back doling out the ‘wisdom’ of the
White floors, walls, and ceiling stretch around you. You can see
ages. Without even saying anything you know she thinks she’s
shapes in the dust, splatters of coffee, the errant scraps of hastily
smarter than you.
extracted equipment: this used to be a workplace. Now the vacant
3-4 Police Chief. Someone with a sliver of morality warped over expanse of the space almost gives the impression the floor and
years of being the iron that plates the fist. This man will almost ceiling are crushing you. The more artistic of you might call this a
certainly be dirty in some way. ‘liminal space’.
You have a faint childhood memory of someone preparing a Not far from the elevator doors is a faraday cage, fully furnished on
roll of ham, its pale meat bulging between string bindings, the inside. It’s like someone froze a cube of this office in time.
sweating in an oven. This cop invokes the memory, with his belt
6 Rooftop Garden. Atop a megastructure, this garden is large and dense
and bandolier cutting into his blubbery, sweaty form.
enough to be akin to a forest. It will be tended by botanists, and staff
5-6 Hacker. Someone who dabbles in daring dos over the Net, and will visit this place, but it is large and tangled enough for someone to
has likely landed themselves in hot water for it. easily hide within it.
Pallid, thin, this person’s body is all sharp angles. The raw You walk along the stones that form a path through this rooftop
metalwork headset they refuse to take off only adds to their jungle, until you reach a small clearing with a fountain. Beyond, in all
jagged silhouette. Their eyes have the quality of a sleep-walker, directions except retreat, the trees loom and weave together into a
which makes sense: to them, the waking world is the dream, wall that smothers the horizon. You could truly forget you’re in the
and the Net the real. city here. A genetically modified bee briefly flits around your clothes
before bobbing away.
231
Gameplay Tools
Character creation
The following are a series of ‘tools’, game mechanics you can use If a Punk repeats the same course of action in a Gauntlet, the DC
to enhance running a session of ECOPUNK. None of them are for that course of action increases by 5 for each repeat. In this way,
necessary or integral to the game of ECOPUNK. a Gauntlet encourages the players to be creative in their approach,
devising new ways to interpret and apply their abilities.
Countdown If by the end of the Gauntlet more Rounds have been a success
than not, then the Punks succeed in overcoming whatever
A Countdown is one or several dice maintaining a countdown to 0,
at which point some narrative event occurs. challenge the Gauntlet represented. If more Rounds have been a
failure than a success, then the opposite happens; the Punks fail to
When you begin a Countdown, place a d6 (or multiple d6, if meet the challenge the Gauntlet represented.
the count starts at a number higher than 6) in a place visible to
all players, with the current count facing up. Explain what the
Countdown is counting down to - or if you really want to make
your players sweat, don’t tell them. At the end of each Round of a
Playing the Game
particular Temperature, lower the number on the dice by 1, and

remove the dice if the number would be lowered to 0. Dead Canaries: Gauntlet
A Countdown can endure between Scenes - for example, if a Barkhad, Chen and Alex are in a getaway vehicle, trying to
Countdown is counting down a number of Cold Rounds until escape their MercerCorp pursuers. The GM declares they
some kind of deadline, the Countdown will remain through any are going to determine the outcome of the chase with a
Warm or Hot Scenes the crew has. Gauntlet.
In the first Round of the Gauntlet, the players determine
what they’re going to do while the GM thinks up DCs for
Example Countdowns those acts. Barkhad occupies themselves with driving the
» The bomb is moments from detonation. At the very start of the

getaway vehicle (DC 20) , Alex is going to throw a Cryo
Scene, the GM has set a Countdown of 6, which ticks down at Grenade to try to scare the pursuers (the DC would be 25
the end of each Hot Round. When it reaches 0, boom. in the GM’s mind, but they lower it by 5 to 20 due to Alex
The world of 2044
» A computer worm is set to automatically activate and decimate using up their one grenade), and Chen is going to try to
the farming AI it’s been planted into in an hour, unless you can hack one of the enemy vehicles and jam the brakes (the
somehow get the worm vaccine from the hacker you’re about enemy’s Terminal Intrusion ADC is 25).
to sit down with. The GM sets a Countdown of 4, which ticks
Barkhad scores 27 on their Pilot Throw, succeeding.
down at the end of each Warm Round. When it reaches 0, the
Gameplay Tools
worm activates. Alex scores 19 on an Attack with the grenade, failing (Alex
» The person you need to find is going to leave the city in a week, is not counting Successes for this Attack as they are not
and go beyond the crew’s reach. The GM sets a Countdown targeting a particular enemy or vehicle)
of 7, that will tick down at the end of each Cold Round Chen scores 39 on their Hacking Throw, successfully
throughout the Mission. When it reaches 0, the target has hacking into a vehicle. She then uses the Program ‘Paralyse’
All Things NPC
departed. to stop one of vehicles.

At the end of this Round, two of the three Punks have
Gauntlet succeeded in their ‘act’, meaning half or more succeeded

and this Round of the Gauntlet is a success.
GM’s Toolkit
A Gauntlet is one way to handle a specific challenge for the crew in

In the next Round of the Gauntlet, Barkhad continues to

a punchy, concise manner. focus on driving the getaway vehicle, meaning the DC goes
up by 5 to DC 25.
When using a Gauntlet, you take a slightly different approach to
Ultimately the Punks fail overall in the second Round of
Rounds. Normally each Round covers one narrative beat, but in
the Gauntlet, and succeed in the third and final Round.
a Gauntlet, there are specifically 3 Rounds covering one narrative With the Punks succeeding in two out of the three Rounds,
beat, within which the crew works collectively to overcome a overall the Gauntlet is a success, and they manage to
specific challenge. escape their pursuers.
In each Round of a Gauntlet, each Punk involved in the action

devises one particular act they do to contribute to the crew
succeeding in the Gauntlet. Punks can do other actions and
expend dice around this act in each Round, but one act per Round
can contribute to the Gauntlet succeeding.
If half or more of the Punks involved in the Gauntlet succeed in

their ‘acts’, that Round of the Gauntlet is a ‘success’. Acts that use
up limited resources, such as using Equipment or Traits with a
limited number of uses, or expending Power, as part of whatever
act a Punk is performing should lower the DC for that act, if you
are determining the DC for an act in your head.
232
Improvised Judging Whether to Improvise Mental
Damage
Damage The Punks the players will create will range from stone-cold
hard-boiled motherfuckers to innocent little lambs. Whether a
When you feel Damage needs to be given to a character, but don’t
Punk should take Mental Damage from a particular experience
have a prepared amount of Damage to roll, you improvise the
can depend more on the Punk experiencing it that the thing
Damage, giving between 2d6 for a minor source of Damage and
experienced. It is up to you as the GM to have an understanding
4d6 for a major source of Damage.
of the character of each Punk, and determine how much, if any,
Mental Damage that Punk takes in particular scenarios.
Generally you shouldn’t consider small injuries like cuts and
bruises to cause Damage.
Be careful when improvising higher levels of Damage: remember

Improvised Political Damage
You do not give Punks improvised Political Damage. If a scenario
that a Punk’s Fortune only goes up to 20, and 4d6 Damage could happens where you feel the Punk should take Political Damage,
finish any Punk in one go. Make sure your improvised Damage is you instead should give them Heat. Heat is explained in the Crew
proportional to the circumstance. Consult the table below for some Effects Chapter on page 236.
examples for appropriate amounts of improvised Damage.
Damage Example Example Example

Type of Minor of Medium of Major
Improvised Improvised Improvised
Damage (2d6) Damage (3d6) Damage (4d6)
Physical A power tool The Punk falls The Punk is caught
Damage dropped from a from a height. in a collapsing
(External) height almost hits building.
the Punk.
Physical The Punk The Punk imbibes The Punk gets
Damage electrocutes a spiked drink. trapped in a room
(Internal) themselves with a with toxic vapours.
non-lethal voltage.
Mental The Punk has their The Punk kills The Punk
Damage heart broken. someone for the witnesses the
first time. violent death of a
family member.
Remember Physical (External) Damage doesn’t necessarily ‘the

Punk has been hit by something’ - loss of Fortune represents the
Punk’s luck running out. An object narrowly missing a Punk is also
a source of Physical Damage.
233
Random Tables 20-21 Dead Forum. An abandoned forum, full of comment threads
written by a small but passionate community furiously dissecting
The following tables can be used to generate random results for a particular topic.
Character creation
a myriad of things. Each table tells you how to roll for it, and The GM rolls a d3 to determine if the forum was active in the (1)
for each table the GM reads off the result. A result may contain 2020s, (2) 2030s, or (3) 2040s, and then rolls a d6 to determine
instructions for either the GM or ‘the player’, the Punk player who what the forum discusses: (1) sport, (2) pop culture, (3) politics,
the table is being used for. (4) conspiracy theories, (5) religion, or (6) handicraft. A dead
forum can be source of historical perspectives or contemporary
rumours.
Permanent Injury Table 22-23 Internet Artefact. You find a historical artefact of the internet;
If someone has their Fortune reduced to 0 by Physical (External)
Damage, you can use this table to randomly determine what body an ancient meme, a once-huge but now-abandoned website, an
part gets severed or destroyed. egregiously idiotic political post, or something similar. It’s not
worth much, but other hackers might get a kick out of visiting it,
Generally this table should only be used by GMs for randomly should you share the Netpoint.
determining injuries for NPCs, as players normally narrate how 24-25 Bcast Backlog. You happen upon a list of recordings from a local
their Punk is injured in a Crisis, but a player could use this table if Bcast. This could be a chance to gauge local sentiment?
Playing the Game
they wanted to give themselves a random injury for the Crisis. The GM rolls a d3 to determine if the content of the Bcast is (1)
political, (2) social, or (3) religious.
Roll 1d6 to determine the general area of the body that is hit, then 26-27 Lost Connection. You find a contact detail for a distant intimate.
roll an additional 1d6 to determine what part is removed or where They might be a long-lost family member, a separated lover, a
that part is severed. childhood friend, or so on.
The player decides who specifically they are, and whether to use
d6 Body Part Removed / Where the Part is Severed this contact detail and reach out.
Area 1 2 3 4 5 6 28-29 Cipher. You stumble upon an unassuming Netpage providing
1 Head Part of A cheek An ear Nose Part of An eye cryptic messages you suspect are puzzles. The page asks for
your your a code you do not have; perhaps pursuing these puzzles will
scalp jaw provide the answer? But what will the code unlock? Induction
2 Torso A few ribs A kidney Part of a lung into a secret society perhaps.
The world of 2044
30-31 Net Cult. You happen upon a gathering-place of religiously-

3 Left A few fingers The Below Below The inclined hackers. Come, stay awhile. Perhaps their tenets can
Arm hand the the whole provide answers to questions you never knew could be asked.
elbow shoulder arm The GM rolls a d3 to determine what this Net Cults does: (1)
worships the artificial superintelligence ‘BridgeBuilder’, who
Gameplay Tools
4 Right A few fingers The Below Below The they believe is guiding humanity to a paradise metareality. (2)
Arm hand the the whole practices collective meditation where they cross each others’
elbow shoulder arm ghostlines, seeking to become a mass mind and experience the
5 Left A few toes The foot Below From The ecstasy of ego-death, or (3) there are entities in the depths
Leg the the whole of the Net known only by the ripples they cause. This cult of
All Things NPC
knee thigh leg leviathan-chasers pays deep-divers to report their passages

6 Right A few toes The foot Below From The in the void and interpret the resultant map as an augury. They
Leg the the whole consider BridgeBuilder to be just one extension of an eternal god
knee thigh leg that is both spirit and software.
GM’s Toolkit
32-33 Treasure Trove. You crack open the collected files of a hacker
Trawling the Net Table with a storied career of spending too much time online. Funny
images, chat logs of petty feuds, alarming pornography - it’s all
If a player wants to randomly search the Net, have them make an
here. There’s even some truly valuable stuff if you dig.
Intellect Software Throw. Compare their Score to the below table
The Treasure Trove provides the player with an insight into a
to determine what they find.
particular topic. What that insight and topic is isn’t decided
immediately: instead the player can later declare what that
Throw Result
insight was to give themselves Advantage on an Intellect Throw
Score
to do with learning or recollecting information.
1-17 Ordinary Dross. Bland AI-penned articles, friends’ social profiles,
34-35 Watcher’s Spot. You find a particular spot in the Net that is
funny images. You don’t get rationed enough electricity to waste
exceptionally good for watching information move. There may
it on this.
even be a few data watchers there you can converse with. While
18-19 Dead Business. Somewhere, a computer from a long-dead you can’t learn the content of the data you watch, you can get
business is still hooked up, and has been connected by BB. a hint as to the kinds of things being moved, and the amount of
The GM rolls a d6 to determine what awful business this data traffic can suggest different levels of activity.
computer belonged to: (1) an ‘eco’ cryptocurrency mined through The GM rolls a d6 to determine whether the majority of data being
the forced labour of prisoners, (2) a middle-management AI moved through the spot is (1) from a government ministry, (2)
intended to detect and pre-emptively fire suicidal employees, from a global corporation, (3) from the local branch of a major
(3) a ‘powder-based’ diet, (4) an ‘acoustitech crib’, intended to religious organisation, (4) the conversations of ordinary people,
‘sooth’ babies for extended periods through audio hypnosis, (5) a (5) from a research field of the scientific community, or (6) from
virtual personality arms-trade speculator, or (6) ‘Playknife’, the space mining operations.
starter combat knife for children.
234
36-37 Another Life. You find a buried open-access into someone’s Walking the streets Table
sensory inputs, and find yourself sharing the experience of a If a player wants to stroll the streets to see what they find, have
cyborg half the world away. You don’t think they’re even aware them make a Clarity Streetwise Throw. Compare their Score to the
that this access exists - they certainly don’t act like it. For a below table to determine what they find.
while, you can live the life of another.
38-39 Leverage. You find a discarded email, a sentence from an internal Throw Result
memo, or an incriminating photo; some piece of information that Score
could be used to blackmail a significant figure. 1-10 Circles. Ah for fuck’s sake! You walked for hours and you’re back
The GM determines who the leverage works against. It must where you started. This city is a labyrinth, it feels impossible to
be an important politician or industrialist who is not currently tell which way you’ve been turned.
involved in the crew’s current Mission, but could cross their 11-15 Public Square. You arrive at a heaving epicentre of local life.
paths one day. Washing dries on the threads of a clothes line spider web, and
40-43 Leviathan’s Wake. A great ripple passes through the leaves from the jungle above flit into the gutter below. Folks to
architecture. A leviathan! You gather with other candles in the and fro. Some people have laid out blankets and atop them barter
dark to observe the bore it has left through the Netspace. wares, and food carts spit and sizzle.
While the meaning of the passage is inscrutable, this is a rare 16-20 Foot of the Megaicon. A megaicon is so large that at the base it
chance to converse with other skilled deep-divers. just becomes a wall of stone. The local culture has adorned this
44-45 Clandestine Chat Room. You’re not sure what you’ve found ‘wall’ with all kinds of graffiti while the metrocops are away.
until you see a few messages pass back and forth of people Perhaps you’ll add your own little artistic scream into the void.
communicating in a code. The cipher is unknown to you, but 21-25 Little Temple. A few people are within, making their prayers. A
certain terms stand out as likely codes for countries and priest with tired but welcoming eyes quietly regards you as you
powerful people. enter. Maybe they have some salvation to spare?
This is an opportunity to get a sense of the moves being made
in the shadow war, and (if you’re brave enough) attempt to trick 26-30 Second-hand Store. A soft jangle rings as you open the door. Dust
people into divulging information. Note that doing anything eddies in shafts of light, slipped through the gaps of shelves
other than watching could make you a target! The chat room stuffed with ancient things.
automatically complexes its Netpoint at regular intervals, The GM rolls a d3 to determine if the store deals in (1) old books,
meaning retracing your steps in the Net won’t return you to this (2) scrap electronics, or (3) old world memorabilia.
place. 31-35 Forgotten Shrine. A small shrine has been erected, either to a
46+ Contact. You are pulled into an infinite corridor of a subtle bend. God or someone important to the locals who died. There are a few
It shouldn’t be possible for someone to forcibly move your offering bowls containing some coins and candle-stubs. Perhaps
position in the Net like this. Down the corridor, just barely hidden you should give something and whisper a prayer in case anyone
by the curve, someone asks you what you want, and what you is watching from beyond.
offer in exchange. 36-40 Ancient Club. You gingerly push open the wooden door. A few
If the player doesn’t answer the question, the corridor collapses, geriatrics look up from their board games and news feeds and
and its Netpoint complexes, making it nigh-impossible to find scowl, but quickly begin ignoring you.
again. The GM rolls a d3 to determine if the club is (1) a game club for
chess, go, or something similar, containing nothing but masters,
(2) a members-only club for an ageing elite, where people will
assume you’ve been invited and will eject you if they learn
otherwise, or (3) a decrepit burlesque club, with a performance
that is sordid to its prudish members but would be tame to most.
41+ Lost Fold in the Metropolis. The city was built up erratically.
Sometimes people just took materials and set up walls as they
pleased. Amidst all those colliding planes in 3-dimensional space
a little niche got encased and was forgotten, until you uncovered
it just now. Some light bounces down from on high, and along
with a thin trickle of water from a corroded pipe plants have
taken root and reach towards the heavens. It’s cramped, but
there’s a serenity here, a little fold in space-time that’s all yours.
A bug alights on your finger. You could stay here forever and no
one would ever find you.
235
Crew Effects Power Supply
Crew Effects are things that primarily come into effect at the end Increase the amount of Power each Punk provides to the Crew
by +1.
Character creation
of a Mission. There are three kinds of Crew Effects: Reputation,

Assets, and Heat. Reputation and Assets can provide advantages
for the crew and all the NPCs involved in the crew. Heat represents A backdoor connection to a computer farm, or a compact ethanol
the political consequences of one or several Punks’ actions over bath producing fuel, or even a bicycle hooked up to a generator and
the course of the Mission. an able body - there are many ways to supplement ones means. It’s
just a matter of acquiring the materials in the first place.
Assets Reputation
Assets are granted at the end of a Mission where some objective
that provides the Asset has been completed. ‘Assets’ are physical At the end of a Mission where you have interacted significantly
objects, software, or people that provide a benefit to all members with an organisation or faction, the GM may grant or increase
of the crew. ‘Reputation’ with that group. Reputation is a measure of how well-
known you are by a group’s members.
Some Traits and Equipment also counts as ‘Assets’, as they expand
Reputation ranges from 1 (barely known) to 6 (every member
Playing the Game
the capabilities of all members of the crew.

will have heard of you). When the GM gives the crew Reputation,
Assets are ways to broadly expand the capabilities of the crew, they determine where between these two numbers your current
allowing them to take on bigger challenges. As such Assets should Reputation lies. Subsequent interactions with a group can increase
not be given to the crew until they have completed at least a your Reputation with them.
few Missions. You can also choose to never give Assets, if you’re
content with where the powers and abilities of the crew currently Whenever the crew is interacting with members of a group they
are. have a Reputation with, either a player or the GM can roll a d6. If
they roll a number equal to or lower than their current Reputation,
these group members know of the crew, and perhaps even specific
Example Assets
individual members - which can shape negotiations.

The below are just examples of Assets. As the GM, you are free
to invent your own Assets to grant the crew, or modify one of the Reputation isn’t necessarily a benefit, just a measure of how known
Assets below. The crew can get the same Asset more than once.
The world of 2044
you are. It can just as easily measure how loathed you are by a
faction. When Reputation is noted, it can help to note whether that
Expert Advice Reputation is ‘positive’ or ‘negative’.
When you give this Asset, choose any Skill.
Heat
Gameplay Tools
1/Mission, in a Cold Scene, for one Throw, a Punk can treat

their Skill Level in the chosen Skill as 10. Heat measures how much interest a Punk has drawn from
authority forces over the course of a Mission. Every Punk in the
An expert in their field can spare a few hours on call every so often. crew keeps track of the current total Heat throughout the Mission.
Punks begin every Mission with their Heat at 0, and can have a
All Things NPC
maximum of 6 Heat. If a Punk gains Heat that would put them

Faraday Apparatus beyond 6 Heat, there are no additional effects.
Within a location provided as of The Gig, the crew can either
build a faraday cage, or convert a pre-existing space into a Over the course of a Mission, the GM gives Punks ‘Heat’ for
faraday cage. Anything in a sealed faraday cage is Faraday.
GM’s Toolkit
particular actions, and some Traits and Equipment can also give a
Punk Heat.
Manpower During the Epilogue, a Punk takes 1d6 Political Damage for each
In a Cold Scene, this asset adds a +2d6 to any Throw dealing point of Heat they have, then returns their Heat to zero. Each
primarily with physical labour of any kind. Punk’s Political Damage from Heat is rolled separately.
As far as we have come from hunting in the mud, civilisation still

basically functions on a sturdy frame and calloused hands.
Net Defence Suite

Increase your Network Intrusion ADC by 10. Due to Terminal
Intrusion ADC being half your Network Intrusion ADC, this
will increase your Terminal Intrusion ADC by 5.
This machine, when hooked up to the Network Core, simulates an

‘infinity corridor’, a defensive barrier that gives would-be hackers
only the illusion of progressing into the Network. Any hacker
worth their salt can circumvent it, but it’ll slow them down just
the same.
236
Minor, Medium, & Major Transgressions
Interpreting ‘Authority Forces’ The amount of base Heat a Punk gains depends on the severity of
the transgressive act they committed in the Scene.
‘Authority forces’ doesn’t necessarily mean police; whoever
holds the local monopoly on violence can qualify. That
means an occupying army, or the dominant criminal gang, If a Punk committed multiple transgressive acts, for the
can be the force behind the Political Damage a Punk is purposes of determining Heat they are treated as a single larger
taking. transgression. The murdering of several individuals becomes the
act of mass-murder, for example.
Giving Heat Transgression

Severity
Heat Examples
If in a Scene a Punk committed a transgressive act, such as
breaking the law, doing something ethically abhorrent, or breaking Minor 0 Stealing a wallet, knocking out a thug, breaking
the unwritten rules of their culture, and wasn’t apprehended, then someone’s finger or nose.
you may as GM give them Heat at the end of the Scene. Medium 1-2 Incapacitating a security guard, destroying a
room of valuable equipment, driving a vehicle at
The amount of Heat you give is determined by the following high speeds through the streets, ghosthacking
process: someone unimportant.
» 0-3 Heat, with the amount determined by the severity of the Major 3 Murder of an important individual such as
transgression. A minor transgression at its base gives 0 Heat, a a politician or military police officer, mass-
medium transgression 1 or 2 Heat, and a major transgression 3 murder, bombing a building, stealing highly
Heat. classified data.
» +1 Heat if a Trait or piece of Equipment with the Taboo
keyword was used by the Punk, or the act is otherwise
viscerally repugnant. Giving Heat to multiple Punks
» +1 Heat if at the end of the Scene there is ‘some means of To keep matters simple, if you’re giving Heat to more than two
identifying’ the transgressing Punk. Punks at the end of a Scene, you can give all the Punks that
» -1 Heat if at the end of the Scene there is ‘no obvious trace’ of participated in the most important transgression the same amount
the transgression remaining. of Heat, equal to the highest amount of Heat you would give one of
the Punks.
If a Punk committed multiple transgressions in a Scene, the GM
judges the severity of those transgressions as a single collective act,
rather than giving the Punk Heat repeatedly for each individual
Heat & Narrative Context
The above rules are not set in stone. As the GM, you should be
transgression. prepared to alter or entirely remove the Heat a Punk would get
based on narrative context, or skip giving a Punk Heat and simply
What Constitutes ‘some means of have them arrested/captured/etc.
identifying’? If a Punk blasts someone’s brains out in public and waits around
‘Some means of identifying’ means some identifying aspect of
for the police to arrive, you don’t just end the Scene with the Punk
yourself has been observed, either by someone who would talk to
walking away and getting some Heat - that Punk is going to jail,
the authorities, or electronic surveillance such as a CCTV camera.
regardless of Heat.
A ‘means of identifying’ could be your exposed face, your real
name, a unique personal adornment being recorded by a security
At the other end, if a Punk destroyed a laboratory, but the lab was
camera, a piece of Equipment with the Signature keyword, your
producing contraband, you as the GM may decide that the Punk
PsySig if you have a cyberbrain, and so on. It is ultimately up to
gains no Heat at the end of that Scene; the lab owners decide to
the GM to determine whether a Punk has left some means of being
keep matters under wraps, as contacting the authorities about the
identified.
Punk’s actions would draw attention to their own illegal activities.
PsySig is the unique pattern of someone’s brain, identifiable
through a cyberbrain. PsySig is to the brain what a retinal scan is
to the eyes.
Heat & Crises
If you have Heat but have already had a Crisis in the Mission, the
Political Damage of the Heat is incorporated into the narration of
A means of identifying only increases your Heat if it is still in play the Crisis during the Epilogue, but otherwise has no further effect.
by the end of the Scene. For example, if your Crisis was from Physical Damage, perhaps the
For example, if your face gets recorded on a security camera, but police visit you in hospital, and while they don’t have enough to book
your Crew’s hacker accesses the security data and erases the footage, you yet, they let you know the noose is tightening around your neck.
the means of identifying has been removed from play and won’t
increase your Heat at the end of the Scene.
What Constitutes ‘no obvious trace’?

‘No obvious trace’ means that, as things were left, no one is
going to notice the transgression unless they go looking for it.
Examples of this are: if you stole an object but replaced it with an
indistinguishable replica, or if you quietly murdered someone who
won’t be looked for, and by the end of the Scene have completely
disappeared the body and any trace of the violence.
237
Character creation
Dead Canaries: Heat Heat as a Storytelling Mechanic

Alex wants to steal someone’s wallet to gain information The function of Heat is to simulate ‘order’ within the
on them. Alex makes a Stealth Throw and scores 26 - a world of ECOPUNK, a mechanic often lacking in TTRPGs.
strong roll! Alex describes how they wait until the mark Its absence can often accidentally encourage a libertarian
is in a blind spot, then Alex slips a hand into the person’s fantasy within players: because there are no game rules
pocket while they aren’t looking. about transgression, such acts will be dealt with only
narratively, and because the players are the protagonists of
At the end of the Scene, Alex has committed a minor
that narrative, the assumption becomes that they’ll always
transgression, and because no one saw the act there was no
come out on top and can act without real consequences.
means of identifying Alex as the perpetrator, Alex gains 0
Heat at the end of this Scene. By having ‘Heat’ as a mechanic baked into the game,
players come to the table already understanding the risks
-
involved with going against the powers that be, and GMs
Playing the Game
While the Dead Canaries are engaging in a violent shootout have the tools necessarily to deal with such acts without
to exfiltrate the MercerCorp HQ, Barkhad’s mask is disrupting the narrative.
pulled off, revealing their face. At the end of the Scene,
the GM gives Barkhad gains 3 Heat: 2 from the medium
transgression, and +1 from their revealed face being a
means of identification. Because the GM would be giving
Heat also to Alex and Chen, as they are also a part of the
exfiltration, they decide to give both of these Punks 3 Heat
as well.
However, in the following getaway Scene, Barkhad manages
to pull off a manoeuvre where Alex and Chen leap from the
speeding vehicle Barkhad is driving without being seen. As
Barkhad intended for this to be a way to prevent Alex and
The world of 2044
Chen from gaining Heat from the previous Scene, the GM

reduces the 3 Heat Alex and Quinn gained previously to 1
Heat.
At the end of this getaway chase, Barkhad looks set to have
5 Heat. Given their already-low Fortune, Barkhad narrates
Gameplay Tools
that once the MercerCorp mercenaries have backed off

due to the police, Barkhad surrenders themselves. In
the Epilogue, the GM rolls 5d6 for Barkhad’s 5 Heat,
and scores 18. Barkhad suffers a Crisis from the Political
Damage, but their sacrifice saved their allies.
All Things NPC
Heat and the Surveillance State

GM’s Toolkit
Many of the countries in 2044 are ‘surveillance states’ -

they use digital, multilateral systems of mass-observation
to attempt to monitor the entirely of the populace.
However this doesn’t mean every crime is caught on CCTV,
or that the Gestapo are everywhere, or that Big Brother is
absolute - far from it.
Like the mass-surveillance systems from earlier in the
21st century, such as those employed in the United States
of America prior to its collapse, these systems are porous
and easily distracted by the soft targets of the poor and
minorities.
GMs should employ the idea of ‘the surveillance state’
for specific Missions where it serves as a theme of the
Mission’s story, rather than a constraint on the crew’s
actions that runs throughout every session.
238
Luck Roll Rewarding
Sometimes, it can help to have a dice simply determine how
lucky for the Punks the outcome of something is. For those expCOIN
circumstances, you can roll a d6 and consult use the below table to ECOPUNK is designed for players to typically receive between 1
determine how lucky for the Punks the outcome is. and 3 expCOIN for a completed Mission. Normally, the amount
rewarded is based on the Mission’s length (in number of sessions
1d6 Outcome played, rather than narrative length), with longer Missions
1 Extremely Unlucky. The worst case scenario for the Punks rewarding more expCOIN.
happens.
Sessions to complete Mission Suggested expCOIN reward
2-3 Unlucky. A bad outcome for the Punks happens.
1 1
4-5 Lucky. A good outcome for the Punks happens.
2-3 2
6 Extremely Lucky. The best case scenario for the Punks happens.
4+ 3
However, a GM can use alternative methods for handing out

expCOIN to encourage their players. Some ideas for these
alternate methods are explained below.
expCOIN Incentives
Rather than base the amount of expCOIN rewarded on the length
of the Mission, you can instead have the amount of expCOIN
awarded based on player performance.
For example you might give 1 expCOIN to all players for

completing the Mission, then give an additional +1 expCOIN to
all players who performed good roleplay, and an additional +1
expCOIN to all players who demonstrated creative thinking.
You can adjust what you give additional expCOIN for dependent
on what kind of activity you want to encourage in your players.
An Alternative Incentive System

You can also give a set amount of expCOIN to all players equally,
but justify each expCOIN you give to a player by describing what
you liked from them in that session.
For example, for a successful Mission everyone is getting a reward
of 2 expCOIN. For one player, you say that 1 expCOIN is for their
‘great roleplaying’ and another 1 expCOIN is for their ‘good sense
of humour’. For another player, you say that 1 expCOIN is for their
‘inventive use of equipment’ and another 1 expCOIN is for their
‘great narrative descriptions’.
In this way, everyone gets the same amount of expCOIN so there

is no sense of unfairness, while still encouraging good gameplay.
The only downside of this model of incentives is you can end up
encouraging people to pursue playing in ways that don’t mesh with
the rest of the group.
For example, if all a player does is sit silently, waiting for a fight
so they can shoot something, the only thing you can give them
expCOIN for will be the act of violence, encouraging an approach
the rest of the table might find boring or uncomfortable.
239
Character creation
Using A Battle Mat Optional Rule: Diagonal Movement

Playing the Game
Some table top RPGs employ a ‘battle mat’, sometimes called an Often when using a grid moving 1 square in a diagonal
‘adventure grid’ or simply ‘grid’, a grid-lined surface depicting a direction is treated the same as moving in a cardinal
top-down map of the location. Counters are then used to represent direction. While allowing characters to move diagonally like
the Punks and other characters within this grid. this keeps the rules simple, the consequence is that moving
diagonally covers more ground than moving straight.
A grid can provide clarity to players in the midst of Combat, If you want to make moving diagonally equally as fast as
where there are a lot of moving parts, and positioning can be the moving straight, you can use the following rule:
difference between victory or defeat. As such the GM may choose
Every second square moved to diagonally on your turn
to employ a grid for their game. This provides rules to use a Grid counts as 2 squares of movement, rather than 1.
in Combat.
When using a battle grid, generally one square will be 4 metres in

The world of 2044
width and length - however reality does not fit into nice uniform
squares. When using a grid, space comes more abstract. GMs
should be prepared to ballpark how distances mentioned in Traits 1
and Equipment interact with a grid. 2
3
Gameplay Tools
Moving on a Grid 4 1
With a grid, when using the Move Action, characters always
Consume 2, then move a number of squares. Each square 2-3
moved can either be in the cardinal directions or diagonally. The
All Things NPC
maximum number of squares moved depends on their Stride, as

shown in the table below. 4
Stride Number of Squares Moved 5-6
GM’s Toolkit
Plodding 1
Slow 2
Normal 3
Fast 4
Lightning 5
In narrative circumstances where a character is exceptionally

enhancing their speed, the GM may allow them to move more
than 5 squares with a Move Action.
Free Move
When using a grid, allow characters to move 1 free square on each
of their Turns. This will avoid some of the awkward positioning
that can arise with how the Move Action plays out on a grid.
240
Attack Ranges on a Grid Blast on a grid
The below table shows how the Range of weapons converts to a When using a weapon with the Blast property, such as a grenade,
grid. the character throwing the explosive chooses a square within
Range. Each character within three squares of that chosen square
Range Range in squares is counted as within the Blast, unless Cover would get in the way.
Melee 1 Note that, depending on the weapon used, Hard Cover may block
the path of the Blast, in which case any characters beyond that
Short 1-12
cover are not within the Blast.
Medium 12-40
Long 40+
Hard Cover
The Medium Range will be able to hit anywhere beyond 12
squares on a typical 24 x 30 battle grid. protects
character
Given there are not generally hoards of attacks at Long Range
(firefights will usually happen at the Medium or Short ranges), from Blast
Punks and NPCs attacking at Long Range can be established as
existing off of the battle grid, and attack onto it.
a n ge
o rt R uares
Sh 12 Sq Melee Range
1- 1 Square
Cover
To tell if someone has Cover from a ranged attack while using a
battle mat, draw a line from the attacker to the target. If that line
passes through Cover, the target gains that Cover.
No instances
of Cover
One instance
of Cover
Two instances
of Cover
241
Soundtracks & Touchstones All Things NPC Gameplay Tools Constructing Missions
242
A military convoy approaches from the road, to negotiate the exchange of a prisoner from their bandit captors
All Things NPC
This chapter provides advice and additional rules for creating and If you want to go through the full process that a player does to
managing Non-Player Characters. The rules provided should be create a Punk, you can adjust the amount of expCOIN you have
considered optional, to be used if you want to reflect the actions to create the character, with greater expertise in their field(s)
and abilities of NPCs not just narratively, but also mechanically. meaning more expCOIN.
NPC Ability Suggested expCOIN used

Unfolding Gameplay: Avoiding dice
A novice 8
rolls for NPCs
An intermediate, comparable to a 16
As it is the Punks that are the centre of the story, and not Punk’s initial ability.
the NPCs, it is possible for you to run a game of ECOPUNK An expert 24
without ever rolling any dice for the NPCs. The actions of
NPCs, and their outcomes, are merely decided by you in A master 32+
your narration.
Alternatively, you don’t need to create an NPC by spending
There are some scenarios where this practice is best: scenes
expCOIN like a Punk’s player does - you can just go through the
primarily about exploration or dialogue won’t typically
Character Options List and pick any Traits and Equipment you
benefit from incorporating risk into the actions of NPCs.
think suit the character.
However in some scenarios, NPCs rolling dice can be a vital
part of the fun. Combat is a key example, where there is a NPCs do not gain expCOIN and undergo Character Progression.
thrill for the Punks in not knowing whether an enemy is If you envision an NPC improving their abilities and expanding
about to hit them - if you just ‘decide’ as GM that an Attack
their Equipment, you simply give them those options.
hits, players can feel disengaged, like their fate in the story
is more to do with you than them.
If you are creating an NPC that is primarily focused on Combat,
you are advised to first have a look at the Premade Combat NPC
Creating Your
Stat Blocks on the next few pages. If you decide to make a Combat
NPC from scratch, you are advised to simplify or discard any of
Own NPCs
the more specific rules available in character creation.
For example, in the Premade Combat NPC Stat Blocks, while some
NPCs were modelled as having the Gunslinger I Trait, they do not
NPC Background have the Trait’s benefit of allowing you to reroll 1 die for an Armour
Generally, the only NPCs who will need a developed background roll while in Cover. The reason for this is the rule is too specific, and
are those close to the crew, or ones whose background will play in the midst of Combat, it could be hard to track applying such a
some role in the narrative. While no means exhaustive, the below rule.
are important questions to consider when devising the background
of an NPC in the year 2044. NPCs & Drivers
All characters, including NPCs, have Drivers; after all, Drivers are
Native or Expat? the building blocks of a personality. For NPCs however, do not use
Is the NPC from where they currently reside? If not, where the actual game rules of the Drivers, and instead use them solely as
did they come from? In a world of mass-migrations, postwar reference for the NPC’s personality.
reconstruction, and the upheaval of suburban and rural life, where
the NPC originally comes from can mean a lot. Keeping it Simple
You don’t need to go through every consideration, and pour
Culture & Religion? through every character option, when creating a new NPC. To
Everyone’s in a gang, just not everyone calls it that. In desperate keep it simple, avoid the steps of Character Creation and follow
times, in a postwar period, people look to their own - particularly these four basic steps to create an NPC:
the religious communities. Who does the NPC view as ‘their 1. Develop an idea in your head of what the NPC’s personality
people’? and abilities are.
2. Determine the 3 Drivers the NPC has.
What do they want? 3. Determine the Aspect Scores the NPC has for all their
Everyone wants something, even if it’s just a warm meal. It can Aspects, without using the normal rules of Character
be good to split this question in two: what does this NPC want Creation. Remember, +0 is an average person’s ability, and -2
from life, and what do they want right now? This way you can get and +2 are the normal extremes for an Aspect Score.
a clear idea of both the NPC’s existential desires and how they will 4. Give the NPC a Skill Level between 1-10 in 1-3 Skills.
act generally, and how they’ll act in this particular Scene in which
You now have a practical, easily-referred-to outline of an NPC.
they appear.
If you want to determine an NPC’s personality randomly, you
NPC Character Creation can roll on the Random Drivers Table on page 34 to pick their
Drivers.
You can create your own NPCs much in the same way that the
players create their Punks, with Traits and Equipment chosen
from the Character Options Lists.
243
Rolling for In this way, you can give particular characters resistance to certain
avenues of attack, which can force the crew to adapt and develop
Groups new strategies. If the crew needs to go after someone has this
resistance to a certain kind of Damage, it will need to be made
Character creation
When a group of NPCs is all performing the same action in clear at some point; either, in the Brief (“The target is particularly
tandem - all performing the same search, all chasing the same well placed in the ministry - calling in favours and pulling strings
target, etc. - it can make life easier to make a single roll for all is unlikely to have much effect”) or at some point during the
NPCs. Mission (“Your Machiavellian attempts at my position have been
for nothing! I have anticipated your every move!”). Otherwise
When you do so, make a single Throw as if only one NPC was you will give the impression that the NPC has a vast and unfair
making the Throw. Based on the narrative you can give this Throw amount of Fortune.
Advantage to represent the benefit of multiple people performing
it.
For example, for an Investigate Throw where a group of people are NPC Awareness &
searching for a Punk in hiding, the Throw would be on Advantage
as the large number of people means the target is more likely to be Active Watch
found. Awareness only provides a character’s passive ability to notice
Playing the Game
the hidden; if they are actively keeping a lookout by making
Fortune of NPCs Investigate Throws, they will on average be scoring a higher

number than their Awareness. Active Watch is a rule that allows
NPCs do not need to have the same maximum Fortune of 20 you to avoid constantly having to make rolls for NPCs keeping a
that the Punks have. If you wish to assign Fortune to NPCs, the lookout.
amount of Fortune should reflect the relevance of the character.
Someone with little to no individual relevance to the narrative With Active Watch, you treat people guarding a place as if they
could have a Fortune of 5, while someone of equal relevance to were expending 6d6 on Investigate Throws each Round, while
a Punk would have a Fortune of 20. Generally an NPC’s Fortune holding onto the remaining dice in their dice pool in case they
should not exceed 30, and such a number should be reserved need to react to anything. An NPC’s Active Watch is the average
for characters at the epicentre of a significant story; perhaps a outcome of their expending on 6d6 on an Investigate Throw.
recurring villain or the mastermind of all the crew’s suffering.
You can think of Active Watch in the following way: when a Punk
The world of 2044
The only time you must use Fortune as the Punks do is in Combat. is making a Stealth Throw to stay hidden from a group, if that
Otherwise, you can choose to forego Fortune entirely in many group is keeping watch, the DC for the Stealth Throw is equal to
situations; to keep the story going, you can treat any Damage a the highest Active Watch in that group. If that group is preoccupied
Punk deals as sufficient Damage to achieve whatever the player with doing anything else, the DC of the Stealth Throw is only
Gameplay Tools
wants to, be that death, incapacitation, or something else. equal to the highest Awareness in that group.
Investigate Skill Level Active Watch

Fortune as DC 0-1 10
You can also treat the Fortune of important NPCs as like a DC,
which the Damage roll is trying to ‘beat’. 2-3 14
All Things NPC
For example if a Punk sniper shoots a political target, but the 4-5 17
damage of that attack is less than the target’s Fortune, you could 6+ 21
reveal that the target has been gravely wounded, but not killed
outright. Now they are being raced to life-saving surgery. Should
Awareness, Active Watch, & Stealth
GM’s Toolkit
it succeed, the Mission will be a failure. The crew has to interfere,

either by getting between the target and the surgery, or interfering Throw DCs
with the surgery itself. Here, treating Fortune as a DC has added a Awareness and Active Watch only represent a person’s ability
new twist to the narrative. to observe their environment, and aren’t the only things that
can determine a Stealth Throw’s DC. Security measures such as
NPCs Resisting Damage cameras, sensors, spotlights, aerial drones, and so on are examples
For certain NPCs, you can halve the Damage they take of a certain of things that a Punk making a Stealth Throw would narratively
type due to narrative circumstance. For example, a serene monk need to avoid, and can shape a Stealth Throw’s DC.
might only take half the Mental Damage they normally would. A For example, if a Punk is trying to sneak inside a facility that has
particularly powerful politician would only take half the Political both armed guards and security cameras, as the GM you might
Damage they normally would. consider the security cameras to add to the guards’ Active Watch of
14, giving a DC of 20 to the Stealth Throw.
244
Combat NPCs Goon
Bouncer, bandit, beat cop, petty criminal, hired muscle
The below are some rules to make managing multiple NPCs in
combat easier, as well as a selection of pre-made NPCs A goon is roughly equivalent to half the combat ability of a combat-focused
Punk that has just been created in Character Creation.
Rolling Group Initiative Goons can appear in any number, from 1 to dozens.
Rather than rolling multiple dice, you can make a single roll for Dice Pool Maximum: 9 Toughness: +1
Initiative for an entire group of similar NPCs (such as individual [3 chunks of 3d6] Finesse: +0
members of a gang, or all the soldiers carrying the same weapon), Fortune: 10 Speed: +0
and have those character’s Turns happen one after another. If you Armour: 0 Clarity: +0
use this rule, each of those characters counts as expending the Awareness: 5 Intellect: -1
same amount of dice towards Initiative. Active Watch: 10 Skills: Athletics 3, Streetwise 6
Initiative
Speed Throw: 1d6
The Chunk System A Goon can expend a chunk on Initiative to instead roll 4d6.
The ‘Chunk’ system provides a simpler, faster way to manage the
dice pools of multiple NPCs in the midst of combat. With the Actions
Chunk system, rather than expending the dice of NPCs one-by- Each Action expends 1 chunk.
one, you expend them in ‘chunks’ of 3d6. Move. Attack with Handgun.
Stride: Normal. Magazine: 3
This allows you to break down what the NPCs under your control Range: Short/-Medium-
are doing; on the NPCs Turn, you might expend one chunk on the Grab / Bind. Attack Throw: 4d6
Move Action, then expend another Chunk on an Attack, and hold Toughness Clash Throw: 4d6 AP: 0
the final Chunk for a Dodge Reaction. Damage: 2d6
Due to each chunk being worth 3d6, some rules have been Attack with Unarmed Attack.
altered to fit multiples of 3. Most premade NPCs have a Dice Pool Range: Melee Reload Handgun.
Maximum of 9 (a few have a Dice Pool Maximum of 12), and Attack Throw: 5d6
some actions that would Consume 4 or 2 dice, such as a Reload, AP: 0
have been rounded to Consume 3. Damage roll: 2d3
Reaction
The Chunk system is not a necessity; as the GM you are not Each Reaction expends 1 chunk.
required to use it, merely advised to as a way of keeping Combat Dodge.
simpler, smoother, and faster-paced. Dodge Throw: 4d6.
Special
Chunk System Initiative Bonus
NPCs whose Dice Pool Maximum have been reduced to 9 to fit the Mostly Analogue. Goons typically don’t have cyberbrains, and don’t carry
3d6 chunks add a free +1d6 to the Speed Throw for their Initiative. equipment with the Net-Linked keyword. For each Goon, roll a d6. For each
This is imagined as the 10th dice of their Dice Pool Maximum that roll of 5 or 6, a Goon has a cyberbrain. Otherwise, they cannot be hacked.
won’t exist for the rest of Combat.
Any NPC using the Chunk system can expend one or multiple of
their chunks to increase their Initiative Score.
Premade Combat NPCs

To the right and overleaf are a selection of premade ‘stat blocks’ for
NPCs to be used in Combat. To make these stat blocks easier to
use, and to keep managing multiple NPCs in Combat easier, these
Combat NPCs use the chunk system, have had some of their Traits
and Equipment simplified, and do not use certain rules such as
Drivers and Talents.
245
Soldier Cyborg Forces
Military police, mercenary, ex-soldier, guerrilla UNTac, personal guard for a cabinet minister, black-ops mercenaries for a
powerful industrialist
Character creation
A Soldier is roughly equivalent in combat ability to a combat-focused Punk

that has just come out of Character Creation. The new iteration of the special forces, cyborg forces combine disciplined
flesh with powerful bionics. Silent and lethal, they aim to finish the enemy
Soldiers tend to operate in squads of 3-6. Soldiers will often travel in an
before anyone knows they’ve arrived.
Armoured Vehicle.
Dice Pool Maximum: 9 Toughness: +1 Cyborg Forces are one of the most dangerous physical threats in the world
[3 chunks of 3d6] Finesse: +1 of 2044, with a bogeymen-like reputation. It is best to avoid confrontation
Fortune: 15 Speed: +0 with Cyborg Forces. As the GM, you should clearly establish the threat of
Armour: 1d6 Clarity: -1 these ghostly killers. The Crew should flee, or if they plan to face them,
Awareness: 10 Intellect: +0 must be well-prepared.
Active Watch: 14 Skills: Athletics 3, Investigate 3, Cyborg Forces typically deploy as a strike force in groups of 4-6. Sometimes
Warfare 3 they will have Sniper Backup.
Initiative Dice Pool Maximum: 9 Toughness: +1
Speed Throw: 1d6 [3 chunks of 3d6] Finesse: +2
Playing the Game
A Goon can expend a chunk on Initiative to instead roll 4d6. Fortune: 20 Speed: +1
Actions Armour: 2d6+3 Clarity: +0
Each Action expends 1 chunk. Awareness: 15 Intellect: +0
Move. Attack with Assault Rifle. Active Watch: 15 Skills: Athletics 6, Investigate 3,
Stride: Normal. Magazine: 6 Stealth 6, Warfare 6
Range: Short/Medium/-Long- Initiative
Grab / Bind. Attack Throw: 5d6 Speed Throw: 5d6
Toughness Clash Throw: 5d6 AP: 0 Cyborg Forces always expend 1 chunk on Initiative, aiming to strike hard and
Damage: 2d6 fast.
Attack with Combat Knife. Special: Burst. When attacking Actions

Range: Melee with the assault rifle, reduce the Each Action expends 1 chunk.
Attack Throw: 6d6 Magazine by a further 1 before rolling
Move. Attack with Modified Assault Rifle.
The world of 2044
AP: 0 the Attack to either:

Stride: Fast. Magazine: 6
Damage roll: 1d6 > Deal an additional 2d6 to a target
Range: Short/Medium
you hit.
Grab / Bind. Attack Throw: 7d6
Reload Assault Rifle. > Have the same Attack Throw apply
Toughness Clash Throw: 5d6 AP: 1
to a second target near the first.
Gameplay Tools
Damage: 3d6
Reaction Attack with Combat Knife. Special: Burst. When attacking
Each Reaction expends 1 chunk. Range: Melee with the assault rifle, reduce the
Dodge. Attack Throw: 6d6 Magazine by a further 1 before rolling
Dodge Throw: 5d6. AP: 0 the Attack to either:
Damage roll: 2d6 > Deal an additional 3d6 Damage,
All Things NPC
Special
rolled separately, to a target you hit.
Cyberbrain. The Soldier has a cyberbrain, and communicates silently with Reload Assault Rifle. > Have the same Attack Throw apply
their squad via Bcomms. In addition, for each Soldier you can roll a d6. For Reactions to a second target near the first.
each roll of 5 or 6, a Soldier has 1-2 bionic limbs. Each Reaction expends 1 chunk.
GM’s Toolkit
Reaction
Each Reaction expends 1 chunk.
Dodge.
Dodge Throw: 6d6.
Special
Cyborg Forces Sniper Backup Cyborg Body. A Cyborg Forces member has a cyberbrain, and all their limbs
are bionic limbs. They communicate silently with their squad via Bcomms
Sometimes Cyborg Forces deploy with a sniper set up with
and share their vision if not using an Interdiction, and communicate via
the strike zone in their sights. Sniper Backup adds the
following Special to Cyborg Forces:
radio if they are. In addition, any Physical (External) Damage they take is
lowered by 3. This is included in the NPC’s Armour.
Special
Sniper Backup. Once per Round of Combat, the Cyborg Forces squad can Interdiction. During Initiative, the Cyborg Forces can activate an Interdiction
have a sniper set up outside fire into combat. The attack is as follows: if they think they are going up against a serious cyberthreat such as an
Attack with Sniper Rifle. S-rank hacker. An Interdiction crushes the speed of local information
Magazine: infinite transference.
Range: Medium/Long While in an Interdiction, everyone suffers the following effects:
Attack Throw: 7d6 > Ordinary communication via the Net, including with Bcomms, is
AP: 2 impossible.
Damage: 4d6 > Hacking Throws are made on Disadvantage.
> The Power cost of any Program is doubled.
246
Cyborg Ninja
An augmented government assassin, a rogue experimental soldier
Cyborg Ninjas prefer to use their Stealth skill to strike from the darkness. A Cyborg Ninja is a serious threat, capable of defeating an entire crew with ease. A
Cyborg Ninja is best confronted indirectly, if at all. As the GM, you should clearly establish the threat of this augmented assassin.
Cyborg Ninjas are strictly solo; you won’t ever encounter more than 1 at a time.
Dice Pool Maximum: 12 Toughness: +2
[4 chunks of 3d6] Finesse: +2
Fortune: 25 Speed: +2
Armour: 2d6+3 Clarity: -2
Awareness: 17 Intellect: +0
Active Watch: 21 Skills: Athletics 10, Investigate 6, Stealth 10
Initiative
Speed Throw: 6d6
A Cyborg Ninja always expends 1 chunk on Initiative, aiming to move out of sight before anyone can react, hide, then strike.
Actions
Each Action expends 1 chunk.
Move. Attack with Modified Long Blade.
Stride: Lightning. Range: Melee
Attack Throw: 8d6
Grab / Bind. AP: 2
Toughness Clash Throw: 5d6 Damage roll: 4d6
When the Cyborg Ninja succeeds on a Grab, they automatically make the person
they grabbed Stunned, as if they had successfully used the Bind Action on Attack with Modified Handgun.
them. Magazine: 3
Range: Short
Hide. Attack Throw: 8d6
Stealth Throw: 6d6. AP: 1
If the Throw’s Score beats the highest Awareness of the Cyborg Ninja’s enemies, Damage: 3d6
the Cyborg Ninja becomes Hidden. Note the Cyborg Ninja’s Score. If that Score is Special: Burst. When attacking with the assault rifle, reduce the Magazine by a
beaten by an Investigate Throw the Cyborg Ninja stops being Hidden. further 1 before rolling the Attack to either:
After using the Hide Action, the Cyborg Ninja expends 1 chunk at the start of > Deal an additional 3d6 Damage, rolled separately, to a target you hit.
each subsequent Turn to maintain being Hidden. > Have the same Attack Throw apply to a second target near the first.
Reload Handgun.
Reaction
Each Reaction expends 1 chunk.
Dodge. Counterattack.
Dodge Throw: 7d6. When the Cyborg Ninja is Attacked (regardless of whether they Dodge), they
can make an Attack against the Attacker as a Reaction with either their
Modified Long Blade or Modified Handgun.
Special
Cyborg Body. The Cyborg Ninja has a cyberbrain, and all their limbs are bionic limbs. Any Physical (External) Damage they take is lowered by 3. This is included in
the NPC’s Armour.
Ninja Step. Experimental technology allows the Cyborg Ninja to briefly run along vertical surfaces or even upside down. So long as they are upright at the end of
their Turn, the Cyborg Ninja can run along any surface when they Move. In addition, the Cyborg Ninja’s footsteps are completely silent.
Thermoptic Cowl. Until hit by an Attack or hacked to deactivate the cowl, the Cyborg Ninja is invisible.
Fragile Mind. The extensive experimental processes the Cyborg Ninja has gone through have made them mentally weak. Any Mental Damage the Cyborg Ninja
takes is doubled. In addition, the Cyborg Ninja is desperate to regain lost memories of their life before the metal flesh, and can be manipulated or bargained with.
247
Premade Networks & Hacker NPCs
Below are premade defences for Networks, and hackers who can guard them or attack from them.
Character creation
Premade Network Defences

The following are the premade cyberdefences of Networks, including their Ice and examples of what kind of groups have what level of
defence. Different ranks
It should be reasonable for a hacker of a particular rank to get into a Network of corresponding rank.
Ultimately it is up to each individual GM to determine the Network and Terminal Intrusion ADCs of other groups and factions, but the
below table can give an idea of how political power translates to how defended a Network is.
The S Ranks are broken down into subcategories of S1, S2 and S3, with higher numbers adding increased levels of difficulty, for Crews
aiming to take on truly powerful targets.
D-Rank C-Rank B-Rank A-Rank

Playing the Game
A civilian group, a homeless network, a A local business, a street vendor, a An AI managing local infrastructure, a A small chartered corporation, a
fringe community home laboratory public nightclub, a worker collective private club
Network Intrusion ADC: 20 Network Intrusion ADC: 28 Network Intrusion ADC: 41 Network Intrusion ADC: 49
Terminal Intrusion ADC: 10 Terminal Intrusion ADC: 14 Terminal Intrusion ADC: 20 Terminal Intrusion ADC: 24
Ice: Ice: Ice: Ice:
1. Attack Barrier I. 1. Attack Barrier I. 1. Attack Barrier II 1. Attack Barrier II
2. Defence Barrier I 2. Defence Barrier I 2. Defence Barrier II 2. Defence Barrier II
3. Defence Barrier I 3. Defence Barrier I 3. Shield Barrier I 3. Shield Barrier I
Ice Effect: Ice Effect: Ice Effect: Ice Effect:
The hacker takes 1d3 Physical The hacker takes 1d3 Physical The hacker takes 1d6 Physical The hacker takes 1d6 Physical
(Internal) Damage and the target’s (Internal) Damage and the target’s (Internal) Damage and the target’s (Internal) Damage and the target’s
Intrusion ADC increases by 16 once. Intrusion ADC increases by 16 once. Intrusion ADC increases by 12 once. Intrusion ADC increases by 12 once.
The world of 2044
A-Rank, Rapid S1-Rank S2-Rank S3-Rank

Gameplay Tools
An AI managing national or A powerful government ministry, The centre of government, the UN

Response international infrastructure headquarters of an international headquarters
A police station, security for the
chartered corporation
government, a mercenary group
Network Intrusion ADC: 41 Network Intrusion ADC: 60 Network Intrusion ADC: 80 Network Intrusion ADC: 90
All Things NPC
Terminal Intrusion ADC: 24 Terminal Intrusion ADC: 30 Terminal Intrusion ADC: 40 Terminal Intrusion ADC: 45
Ice: Ice: Ice: Ice:
1. Defence Barrier II 1. Attack Barrier II 1. Attack Barrier II 1. Attack Barrier II
2. Hunter Barrier 2. Defence Barrier II 2. Shock Barrier 2. Defence Barrier II
3. Shield Barrier 3. Shield Barrier II 3. Shield Barrier II 3. Shock Barrier
GM’s Toolkit
Ice Effect: Ice Effect: Ice Effect: Ice Effect:

The target’s Intrusion ADC increases The hacker takes 1d6 Physical The hacker takes 1d6 Physical The hacker takes 1d6 Physical
by 12 once, and the hacker must (Internal) Damage and the target’s (Internal) Damage and takes 2d6 (Internal) Damage, the target’s
make a Hacking Throw (DC 15). If they Intrusion ADC increases by 12 once. Physical (Internal) Damage once. Intrusion ADC increases by 12 once,
fail, their current physical location and the hacker takes 2d6 Physical
is revealed to this Network, and a (Internal) Damage once.
rapid-response team is notified to
apprehend the hacker.
Networks at this rank have the Networks at this rank have the
resources to employ a Network resources to employ two separate
Defence Suite, a series of devices that Network Defence Suite, that
increase their Network Intrusion ADC collectively increase their Network
by 20. Intrusion ADC by 40.
248
A & S Rank Vulnerabilities Further Network Defences
Powerful entities can employ daunting A and S-ranked Network The following are special additional steps an organisation might
defences, but they do have a vulnerability: their size makes them use to protect itself.
less mobile. A government ministry or megacorporation cannot
raise the alarm every time a hacker knocks on their defences -
otherwise they’d never do anything else. Similarly, they cannot Hacker Cradles
complex their Network’s Netpoint, otherwise their citizens and Hackers employed by this group are equipped with Hacker Cradles, giving
customers will be unable to reach them on the Net. them +1d6 to their Hacker Throws and allowing them to expend 1 Power
to reduce Physical (Internal) Damage from Programs such as Shock by
The benefits of a Hardline connection (+2d6 to Hacking Throws, 1d6.
and Intrusion is made on Advantage) to a Network Core can be
the difference between triggering a Network’s Ice or getting in in
one go. When the Crew plans to hack a tough target, make sure Penetration Gauge
they’re aware that a physical infiltration preceding a hack to set up Whenever a hacker suffers Ice from attempting to Intrude into this
a Hardline connection could be what decides success. Network, hackers in this Network’s employ learn the Score for the
Hacking Throw for the Intrusion. These hackers will then assess the
There are also narrative vulnerabilities you can introduce which threat and, if significant, will seek and destroy the attempted hacker
can make Hacking a target easy. while shoring up the Network’s defences with Improv Maze.
For example, you might reveal that there is a particular data key
held under lock-and-key in a Faraday cage that, should the Crew be
able to steal it, will halve the Network Intrusion ADC of the target Offsite Backup
for the Crew’s hack. This organisation regularly backs up its data on a separate Network, and
checks its cyberhygiene by comparing with the backup. If the Crew wants
to plant a Program in this Network or tamper with data it holds, they’ll
Employed Hackers need to hit both locations before the backup occurs.
Networks that can afford it will often have a hacker in their
employ who actively protects them from other hackers. Generally For additional difficulty, the backup Network is kept in a Faraday zone,
a Network should be defended by a hacker of the same rank; an meaning it can’t be hacked from the outside.
A-rank hacker defends an A-rank Network, etc.
Groups at any rank can have a hacker in their employ to actively

defend their Network. The higher the rank, the more likelihood
the Network has of employing a Hacker, with S-ranked Networks
always employing Hackers.
When attacking a Network, it should be exceedingly rare for the
Crew to be facing off against more than one hacker at a time.
Smaller groups tend to only have one hacker in their employ, and
larger groups have to spread out the hackers in their employ to
different areas to defend their larger estate.
249
Premade NPC Combat Hackers
Across is a list of prepared hackers of differing ranks, including their Programs, important Traits and Equipment, and the kind of strategies
Character creation
hackers these hackers can pursue. The list begins at C-rank as hackers of D-Rank aren’t generally skilled enough to effectively engage one
another.
This section is to help facilitate GMs using NPC hackers in Combat - if you are a GM who wants a hacker that isn’t so interested in fighting,
build your hacker NPC from the ground up using character creation. When creating an NPC hacker with character creation, give some
thought as to how they approach their hacks. For example, a hacker who uses a hacker cradle will do their investigations independently and
over the Net, while a hacker with a number of Contacts may use their connections to scope out a target.
You can use the Chunk System to simplify controlling these hackers in Combat. If you do so, each NPC Combat Hacker will have a Dice
Pool of 9 (3 chunks of 3d6), although an NPC hacker will count as using 10d6 if they decide to expend their entire Dice Pool on a Hacking
Throw.
Each Hacker can use the Programs and strategies of lower-ranked hackers above them on this table.
Playing the Game
Basic Stats Programs and Notes Aggressive Strategies Defensive Strategies

Fortune: 15 Scan Shock Attack Slice Defence
Software Skill Level: 6 Improv Maze Total Power Cost: 1 Total Power Cost: 1
Hacking Throw Mod: +1d6 Slice
Intrude into an enemy Terminal and use the Intrude into a Terminal in your Network that
Shock
Shock Program to damage a cyborg or enemy has been Intruded into by an enemy Hacker
Tracker
equipment. and use the Slice Program.
C-Rank
Expend 1 chunk on Intrusion Expend 2 chunks or entire Dice Pool on Slice.

Optionally expend 2 chunks on Shock to
increase Damage.
Hacking Throws: A C-Rank hacker can Track Improv Maze Defence

1 Chunk Hacking Throw: 4d6 be Intruded in up to 3 Total Power Cost: 1 Total Power Cost: 0
The world of 2044
Entire Dice Pool Hacking Terminals and 1 Network

Intrude into an Enemy and reveal their Intrude into a Terminal in your Network that
Throw: 9d6 simultaneously.
location with the Tracker Program, for your is likely to be targeted for hacking by the
allies to seek and apprehend. enemy, and use Improv Maze.
Expend 1 chunk on Intrusion Expend 1 chunk on Improv Maze
Gameplay Tools

Fortune: 15 Paralyse Paralyse Disarm Illusion Distraction
All Things NPC
Software Skill Level: 8 Puppeteer Total Power Cost: 1 Total Power Cost: 1
Hacking Throw Mod: +2d6 Illusion
Intrude into an Enemy with Bionic body parts Intrude into an enemy aiming at your allies
Shutdown
or their gun, and using the Paralyse Program and distract them with the Illusion Program
B-Rank
stop them being able to fire to enable an ally by showing an illusion of their target
GM’s Toolkit
At B-Rank and above,

to get in close without being under fire. elsewhere.

hackers can use the Action:
Mass Hack (page 75) Expend 1 chunk on Intrusion Expend 1 chunk on Intrusion
Expend 1 chunk on Paralyse (DC 10) Expend 1 chunk on Illusion (DC 15)
Hacking Throws: A B-Rank hacker can
1 Chunk Hacking Throw: 5d6 be Intruded in up to 5
Entire Dice Pool Hacking Terminals and 1 Network
250
Fortune: 20 Brute Complex Pumped Shock Attack Slice & Complex
Software Skill Level: 9 Pumped Shock Total Power Cost: 1-3 Total Power Cost: 5
Hacking Throw Mod: +3d6 Possession
Intrude into an enemy Terminal and use the If an enemy hacker Intrudes into you, use
Mass Paralyse
Pumped Shock Program to damage a cyborg the Slice Program to remove them then
or enemy equipment. If you want to bring the immediately use the Brute Complex Program.
down fast, put more Power into the Pumped
Expend 2 chunks or entire Dice Pool on Slice,
Shock.
then immediately Brute Complex.
Expend 1 chunk on Intrusion
A-Rank
Optionally expend 2 chunks on Shock to

increase Damage. Then optionally expend 1-2
Power to Maximise Damage.
Hacking Throws: An A-Rank hacker can Possession Attack
1 Chunk Hacking Throw: 6d6 be Intruded in up to 5 Total Power Cost: 1
Entire Dice Pool Hacking Terminals and 2 Networks
Intrude into an enemy cyborg or vehicle and
use the Possession Program to manipulate
them into attacking or ramming their allies.
Expend 1 chunk on Intrusion
Expend 1 or more chunks on manipulating the
target.

Fortune: 20 Mass Illusion Sleep Attack Mass Illusion Distraction
Software Skill Level: 10 Sleep Total Power Cost: 1 Total Power Cost: 2
Hacking Throw Mod: +4d6
If there’s an enemy that needs to be captured, Intrude into a number of enemies and distract
Intrude into them and use the Sleep Program. them all with Mass Illusion.
S-Rank
Ensure they are alone when you do so, so that

Expend 2 chunks on Intrusion using Mass
their allies cannot wake them up.
Hack
Expend 1 chunk on Intrusion Expend 1 chunk on Mass Illusion (DC 20)
Expend 1 chunk on Sleep (DC 20)
Hacking Throws: An S-Rank hacker can
1 Chunk Hacking Throw: 7d6 be Intruded in up to 10
Entire Dice Pool Hacking Terminals and 3 Networks
Power Usage
How much Power a hacker will use when battling the Crew
depends on their resources and how much they are willing to
commit against the Crew. Use the below table to determine how
much Power a hacker has to use at the beginning of Combat.
Weak Group Medium Group Strong Group

Routine Defence 6 7 8
Battle 9 10 11
Planned Strike 10 12 14
Remember that no one has infinite resources: even hackers in the

direct employ of the government will only have so much Power to
expend. It should be possible for the Crew, through clever strategy
and targeted attacks, to reduce the amount of Power a group has
to 0.
251
Recommended
Character creation
TV:
Soundtracks Atlanta
A small crew of people, who each offer something different, try to
You can enhance a session of ECOPUNK by adding music. The figure out how to climb out of the shit-pile. Each episode offers a
following are some of our favourite tracks, most of which are new challenge, much like each Mission should.
without vocals, or with only backing vocals, so as to not distract
from your narration. If ECOPUNK 2044 had a theme-song, it Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
would be 4 Degrees by ANOHNI. A crew, each member with a unique talent, navigates the moral
greys of state violence. Advancing transhumanist technology
Electronic: begins to reshape society.
Amidakyo Memorial Service by Gyosen Asakura
Beyond The Black Rainbow Soundtrack by Sinoia Caves
The Wire
The Wire is the touchstone par excellence for the depiction of
Bubble Up by BIG MUD
Playing the Game
criminal life and the realities of underclass politics.

Dream Sequence by Tangerine Dream
Frozen Synapse Soundtrack by nervous_testpilot
Jaku by DJ Krush
Cowboy Bebop
Amidst a post-disaster society, the bionics both characters possess
Tokyo 42 Soundtrack by Beat Vince
are windows into their story, rather than a superficial fixation.
The Uncanny Valley by Perturbator
Creepy: Films:
Bloodborne Soundtrack by Ryan Amon Mute
Fac Totum by Die Sonne Satan Five-minutes-in-the-future scifi, where old cultures like
Macbeth (2017) Soundtrack by Jed Kurzel Mormonism grate against the new.
Pagan: Casablanca
The world of 2044
Futha by Heilung People smoking in dimly lit rooms in fascist-occupied territory.

Lifa by Heilung Need I say more.
Hotel Artemis
Sad: Hints of advanced technology within a criminal enterprise that
Gameplay Tools
Disco Elysium Soundtrack by British Sea Power mostly runs on muscle, blood, and sweat.
For My Parents by MONO
I’m New Here by Gil Scott-Heron Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
A vicious factional struggle between military-police departments,
Other: both of which are already within the power structure, set to a
All Things NPC
Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack by The Seatbelts, Yoko Kanno, and backdrop of civil unrest.
others
Infest the Rats’ Nest by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Soylent Green
Velvet Ears 17 by Magpie Amidst an environmental collapse, the entire class spectrum
suffers - there are no ivory towers to retreat to when the food starts
GM’s Toolkit
Reich: WTC 9/11, Mallet Quartet, Dance Patterns by Steve Reich

running out. The upper classes in Soylent Green have lives barely
Touchstones
above that of the underclass.
Touchstones can provide an easy way to create a sense of Books:

ECOPUNK’s setting for new players, or provide inspiration for Nachun
GMs. When pitching ECOPUNK to prospective players, consider A world of rising oceans, crooked fishermen, and the malevolent
discussing the following. Each Touchstone also has a sentence or will of the Vatican. The last is particularly relevant to 2044, where
two on a Touchstone’s more specific relevancies to ECOPUNK. religion has been emboldened.
Video Games: The Man in the High Castle

This book provides multiple stories of a conquered and broken
Disco Elysium America; great inspiration for the New American Union.
A game where the cerebral and the material overlap in a postwar
setting.
Recommended Non-Fiction
Half Life 2 Cyborg Manifesto by Donna Haraway
Advanced technologies build atop the battered and rusting old, Food Choice and Sustainability by Richard Oppenlander
while tyrants struggle to hold down a decaying world. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Rise of the Robots by Martin Ford
And of course, Das Kapital by Karl Marx
252
Parting Words
Liam Hevey Harry Robertson
The Writer The Editor
ECOPUNK represents a confluence of many dissatisfactions in The lack of art about climate change is a source of continual
my life: my inability to do anything meaningful in the campaign confusion to me. The only film anyone can name about climate
for a sustainable environment, the failures of numerous TTRPGs change (myself included) is The Day After Tomorrow, which is
to provide a core mechanic that works in both day-by-day and approaching two decades old. It also happens to be rubbish.
second-by-second narratives, and my growing alarm that many
fans of the cyberpunk genre genuinely regard the worlds of Why? Anyone my age or younger has been royally shafted by a set
William Gibson and Philip K Dick as cool, as the kind of places of previous generations who have repeatedly chosen short-term
Keanu Reeves would hang out in. political and financial gain over long-term human existence. Many
of these people still hold political office. Some of them literally
It seems clear to me that art, to be progressive, needs to move deny the existence of climate change. It seems odd that people
beyond merely highlighting problems, and must also provide aren’t rioting in the streets. And if we can’t get the riots, why can’t
a concept of the alternative; how else will people generate the we at least get some decent art out of it?
imagination to conceive of a political reality outside this neoliberal
capitalist morass? Perhaps by showing new worlds, new political It might sound flippant to be whingeing about a dearth of art while
futures that aren’t merely mirrors of the past, I can inspire some the planet slowly burns. But fiction has always seemed to me to be
change. The world of ECOPUNK is twisted and wrong, but for the way we make sense of problems and theories that are too big to
all of its sins, it is a world where baseline politics isn’t actively tackle head-on. Pamphlets and manifestos may start movements,
trying to exterminate the species. Of course, culture is downstream but it is stories which actually sway public sentiment.
from politics: ECOPUNK could only ever help as a way in to the
movement. It won’t itself be the way forward. My contribution is extremely small. I am just the editor – which
means that my primary role has been to distract Liam with four-
So if you’re reading this, and society has not yet changed, an hour video calls in which I vent my rage at his semicolon usage.
environmental disaster will be the defining event of your life. It But it feels nice to have contributed.
could well be what ends it. Go vegan. Go green. Go protest, and
when you do keep a guillotine handy. Your life depends on it. This took a long time. I hope it’s good.
254
Resources
The following pages contain ‘sheets’, which are used to keep track
of character and game information. You can photocopy and print
out the pages, or print them as PDFs.
Free PDF versions of the sheets are available at: dicekapital.itch.io
The Character Sheet can be used to record and track important

information about your Punk.
The Crew Sheet can be used to track resources and information

about the Crew.
The Hacker Sheet can be used to track your hacker abilities,

including Programs you have access to.
255
Ecopunk 2044 Character Sheet
Player Name: Drivers
Punk Name & Callsign:
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
expCOIN: Body:
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fortune 20 Stigma Languages

1st Stigma
2nd Stigma
3rd Stigma
Armour Dodge Equipment Traits

Base
Adjcnt
ranged
Attacks
Weapon Atk Dmg
Mod.
g
Notes
a
M
Weapon Atk Dmg

Mod.
g
Notes
a
M
Weapon Atk Dmg

Mod.
Stride Awareness
g
Notes
a
[plodding] [slow] [Normal] [fast] [lightning] 2x Investigate LVL

M
Toughness Athletics Art Converse Dominate

NovicE Intermed. Master NovicE Intermed. Master NovicE Intermed. Master Novice Intermed. Master
TALENT TALENT TALENT TALENT

Finesse ECOLOGY ENGINEER INDUSTRY INVESTIGATE

NovicE Intermed. Master NovicE Intermed. Master NovicE Intermed. Master NovicE Intermed. Master

Speed MEDICINE PILOT POLITICS SPIRITUALITY


Clarity STEALTH STREETWISE SCIENCE SURVIVAL


Intellect SOFTWARE WARFARE CUSTOM SKILL CUSTOM SKILL


256 TALENT TALENT TALENT TALENT
Ecopunk 2044 Crew Sheet
total Intrusion ADC
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Power track your Power using d6s pwr
Crew Name:
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 network Terminal
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 6 6 6 6 6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 d d d d d d
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Crew members & heat
pwr Heat pwr Heat pwr Heat
Name Name Name ice
Note Note Note ice layer 1
Name Name Name
Note Note Note

Name Name Name
Note Note Note ice layer 2
Assets
ice layer 3
Reputation
faction rep
network data
faction rep
faction rep
faction rep
faction rep
faction rep
faction rep
faction rep
257
Ecopunk 2044 hacker Sheet
Hacker Alias:
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SOFTWARE SKILL LVL HACKING THROW MOD.
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
+xd6
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Programs ra ra ra
name nk Pwr name nk Pwr name nk Pwr
HotPrograms ra ra ra
coldPrograms ra ra ra
Hacker Traits Hacker Equipment
258
Index C
Cold. See Temperature
Combat 135
F
Faraday 150
Fortune 22
Attacking. See Attacking Crisis. See Crisis
A Combat NPCs 245–247 Damage. See Damage
Actions 135. See Combat Dodging. See Dodging Deus Ex Machina. See Deus Ex Machina
Preparing an Action 136 Reactions 136 Flashback. See Flashback
Addled 140 Concealable. See Keywords Fortune of NPCs 244
Advantage 124 Consume 8, 118
Ambushed 135 Contacts 77–79 G
Armour 139 Crew Effects 236 Ghostline, Beyond the. See Hacking
Armour Piercing (AP). See Combat Crisis 24 Grab 135
Cover 139 Stigma 24
Aspects 12 Cyberbrain, The 50, 145, 201
Aspects & Throws. See Throws H
Assets 236 Hacking 142–150
Attacking 137
D Faraday 150
Armour. See Armour Damage 22, 138 Ghostline, Beyond the 148–149
Armour Piercing (AP) 92, 139 Critical Damage 138 Hackers in the Setting 204–209
Cover. See Armour Heat. See Heat Hacking Throws 142
Dodging. See Dodging Hit Points 81 Hardline Connection 150
Mishaps. See Throws Improvised Damage 233 Ice 146
Range 92, 137 Weapon Damage 92 Intrusion 144–146
Range on a Grid 241 Dice Pool, The 120 Intrusion ADCs 145
Unarmed Attacks 137 Dice Pool Incapacitation. See Incapac- Netpoints 143
Weapons itated Networks. See Network, The
Blast on a Grid 241 Dice Pool Maximum 120 NPC Networks & Hackers 248–251
Properties 92 Disadvantage 124 Programs 147
Range 92
Dodging 138 Program List 152–163
Awareness 20 Animals Dodging 86 Visualiser 74, 142
NPC Awareness 244 Dodge of Objects 138 Hardline Connection. See Hacking
Drones Dodging 103 Heat 236–238
B Vehicles Dodging 100 Hidden 140
Bartering 81 Drivers 12 Hot. See Temperature
Bind 135 Character Creation 31 Hunker Down 136
Drivers List 34–39
Bionics 41, 200. See Keywords
Bionics List 67–69 I
Civilian Cyborg 43 E Illegal. See Keywords; See Heat
Military Cyborg 44 Epilogue 127, 130, 229 Incapacitated 140
Body Equipment 21, 81 Dice Pool Incapacitation 120
Body List 42–44 Equipment Familiarity 21, 81
Character Creation 32
Initiative 134
Equipment List 81–104
Brief 127, 228–229 Equipment & Temperature. See Temper-
ature K
Reading Options 40 Keywords 41
Starting Equipment
Starting Equipment List 45–49 L
expCOIN 28, 239 Languages 27
Character Creation 32 Character Creation 32
NPC Character Creation 243 Lingua Francas, The. See Lingua Fran-
Explosive 124 cas, The
Pidgins 27
Lingua Francas, The 27, 202
259
M T
Mastery. See Keywords Taboo. See Keywords; See Heat
Maximise 124 Talents. See Skills
Minimise 124 Temperature 131
Mishaps. See Throws Introduction 8
Missions 127, 228–231 Temperature & DC 121
Mission Example 132 Traits & Equipment in Temperature 122
Mods 40 The Crew 126
Move 135 The Elements 128–129
Moving on a Grid 240 The Gig 126
Throws 118
N Aspects & Throws 12
Clashes 123
Net-Linked. See Keywords; See Hacking Familiarity. See Equipment
Netpoints. See Hacking Hacking Throws. See Hacking
Network, The 127, 144 Helping a Throw 123, 136
Shutdown 146 Introduction 8
Skilled Throws 18
O Strained Throws 123
Successes & Mishaps 118, 137
Organic. See Keywords Talents. See Skills
Throw DCs 121, 122
P Accumulating DCs 121
Intrusion ADCs. See Hacking
Power 26
Tool Bonus 19
NPC Power Usage 251
Traits 21
Premade Punks 106–115
Reading Options 40
Traits List 50–80
R Traits & Temperature. See Temperature
Range. See Attacking Turns. See Scenes
Reactions. See Combat
Reputation 236 V
Roll Effects 124 Visualiser. See Hacking
Rounds. See Scenes
W
S Warm. See Temperature
Saves 13, 123
Scenes 130
Introduction 8
Rounds 130
Temperature. See Temperature
Turns 134
Signature. See Keywords
Skills 14
Skilled Throws. See Throws
Skill Expertise 19
Talents 19
Strained. See Throws
Stride 20
Move. See Move
Moving on a Grid 240
Stunned 140
260
261
ECOPUNK: 2044 is a cybernoir environmentalist table top role playing
game set in a near future of environmental collapse and cold war conflict.
You are Eco. Brace for the elements and scrape by on subsistence in
a decaying world.
You are Cyber. Adapt the mind, augment the body, and seize control
through the digital mandala carved out by a rogue superintelligence.
You are Punk. Work outside the system to bend it towards survival,
whether it likes it or not.
The Death Spiral opens before you.

Pick up something and fight it.

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A Dice Kapital Game

This book is printed on sustainably sourced paper with

However, there is a thin lamination of plastic on the cover. We

Buying this book is not a contribution to the environmentalist

But it is a means to inspire action.

Premade Punks 106

The Basic Outline

The Setting Be the Punk

What You Need

A character’s Dice Pool represents their potential in a given Unfolding Gameplay

Then you will learn the rules to playing ECOPUNK 2044 as a

What is the world of ECOPUNK like? Need inspiration for a

Meanwhile, the Game Master can assemble Missions and enrich

If multiple specific rules would apply and don’t state in which

You Don’t Reroll Rerolls

Every character, including each Punk, has 3 Drivers.

roleplaying prompt, or if you also want its rules to apply to your

aspects: Toughness, Finesse, Speed, Clarity, and Intellect, which

Throw, they will also name an Aspect appropriate to the course of

In addition, some Throws tell you which Aspect applies to the

When an Aspect Modifies a Throw, increase or decrease the

Punks rarely make Throws only affected by an Aspect; typically

Saves represent your character resisting some kind of negative

Saves do not expend dice from your dice pool.

The GM can ask for you to make a Save to resist a narrative

Colour and craft, a conduit for the God inside.

» Knowledge of craft and arts materials and process.

Skills can overlap in their applications. In such instances, you

decide which Skill you use. Some examples of overlapping Skills

A skill’s application extends to the social, political, and

athletic, it also means you know about sport institutions, how to

and is explained on page 20. » Knowledge of customs and administration pertaining to

After 50 years of slumber, the great beast is awake and out of

» Knowledge of contemporary and historical politics.

» Diagnosis of injury and illness.

involve traversing and surviving within nature. of such subjects.

142. A Skilled Throw is a kind of Throw made when a character

Whenever a player describes what they want their Punk to do,

When making a Skilled Throw, if you expend a number of dice

Only one piece of Equipment can apply the Tool Bonus to a

There are five increments of Stride, described below. Whenever

to Normal. Stride is only ever raised or lowered by one increment

character sprints at a maximum pace of up to 30 mph, or 13½

The GM will normally tell you if something special is affecting

Dragging or carrying a heavy object also lowers your Stride.

Familiarity extends beyond just options that appear in the

When the GM and players interpret Damage within the narrative,

through spending their Fortune. Different Kinds Of Damage

Damage is an abstract term that can come from many sources,

While in a Flashback, not only can characters plan with one

either pick randomly by rolling on the Drivers Table, or choosing

event that prevents the character from participating further in the

and then the final 1 point of Fortune is lost to Physical Damage,

Crisis, but it must be something that removes them from affecting

Damage Kind Example Context Example Crisis Example Epilogue

Example Stigmas Table

Creating your Character

As explained in Losing Characters Prematurely, the GM shouldn’t

What is special about expCOIN is that it enables characters to

in-universe currency that the Punks themselves spend.